It has happened several times every year and I never learn. It gets me every time. It usually goes something like this:
I wake up before the sun does and drag myself out of bed. I go to the bathroom and come back into my room and sit down trying to find motivation to go for a run. Sometime later I find and get ready to run. I have my shorts, a dry fit T Shirt, and running shoes that have put in a couple hundred miles. I walk outside and suddenly get the urge to smack a weatherman.
Don’t act like you don’t do it too. You know those days when you walk outside and find yourself in excruciating pain because a gust of icy wind seems to be beating you up and giving you a wedgie. The weatherman didn’t tell me it was going to be this cold, not that I was really listening anyway.
I was complaining to myself about how cold it suddenly was when I realized, “Dude, its 5:30 in the morning in November.” I should have definitely seen this coming.
I do this all the time with God.
I am fully aware that every year fall comes after summer, and I am fully aware that seasons in my life are going to change yet I am surprised by both. Should I find it surprising that a season of “everything is awesome with God” would be followed by a season “What’s going on God?”
Should I find it surprising that a season in the valley would be followed by a season on a mountain?
I get so focused on what is going on right here, right now that when everything changes I get mad at God, even though I can look back on my life and see change all over the place.
Jesus told the Pharisees and the Sadducees when they demanded a sign from Him about seasons.
“When evening comes, you say, ‘it will be fair weather for the sky is red,’ and in the morning, ‘Today it will be stormy, for the sky is red and overcast.’ You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times” (Mt 16:2-3 NIV)
One of the biggest problems with Christians today is that we don’t recognize what season we are in. We pray for warmth in winter and a cool breeze in summer. We pray for direction when we are in a season of growing and rest when we are in a season of going. Instead of recognizing that God has specific times for specific purposes we get mad when He changes things on us. We want to smack a weatherman.
Solomon wrote about seasons in Ecclesiastes chapter 3, and then British Invasion rockers named The Byrds wrote a song about it. Now you have that song stuck in your head, it will most likely be there all day. You’re welcome.
The point of what Solomon was talking about was that there is a season for everything so we shouldn’t get stuck in the season you are most comfortable with. I am really comfortable in the season of being on the mountain and not so much the season of learning how to rock climb.
Paul tells Timothy in his second letter in the fourth chapter to “be prepared in season and out of season.” This means dressing like a Georgian.
I have discovered that Georgia does not have true seasons, we just have days of the week with each day having an entirely new pattern of weather of its own. True Georgians never pack away their winter clothes because they know some random day in April it is going to start snowing and then be 80 degrees the next day. That is what it means to be ready in season and out. You cannot leave behind the things you used in your last season when you move on to your next season or it would defeat the point.
I find it interesting the in the English language the word “season” is remarkably close to the word “seasoning,” which has a very different meaning. My thinking is that the more seasons you get to go through the better you will taste to the world in the end. Just a thought.
What season are you in? What is God doing in you right now? What season do you think is next?
“Through everything, turn, turn, turn. There is a season turn, turn, turn. And a time for every purpose, under heaven.”
Saturday, November 6, 2010
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
The Last Mile Workout
Life experiences tend to teach life lessons. I know I haven’t been around a real long time but I have acquired enough life experience to get quite a few sermon illustrations and blog ideas, as you can probably see. I have gotten a lot of these life lessons from running cross country for three years. For instance, I have learned that my legs are really white (like seriously- you don’t understand… especially in those shorts, I have to wear sunglasses or I will be blinded by them). I have also learned that the whole world thinks you are a freak if you slightly enjoy running at all but I think they are just jealous of my meaty 150 pounds and tall lanky body that was crafted to do nothing else but run for miles on the side of the highway.
I have learned a lot about myself and my walk with God by running as well. What God reminded me of today is what is called the “Last Mile Workout.”
In high school, cross country is a sport (yes, it is a sport) in which the participants run a 3.1 mile course through woods, parking lots, or whatever else they can come up with and compete against up to a couple hundred runners at a time. Practice is more than just running for an hour or so, most of the time. A good coach will have different workouts that train the runner for different parts of the race.
