So, the question becomes now, “Where am I going?” What kind of future am I putting in place by the choices and decisions I am making now? Most folks understand financial planning; we need a rainy day fund, money for the kid’s education and, one day, retirement. We understand IRAs, interest rates, pension plans, social security and an occasional savings account. Do we plan as well for things that are even more important? 

• Our physical health
• Our relationships
• Our spiritual life
• Our soul health

When the future does get here, we don’t want to ask, “How did I get here?” We want to be able to say “how I got here” and be able to tell a story of faith, of grace, of love, of life, a story where the Kingdom of God is intertwined into our lives and the Holy Spirit has moved us through that life and into that future, a life lived by what we value and who we believe in.

There is nothing more important than who I am and who I am becoming. Sometimes we get so focused on the stuff we will have in our future, we forget to focus on who we will be when we get there.

Also, if you are a guy and you have yet to check out the “Front-Foot” Men’s Conference, the audio is on our app, firstmethodistmansfied, and some of the content is on my blog, www.mikeramsdell.org. We also have a Journey for Men kit available for all of our men.  Pick it up next time you are in church.

Recently Joe Frazier died. He was the world heavyweight boxing champ in the early 70’s, best known for some amazing fights with Mohammed Ali. Joe Frazier was an underweight, under-talented heavyweight, but he won the heavyweight boxing title and held on to it for more than three years. Besides a powerful left hook, he also stepped into the fight continually pressing forward. He knew if he fought defensively and put his weight on his back foot instead of his front foot, he would not stand a chance. He built his highly successful career on the front foot. If fighting defensively had defined Joe Frazier’s career, he would never have had a career.

I think that for a lot of reasons many men are dealing with issues, struggling with battles and living their lives on the “back foot” — pursuing careers, handling family issues and walking through life feeling defeated and helpless, unsure of their roles, and some on the verge of raising the white flag in too many places in their lives. Some might have already done this. Some are thinking about it. Sometimes no one knows this might be happening.

• In the work place, there are continual contradictions between Christian values that are important to most of us and the seeming reality of that same work place.
• For some, home life has become less than a place of peace and calm and is out of control, meaning that often, as husbands and fathers and friends, we simply react to situations and demands rather than lead and build. This is a sign of weariness and uncertainty.
• As this goes on, we end up with what we really didn’t want and question our own reality, sometimes blaming the church and even God for how we feel and the circumstances and situations we find ourselves having to deal with.
•  The stresses and strains of a life out of control lead to abuse of pornography, chemicals including alcohol, gambling, cheating, becoming obsessed with mindless hobbies and behaviors that many times transcend the basic values of the Christian faith, and even the values men know and hold dear.
•  “Back-foot” living has left many men helpless and powerless.

Pastor Gordon McDonald, in the book The Resilient Life, speaks about some of the pressures in his own life that go back to his experiences as a young man running track. He said, “I learned I have a quitter’s gene,” a gene many in his family had, one where giving up and running away was easier than running to win. He wrote that he had to learn to overcome this tendency.

I think because of the contradictory messages our society gives concerning the role men should play in family, workplace and life in general, men find themselves confused and living reactionary, defensive lives. My prayer is that we experience a season where this changes and a movement to live lives of courageous faith begins.

• Reactions define too many men.
• Weariness defines too many men.
• Defensiveness defines too many men.
• A sense of powerlessness defines too many men.
• Habits define too many men.
• Addictions define too many men.
• Helplessness defines too many men.
• A sense of despair and hopelessness defines too many men.

But it doesn’t begin with just attempting to deal with life, leadership and making decisions in a front-foot way alone. It begins in accepting the salvation God offers in Jesus Christ.

“The free gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Romans 6:23)

In other words, life must be built on the rock; this is receiving Jesus Christ as savior, making a decision to follow him and then building a life upon his amazing grace and living in a biblical way. It is fostering this relationship and realizing we are not enough; we were not designed to be enough; we must walk with God. It is recognizing we need others; they need us in this journey if it is to be successful. We were designed to live in relationship with God and to love God and others like we love ourselves (Luke 10:27).

Front-foot living is accepting and choosing fundamental values.

We prioritize for our values; we live for our values; we sacrifice for our values. What we value is who we are. The Bible is God’s book. Jesus is God’s Son. Faith, family, friendships, love God and others, serving, leading, influencing our world as salt and light — this is the life of a Christian man, life experienced by the front-foot philosophy Jesus taught and exampled.

