3rd Timothy

Regret, Repentance, Restoration

tstobbe@waypoint-church.org — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 21:05:00 GMT

An Invitation

tstobbe@waypoint-church.org — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 18:13:00 GMT

Some of the most powerful encouragements to the church are prayers answered. Those moments when we bring our request to God in faith and He clearly delivers the answer. Whatever adversity we're facing is overcome; sickness turns to health, a wayward child returns or maybe employment finally arrives. The church rejoices over these victories as each of us has our faith infused with a good dose of God's miraculous nature.

How do we deal with things when the answer we're hoping for never seems to arrive? Some of you have been praying earnestly... passionately for loved ones who seem stuck in lifestyles contrary to God's plan. Some of you are praying for your own deliverence from something; your past, an abusive relationship or maybe an addiction. You find yourself on your knees again and again crying out to God, you ask others to join you in your petition and still nothing happens.

Is God too overwhelmed with everyone else's request?

Is He even real?

Is He just turning a deaf ear to me?

Is He just saying "no"?

Am I being taught some sort of painful spiritual lesson here?

All of these questions can run through our minds when we feel like our situation isn't changing. "Just fix this LORD! Please!" And still, we don't hear the answer we're listening for.

Perhaps that is part of the issue. I'm sure most of us have had that experience with a telemarkerter who calls at the most convenient of times trying to sell something. We answer the phone and early in the conversation, "No thank you, I'm not interested." leaves our mouths, goes into our phone, travels a great distance, exits their phone, enters their ear and stops abruptly so as not to enter their brain. Nothing drives me crazier. The fact is that people in sales are trained to move past our refusals in pursuit of a "yes".

We sometimes do the same thing with God when it comes to prayer. We can be so focused on the answer we want to hear that we don't even notice the one He's actually giving. We listen but don't actually hear anything.

Today I'm giving you an invitation to come into the presence of God, lay out your request before Him and then to listen. Set aside the hopes, presuppositions and expectations attached to your request, no matter how important it is and sit quietly with Him. Maybe He'll answer you quickly and maybe it will take time but He will answer and His answers are always good. He is good. Always.

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Always Watching

tstobbe@waypoint-church.org — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 22:51:00 GMT

You know that feeling you get sometimes when you're alone? The one that makes you think you may not be totally alone after all but you feel foolish for even thinking such a thought? I don't mean this in a cracking-up-gone-fishing-in-the-desert way but the sensation we all get from time to time. Usually these kinds of thoughts originate from two factors, neither of which are exactly good.

The first one is fear. I remember this feeling well as a boy being alone in our house. A creak. A groan. Was that a door shutting? Footsteps? Curiosity overcomes intrepidation and an investigative journey reveals that the fear was unfounded. Phew! Funny how I never noticed any of those noises when I was with my familiy or friends. Being alone can bring out some strange thoughts and reactions.

The second factor that can make you feel "watched" is guilt. The man who eats from what he has earned, goes home to his wife, drives the car he owns and generally does what he claims to do has no reason to look over his shoulder. This person can be found in their most private moment to be essentially the same as they are in the most public spotlight. Sometimes, though, the temptation is there to make choices we wouldn't (or shouldn't) make when we believe we're alone. Sneaking is incompatible with integrity.

The reality is that our strange fears connected to being "alone" are completely legitimate and totally valid. In fact they are based on truth - God IS watching us! All the time. No breaks. Ever. Freaked out? Don't be! A lot of people have the view that God is watching with intent to punish... lightening bolt in hand or maybe something akin to that creepy, fiery, floating eyeball in Lord of the Rings. Remember, Jesus came to redeem, rescue and restore.

