From The Desk of a Geek

From The Desk of a Geek:

A Servant’s Heart 

One of the most common questions asked by students to their teachers is, “Why do we need to learn this?” 

After learning they have to do another series of conditioning drills, athletes often ask their coach, “Why do we need to do this?” 

Many students ask, “What’s the purpose?” when talking about mandatory service hours for school. 

We all want to know the purpose behind the things we’re doing, yet often the answer we get is, “Well, that’s just what needs to be done,” “That’s how we’ve always done it,” or “It’s for your own good.” 

Thankfully, when it comes to service as a follower of Jesus, we have a much better purpose behind what we are called to do.

As followers of Christ, we are called to imitate the example that He set for us. Jesus says in Mark 1:45 that He “did not come to be served, but to serve.” 

We are to serve others just as Jesus served them. 

Jesus washing the feet of the disciples (John 13:1–17) occurred in the upper room, during the Last Supper and has significance in three ways. 

1. For Jesus, it was the display of His humility and His servanthood. 

2. For the disciples, the washing of their feet was in direct contrast to their heart attitudes at that time. 

3. For us, washing feet is symbolic of our role in the body of Christ.

Walking in sandals on the filthy roads of Israel in the first century made it imperative that feet be washed before a communal meal, especially since people reclined at a low table and feet were very much in evidence. 

When Jesus rose from the table and began to wash the feet of the disciples (John 13:4), He was doing the work of the lowliest of servants. 

The disciples must have been stunned at this act of humility and condescension, that Christ, their Lord and master, should wash the feet of His disciples, when it was their proper work to have washed His. 

But when Jesus came to earth the first time, He came not as King and Conqueror, but as the suffering Servant of Isaiah 53. As He revealed in Matthew 20:28, He came “not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” The humility expressed by His act with towel and basin foreshadowed His ultimate act of humility and love on the cross.

Jesus’ attitude of servanthood was in direct contrast to that of the disciples, who had recently been arguing among themselves as to which of them was the greatest (Luke 22:24). 

Since there was no servant present to wash their feet, it would never have occurred to them to wash one another’s feet. When the Lord Himself stooped to this lowly task, they were stunned into silence. To his credit, though, Peter was profoundly uncomfortable with the Lord washing his feet, and, never being at a loss for words, Peter protested, “You shall never wash my feet!”

This truth is just one of several from this incident that Christians can apply to their own lives. First, when we come to Christ for the washing of our sins, we can be sure that it is permanent and complete. No act can cleanse us further from our sin, as our sin has been exchanged for the perfect righteousness of Christ on the cross 

(2 Corinthians 5:21). 

But we do need continual cleansing from the effects of living in the flesh in a sin-cursed world. The continual washing of sanctification is done by the power of the Holy Spirit, who lives within us, through the “washing of water by the Word” (Ephesians 5:26), given to us to equip us for every good work 

(2 Timothy 3:16–17).

Further, when Jesus washed the disciples’ feet, He told them (and us), “I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you” 

(John 13:15). 

As His followers, we are to emulate Him, serving one another in lowliness of heart and mind, seeking to build one another up in humility and love. When we seek the preeminence, we displease the Lord who promised that true greatness in His kingdom is attained by those with a servant’s heart 

(Mark 9:35; 10:44). 

When we have that servant’s heart, the Lord promised, we will be greatly blessed (John 13:17).

Lonnie

From the Desk of a Geek: Who Will

From the Desk of a Geek:

Who Will

We are a pretty busy family, and by all means far from perfect.

We argue, disagree, lose our tempers, and even sleep on couches 😀

Pest Control, Geeks With Grace Podcast, Youth Group, Church, the boys with their activities and now with Cathy finishing Nursing School, doing her preceptorship working 12 hour shifts at Georgetown Community hospital we need God more then ever to keep us grounded and at times bring us back to His priorities.

I thank God everyday for the blessings and responsibilities of being a dad. But sometimes it can be hard and alot of times it is scary being a father, especially what is going on in the world today.

I think sometimes we all need a gentle reminder how important our role as a father is.

