jeff warren Posts

“I Have a Dream.” jeff warren

04 Jan , 2008 1 Comment

martinlutherking-marchonwashington.jpg

On the 15th of this month, 79 years ago, Michael Luther King Jr. was born in Atlanta, Georgia. His name was later changed to Martin, the son and grandson of Baptist pastors. He himself served as co-pastor with his father at the Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta while he became the central figure in the civil rights movement in the United States.

On August 28th, 1963 Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered a speech that would shake a nation and the world (and I can tell you, by the way, as a pastor/preacher- one who traffics constantly in words- this is one of the finest speeches/sermons ever preached). Dr. King was so articulated, so clear, so picturesque in his words, but what drove his message home was his passion- and even more so, I believe a divine anointing upon his life. Consider the fact that he was only 34 years old.

Martin Luther King, Jr. had a dream and it was a dream aligned with God’s dream for a better world. Let his words resonate in your heart again: 

“I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: ‘We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal….’I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. I have a dream today.”

“…One day right there in Alabama, little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers. I have a dream today. I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together.”

In April of 1968, Dr. King, went to Memphis, TN in support of mistreated black sanitation workers. On April 4th he stood with a friend outside his hotel room on the second floor balcony. A shot rang out and an assassin’s bullet hit Dr. King and the civil rights leader was dead at the age of 39. To get deeper into the heart of this man we need only listen to his final words preached the night before he died. Listen, in light of what would happen the next day: “Well, I don’t know what will happen now. We’ve got some difficult days ahead. (Amen.) But it doesn’t matter with me now. Because I’ve been to the mountaintop. And I don’t mind. Like anybody, I would like to live a long life. Longevity has its place. But I’m not concerned about that now. I just want to do God’s will. And He’s allowed me to go up to the mountain. And I’ve looked over. And I’ve seen the promised land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people, will get to the promised land. And I’m happy, tonight. I’m not worried about anything. I’m not fearing any man. Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord.”

Martin Luther King had a life mission. His one life made a difference. Let me ask you, do you think that only certain people have a mission in life? That maybe there are only a few people who really have a God-given dream? Or could it be that every single one of us has been given a dream- by God- to serve His eternal Kingdom purposes while we’re here on this earth?

Throughout this month let’s allow the life and the words of Martin Luther King Jr.(and even more so, the words of our Lord Jesus) to inspire us to dream as well. Each of us has a God-given dream that He’s calling us to live. And our God-given dream has the potential to change our world. Your dream may or may not find its way on the national or international stage (it may!) but your God-given dream is unique to you and given to you to fulfill your life’s purpose.

So, let me ask you: What do you dream about?

Questions to Ponder this Month:

  • What is your dream for life?
  • What is the vision/calling (or God-given picture) of your life?
  • If you had unlimited resources (of time, money, energy, people) what would you want to accomplish with the rest of your life?
  • What do you love to do more than anything else? What makes you feel fully alive? Why?
  • What do hate the most? What makes you angry? Why?
  • What do you do best? What are your best gifts? (You’ve heard others tell you this).
  • What is God’s unique mission for your life?

How will you fulfill this mission- starting today?

O Come, O Come Emmanuel

20 Dec , 2007 No Comments

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fpfshcDYlGI&rel=1]

My Christmas card to you.  Merry Christmas. 

jeff

Upside Down Under Christmas- jeff warren

10 Dec , 2007 No Comments

This year Stacy and I have decided to have an upside down Christmas.  In fact, I want to challenge you to have an upside down Christmas as well.  We’re going to work hard to make this Christmas different in many ways.  As you know, Christmas is celebrated differently around the world.  It is no surprise to any of us that here in America it has become a focus on materialism and getting more stuff we don’t need.  So much so that those of us who truly want to celebrate the Savior’s birth need to be very intentional in doing so.  There’s one place in the world, however, where Christmas looks altogether upside down.   

I love Australia but if you go “down under” (to Australia or New Zealand) you’ll truly experience an “upside down Christmas”.  You see, there it’s summertime.  December through February is the warmest time of the year and Christmas is right in the middle of summer.  Santa is coming to town on a surfboard and Rudolph’s red nose is going to need some sunscreen.  The only white Christmas they’ll see is the white sand on Bondi Beach.  Instead of elves scurrying around, you may need to watch for koalas crawling around in the eucalyptus trees.  It’s cooler in the south and it’s warmer in the north and the currents flow in opposite directions.  Don’t throw another log on the fire unless you’re putting it on the “barbie”.  What a strange Christmas that would be for those of us who live on the “right” side of the world.      

This year let’s devote ourselves to an upside down Christmas.  I want Christmas this year to look altogether different from what our world has made it out to be.  Instead of the rat race of shopping and running from one event to the next, I’m going to slow down and spend more time in conversation with those I love.  Instead of seeing what I might get, I’m going to join a bunch of my favorite people and see what we can give to our community.  We’re going to the Samaritan Inn to sing with the homeless and spread some Christmas love to those who, like baby Jesus, have no place to lay their heads this Christmas.  Instead of racing through the holidays, I’m going to pause and pray and thank God for His Son, my Savior.  Instead of looking through the latest catalog of gifts available, I’m going to look through His Word and discover the gift of His love for me.   Not getting, but giving.  Not me, but others.  Ah yes, I’m having an upside down Christmas. 

