The Kingdom, The Kids, & The Cowboys

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Author: Allan (Page 21 of 482)

Groovy Gala 2025

March 3, 2025 / / 0 Comments

Mike Houston’s wig and headband at GCR’s annual Groovy Gala last night was a shockingly hilarious surprise. But not nearly as funny as the way Mike walked around with that fake (I’m pretty sure) doobie between his fingers. Mike joined Kathy Futrell and Jerry and Lisa Pullen as the top winners in the costume contest in what has become one of my favorite yearly events at our church.

Our amazing youth group puts on a ’70s themed shindig for everyone in the congregation over the age of 60. The teenagers serve the dinner, they refill our drinks, and they sit with us and ask us questions about the music of our youth, first generation video games, and how much a gallon of gasoline cost when we got our drivers licenses. Of course, Carrie-Anne and I are a LONG way from 60, but we get invited every year on some kind of special preacher card. And we’re thrilled to do it. Carrie-Anne always buys the perfect accessory for her outfit like two months in advance and I always throw on the same “peace sign” T-shirt, while some of these cats merely go to the backs of their closets. And, yeah, I know one or two just wear whatever they wore to church that morning.

We were delighted last night to be hosted by Gabby and Finley at their table, along with Peggy Geer and Herman and Patty Kincaide. Peggy openly defied the rules of the trivia game and I’m not sure all of Herman’s stories about Army life from 1969-1971 were accurate, but we had a ton of fun. Singing the songs together with our GCR house band, Faces in the Crowd; learning and practicing disco dance moves to the Bee Gees and the Village People; remembering the great movies from the ’70s; and explaining to the young people what the numbers 33-1/3 and 45 mean in the middle of a vinyl record–it’s a blast! I was reluctant–no, completely opposed–to joining the folks on the floor for one particular dance. But what do you do when the kids are chanting your name?!?!

This youth group, man. They are something else. I love these young men and women and they love us and our church. They’re personally engaged with what God is doing in them and through them, they’re totally locked in with each other, and they are a critically important part of our congregation. They are demonstrating divine joy and sacrificial service, they are leading us in worship and  teaching us about unity, and they are showing us what it looks like to be changed by God to love like Jesus.

I am so thankful to belong to a church where the youth group WANTS to be a part of the larger congregation and where the congregation delights to encourage the youth group. It’s a mutual thing, a heavenly inter-generational thing. It’s much more rare than it should be. And I don’t ever take it for granted.

Peace,

Allan

Did Jesus Really Say?

February 26, 2025 / / 0 Comments

Before the main topic of this post, I want to set a pin here to acknowledge Luka Doncic’s first game as a Laker against the Dallas Mavericks last night and lament one more time the indescribably horrible trade that sent the NBA’s most exciting player to L.A. Luka exchanged ear-to-ear grins and extravagant handshakes and hugs with his former Dallas teammates in the moments before the tip and directed at least a couple of hard glares toward the visitors’ bench after hitting a big three and an impossible reverse layup. Luka wound up with a triple-double, of course (19 pts, 15 rbs, 12 assists), and said after the game “I didn’t play great.”

And he’s right. It was a very average game for Luka. Which only emphasizes how truly great he is. Triple-doubles are a given for Luka, the ho-hum result of a merely pedestrian performance.

The most regrettable part of this whole thing is the unforgivable incompetence or inept apathy or both that led to probably the worst trade in professional sports history. It was revealed again last night that Luka never had any intention of leaving Dallas and was completely blown away by the trade. It was obvious last night that he is still in shock, he’s still in a daze. He’s still sad about it.

When asked by reporters last night if the win over the Mavericks can provide some closure for him so he can move on with his career and his life, Luka answered, “No, not really. Closure is going to take a while. This is not ideal. There are lots of emotions. But I’m just taking it little by little. Every day is a little better.”

Luka was 19 when the Mavs drafted him. He just turned 26. In the words of Kyrie Irving, he’s just an innocent kid, a mega-talented innocent kid who is not an American. He’s not from this culture, he’s not grown up with an understanding of these expectations. Sometimes he responded to things that came at him in ways that felt awkward or weird. But that’s on NIco and Kidd and the Mavs. It’s almost like they didn’t try at all. The spin they’re putting out about Luka’s lack of conditioning is a cop-out. Some of it may be true, but you don’t trade a generational talent because he likes an occasional cheeseburger. It’s not like Luka hasn’t made All-NBA five times, had an MVP season last year, and led Dallas to the NBA Finals.

