hope Archives - Journey Elgin

Blog: John 20:19-23: Be Confident in Christ

Posted on Sep 21, 2016 in Blog, General, Scripture | Tags: bible, church, faith, hope, Jesus, John, journey, journey elgin, Scripture

Sep '16

I believe one of the most common problems we have as humans is a lack of self-confidence. This is evidenced by the hundreds of self-help books and theories on ways to increase your self-esteem. Even those people who will tell you how confident they are, as demonstrated by many pro athletes, many times are just overcompensating for the reality that they too struggle with self-confidence. I understand why we struggle with this issue; life is difficult. Most of us have experienced failures in life and we realize that even doing our best sometimes does not equal success based on our society’s standards. In order to hold on to the slim amount of self-confidence we have, we tend to stick with doing what we are comfortable with and we avoid taking on challenges that may lead to failure which would remove the little bit of confidence we have left.

I found myself in this position during college. My dreams of playing college sports had died and I was simply going through the motions of normal college life. I did not know what I wanted to do with my life and my confidence was not high. Honestly, I just wanted someone to tell me what to do so I did not have to make a meaningful decision. Around this time in my life I received a phone call from a pastor named Shane Barnes, who was serving at my home church. He had come to our church after I graduated, but I had met him and knew a little about him. He asked me a question that would ultimately change the direction of my life: “Would you be our Youth Pastor for the summer?” I was completely unprepared for that question. I had never thought about being a minister in any sense. What really surprised me was the confidence Shane had in me. He told me that he saw something in me and that he knew I would do a good job with the youth. I will never forget the confidence Shane showed in me when I did not have confidence in myself. The support Shane gave me helped me to find God’s calling in my life and I have now been in ministry for around 16 years. All this began with someone showing confidence in me.

In John 20:19-23, we find the disciples experiencing the risen Christ for the first time. They had seen the empty tomb and heard the report from Mary, but they still were not certain of what was happening and they were scared. I have to think that none of the disciples were too confident about their future. They were so insecure about what was happening in their life that they were hiding behind locked doors as if those doors would protect them from the uncertainty surrounding them. At this trying moment in the disciples’ lives, Jesus appears unexpectedly before them and immediately offers them His peace. He knew their hearts were not at peace, in fact they were terrified, but Jesus gives them what they need; assurance of His presence.

Jesus then overcomes their doubts by showing them His hands and His side. As the disciples see the truth of the risen Christ they are overjoyed. Jesus now does something amazing, He calls the disciples to serve Him. These are the men who were just huddling together in fear and doubt and now Jesus is sending them just as God had sent Him into the world. The confidence Jesus showed in those disciples was incredible. They had all fled in fear when He was arrested and now Jesus was entrusting them with telling the world who He was and what He had done. The disciples must have been humbled and amazed at the confidence the Messiah was showing in them.

Jesus did not stop there, He continued by equipping the disciples with all they would need to fulfill His calling on their lives. He gives them the Holy Spirit which will lead and guide them as they go into the world. No longer will they need to huddle in fear because God is with them always. They never need to suffer from insecurity again because their strength can now come from the fact that Jesus has confidence in them. Jesus has given them everything they need to change the world for Christ.

I wonder how many of us live our lives behind locked doors, afraid to venture out into the unknown world. Maybe we need to open our eyes to the one who is standing right beside us giving us peace. Jesus wants you to experience peace in knowing that he loves you and is there with you. Jesus is also showing great confidence in you; He is calling you to serve Him. When I look in the mirror I do not know why He called me, but I am confident in His calling because He was confident enough in me to ask me to serve Him. Not only is Jesus confident in you, but He has also equipped you with everything you will need to continue to impact the Kingdom of God. His presence will guide you if you will allow Him.

This week, step out and live the calling Jesus has so confidently given you. Is there a friend you have been avoiding talking to about your relationship with Christ? Is there a family God has laid on your heart to minster to? Does your church need you to step up and serve? Are you being a minister in your workplace? Your home? Is there someone who needs to hear the confidence you have in them? Be confident, God is confident in you.

