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I’m preparing for a sermon this Sunday.  We are talking about Romans 5:12-21.  This text has a lot of really big ideas that Paul wrestles with, like original sin, justification, the purpose of the law.  It’s a big one.  

I was reading in Douglas Moo’s Romans Commentary in the NICNT and came across this passage that I wanted to share.  He is addressing specifically Paul’s statement in 5:20, “The law was added so that the trespass might increase. But where sin increased, grace increased all the more . . .”  The idea being that the Law as was given to Moses made sin obvious to all who read the Law.  I love Moo’s explanation:

“Paul has emphasized throughout this paragraph, God’s grace is more than sufficient to overcome the increase in the power and seriousness of sin brought by the law. For in that very place where sin “increased,” grace ‘super-increased.” Paul’s purview is salvation history, considered in its broadest dimensions, and his point is simply that the law’s negative purpose in radicalizing the power of sin has been more than fully met by the provisions of God’s grace. However deep in the power of sin Israel may have sunk, God’s grace was deeper yet. How many times, after reminding Israel of her blatant, repeated sin, do the prophets yet proclaim the willingness of God to forgive; indeed, his settled purpose to bless his people, in spite of themselves. In Christ, of course, we find the fulfillment of the promise of God’s “superabounding” grace.” (Moo, NICNT 348-349)

I love the idea of grace super-increasing.  Through the work of Jesus on the Cross, his grace is maginified and amplified in the midst of all of our depravity.  “Superabounding” grace is a wonderful thing and it’s available to all who put their faith in Christ.  It’s available to all of us, we just need to receive it.  

Superabounding Grace!  

Love it.

This is from Karl Barth’s Commentary on Romans

“There can be no return movement from the righteousness of Christ to the fall of Adam.  The life which springs from death is wholly pre-eminent over the life which engenders death and is enclosed by it.  There is a death which is the death of death: and this is the theme of the Gospel.  The Gospel is the power of God, the power of the Resurrection; it is the ‘miraculous warfare’ (Luther), the paradox; it is faith, as the primal and creative factor.  The Gospel is our life; and yet is is not ‘our’ life.  Where faith and the power of God are, men are what they are not.  They stand as new men on the threshold of a new world, the world of life.”

What a great trip.  Two successful home builds. Team members got along great.  New friendships were created.  People began to dream about how they can make a difference in many different ways.  We got to work along side two amazing families as we built their houses together. 

Awesome. 

We do short term trips like this knowing that we won’t solve all the worlds problems but we can help a few people.  And when we focus on what we can do instead of what we can’t do, we’re amazed by what God can do with what we offer. 

Here’s a quick video I made to show you what we did.

2012 Is an Amazing Year

Today more than ever.  1 person’s voice can make a difference.  It’s pretty amazing what social media has done to make a difference in the world.  Whether it’s the Arab Spring or live tweeting the Oscars, people are paying attention to what other “normal” people are saying.

I first heard about the efforts of Invisible Children a few years ago through the Relevant Podcast and Magazine.  This amazing movement to stop the kidnapping and enslavement of children soldiers in the LRA was started by a few friends.  They saw the injustice and the suffering and decided to do everything they could to stop it.

Watch this video it is (definitely worth your time):

go to Kony2012.com to add yourself to this movement.

Can you use your voice to make a difference?  Can you use your Voice to change the world?  Can you use your voice to save a life?

When I was in high school I watched the film the power of one.  It was about a young man’s battle against apartheid.  The quote that resonated with me was “A Waterfall starts with a single drop, and look what happens from there.”

Today I saw that a group of people who profess to be Christians have decided to picket the funeral of two boys who were murdered by their father. These people claim that this tragedy happened because of Washington State’s recent passing of Gay Marriage bills in the state senate and house of representatives. According to them these two young boys are a sign of God’s judgment.

What?!

Whenever I see this kind of stuff and particularly from this group I get so angry. What a horrible way to respond to tragedy. What are they hoping to accomplish? I have yet to encounter anyone who has converted to Christianity bias a result of picketing soldiers funerals. What I have encountered is a lot of people who become angry at Christians because of this group.

Please stop.

What I truly don’t understand here is whether or not these people have a clear understanding of their own sinfulness. Because if they did I don’t think they would be compelled to picket. Understanding how much Jesus Hans changed me and continues to change me, and how much grace I have received for my own brokenness has forced me to walk humbly in these issues. I don’t think Jesus would have us boycotting the sinfulness of our political structures. When reading the gospels he was more confrontational with religious people.

If we (the Church) actually take the message of the Gospel and the grace therein more seriously and actually live this out, maybe we would see positive changes in our society. Until that happens these picketers are wasting their time and giving everyone who wants to be agents of the grace of God a bad name.

Seriously, please stop.

I have a feeling that the more severe judgement will be on those who cause people to run away from the gospel, or keep people out of the kingdom of God. Does Luke 17:1-2 come into play here? Are these folks protesting funerals and giving Jesus a bad name causing people to sin? Is this action leading others into the death of their spirit?

How is that any different than the sociopathic behavior of Josh Powell who killed his own boys.

Seriously Westboro. You’re killing people. Stop it!

I’ve had a very simple project that I just haven’t wanted to do.  I’ve been putting it off.  I just finished it.  Man that feels good when things like that are done.  

What is on your brain that you know you need to do but have been putting off?  You’ll feel way better if you just get it done. 

Is it a phone call?

Is it a project around the house?

Is it writing the check for that bill that you don’t want to pay?

What is it?

I really think its unhealthy to live with too many things on your mind.  Get them done and get them out of your head.

There are some changes that are coming to Creekside Church.  They are changes that we believe will ultimately help Creekside in the next chapter of our church’s story.  There are two staff members who are no longer going to be on staff at our church.  But they are planning on remaining at Creekside.

These staff changes mean that there are going to be more changes down the road as we bring new people on the team.  Help get them acclimated to our church culture and climate.  Give them the tools that they will need to do their jobs and all that.

Just a whole lot of new stuff coming at Creekside.

Now. I like most people have a hard time with change.  Mainly because change is inconvenient.  I like to have things a certain way.  And I like to have a system.  I like for other people to have their systems and I want those systems to work with my systems.  Any change usually slows down those systems.

However, I am trying to embrace change and to be more flexible.  This is hard for me. But I’m trying to enter into this season of change with excitement.  Because God is way smarter than me.  And even thought I don’t like change, God can still orchestrate these changes.  I want to see what he’s going to do.  I want to see how this all pans out.

God has something cool in store for Creekside.