Have you ever had a week of polar opposites? You know, a time where you make great strides in achieving exercise goals, but then failing in your diet goals. The choice to run was a good one, the choice to eat more than four cookies in one day… not so much. CHOICES! God help us. Fitness is a common thought. "If I could just lose about 5-10 pounds" or "you know, if I could exercise for the next month. doing 2-3 days per week, I'll be able to fit into that..." The truth is, sometimes while we are focusing on a good thing, success facts and focus.

You see, health is wealth. Facts. And, wealth is built over time because of focused decisions. You can get rich quick by focusing on making a lot of money quickly, but the fact of the matter is that you cannot get wealthy quickly. You can get a lump sum of money fast, but your credit score is changed from consistent and timely debt reduction, on-time bill payments, and managing your open credit accounts (Go Here For More). We need to pay our bills on time. But, we also need to be intentional to reduce debt by paying more than the minimum whenever possible, because it helps decrease interest as well as principle. The key to focusing on anything is realizing that timing is everything.

When you fix your focus, you can see its not just a matter of the right choices, but the right choices over time. It's a matter of focus. Anybody can win the lottery, but it takes focus and faithfulness (read: discipline) to defeat poverty. 

There are many stories in the bible about Jesus and his disciples going on ministry trips. In one of those stories, while they were on their way to Jerusalem Jesus and his disciples stopped by Bethany. The choice to stop is an interesting one. If you go back through the earlier passages of scripture that precede this story in the book of Luke in chapter 10, the focus is on "focus." The first 2/3 of the chapter centers on Jesus sending out 72 followers. Jesus challenges his disciples not to focus on the results that they see, exorcisms and supernatural victories over wickedness and high places. Instead, Jesus tells them to focus on being written in the record of heaven. In other words keep your focus. It kind of challenges the saying "so heavenly minded, that you're no earthly good." Because evidently the mind of the kingdom of heaven is on people. "For God so loved that he gave…"

The setting of the story we're focusing on today takes place in the village of Martha and Mary. According to a separate passage of scripture, John 11, we know that Bethany is the name of the village we’re reading about in Luke. Bethany. Part of the root word for Bethany is Beth. "House." Bethany very likely means "house of the poor."

Isn't it interesting that Jesus would stop by Bethany. We just referenced the first 24 verses of chapter 10, where Jesus sent out the 72 disciples to villages along the way to Jerusalem. He enlisted the help of these volunteers to pound the pavement for the campaign of the Messiah's arrival and enlist those that would believe to join the forces of the kingdom of heaven. Can you imagine the excitement? Can you imagine the energy? Jesus' disciples were probably looking for a something big to happen. I could see them wanting to turn the world upside down with revival services and worship nights that spilled into the streets like holy riots. 

And yet, while on their way, Jesus stops at Bethany. In the rabbinic tradition, Bethany is thought to have been the location of an almshouse, sort of like a ancient non-profit dedicated to the poor. I can see the disciples not being too interested in spending much time there. I can see their impatience. I can see their confusion. I can see their wonder wane away as Jesus walks in this humbled town. 

But, then we are introduced to another set of characters. First, we meet Martha. She welcomes Jesus and his disciples into her home. Now, the text is not clear as to whether it was the twelve or the 70+ but either way, having guests in the double digits can be quite the task. All of the preparations, all of the help that is needed. Martha meets Jesus with a frantic wipe of her hands on her apron and small streak of flour and sweat across her brow. As she labored furiously to furnish a presentable spread, we meet her sister Mary. Mary was cut from a different cloth. She was intuitive and lived in the moment. Not focusing on what people think, she sat at Jesus feet as they conversed around a fire in the living room. She was not worried about dinner or even eating for that matter. She was not bothered by the snickers of the disciples as they mocked the run down block that she lived on. She didn't care because she knew that her village would never be the same after this moment. She knew that her community would forever be changed by this personal encounter she was having with Jesus. She sat right there in the middle of the floor, not because she was inept or couldn't cook but, because she was focused on following this fellow from Nazareth.

