The one with a pitch-in & a picture of grace

We had a pitch-in the other day after Church. We have gone to these several times, and only brought food once or twice. It used to be we didn't know or would forget... but now we get emails reminding us... this time we were going to bring something... but then Soo forgot one ingredient and couldn't make it... so we were going to skip, but wound up going anyway.

There could be a level of guilt or embarassment or shame since we didn't bring anything...
even though every time we have one of these pitch-ins or potlucks or whatever you call it, the pastor tells us to come even if we haven't brought anything.

In fact one time we had a guest with us. We were going to go to the potluck, but she told us we couldn't because we didn't bring anything. We tried to explain it was ok, but to her it was not ok. It is not right to go and take when you haven't brought anything.

Afterwards, i thought- isn't that the perfect picture of grace? We don't bring anything to the table, but we still receive. We don't add anything, we only take.
This last week further cemented it. We had good intentions, but failed. We still received. Or what of the meals that are brought but aren't as nice as others? Or have you ever brought something and then noticed it was so much smaller than what everyone else brought.

GRACE. We need Grace.

The potluck/pitch-in offers it. You bring small, you bring something not as good, you bring nothing at all- you still receive.

Now, some get angry. They feel like they brought a lot or they always bring stuff and others don't. They think they slaved over what they made and someone brought something that took them 5 minutes to make - is that fair? It is fair in the land of the potluck.


Jesus invites us to feast at His supper. He wants to come and eat with us. He doesn't require us to bring anything. He wants to fellowship with us. At the end of time we will go to the marriage feast of the Lamb. A glorious potluck! But it will be Him providing all the food, all the drink. We don't need to bring a bottle of wine or bring a gift. Nothing is required. Nothing we bring will add. And His spread will never end. There is enough.


i discovered later our guest who said we couldn't go because we didn't bring anything would eat meals at her church for $2. They would be $10 meals, but the church offered for $2- and that was ok. Perhaps she feels like she is paying something, so that is ok, but taking for free, not so much.

Aren't we like this with God? We want to pay something. We want to contribute something. We want to earn our keep. There is no guilt because we feel we paid something.

But the reality is there is no guilt, there is no shame because Jesus has paid it all. He provides for everything. We can freely enjoy His grace and enjoy His company. There is nothing we can pay. It is silly like offering a couple dimes for a million dollar meal.

In life, i do want to bless others. i want to provide a way for others to experience grace. And i hope i will allow myself to experience grace from others as well. And revel in the grace Jesus continually pours out on me.

the one with falling plates

The one where goals get in the way of your goals

It's been said "The Main thing is to keep the Main thing the Main thing."

i've discovered recently that I’ve let my goals become my goal, instead of my goal.

In short, i let goals keep me from my goals.

i make goals to accomplish a bigger goal, but get so focused on the smaller goal, that i lose sight of what the big goal is.

Let me give you an example.

I want to encourage my wife.

So, I plan a date. I think thru a lot of ideas. I carefully plan out the details. I include fun, creative things and romantic things, and encouraging things and godly things. I plan it all out.

Then the date comes… and something comes up. Soo isn’t feeling well, or is tired or doesn’t appreciate something I plan.

And I get upset.

Or I push through.

Or I stress the whole time, trying to make everything work.

Initially, my goal was to encourage and love Soo.

But, then my goal became to plan the perfect date.

Or maybe it is to impress Soo.

I’ve also been known to get upset when I planning to take my parens out to eat, and they choose some dive of a restaurant to eat at.

I get lost in my goals, I lose sight of my GOAL

I think we can do this with people, we can do this with God.

The Pharisees, set up all sorts of rules, so they would be holy. They wanted to honor God.

At first.

Then, they got stuck by their rules.

They forgot why they were being so cautious. They forgot why they were doing what they were doing. They got lost in their rules, they lost sight of God.

We do similar things. We want to know God, so we read our Bible and have a Quiet time. Then, somehow, it is more important for us to have a quiet time than to connect with God.

We must sing a song, rather than worship.

We get so stuck on reading, we neglect loving.

Maybe in Evangelism too. We get so stuck on getting the message out, we forget the real goal is for the person to come to Christ- not just making a presentation. Or we’re so intent on being relevant and sensitive, we never get to the Gospel message.

The goal becomes the goal instead of the goal.

So, if you’re planning a date this Valentine’s Day, remember why you’re doing it.

If you’re spending time with God today, remember why.

Don’t let your goals, get in the way of your GOALS.

Keep the main thing, the main thing.

The thing about hearing

The other day we were driving using the GPS. Soo told me- you're supposed to turn here. i was like i know, i heard it.
The problem was, i was in the right lane- and i was told to turn left. i thought it said right.
Does left sound like right? No. Then why did i think that?
i had already assumed which direction i was supposed to turn.

i hear what i want to hear.

We do this often. We miss-hear because we assume, because we're not really listening or listening to what we want to hear.
We do this particulary with the Bible.
Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God

For one thing, we miss things. We think we know what it says. We have heard the stories over and over again, that we begin to overlook things. We assume we know what it says, so we don't read that carefully. We begin to scan and skim the Scripture, instead of carefully observing.

There's so much to the Word. In the book Living by the Book, Howard Hendricks tells of his class he teaches where he asks his students to make 25 verses on one verse... then the next day 25 more... then 25 more.. and 25 more. The more you look at a passage, the more you can see... and i'm not talking interpretation - but observation


The 2nd problem is in interpretation. We often interpret the passage the way we want to. Sometimes because of something we heard before. Sometimes because we don't want to see what it really says.
We interpret based on our presuppositions.


Despite what the Bible says, we don't hear what God wants to say, because we're only listening to what we want to hear. And even when He is clear, we hear our own assumptions & own desires instead of what God says.

Let's be careful as we approach God's Word. Let's put aside our assumption & presuppositions and prejudices. Let's open our ears & open our eyes so we can see what God's Word says and hear what God speaks.


Lastly,  when we hear what it says, we need to do it- or it is worthless. When GPS tells us a direction to go, if we don't listen, don't follow - we don't get where we need to go. Same with the Bible, we need to not just hear, but listen & do. James 1:21 says do not be hearers merely, but doers.
Hear, Listen, Obey.