I ran my first race in a year this past Saturday and as I hit my last mile I realized that in my training I had neglected my Last Mile Workout that would prepare me to finish the race strong. I was less than 400 meters behind first place and I did not have the strength I should have to catch him for the win.
As a beginning runner, I never understood when my coach would have us do a Last Mile Workout. We always had to run weird distances in weird times with weird paces. I discovered that the first half of the workout was designed to completely exhaust you while the second half is to show you what you are capable of when you are almost dead.
These past couple weeks for me have been a lot like the Last Mile Workout. I am learning things that don’t really seem to apply to where I am right now. Sometimes I don’t understand why I go through the things I go through. I don’t understand what I am supposed get from all of this.
Then I realize that I am being trained for the whole race, not just the first mile.
Some things I have just to file away for later and use when I need them.
If there is one thing I have learned about running, it is that if you do not have the end of the race in mind you will lose at the beginning.
I am in training to be in ministry, a field that has had its’ reputation burned since its’ inception. Ministers have broken families, destroyed faiths, and continually re-crucified their Savior with their actions.
The divorce rate is the same for clergy as it is for layman.
The Bible tells us that God gave about 400 people the responsibility of leadership. Only 25% of them ended their lives still in accordance with God’s will.
Anybody can start ministry, but I am here to finish. Every day we are one day closer to the return of Christ and I don’t think this world can afford another Jim Baker, another Jimmy Swaggert, or more recently another Eddie Long. I want to be who God created me to be 20, 40, and 60 years from now.
This does not just apply to ministry. If God has promised you something, every moment from the receiving of the promise to the fulfillment of the promise is preparation and training for the promise. God is always teaching you more than patience. Your whole life has trained you for today. What you do right now might not teach you what you need to know for tomorrow, but it might teach you what you need to know for the day after tomorrow.
So when you don’t understand what is going on or what the heck you are supposed to be learning just write it all down. You will use it later.
This nugget may not have been super spiritual but who knows what it will look like once I am in my last mile.
I have learned a lot about myself and my walk with God by running as well. What God reminded me of today is what is called the “Last Mile Workout.”
In high school, cross country is a sport (yes, it is a sport) in which the participants run a 3.1 mile course through woods, parking lots, or whatever else they can come up with and compete against up to a couple hundred runners at a time. Practice is more than just running for an hour or so, most of the time. A good coach will have different workouts that train the runner for different parts of the race.
I ran my first race in a year this past Saturday and as I hit my last mile I realized that in my training I had neglected my Last Mile Workout that would prepare me to finish the race strong. I was less than 400 meters behind first place and I did not have the strength I should have to catch him for the win.
As a beginning runner, I never understood when my coach would have us do a Last Mile Workout. We always had to run weird distances in weird times with weird paces. I discovered that the first half of the workout was designed to completely exhaust you while the second half is to show you what you are capable of when you are almost dead.
These past couple weeks for me have been a lot like the Last Mile Workout. I am learning things that don’t really seem to apply to where I am right now. Sometimes I don’t understand why I go through the things I go through. I don’t understand what I am supposed get from all of this.
Then I realize that I am being trained for the whole race, not just the first mile.
Some things I have just to file away for later and use when I need them.
If there is one thing I have learned about running, it is that if you do not have the end of the race in mind you will lose at the beginning.
I am in training to be in ministry, a field that has had its’ reputation burned since its’ inception. Ministers have broken families, destroyed faiths, and continually re-crucified their Savior with their actions.
The divorce rate is the same for clergy as it is for layman.
The Bible tells us that God gave about 400 people the responsibility of leadership. Only 25% of them ended their lives still in accordance with God’s will.
Anybody can start ministry, but I am here to finish. Every day we are one day closer to the return of Christ and I don’t think this world can afford another Jim Baker, another Jimmy Swaggert, or more recently another Eddie Long. I want to be who God created me to be 20, 40, and 60 years from now.