Sometimes the greatest work we can do to fight oppression is to focus on freedom for ourselves. How can you release captives when you are still bound? How can you free the oppressed when you are still under another's control? I believe this passage compels us to be like Mary, choose to focus on freedom. Don't be distracted by decorum. Having this degree by this age, being married before this time, getting a raise after that project. These things are good. But, the pursuit of them at the expense of an encounter with Jesus is like working your whole life just to make a million dollars only to die having a million dollars in debt. You’ve got to fix your focus. Focus on the things that will last. Focus on what will stand the test of time. Focus on what will be worth your investment of time in the end.

We live in a time where faces are filtered, families are fractured, and futures are foiled all because instant gratification has replaced intentional intimacy. 

In the New Testament, there is a passage of scripture call the Book of Acts. In it he author is recounting the events after the resurrection of Jesus to man named Theophilus. 

It bears mentioning that the book attributed to the apostle Luke is also written to Theophilus. So what we have here is a second work in a larger narrative. 

I’m sure as Theophilus heard this rendition of the gospel story he may have had some questions. Like where was Jesus while the disciples were suffering? It says he showed up after his suffering, but what about his followers? How were they supposed to believe in a man claiming to be the messiah, but was murdered before their very eyes?

I can imagine brother Luke taking Theo back to the first letter, when Jesus helped Peter’s small business with their cash flow problem. Y’all know the story, they had been fishing all night and had caught nothing. But Jesus used their problem to prove his love by caring for what they cared for. Luke probably talked about the time when Jesus solved a woman’s grief problem by raising her son from the dead and proving his Lordship over life and dominion over death. I’m sure he reminded Theo of when Jesus spoke to the storm and proved He’s in charge of creation. I’m sure the good doctor Luke took brother Theo down through the text to show the problems that Jesus used to prove himself so that Theo might believe that if he did it before he can do it again. 

The problem with our social media society is that we are double tapping likes for the level up but weren’t committed for the come up. The shield of screens has distorted our perception of progress. The story doesn’t start when you tune in, and God is not finished when you flip the channel. Being alive is not measured by attention. It is measured by intention. 

This is what is missing in our insta culture, we need to take inventory of our intentions. 

This love religion is intentional. Does your love ever ask you to suffer? Some of you who have been married for 20 years - 30 years you know that faithfulness is the real way to bring sexy back. But it will cost you. You will sacrifice if you plan to love anyone long term. That’s what’s missing in our hookup culture- there is a propensity to gauge there other person’s value instead of inspecting our own intentions. When’s the last time you laid down your desires for someone else to benefit?

This is called serving. Jesus didn’t show up because he was lonely. Jesus didn’t show up because he needed something from humanity! He showed up after his suffering for their sake. The proof of our faith isn’t not in simply obtaining what we desire, it is in developing through difficulty. The problems that present themselves in your path are proving grounds. They are evidence that the same spirit that raised Jesus from the dead is able to pick you up out of your dead end job if you’ll just remain faithful, able to revive your marriage if you just stay in prayer, the problems we face do not make us afraid they are invitations to dive deeper in your relationship with God.

We must regain the religion of the Rabbi from Galilee. A religion of redemption, a religion of righteousness. This Is a righteousness marked by justice and the contagious joy of knowing you’ve been forgiven. It is marked by a deep compassion demonstrated by a discipline of generosity. Our religion is one of social justice. Where, in the words of the good Rev. Dr.  all of God’s people, black and white, Native American and Latin, Asian and Hispanic can join hands to shout free at last, free at last thank God almighty we’re free at last. A religion where justice rolls down like a river and righteousness like a mighty stream. A religion of real love. 

Love is built on continuity not convenience. Your love for others ought to informed by your calling to serve. Because as you look back, you’ll be able to point to the problems in the past as proof that when it feels like you’re down to nothing, God is up to something. 

Motives matter. There is the saying, it doesn’t matter how you start, but how you finish. It’s a good saying. But, we must also consider, that the journey to the finish line matters just as much as crossing it. Intention is a mental commitment to purpose. 