“Seek ye first the kingdomof Godand his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” (Matthew 6:33)

“I have come that you might have life and have it more abundantly.” (John 10:10)

“He who pursues righteousness and love, finds life, prosperity and honor.” (Proverbs 21:21)

Men are designed by God to make an impact — to lead, to love, to give, to sacrifice, to fight for Jesus, for theKingdomofGod, for their friends and family, for the good, the right, the godly, to leave something on earth that makes it better and to lay up treasures in heaven that makes heaven real.

We are looking for an every-man movement.

We are looking for an every-man movement, one that includes involvement in programs, Bible studies, worship, connecting with other Christian men, and most importantly, living out the Christian-impact life in every venue men find themselves — home, workplace, schools, community, church — in other words, a lifestyle that honors God, holiness is chosen and a difference is made.

The Front-Foot Men’s Community includes a Men’s Kit. The kit allows us to stay focused, as well as offering a gentle, but clear, way to invite other men to join this movement. Our goal is to involve and invite every man in our church and outside to join this life — where the Christian man sets the agenda and not the culture, where God is the one honored and lived for, where Christian values guide our choices and love for God and others define the heart of men.

Some Bible under girding

Can I catch what I am chasing?

When I was in college, I worked at aNationalCemetery. We buried veterans and active military and took care of the cemetery. It was an honor. I mowed grass, straightened and set headstones and helped with funerals.  I remember one funeral particularly well, a husband and wife who died together in a terrifically tragic way. They retired from their jobs at the same time and lived in their dream cabin, a place they looked forward to for some time. Their idea of the “end of life” was relaxing, hiding from the world and drinking. In a short time, they had both drank themselves to death. They had created what the culture said was the good life — success, money, retirement and enjoying life. But somehow, their existence had become so meaningless, empty and void that a senseless death had become their choice, a choice made by an abdication of what makes life really worthwhile. Their illusion of what was good had become a delusion that destroyed them both.

• Many people spend a lifetime chasing something, something illusive that is always somehow just out of reach — peace. The culture makes many promises about what this is and the rewards someone will get if they ever catch what our world says the good life really is. This most often leads to disillusionment and quitting. Life is somehow just around the corner, across the street or achieving the next goal.
• Jesus makes a very counterculture claim, an offering and a promise. He made it clear that the Roman way of life of his time could not satisfy life and soul, and he makes it equally clear that the religious legalism of the Pharisees and Sadducees could not provide either. He likens their way to words in John that this thief comes to steal and kill, while he had come to give life and give it abundantly.

Jesus teaches in John 10:10, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they might have life, and have it abundantly.” The Lord also affirms this promise by invitation in Matthew 11:28-29, “Come unto me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”

Is our culture correct when it gives a message that we can discover the full life, the good life, what we are looking for by electing the right president, finding the right person, buying the right stuff, getting the right job, accomplishing the right goals, even finding the right church?

Just what makes life worth living?

Finding the value, the purpose, the important in a world that continually preaches one of the greatest cons the Devil has used, the same con Lucifer tried with Jesus in the Temptation in the Wilderness, one he took three shots at Jesus with and Jesus responded each time with quoting the scripture and staying focused on who he was and what his purpose was — the simple con the Devil continues to use to attempt to get us to believe something is nothing and nothing is something.

Is more always the answer? Is it ever the answer? This idea that we have to get something we don’t have, get more of what we do have or trade what we have for something else we wish we had . . .

Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life!”

It is always about a relationship with God and how that is reflected in our lives, our relationships, our goals and how we choose to lifve.

• Does my life reflect what really matters, what I really value and what I really believe? Is my faith in Christ and commitment to biblical values the guide for me in my life today and in life to come?

Blaise Pascal, a scientist turned theologian from the 16^th Century, said it like this, “There are only two kinds of people in the world — seekers and non-seekers. Either we are pilgrims looking for answers in order to make sense of our world, or we are wanderers who have turned off onto byways of distraction or despair, alienating ourselves from wonder.”

The course of life is wonder, wonder in God, in families and friendships, in relationships. For everything that really matters in life will come from a relationship; and the first relationship that informs the rest is a relationship with Jesus Christ.