We talk about our moms as the center of the family. And in certain critical ways, they always will be.

But as fathers we have just as important a role to play in the lives of our children that goes beyond carrying the family’s mantle of leadership. 

We must get back to the father’s traditional roles of provision and protection. A picture comes to my mind – a big, old tree in the backyard, an oak that spreads its branches across the sky like open arms, an oak that kids filled with energy run to in the morning or sit beside for comfort in the afternoon. 

I think of that feeling of unshakeable security, that sense of always being there for you.

What is the biggest crisis facing families today? Many feel that it is the failure of fathers to fulfill their God-given roles. In fact, according to a recent report issued by the National Center for Fathering, 72.2% of Americans believe that fatherlessness is “the most significant family or social problem facing America.”

The evidence about the influence of fathers on their children is overwhelming. A survey of more than 20,000 parents found that when fathers are involved in their children’s education, “children were more likely to get A’s, enjoy school, and participate in extracurricular activities and less likely to have repeated a grade.” 

Even one-year-olds with fathers who were involved were “less likely to cry, worry, or disrupt play than other one-year-olds whose fathers were less involved.”

The Bible tells us that the family unit was designed by God, and that the health of the family depends on every person fulfilling his or her role. The role of the man is particularly central, as a husband and as a father. Yet, tragically, millions of men today are failing to fulfill their role.

Fathers need to understand the impact they can have on the lives of their children and their wives. 

Paul warned fathers not to aggravate their children, or they might become so discouraged that they quit trying.

If you are a father, seek to become more involved in the lives of your children. “Don’t aggravate” them. Make sure to pray for all the fathers in your life. 

Our families urgently need men who fulfill the role God designed for them.

The need a child has for a father is well documented and fairly widely accepted. When a biological father is not available or willing to be a father, we believe that it is the role of the church, both corporately and individually, to stand in that gap. 

We serve a God who calls himself a Father to the Fatherless (Psalm 68:5). As His ambassadors here on earth, it is our role, our responsibility, to act on His behalf in that capacity. Yes, it is time for fathers stand up for their families and for their kids, but it is also time that we, the church, have the courage to stand up for these kids who have no father and point them towards their Heavenly 

Prisons are full of men and women who loved recklessly after being abandoned by their fathers, wounded by the men who should have loved them the most. Many now follow the same pattern of irresponsibility that their fathers did.

While so many mothers have sacrificed to help their children survive. 

They were never intended to carry the weight alone. We thank God for them.

Research is proving that a child also desperately needs a father. There’s no way around this fact! I believe that God desires every father step up and do whatever it takes to be involved in the lives of his children. 

More than just being there or providing for them he’s to walk with them through their lives and be a visual representation of the character of God, their Father in Heaven. 

A father should love his children and seek to win their hearts. 

He should protect them, discipline them, and teach them about God. 

He should model how to walk with integrity and treat others with respect and should call out his children to become responsible men and women who live their lives for what matters in eternity.

I tell you as a father, and a Minister of the Gospels you are accountable to God for the position of influence he has given you. 

You cannot fall asleep at the wheel only to wake up one day and realize that your job or hobbies have no eternal value, but the souls of your children do! 

God’s Word shows us that God desires for every father step up and do whatever it takes to be involved in the lives of his children. More than just being there for them or providing for them, he is to walk with them through their young and older lives and be a visual representation of the character of God, their Father in heaven. 

Who will accept the responsibility of providing and protecting your family?

Who will pray for  your children to boldly pursue whatever God calls them to do?

In my home, the decision has already been made. You don’t have to ask who will guide my family because, by God’s grace, I will. You don’t have to ask who will teach my sons to follow Christ because I will.

Will you for your family?

Lonnie

From the Desk of a Geek: Saving the World Starts at Home

From the Desk of a Geek:

Saving the World Starts at Home

Every Wednesday night, Landon, Alex and myself sit down and watch 

Superman and Lois a new TV show on the CW, and now that Cathy is done with Nursing School she will have more time to watch it with us.