He’s still just a kid. His best years are still ahead of him. This would be like trading Dirk Nowitzki after his sixth year, only worse, because Luka is galaxies ahead of where Dirk was at this stage.

I’ll agree with Dirk who says, “I’ll never be a Lakers fan; but I’ll always be a Luka fan.”

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Sometimes I post things here that I had intended to preach on Sunday, but didn’t because of time–things that wound up on the cutting room floor. Here’s a paragraph or two from our sermon Sunday about Peter’s betrayal of Jesus.

In the Garden of Gethsemane on that last night, Peter drew his sword to protect Jesus from the crowd of guards and soldiers who had come to arrest him. Peter struck one of the officials, cutting off his ear. Peter was going for the kill. He wasn’t aiming at Malchus’ ear. He’s not Mike Tyson. He was going for the guy’s throat, he was trying to cut off his head. But Malchus ducked and Peter cut off his ear. And Jesus said, “No. Put your sword away. Violence doesn’t fix anything; it only leads to more violence. If my Kingdom were of this world, then we’d fight. I’d call down twelve thousand angels and we’d wipe these guys out. But we don’t fight. We never use violence. I’m showing you a different way.”

I preached that. I left this next part out because of time. Here it is, directly from my manuscript.

Here’s a sidebar: It’s interesting to me how we’ll argue and debate and get red in the face about the literal details of creation and the literal details of the ark and the flood and we’ll insist on the literal facts about Jonah and the fish and we’ll parse and dissect every syllable of the Greek words in Paul’s letters, but we’re very quick to dismiss the literal words of our Lord Jesus. Jesus gives very direct commands about violence or money or refugees or forgiveness, and we’re like, “He didn’t really mean that literally.” When we do that, we sound just like the devil. “Did Jesus really say…?” We’ll twist Jesus’ words so he doesn’t really mean half of what he says. That’s another sermon. For another day. Probably a guest speaker.

I should have said it. I’m sorry I didn’t. I cut it because the sermon was running long and I didn’t want to distract from or take away from the main points of the lesson. I called it a sidebar when I wrote it, but it started to feel more like a rabbit trail on Friday and Saturday night. So I cut it. I should have said it.

Peace,

Allan

As Long as Jesus is Flexible

February 21, 2025 / / 0 Comments

The apostle Peter proclaims that Jesus is the Christ, the anointed one, the Holy One of Israel sent from God. Jesus immediately tells Peter and the other disciples that he will soon suffer and die, at which point Peter takes the Lord aside and rebukes him. What a confusing confession. Jesus, you are the Christ, you are the Lord, you are in charge, as long as you can be flexible.

What was Peter expecting when he pulled Jesus aside? Had he really thought that through? What was Jesus going to say?

Oh, thank you, Peter! You’re right! I must have lost my head back there, I don’t know what I was thinking! You don’t have to die if you don’t want to. It’s your call. We can do this another way, an easier way. We can do it your way, Peter. Thank you! I am so blessed to have such a wise follower like you to help me see things more clearly. I don’t think I could be the Messiah without you!

Some churches are guilty of this confusing confession.

Jesus is Lord as long as he’s okay with us continuing to restrict women where the Bible never does.
Jesus is in charge as long he lets us keep showing favoritism to long-time members and rich people.

Is your confession confusing?

I know Jesus says turn the other cheek, but this is a different situation.
I know I’m supposed to forgive her, but she never said she was sorry.
I’ll follow Jesus as long as he looks past my sketchy behavior at work.
I’ll follow Jesus as long as he tolerates my addiction to pornography.

Following Jesus is not like watching TV. I can’t lay on the couch with the remote in my hand and change the channel every time something unpleasant or uncomfortable or demanding comes on the screen.

The Christian confession is not confusing. Jesus is Lord. Period. He is the Christ.

“If anyone would come behind me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the Gospel will save it.” ~Mark 8:34-35

Peace,

Allan

As Long as Jesus is Comfortable

February 20, 2025 / / 0 Comments

At Caesarea Philippi, Peter declares Jesus as the Christ, Jesus immediately tells his followers that he is going to suffer and die, then Peter takes Jesus aside and rebukes him. He tells the One he just proclaimed as the Christ that he is not going to die, that they’re going to change the world in other ways. It seems confusing, doesn’t it? Peter tells Jesus he is the Christ and then in the very next breath tells him that he’s not the one making the decisions.

In essence, Peter is telling Jesus, you are the Christ as long as it’s comfortable. As long as you don’t push me outside my comfort zone, as long as you don’t challenge me, as long as whatever you’re calling me to doesn’t stretch me or hurt me, we’re good. You are the Lord.

