Today’s song comes from one of five children of Christian missionaries. Stacie Orrico’s family moved to Denver, Colorado from Seattle, Washington where she was born. This new location gave Stacie her first chance to display a gifted voice at the Estes Park Christian Artist Seminar. After receiving first place in the vocalist category, Stacie realized she had the talent to pursue her own ministry.
The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to the full, till it [b]overflows), John 10:10.
The title of Stacie’s song There’s Gotta Be More to Life reminds me of Steven Curtis Chapman’s classic tune More to This Life. While the genres are completely different, the message is the same. Perhaps, Stacie was struggling with the old age question, “this sounds too good to be true,” Romans 6:23. May the lyrics and vibe of More to Life struck a chord with your soul.
The apostle Paul devotes two chapters of his letter to the Church at Rome to what is natural. Romans 7 provides a personal confession by Paul of what he knows is right but getting his body to do this is a completely different story, Romans 7:15-18. The next chapter reveals the internal struggle between your fleshly desires and God’s Spirit, Romans 8:5-8. When your mind wanders, you’ll end up doing what’s natural.
Then Jesus said to His disciples, If anyone desires to be My disciple, let him deny himself [disregard, lose sight of, and forget himself and his own interests] and take up his cross and follow Me [[p]cleave steadfastly to Me, conform wholly to My example in living and, if need be, in dying, also]. 25 For whoever is bent on saving his [temporal] life [his comfort and security here] shall lose it [eternal life]; and whoever loses his life [his comfort and security here] for My sake shall find it [life everlasting], Matthew 16:24-25.
Frank Peretti introduced me to the spiritual realm through his series of books on what life would be like if we could see the ongoing battle between angels in demons. Piercing the Darkness and This Present Darkness opened my mind to this tug of war between the natural and supernatural, Galatians 5:16-18. The apostle Paul likely provided Peretti the inspiration for his books in Ephesians 6:10-20. When prayers cease, the Devil takes the upper hand.
For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his life [his blessed [q]life in the kingdom of God]? Or what would a man give as an exchange for his [blessed] [r]life [in the kingdom of God]? 27 For the Son of Man is going to come in the glory (majesty, splendor) of His Father with His angels, and then He will render account and reward every man in accordance with what he has done, Matthew 16:26-27.
Based upon the passage above, Jesus expects his followers to neglect the natural, any fleshly desires. Jesus set the example in Philippians 2:5-9, laying down his life to take away the sins of the world. Turning the other cheek when someone hits or hurts you isn’t natural. Nor is forgiving someone who transgresses against you over and over again, Matthew 6:13-15. Nonetheless, until you are born again spiritually, John 3:3-5, neglecting what is natural will be a losing proposition. Success is the process of arriving to faith.
Long distance relationships are one of those difficult decisions that people who are in love make. Sometimes these relationships survive, and others end up failing due to a lack of trust. Today’s song Closer to Love by Mat Kearney is based upon how one phone call can change your life forever. While distance makes the heart grow fonder, loneliness opens the door for temptation.
For there is no good (healthy) tree that bears decayed (worthless, stale) fruit, nor on the other hand does a decayed (worthless, sickly) tree bear good fruit. 44 For each tree is known and identified by its own fruit; for figs are not gathered from thornbushes, nor is a cluster of grapes picked from a bramblebush. 45 The upright (honorable, intrinsically good) man out of the good treasure [stored] in his heart produces what is upright (honorable and intrinsically good), and the evil man out of the evil storehouse brings forth that which is depraved (wicked and intrinsically evil); for out of the abundance (overflow) of the heart his mouth speaks, Luke 6:43-45.
My wife Leanne and I dated for a year living 8 hours apart. We tried to meet in Chicago once a month which was the halfway point. Yet, military families don’t have this option unless some sort of leave is granted over the holidays. While Closer to Love isn’t a spiritual song, it’s a topic that many people can relate to. I hope you enjoy today’s ballad.
As someone who is dabbled in meteorology, I’ve always been fascinated by brewing storms in the distance. Sometimes these systems are unstable, breaking up before they reach your town. Yet, other storms intensify, catching residents off guard by its severity. When I take my eyes off of Jesus, my mind wanders and if I’m not careful, worry can and will take over quickly as another storm in life approaches.
But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. 7 That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. 8 Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do, James 1:6-8.