This does not just apply to ministry. If God has promised you something, every moment from the receiving of the promise to the fulfillment of the promise is preparation and training for the promise. God is always teaching you more than patience. Your whole life has trained you for today. What you do right now might not teach you what you need to know for tomorrow, but it might teach you what you need to know for the day after tomorrow.
So when you don’t understand what is going on or what the heck you are supposed to be learning just write it all down. You will use it later.
This nugget may not have been super spiritual but who knows what it will look like once I am in my last mile.
Monday, November 1, 2010
Captains Log: November 1, 2010
It has been awhile since I updated everyone on what we have been doing, so I have a lot of catching up to do. We have been everywhere in the last month.
In Lagrange we were involved in a revival in which Pastor Mike was speaking. When we go to a church we have no idea what to expect because Missio Dei seems to be all about keeping us on our feet. There are some things that we do pretty consistently though like run the merchandise table, perform some kind of skit or drama, and help out with the altar (I have become a very good catcher by the way). Occasionally some of us get to share our testimony or talk about what we do and I usually get nominated to speak on the spur of the moment- which is awesome. The leaders know I value every opportunity I get to hold a microphone. We got the chance to do some more door to door witnessing and I am really excited to get to see what God continues to do in Lagrange.
From there we headed to Jackson where the Abundant Life church was in the middle of a new movement called Reach the City. RTC is the brainchild of our director and founder Mike Holt which basically is a 40 day campaign to completely turn a city upside down for Christ. It involves every person and every ministry in a church and equips, inspires and commissions them to become contagious Christians. They are constantly encouraged to reach their co-workers, friends, and family in bold ways. We are tired of Christians who go their whole life without telling one person about what apparently means so much to them.
Reach the city is a brand new idea and Abundant Life Jackson is the first church to launch it. Needless to say a lot rested on this church. Our expectations were completely blown away by the eagerness, determination, and creativity of each and every member of that church. I have never seen so many people ready to get out of their comfort zone and change their world. On the final day of outreach, the congregation invaded every part of the city. They divided and they conquered. If you were to drive through Jackson that day you would have been bombarded with free soft drinks at one red light, a free kids event with inflatables and face paint on the side of the busiest road in town, free cookies at another red light, and a whole team of door knockers. The church decided to end their 40 days with the beginning of a 3 week tent revival which attracted hundreds each service.
During the course of the week we were there we had the amazing opportunity of being involved with what is called the 7 project. Though we are not the team in charge of the 7 project, we were filling in that week for the usually team who couldn’t be there. The 7 project is basically an initiative where we go to as many schools as we can and ask the principals what the 7 worst issues facing the school and do school assemblies addressing those topics. These are not your average school assemblies as they consist of skits, videos, relevant speaking, and 70,000 dollars worth of professional sound and light equipment. The responsibility of operating and learning this equipment was given primarily to me so I had a lot of fun with even more frustration. I learned a lot and realized how much more there is for me to learn about sound and lighting for huge events.
We were blessed with the chance to do two back to back school assemblies giving us the opportunity to speak to the entire freshmen and sophomore classes of Jackson High School. Even though technically we can’t talk about Jesus in a school setting, that did not stop Him from showing up anyway. I know the government might think they took prayer out of school but we saw that it is still there. With a secular message we had many people brought to tears in front of all their friends because of hoe emotionally stirred they were and dozens of kids who came to the front of the cafeteria to “bury” the things in their life that were killing them inside in a real coffin we set up on stage. We would be pretty content if that was all, but God had more planned.
The point of the 7 project is to bring students into a relationship with Jesus Christ, which cannot be done by us in school. So we invite everyone to a special “7 at night” that takes place after school hours. We took over an old gym with fog machines, Atlanta’s own “The Varsity” who gave out free chili dogs, professional sound equipment and an over the top light show. 300 students showed up and over 150 filled out salvation cards. Yes, that is half the people there! The night was a huge success and a great victory for the church which completely staffed the entire event and was an excellent help.