Only God can satisfy the soul!

This truth, discovered and prioritized, paves the way for the rest of life, when so many look for answers in distractions or even destructive behaviors, sometimes neglecting that which matters the most because there is a sense of emptiness or aimlessness that can only be found in God. The truth is often missed, that only God is the answer, and this answer informs the rest of life.

Significance can only be found in loving God. Men look for motivation for living; just existing is not enough for us. So some look for excitement, some pleasure, some achievement, others camouflage their need with alcohol, hobbies or other addictions. The motivation for living that Jesus taught — the same motivation that carried him through the ups and downs of life, through the final moments where he gave his life for the world — was his love for God and his love for others. He taught and lived this truth. This is because he treasured the love God had for him more than anything else, something Jesus called “the pearl of great price!”

“Love God with all your heart, all your soul and all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself. (This is often called the greatest commandment and one in the Old Testament, in the teaching of Jesus and repeated in the Epistles, the truth of the real Christ follower, a truth where love for God motivates and empowers decision, choices, the direction of life itself.)

Only in following Jesus Christ can we discover and experience what matters. 

We are not made to live apart from a relationship with God. Without this focus in place, life becomes the proverbial “taking one step forward and two steps back.” Yet, because of our sinful nature — all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans) — God can seem far away or simply above our ability to know. God has given us an answer, a solution called the Gospel or “Good News.” After we consider this, the truth of Jesus Christ, what should our attitude and purpose be?

First, if you are not sure that you have personally accepted the gift of God’s forgiveness and salvation offered through Jesus Christ and his loving sacrifice on the cross for you, then you should do so right now. If Jesus is who he said he was, who millions of Christians all over the world believe and live for, then a decision needs to be made to accept or reject the lordship of Jesus Christ. You may not understand everything about God’s initiative to us in giving us this amazing Savior, or you may think you are not quite good enough yet. Don’t let these feelings stop you. The Bible teaches that we live by faith; this is about faith. The Bible teaches this, “the free gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Ephesians) “Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and you shall be saved, and your house.” (Acts) If you believe in your heart, then you shall be saved. It is our task to accept and believe; it is God’s promise to receive and save.

Jesus gave this invitation in a simple and clear way, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come into him, and will have fellowship with him, and he with me.” (Revelation 3:20)

Confess that you are a sinner, admit you need Jesus Christ, accept the gift of salvation that God desires to give and give your life and heart to God in Jesus’ name. Now begin to live a life of obedience and faith. Life changes, from my will to God’s will, my purpose to the purpose of the Christ I have accepted and now choose to follow. Everything changes.

• Confess your sin;
• Admit your need of Jesus Christ;
• Accept the gift of salvation;
• Begin to live in relationship with God.

“Seek ye first the kingdomof Godand his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” (Jesus in Matthew’s Gospel) 

If eternal life is a gift of God, then the abundant life that Jesus offers is something we live. 

Again, “I have come that you might have life and have it more abundantly.” (Jesus in John’s Gospel)

I think people often get this wrong, thinking that somehow God is going to simply give us an abundant, wonderful, joyful life full of peace and blessings. God does give grace, forgiveness, salvation and eternal life, but the abundant (a lot of) life is one we are now given the ability to live, a life based on love of God and others, choices that lead to holy living, priorities defined by what is important and what really matters, treasures of faith in this life and treasures we lay up in heaven, all fueled by the presence of the Holy Spirit and the directions given by the Bible.

The abundant life is about trusting Christ, what he does in our lives and how he teaches us to live, both as example and in biblical teachings. The abundant life is something we do, something we live, as our present is defined by our faith in Christ and our future unfolds by the faith decisions we make today. In other words, God now gives us the ability to build our lives upon a new foundation, a foundation that is Christ — “I am the way, the truth and the life” — and a new principle. Jesus knows what he is talking about, and we should both accept his salvation and listen to him. Sometimes men accept Jesus but don’t listen to him. If life is about the relationship, which I believe it is, then listening and obeying is not negotiable for men who want to live on the front foot.

The good life cannot be found in seeking happiness or what I think will please me, but only in seeking God.

“The Give Away” and “The Don’t Give Up” Life

If we believe that Jesus was who he said he was and knew what he was talking about, if we have made the decision to accept and follow him, then what might life look like?