Since four of Jesus’ disciples were fisherman, the New Testament contains several references to water and waves. The passage above is from Jesus’ earthly brother. Perhaps this disbelief is a public confession as first century historians suggest that James didn’t believe that his brother was the promised Messiah until after Jesus’ resurrection on the first Easter Sunday. James’ words serve as a warning that when your mind wanders, worry can take over.
Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus, Philippians 4:6-7.
Up until recently, my motto was “control what you can control and let God take care of the rest.” Yet, as my confidence reaches an all-time low, I’m worrying about things that I rarely thought of in the past. As my confidence slides, my mind wonders “what’s going on and when will this bad streak end?” The apostle Paul gave advice to an anxious church in the passage above. The moment your thoughts wander out of control, pray immediately and spend time giving thanks to God for what you currently have.
The film How Starbucks Saved My Life is about a former CEO who used his time working at Starbucks to reprioritize his life. Today’s song comes from the duo Joshua Havens andMatt Fuqua who worked together in a Starbucks coffee shop in Mesquite, Texas. Following positive feedback from customers that they played for, Joshua and Matt formed the Afters.
For such [praying] is good and right, and [it is] pleasing and acceptable to God our Savior, 4 Who wishes all men to be saved and [increasingly] to perceive and recognize and discern and know precisely and correctly the [divine] Truth, 1 Timothy 2:3-4.
Whether you’re a Christian or not, everyone needs a pick me up at some point in their lives. The lyrics of Lift Me Up by the Afters is based upon a couple passages in the Bible like Matthew 11:28-30. Jesus calls all who are burdened, tired and weary to come to God to lay down your burdens. This is accomplished spiritually through prayer as you let go and let God lift you up.
I spent my final year of college taking agricultural engineering classes. Some of my classmates who grew up on farms in southern Delaware joked about all the lawncare companies that claimed to have the secret to ridding yards of weeds. Years later while teaching, I spent summers working for a local Hardscaping company. One of the products we used on the job was Roundup. Before the recent lawsuit against Roundup, I discovered that most store-bought brands were watered down, needing to place a special order for the potent stuff.
Exercise foresight and be on the watch to look [after one another], to see that no one falls back from and fails to secure God’s grace (His unmerited favor and spiritual blessing), in order that no root of resentment (rancor, bitterness, or hatred) shoots forth and causes trouble and bitter torment, and the many become contaminated and defiled by it—Hebrews 12:15.
The author of Hebrews brings up a spiritual weed. One of the Veggie Tales videos brought up a similar concept in the Rumor Weed. Instead of dramatizing how quickly rumors can spread, one first century historian touches on the dangers of bitterness. Like opening a door for the Devil to enter your life, Ephesians 4:26-27, if bitterness is allowed to linger within your heart, it can poison your soul. Jesus talks about this in His Sermon on the Mount, Matthew 5:22. Perhaps, envy and jealous conceived within Cain the root of bitterness that ultimately led him to take Abel’s life.
And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God [do not offend or vex or sadden Him], by Whom you were sealed (marked, branded as God’s own, secured) for the day of redemption (of final deliverance through Christ from evil and the consequences of sin). 31 Let all bitterness and indignation and wrath (passion, rage, bad temper) and resentment (anger, animosity) and quarreling (brawling, clamor, contention) and slander (evil-speaking, abusive or blasphemous language) be banished from you, with all malice (spite, ill will, or baseness of any kind), Ephesians 4:30-31.
Following the apostle Paul’s introduction to giving the Devil an open door, a few verses later there are additional consequences of the root of bitterness. One byproduct is grieving the Holy Spirit by lashing out in a fit of rage, frustrated by a specific person or situation in life. Two chapters later, the armor of God in Ephesians 6:10-20 serves as a proactive approach to stop the root of bitterness from spreading like a spiritual cancer. As you learn to put on each of these pieces of spiritual armor daily, 1 Thessalonians 5:18, bitterness will begin to fade.
One of the requirements for a disciple of Jesus is introduced in Matthew 16:24-27. Jesus lays out 3 expectations: deny yourself, take up your cross and follow me. Prior to ascending into heaven, Jesus clarifies his great commission in Acts 1:8. Modern Christian musicians like Brandon Heath use their voices to tell the world about Jesus, spreading the Gospel throughout the earth.