Your purpose will always be juxtaposed with a problem. For many people, the problem is proof that their purpose is polluted beyond redemption. But, the bible is full of stories that show us that Jesus often shows himself in the middle of the suffering. The fact that he is present in our problems is proof that the problem is not greater than his purpose. 

Thank God that your problem is not greater than your purpose! The next time you face a problem, you can smile because you know that problems produce patience, and patience produces character and character engenders hope and when you put your hope in Jesus, you can trust that no problem will prove him to be a liar! Is there anybody in this place who can give God a praise in the problem?!

There is a story in the bible that illustrates what life is like without hope and what life is like with hope. This story is so powerful because it talks about how important it is for people to have hope. Because when we have hope, it can help people in the most dire circumstances come alive. This really about coming alive. 

The Story takes place in Luke 24. It takes place on the road to Emmaus. The story serves a review of sorts. What has happened up until now? Twelve Jewish young men, who had been completely cast aside by their culture and a number of women who were all outcasts for one reason or the next suddenly found themselves connected to a living legend. 

For some he just waltzed into their job, for others he was just there when they were at a low moment, wherever they were when they met him, one thing is certain. This man categorically changed their lives. He made them feel alive. 

Have you ever had that experience? A time where you just felt alive, more than a momentary high or the fleeting thrill of a one night stand. I’m talking about a moment when everything just seems clear and you feel settled and calm. We call that peace. A time where you are not constantly second guessing yourself or watching your back for fear that this “too-good-to-be-true” scenario is really just a dream. 

These sisters and brothers were a collective of regular shmegular, rank and file, go to work, hate Monday’s, hate your boss, hate this coffee, who used up all the toilet paper, I need a vacation, I just binged a whole season of game of thrones you and me people. 

And, somewhere along the way they found purpose and meaning. Somewhere along the way they started to believe in something bigger than themselves. Like many of us here today. And just when the getting got good, the bottom fell out. 

Imagine the whiplash of these contradicting moments. One moment everywhere you go everyone is chanting for your friend, and you’re a part of this famous entourage. VIP passes, yup. Cool band T-shirt, yup. Overnight you go from unknown to being friends with Beyoncé; madness.

And then suddenly one evening, your friend gets arrested. You find out that someone in the crew sold him out for some money, then committed suicide.

Your friend gets put on trial over some trumped up charges by those “tough on crime” social leaders. Between the lying leaders in church and the pathological politicians, your friends fate goes from bad to worse. 

And on that dark Friday afternoon, all you can hear is the cry of your friend in agony, the crack of 39 lashes and the sting of seeing your future disfigured with indifference. All to culminate in the rumor that the body you helped lay to rest is now missing. No goodbye, no closure, no resolution. Just gone.

This is the story of Jesus. It is not just sweet baby Jesus, thank you Ricky Bobby. It is not blue eyed blonde haired America first Jesus. 

It is the story of God coming to the earth. Engaging with humanity, identifying with the full human experience. The highs and the lows. This is not a social media gospel. This is not “devo at Starbucks on my way to missions in the Philippines #blessed.”

This is the story of being alive. The pain of being alive. The pain of knowing that people are in poverty. That the graduation rate among English language learners is dropping. That the minimum wage still isn’t a livable wage. That we literally are so divided that we are either for women or babies but somehow cannot figure out how to minister to the needs of both. That we can raise over a billion dollars for some stone relics across the Atlantic but can find money for Puerto Rico to rebuild or for Flint to have clean water. 

The Bible says that they were talking about all of these things. 

And they were on a journey. A road to Emmaus. The Bible had an old town road before old town road. If you don’t know then you’re not a country fan. 

On the road to Emmaus. (The artistry in the scriptures is spectacular). The word Emmaus means warm bath. You can imagine with me some meaning here. That the point of this text is to communicate the natural human yearning for some level comfort with all the deafening din of bad news surrounding them. 

I’m sure there are many of us today who have sought comfort in this cold world. Sought the comfort of being surrounded by people who only think like you. The comfort of only serving your needs. The comfort of only caring for your concerns and the agenda that matters to you. 