Aug '16

Blog: John 20:1-18: Running to Jesus

Posted on Aug 26, 2016 in Blog, General, Scripture | Tags: bible, church, Easter, faith, He is Alive, hope, Jesus, journey, journey elgin, Scripture

Aug '16

There is no way to describe the feeling I get when one of my girls surprises me by running toward me and giving me an unexpected hug. Of course, as they are getting older the feeling I get is sometimes fear of being knocked over, but my heart is always warmed when they show me this type of affection. I can remember many occasions when one of my little girls would run down the aisle toward me after worship service on Sundays. She would jump into my open arms or crash into my legs if I was not paying attention. Either way she just wanted to give me a hug. These hugs came as a result of her being excited and happy to see me, but they also happened on occasions when she was unsecure or fearful.

On one occasion after Sunday morning worship, a group of men and I were talking while my youngest daughter was playing a short distance away. For some reason she began to feel uneasy and wanted her dad. Without thinking, she turned and ran toward a pair of legs and grabbed hold as she has done so many times before to me; however, this time the legs were not mine. When she looked up and saw that she had the wrong dad, panic came across her face for a moment. She quickly backed off and began scanning the group of men until she came across the face in which she found her security. She then ran to me and I picked her up and she gave the biggest hug and smile possible.

In John 20:1-18, Mary Magdalene has gone to the tomb to pay her respects to Jesus. No doubt she is still distressed and grieving the events of the Friday before. What an emotional week for her and all the followers of Jesus. They had experienced the excitement and motivation of entering Jerusalem to the shouts of “Hosanna,” and now they were experiencing the lowest of lows. If ever Mary needed Jesus, this was the time; but He was dead. She had seen Him die with her own eyes, there was nothing that could be done now and everything she hoped for was buried in a tomb behind a boulder.

When she reached the tomb Mary saw that the stone has been rolled away and she immediately thinks that things have just become even worse; now even Jesus’ dead body has been stolen. Peter and another disciple ran to the tomb and simply confirm Mary’s fear that the body had been taken away. Even the sight of two angels does not ease Mary’s pain. In my mind I see her hunched over on her knees weeping, when she hears someone behind her and turns to see who could be standing there. Through her tears and distress she simply glances at the figure behind her and assumes the man to be the gardener; of course she would not expect to see Jesus, he is dead. She resumes her position of mourning at the feet of this gardener and pleads with him to help her make sense of this unthinkable situation. Then Jesus calls her name and Mary looks up from her weeping and through the tears she looks into the eyes of the last person she expected to see, but the person she needed to see the most.

As we read this story we have the advantage of knowing the whole story. What Mary did not know was that the victory had already been won before she even saw the empty tomb, but Mary needed to see Jesus to be assured of the victory. We really are not much different when we are going through the dark times of our lives. We tend to forget that God has already won the victory and that he will carry us through these difficult and burdensome times of life. Sometimes the darkness becomes so dark that we feel like Mary and just want to fall to the ground and weep. Only when we look up and fix our eyes on Jesus will the darkness surrounding our life begin to fade into the light of Jesus’ victory.

During the trying times of our life we need to act like my little girl and run to where our security and encouragement resides. We need to run to Jesus and allow Him to comfort us, cry with us, encourage us, and strengthen us. You may find yourself in a dark place right now and there seems to be no light anywhere. Remember that this darkness is only part of the story; the full story ends with an empty tomb and the light of Christ filling all the dark corners of our lives.
There will always be dark and difficult times until Christ comes again, but even in the midst of this darkness we know that the victory is already won. Jesus told Mary to go and announce His victory over death. In a world so consumed by death, violence, immorality, and hopelessness there needs to be a message of hope. Jesus is that message. We need to go and proclaim that darkness has not prevailed, that there is light to be found in the midst of the darkness, and that the light of Christ will extinguish all remnant of darkness. Let us live in the light and share the light with those who are still lost in darkness.

