Fall Creek Christian Church

"So, we must listen very carefully to the truth we have heard, or we may drift away from it." Hebrews 2:1 As the huge barracuda circled back around towards me again, I quickly but carefully dropped to my knees on my paddleboard. I have horrible balance on those boards and the thought of falling off and drifting away from what felt like my only place of safety put a good scare in me. The teeth on that fish were like daggers and I had no interest in finding out how sharp they were. The author of Hebrews was very concerned about drifting as well. Specifically, he didn't want them drifting from the truth. Apparently, this was as much a problem then as it is today. Jesus told us that truth sets us free. What does drifting from the truth do to us? The antidote to drifting as he presents it here is very careful listening. Watch out for loud distractions. There is no substitute for truth. Many people are peddling alternate versions of truth knowingly or unknowingly ...

"Work hard to so you can present yourself to God and receive his approval. Be a good worker, one who doesn't need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth." II Timothy 2:15 Many a young man has learned what it means to work hard in the hay fields of our great country. I'm one of those. As a teenager, I spent hours of back breaking labor in the hot sun and dust-filled barns. My forearms looked like I'd been attacked by a porcupine with little red holes all over them. Every muscle ached and there wasn't enough water in the red handled well spigot to quench my thirst, but I loved it! Paul appealed to this deep desire in Timothy's heart to be a worker. Not just any worker ... He told him to be a hard worker and a good worker. At the end of the day, be proud of what you've accomplished. Kingdom work is to carry the same passion and zealousness. Live in such a way that heaven smiles and the devil flees. One of the great problem...

"My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself up for me." Galatians 2:20 As the interview went on, it was clear to me that this actor was quite serious about his role in a new movie that was based on a war hero's true story. He went to this person's house. He walked around his property. He went into his barns and handled his tools. He watched old interviews of the man and talked to those who knew him well. He was determined to be true to this man's character and life.  Here, in the verses for the day, Paul makes the astute observation that the person who can live most like Jesus is Jesus! Jesus, he says, lives within everyone who believes in him. It's not our job then to "act" like Jesus, it's our job to get out of the way so that Jesus can live his life through us. The key is to trust him wit...

"No dear friends, I am still not all I should be, but I am focusing all my energies on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what what lies ahead, I strain to reach the end of the race and receive the prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us up to heaven." Philippians 3:13-14 In a conversation recently, the theme of skeletons in the closet came up. It was dawning on this person that a great deal of life had been lived by others before they were around. We acknowledged the reality that everyone has made choices they wish they could "unchoose." I do. Ugly choices. Hurtful choices. We decided, once properly addressed, there are old bones that don't need to be rattled anymore.  Confession, repentance, forgiveness, and restitution are the appropriate Biblical responses to our moral failures. Once these response have been taken, Paul calls all Jesus followers to a new focus: Look Forward. In the newness of grace, the past ...

"Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God. Be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowances for each other's faults because of your love. Always keep yourselves united in the Holy Spirit, and bind yourselves together with peace." Ephesians 4:1-3 After what seemed like an eternity, the minister finally declared, "I now pronounce you husband and wife." I was (and continue to be) so filled with joy. "I'm a husband ... how cool is that!?", I thought to myself. It wasn't long after that day where another thought hit me, "I'm a husband ... how scary is that!?" I fumbled that ball for years until I was finally humbled and turned to God and cried out, "Help!!"  Living up to who we are is a big deal. It's one thing to be called a husband, it's something completely different to live up to being one. Similarly, it...

"What sorrow awaits those who try to hide their plans from the Lord, who do their evil deeds in the dark! 'The Lord can't see us', they say. 'He doesn't know what's going on!'" Isaiah 29:1 "Hide and Go Seek" is a great game. It's a timeless game of mystery and creativity unless you're playing with a two year old. They hide in the same place over and over and over again convinced to their core that you have no idea where they are. They'll even help you find them. All you have to do is ask.  I have to believe Isaiah had two year old Hide 'n Seek in mind when he wrote our verse for the day. It was so sad to him that people would actually think they are out of God's view. "I'm hidden. God can't see me now!" It's incredible how lobotomizing sin is. He's God! He sees everything! Isaiah warns that justice delayed is not justice avoided. Sin leads to sorrow.  What finally happens to a ch...

"In that day, the wolf and the lamb will lie down together; the leopard and the goat will be at peace. Calves and yearlings will be safe among lions, and a little child will lead them all." Isaiah 11:6 I was looking into the face of my new granddaughter the other day and ended up lost in thought. Someday, I'll be able to have a conversation with her. Someday, I'll get to make up crazy stuff to tell her. Someday, I'll spoil her and then send her home. Someday, I'll cheer when she takes her first steps, rides a bike by herself, and walks across the stage to receive her diploma.  There is an inevitability to "someday." It shows up when we least expect it. As a prophet, Isaiah was well acquainted with someday. God revealed to him what was to come and many things, like our verse for the day, that are still yet to come. Isaiah's someday conversations were meant to, among other things, encourage the discouraged, discipline the u...