But the story of the resurrected Christ, once crucified on Calvary’s hill, now crowned with heavenly glory, his story is a journey from isolation to community. He didn’t come so that we could hide in Holy huddles. Jesus came to make us alive. To live a life that is bigger than ourselves. This is why Hill City has to happen! We are a community that is alive. All of this music, all of this excitement, we’re not just a black church. we’re not emotionally unstable. We believe that Jesus has come to make us alive. So we’re going to live. We’re going to live lives that consider the vulnerable. We’re going to live the lives that Jesus died for us to have. We’re going to serve others, love our neighbors, and seek justice.  WE ARE ALIVE!

Fasting is about more than food. I would like to take the next few moments to explore the value of fasting for health, wealth, and spiritual renewal. The focus on fasting is often what we are going to give up; what we are cutting out. But, God has told us that he desires mercy rather than sacrifice (Hos 6:6). When we fast God is looking for more than a hunger strike. It is an invitation from God for a deeper connection. The result is closeness with the Creator.

This is what fasting looks like in light of the life and person of Jesus Christ.

Read Matthew 4

-Fasting is about hearing and knowing the word of God. (Matt 4:4,7,10)

-Fasting is a test. (Matt 4:1) -Fasting is Spirit led. (Matt 4:1-2)

-Fasting brings clarity to your assignment. (Matt 4:12-17)

-Fasting results in connection. (Matt 4:11)

This is why you should fast. You need to know what God’s will is (Rom.12:2). Fasting is a tool that helps cut through our day to day rhythms of eating and producing. Fasting helps take us deeper. It helps us think harder about our actions as fasting impacts the type of energy that you have. We learn about our own tendencies when we are under the pressure of restricting our appetites. This helps us yield to the changes that will make us more like Christ and live a better life.

This is what not to do on your fast. Don’t just be hungry. The kind of fasting Hill City will be engaging in is different than the discipline of intermittent fasting. While weight loss may take place during a spiritual fast, the primary goal is mental, emotional, and spiritual clarity (1 Tim 4:8). You also, don’t want to fast to change God’s mind (Matt 7:7-11). This doesn’t work. God is good. Your fasting isn’t going to make God better. Your fasting will help you understand God better and how best to work with him (Isa 58). 

Remember that a good meal takes preparation. So it will also take preparation to consume God’s word during the fast. Remove as many distractions as possible. Make a meal plan. Make a prayer plan. Fill your time with as much time for the word as possible. Find a friend from your Hill City Fam, read the word together. Pray for each other. Write down what you hear God saying and reflect (Hab 2:2). As a general guide avoid meat and sweets. Limit or even eliminate white flour and other white starchy foods like white rice and bread. Remember, the focus here is not the letter of the law, but rather training ourselves to live on more than “bread”!

This is what you can expect from your pastors. You can expect that Pastor Jill and I will be dedicating days during the week to pray for each one of you specifically. While Pastor Jill is expecting our 2nd child she will not be fasting, however, we will be praying for you and Pastor Tim will be joining you in this fast and leading the Men of Hill City in prayer each morning during the first week. Send us prayer requests, praise reports, questions about fasting or anything else. We are here for you. This is what you can expect from God. You can look forward to hearing God clearer. You can expect to discover God’s character as you spend more time with God and less time feeding your natural appetites. Remember what you feed grows (Rom 8:5-6).

Love

John 15:9-10 Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; abide in My love. If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.

Love. Such a confounding concept. It is deep. It is complex. It is the object of the musings of philosophers, musicians, rulers and subjects alike. Love transcends class, generations, zip codes, positions, and titles. Love is beautiful and awe inspiring. Love can also introduce us to great pain. There is little pain like losing a loved one. There are few consolations that make up for the pain left by love. Yet, through it all, it is better to have loved and lost than to never have loved at all.  So, as believers how are we to approach love? We look to the bible for our understanding of Love. 1 John 4:16 teaches us that God is love. Thankfully we have an example in Jesus of Nazareth. His life on earth shows us what love embodied looks like. Let’s take a look at 3 quick lessons about love from Jesus. 

