PB Mini-Bytes: Pick One Thing
In today’s PB Mini-Bytes, we’re encouraging you to pick one thing to work on…
Listen and enjoy!
Category "Uncategorized"
Friday Fun & Free Stuff – Food Edition
Happy Friday! Let’s get to it…
1. FREE BOOK—Beauty Will Save The World by Brian Zahnd.
Here’s a book I really enjoyed this past year – it’s about rediscovering the allure and mystery of Christianity. Be the first one to comment on this blog post & I’ll send you a copy (scroll down to the bottom of this page to comment). Also—follow Brian Zahnd on Twitter. You’ll be glad you did.
This book is both funny and challenging. Be the first one to comment on this blog post & I’ll send you a copy (scroll down to the bottom of this page to comment).
#3. VIDEO—The Truth Behind Calorie Labels.
How do the posted calories at restaurants stand up to a scientific test? Watch and see.
#4. VIDEO—Odin Eating Like A Person.
OK, this is really funny—but the videographer kinda ruins it for me.
#5. VIDEO—Bake A Cake Inside An Egg.
Put this one in your files for next Easter…
Like this post? You should also check out:
Friday Fun & Free Stuff Archive
The Cacophony Problem
There’s a story of the rebuilding of Israel’s temple found in the book of Ezra.
The first temple had been destroyed 70 years earlier. Finally, a rebuilding effort was underway.
This was good news, a victory, and something worth celebrating.
Some of the people rejoiced. They sang and danced and shouted joyfully.
Others, however, chose to mourn the destruction of the old temple (remember: that was 70 year-old bad news). What the heck?
The people made so much noise it could be heard far away, and no one could tell the difference between the joyful shouting and the sad crying. —Ezra 3.13 NCV
Instead of the sound of pure joy, there was a cacophony—a harsh, discordant mixture of sounds—that resulted in a big question mark over what was taking place. Were they celebrating? Were they mourning? Were they happy? Were they sad? No one could really tell. It was just a bunch of indistinguishable noise.
I want to know, why were some people mourning? There’s something known as a “biblical period of mourning.” This refers to a prescribed number of days set aside for the purpose of sorrow and mourning. For instance, when Moses died, the people were given 30 days to mourn.
In other words, there is a proper time for sorrow, but its days are numbered. Sadness is a legitimate and necessary response, but it must be followed with the rising tide of joy.
Let’s be real: 70 years of mourning is absolutely ridiculous.
Those people needed to be celebrating the dawning of a new day and the building of a new temple, not playing tapes from 70 stinking years ago!
Weeping may last through the night, but joy comes with the morning. —Psalm 30.5 NLT
I believe we are Good News people living in a bad news world. Are there problems out there? Absolutely. Are they new? Not exactly. Is it time for mourning or rejoicing?
In light of what Jesus did for us on the cross, and the fact that he is risen, I’d say we have reason to celebrate. Our sins are forgiven. Our debt has been permanently cancelled. We have life—life with God for ever more.
Unfortunately, much of the church today has a cacophony problem. There is a discordant noise that rises from the church—a mixture of Good News and bad news, of rejoicing and mourning, of happiness and anger.
And maybe once a year, the cacophony dies down for a brief moment on Easter Sunday and there is the sound of pure joy.
As for me and my family (and church family), I am committed to the sound that Good News makes: the sound of pure joy. How about you?
Always be joyful. —1 Thessalonians 5.16 NLT
Be cheerful no matter what; pray all the time; thank God no matter what happens. This is the way God wants you who belong to Christ Jesus to live. —1 Thessalonians 5.16-18 MSG
Joy Takes You To Unexpected Places…
No matter where you are or what you’re going through, and despite the various limitations you face, one thing is possible…
Overflowing joy.
Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. —James 1.2 NLT
Joy is not dependent on the weather or your wealth.
In fact, joy is seen most clearly in the storms and shortages of life.
The Apostle Paul wrote about this kind of joy that defies logic. He saw it in the churches of Macedonia:
And now, brothers and sisters, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches. In the midst of a very severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. —2 Corinthians 8.1-3 NIV
The conditions for the Macedonian churches weren’t good. They were experiencing a very severe trial and extreme poverty. But God gave them grace which produced an overflowing joy…
And that joy took them to unexpected places.
Rich generosity??!!?! Giving beyond their ability? Who would have predicted that?
Despite their limitations, overflowing joy took them to new levels of service and significance.