You have heard of my earlier career and former manner of life in the Jewish religion (Judaism), how I persecuted and abused the church of God furiously and extensively, and [with fanatical zeal did my best] to make havoc of it and destroy it. 14 And [you have heard how] I outstripped many of the men of my own generation among the people of my race in [my advancement in study and observance of the laws of] Judaism, so extremely enthusiastic and zealous I was for the traditions of my ancestors. 15 But when He, Who had chosen and set me apart [even] before I was born and had called me by His grace (His undeserved favor and blessing), saw fit and was pleased, Galatians 1:13-15.
Brandon uses the outline provided by the apostle Paul in the passage above to communicate his testimony. The lyrics of I’m Not Who I Was explains how the grace of God and the power of the Holy Spirit has gradually transformed Brandon’s life. As you listen to this song, may you be encouraged that it’s never too late to change for the better.
I find that confidence and doubt are competing in a daily tug of war. The apostle Paul describes a similar process in Galatians 5:16-18 as this internal battle takes place in the spiritual realm. The older I become, the confidence that I’ve possessed most of my life has been shaken since moving to South Carolina. I even struggle with basic self-confidence as I find myself fighting through doubt daily.
Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. 26 When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear. 27 But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” 28 “Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.” 29 “Come,” he said, Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus, Matthew 14:25-29.
Today’s selected passage is one of the best examples of fighting through doubt. Jesus’ own disciples experience a series of emotions from fear to awe and back to fear. As the disciples headed off on a boat, Jesus stayed behind to minister to needy individuals. To catch up, Jesus walked on water through the night, making it appear that He was a ghost. The disciples’ minds couldn’t process this initially.
But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!” 31 Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?” 32 And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. 33 Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God,” Matthew 14:30-33.
Rubbing his eyes in disbelief at Jesus walking on water, Peter willed himself to imagine the impossible. As Peter fought through doubt, he begins to play a game of Truth or Dare with Jesus. Jesus’ response to Peter’s request brought him to take a leap of faith. Peter exited this boat to stand on the water with Jesus. The only mistake Peter made was to take his eyes off of Jesus to dwell on the water, Hebrews 12:1-2. When your own waves of disbelief come crashing ashore, fight through doubt with a will to stand.
Sometimes Christian groups have to ride the coat tails of more popular bands. Such is the case for Revive who opened for Third Day on a national tour in January 2007. This Christian rock band based out of Atlanta, Georgia, consisted ofDave Hanbury, Rich Thompson, Tyler Hall, and Michael Wright. Today’s featured song Blink is one of many songs I incorporated into a Bible lesson as a high school teacher.
Come now, you who say, Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a city and spend a year there and carry on our business and make money. 14 Yet you do not know [the least thing] about what may happen tomorrow. What is the nature of your life? You are [really] but a wisp of vapor (a puff of smoke, a mist) that is visible for a little while and then disappears [into thin air]. 15 You ought instead to say, If the Lord is willing, we shall live and we shall do this or that [thing], James 4:13-15.
The message of Blink is based upon the passage above. While the opening stanza quotes the Psalmist learning to count every day that the Lord gives you, the chorus focuses on the pace of life on earth. As an adult, I feel like time speeds up as my summer suddenly vanished. Rather than speculate, may the lyrics of Blink inspire to live your life one day at a time.
The pastor of the church Leanne and I attended on Sunday did a ten second experiment in the middle of his sermon. After reading Psalm 46:10, he glanced at his watch, not saying a word. This awkward silence felt longer than ten seconds, but he was trying to prove a point. The next portion of his message illustrated how most adults are afraid of silence, drowning it out with noise from some form of electronics.
My soul, wait only upon God and silently submit to Him; for my hope and expectation are from Him, Psalm 62:5.
Back in high school, silence was never a good thing on a date. Despite my fears of stuttering, I tried to say something funny to keep a conversation going. From a relational point of view, silence is either a sign of boredom or a lack of compatibility. As an adult, my own silence is usually a byproduct of shear exhaustion. While I enjoy talking, I don’t mind the silence as much as it gives me time to reflect upon life.
Set a guard, O Lord, before my mouth; keep watch at the door of my lips, Psalm 141:3.
According to the Psalmists, a collection of chapters written by different authors, silence is symbolic of a mature faith. When you don’t like your job or work, anyone can become great at procrastinating. Yet, the more time you kill in idle adventures, the less time you have to connect with and stay in tune with God. When you’re talking over someone, it’s hard to listen. Even if you’re afraid of the silence of being alone like Tom Cruise in Jerry Maguire, when the Holy Spirit speaks God’s message, it’s clearer in the silence.
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