daily life as life goes on . . .

The sermon and the handout of the summer challenge is  online.  Check them out under the sermon heading on www.kindersleyalliance.com.

As many of us head into the chaos, changing schedules and disrupted lives of summer our spiritual lives can be derailed.  Here is a simple, easy challenge to help us direct that summer chaos into a spiritual adventure. 

Simply put, you are being asked to regularly jump into four books over the eight weeks of this summer (4over8).  For some of you that will actually mean reading, others will pick up MP3 or audio tapes of the books, others will find videos of the books. 

The books?  They are commonly called the Gospels!  Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.  The first four books of the New Testament.

As you read, listen, or see these books, ask yourself the Jesus question – “Who do you say I am?” or put in another way – “What is your opinion of me?”.  Ask the question as you read a verse or a chapter or a story about Jesus.  Hopefully over the eight weeks of the summer you will come up with both old and new thoughts about Jesus.  Every revival and restoration in the church has been a rediscovery of some aspect of Christ in the process of answering the ultimate question that Jesus put to His disciples:  “Who do you say I am?”

4over8 could prove to be a significant spiritual experience in your life this summer.  You may want someone else to join you in this adventure.  Print out the attached and hand it out to a friend – or even an enemy that could use it!  Let’s see where this challenge takes us this summer!

Here is the challenge I will put before our congregation tomorrow.

Over eight weeks time, read four books – Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.  These four books capture Jesus of Nazareth from birth, to death, to life.

What if reading the Gospels retooled us?  What if we were able to extract from an obvious and commonplace story that which is powerful and yet humble?  What if we were able to place ourselves alongside Jesus?

Here is a statement I’m coming to enjoy:  “Every revival and restoration in the church has been a rediscovery of some aspect of the Christ in the process of answering the ultimate question Jesus put to His disciples:  ‘Who do you say I am?’ ” (Matthew 16:16, Mark 8:29)

Or, in a more contemporary lingo – What is your opinion of Jesus?

Well, I always figure to have an opinion, you need to know something about what you are going to be opinionated about.  So, let’s over the eight weeks of summer read the four book of the stories of Jesus!

To holiday requires more space.  Or at least equal space to the current container.

So, my wife has bought a new purse.  I enjoyed the shopping excursion and even helped to pick the bag.  We examined the size, compared the volume and purchased outright the best of the lot.

Now, at home, we have been filling the purse.  Quickly the purse is expanding.  My new sunglasses are contained therein.  Important papers have a separate section.  Plus the regular things transferred over from the previous purse.

I’m in awe!  My wife is organizing it all and what seems to be a mound of important stuff has become an organized treasure for efficient use.

So, thanks to Jill for all her hard work.  And I’ll try not to add too much more!

My day has been busy.  From administration to lunch hour visiting to afternoon preparations, to supper meeting, to wind down time.

And somewhere in there the lawn showed the results of an excess of precipitation. 

Normally that would not be a problem.  Cut the grass in a spare block of time.

But our lawnmower has quit, we are soon on our way for holidays, and we don’t want to buy a new mower until after the vacation is over.

Where to get a mower?  Next door!!

We had used her reel mower a few days ago.  The grass had grown.  So, I figured a quick pass over the lawn after borrowing the mower once again would suffice.  Of course, with a reel mower a greater amount of time would be taken.

I received permission and proceeded to her garden shed.  There she pulled out a gas mower which had been in for repair months ago.  Today it was back.  And today I was able to use the mower.  Only took 1/2 hour, compared to an hour or two.

Which was a good thing,  because as I returned the mower our evening guest arrived.  Thankfully all of this was done within a timeframe that had to have been arranged by someone other than myself.

Thanks to God!  Sometimes the mundane of life seems to provide examples of the Greatest One in life!