The Simple Truth

Spiritual Muscle

A week ago today I had arthroscopic knee surgery to repair some torn meniscus and arthritis in my left knee. The knee originally started bothering me back in January while I was in India when it blew up like a balloon while I was helping with a basketball clinic in Chennai. From January until now my exercise routine with my legs has been little to non-existent. As a result the muscles in my left thigh had atrophied at an alarming rate. Prior to the injury I was incredibly diligent in my workouts and was in pretty good shape for a guy my age (no comments please).

On Wednesday while in physical therapy for my knee I commented to the therapist (who I affectionately refer to as my physical terrorist) how quickly my muscle (what I have of it) had atrophied. Her reply was telling. She said, "They go away so quickly, and take a long time to come back."  Her statement has profound spiritual implications.  Our faith, our godliness, and our walk with Jesus are like a muscle that must be exercised in order to be maintained. If we don't use it, it goes away very quickly. If it's lost, it takes a lot of diligent work to get back.  Paul tells us in First Timothy 4:7-8 that we are to exercise ourselves unto godliness.  Living a godly life requires diligent exertion; it doesn't just happen.  Exercise yourself through reading God's word, through fervent prayer, through meditating on the things of God, and through serving others. Become a spiritual body builder. 

In therapy they are actually having to teach my muscle how to work again. They are trying to get me to a point where muscle memory is regained and my muscle can perform in the way they were intended. Living a godly life is achieved much the same way. Godly living doesn't come natural at first but over time, as you respond in a proper manner again and again, the godly response becomes the natural response.

The bottom line for our spiritual life is this - don't ever go into coast mode. The moment you stop diligently pursuing godliness and exercising your spiritual muscles, you start to lose strength. The longer you let it go, the harder it is to get back.  Stay diligent in your spiritual exercises so that a godly response becomes second nature to you.

Who Are You?

Yesterday I was saddened to hear of the suicidal death of Junior Seau, the former great San Diego Chargers linebacker. As a KC Chiefs fan I witnessed first hand the destructive force that was Junior Seau. He was truly one of the all time great linebackers in football history. 

I obviously don't know Junior Seau and I am not familiar with the events surrounding his apparent suicide but as I have listened to the pundits over the last twenty-four hours discussing him and his situation and there seems to be one very sad common theme.  Those who knew Junior well have said that he had a very difficult time adjusting to life after professional football.  It's not unreasonable to assume that after nearly 20 years in the NFL life filled with fame, fortune, competition, accolades, and accomplishments, his very existence had become defined by football.  When father time took football away from him he lost his identity and ultimately took his life.  

Linking our identity to something or someone happens all too frequently. The situation with Junior Seau may be intensified and magnified because it involves a soon to be Hall of Fame football player, but this is a common occurence. The problem with finding your identity in your profession, a possession, or in another person comes when we no longer have that, or them, as part of our life.  If I'm defined by my job, and subsequently lose my job, what happens to my identity. If I'm defined by what I possess and they are lost, who am I? If my identity is defined by a particular relationship, what happens they are no longer around?  All of this begs the questions, where do I find my identity? Who am I?

You are more than what you do for a living. You are more than a particular item you own. You are even more than your earthly relationships.  As followers of Jesus, we find our identity in Him.  We are ambassadors for him on earth regardless of what we do for a living. We are joint heirs with Christ even if we live paycheck to paycheck. Because of Jesus we have been adopted into the family of God and are now a child of the King.  These are the things that define who we are, our identity.  They can never be taken away from you no matter what life throws your way.

It saddens me to see people struggling to discover their identity.  I have great sympathy for those who are trying to find a place to fit in - remember those teen years?! Let me finish with a loud and clear statement to those struggling to answer the question, "Who am I?" and to those basing their identity upon temporal things - In Christ, you are amazing, you are valuable, you are important, you are victorious, you are loved! Don't allow the world to tell you otherwise. Find yourself and define yourself on the basis of what you have in Christ, not on the basis of what you do and what you own.  The temporal will always disappoint, but your eternal identity in Christ will never let you down. 

My Story

As I mentioned in yesterday's post, everyone has a story - including me.  Those of you that have only recently come to know me may think I was born as "Pastor Brad" with a baby rattle in one hand and a Bible in the other. Nothing could be further from the truth.  Let me take a few moments and share my story of coming to know Jesus as Savior.

