A Kick in the Butt!

Most everyone has heard the Nike slogan, "Just Do It" right?  Well, God thought of it first.  God is pretty clear, very direct, not a whole lot of wiggle room, James 1:22, "Do what it (He) says..."

How many times have I read something like...

"Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you..."  Luke 6:27

"Give thanks in all circumstances..." 1 Thessalonians 5:18

"Husbands love your wives as Christ loved the Church and gave himself up for her..."  Ephesians 5:25

"Don't just pretend to love others, really love them..."  Romans 12:9

"Love is not rude and does not demand its own way..."  1 Corinthians 13:5

And I think to myself, "I think I'll pass on that one and that one and that one and that one, thank you very much," as if they are negotiable.  God is VERY clear!  Do what He says!  Ouch!

I guess I don't have a whole lot of excuses.  God, thanks for the clarity, for the kick in the butt!

Tim Celek
Lead Pastor
The Crossing
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Two Ears, ONE Mouth!

God gave me two ears and one mouth for a reason.  I'm supposed to listen twice as much as I speak which can be extremely challenging.  The reality is I don't do very well at this one.  James 1:19 is quite convicting.

Why?  Cause I want to be heard!  My opinion is supposed to matter, not that it does, but I want it to.  So, I will often assert myself, at times even interrupting someone.  All it takes is looking into the eyes of the one I've cut off to see that look...like don't you care about me, about what I have to say, about what I feel.

At that point my actions (words) are speaking so freakishly LOUD!  Sometimes, I might even realize how much of a jerk I'm being and I will apologize, but unfortunately most times I don't.

So today, it was humbling,yet thrilling to read this portion of God's Word.  My prayer is not only for this day, but my prayer is for the entire week, that I will string together a series of conversations where I simply listen, mouth shut, ears open.

Pray for me, I will be praying for you!

Tim Celek
Lead Pastor
The Crossing
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My Temptation, My Sin!

Today's reading is intensely personal.  Why?  Cause, temptation seems to camp at my door.

What James says is so true, I know it's NOT God!  It's the evil one for sure.  He is cruel.  He knows something in me will die if I give into the temptation.

It's not a sin to be tempted.  Even Jesus was tempted, yet He did not sin.  So being tempted is part of life.  It's not "if" I will be tempted, it's "when."  The big question is..."What will I do with the temptation?"

The Bible says in James, "...after desire has conceived it gives birth to sin, and sin, when it's fully grown, gives birth to death."  The progression is what I observe...

...desire, give into (do) sin, something in me dies...
...desire, give into (do) sin, something in me dies...
...desire, give into (do) sin, something in me dies...

For example, I've shared at church, I have struggled with the sin of gluttony.  I love food.  So do you right?  Well, I love it too much.  See, most folks eat to live, for me, in my stupidity and in my sinfulness, I'd live to eat.  I had to finally come to the point in my life, where I admitted my sin.

The same is true in the realm of pornography.  As a result of seeds that were sown in my life when in Junior High and High School, where I gave into allure and the enticement of looking and viewing porn.  It, like food, had a hold on me.  Satan knew it.  The truth is, participating in the sinfulness of porn causes portions of your marriage to die.  So I had to come to point in my life and in my marriage where I admitted my sin.

The application of these verses for me is...yep, I'm tempted.  Yep, I've fallen into temptation's trap.  Yep, I don't desire to walk down those paths anymore.  And yep, Satan, knows I don't desire to...but he knows parts of me still want to...so because I want a GREAT marriage more than I want porn, because I want to physically be fit, not fat.  I have to...

First:  Admit I've got a problem.
Second:  Give the control of my will and my life over to Jesus
Third: Allow others to hold me accountable (even Sue), put boundaries in place,
Fourth:  Stay away from situations and circumstances
Fifth: Continuously remember, that the allure and the enticement is NOT BIGGER than Jesus in me
Sixth:  Know that in Jesus, I have the discipline, the victory, so live in it! (1 Corinthians 15:57-58)

Where are choosing to give into Satan's temptations?  Well, I'm here to tell you...you, too, can be free.  I'm praying for you.

Tim Celek
Lead Pastor
The Crossing
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They get all the breaks!

Ever felt like like everyone else has it together?  Or has a bit more?  Or doesn't ever seem to encounter the hardships you endure?  Throughout my youth, I'd find myself frequently wishing I was someone else.

