Heroes and Villains - Hannah: Finding Hope When It's Hopeless

We're launching a new sermon series for the summer called Heroes and Villains.  Basically we'll be looking at some folks in the scriptures, mostly in the Old Testament, who God used to impact his mission in the world.

The stories we'll be looking at are some of the more obscure ones; a lot of folks have probably never heard some of them.  While they are all unique they all have one thing in common - how God worked in the story is still affecting the world, in some way, today.

This Sunday we'll talk about Hannah and a very special prayer that changed her life completely.  Her life did a 180 as a result of the prayer she prayed.  In a nutshell, Hannah was desperate.  She was at the end of her rope, hopeless and at the biggest dead-end of her life.

Have you ever been there?  Where you just didn't see how life was ever going to make sense again?  Where you were in such pain that you couldn't even describe it with words?

That's where Hannah was.  And in the middle of her pain, in the middle of this big mess, she did something very, very wise - she prayed.  And that prayer changed everything for Hannah and ultimately changed the nation of Israel.

You can check out the sermon online here.

Here's three truths from Hannah's story that we'll unpack this Sunday:

1. God's power begins to work at the point of your hopelessness.
2. God will use your suffering but don't assume you'll be able to figure out how.
3. Sometimes all we can do is just hold on!

New Dream (Repost and Update)

If I'm honest, I don't like the first couple of phases of a God-given dream. In fact, if I'm really honest, I hate them. The phases are: Dream, Decision, Delay, Difficulties, Dead-in, and Deliverance.

I can handle the difficulties, delays and the dead-ins. In fact there's a weird part of me that enjoys those phases in some ways. Given my personality and strengths, that's when I tend to shine.

But I'm not a risk taker. I like things mapped out. I don't mind challenges, but I like to see them coming so I can hit them head-on. So the second phase of a dream,Decision, is the hardest for me to move through.

For the last few months I've had this sense that God is preparing a new dream in my life. I have NO IDEA what that is, where it will take me, or what the risks will be. And that more than makes me nervous, it actually scares me.

It scares me because I know once I have the vision I will have to make the decision to go after it. And making the decision is that point where you feel like you're suspended in mid-air, 100 feet above the ground, with no net below, holding on to a rope with all your might. Not my idea of fun.But more than anything else in the world I want to be where God wants me to be. So that means saying yes even when it's scary. Even when it's uncomfortable. Even when everything inside me says "don't do it." Even when I don't know what I'm saying yes to.

Because it's not about WHAT I'm saying yes to, it's about WHO I'm saying yes to.

UPDATE:  I wrote this post 13 months ago.  I remind myself that Abraham waited 89 years to see the dream God gave him come to be.  Joseph spent years in prison before God showed him what it was all about.  And the Israelites did multiple laps around Mt. Sinai for 40 years before they entered the promised land.

Thirteen months later I'm still waiting for God to show me a bigger picture.  Several questions have been answered but it seems like with each answer comes more questions.  One thing I know, God is God and his plans will "not be late a single day."

Don't Walk Alone

Proverbs 27:16-18 says, “As iron sharpens iron, so people can improve each other.” 

For the last nine months I’ve lived out that verse through a coaching network with ten other pastors.  Our coach is a pastor in Fredericksburg name Dee Whitten.  Once a month we’ve met as a group and Dee led us in a discussion on a particular leadership issue relevant to our ministries.   And once a month I’ve met individually with Dee to talk through how to apply what we talked in the large group to my personal ministry.

We had our last group meeting today and I’ll have my last individual meeting with Dee next week.  I’ve learned a lot from this group of pastors and from the experience and wisdom of Dee.  And I like to think that some in the group have learned from me and my experiences of leading FCBC.

I’ve always tried to surround myself with people who think differently than I do, who have different experiences than I’ve had, who read things that I’ve never thought about reading and yes, people who have different political or theological views than I have.  I believe Solomon knew what he was talking about when he wrote “…people can improve each other.”

So who are you surrounding yourself with in your spiritual journey that you can learn from?  And who’s growing in their faith because they’re hanging around you?  By the way, you don’t have to be super-mature in your faith to influence someone else.  I’m constantly challenged to grow because of the enthusiasm and passion of new believers.

If you’re not in a relationship, group or network with other believers where you are growing and learning together, then I’d encourage you to find one.  Maybe it’s a small group.  Maybe it’s serving with others in a ministry.  Maybe it’s just being intentional about walking together in faith with your spouse, or your boyfriend or girlfriend or kids.  My kids challenge my faith all the time. 

The truth is you weren’t meant to walk in faith alone; none of us are.  We’ve been hardwired to need others.  If you can’t find a group or person, I’d love to help you do that.

What I'm Reading

Sometimes people ask me what books I’m reading.   I love the question because I believe in a sense we become what we read. By the way, I’m not a big reader; I never have been.  I know people who read for pleasure or entertainment, I wish I did but I don’t.  Reading for me is work but it’s a work that I enjoy because it’s more than just what’s going on in my mind, it’s shaping who I am.

So here’s a list of books I’m reading right now: 

• Parenting Beyond Your Capacity by Reggie Joiner and Carey Nieuwhof – I recommended this book a couple of Sundays ago.  I think every parent should read this book.  It will also give you a good idea of where we are going with our family ministry at FCBC.  We’ve given away around 20 copies and still have some left in the foyer outside the worship center.

• Steering Through Chaos by Scott Wilson – Our staff is reading this book together and discussing it each week.  Scott is a pastor who writes to other pastors out of his wisdom and experience.

• Soul Print by Mark Batterson – I’m reading this with my small group right now.  This is Mark’s fourth book and he’s about to publish his fifth.  Mark has a great writing style.  He has a way of taking complicated spiritual matters and framing them in a simple, understandable way.  I’ve met Mark personally and have a lot of respect for him as a person and pastor.

• The Shallows by Nicolas Carr – This was recommended by a friend and the title sounded interesting.  It’s about what the internet is doing to our brains.