From the outside looking in my life was a tremendous success. Though I was still relatively young (20 years old) I was well on my way to having all the things the world tells us are important. I had a full ride scholarship to great school; I was on the Dean's Honor Roll every semester; I had a beautiful girlfriend; I was popular (and a little arrogant) and ran in the BMOC groups at school. What more could a guy want? Lots! For all my success I found myself unfulfilled and longing for more. As a result, I started to experiment regularly with drugs and alcohol. I knew chemical stimulants weren't the answer and repeatedly vowed the morning after to never do that again. However, I still found myself continually giving in to temptation in order to cover the ache deep in my soul.

During the summer of 1988 I underwent my third shoulder surgery and was unable to do much except sit around the house. Out of boredom I decided to read a book about one of my favorite basketball players, Pistol Pete Marovich, called "Heir to a Dream".  As I read the story of Pete Marovich I continually saw my life in his.  Unfulfilled and unsatisfied in the midst of unparalleled worldly success Pistol Pete received Jesus as Savior and became a Christian.  God used this book to start peeling back the spiritual blinders in my life.  I began going to church with my mom who had started attending a Baptist Church in Kansas City. The lights were starting to come on for me.

On a hot Sunday in August of 1988 I went to church with my mom and girlfriend. I recall very little about the content of the message that day, but the title has stuck with me all these years - "I Gave My Life to Jesus and I Meant It!" For the first time I realized that I was a sinner and Jesus had personally died for me.  The story of Jesus went from general and abstract, to personal and concrete.  As the invitation was given that Sunday morning I bowed my head and accepted Jesus as my Savior.

The change in my life was immediate. I remember driving home that day filled with excitement. I finally understood what life was all about. I no longer had the emptiness haunting me. I was complete. I was happy. I was forgiven. I had been given a purpose for living.  From that point forward my life was different.  Many things changed immediately - most notably, no more partying and no more foul language (that's right Pastor Brad had a potty mouth).  I still had struggles and missteps in my life, but for the most part my focus was now on getting to know my Savior and living my life for him.  I was no longer living for myself, but for the One who had saved me.

I look back on my life and I am amazed at how far God has brought me. Without him there is no telling where I would be right now. It is only by His grace and mercy that I am what I am.  

Your Story

If you are a follower of Jesus he has called you to be a witness for him.  What does that mean? Well, let me answer that with another question, what does a witness do? A witness offers testimony. A witness shares what happened to them, what they experienced, or saw happen.  A witness doesn't argue the case, prove the truth, or press for a verdict - that's the job of an attorney.  As witnesses for Jesus we are to offer our testimony by telling others about the difference Jesus has made in our lives.  In I Peter 3:15 we are told to always be ready to give an answer to those who ask us about the hope that is in us. The best way to be ready is to write out your personal testimony and be prepared to share it when God opens a door for you to do so.  

In order to help you out with the writing of your testimony let me share four different aspect which you should consider including in your story...

• What my life was like before I met Jesus.  Share your doubts, your struggles, your questions. Be real and honest. Don't sugar coat it.   Fight the tendency to think your story is not dramatic enough and therefore not interesting.  There are people all around you who can relate to your story and want to hear it.
• How I realized I needed Jesus.  This is the moment the light bulb went on for you. Was it something someone said, a book you read, or maybe a life experience you had.   Maybe you grew up in church but there was a time when it finally made sense to you.
• How I committed my life to Jesus.   Describe the moment you accepted Jesus as your Savior.  Was it at church, at home, with a friend, or maybe just you reading your Bible. This is that conversion moment in your life.
• The difference Jesus has made in my life.  How has your life changed since you committed it to Jesus? Maybe its a restored relationship, an addiction overcome, or worry being replaced by peace.  This isn't to say you don't still have "issues" but there ought to be some evidence of your new relationship with Jesus.

You have a story to tell and it is unique and powerful. Write it out and be prepared to be a witness when God calls you to the stand to offer your testimony. 

The Gospel of John

This Sunday I'll do an introductory message for our series, "The Gospel of John" where we'll be making our way through the entirety of this blessed book.  We haven't done a series through a book of this length in some time and I am excited to see what God is going to do in us over the next few months.  Below is the blurb for the series and the first few messages in the series...