Jesus says, “I want you to give more.”
Give more? If I do that, I’m going to have to cut back on something!

Jesus says, “I need you to lead a small group.”
In my house?! I’ll be vacuuming every Sunday afternoon! When will I take my nap?!

Jesus says, “I’d like you to volunteer with the children’s ministry.”
Teach the little kids?! Hey, I did my time there! That’s somebody else’s job!

Churches do things like this, too. Some churches make the comfort of their members too big of a priority. In some churches, all anybody has to say is “I’m uncomfortable with that,” –whatever it is– “That makes me uncomfortable,” and the elders rush in and shut whatever it is down. That’s why we put big crosses in our Worship Centers, to remind Christians, and their elders and ministers, that the divine call to follow Christ has absolutely nothing to do with being comfortable!

Peter says Jesus is the Christ as long as he’s comfortable. Is your confession confusing like that?

Peace,

Allan

As Long as Jesus is Sensible

February 19, 2025 / / 0 Comments

“What about you? Who do you say I am?” ~Mark 8:29

I imagine the apostle Peter answers Jesus’ question immediately. Peter doesn’t do dead air. He’s going to speak first, think later. Ready-fire-aim! — that’s Peter. Always jumping in, always shooting off his mouth. But, here, he gives the exact right answer:

“You are the Christ!” ~Mark 8:29

You are the Anointed One, the Messiah. You are the Holy One of Israel. You’re the one who was prophesied about, the one we’ve been praying for our whole lives, the one we’ve been waiting for for generations. You’re the one, Jesus! You are the Christ! You are the Lord!

“He then began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests, and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again. He spoke plainly about this…” ~Mark 8:31-32

The other Gospel writers tell us this was the first time Jesus had mentioned to them that he was going to die. He spoke plainly about it.

“And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him.” ~Mark 8:32

Peter’s very first words in this story are, “You are the Christ.” But his very next actions say, “No, you’re really not.”

“You are the Christ” means “You are the boss.” You are Lord. You are the sovereign ruler over all the earth and you are the sovereign ruler over me. Whatever you say, goes. That’s what it means to say Jesus is the Christ. But Peter follows up his declaration by telling Jesus they were not going to do what he said needed to happen. He began to rebuke the one he called Christ. “Nobody is dying here, Jesus–not you, not me, not any of us.” It was a very confusing confession.

“‘Get behind me, Satan!’ Jesus said. ‘You do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of people!'” ~Mark 8:33

Peter, you are more worried about what people say than what God says. You’re trusting your own feelings and instincts more than you’re trusting the Almighty Creator of Heaven and Earth.

Peter seems perfectly fine with Jesus being Lord as long as Jesus is sensible. Peter is good with declaring Jesus as the Christ, the Lord of his life. But as soon as Jesus steps out of sensible? Well, that’s when Peter takes over.

Turn the other cheek? Jesus, seriously? Give up my shirt and my coat? Refuse to retaliate? Jesus, if I do that, I’ll be taken advantage of. People are going to walk all over me. Give up wealth and power and force in exchange for love and mercy and grace? I know that’s what we talk about in church, but that’s not how the real world works, Jesus. You’re out of touch. Protect the outsiders? Give up my rights? Jesus, did I hear you right? Love my enemies? I don’t even like my friends! If you’re not sensible, you’re no longer my authority. You are not my Christ.

That’s a confusing confession.

Some churches do this.

Lord, we know you said give freedom to prisoners and release the captives from their bondage, but you want our church to pay off people’s debt? Their medical debt? Their school cafeteria debt? But we’ve never met these people! How will they know it’s us? How many of these people will come to our church? What kind of return are we getting on our money? It doesn’t make sense.

Jesus healed ten lepers and only one of them even said “Thank you.” But the Gospel point of that story is not that you’d better be extra cautious about how much of God’s grace you dole out to strangers.

You are the Christ as long as you’re sensible.

I wonder if that kind of behavior confuses Jesus.

What’s the deal, Peter? Have I lost my mind? Because you’re with me when I say love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and strength. You’re with me when I say be faithful to your spouse and don’t forsake the assembly. But when I tell you to lend to those who ask, suddenly I’m not making sense? Your commitment, Peter, is not to my lordship, it’s to your own logic. Your obedience is to the values of the world instead of the values of the Kingdom of God.

There’s a difference between following Jesus because it makes sense and following Jesus because he is the Christ.

How confusing is your confession?

Peace,

Allan

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