Happy Father’s Day!
This week’s devotions are based on “Gifts from Our Father!” (WATCH HERE)
Happy Father’s Day to all the dads who read these devotions! Your impact and influence and importance in the life of your children should never be underestimated. You are a gift from God to them as you seek to bring God’s gifts to them!
Fatherhood is one of God’s designed for the health of children and of society. Everything that by God’s grace we are able to do and encourage men in the role they have been given is so important in a society that often diminishes, discourages, and discounts the men who desire to faithfully carry out this role.
What helps me be a godly Dad is to be reassured and reminded of my relationship with my heavenly Father. In this week’s message we focused on the baptism of Jesus and interaction with his Son on that special occasion when Jesus was set aside in a public way for the ministry of teaching and miracle working and most importantly his path to the cross and the empty tomb to do the work of saving humanity from the guilt and consequence of sin. The miraculous interaction of the Trinity expresses itself as the Father affirms his Son as the Spirit of God descends on him. Certainly this connection is closer and more divine than any human relationship, however is it possible to look at the interaction of the Father with his Son and see if and what part of this relationship is also true of our heavenly Father’s relationship with us.
Here’s what happened at Jesus’ baptism, recorded in Matthew 3:16-17: “As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”
One might say that the words the Father spoke were for those that were gathered around so that they would know that Jesus was the Son of God and the focus of the Father’s love and good pleasure. Yes it was for those around. But to be sure the human/divine Savior Jesus would have been filled to hear his Father speak these words about him. These words are affirming. They are enduring. They are motivating.
One only has to imagine the opposite of these words being spoken and the consequences would have been catastrophic. If the Father DID NOT claim his Son, DID NOT love his Son or was NOT well pleased with him, not only would his credibility with the crowd have been crushed but the human psyche that desires the love and affirmation of a Father would have been smashed.
So while the words the Father spoke were special and unique as they were spoken to his Son, Jesus, they are words that are indicative of the Father’s gift to us as well. And then one must ask, “As one who has received these gifts from our heavenly Father, are they also gifts we as earthly fathers want to do our best to pass on to our children? Absolutely.
I look forward to unpacking these gifts in the devotions this week, but for this morning I invite us simply to consider, “What would it mean to me if God would say of me…’This is my son/daughter, whom I love; with him/her I am well-pleased?’” Would it change your day? Your energy? Your confidence? Your faith?
I believe it truly does.
Apply: How many times have you heard your dad say, “You are my son/daughter. I love you. I am well-pleased with you”? When you did, how did it make you feel?
Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you for the gift of fatherhood, but especially the gift it is to call you my Father. Today I simply ask that this relationship be real and present in my day. AMEN.
Lessons from Legos – Part 5
This week’s devotions are based on “We’re in this Together!” (WATCH HERE)
1 Corinthians 12:27 Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.
We started this week with the somewhat silly statement, “You don’t have to be part of a Lego kit to be a Lego.” At its base premise, a Lego is a Lego regardless of its participation in a Lego kit or project. However, the purpose of the creation of a Lego brick would be grossly missed and the purpose of that brick never fully realized if it never was used in the kit or creation for which it was made.
As we end this week reflecting on Legos and the body of Christ, my prayer is that when we change the word “Lego” to “Christian” we realize that we too miss out on the blessing and purpose of being a Christian if we isolate ourselves from other Christians and do not participate in the work of the Body of Christ. Do you have to be part of a Christian church to be a Christian? By strict definition, “No.” Yet, just as a Lego will never realize the blessing and purpose of being a Lego if isolated, so a Christian will miss out on a great blessing the Lord has given to him or her if one remains on the sidelines. You were created in Christ for good works he also has prepared for you and some of those good works are ones you are equipped and gifted to do with other Christians as part of a local manifestation of the Body of Christ.
EACH one of you is part of the Body of Christ. No exceptions. No excuses.
This isn’t a club over the head, but a loving encouragement and I really don’t know how to say it without a level of directness that just wants every person to be an active member of the Body of Christ and see what God can do when EVERY one of his children combines their gifts with others to bring the Gospel to the world.
Collectively we have been given the privilege to be part of the Lord’s work. He gives us individual opportunities, but has always been a group activity too. Sometimes the church is like a football game. 22 participants and thousands of spectators. That is an exaggeration, but what would the impact be for the Gospel when EVERY one of you saw your special gifting and the reality that God has put you in a place to join with other Christians to grow and spread the Gospel in your community? It’s easy to let work, sports, hobbies, life, etc. take the priority. So hear is my challenge to each of us.