Don't get me wrong, I love my folks and have come to be incredibly appreciative of all that was showered upon me, however, it doesn't negate the fact there were times I was prone to escapist dreaming.  Wishing I could live there, eat there, shop there, drive that, buy that, have that...

Now as I watch folks age, myself included, I realize the playing field over time is leveled.  It's like God is saying to me, "Hang in there!  Tim, there's something WAY more important than what you see, here and now, it's what's coming after..."

As I read James 1:9-12...I sense that God is trying to communicate to folks on both ends of the "blessing" spectrum.  God's reminding those who are looking at life up from the pit, not to forget He's there.  But if you're tempted to think as you're viewing your world from some high peak, that somehow you got there because of you, well, watch out, cause you just might be on your way down.

As I ended my time today in God's Word, this was my prayer, "God, I genuinely sense all the indicators in my life and my world are upward and to the right.  I thank you for my marriage.  I thank you for my kids.  I thank you for the people I get to work around.  I thank you for the church I pastor.  I thank for the incredible place I live.  Life is good, thank you...but God I want you to know if its all taken away tomorrow...I'm still yours and I commit myself to staying true to YOU!"

This is my prayer for you as well.  In the good times, rejoice...cause God's there!  In the bad times, rejoice, cause God's there, too!

Have a super day!

Tim Celek
Lead Pastor
The Crossing
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James 1:5 is a GAME CHANGER!

It's always been interesting to me that we generally associate "wisdom" with older age.  Like somewhere between...what...60-75 years of age, all of a sudden something special strikes and you're wise.

I get it, generally after swinging wildly at a few of life's curve balls, somewhere along the continuum you are supposed to learn to wait for the right pitch.  Yah, I would hope to think that after a few really bad decisions, you finally figure out how to make some pretty good choices so as to make solid contact with the ball.

But that's not what James tells me in what I read for today, he says through the Holy Spirit's guidance as he writes, "if you need wisdom, ask our generous God and He will give it to you..." (James 1:5)  I guess I've been misled all this time, wisdom is right there for the asking.  God, thank you that I don't have to wait until I grow up.

Please, please remember, a definition of wisdom, God's wisdom, is the ability to view life, from His (God's) vantage point.  This means, in each and every circumstance of life, God invites me to sit next to Him in the lifeguard stand or in the pressbox high above the field of play to see what He sees.  I would get to see not only the incredible good stuff but also the horribly bad junk (James 1:2).

Imagine how different my choices and decisions would be if I made them based on observing what God observes and then doing what God would do.  The verse is a GAME CHANGER!

Thank you Lord that you not only want me to see what you see, but you want me to ask you to guide all that I do and then you promise to stand next to me facilitating my every move.  Wow, what an opportunity!!!  All I have to do is ask.  Thanks for this very amazing gift!!!

Tim Celek
Lead Pastor
The Crossing
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I'm Tebowing Today!

Most people see a headline like, "I'm Tebowing today" and if they've kept up at all with the images and news posts, they might think I'm kneeling or praying.  Actually, the dude, Tim Tebow made me think of Day 2's reading, http://bit.ly/y2aaAU, from James 1:2-4.  I read from The Message version of the Bible where it says in verse 2, "Consider it a sheer gift, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides..."

My initial reaction is, "You've got to be kidding, right? A gift? Come on, be serious!  Who considers tests, trials, difficulties, challenges as a potential "blessing" or opportunity."  Most of the time, it can be an reason to whine or complain or at the very least ask, "Why me?"

Yet, what God reminded me of this day is, who I am inside is revealed by how I respond on the outside, not just in good times, but in times that really stink.  So I today, I thought of Tebow.  He's been maligned and bad mouthed by everyone, yet He continues to sincerely smile.  He seems to always be thinking, here's a chance to represent my Lord, Jesus Christ.

See God wants to use the "sucky" times of life to shape me in my character.  The Good News is God is consistent, Romans 5:1-5 says the same thing in a bit different way.

Therefore, God, I'm making a commitment to you this day...to walk out life knowing that every circumstance and situation, good or bad, is a chance to represent you.  I'm looking forward to the value added possibility of developing more maturity as my character is shaped like yours.

It's a bit scary but I'll say it anyway, "Bring it on!!!"

Tim Celek
Lead Pastor
The Crossing
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