The Phil Files

If Satan is a roaring lion seeking someone to devour, most of us have realize that the lion is often parked outside our door waiting to pounce on us. In my Heartlight article this week, we look at how Jesus dealt with the challenge of tempation in his own life. Take a look and then I’d love to hear from you about the following things:

In the face of temptation, what does it mean to “love the Lord your God with all of your heart, soul, and mind”?

How are you doing in your battle with temptation and sin?

What are some of your strategies to facing down the evil one and winning the war with the sin that is “crouching at the door”?

So let me hear from you! What’s your take?

In my Heartlight article this week, “Christ at the Center,” I make a strong claim that Jesus must be the center everything. How do you feel about that?

Do you feel like we’ve lost sight of Jesus being the center of everything in our churches today?

If so, how do we move closer in the direction of living by “The Jesus Vibe” with Jesus as the center of everything.

Do believe that Jesus must be the center of how we understand and obey Scripture? Why or why not?

This was a hard, tough, and yet meaningful week for us at Southern Hills! Seeing folks ministering to people in the hospital, walking with friends through grief, teaching New Orleans kids who had never been to a Bible Class about Jesus, going to weddings, preparing for youth camp, coming back from a mission and service trip to a village in abject poverty in Honduras, raising $20,000 in a garage sale for one of our own battling cancer, and just the normal stuff of ministry was a blessing and inspiration. Thanks, brothers and sisters, for your great demonstration of the love of Jesus. As I thought about your hard work and loving service, I remembered the image below and the message of Galatians 6:2 found in the Contemporary English Version of the Bible. Thanks folks, you are great servants and it’s an honor to serve with you!

Ephesians 5:14 says, “Wake up, sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.” Well it’s Saturday, I’m way behind on Heartlight stuff, worn out from traveling out of town to do a funeral for a dear friend, and I need to both “wake up” and also to have Christ “shine on” me!

You know the feeling, I’m sure — worn out doing good, but emotional draining, stuff. But, I wouldn’t have missed it. There is nothing quite like a life well-lived. My friend Wayne Phemister, a life-long educator and good but mischevious guy, lived well and did good stuff. I will miss him and yet I am so thankful for the impact he has had and the encouragement he has given me. (I’ll share more about one thing in particular in my Monday Heartlight article.)

As I shared in the family visitation and then as we did his funeral service together, I was struck with all the different people that were there from all different sorts of connections that I never knew were directly related to Wayne physically and spiritually. The world gets much smaller and the connections much more profound when one belongs to Christ. While we struggle in our churches, at times, to live up to our description as the family of God, funerals with all their joy, sorrow, and reunion, are great reminders of these incredible connections we have and how we really are family.

I don’t know about you, but I look forward to the great reunion promised in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18, when we’re all changed to be immortal, we are all reunited with each other and Christ, and we go home to live with Jesus, forever. O what sweet reunion that will be.

It’s late — or early depending on ones perspective — and I’m out of town doing a funeral and Donna is home readying the house for guests. I’m a bit lonely tonight, but deeply appreciate the partnership we share in ministry. I could not do what I do without her support, encouragement, and hard work. She helps with so many things with Heartlight.com, sings with the praise team, does meals on wheels, speaks as part of TheCoffeeGroup.net, takes care of cards and thank you’s, coordinates a host (well over 60 per year) of shower gifts, and many other things.

When you first start out in marriage, you really have no clue what all there is to life, much less marriage and ministry. Over time, “opportunities” can multiply faster than your time or skillset. I have no idea where I would be without my spiritual and marriage partner I miss tonight, but without her my life would be emptier, my days longer, and my mi istry much lacking. I truly understand each phrase in this famous passage:

Two are better than one,
because they have a good return for their labor:
If they fall down,
they can help each other up.
But pity those who fall
and have no one to help them up!
Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm.
But how can one keep warm alone?
Though one may be overpowered,
two can defend themselves.
A cord of three strands is not quickly broken. (ecclesiastes 4:9-12

In my Heartlight article entitled, “Less than Advertised”, I talk about how we often over-hype what the church can do for folks. This is not usually an intentional thing, just a problem. The big issue is not how do we change our churches, but rather how do we change ourselves?

How do we become more welcoming people?

How do we include outsiders and make them feel and experience life as insiders?

How do we welcome others as Jesus has welcomed us into his family?

What are some things we can each do personally to help others feel more at home in the family of God?

These aren’t rhetorical questions, but questions I hope you will supply with real answers below! Please share your ideas in the comments below!