The show took the iconic Superman story and gave it a more modern twist.

Clark is now a husband to Lois Lane, and a dad of two teen boys, who like every teenager we know are going through "growing pains".

We follow Clark/Superman and Lois each week dealing with parenting and problems that we all deal with, all while trying to save the world, or write that Pulitzer Prize winning article.

Infact, Lois has a great quote she says

"Every family has problems, even the extraordinary ones."

When I first became a Minister of Family and Students/Children, and then a parent myself, I was very scared.

There was an overwhelming theme I heard from other parents, church members and Christian books that was consistent: 

Protect your children at all costs !!

As Christian parents, we were told to Not let our kids:

Consume any media unless it was the Adventures in Odyssey radio program.

Listen to secular music (and even some Christian rock was considered too edgy)

Play with kids who weren’t from Christian families (unless they were specifically doing so to eventually invite them to church.

Fear is a very powerful force. 

It can make us fear our kids will make the wrong choices. It can make us fear a lack of control. It can make us fear being viewed as bad parents. I’ve also seen how fear can absolutely be the most destructive tool in our parenting bag.

Instead of fear, God longs for us to see His power and love and grow in self-discipline. 

As 2 Timothy 1:7 encourages us, 

“For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.”

So how do parents transition from parenting out of fear to fearless parenting? I’ve got a few ideas.

*Talk about the steadfastness of God. God has given us a spirit of power and we are powerful because we are His. Make sure your kids know the power they possess because of Who lives in them.

*Teach your kids how to love others well. You are their first example and their first teacher of loving well. Loving when circumstances are tough and when your kids are difficult are both great examples. Then, teaching your kids to love people even when they are unlovable is one of the best skills they can possess.

*Transition from the role of protector. 

It’s easy to want to stay in the role of our kids’ protector longer than we should. And with all that goes on in the world, who can blame a mom for wanting to keep her family safe?

As our kids grow, our job is to fearlessly transition our parenting from protecting to preparing our kids and trusting them to God. And He’s given us the ability to do that because of His power in each of us.

God gave Abram a promise of blessings, but He also promised suffering and delay. It seems He knew that the faith of the Israelites would be increased by the sanctifying power of their bondage in Egypt. 

God knew His people could remain strong in the midst of suffering, and that their faith would abound because of it, rather than in spite of it!

When we rescue our children from consequences and fill their lives with material blessings, we deprive them of some of life's most important lessons. Remember that God's blessings are found not only in "great possessions," but also in suffering and delay. 

Once we grasp this concept, we are more likely to parent in a way that benefits our children eternally.

Walk beside your children when they experience the blessings of trials.

Lonnie

From the Desk of a Geek: The Stars Belong To The Sky

From the Desk of a Geek:

The Sky Belongs To The Stars

While researching for an upcoming podcast. I been learning more and more about life in the 1950's, both the joys and pain felt by so many.

On February 3, 1959, American rock and roll musicians Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and "The Big Bopper" J. P. Richardson were killed in a plane crash near Clear Lake, Iowa, together with pilot Roger Peterson.

The event later became known as 

"The Day the Music Died."

Charles Hardin Holley, known professionally as Buddy Holly, was an American singer-songwriter who was a central and pioneering figure of mid-1950s rock and roll, with mega hits like Peggy Sue, That'll Be The Day, and Maybe Baby.

Jiles Perry "J. P." Richardson Jr., known as The Big Bopper, was an American musician, singer, songwriter, and disc jockey. His best known compositions include "Chantilly Lace" and "White Lightning", the latter of which became George Jones' first number-one hit in 1959.

And the youngest....

Richard Steven Valenzuela, known professionally as Ritchie Valens, was an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist. A rock and roll pioneer and a forefather of the Chicano rock movement.

Valens had several hits, most notably "La Bamba", which he had adapted from a Mexican folk song. Valens transformed the song into one with a rock rhythm and beat, and it became a hit in 1958.

God created us because He loves us. God never intended for tragedy and prejudice, wars and hatred, lust and greed, jealousy and pride. God meant for Earth to be a paradise, a place where there would be no death.