1 I lift up my eyes to the hills-- where does my help come from? 2 My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth. 3 He will not let your foot slip-- he who watches over you will not slumber; 4 indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. 5 The LORD watches over you-- the LORD is your shade at your right hand; 6 the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night. 7 The LORD will keep you from all harm-- he will watch over your life; 8 the LORD will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore. ~Psalm 121

For the person who trusts Jesus the watchful eye of God is a loving promise not a threat. The Sovereign One stays awake to look out for us and watches over our affairs. God cares! It is true, God sees us in our less than attractive moments too - and grieves - but the love is not easily shaken. The great promise of the Christian experience here on earth isn't that we'll have an easy life or be successful or avoid every type of pain. The promise of God for the person who follows Him is that He will be the Gentle Shepherd and walk with them through precisely those unglorious moments. When we look up and cry out to God in our frustration, pain or repentance we raise our eyes to catch the gaze of Christ who is already looking down.

He's watching, always watching.

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Basically

tstobbe@waypoint-church.org — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 19:29:00 GMT

All It Should Be

tstobbe@waypoint-church.org — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 22:30:00 GMT

So here's a little note to all of my good friends who go the extra mile to make Christmas everything it is supposed to be. First of all, thank you. You spend hours baking things and decorating your home and quite possibly your workplace with festivity. December is one of the tastiest months of the year and seeing as how I'm THAT guy, the one who consumes a large portion of those Christmas culinary creations, I tip my hat to y'all. The music, the mood, the classic movies, the traditions and that satisfied feeling you get when you're surrounded by family and friends are all things I love about this time of year. They're all part of what Christmas should be. Right?

Think about the original Christmas for a moment. If you look at it through God's eyes it went exactly the way it was supposed to. The parents, the lineage, the location, the timing, the messengers and well... everything went according to His plan. No portion of it was out of place and no detail was overlooked. God's like that though, when He puts a plan in place it goes along just the way He expects it to. If, on the other hand, you look at that first Christmas through human eyes, you can come to some pretty different conclusions. Let's face it, Jesus was born with relatively little celebration. Some people came and worshipped while many were unaware. The accommodations weren't just humble, they were closer to humiliating and a far cry from the pristine places our children are born in today. Couldn't someone in Bethlehem have made room for the urgently expecting Mary? To top things off, a paranoid king threw a temper tantrum with Stalin-esque consequences.

Again, I'm not saying that God's plan went awry because it didn't. I suppose the point of all this is to suggest that focusing on what Christmas is may be more profitable than stressing about what it should be. You and I may or may not be able to give the gift we want to our loved one. Family may be present and sometimes, for a plethora of reasons, they may be unavailable. You may feel completely surrounded and immersed in love this year or you may feel alone. The table may hold a feast or a microwave dinner. Christmas isn't really any of those things.

So before you go crazy on "should"...

Remember that because Jesus was born:

We know that God loves us.

Joy has come to the world.

There is peace on earth for all who believe in Him.

The lame walk, the blind see and the deaf hear.

There is hope for the hopeless.

Christmas is... perfect!

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What's Inside?

tstobbe@waypoint-church.org — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 23:43:00 GMT

We are a church in a box, well sort of but also literally. I know, I know, we're supposed to think outside the box and break dividing walls because boxes are generally bad. I would agree that confined spaces that limit people's creativity and the Spirit of God are bad. You know what's good though? Boxes at Christmas! Now we're talkin'. You see our church really does meet in a box, a nearly perfect square one. It was given to us by our loving and generous God who provided in remarkable, if not miraculous, methods to bring us from where we were to where we are.

My imagination wanders a little as I picture a giant someone popping the lid off of our little box to see what's inside just like my kiddos willl do Christmas morning. What amazing gifts might be contained inside this package labeled "church"? Of course I'm not talking about the physical contents anymore but the stuff of substance; the real value held within. Say my imaginary, giant someone took the top off during a Sunday morning service - what would they find?

People, precious and imperfect people all over the place. People praising Jesus, people praying, people hurting, people thinking and wondering. Many of these people have life inside of them; they've been changed and are being changed by something - someone - the Spirit of God. Many of these very same people don't realize their own value, how much they are loved and cherished. At times they forget the price paid for them; no one pays that kind of a price for a knock-off. I wonder if anything would change for these people if they knew right in their center and also at their perimeter, that Jesus loves them? Through bad choices and good ones without keeping a record of wrongs - love remains. You know that great passage in 1 Corinthians 13? It isn't just some ideal we're supposed to aspire to, it is a description of what Christ's love is.

