Random thoughts...

Thoughts on blogging...

Do any of my blogger friends out there (ahem... Heidi) have any good recommendations on blog setup resources for me?  I'm not crazy about my current "look" and still want to stick to three column, but want to be able to change fonts, colors, etc and the current template that I uploaded is preventing me from doing that!  Everyone always has the cutest blogs (ahem... Kari) and I want in on the fun.

Thoughts on Girl Scout Cookies

Why do they have to taste so good?  Why can't I stop eating them?  Profound, I know.

Thoughts on faith

On a more serious note, our church is having a sermon series on The Prodigal God.  My sister and I had the opportunity to hear the author, Timothy Keller, speak at "The Leadership Summit" simulcast this past fall.  Two things really hit home when Keller spoke.  One, we do not obey the Lord because we are seeking a reward.  We obey the Lord because of what He has already done.  Two, God has an extravagant love for us.  We are reckless in our sin, and He still invites us back to the feast.  To salvation.

This past week, the sermon focused on Luke 15, and the parables of the lost sheep and the lost coin, and briefly touched on the parable of the prodigal son.  I have to say now, that I was feeling convicted during this sermon.  However, before we get there, our pastor pointed out that in all three parables, something is lost.  "The sheep because of foolishness," "The coin is lost because of thoughtlessness," and "The son is lost because of willfullness [selfishness and pride]". 

So the sheep, he just doesn't even know he is separated from the shepherd.  Ever been there? Know someone who is there? I know I have been there, completely oblivious to the fact that I am separated from my shepherd (age 15 - 21?).

The coin, it is lost because someone "mishandled it".  Ever been there?  Know someone who is there? I am blessed to say, I have not.  This is not my story.  But Jesus tells this parable to the tax collectors, sinners and the Pharisees because His people are there; have been there.

Now the son, the "good" son if you will, is separating himself from the father willingly.  As our pastor put it, "Because of selfishness, because of pride, he says to his father, 'I don’t want to live according to your rules. I want to live according to my rules. So give me my share of the inheritance, and I’m going to live life on my own terms.' And so he willfully separates him from the father."  Been there?  Know someone who is there? 

What I found during this sermon, that I never had paid attention to before was the fact that in each parable someone is searching for the lost item until it is found.  No rest for the weary, the sheep needs to be found and the coin must be reclaimed.  So, where did I feel convicted then?

Here:

"...Spiritual revival. But it’s a quest to find God. It’s our job, it’s religion’s job to help us find God. But I guarantee you, the moment you think you have found God, most certainly you have not...

And the problem is those who think they have found God will look at the sinners, those who haven’t, and say, “I found God. Why can’t you? If you just try my technique, if you just look at my religion, if you just do the things that I do, you can find God too.” The Pharisees thought they found God. They thought they found God in their study of the scriptures... 

So they look over at the sinners who are hanging out with Jesus and they say, “We found God. Why can’t you? If you would just be more like us, if you would just do the things that we do, you could find God too. If you made just a small effort, then you could find God as well.” And the tragedy of Luke 15 is those who think they’re the closest to God are just as far away from God as the sinners and the tax collectors, just for different reasons.

...And then the most penetrating question I had to ask myself, dressed in my nice suit, am I a Pharisee or am I a sinner?

The good news is, no matter how you answer that, remember Jesus came to seek and to save all who were lost. He’s the Good Shepherd who lays down His life for you, His sheep. Amen."

I have picked and pulled pieces of this amazing message, if you would like to read the whole thing, e-mail me and I will then send you a link to the sermon online.  This message has been on my mind since I heard it, and it has shown me that I need to spend more time with the Lord.  I do not want to be a Pharisee. I know that I am a sinner, and I want to live in obedience because of what He has done. And I want His light to shine so that others can see He is in "relentless search" for them, too.  This one is heavy on my heart this week!