God's Field.

"You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:6-8)

Picture yourself standing in the middle of a small grass field surrounded by worn down apartments on almost every side. There are prostitutes turning tricks on the corner. The smell of marijuana is overwhelming at times when the wind slightly blows. In the midst of poverty a blacked out Mercedes drives slowly down the street seemingly a drug dealer…

Now picture a white van driving up to this field. People get out and start putting orange fencing up around this field. Speakers are set up and some LeCrae starts playing. Tables are set up with food, water, and arts & crafts. Two guys set up a soccer goal, while others start throwing footballs. Another group of people start rounding up children from the surrounding apartments to come play. After a couple hours the children sit down and start hearing about Jesus. Light comes into this very dark place.

This is what happens every Saturday in South Dallas. As I had the privilege of serving there with Solomon’s Porch this weekend I got chills when my friend Heather told me that the prostitutes and drug dealers have stopped working the corners around this field because they now see it as "God’s field and a place for the children".

As I chatted with Lowston a 16 year old and watched a 15 year old stud of an athlete named Mitchell throw the football around I couldn’t help but think "it’s just not fair that they have to live here and be around all this". Life just isn’t fair.

I loved when David Marvin said, "What is fair though? We do not have a standard of what fair is. If we have fallen short of His standard (perfection) we don’t want what’s fair. We want MERCY. Fair says you mess up, YOU pay. Jesus says you mess up, I’LL PAY. Here’s the problem: You don’t think you’re ungodly. We compare ourselves to others and think, 'well, I’m not as bad as him/her.'"

What made me smile as I stood there taking it all in was thinking about how Jesus came to save me, Lowston, Mitchell, and even the drug dealers and prostitutes.

I couldn’t look at myself as any better than anyone out there. We are all sinners in need of a Savior, Jesus Christ. We don’t have to travel to another country to share the GOOD NEWS that while we are still sinners, CHRIST died for us! Just drive a few minutes south of Dallas and you’ll see a whole different world...or maybe just chat with someone around you...we are ALL in need of MERCY.

www.theporchdallas.com

The Day I Should Have Died.

March 25th, 2006, the day I should have died.

My sister was riding with me this weekend and she started talking about the car wreck I was in five years ago. I was driving 55mph and apparently my right tires went off the shoulder. I over-corrected and hit a car head-on who was driving 45mph. I was not wearing a seat belt and they said I flew around the car like a ping-pong ball smashing my head into the windshield. I was in ICU, then moved to a normal room, and eventually was able to leave the hospital once I could make it down the hallway on a walker.

What saved me was what I hit…an unmarked police car. The officer was actually able to radio in help faster than it would take for someone to realize to call 911. I should have died that day. My family, the hospital team, even the police officer all would tell you it is nothing except a miracle that I am here today. My sister said this to me this weekend: “It was all part of God’s plan as I see Him using you today.”

She reminded me that this wreck lead to me marrying the guy I was dating at the time, which lead to my divorce, which lead to my life spinning out of control until the Lord brought me to my knees in complete surrender to Him. The reason I tell you this is because I can’t tell you why or even how I managed to live through that accident. It is only by the grace of God.

It truly is unexplainable, but undeniable!

Sometimes in life we want to know the why’s or how’s, but I agree with David Marvin when he said, "MORE IMPORTANT THAN KNOWING ANSWERS IS KNOWING HIM."

John 9 goes through the story about the blind man who Jesus gives sight to and no one can explain it so they have a hard time believing it. I can totally relate to this. I can’t explain how the Lord saved me that day, and I can't explain how he has now changed me so very much (2 Corinthians 5:17), but He has. He continues to do things in my life that I can't explain and I see his plan play out more and more as I spend time learning about and following Him. I used to not understand why bad things have happened in my life, but now I see him using every single one of those times for HIS GLORY and MY GOOD. I still have tons of things I don’t understand either in the Bible or life in general, but I KNOW CHRIST and He is GOOD.

I pray that in our search for wanting answers and explanations we wouldn't miss out on knowing God. He truly is unexplainable and yet undeniable!

Don't Put Jesus in the Box.

I remember being a senior in high school and because I was leading a freshman bible study I had to sign a form saying I wouldn’t drink alcohol on Prom night. I asked my group of friends who were also involved with the bible study if my date and I could be in their group for Prom. They said no and that the group was already full. I was extremely hurt and frustrated by my "good Christian friends". From that point on I was so turned off by this whole religious thing. I just didn’t understand.

There were two more times in my life I remember specifically being frustrated with the church or religious people that caused me to want nothing to do with God. One time where I actually asked my church why we did certain traditions and never really got an explanation, and another where someone from one denomination told me I was going to hell because I was another denomination. I just didn’t understand.

David’s message this week reminded me a lot of these times in my life where my frustration with religion and religious people caused me to throw my hands up and walk away from God. I had put Christ into this religious box and threw him out with religion.