I believe this is true for us as well—joy takes us to unexpected places.
Joy doesn’t know how to stay within boundaries.
It leaks. It spreads. It goes where it “doesn’t belong.” It overflows.
And it takes you to unexpected places.
I am greatly encouraged; in all our troubles my joy knows no bounds. —2 Corinthians 7.4 NIV
What Overflowing Joy Looks Like
A few years ago, I accidentally caused a flood in our house.
Our laundry room is on the second floor. We have one of those big, deep, laundry room sinks in there.
I put the plug in the drain and turned the water on. I needed to soak something for a while, so I just let the water run. Meanwhile, I did some other things around the house.
45 minutes later, as I was downstairs in the kitchen, I heard something that caught my attention.
It was the sound of a waterfall.
In a panic, I remembered the laundry room sink with the plug in the drain and the water on full-blast.
As I ran upstairs, I was horrified to discover that water was everywhere. It had run down the hall and even traveled from one room to the next. In desperation mode, I had every towel we own soaking up water. And when I went downstairs to get the Shop Vac, I looked up at the ceiling in our living room…
There was water dripping from the ceiling.
My heart sank.
I had ruined our new home.
The overflowing water traveled where it wasn’t invited and didn’t belong. It touched everything—going through the walls and levels in our house. The overflowing water went to unexpected places.
This is exactly what overflowing joy looks like: it touches everything. It goes through walls and barriers and ends up in the most unexpected places.
Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. —James 1.2 NLT
Overflowing joy can be found in the most unlikely places.
In the middle of difficulty, trial, and trouble? Yes, joy reaches there too.
Joy goes where it “doesn’t belong.”
As Christians, we’ve never been promised an easy, trouble-free, exempt from pain and difficulty kind-of-life.
But we do have the abiding presence of our God. He is with us and he is for us. Because our God is with us and for us, we have a constant, overflowing reservoir of peace and joy in our lives—like Snoqualmie Falls during flood season. Have you been there before? The spray and mist from the falls gets everywhere…
For the past 3 1/2 years, my mom has been battling blood cancer. Because of the cancer, her kidneys have failed—so she has dialysis 3 times a week, along with chemo treatments. She’s had a constant stream of surgeries and doctor appointments.
To say she’s been experiencing trouble, pain, and difficulty would be an understatement.
And I’ve never seen my mom more full of joy than she is right now.
That’s what overflowing joy looks like.
It touches everything. It goes through walls and barriers and ends up in the most unexpected places.
Your joy will be a river overflowing its banks! —John 16.24 MSG
PB Mini-Bytes: Life Off Autopilot
Today, we talk about how easy it is to run on autopilot & end up in the wrong place. It’s time to take our lives off autopilot! Listen & enjoy.
Fun & Free Stuff On Good Friday
1. FREE BOOK—Beauty Will Save The World by Brian Zahnd.
Here’s a book I really enjoyed this past year – it’s about rediscovering the allure and mystery of Christianity. Be the first one to comment on this blog post & I’ll send you a copy (scroll down to the bottom of this page to comment). Also—follow Brian Zahnd on Twitter. You’ll be glad you did.
This book is both funny and challenging. Be the first one to comment on this blog post & I’ll send you a copy (scroll down to the bottom of this page to comment).
#3. VIDEO—Krispy Kreme’s Glazed Donuts.
These will be in the NWLife lobby this Sunday for Easter in mass quantities, so I thought I should whet your appetite.
My wife complained last week that I put way too many videos up on my Friday post—so today there’s only one (and I know she will watch it because it’s about donuts). See you next Friday for more fun & free stuff!
Like this post? You should also check out:
Friday Fun & Free Stuff Archive
Found People Find People
I know we like to think we found God.
It feels good to believe “we found love in a hopeless place” like Rihanna sings.
Expressions like “he found religion” reinforce the idea that we, while searching for treasure, made a great discovery.
But that’s just not how it happens. God, the Great Treasure, pursues us—and he does it relentlessly.
Eventually we realize He’s always been there. Our eyes open to the things He’s done.
We become aware.
We are not the finders of some great treasure. The Great Treasure found us.
We are found people.
That’s why we sing, “I once was lost but now I’m found, was blind but now I see.”
Here’s something true about found people that we see throughout the Gospels…
FOUND PEOPLE FIND PEOPLE.
