The Phil Files

In my Heartlight.org article today, I continue some thoughts on the 7 sayings of Jesus on the Cross. The focus this week is on the saying, “Today you will be with me in paradise.”

Does believing Jesus help you as you face the reality of death in your life or the life of someone you love?

Death is described in Scripture as a fear that dominated human beings for generation upon generation. Do you think we fear death today?

I’d love to hear your thoughts on this matter

In my weekly Heartlight.org article, I begin a 7 week series on the 7 sayings of Jesus on the Cross. The first saying is, “Father, forgive them for they don’t know what they are doing.” (Click for the fuller audio version of this message.) It is a strong reminder about how important it is to God that we are a people a of forgiveness — that I am a person of forgiveness.

What makes it hard for your to forgive others?

Why is it so easy to want to get even or hold onto bitterness?

What are steps you’ve taken to forgive others just as “God in Christ has forgiven you”?

I’m sitting here at my beloved MacBook keyboard still drippin’ wet from working out this morning. Since returning from our trip as a family, I’ve rejoined the world of the committed to exercise, dropping weight, and eating properly — in other words, that “Big Guy” would just like to be that “Medium-sized Guy” once again!

As with any discipline, the first week back in the trenches of hand to hand combat with your own lack of discipline in an area of your life is tough. But alas, it is right … past due … and needed. So, I pedal forth and push onward seeking to leave bits of my former self in my vapor trail.

Meanwhile, we launch into some exciting stuff with Colossians and different types of targeted worship gatherings in August, so there is much work and prayer and study in prep. This one I’m not drippin’ with sweat, but drippin’ with great anticipation. Whether you want to call stuff missional (ah yes, all the rage the last few years in churchland lingo) or targeted or strategic, my hope is that it is a return to the integrity of real community and devotion (Acts 2:42-47 NLT).

Click the link above and notice that these early followers of Jesus were devoted to four things (vs. 42):

the apostles’ teaching

fellowship

sharing in the Lord’s Supper

prayer

What I find most interesting is that most folks miss Luke’s definition of each of these four in the verses that follow (click the words and see Luke’s description:

the apostles’ teaching – Acts 2:43 (NLT)

fellowship – Acts 2:44-45 (NLT)

sharing the Lord’s Supper [literally, "the breaking of bread"] Acts 2:46 (NLT)

prayer Acts 2:47 (NLT)

Even more impressive, they were devoted to these things — not just individually, but as a community. So while I’m committed to not lag behind behind in my renewed commitment to physical discipline, I’m even more committed to being devoted to seeing this kind of community truly formed in God’s people in my neck of the woods. What about you?

Onward ho!

(And tomorrow or the next day, we’ll poke around what each of these means!)