It’s always been that way you know- upside down.  The big God became small.  Spirit took on flesh.  Holiness came to a sinful world.  The perfect was clothed in imperfection.  The sinless took on sin.  The eternal stepped into time.  The One who is life died for me.  What an upside down Christmas.  “But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.” 1 Corinthians 1:27.  An upside down Savior.  That’s the God we worship.  That’s the God of Christmas.  Let’s make this one different.  Let’s have an upside down Christmas. 

Merry Christmas from the Warren family to you and yours. 

We love you. 

Choosing Gratitude- jeff warren

19 Nov , 2007 2 Comments

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OSdP6PqsbJY]

(I’ve been a fan of Sara Groves’ music for years.  Now I’m a fan of her.)

Have you ever noticed how some people seem more grateful than others?  What’s the difference?  Why are some people thankful and others not?  What about you?  Would others describe you as a thankful person?  I think that a life of thanksgiving (or “thanksliving”) is a choice.  But I’m also convinced that the more vibrant your walk with Christ, the more grateful you are.  When you align yourself and, therefore your life, up with God’s perspective on life (that is, who you are and who He is), you will live a life of gratitude.  To the degree that we are not aligned to God’s Way, we become less grateful.  It’s possible to choose a life of gratitude but you must first acknowledge a few things… 

1.  Acknowledge what you have. 

The Bible says over and over again to “remember” what God has done for you.  The old hymn says, “Count your many blessings- name them one by one… count your many blessings, see what God has done.”  Health, home, church, family, friends, job, trials.  Are you content with what you have?  Or do you always tend to want more?  Be grateful for what you have.  Why are Americans so seemingly ungrateful?  How can such a materialistic people learn to be grateful?  What’s the solution?    

2.  Acknowledge why you have.     

  • Not by your own power.  “He has made us and we are His.” Psalm 100:3   Everything you have is from God so “enter His courts with thanksgiving- give thanks to Him.”      
  • Not by your own position.  Your position of power or wealth was not of your own doing.  We see this in the book of Daniel where Nebuchadnezzar learned the hard way that “the Most High is sovereign over the kingdoms of men and gives them to anyone He wishes.”  Every person of any position has been put there by God.  If you have had any success vocationally or financially it’s only because of God.  God is the one who gives and takes away.  Whatever position you have has been given to you by God.
  • Not by your own person.    “Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit’, says the Lord almighty.”  Zechariah 4:6  Why do some people have a sense of entitlement?  They seem to think the world owes them something, that they deserve what they want.  Others are so humble and so grateful when they receive even something small.   

3.  Acknowledge how you have.     

  • You are blessed.   “The blessing of the Lord brings wealth and He adds no trouble to it.” Proverbs 10:22  Wealth brings great trouble when it comes through ungodly means.       
  • You are loved.  Everything we have is an act of grace from God.  Romans 5:8  says “while we were sinners Christ died for us.”  1 John 4:10 says,  it’s not that we loved God but that He first loved us.  And verse 19 says we can now love others in the same way.   
  • You are responsible.  1 Corinthians 4:1-2 says, those who are given a trust must be found faithful.”  You are a steward of all that you have.  How do I steward all that I have been given?  I am responsible for the grace that I have received from God. 

4.  Acknowledge who you have.     

  • Family– express thanks to your family.       
  •  Friends– let a friend know how grateful you are to have him/her in your life.       
  •  Others– people in your life- your brothers and sisters in Christ.  In the end, life is really about who you have, not what you have.  If you want friends, be a friend.

   

Remember, gratitude is always centered on Christ. 

“He who did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up for us all—how will He not also, along with Him, graciously give us all things?”  Romans 8:32   

All of God’s blessings begin with Jesus.  It’s why Thanksgiving is clearly a believers’ holiday.  It reminds me of the atheist who suddenly felt profoundly grateful and realized he had no one to thank.  We know who to thank.  Our gratitude is ultimately focused on a Person.  So, let’s thank Him!     

A whole lotta prayin’ goin’ on

23 Oct , 2007 No Comments

I love the old negro spirituals.  This sounds like a good one.  But it’s actually the story of what’s been going in our church family.  There’s been a whole lot of praying going on.  FBC McKinney has been so committed to private, “in your room” kind of prayer (Matthew 6:6), that we actually have a prayer room for people to access any time 24/7/365.  This month we’re celebrating 20 years of prayer in our Prayer Room.  Since 1987 we’ve had 9,653 people ask for prayer (by filling out a prayer card), and 18,458 people pray over those cards.  Nearly 10,000 cards prayed over multiple times daily; this adds up to hundreds of thousands of prayers!  That’s amazing!  Our church has been marked by prayer.  In fact, I’ve said it’s the most important ministry of the church- any church! This month we’ve been learning to pray like Jesus.  Here’s why this is SO big.  Think about it: The KEY to your Christian life is not found in what you know about God, not even what you do for God, but in the intimacy that you have with God through Christ, and the character and the qualities that are produced as a result of that one relationship.  That’s the ONE thing He’s called you to.  And as Oswald Chambers has noted, it’s the one thing that will be constantly under attack in your life.  Are you committed to daily, consistent, intentional prayer?  How are you doing?  If you want to be a Kingdom person and allow His will to be done in your life, it will all start with prayer.