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 8 Love never fails. - 1 Corinthians 13:4-8a

What else might my friend expect to find in the box? The Word of God being read, taught and caught. Bonds of trust, forgiveness and grace. At times there is worship... moments when people are in tune with God and nothing else, when only He is elevated. He would see people talking to God and God talking back, answering prayers of all kinds and inviting them to serve. Introductions being made as skeptics become believers, strangers become friends and orphans are adopted.

My gigantic, enormous, imaginary friend would have quite the box of wonders if he were to open that lid. Of course that's not all he'd see. Unfortunately there are also foul, rotten things like jealousy, envy, gossip, lust and discord in this little box. Evidence that we've been tampered with and that sometimes we reject God's way in exchange for something less. Yes, this gift is tarnished. We are a beautiful face with sparkling eyes... and pimples. I wish that we were perfect, that we had it all together and that every single person who ever came in contact with us would be amazed at our awesomeness. We are in process and always will be. We will always require improvement and we should not try and avoid His refining. These ugly things are also true but we must remember that Jesus has established our value inspite of them. Flawed and priceless, we are quite an interesting box.

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Not Surprised

tstobbe@waypoint-church.org — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 22:47:00 GMT

"Oh there's a big surprise! That's an incredible - I think I'm going to have a heart attack and die of not surprise!" ~ Iago in Aladdin

Today the local media (TNT) is reporting about another child molestation case. These stories have become all too familiar. The perpetrator (in this case Luis A. Rodriguez has been charged, not convicted as of yet) often is someone people trust with their children and then takes advantage of his position to victimize innocent young people. The justice system, media and general public spend a lot of time trying to assess innocence versus guilt and "little bit guilty" versus "really guilty". We try and decide if there are others who also deserve a portion of the blame for not holding the criminal accountable or not taking enough precautions to prevent this kind of thing. We analyze the bad guy over and over trying to figure out what makes him tick. The deviant behavior disgusts us as it should, but maybe, just maybe we're a little too fascinated by the monster.

As I read today's story about depravity I had an uplifting thought. Obviously right? Well the thought is simply this: I have two incredibly precious gifts from God! By "gifts" I mean children; crazy, energetic and occasionally sassy children. Children who sometimes drive me to the brink of insanity but also make me laugh and smile. My gifts are currently eating me out of my own house and they're not even teenagers yet - yikes! These precious ones cost me money for clothes and activities but you know what? I'll happily pay every single dollar. I'm their dad so I get to train them up for whatever God has for them! I get to protect them, provide for them, love them, correct them, tickle them, tease them and generally embarrass them in front of their friends.

I have two precious gifts from God. I need to cherish each and every day that they are safe, entrusted to an imperfect father like me. I will not always have these two people in my house; I will not always be charged with their care. Today's story reminds me that bad stuff can and does happen to good people. It reminds me that not everyone values children the way Jesus does. It reminds me that sin doesn't have a bottom; it will always sink to a new low.

I am also confident of God's justice even if our legal system lacks a certain precision, "'Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay,' says the Lord." - Romans 12:19

I am even more confident of his love for children, "Then little children were brought to Jesus for him to place his hands on them and pray for them. But the disciples rebuked those who brought them. Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these." When he had placed his hands on them, he went on from there" - Matthew 19:13-15.

For those of you who are so incredibly blessed to have children in your home tonight make sure that there is no doubt in their minds about your love for them.

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Biblical Christianity?

tstobbe@waypoint-church.org — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 19:15:00 GMT

“Does your church hold to the biblical view on _______?” I’ve probably had that question asked to me in various forms about a million times give or take a few. Sometimes it even takes the next step and becomes an exhortation, challenge or even a demand, declaring that we must hold fast to the true teachings of Scripture. On a surface level I have no problem saying, “Yes! Of course we strive to keep to the biblical standard in everything that we do.” Almost immediately, though, I have to ask the follow up question, “What do you believe the biblical view on this subject is?”

