Go Cats Go!!! - sportsjuice.com

My old High School is playing for the South State Championship tomorrow night against Oak Grove High (Hattiesburg). Baylor people - Larry Fedora's son plays for Oak Grove. Check out the game on sportsjuice.com Friday @ 7:00.

Thanksiving and Advent

       American Christians have a unique opportunity. We celebrate a time of “thanksgiving” just prior to joining our brothers and sisters from around the globe in the season of Advent. I love it. Giving thanks really should precede the beginning of the church year. The Christ story is worthy of deep gratitude. We talked about Gratitude and Giving last week at FBC Waco. We will explore Gratitude and Forgiving this week. Please read Matthew 18:21-35 before Sunday.
   
      For years I’ve been talking about Jesus’ three advents. I was happy to see a piece in Christian Reflection that talked about this. Each advent is beautiful. Jesus came to all humankind. We celebrate this at Christmas. Jesus comes to us now. The Spirit of Jesus Christ is moving in the earth. This advent is the reason we can speak of a relationship with God. Jesus will come to judge and make right. We know the end from the beginning.
    
      I have great expectation about the next few weeks. We’ll feast and fast. We’ll praise and long. We’ll sing and remain silent. God will be present for it all. Hallelujah.

Gratitude and Giving

“Gratitude and Giving” - 2 Corinthians 9:7


“Each one of you must give as you have made up your mind, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”

We will talk about the spiritual practice of giving this Sunday. Don’t worry about guilt or gloom. They won’t be present. We will simple focus on two things God loves – you and cheerful giving. I believe that all believers want to be part of things God loves. Cheerful giving is one of those things. 2 Corinthians 8-9 gives us plenty of help in developing this attitude and corresponding action. We can study the example of the Macedonians and Paul’s relief offering for some helpful guidance. Here’s a list of observations:

1. Giving is evidence of God’s grace. 2 Cor. 8:1

2. Everyone can give. 2 Cor. 8:2

3. We can give generously. 2 Cor. 8:3

4. Giving should be voluntary. 2 Cor. 8:4

5. Giving demonstrates a commitment to Christ. 2 Cor. 8:5

6. Jesus exemplified giving. 2 Cor. 8:9; I Peter 2:21

7. Giving is a spiritual practice that can be revived. 2 Cor. 8:6-7

8. Giving should be planned. 8:10-12

9. God is the source. 2 Cor. 9:6-12

10. Giving attacks materialism. (G.W. Peterman)

• Christians should know contentment in every state.

• Money is a commodity that should be used in the service of others, not something to display one’s virtue publicly, to gain honor, or to bring others into one’s orbit of power.

• Reward can only be expected from God, not from others.

• God bestows the material wealth we share with others, and consequently God, not the giver, is the one who is to be blessed and thanked.

• Sharing with other Christians is identified as koinonia.

• Giving to others proves that one’s confession of Christ as Lord is true.

The Disciple's Prayer

Jack Hayford once wrote that the key to everything is giving and forgiving. I read that bold assertion when I was a very young minister and have often observed how true it is. I shared with our church that I will be preaching on giving and forgiving the next two Sunday mornings. I also told them that I would be teaching on The Lord’s Prayer during our Wednesday night gatherings. I’ve discovered a really wonderful correlation between the two themes.


Jesus’ teaching on prayer in Matthew 6:1-18 is interwoven with the call to give and forgive. The themes are overlaid and pressed like a piece of papyrus to form a single unit. Here’s is how it looks –

Giving (1-4)

Prayer (5-13)

Forgiving (14-15)

Fasting (16-18)

Jesus wants to openly bless the secret piety of his disciples. We need his blessing more than oxygen. We do well to linger over these verses. They just may hold the key to everything.

Book

I've had people ask about the book I mentioned in church this morning. Here it is. I think Paul J. Wadell's book deserves a wide reading. Get it and enjoy.

Set your clocks back and then come to church @ FBC Waco

This is Rev. Roy Dabbs. I'm going to tell a story about him tomorrow. Set your clocks back. Enjoy the extra hour of sleep. Go to church tomorrow.

Liturgy of Life

So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life – your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking around life – and place it before God as an offering… I’m speaking to you out of deep gratitude for all that God has given me…

Eugene Peterson captures the spirit of Romans 12:1-3 in The Message. We are called to create a liturgy of life – to stand in the offering basket and sing, “I surrender all.” This lived worship is a response to the kindness of God not a ploy to garner it. We cannot make God love us any more than he already does. We can respond with lavish devotion. Some speak of sanctification as the doctrine of gratitude. I want us to focus our attention on this cherished doctrine during the upcoming weeks. We will look at Romans 12:1-3 this week and them build from there.  Here’s a look ahead:

November 14 “Gratitude and Giving” 2 Corinthians 9:7

November 21 “Gratitude and Forgiving” Matthew 18:23-35

Reaching Hands

I had a wonderful conversation with a friend and congregant today. This friend gave me a beautiful image of God's kingdom. We were talking about ministy, poverty, leadership, and God's grace. She began to talk about our church's Pumpkin Patch party. We are both parents and had our children there.  She said, "The Pumpkin Patch reminded me of why I love our church. At one point I looked and saw little white, black, and hispanic hands reaching into the same bucket for treasure. They were so happy. It was awesome." I think it was gospel. The message of the kingdom is treasure. We need to continue pointing others to the treasure! Just a thought.