After we left Jackson we headed back to Macon where many of the team was able to go home and do fundraisers. There are still a lot of funds needed to be met within the team and prayers would be greatly appreciated. I got to go home and see the birth of the new kid in the Semple house, my little brother, Samuel Quinn Semple. I have been at the hospital when all of my siblings were born (not in the same room thankfully) and I was really glad my schedule worked out to see Sammy. I had no idea someone so small could bring so much healing and hope. This kid has destiny to change the world and it is already all over him. I am proud I get to be his big brother, though it will be hard not being able to be as much a part of his life as I have been for the others.
When the vacation was over we headed to one of my favorite places in the world- Rescue Atlanta. RA is a homeless ministry in downtown Atlanta that is in pursuit of the people God desperately wants. It doesn’t matter what race you are, what sexual orientation you are, or whether you have had a shower in the last month- Rescue Atlanta loves on people and shares the love of Jesus with everyone they come in contact with, which is a lot of people. I visited this place four years ago and it changed my life. Since that trip my heart has been broken for the people in that city and I can’t go through there without being compelled to do something.
It took a couple of days for our team to really figure out what our place was in this ministry but when we figured it out God moved. We sorted through donated clothes, helped prepare meals, and fed got to hang out with the homeless on the streets where we were feeding them. Thursday, a worker at RA talked to us about what the Bible says about healings. He showed us that Jesus and the disciples never prayed for healing, they just believed and claimed it with boldness. Moments later we were laying hands on each other and saw two definite and immediate physical healings right there within our own team. Needless to say we were pretty inspired to go out witnessing, which we did.
We have done street evangelism before and none of us are completely uncomfortable talking to strangers but we went out that day into downtown Atlanta with a boldness we have never had before. There was no beating around the bush or wimping out before things got uncomfortable. In a matter of 2 hours we saw 4 salvations and 3 or 4 healings. What we learned here will take us through wherever this journey takes us.
We have been at home base in Macon for a week, and we will spend the next two weeks here as well doing further training, drama practice, worship practice, and various other things. Next is a weekend in Biluxi, Mississippi for the Mississippi Youth Convention and then straight to Savannah for more inner city ministry.
Oh, and I redesigned my blog. I am pretty proud of it.
In Lagrange we were involved in a revival in which Pastor Mike was speaking. When we go to a church we have no idea what to expect because Missio Dei seems to be all about keeping us on our feet. There are some things that we do pretty consistently though like run the merchandise table, perform some kind of skit or drama, and help out with the altar (I have become a very good catcher by the way). Occasionally some of us get to share our testimony or talk about what we do and I usually get nominated to speak on the spur of the moment- which is awesome. The leaders know I value every opportunity I get to hold a microphone. We got the chance to do some more door to door witnessing and I am really excited to get to see what God continues to do in Lagrange.
From there we headed to Jackson where the Abundant Life church was in the middle of a new movement called Reach the City. RTC is the brainchild of our director and founder Mike Holt which basically is a 40 day campaign to completely turn a city upside down for Christ. It involves every person and every ministry in a church and equips, inspires and commissions them to become contagious Christians. They are constantly encouraged to reach their co-workers, friends, and family in bold ways. We are tired of Christians who go their whole life without telling one person about what apparently means so much to them.
Reach the city is a brand new idea and Abundant Life Jackson is the first church to launch it. Needless to say a lot rested on this church. Our expectations were completely blown away by the eagerness, determination, and creativity of each and every member of that church. I have never seen so many people ready to get out of their comfort zone and change their world. On the final day of outreach, the congregation invaded every part of the city. They divided and they conquered. If you were to drive through Jackson that day you would have been bombarded with free soft drinks at one red light, a free kids event with inflatables and face paint on the side of the busiest road in town, free cookies at another red light, and a whole team of door knockers. The church decided to end their 40 days with the beginning of a 3 week tent revival which attracted hundreds each service.
