October 30, 2007 by craig.

“I know what I’m doing. I have it all planned out–plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for. When you call on me, when you come and pray to me, I’ll listen. “When you come looking for me, you’ll find me. “Yes, when you get serious about finding me and want it more than anything else, I’ll make sure you won’t be disappointed.” GOD’s Decree.
Jeremiah 29:11-14a (The Message)

What is your image of God? What do you think His attitude is about you, your family, your future? Something that continues to amaze me about the heart of God is that He honestly and deeply cares about me and the things I care about. Does He have to? Absolutely not! He owes me nothing. Clearly, He loves me for free.

Not only that, He has plans for me and for you. Perfect plans. The plans that will enable us to get the very most out of this life that we possibly can.

Are you far from God? Good news. These words from Jeremiah were spoken when God’s own chosen people were far from Him and far from home. Today, God still has plans for you — in spite of you. No matter what you’ve done, no matter how far you’ve wandered, there is still a way back. That way is by getting serious about finding Him and wanting it more than anything else.

He, and He alone, will not disappoint. Ever.

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October 17, 2007 by craig.

Do you remember your eighth-grade grammar? That might be going back quite a way for some of us! Personally, I HATED English class and opted for the objectivity of a good ol’ math class! [I know, I know, nerd alert!]

Do you remember the difference between a first-person pronoun and a third-person pronoun? First-person shows one’s own action or perspective, with words like “I,” “My,” and “Me.” Third-person shows the action or perspective of someone else, with words like “He,” “His,” and “Him.” They are two very different kinds of words.

Nowhere are the differences greater than when we deal with the issue of salvation. Look at all the third-Person pronouns in this passage from the book of Titus:

But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, He saved us,
not because of righteous things we had done, but because of His mercy.
He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit,
whom He poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior.
- Titus 3:4-6

And also notice what few first-person pronouns there are.

So, just what exactly is the point? A brush-up on our grammar? Hardly. It’s more about getting a grasp of the salvation God has provided and made available to us, and our part in the process. Clearly, no matter how you slice it, God is the Initiator and Agent in salvation. And our part? We simply receive.

When you think about it, that’s really all that’s left to do.

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October 10, 2007 by craig.

What a crazy, ugly, absolutely awesome game!

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