1. Love Lasts. It is a commitment. There are times when it love is exhilarating. In these times, exercising the disciplines of love can seem easy. But, the beauty of love is that it lasts even when  the feelings of excitement and exhilaration leave. This is why Jesus teaches us to abide. It is a word that means to endure. Jesus wants our love to last. When you spend time with Jesus, you are building up your resistance to the temptation to run away when things get tough. 

2. Love is known when it’s shown. Love is something that ought to be shown early and often. In our culture today, there is a phrase “say less.” It is an idiom that indicates people who can communicate with fewer expressions than expected. But, when it comes to love, it works best when there is demonstration to match our declaration. In other words, the more you say and do, the better point comes across.  What you say should be punctuated by what you do. Jesus laid out examples of love. The father loved Jesus, and Jesus demonstrated his love for us. And then, Jesus asks us to remain faithful to him in love by obeying his commands. 

3. Love has limits. Jesus explains the importance of limits that protect our love for him. In order for our love relationship with Jesus to last there need to be boundaries in place that help us endure. These limits help us to avoid pitfalls and distractions that would pull us away from God’s love. Jesus gives us commands to help us not hamper us.

So continue in love. You can pray that God would reveal God’s love for you. Continue to pursue God’s example of love in your own relationships both with God and other people. When you spend time reading God’s word and learning about God’s commands, you will build your capacity to love the way that Jesus loves. 

Don’t be Shy

Matthew 10:1 Jesus summoned His twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every kind of disease and every kind of sickness.

Sometimes you have to act like you have been there before. Confidence is often an inside job with outside results. You will need to internalize God’s thoughts about you and your abilities even when you unqualified. Remember, God doesn’t call the qualified, God qualifies the called. 

I remember being a young pastor. I was fresh out of seminary, newly married, still young enough to be on my parent’s insurance (thanks Obama). I remember introducing myself to people by my first name. I did this intentionally because, I believed that it was “unethical to introduce myself as an authority in other people’s lives until I had earned the right” (direct quote of myself. you’re welcome). While my heart to earn respect was commendable, a wise leader corrected my perspective. He always would address me by my title. I finally asked him why. He said, you  don’t call a doctor by her first name, and you don’t call a police officer by his name without saying officer.”

The lesson there is applicable for all of us. You are who you are and the gifts and talents you’ve been given should not be repented for. Sometimes, it is tempting to want to conform to the norms of the environment that you are in. But, It is crucial that you remember that you are who God made you to be and whether others embrace it or not, you are called. You are capable. You need only to follow the example of Christ. Live a life full of faith, believing that God can and will use your life powerfully.  

How to be Authentic.

I remember at 21 thinking that I had figured out life. I graduated college and was a graduate student at the young age of 21 and thought my dedication to being better set me apart. Little did I know that there was a whole world out there I knew nothing about. I soon learned that there were still MANY areas I needed to grow in. The area I will talk about today is authenticity.

When people think of being authentic, they might think about being able to be themselves around other people. That principle is true, however, let's dig a little deeper. How much time do you spend learning about your "inner self"? What I mean is, do you search to understand how you got to the place where you are today? Did it happen because you were trying to be someone else? Were you trying to NOT be like your parents? Were you trying to hit a certain level of success? Were you running away from something? These are all questions that we have to ask ourselves in order to live our best life. If not, they can eventually leak out into other areas of your life. 

I remember being newly married and wondering why I was struggling so much with being comfortable with my new husband. I had no idea why I was having nightmares when I slept and was really struggling emotionally. It took me a while to understand that a lot of childhood trauma that I never knew how to deal with (nor did I know that I really ignored) was creeping back up in this new season in my life. At first, I thought that I had to make it all better by telling him EVERYTHING that was going on in my mind. I found, though, that this was not helping. THERE WERE LIES that I believed about myself and they affected the way I saw myself and how I interacted with Tim.