Jun '15

Blog: God’s Light over cancer

Posted on Jun 22, 2015 in Blog, General | Tags: cancer, church, encouragement, faith, hope, journey

Jun '15

Today started off great. My Mom, Dad, brother, sisters, brothers in law, sister in law, and 5 granddaughters started the day looking out across a peaceful LBJ lake. We had been looking forward to this trip for months. I am so blessed to be part of a family that loves getting together. There are always plenty of laughs and just an enjoyment of being together. Things began to change midmorning when my Mom got a phone call asking her to come in to get the results of an MRI she had last week. The thought was that she had a disk problem in her back that had been causing pain for the last couple months. When the doctors office asked that my dad come with her we knew things weren’t good. For the next few hours we go about our day swimming, boating and trying not to think the worst. If you try hard enough you can nearly convince yourself everything is going to be fine even though there is that small corner in your mind that you know something is not right. Then the words that so many have heard, and yet they feel unbelievably personal came, saying; your Mom has cancer. Never before has a vacation changed directions so quickly. Life is forever changed for our family because of that word, cancer.

We have very little information at this point and we don’t know what the next steps are. What we do know is that my Mom is now facing a life threatening disease and the path to recovery will not be easy. Our emotions are all over the map. Anger, frustration, fear, hurt, and a forced glimmer of hope are mixed together making a melting pot of emotional instability. We were asked by my Mom to stay at the lake and “have fun and don’t let this ruin the vacation.” We all know that we couldn’t do any good clogging up her hospital room, so we have stayed at the lake house together, at least for one night. (We also do not want to get reprimanded by our mother if we went against her wishes.)

As expected, we are having a challenging time of following my mom’s desire for us to have fun. We decided to do our best and all of us piled into the boat to cruise around the lake in Kingsland. Two interesting things happened. First, we were listening to a children’s station on Pandora and the song “Don’t Worry, Be Happy” came on. I bet the song just came flooding back into your head and just like 20 years ago you won’t be able to get it out for hours: you’re welcome. I had to laugh at the simplicity of the song and its simple message. Worry is not going to help anything. Then, as we are speeding across the water the sun breaks through the clouds for the first time today and we see a faint rainbow. On top of that, rain begins to fall. There is nothing more surreal than feeling the splash of rain in your face in the bright sunshine.

It hit me as we dodged the raindrops and squinted into the sun that we have entered into a storm of life. I don’t know the outcome and I know that the rain will increase before it lets up. But just as the sun burst forth through the clouds today, despite the rain, I know the presence of God will burst forth in the darkest days of this battle against cancer. The sun was so bright today that the rain became insignificant in its light. Whether the clouds grow darker and the storm rages in our lives the light of Christ will render the storm powerless in the end. Know matter the ending, the darkness of life will be forced out by the light of life that comes from Christ. It is hard to see now, but my Mom and our family are going to get to see the radiant beauty of a God whose light penetrates the darkness. I am scared to death and yet I can’t wait to experience the marvelous light of Christ.

We appreciate your prayers and we will share with you how God’s light will overcome this darkness.

Jun '15

Blog: Another example of evil

Posted on Jun 20, 2015 in Blog, General | Tags: charleston, church, faith, hope, journey

Jun '15

This morning I saw another brief comment regarding the horrific shooting in Charleston, SC and the frustration that has been bubbling within me reached another level. Forgive me if I vent a little and push the bounds of political correctness, but I write with a heavy heart in light of this act of evil. We are not three days removed from the heinous, racist act of an individual and we are already responding in fear. Yes, I believe fear is driving the conversation following this event. I know there are some exceptions, but most of the comments and articles I have seen have focused on a few different topics. First and foremost, a vast amount of attention is given to the racist individual who murdered nine innocent lives and changed the lives of hundreds forever. Next, I have seen numerous commentaries on race relations and issues plaguing our country. Similarly, there have been conversations discussing the role of religion in this tragedy. Finally, the ever present and divisive role of politics has taken a front and center place. The gun control issue has reared its head, as has the endless debate on the semantics used to discuss the issue. In less than 24 hours after such an evil act, the political pundits from all viewpoints began to dissect the issue in order to promote their own agenda. Despite the vast differences of opinions flying through the social media world there is one common thread; fear.