• Men want to do great things!
• Men want to be a part of something bigger than they are!
• Men want to make a difference!
• God expects men to impact and influence the world beginning with those closest to us.

Self-control is a necessary part of self-respect; self- respect is a necessary part of the “Good Life.” God is a necessary part of self-control.

Proverbs 21:21 is the key verse for the Front-Foot Men’s Community:

“He who pursues righteousness and love finds life, prosperity and honor!”
This is the key verse and direction for the Front-Foot Men’s Community, the intentional direction for Christian men to live on the front foot as we serve God through our families, church and in the world — to stay off the back foot of defensive, apathetic living which is common to men in our culture today and to get on the front of influencing church, family and community in positive, God Is Big Enough ways.

It begins with the pursuit or righteousness.
Jesus said in Matthew chapter 5, “they who hunger and thirst after righteousness shall be filled.” It is impossible to experience the fullness of God’s life without choosing righteousness, holiness and goodness as a way of life. Self-control produces self-respect, and self-respect based on God’s amazing grace influences how we see ourselves, God and the world we live in. What are the lines we refuse to cross and what are the values we will not sacrifice must be decided.

It continues with the pursuit of love.
Included in the meaning of this word are loyalty, faithfulness and self-sacrifice for the God we believe in and the people we love. We learn to live in what is bigger than us. Love is a deep, broad word best understood in the sacrifice of Christ. “While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Scarcely would someone die for a righteousness man, yet God demonstrates his love toward us, that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8)  Love is a choice, not a feeling. It is the way a Christian man chooses to live.

The proverb tells us that those who pursue righteousness and love will find life, prosperity and honor.
Jesus spoke of the abundant life. Sometimes we might think this is a life that God gives us instead of a life in partnership with the Holy Spirit. This is the life that God gives us, but it must be lived. If we choose righteousness and love, then life, prosperity and honor will follow. We want prosperity — a life defined by success in the things that matter the most — this is the motivation God has given men who choose Christ. And “honor,” without honor, life is of little value at all. Honor is a Christian virtue, just as love and faith are. God give us the grace to experience this life that will make the difference God has called us to make.

Culture and philosophy of Front-Foot Men’s Community

Our goal is to create a men’s community where men support one another in a holistic lifestyle, where Christian faith consumes every part of life — personally, relationally, family, workplace, hobbies, ministry, church and purpose — recognizing that men are not designed to do this alone, but to do so in community, supporting and praying for one another around a common goal as serious followers of Jesus Christ.

Men have a tendency to live on the defensive instead of the forefront of life, which is not how God designed men to live. Men are designed to defend their families, live for their faith, build a better world and life, influence and make a difference. We want to take the gifts that God wires into men and employ them for good and for God. This is faith thinking, believing, understanding and behaving. It is the “why” that motivates creating a new future by the choices we make today.

Psalm 33:12, “Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord”is the key Bible verse for 2012’s National Day of Prayer.

The National Day of Prayer began in 1952 as a petition to Congress and was signed into law by President Harry Truman that same year. It was the following president, Dwight D. Eisenhower, who led in adding “one nation under God” to the Pledge of Allegiance in 1954. The day has been celebrated ever since on the first Thursday of May. Since I was born in 1953, I am pretty much the same age as those two important, historical moments. World War II had just ended, people were thankful for many things, and in a season of giving God thanks and great hope for the future, a nation made the decision to move God to the center of its future. In the time of a world war that followed a great depression, America realized how much it depended on God.

Today the mission of NDOP is to “mobilize prayer in America to encourage personal repentance and righteousness in the culture.” We are asked to pray for the government, media, military, business, education, church and the family. These are the core institutions that guide the nation. We need God! The idea is not just to pray that God blesses America, strengthens the economy and protects us from our enemies but to help America become the kind of nation filled with the kind of people who bend the knee to God in repentance and righteousness, love and grace, that God can bless, that God can use to bless the world, that God can lead, a nation that honors God.

It begins with us praying for our local schools, local government, local police and fire fighters, local churches, local families, and then move to praying for the rest of the nation, our president, military and national institutions —around the theme of repentance and righteousness.

What does the National Day of Prayer say? I think it says we needed God’s grace in 1952, we need it in 2012 and we will need it in 2052.