Don’t be an isolated Lego piece. Don’t be an isolated Christian.
You have been created in Christ to be not only heirs of heaven, but active participants in the Body of Christ. If these devotions encourage one reader to become an active participant in the Body of Christ, I praise God for that.
YOU ARE the Body of Christ and EACH ONE of you is part of it!
Enjoy all the blessings of being a unique, gifted, loved part of the Body of Christ!
Apply: If you have been active part of the body of Christ, what have been the blessings you experienced? If you have been sitting on the sidelines, what is one way you can offer your gifts to the Gospel ministry of your local church?
Prayer: Lord, thank you for making me your child and putting me in the Body of Christ. Forgive me for my apathy and sitting on the sidelines. Empower me by your Spirit to use the gifts you have given me to make an impact for your Gospel message in my community. AMEN.
Lessons from Legos – Part 4
This week’s devotions are based on “We’re in this Together!” (WATCH HERE)
Not “just a stand.”
This past Sunday, each attender at the worship service picked up a Lego brick on their way into the service. During the message, I had our middle school students go through the congregation and ask for the Lego brick from each person in attendance. However, before the brick was turned over the student had to say, “We need you!” Every brick is an important part of the Body of Christ.
Once all the bricks were collected, the three kids went to work to form them into some representation of the Body of Christ. Their first iteration was the bricks formed into a corner angle. When asked what they represented, one of them said, “Christ is the cornerstone and we’re all built around him!”
Perfect! Great example of what the Apostle Peter wrote about in his first letter chapter 2:
4 As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to him— 5 you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6 For in Scripture it says:
“See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone,
and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame.”
But then I asked them, “Could you reform the bricks into something that makes a cross? The picture on this devotion is what they came up with. I asked them to describe their creation. One said, “It’s a cross.” I said, “That’s great! What’s this behind it?” To which the student responded, “It’s just a stand.”
“Hmm, just a stand?” I asked?
“To hold up the cross,” they responded.
“Would anyone see the cross if there wasn’t a stand to hold it up? Or would more people see the cross if the stand was holding it up?” I continued.
“Well, I guess more would see it with a stand.”
What a great teaching opportunity and the dialogue could not have illustrated the point more clearly. The stand was not “just a stand.” The stand was a CRUCIAL part of the whole. Without the stand, the cross would not be seen.
Paul reminds us that there are no “just a” pieces in the Body of Christ. We don’t have to have false humility or diminish our role. God has given us the gifts he wants us to have. Some of those gifts are more visible and prominent, other roles are weaker and less prominent…but each of them have the same purpose and value: To proclaim Christ to the world.
That really is the purpose of the Body of Christ – to proclaim Christ to the world. It takes all kinds of people with different gifts. God gives to each one as he determines and never says, “You’re just a…” but rather with confidence he says, “YOU ARE a key part of the Body of Christ. Without you, the body suffers and the mission to proclaim the Gospel suffers.”
So never underestimate your value and contribution to the Body of Christ. Sure some may be more visible and out front, but even what seems like the most menial task of support is an important and key part of the body of Christ.
1 Corinthians 12:21 The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” And the head cannot say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” 22 On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, 23 and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, 24 while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has combined the members of the body and has given greater honor to the parts that lacked it, 25 so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. 26 If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.
Apply: Have you ever diminished the gifts God has given to you by saying, “I’m just a…”? Remember that there are not “just a’s” in the Body of Christ. He has put you EXACTLY where he wants you to be!
Prayer: Lord thank you for arranging all of us as parts of your body to be exactly where you want us to be to do exactly what you want us to do for the glory of God and the advancement of your Gospel message. AMEN
Lessons from Legos – Part 3
This week’s devotions are based on “We’re in this Together!” (WATCH HERE)
If you gave a child a single lego block, their interest would wane rather quickly. Buy them a Titanic kit (I had to look it up as I am not a Lego fanatic!) kit with over 9,000 pieces and the child (or adult) is entertained for hours…maybe days. Yet when one looks at all the pieces that make up the kit, there are a few that are similar, but there are many different types of pieces that make up the whole. Every piece has a unique function in the overall creation. Ask a lover of Legos how they feel if they can’t find the right piece and frustration is shared. Every piece has a purpose and without every piece accounted for the creation is left incomplete in some way.