Few books in the Bible are more beloved than the Gospel of John. This love affair is not without reason for John's gospel offers one of the most beautiful and insightful depictions of Jesus found anywhere in scripture. Why are we studying the gospel of John? Our purpose is the same as John's was for writing it - John 20:31 "...these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name."  John is the perfect balance of theological depth and practical insights and will take our faith in Jesus to new heights.  Come and join us on this epic journey through this amazing book.

4/1  The Intro

4/8  The Word

4/15  The Voice

4/22  The Lamb

4/29  The Plunge

5/6  The Disciples

Easter Weekend

Easter weekend is only eight days away! Next weekend is going to be a busy and exciting time around PBC. Here's what is happening around PBC next weekend...

4/6 GOOD FRIDAY SERVICE.  7:30pm in the Playhouse. This service will be a journey through five stations as we reflect on the price Jesus paid to purchase our salvation. This beautiful service is one of my favorites of the year.

4/6-7 TWENTY-FOUR HOUR PRAYER VIGIL.  From 9pm on 4/6 until 9pm on 4/7 we'll be conducting a 24 hour prayer vigil on the campus of Westminster Choir College. You can sign up to pray during a one hour slot. During this time we'll be lifting up our church, the upcoming Easter service, as well as individual prayer requests.

4/8 EASTER SUNDAY.  10am in the Playhouse at WCC. I always love Easter Sunday. This year we'll be kicking off a new series through the Gospel of John. This is an absolute great time to invite a friend to church. Take one of our "You're Invited" cards and invite someone to come with you to Easter service.

4/8 EASTER EGG HUNT. Immediately after service on 4/8 we'll have our annual Easter Egg Hunt for the kiddos. This is always great fun! I love riffling through all the kids candy and picking out my favorites! :)

There's An App for That!

If you have an Android based smart phone or iPhone you can now stay more connected to the happenings around Princeton Bible Church.  Last week we rolled out the PBC App which will give users access to weekly sermons, this Blog, upcoming events, and much more. Overtime we'll be adding more features and improving the App. Please go to your mobile app store and download the app. Make sure you give the app a rating and review. Let's get the word out about what God is doing at PBC.

Most importantly, I want people to understand that we haven't developed the app, or put our sermons on the radio in order to be cool, hip, or culturally relevant. These things are tools that we desire to be used to further God's kingdom.  I encourage you to use the app (and radio program) as an outreach tool with your friends and family.  

Here is a link to a website regarding our app. It contains links which will guide you to the place where you can download the app.  Share this link with anyone you think might enjoy the app.

http://get.thechurchapp.org/share/princeton-bible-church,-nj

Integrating God's Word into My Life

I hope you'll join us this Sunday as we conclude the 40 Days in the Word campaign by talking about how we can integrate the Bible into all areas of our life.  Jesus says in John 8:31-32 that in order to be his disciples we must "continue" in his word. That word "continue" means to abide or to remain.  Hopefully during this 40DITW we have developed some habits that will become life long. If we hope to be a true follower of Jesus we need to continue and learn to integrate God's word into every facet of our lives.

See you Sunday.

Don't forget to SPRING FORWARD this weekend. 

Need a Little Motivation? Check this out!

I saw this video today and was brought to tears. If you are  in need of some motivation to keep going then you need to check this out.  Just when you think you've got it rough!

OTL: NO Excuses!

A Lot Can Hide Behind a Smile

Check out this poem my son, Drew, wrote for school. I was blown away when I read of it. Proud dad moment...

“A Lot Can Hide Behind a Smile”

What everyone sees is only just part

We cannot see what hides in your heart

Broken dreams and long-past success,

Unorganized thoughts and memories in a mess.

Love of people you’ll never meet,

Hating people you’ll never beat

Images of warmth and joy,

Pictures of Death’s great ploy.

Feelings of blissful togetherness,

People you love who could care for you less.

Hurt and pain, unending sorrow,

Things you dread to happen tomorrow.

Birthdays to come and birthdays that passed,

Gifts you know will never last.

The list goes on and on for miles;

A lot can hide behind a smile.