What's So Wonderful about Christianity?

Sunday I'm starting a new series based on the Christmas classic movie "It's a Wonderful Life." This coming Sunday I am dealing with the question, "What's so wonderful about Christianity?" One of the reasons I love this blog is because I get the opportunity to collect sermon ideas from you guys. So, how would you answer this question? What, to you, is so wonderful about Christianity?

I Did It!

I ran my first half-marathon yesterday in Tulsa. It was a great experience. It was fun to run with Todd. He finished in one hour and 56 minutes. I finished in 2 hours and 4 minutes. I would like to do some more half-marathons, but I don't think I'm ready to tackle a full one. To all you runners out there, keep running!

Thanks for your recommendations on the Christian music from my last post. Have a happy Thanksgiving!

Christian Music

I love music - all kinds of music. In my CD collection are samplings of jazz, country, classic rock, pop rock, easy listening, classical, broadway musicals, bluegrass, folk, and acappella. Growing up, I never really listened to Christian music - other than the group Acappella. The instrumental stuff was too "hoky" for me. But in the last ten years the Christian music genre has changed a great deal and gotten much better. I am getting more and more into it because it feeds my love of music and keeps my mind focused on positive things. However, there are so many new artists out there that I feel a little behind. So, catch me up. Who are some of the Christian artists you enjoy listening to and why?

Discernment

From Daryl Tippens' book Pilgrim Heart: The Way of Jesus in Everyday Life:

"If we are not open to the possibility of enjoying less security, less wealth, and less prestige - if, in other words, we are not open to 'poverty of spirit' - then we may greatly hinder our capacity to recognize the true will of God."

The Lord's Discipline

This past Sunday we talked about Hebrews 12:1-13. Several years ago Rubel Shelly wrote the following about this passage and the discipline of God that I thought was worth sharing:

"God was not the source of what lay ahead. As was the case with Jesus, the source of their persecution would be “opposition from sinful men” (v.3). But the original and current readers of Hebrews could choose to take either of two views of their struggle. One option was to focus on their opponents and tormentors – trying to appease them, appealing to a sense of decency they didn’t have, getting frustrated and worn down by the hopelessness of it all. A second and better option was to believe that God would use what even their wicked opponents were doing to discipline them, purify them, strengthen them.

There is nothing new about this perspective on suffering, but it is one that needs to be named and held to in our times of greatest struggle. Paul, for example, wrote this: “We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose” (Rom.8:28). Is everything that happens to you in this life “good”? Are temptation and harm designed to weaken your faith “God’s will”? Of course not! But God has a will for you in everything that comes over the course of your lifetime: Stay on course with me, trust me, and let me work that event to an outcome that defeats any evil design Satan may have had for it. What a promise for him to make us! And I have lived long enough to witness his faithful fulfillment of it in my own life and in the lives of other believers."