I feel like we have to create all these different topics because we don’t want to acknowledge what really happened on Wednesday. On Wednesday night we were reminded once again of the devastating reality of evil. Evil is terrifying because it cannot be controlled and despite this fact, we have created a culture that believes if we try hard enough we can control anything. In the face of such evil we quickly begin to debate how we can control this in the future. Therefore we debate the cause of racism, how our government perpetrates racism, and many times our debate contributes to more racism. We also start arguing about what laws or policies we need to prevent such evil acts. I am sickened at how quickly such an evil act gets used by both sides to push anti or pro gun agendas. Do we really think any type of new law or elimination of law will prevent such overt evil?

Evil is a reality in this world. Jesus acknowledged this as he prayed for us just before he was nailed to a cross. The sad fact is that no matter what we do there will always be evil in the world. Racism has been and will always be a potent avenue for evil to manifest itself. We can and should talk about ways to reduce racism in our world, but I’m not sure having these discussions 24 hours after such a heartbreaking event is the best time. Positive headway is seldom made when emotions are so raw.

In moments like this we are reminded that we live in a world where evil is a reality. The only answer to evil is the life changing power of Christ. No amount of political discussions or action will ever defeat evil. Only the power of Christ that overcame evil through the resurrection can bring peace, hope, joy and love into this world. If we do not acknowledge that the power of Christ is the only thing that overcomes evil we will always be fearful of the evil in this world. We will continuously try and fail to prevent evil from happening, and in the process we will be pulled farther and farther from the one who can overcome; Jesus Christ. Jesus does not overcome by preventing evil but rather sustaining us through evil until the time comes for everything to be made new again.

Today, as the Body of Christ, our sole focus needs to be on these families, this church, and this community as evil has inserted itself into their lives. I believe that this very day Jesus is mourning with these families and his heart breaks to see those he loves caught up in such an evil act. In ways that we can’t explain Jesus is extending peace and hope to those involved. Through all the anger, frustration and hatred, God is offering His message of love and grace. Let us take some time to mourn together before we start dissecting the act of evil. Let us allow God to comfort so that eventually we will be drawn closer to Him rather than pushed farther away. We need to acknowledge we don’t have the answers to such evil, but we can know the one who does.

Apr '15

Blog: He Is alive…overcoming fear

Posted on Apr 30, 2015 in Blog, General | Tags: bible, church, encouragement, faith, hope, Jesus, journey, journey elgin, Scripture

Apr '15

Just before Easter I shared about an experience I had at McDonald’s that led me to refocus on the simple but powerful fact that Jesus is alive. Everything else in our lives, no matter how big or small, should be seen through the lens of knowing Jesus is alive. This sounds great, but what does this really mean for us practically? How does the fact that Jesus is alive make a difference in our daily lives?

Nearly fourteen years ago, my wife and I went on our honeymoon to Cozumel, Mexico. The whole trip was a wonderful experience. (I will now pause for those immature readers to chuckle like a middle school boys and make silly comments regarding the activities we all know take place on a honeymoon…. and we continue) While in Cozumel we had the opportunity to go either snorkeling or scuba diving, both of which should be done at some point in your life if possible; however, there are some natural fears you will have to overcome in order to participate in these activities. Molly and I chose to go scuba diving. As we went through the crash course of learning how to breath underwater, I realized there was more to submersing yourself underwater for an extended period of time than I had initially considered. I learned that I am very attached to the freedom of breathing on my own terms. Putting a large piece of molded rubber into my mouth and plunging underneath the water revealed the extent to which I enjoy freedom in breathing. Eventually, after what was I’m sure a very thorough 20-minute crash course, we began our descent into the ocean as experienced scuba diving veterans ready to breath and swim under the sea.