The reality is that there are a whole bunch of rather different ideas within the realm of Christianity about what is Biblical and what isn’t. Even inside evangelical groups there are very distinct opinions on what certain passages mean. The splintering only increases when we move into the life application of the text, “What does this mean to me now?” The way we handle our worship, finances, parenting, marriage and sexuality are all impacted by our interpretation of what is “biblical”.

People have used (sometimes abused) Scripture to oppose slavery, endorse racism, support capitalism and socialism, defend homosexuality and oppose it. Recently the parenting philosophy of Michael and Debi Pearl has caught the attention of the public eye in the most negative possible light and for good reason. If you would like to learn more about them you can click here http://rachelheldevans.com/michael-debi-pearl-abuse . Their claim to have a biblical view on parenting is delusional.

The point I am attempting to make is that our approach to Scripture has at least as much impact on us as the words in Scripture themselves. When two people look at the same passage and arrive at opposite opinions we can only conclude that they approached it in different ways. Is there a correct approach? Well, yes, actually there is but it requires us to take time to be thorough. Hopefully without being too academic about all of this here are some principals for us to consider when reading and studying the Bible.

1) If you open up the Bible and it says exactly what you thought it would say there might be a problem. People get into trouble all the time when they have an already held view and look for the Bible to support it. We call this proof-texting. When you employ this method you can make Scripture say just about anything. A scary thought. There is a stark difference between inserting meaning into the text and discovering what the text actually says.

2) The Bible deserves the same respect you’d give any other book. No one reads Shakespeare and calls it science or history. The Bible contains many different genres of writing and we shouldn’t force it to be something that it isn’t.

3) The Bible is distinct from every other book and deserves greater respect. As much as we need to remember things like context, God uses Scripture to point people to Jesus and Jesus changes lives! There is simply no denying that the Holy Spirit will use the words in the Bible to grab a hold of people’s hearts and minds unlike any other document in history.

There are other things to consider in our study of Scripture and even when we all apply the same principals we can arrive at slightly different conclusions about certain issues. This is our opportunity to be gracious to each other; majoring on the majors and “minoring” on the minors. These are chances to embrace healthy conversation instead of holding to the naïve, arrogant view of “only my view could possibly be right.”

We must be students of Scripture before we can be trusted to quote it.

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Unsolved Mystery

tstobbe@waypoint-church.org — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 18:51:00 GMT

Can you hear the opening theme music in your mind? Do you remember the dramatic reenactments of crimes designed to make hair stand on end and leave little doubt that the real killer is still out there, probably outside your bedroom window? Robert Stack had a great way of not only instilling doubt, but fear into an impressionable young viewer. I remember wanting the mystery to be solved and unsolved all at the same time, suspense is delicious and exhausting.

Mysteries invite investigation and call for explanation; we all want to know why and how something happens. Our curiosity launches us while our ego refuses to accept defeat, at least in most cases. There are some things where ongoing mystery is the best we can hope for. I don't mean that we are required to settle for second best, I mean that the mystery is the best, the very best, possible answer to our question.

'Tis the season for us to consider the Christmas story. The birth of Jesus is such an accepted fact of our faith and the extra Biblical trappings of the holiday are so prominant, we can easily partake in Christmas without partaking in Christ. We can enjoy a Christmas Eve service, a living nativity and sing "Silent Night" all with our brains fixed on food, presents and family. Is it fair to say that we can consider His story without considering Him? Maybe.

This is about God becoming man. Have you contemplated that recently? Think about it for a moment... or three. Is there a logical or reasonable explanation that answers the motive or the mechanics of such an event? What went through the mind of God to compel him to become so personally invested into his creation? When we think about the Christmas miracle, we mostly think about the virgin birth, a physical impossibility. It is incredible and yet I believe it is only a portion of the mystery. How did the Word become flesh? Why did he forsake what was rightfully his?