Yet, it would be ridiculous for any one piece of the Titanic to say, “I am the Titanic!” No, only the collective becomes the Titanic. So it is in the Body of Christ. None of us can say, “I am the body of Christ!” The collective of all God’s people is the Body of Christ.
This means we need each other. We need every piece which God has put his name on and designed to be part of the Kingdom of God Kit. We need people not like us with different abilities, different talents, different experiences and different ways of thinking. Each part has a role in the Body of Christ. Paul put it this way:
1 Corinthians 12:14 Now the body is not made up of one part but of many. 15 If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. 16 And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? 18 But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. 19 If they were all one part, where would the body be? 20 As it is, there are many parts, but one body.
21 The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” And the head cannot say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” 22 On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, 23 and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, 24 while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has combined the members of the body and has given greater honor to the parts that lacked it, 25 so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. 26 If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.
The amazing thing about all the parts of the Body, is that God has placed them just where he wanted them to be. That means he gave YOU exactly what he wanted YOU to have in regard to your gifts, talents, etc. Why? Because he needs and wants YOU to be an active part of his Body and combine the gifts he has given to you with others to do his work.
Here’s kind of the cool thing. In Latin, “lego” means, “I put together.” Just like the creator of a Lego kit puts the right pieces together to form the creation he intended, so God has put YOU together in just the right place to make the creation for his kingdom he desired.
There are many parts, but one body. God put us together for his purpose!
Apply: Do you sometimes feel you are not able to contribute or don’t need to contribute to the Body of Christ in your local church? YOU DO! Your gifts are being missed if you are sitting on the sideline. God has placed you there to use your gifts with others to do his work…get involved!
Prayer: Lord, thank you for the gifts you have given to me and to every one who is in your family of grace. Forgive me for sitting on the sidelines or dismissing the gifts of others. Lead each of us to realize how much we need one another and appreciate and use the gifts of others, even as we freely offer our gifts to your kingdom work. AMEN.
Lessons from Legos – Part 2
This week’s devotions are based on “We’re in this Together!” (WATCH HERE)
Legos were designed to be connected to others, yet not all Lego pieces are the same. If you buy a Lego kit, it doesn’t take long to realize that while some parts are the same, many are different. The sizes are different. The shapes are different. The colors are different. The use of the part is different.
Christians were designed to be connected to others, yet not all Christians are the same. They too come in different shapes, sizes and colors. But we also come with different talents, different experiences, different perspectives.
One would find it rather silly to imagine a discussion between Lego blocks that would pit one brick against another. It would seem obvious that the differences of Lego blocks would be important to build the Lego creation they were put together to create. If every block was the same size, shape and color, the creation would not be all that impressive.
However, among Christians, differences can sometimes be the catalyst for arguments, division, and discord in the body of Christ. We can subconsciously perceive that everyone should be the same as me or think the same or have the same perspective. We can be judgmental of someone who doesn’t have the same gifting or offer the same contributions. Or we can be jealous of others and wish that we were the same as someone else, ignoring the uniqueness and giftedness with which we have been blessed.
Yes, Lego bricks are different. Christians are different. But just like Lego bricks were designed to be different so they could combine with other different bricks, so Christians were designed to combine their uniqueness with other Christians to carry out the work of God as God designed it.
While we are different, we have a common Creator. Lego bricks all are made of plastic, have a connector knob on top and a corresponding receiving design on the bottom AND every authentic Lego block has the name “Lego” imprinted on it.
For Christians, we have some important similarities. We have one common Creator who not only made us physically, but redeemed us spiritually. We are unified by the saving work of Jesus Christ and simply have God’s name imprinted on us. None of us are Christian by our own choosing or effort, God made us his own and called us to be part of his kingdom and gave us the very gifts he wanted us to have to do the work he has prepared for us to do.
So just like building a Lego creation takes many different parts that all share a common creator, so in Christ, enjoy being part of the body of Christ, as different as you are, but share a common Creator and are given a common purpose.
Romans 12:4 For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, 5 so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. 6 We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us.
1 Corinthians 12:12 The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ. 13 For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.
Apply: Sometimes our differences of gifting can create division. What is one thing you can do to appreciate another person’s gifting and value it adds to the work of the body of Christ?
Prayer: Lord God thank you for making us all different, but unifying us by your grace around the saving work of Christ and the important work of the Body of Christ. AMEN.