This coming Sunday, I will preach on Luke 2:41-51. This is the passage where ‘the boy Jesus is in the temple.’

This passage teaches us a lot.

One interesting point is that Jesus’ parents, Joseph and Mary, had lost him.

Luke 2:43 says “as they were returning, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. His parents did not know it”

Wow! I cannot imagine really losing my child.

Then Luke 2:44 says “but supposing him to be in the group they went a day’s journey, but then they began to search for him…”

Wow! I really cannot imagine losing my child for a day or more before I even realized it.

Then Luke 2:46 says “After three days they found him…”

Wow! I totally cannot imagine losing my child for three whole days. I would be freaking out. Or as Mary, his mom, said to him “Your father and I have been searching for you in great distress.” I would be in great distress.

All parents be encouraged! Even great godly parents (who had the favor of God upon them so much that they were able to raise the Savior of the World and King of the Universe) mess up, stress out, and lose their kid sometimes.

Good thing He was safe all along and about His Father’s business!

Jesus says it very plainly in John 14:6

“I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

Peter says it plainly in Acts 4:12

“And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”

Paul says it plainly in 1 Timothy 2:5

“For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.”

And I am sure you knew these three passages, but have you ever read Psalm 62? Lately, Psalm 62 has been such a mighty blessing to me. I have read it everyday now for several days. Everything good, strong, lasting, meaningful, steady about me is because of God. Or better said, is not even me but God in me. Psalm 62 shows me this.

Notice the exclusivity of salvation belonging completely to God.

Verse 1 “For God alone…”

Verse 2 “He only… is my rock and my salvation”

Verse 5 “For God alone…”

Verse 6 “He only…”

Verse 8 “Trust in Him at all times…”

Is there any doubt or question at all who saves? Salvation is of the Lord! Hear the words of  “the great multitude that no one could number, from every nation” in Revelation 7:10 as they cried out:

“Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne and to the Lamb!”

Recently, Lil Wayne was released from prison.

In some of his comments following his release, he says this about the Bible

““I also read the Bible for the first time. It was deep! I liked the parts where some character was once this, but he ended up being that. Like he’d be dissing Jesus, and then he ends up being a saint. That was cool.”” (The cover picture is not good, but you can read it here. Rolling Stone magazine)

I pray that He would believe the message of the Bible that Jesus saves sinners.

The other night while leaving Wal-Mart, I noticed about 600 shopping carts scattered across the gigantic parking lot. An entire conversation took place in my brain.

It was a rather nasty night out. It was cold, temp was in the 20s. It was rainy. No one wanted to be out in it… especially the Wal-Mart “cart-guy”. But he was. In only jeans, a zip-hoodie and work gloves, he was out trying to get in the several hundred stray shopping carts. I felt bad for him. Who wouldnt? He was so cold. And his entire time out there gathering up carts was due to the fact that so many people are too lazy or busy to put the cart where it goes! I happen to like putting my cart back. (Its also one of the most fun things that our Youth Group does. On random nights, we take all our kids to Wal-Mart and ask them to very calmly get all of the carts out of the parking lot and back into the store all nice and neatly. The manager and the “cart guy” especially love it when we do this. All Youth Groups should try it. Great fun!)

Is it wrong to not put your cart back in the “Return Carts Here” thing? Is it ok to just leave it right there in the vacant parking place that your car was just in? Is it fine for Wal-Mart’s hundreds of customers per hour to leave their carts anywhere they please in a quarter mile radius of the store because they have a “cart guy” who will come and bring them all in?

God tells us to “hold fast to what is good” (Rom.12:9) and to “overcome evil with good” (Rom.12:21). Shouldn’t we be willing to take 20 more seconds and put our carts back? Shouldn’t we long to be a blessing to the “cart guy” and not adding to his frustration?

Lets think about Christ being exalted in the small things of our day…even returning our carts to the “Return Carts Here” thing.

What a statement!

Arguably the world’s best soccer player, Kaka, boldly proclaims who he belongs to! Kaka is from Brazil and plays on the highest level of professional soccer in the world. Kaka often wears this bold t-shirt under his uniform jersey. It is common for soccer players to remove their shirts after games. This provides Kaka a great opportunity to proclaim his faith to the world. In South American Brazil where Catholicism is so widespread and therefore the emphasis on the virgin Mary, it is quite a testimony and statement that Kaka announces he belongs to Jesus.

It is also encouraging to know that he has “God is faithful” stitched on to the tongue of his soccer cleats.

Lecrae’s sequel album to his album “Rehab” came out January 11th. It is called “Rehab: the overdose.”

This will let you into Lecrae’s heart and mind. In the inside cover of the CD, Lecrae writes this:

“Around every corner is the lure to consume. A desire to be satisfied.  Unfortunately no human being has found anything under the sun that brings satisfaction. So we consume more, and more, and more. Eventually we overdose.

However, there is hope if Christianity is our rehab. In Jesus satisfaction can be found. Grace, love, peace, and hope can be found… and there is always more.

Consume more of Jesus.

OVERDOSE.”

It was great to be in Gatlinburg this past weekend for a Youth Ski Retreat. I was humbled to have the opportunity to preach it. It was encouraging & refreshing to see our former pastor, Josh Powell and his wife Allison, leading those Youth well. God is really working in the lives of those young people.

I preached three times. All three messages were centered around BOASTING!

1. What is Boasting? James 4:16 – boasting about self is prideful and wrong.
2. Where does boasting Belong? Romans 3:27 – It doesn’t. It is excluded.
3. How do we boast in the Lord? Jeremiah 9:23-24 Paul’s example.

I will post more soon explaining more about each of the messages on boasting.

Do you like a good story?

If so, I encourage you to take 5 minutes to watch this video and/or read this article.

It is about a College Basketball player who studies abroad in Africa. One of the things he says is that going to Africa was unlike anything he had ever experienced before, profoundly put he called it “refreshing”.

I have been to Africa twice. Ethiopia and South Africa. Both times were beyond exhilarating. I absolutely loved it. Going to Africa can really impact your life.

I hope you enjoy it.

Self-control is the last fruit listed in the long list of the Fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22-23.

In Paul’s small letter to Titus, ‘self-control’ is mentioned 5 times. Titus only has 46 verses in the whole book. Clearly, self-control is an emphasis.

• Elders are to be self-controlled. (1:8)
• Older men are to be self-controlled. (2:2)
• Older women are to train the younger women to be self-controlled. (2:5)
• Younger men are to be self-controlled. (2:6)
• The grace of God has appeared and trains us to live self-controlled lives. (2:12)

A life that is out of control lacks the presence of God and has no assurance of being filled with the Spirit of Christ. But when self-control is evident, one can have confidence in God’s Spirit being at work in his life.

If your life out of control? Are you raging in some areas? Turn to God. Repent of it. And see the Spirit of God bring self-control to you.

This quote from Charles Spurgeon has had a huge influence on me and my priorities. Do you live above or below your means?

“No one is so miserable as the poor person who maintains the appearance of wealth.”