So my question to you today, is, what do YOU believe about yourself? You cannot be your authentic self if you don't know who you are. You are not a doctor, lawyer, pastor, politician, stay at home mom, or even a broken person. Think of it this way. If you were stranded on an island, what would make you valuable enough to be saved? Would it be because you had a position or would it be just because you're a human? I know that we don't always value humans in our world, and that has left some of us hardened to the value of our humanity, but THAT DOESN'T MEAN YOU'RE NOT VALUABLE!!! If someone throws away a 3 carat diamond ring, that doesn't mean it's not valuable! Just because one person doesn't acknowledge your value does not mean that it is not there.

Here are 5 ways you can be more authentic today:

1. Seek something greater than yourself!

(Ask God how he wants to use you to serve. Spend this time of fasting seeking him for the sake of others (intercession). Read Is 58)

2. Seek professional help when necessary.

(If you are struggling with depression or ANY illness, don't avoid a counselor or a medical doctor. You will do more harm than good avoiding situations. Trust me, others can see it anyway)

3. Learn ways to grow in a healthy community with others.

(This can be a local church, support groups, local volunteering, etc. The main thing is to find people to grow with that don't mind you being better than them! No haters allowed)

4. Take inventory.

(Spend time without the distractions of work, school, social media, your phone, or family to think about how you're REALLY doing each day. That may be 5 or 10 minutes. It's good for your mental and emotional self. *And this is not a feminine practice or responsibility. Men and women need to understand what's going on with them!)

5. Don't try too hard.

(Don't try too hard trying to NOT be like someone else to try to become yourself. That's not authenticity. That's traumatic to yourself! Just take one day at a time as you learn what it means that you are human. ) 

Have a great day! Read more articles at injillswords.com.

How to Make Healthier Decisions.

Hey everyone!

During this time of fasting, I wanted to encourage you to consider and seek God regarding the decisions that you make with your health. He cares about our physical body and wants us to seek him regarding it. Read the article below on making healthier decisions:

There are many of us that are STRUGGLING to get it together! For some reason, no matter how many times we do self-talk, we end up makin' the same ol' decisions. I know I can relate to this. One of my biggest struggles is being passive when it comes to certain decisions in life. I kind of have this attitude of, “I can’t do anything about it...”. You know what I mean? I've even asked my husband or called one of my sisters telling them the same story over and over again because I was afraid to make a move. The reasons varied: I was afraid of failing, I didn’t really believe that the decision would make things better, or it felt more like extra work that I didn’t feel like investing in.

I find that many of us struggle with living healthy because we have not had a mindset shift. We have a powerful tool as humans... a will. We have the ABILITY to DECIDE what we want to do with our lives. This tool enables us to walk with a certain authority. Why? Because we can say yes and no every day. But do you know what’s interesting? Humanity has turned this amazing tool around and repurposed it into a weapon. We take others ability to say yes or no away through greed and abuse and war. It’s crazy! But guess what?! (Here’s the good part)...

Finding your personal authority in life can help you to become healthier AND help those around you. I truly feel in my heart that many of us are sitting on the potential to CHANGE OUR COMMUNITIES! 

So how do you do it? How do you make healthier choices?

1. You have to do whatever necessary to see life from a different perspective. Some people may know of this concept as a mind renewal. Reprogram your mind to see value rather than work or pressure regarding health.

2. You have to take authority over your life! Many of us allow our bosses and our families and our friends and our neighbors and celebrities to tell us what we should be doing. Okay. So I’m only gonna say this once (lol jk) TAKE YOUR LIFE BACK!!!!! Now I believe that we were created by God and that God called us to walk with a pep in our step! (Can I get an amen?! lol) I believe that God called us to walk with authority by CHOOSING! Authority does not mean hierarchy, being in power, or being the strongest. It means taking personal responsibility, taking initiative, and not allowing anything or anyone to tell you anything different. It should come from a place of love rather than a place of right and wrong!

3. You have to make up your mind about what you want before the moment of pressure. Deciding to start an exercise regime right after a long workday may not be the best time for everyone... especially if you haven’t previously taken time to consider the cost of that action. Take time to plan and invest in what type of life you want. If not, someone else will. I’m just sayin’!

Have a great day! Read more articles at injillswords.com.