Having overcome the breathing fears, I now focused on taking in all of the sea life God has created and I must say, it was amazing. The vivid colors of the corral, fish, and plant life cannot be fully captured by a photo. Seeing the world under the sea with my own eyes was inspirational. At one point in the midst of the beauty and tranquility of the sea I looked in the distance and saw a dark shadow. Then the shadow began to move and all of the sudden the beauty and tranquility did not matter to me in the least. I began to feel the fear rise within me, and my body responded by going into one big muscle cramp. Everything tightened and my heart felt like it was going to stop. I should say that I put myself between my wife and the huge sea creature, but I seem to have forgotten about anything other than the large creature in the distance. The creature was actually a barracuda and I am fairly sure this particular barracuda was the largest in recorded human history. These creatures are very intimidating and after the fight or flight response kicked in I know I tried to literally run away, which must have looked very interesting. My initial response was, “get me out of this place right now, I am no longer in control.” The reality of the environment I was in became crystal clear when confronted with fear. I knew I was at the mercy of the sea and a great white shark sized barracuda. Of course you know that my writing this proves nothing horrible happened and in hindsight the barracuda could not have cared less about us, he would much rather go eat Nemo.

In the earliest copies of the Gospel of Mark we have, Mark 16:8 is the last verse. The verse reads like this: “Trembling and bewildered, the women went out and fled from the tomb. They said nothing to anyone, because they were afraid.” (NIV version) Fear was a very powerful emotion the women and all the other followers of Jesus were experiencing in the days following the death of Jesus. Fear was immobilizing the followers of Jesus and they did not know what to do or believe. They found themselves in an environment where they had no control and they just wanted out. Something had to pull them out of the clutches of fear. Even though Mark ends abruptly, the fact that we are reading Mark today points to something happening that was powerful enough to overcome the fear the followers of Jesus were facing. Simply put, their fears were conquered when they saw Jesus was alive!

So often we allow fear to immobilize us. Fear of failure in our families, with our finances, and in our jobs can bring constant stress. The fear of evil in the world and bad things happening to us can easily keep us from ever getting out of bed in the morning. In many cases we have allowed ourselves to believe that overcoming fear requires the object of our fear to be removed. Unfortunately, if we are honest with ourselves we know this can never really happen. In all areas of life the possibility of things going wrong and possible very wrong exists. There will always be reasons to be fearful and if we are waiting to act or live until all fear is removed we will never act or truly live. In order to overcome fear we do not need the fear removed, but rather an assurance that we are not alone.

The early followers of Jesus remained fearful until they experienced the risen Christ. The fear of being arrested or killed still existed after Jesus appeared to them, but now they knew He was with them. Their ultimate strength did not come from one another, even though that was important. Remember, they were hiding in fear together. Their ultimate strength to act and get on with living came from knowing Jesus is alive. In fact, many of those early followers of Christ would be killed or arrested; yet, they no longer allowed that possibility to deter them from living the way Christ called them to live. They knew the risen Christ was with them always, no matter the circumstance of life.

Fear keeps us from living life to the fullest and Jesus came so we could have life abundantly. If I would have refused to use an uncomfortable and probably very unsanitary breathing apparatus, I would not have experienced the beauty and tranquility of a world I never truly knew existed until I saw it with my own eyes. Step out into a new world today. A world in which the same fears exist, but they are viewed from a position of victory rather than anxiety. At times, fear will seize us, but know that you are not alone, press forward with the strength that only comes from the risen Christ. Jesus is Alive!