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. ~ John 1:14

Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: 6 Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, 7 but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, ~Philippians 2:5-8a

Of course the full story of Jesus: his birth, life, death and resurrection are all essential for us to have a meaninful faith. The story of Jesus, the Son, living amongst us people is important though. It matters for reasons given to us in Hebrews 2 and 4 where we understand that Jesus is not only our High Priest but also our brother and someone sympathetic to our human experience. In John 15:15 Jesus declares us to be friends instead of servants, all this possible because He came and lived amongst us. Jesus went to the cross unblemished by sin as a result of his pure birth and life.

I don't understand all of the ins and outs of the birth of Jesus. I guess that is why it is still a mystery to me. It is not a reason for me to dismiss it as something I don't understand and simply accept because someone told me to. It is a reason for me and you to enjoy Christ. I will never have Jesus totally pegged; the more I learn about Him the more I realize how majestic, beautiful, powerful, gracious and magnificent he is.

I don't need to solve my Savior, I just want to know Him.

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Faith in Tebow?

tstobbe@waypoint-church.org — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 19:01:00 GMT

Football fans are all familiar with Tim Tebow and the incredible following he has. It is hard not to cheer for a young man who leads by example, works hard and wins. The University of Florida has practically enshrined him and literally engraved the words of his passionate speech after a disappointing loss to Ole Miss. They didn't lose a single game after that and won the national championship. Despite his success, NFL scouts have been quick to point out gaping shortfalls in his throwing mechanics and accuracy, most of them relegating him to the status of back up at best.

"Tebow love" has surged again recently as the underdog started and won for the Broncos the last few weeks. They're winning with him in an unconventional offence where he throws very little; some QBs do more in a quarter than he does in a game. There's humor when things that aren't supposed to be, are. I have no idea if Denver will continue to win with Tebow or not and my suspicion is that the scouts are probably right over the long haul. I also believe that one way or another, Tim Tebow will be in the spotlight.

For all of his football related fame, Tebow's faith in God is nearly as famous. His expression of faith is on display all the time and he never refuses the chance to mention the Lord in interviews. He is using the spotlight as a platform to communicate his faith but not everyone is comfortable with it. From everything I've heard, seen and read about him, Tebow is the real deal; a legitimate follower of Christ. Why then, do I feel a bit on the twitchy side of things? Is he doing anything wrong before God or is he just bold?

Shifting the focus off of Tebow now: I've thought about the issue of faith in sports a lot over the years. The reality is that lots of people use their time in the spotlight to promote their values and beliefs. Political views, gay rights and Scientology have all gained airtime via famous folks. (There’s more I know) When it comes to being a famous follower of Christ, things feel different. Perhaps it is because they are different. We're not called to proclaim to the world that we have faith in Jesus. We are called to share Christ's love through actions and words. Yes, there's a difference.

(This is going to sound something like a rant) There is nothing wrong with giving glory and/or thanks to God on TV. There is a problem when an athlete or performer publically thanks God for helping them win. Really? So Jesus cheered for your team and against the other one? I'd be surprised to find that God is even concerned with the outcome of a game, much less pull strings to decide the outcome. It is also incredibly distasteful when a reporter asks a specific question about the event and they get a "Jesus helped us win" answer. Jesus listened to people, so should we. The greatest damage is done, though, when people claim the name of Jesus in front of a microphone but live as though He doesn't exist.

I'm not saying famous Christians need to be spotless, only Christ is without blemish. In fact, when we demonstrate the process of confession, forgiveness, repentance and restoration it can be a powerful witness. Trouble comes when malign the reputation of Christ either because we're careless or rebellious.

Back to Tebow for a moment: I'm cheering for him to succeed on the field. I also pray that he will grow in Christ, in the same way I pray for all who profess Jesus as Lord. Tebow fans have placed him on a rather tall and most likely oversized pedestal where the best fall prevention technique is to be on his knees.

Remember your Savior, follow Jesus.

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