Find time to pray. I had a special privilege this morning, to meet with 15 senior pastors of churches in our area at the conference room in the City Hall of Mansfield to pray for our community. God was there. God is always where his people pray!

The best way to explain how General Conference operates is to realize that the first Methodist Conference was held about the time the first Congress met in America. In many ways, the church modeled its structure around the brand new United States as a representative form of government. The delegates at General Conference act much the same as delegates in Congress, submitting proposals, lobbying for a certain cause or change and voting. Since every delegate has an equal vote (bishops don’t vote, only delegates), it can be quite an amazing process to get things done or changed. Typically, few things really change because of this every-four-year process, but pretty much everything will be talked about. It does sound like congress, doesn’t it? But people will always be people and God will always be God, we must never get the two mixed up.

This year has a proposal that is out of the ordinary and pretty special. Our church has had a small part through The Leading Edge (the top 100 attended Methodist churches in the nation) and our own leadership in restructuring our Local Central Texas Annual Conference. It is The Call to Action, a proposal to restructure the denomination, change how the bishops lead, cut down the number of agencies, consolidate leadership, end the guaranteed appointment and streamline the denomination around one simple idea — the local church is where the bulk of the mission and the ministry is accomplished, something I wholeheartedly believe. The goal is to free the local church to be even more effective in how each church uses its money and how it serves the community and world in more direct ways. This is very exciting if it passes. It could be a seismic shift in a denomination that has lost more that 4 million members in the last 30 years. If that percentage of loss continues, then in another 30 years, there won’t be a Methodist Church — a denomination whose very existence is interwoven in the fabric of America, whose Wesleyan faith has helped form and shape a nation. I pray God opens the door to this change. If you want to know more, check out www.umccalltoaction.org. If you want to check out General Conference itself, you can view a live steam at www.umc.org.

In the book of Acts, the early Church was around 15 years old when some unusual things began to happen. People from every part of the Roman world began to come to Christ, to become a part of the Church, and because of Jews, Gentiles, Romans and Greeks coming together, many disagreements and divisions began to pop up. So, Christian leaders came from around the Roman Empire for a conference in Jerusalem, maybe the first conference. Paul was one of the leaders, James, the brother of Jesus, was another, and many others also were a part. The future of the Church depended upon a compromise. This compromise happened. The words from Acts 15:28 say it well, “It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us!” And from this place of conferencing, discussion, prayer and compromise, the Church exploded in life and mission. May it happen again.

If you have any questions about The Call to Action or the General Conference, please feel free to contact any of our pastors.

God is big enough.

We are in a special season in the life of our church called Serving from the Heart. It is not about recruiting volunteers but about celebrating the many ways each of us serve God ? in the church, at home, in the community, in our families and in the variety of ways our church family serves God. Service is something close to the heart of God, “Serving from the heart!”

When Jesus prepared himself and his followers for the cross, he shared the Passover, now called the Last Supper, with his disciples. He did many of the traditional practices of the Passover adding the elements, “This is my body broken for you, this is my blood shed for you,” as he prepared to sacrifice himself for the sins of the world. But he also knelt down and washed the disciples’ feet, taking the role of a servant. In that culture, the teacher, or rabbi, would never do that; this was a role reserved for a servant, a woman or the youngest male in the group. Jesus changed everything, kneeling before dirty feet with a washbasin and a cloth. Serving is one of the amazing ways we can connect directly to the heart of God.

During Easter week, it was an amazing time. Now, I love the preaching, and preaching to thousands about the Easter story is always a high point of the year. I loved being a part of the Holy Thursday service, preaching and offering communion. I loved everything about the week, culminating on Easter Sunday. But there were two moments, one the most fun for me and the other the most inspirational.

In the Saturday night Easter service, I put on an orange parking ministry shirt, got there early, went outside and greeted people coming to church for our first Easter service. That simple act of service was fun, as well as inspirational for me. I loved the simplicity of that act of service. I will do it again. It’s not the same as washing feet, but there is a connection to Jesus in parking lot greeting. Then at the Good Friday service, at the end I carried the cross in and placed it at the altar. As we marked the crucifixion of Jesus, this moment might have been the most memorable for me the entire week. I did not say a word, do my normal preacher activities, just carried a cross as the congregation sang. This act of service, as simple as it was, connected me to Jesus in a special way.