During the course of the week we were there we had the amazing opportunity of being involved with what is called the 7 project. Though we are not the team in charge of the 7 project, we were filling in that week for the usually team who couldn’t be there. The 7 project is basically an initiative where we go to as many schools as we can and ask the principals what the 7 worst issues facing the school and do school assemblies addressing those topics. These are not your average school assemblies as they consist of skits, videos, relevant speaking, and 70,000 dollars worth of professional sound and light equipment. The responsibility of operating and learning this equipment was given primarily to me so I had a lot of fun with even more frustration. I learned a lot and realized how much more there is for me to learn about sound and lighting for huge events.
We were blessed with the chance to do two back to back school assemblies giving us the opportunity to speak to the entire freshmen and sophomore classes of Jackson High School. Even though technically we can’t talk about Jesus in a school setting, that did not stop Him from showing up anyway. I know the government might think they took prayer out of school but we saw that it is still there. With a secular message we had many people brought to tears in front of all their friends because of hoe emotionally stirred they were and dozens of kids who came to the front of the cafeteria to “bury” the things in their life that were killing them inside in a real coffin we set up on stage. We would be pretty content if that was all, but God had more planned.
The point of the 7 project is to bring students into a relationship with Jesus Christ, which cannot be done by us in school. So we invite everyone to a special “7 at night” that takes place after school hours. We took over an old gym with fog machines, Atlanta’s own “The Varsity” who gave out free chili dogs, professional sound equipment and an over the top light show. 300 students showed up and over 150 filled out salvation cards. Yes, that is half the people there! The night was a huge success and a great victory for the church which completely staffed the entire event and was an excellent help.
After we left Jackson we headed back to Macon where many of the team was able to go home and do fundraisers. There are still a lot of funds needed to be met within the team and prayers would be greatly appreciated. I got to go home and see the birth of the new kid in the Semple house, my little brother, Samuel Quinn Semple. I have been at the hospital when all of my siblings were born (not in the same room thankfully) and I was really glad my schedule worked out to see Sammy. I had no idea someone so small could bring so much healing and hope. This kid has destiny to change the world and it is already all over him. I am proud I get to be his big brother, though it will be hard not being able to be as much a part of his life as I have been for the others.
When the vacation was over we headed to one of my favorite places in the world- Rescue Atlanta. RA is a homeless ministry in downtown Atlanta that is in pursuit of the people God desperately wants. It doesn’t matter what race you are, what sexual orientation you are, or whether you have had a shower in the last month- Rescue Atlanta loves on people and shares the love of Jesus with everyone they come in contact with, which is a lot of people. I visited this place four years ago and it changed my life. Since that trip my heart has been broken for the people in that city and I can’t go through there without being compelled to do something.
It took a couple of days for our team to really figure out what our place was in this ministry but when we figured it out God moved. We sorted through donated clothes, helped prepare meals, and fed got to hang out with the homeless on the streets where we were feeding them. Thursday, a worker at RA talked to us about what the Bible says about healings. He showed us that Jesus and the disciples never prayed for healing, they just believed and claimed it with boldness. Moments later we were laying hands on each other and saw two definite and immediate physical healings right there within our own team. Needless to say we were pretty inspired to go out witnessing, which we did.
We have done street evangelism before and none of us are completely uncomfortable talking to strangers but we went out that day into downtown Atlanta with a boldness we have never had before. There was no beating around the bush or wimping out before things got uncomfortable. In a matter of 2 hours we saw 4 salvations and 3 or 4 healings. What we learned here will take us through wherever this journey takes us.
We have been at home base in Macon for a week, and we will spend the next two weeks here as well doing further training, drama practice, worship practice, and various other things. Next is a weekend in Biluxi, Mississippi for the Mississippi Youth Convention and then straight to Savannah for more inner city ministry.
Oh, and I redesigned my blog. I am pretty proud of it.
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