But a man and a woman, Adam and Eve, rebelled against God. This act of rebellion said, “I don’t need you, God. I can build my world without you.” As a result, mankind must suffer and die.

Physical death is just the death of the body, but the spirit lives on. If your spirit is separated from God for eternity, it will be lost forever.

God has provided a rescue in the person of His Son, Jesus Christ.

Is God mad at me, because bad things happen to me..NO!!

God is not angry with you. In John 3:16, the Bible says that He loves everyone.

However, because we live in an imperfect world, we all deal with good and bad. 

God is aware of everything that happens and has the ability to take what was intended for evil and use for good. The evil in this world does not render God powerless. 

It is quite the opposite. He promises to be with us – and, if we live life in relationship with Him – to guide us into a life of peace and freedom from fear.

It often feels like difficult circumstances are directed at us. We live in an imperfect world and the Bible it rains on the just and unjust.

We all live through painful and uncomfortable things. Who are we trusting when those things happen to us? Are we self-reliant or do we rely on God? If we reach out to God in time of need, then we are accessing the One who created the universe. 

The Bible says that He is waiting for our response. He has already made the invitation through His Son Jesus. Why you? Because He loves you. He wants you to look to Him so He can rescue you and bring you peace.

Lonnie

From the Desk of a Geek: Youth Room Couch

From the Desk of a Geek: 

The Youth Group Couch

Why is your church's youth room couch so important?

That beat up, ripped, stained couch serves as a springboard to launch our students into a mission field that can change the path of the church.

God has a track record of choosing teens to accomplish great spiritual feats.

From Joseph, to Timothy, to Esther (who won a beauty contest then saved a nation), God has used young people in big ways to do even bigger things. 

In 1 Samuel 16 when the prophet Samuel goes to the house of Jesse, it’s not the strapping, strutting older brothers of the house that God chooses to be king. It’s the underage runt of the litter that got annointed as the future leader of Israel. 

One chapter later, this kid named David, who was delivering cheese and crackers to his older brothers in the war, got ticked off that a nine foot giant was talking smack against the God of Israel. His anger left an impression on Goliath…a deep one.

But its not just in the Old Testament that God demonstrates his predisposition to choose and use teenagers. For the most part Jesus mostly picked teenagers to be his disciples. 

In Matthew 17, when Jesus, Peter and the disciples go into Capernaum, only Peter and Jesus pay the temple tax (although all of the disciples are there!) According to Exodus 30:14 the temple tax was only applicaple to those twenty years old and older. If I’m reading that right, that means that Jesus was a youth leader with only one adult sponsor.

[READ THAT PART AGAIN]

And God used this “youth group” to reach the world! He can use yours to do the same!

Teenagers are idealists, visionaries and unrealistic. Their brains are literally not fully developed yet! That’s why they’re willing to try crazy stuff, both good and bad. 

This lack of realism and judgment allows them to see visions and have dreams that those of us who have been worn down by the realities of life may no longer see. Adults tend to use microscopes while teenagers have a penchant for telescopes. 

We tend to get worn down by life and they tend to get fired up by causes. We wonder how much money it will take and they just don’t care.

An old French proverb goes, “The most dangerous swordsman in France is the one who has never wielded a sword.” Why are they dangerous? They don’t know the rules so they just hack away and break the rules of engagement until they win. 

Teenagers don’t know the rules of engagement which can help them win souls. They can break the foolish patters of their forefathers which, for the most part, has kept the Gospel locked within the four walls of the church sanctuary.

They don’t know that they can’t reach the world for Christ just by spreading the gospel so they are willing to do it. They don’t know that they can’t reach their schools for Christ without market research so they just reach it.  

The average teenager has 425+ online and face-to-face friends. They can use their social media clout to spark Gospel conversations in ways we could never imagine as adults.

Some ask the question, “Why teenagers?” My answer is this, why wouldn’t you focus on teenagers? They come to Christ quicker and can spread the Gospel faster and further than most adults! 

It’s time to awaken the sleeping giant!

Lonnie