Paul also wanted nothing to do with Jesus. He even says, "I too was convinced that I ought to do all that was possible to oppose the name of Jesus of Nazareth. And that is just what I did in Jerusalem." He imprisoned people, voted for people to die, punished and persecuted people, all in opposition of Jesus. (Acts 26:9-11)

Jesus came to Paul and asked him why he was doing all of this (Acts 16:14). In the same way I feel that God brought me to a place where I was tired of fighting against him…tired of turning my back on him…why was I rejecting him?

You see the problem with throwing Christ out with religion is that "Jesus did not come to give a religion, but to restore a broken relationship."

Jesus said to Paul, "I am sending you to them to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me."

HE CAME SO THAT WE WOULD HAVE FORGIVENESS.

There may have been times in your life where religious people frustrated/hurt you, but don’t put Christ into the religion box and throw him out. Doing that you are rejecting forgiveness and relationship.

"Therefore, my friends, I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you. Through him everyone who believes is set free from every sin." (Acts 13:38-39)

Praying for you all~

www.theporchdallas.com

World: "You Don't Have Enough."

EVERYWHERE YOU TURN, THE WORLD IS SAYING: "YOU DON'T HAVE ENOUGH"

Real Housewives of (insert any big city), rap that sounds like "I wanna be a billionaire", people considered celebrities because they either have money or can make tons of money without any real talent (see Jersey Shore), athletes/actors signing deals worth millions at every age...our world is consumed with materialism. "The opposite of contentment is materialism." Think about that for a second...

"Whoever loves money never has enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with their income. This too is meaningless." (Ecclesiastes 5:10)

Perfect example: Charlie Sheen. He has all the material means in the world and is a mess. As I see people spending crazy amounts of money on silly things, and then watch them just wreck their lives, I often judge. I think that is just ridiculous! They need help, not more money!

Then I walk into my two-bedroom apartment FILLED with stuff. I live alone, but had to have a second room because I have so much stuff. HOW RIDICULOUS! JP's message on materialism couldn't have come at a more perfect time for me. I am in the process of moving, and have been trying to decide what to do with all my stuff. As I've judged others, I am doing the same thing.

I became shocked at how much of everything I own while packing. "We keep buying more and more of what we already have." A lot of people have recommended I keep things because I "may need it in the future." Really? When? The future could be 3, 5, 10 years from now, maybe even never. So while I'm holding onto clothes, linens, shoes, etc., "just in case", people are freezing on the streets today. Yes, TODAY.

"Anything you own that you can't give away owns you."

I've decided to take on our "I Don't Need That" challenge, not just with money I spend this month, but with the things I already own. If I haven't worn it/used it in the past year, I don't NEED it. I'm working on simplifying my life. First by moving into a one bedroom, giving away/selling everything I don't use, and holding loosely those things I am keeping.

"As we chase what this world tells us we need, we lose focus of what matters."

What changes can you make in your life? Are you holding onto God's hand, or letting go of His hand chasing after materialism in this world? This is what I've found to be TRUE:

"But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ." (Philippians 3:7-8)

I encourage you to spend some time in Luke 12 & 18.

www.theporchdallas.com

Guilty as Charged.

I felt like JP was talking directly to me last Tuesday. I am definitely guilty of people pleasing, and often worry way too much about what others think or will think of me.

"Needing approval from others is a trap...when you’re worried about others you are not in control of your life-they are in control of your life...Your life is defined by what others think about you and want from you."

There are numerous examples I could give you, but there is one that impacted my life greatly. About a month before I got married, my fiancé and I starting having a lot of arguments, he started drinking a lot more, and I remember thinking maybe this isn’t "meant to be". I asked a few people if it was normal to have these doubts, never really explaining the full extent of what was going on because I was afraid of what they would think about me, and so they told me it was me it was normal to have cold feet before you get married.

At one point I remember thinking there is no way I could call of this wedding, it would be so embarrassing, what would my family and friends think of me?! What would they say? Surely things will get better once we’re married. I was trapped.

"Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD is kept safe." (Proverbs 29:25)

Fast forward passed a hurtful divorce. I was back in the same place, what are people going to think of me now? How embarrassing to be divorced at 24 years old, less than a year into my marriage, and now he is re-married to someone else living in the same town. I thought I just had to cover any pain I was feeling. I wanted people to see me as strong and confident. I was lying to the world. I was trapped.

"Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ." (Galatians 1:10)

PRAISE GOD he brought me to a place where I want to seek Christ whole heartedly... slowly but surely putting past ways behind me...living to serve Christ and Christ alone...doing things now "not so that others would think much of me- but doing things because I think much of GOD".

Honestly, are you more worried about other's approval or God's?

Praying we think less of ourselves, and more of God. "He must become greater; I must become less." (John 3:30)

I encourage you to spend some time in John 3.

Praying for you all~

www.theporchdallas.com