Last night at our after dinner snack time, Sonya made a brilliant discovery about behaviors that can’t be taught.  Hannah informed us she would like some “bretfast”, which is her way of saying she was wanting something to eat.  We asked her what she wanted and she said “Cerio” (Cereal).  Sonya poured her some Cheerios and put the box back into the cabinet. That is when Hannah said, “I want to look at the box.”

With eyes full of revelation, Sonya looked at me and said, “Some behaviors just aren’t taught.”  Isn’t it true that most people look at the cereal box when they eat cereal? It is an innate behavior that is not taught it is just in there.  Sort of like reading in the bathroom (Hannah has already discovered that too:) 

Within all of us are characteristics that are implanted not learned.  We are all equipped with a sin nature.  We were born with that and it can only be conquered by the power of Christ.  Children aren’t taught to sin…it is in them.  Even through adulthood we have that innate capacity to sin that we must learn to overcome through Christ.

There are other built in behaviors that we have been born with.  These are gifts.  God has wired each of us with personalities and gifts that are to be used for the  glory of God.  He has given them to every one of us.  These things are inherent in our lives and we must discover those things that God desires us to do.  These are the passions that we have, creativity in certain areas, gifts that are not learned but given.

We are all unique in our giftings but all the same in the fact that God has given us innate behaviors. 

 

As we celebrate Christmas today, I am overwhelmed at the goodness of God.  We are blessed to live in a prosperous nation.  I am thankful that God has blessed each of us and has allowed His face to shine upon us. 

Christmas causes me to reflect on the price that was paid for mankind.  Christ left the glory of Heaven to enter earth through the virgin’s womb.  He was born to Mary and she called His name Jesus, because He would save the world from their sins.  He would also be named Emmanuel, God with us.

What Christmas means to us is that God came to dwell among men that He might die for man.  After the resurrection, He came to live inside of us.  He is truly God with us.  Christmas is a time to celebrate the fact that God gave us the gift of His Son, Jesus.  On this Christmas day, accept that gift…the gift of eternal life.

Merry Christmas from our family to yours!

 

 

Our annual Christmas Eve service is only an hour and a half away.  We are going to still have it in spite of snow moving into our area this evening.  If you live in an area where you are afraid you may not be able to get back home, we encourage you to stay at home this evening.   We look forward to a worshipful service tonight.

We just uploaded a new podcast discussing Setting Spiritual Goals.  As we embark on a new year it is a good idea to set goals for 2010.  This new growthhelps podcast will give you a little help with that.

Check it out here.

It has been a long time since I was moved with compassion like today.  Perhaps, I have grown somewhat cold in my sensitivity.  The danger for all believers is to become desensitized to the plight of humanity.   To forget that others struggle through life and yet they seem to endure.

I watched a video by Carlos Whittaker, a worship leader, as he was filming for an upcoming album.  As they were shooting their footage a homeless man named Danny walks up, kneels down and then begins to worship with Carlos.  Their impromptu collaboration moved me to tears. 

It took me back to the roots of my ministry.  The days when I would spend hours a week on the streets of downtown Houston ministering to the down and out.  Feeding the homeless, providing them coats and their necessities.  Some of the most beautiful moments of my life were under bridges sharing the love of Christ with these men.

Watching Danny in the video reminded me of a man named Slim that I would spend time with every week.  Slim always had a positive outlook and a deep love for God.  My heart was touched by this song The God of Second Chances, because every one deserves a second chance.  The banker in a suit or the homeless guy on 8th street.  God is a God of Second Chances.

My heart is overwhelmed because I need to have more compassion.  I need to be moved by the heart of God.  Instead of going through the religious motions, my desire is to know the heart of God and please Him in all that I do.  Maybe He is giving me a second chance.  A chance to make impact in our church, community and world.  No more calloused heart, but a heart that beats with Christ and for Christ!

Check out the video here.  But beware, it may move you beyond words.

Today we posted a podcast to help out with the holiday relationships.  Many people will be having a family meal with all the different personalities in their families.  Today’s growthhelps edition is about how to deal with the different people that will be around the dinner table.

Check it out here.

Primal is possibly the most soul stirring book I have read this year.  Engaging Author, Mark Batterson, has written a book that causes the reader to get back to the roots of Christianity.  I must say that I am biased, because I always like to read about our Christian roots.  I enjoy books that are thought provoking and challenge the reader to think like the first century Christian.

Batterson stirs the reader to consider how God would want us to live in the 21st century.  He touches on many fronts:  our foundational salvation experience, remembering our special times of prayer and the Word, as well as a look at how we use our money for kingdom purposes. 

Primal is an easy read, meaning, it is very well written with a good flow to make it a hard to put down book.  One warning, however, if you do not want your life to be disrupted or challenged, don’t read this book. 

Some of my favorite quotes from Primal:

“Over the last two thousand years, Christianity has evolved in lots of ways.  We’ve come out of the catacombs and built majestic cathedrals with all the bells and steeples.  Theologians have given us creeds and canons.  Churches have added pews and pulpits, hymnals and organs, committees and liturgies.  And the IRS has given us 501C3 status.  And there is nothing inherently wrong with any of those things.  But none of those things is primal.  And I wonder, almost like the Roman effect of building things on top of things, if the accumulated layers of Christian traditions and institutions have unintentionally obscured what lies beneath.”

“I hope you will have gone back to the primal faith you once had.  Or more accurately, the primal faith that once had you.”

“You cannot listen to just half of what the Holy Spirit has to say.  It’s a package deal.  If you aren’t willing to listen to everything He has to say, you won’t hear anything He has to say.  If you tune out His convicting voice, you won’t hear His comforting voice or guiding voice either.”

“Does your heart break for the things that break the heart of God?  If it doesn’t, you need to repent.”

“When you give your heart to Christ, Christ gives His heart to you.”

You can pick up a copy of Primal here at Christianbook.com.

You can also purchase Primal at Random House Publishers.

Summary of Primal

We have a tendency to complicate Christianity. Jesus simplified it: Love God with all of your heart, soul, mind, and strength. If we are to live out the essence of Christianity, we must commit to being great at this Great Commandment.

In Primal, Mark Batterson explores the four elements of Great Commandment Christianity: compassion, wonder, curiosity, and power.

Along the way, he calls you to be a part of God’s reformation, starting in your own life.

As Mark writes, “Is there a place in your past where you met God and God met you? A place where your heart broke for the things that break the heart of God? Maybe it was a sermon that became more than a sermon.

Maybe it was a mission trip or retreat. Maybe it was a vow you made at an altar. In that moment, God birthed something supernatural in your spirit. You knew you’d never be the same again. My prayer is that this book would take you back to that burning bush—and reignite a primal faith.”

Primal will help you live in light of what matters most and discover what it means to love God. It will help you become great at the Great Commandment.

More about Author Mark Batterson

The author of Wild Goose Chase and In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day, Mark Batterson serves as lead pastor of National Community Church in Washington, D.C. One church with nine services in five locations, NCC is focused on reaching emerging generations and meets in movie theaters at metro stops throughout the D.C. area. Mark has two Masters degrees from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Chicago. He and his wife, Lora, live on Capitol Hill with their three children. www.markbatterson.com