“Serving from the heart.” Thank you for all the ways each of you serve God in our church, in our community and in your family. It’s the simple acts of service that might take us the closet to the heart of God. The 2,000 people who serve officially through our church, and all of us who serve unofficially in small and big ways, speak of what it really is to follow the Christ who knelt at his own disciples’ feet.

God is big enough.

Now what? After the first Easter, the disciples celebrated — Peter running, Mary and Mary telling, Thomas kneeling and everyone was exhilarated that Jesus had been raised from the dead. Hope was restored. But soon after, life started getting in the way, and some of the fear returned. After all, the religious leaders and Romans were still enemies of Jesus and what he taught. “What do we do now?” might have been the thought. Jesus tells his followers to go to Jerusalem and wait. When you think about it, Jerusalem might be the last place they would want to go. Yes, it was where the Resurrection happened, but it was also where Jesus had been killed and they had run for their lives. But they go nonetheless to do what Jesus said to do, “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about; for John baptized with water, but in a few days, you will be baptized in the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 1:4, 5)

In 40 days, the fearful disciples would find themselves filled with the Holy Spirit and spilling into the streets of Jerusalem to tell the story of Jesus. The Church would be born that day with 3,000 making the decision to follow Jesus. The world would never be the same. That day was called Pentecost!

What can we learn? Easter changes everything because life wins, not only that Jesus is still alive, but we are no longer defined by sin and death. Hope reigns supreme. The Resurrection sets us free. But how is life lived in between the resurrection of Christ and the moment his followers, too, enter everlasting life? It would be just a few weeks before James would give his life for Christ and more than 50 years before John too would die and enter the streets of God. Life is lived by the power of the Holy Spirit. The word “power” in Greek is “dunamis,” which is the root word for “dynamite.” And the word “spirit” comes from the Greek word “pneuma,” which means “powerful wind.” The Christian life is about “power!” ? the power of God that worked in creation now at work through the believer and His Church. Dynamite, power, explosive wind — are these words that define our experience with God? The next 40 days our church family will walk toward Pentecost together as we explore what the Bible teaches about the Holy Spirit and what life can look like for those who take the steps with the disciples that happened after Easter.

We began Holy Week with a great Palm Sunday weekend. The children waving Palm branches and the continued telling of the story of Christ’s life and message were inspiring and meaningful. I also always enjoy the afternoon children’s program and Easter Egg Hunt at Rose Park. I would like to encourage you now to join us for two additional worship times this week and then again on Easter weekend. Tonight, April 5, at 7:00 p.m., we will celebrate Holy Thursday with the Lord’s Supper and a special message that includes inspirational music with our choir. Then on April 6 at 7:00 p.m., we will mark Good Friday with a musical drama called The Journey. This is the night we mark the crucifixion of Jesus. Walking with Jesus through Holy Week prepares us for Easter.

We are preparing for multiple Easter worship moments — Saturday at 6:00 p.m., Sunday morning sunrise service at Town Park at 7:00 a.m., three Sunday morning Sanctuary services at 8:15, 9:30 and 11:00 a.m. and two Sunday morning Chapel services at 9:30 and 11:00 a.m. We will also have our new Sunday evening service at 5:00 p.m. in the Chapel. One of the unique things about Easter at First Methodist is we don’t have children’s G-Force or Sunday School as we encourage families to join together in worship for this special season of celebration. It is pretty cool to see families sitting together in whichever worship service they attend. We have a special moment in all the Sanctuary services for every child present in worship. (Note that we will have nursery and preschool care in all our services as usual.) Know that we will be running a shuttle from Chick-fil-A and Walmart all Sunday morning. It is a great way to get to church and opens up the parking lot for our Easter guests. I also encourage you to join me in praying for our services and preparing to offer a good First Methodist welcome to our many guests who will be with us.

Easter is coming! See you Holy Week and Easter.

Pay close attention to Joshua: 3:5b:

“Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do amazing things among you.”

I can want all I want to finish the race in a more respectable time, but it will never happen if I don’t prepare, “consecrate” myself for the purpose of running five kilometers.

Joshua is on the verge of leading Israel into “The Promised Land.” The next day they will face an army. In fact, the hope that had carried them for such a long time would be on the line the next morning. The promise is that amazing things are about to happen, but first, they must consecrate themselves. So, the order is simple — consecrate, and then amazing!