The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, “Come, follow me.” Philip was from Bethsaida, Andrew and Peter’s hometown. Philip went to look for Nathanael and told him, “We have found the very person Moses and the prophets wrote about! His name is Jesus, the son of Joseph from Nazareth.” “Nazareth!” exclaimed Nathanael. “Can anything good come from Nazareth?” “Come and see for yourself,” Philip replied. —John 1.43-46 NLT
Jesus found Philip.
Notice what Philip does next…
He went to look for Nathanael and told him about Jesus, inviting him to “Come and see for yourself.”
This is what found people do. Found people find people.
Easter is the perfect time to invite—find people who don’t know Jesus!
Invite them to come with you and see for themselves.
How Far Will He Go In Pursuit Of You?
I often joke with single guys that they give up too soon…
My advice? “Don’t let a little rejection turn you around. Why give up so early? Keep pursuing and eventually you’ll wear her down. She doesn’t have to like you at first—she needs to like you in the end.”
Seriously though, some guys won’t go very far in pursuit.
God’s interest in, and love for us, is much different. His pursuit is without end. He is relentless.
Think about it. How far will He go in pursuit of you?
The famous Psalm of David says,
I look behind me and you’re there, then up ahead and you’re there, too… Is there anyplace I can go to avoid your Spirit, to be out of your sight? If I climb to the sky, you’re there! If I go underground, you’re there! If I flew on morning’s wings to the far western horizon, you’d find me in a minute—you’re already there waiting! Then I said to myself, “Oh, he even sees me in the dark! —Psalm 139 MSG
And, of course, we are mindful this week leading up to Easter of just how far He will go in pursuit of us. Jesus left the majesty of heaven to become as one of us—a humble child, born in poor conditions, to an unwed mother.
He grew and learned and worked and submitted.
He taught and healed and cared and fed and loved and gave.
He willingly poured himself out. He went to the cross, was abused and mocked and shamed.
He died and was placed in a tomb.
This is how far He went—as far as anyone could ever go. And then, He went further.
His pursuit would not stop with the thing that stops everyone.
He broke death, hell, and the grave. Their power could not hold Him.
He rose from the dead and He lives. His death means our sins are forgiven, our debt is paid in full, all charges against us have been canceled on the cross. His life means we have life—and not just life, but life WITH God.
How far will He go in pursuit of you?
To the depths, and beyond.
The Treasure Found You
Are you familiar with the concept of a “come up?”
Quoting Urban Dictionary, it’s “A bargain, or a found item that is of value to the finder.”
Maclemore, in his hit song Thrift Shop, says, “I’m digging, I’m digging, I’m searching right through that luggage. One man’s trash, that’s another man’s come-up.”
Searching for and discovering treasure is something we can all relate to.
Some friends of mine recently found a 1920′s typewriter—fully functional and in excellent shape. They bought it and gave it to me for my birthday. It’s a great treasure!
The idea of a “come up” from a spiritual standpoint is interesting to think about…
You discover a treasure that takes you up to a whole new level of living and understanding—a treasure with far-reaching impact, both in this life and the life to come.
But actually, this isn’t how it works. You didn’t discover the treasure. The treasure found you.
This is the Gospel story: the announcement of the Good News of what God has done to reach us.
Hugh Montefiore, a Jewish biblical scholar, on what makes Christianity unique, said, “It is that God seeks us and God finds us.” The treasure found you.
In Jesus, God has come to us. God seeks and pursues until he finds us. He doesn’t give up or grow weary in pursuit.
General Lee, at the end of the Civil War, said of General Grant, “He just keeps coming.”
So it is with our God. He is relentless.
In Luke chapter 15, God is portrayed in a series of 3 parables as the pursuer (the shepherd seeking his lost sheep, the woman searching for her lost coin, and the father seeking his wayward son).
These parables remind us: we don’t discover the treasure. The treasure finds us.
I recently had conversations with a couple different guys who were surprised to find themselves in church. They said things like, “I shouldn’t be here—I should be in prison. I should be dead. The fact that I am still alive and here today is a miracle. The Man upstairs must be up to something.”
I love it! They are beginning to sense the relentless pursuit of our God…
The Treasure who finds us.
God reconciled everything to himself… this includes you who were once far away from God. He has reconciled you to himself through the death of Christ in his physical body. As a result, he has brought you into his own presence, and you are holy and blameless as you stand before him without a single fault. —Colossians 1.20-22 NLT