Apr '15

Blog: Missing the Point

Posted on Apr 2, 2015 in Blog, General | Tags: bible, church, Easter, encouragement, faith, He is Alive, hope, Jesus, journey, journey elgin, Scripture

Apr '15

I had an unexpected and powerful experience today in an unexpected place. I think you may need a little background to better grasp this experience, so please bear with me. For many pastors and church staff this week feels a whole lot like the opening sentence to the classic book “A Tale of Two Cities.” To be honest this is a book everyone was probably supposed to read and many will claim to have read every page. I however, doubt I ever read the whole thing, but I can throw out the first line to make myself look smarter. “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times,” is a line that rings true this week. I love Easter week and yet I am usually overwhelmed by everything this week is not really about.

This morning I decided to leave the house to go to a quiet and serene location in order to finish or start, depending on how you look at it, preparing for our Good Friday and Easter services. The library is normally my first choice, but because of a horrible mistake I woke up too early and the library does not open until 10. Apparently, in my mind the next most logical place for a quiet and serene preparation place is McDonalds (they do have free wi-fi). As I stand in line to order a healthy and delicious McGriddle meal I begin to take in my surroundings and realize my decision-making paradigm for finding a quiet and serene preparation location needs to be altered dramatically. First, there were very few open places to sit and even fewer that look to have been cleaned due to the excessive number of people ordering the healthy and delicious breakfast value meals. Secondly, I realize there is a constant conversation going on between the very busy workers as they are trying their best to keep up with the ever-growing number of people being drawn to sweet taste of the McGriddle like a swarm of moths to a bonfire. Thankfully, by the time I order, a table has come open. I sprint toward the table in order to claim my little island in the midst of the sea of chaos that is McDonalds.

After enjoying the wonderful McGriddle, I decided to begin/finish my preparation, but before I could even start, my mind started to go through a mental checklist of everything that needed to be done this week. Between preparing for family coming in to town and trying to remember everything that needs to be done for our two services, my mind had plenty of places to wander. Just about the time I am reeling my mind back to where it needs to be, a voice reminiscent of a blow horn bellows through the restaurant, “number 321 please… NUMBER 321 PLEASE!” I said a quick prayer asking the owner of number 321 to please show up at the counter as fast as humanly possible. Finally, I began to focus on my preparation.

I must confess to you that there are times preparing for services and sermons can become somewhat mechanical and routine. This is not to say the Holy Spirit is not involved, but there are times when doing your job feels like doing a job. A hectic week and sitting in the chaotic atmosphere of McDonalds is not the most conducive atmosphere for sermon preparation. As I was reading, thinking and hashing out an order of service I watched a worship video I have seen many times. The final words on the video were, “He is Alive!” That’s it, nothing unusually profound or revolutionary. All of the sudden, in the middle of McDonald’s mind you, my eyes start to tear up. I am fairly sure in the midst of the order calling, cleaning, devouring of McGriddles and general chaos, that not many would notice a grown man balling by himself in the corner; however, I did my best to compose myself. The emotion continued to build and all I could think about was that He is Alive.

On Palm Sunday, I preached about how so many people missed the point of who Jesus was and what he did as he entered Jerusalem. I cautioned us all about how easy it is for us to miss the point as well. There in the middle of McDonalds I realized I had been missing the point. The point is that He is Alive! The preparation of a service remembering Jesus’ death on Good Friday is pointless unless, He is Alive. Preparing for Easter and celebrating the resurrection is pointless unless, He is as Alive and active today as he was on that first Easter morning. In the midst of the chaos of our lives the fact that He is Alive brings purpose, joy, and peace. Do I still need to finish many of the tasks that were swirling in my mind, yes, but those tasks are put into perspective when they fall under the realization that He is Alive.

Don’t allow yourself to get overwhelmed by the unending list of tasks in your life or so involved in participating in the events of Easter that you forget He is Alive! Who would have thought in the middle of a hectic week while sitting in the chaos of McDonalds I would find the perfect spot of peace and serenity. All because, He is Alive!