In many ways, this is what Holy Week is about. Holy Week begins this weekend with Palm Sunday and includes Holy Thursday where we mark the Last Supper, Good Friday where we focus on the cross and then Easter! It’s about consecrating ourselves for the amazing things God wants to do in our lives and our church.

• Think about Celebrate Recovery worship tonight at 6:30 p.m. What a way to consecrate ourselves for the amazing.
• Think about Holy Thursday, 7:00 p.m. What a way to consecrate ourselves for the amazing.
• Think about Good Friday, 7:00 p.m. What a way to consecrate ourselves for the amazing.
• Easter; it’s amazing!

I want to do a little better in the Son Run this year, so I am “consecrating” myself for this purpose. But even more, I want God to do amazing things in my life, so this next week will be a time of “consecration” for me. I hope for you too.

These words from the Bible not only contain a great deal of wisdom — not only are they helpful and full of great instruction — but they are true. Jesus said, “The truth shall set you free!” When the Bible speaks, it is not just a story, a teaching or an inspirational tidbit; it is the simple and pure truth about God, about us and about the relationship we have with God. As we move quickly toward Palm Sunday weekend, Holy Week and then Easter, a huge part of our journey is separating what is true from what is not. These words are a simple, and yet so easily ignored truth, that godliness is a tangible possession that makes life full, meaningful and has eternal elements. Everything else will be lost. And yet, many spend a lifetime chasing things they will lose one day and ignoring those things that really matter.

“Lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven where moth nor rust corrupts and where thieves do not break in and steal.”

Again, these additional words of Jesus tell us something that is equally important. Jesus not only loves us, but He knows what He is talking about. In His love for us, He just speaks the truth that might seem very obvious, yet people ignore these truths every day, living out a life that says all kinds of things are of more value than godliness and that pursuing some of these things will one day bring contentment.

So the questions:

• Why do people sometimes trade everything for nothing?
• Why do people sometimes pursue nothing like it’s everything?

The truth is that when we pursue godliness, we pursue everything that matters. Because incorporated in the godly life is everything that matters — oh, and contentment!

In many ways, the season of Lent is a gift of God; the life, teaching and sacrifice of Jesus Christ is God’s gift to everyone. It is free, but the free gift of God that Jesus brings to us must be followed by the work, lives to be built, improved and transformed into what Christian lives should be. The Holy Spirit, the Bible, the Church — all is available for those who seriously desire to “improve.”

The word is “repentance.” The Greek word for repentance is “metanoya,” which means “a transformation of the heart” or more simply, “to turn as in an about face.” The Bible teaches through the words of John the Baptist, who prepared the way for Jesus, “Repent, for the Kingdom ofHeaven is at hand!” Lent is about repentance!

The Bible presents repentance as having two parts.

The first part is forgiveness. When forgiveness from God is asked for, it is given. As simple as that, God forgives. The very nature of the life and cross of Jesus Christ speaks of God’s urgent willingness to forgive those who confess their sin. Forgiveness is a done deal because Christ has already been crucified to wash sin away. We confess, accept and celebrate the salvation that God gives us. This is the first part of “repentance,” and probably why most Christians are Christians. We are drawn to this amazing Jesus Christ and the gospel of simple, yet amazing, grace that He brings. We seize this gift in a way somewhat similar to those settlers in the Oklahoma Land Rush who marked 160 acres of free land with flags.

The second part is where humanity often falls short. For God does the forgiving, but we must do the repenting. And repenting takes work, sometimes life-long work, just as sanctification is a life-long work that God does in us. Sanctification basically means “to be made Holy,” to belong so fully to God that not only does our soul belong to God, so do our hurts and needs — which we like — but our behavior does also. Typically we don’t like this as much. Repenting is the work someone who loves God does to yield their behavior to God. This is why we might give up something for Lent, not only to remind ourselves of the season but to submit our behavior to God’s purpose and will for us. God’s gift is free, but we are expected to build something with the life that God then gives. God cares what we do!

In a culture where it is often about freedom to do what we want, the journey of a disciple of Jesus Christ is doing what God wants. Forgiveness is free for us because God paid the price when Jesus died on the cross. Repentance costs a great deal because this is a price the follower of Jesus Christ must pay. Repentance takes work, but so does everything of value. Jesus said, “What profits a man if he gains the whole world and loses his own soul?”