This weekend at Summit Church we had a visiting Pastor preaching on Fatherhood. The text was Matthew 1-2. Basically the focus was that God chose Joseph, a “backwoods Nazarene carpenter” to be Jesus’ Father. Throughout the pregnancy, birth, and life of Jesus, all odds seemed to be against Joseph. His soon to be wife was carrying a baby that wasn’t his, King Herod wanted to kill Jesus when He was born, and Joseph had to adopt Jesus as his own. Jesus was fully God but still fully man so Joseph still had fatherly duties. He had to raise Jesus up by teaching Him God’s word, teaching Him the prophecies of who He was and why God sent Him here.
The pastor elaborated on Ephesians 6:4 as well. He said that provoking your children to anger is about the responsibility to care for emotional, mental, physical, and spiritual needs. Making sure all those needs are met and when Fathers fail to do that, it creates a warped sense of who God is…the father has provoked that child to anger. He said that Dads are like training wheels on a bike. They’re meant to balance the child but eventually one day, like the father, the training wheels must come off and the child will be on their own. Hopefully if the Father’s done his job…the child will have the balance they need to steadily ride the bike (the life of God’s child).
As a Preschool teacher I see a lot! I work in a 5 Star, Christian based center. You can predict that my center isn’t exactly the cheapest in town and knowing that, it’d probably lead you to believe that we don’t have much diversity outside of race. However our families do not all come from a middle/high class community with white picket fences. I’ve only been in Early Childhood Education for 4 years now and have already seen the dramatic effects of absentee fathers. Physically, emotionally, spiritually, and mentally absent fathers. I’ve seen all of these. Sigmund Freud once said, “I cannot think of any need in childhood as strong as the need for a fathers protection.” When I think of these children who have absentee fathers whether it’s physically, mentally, spiritually, or emotionally I feel a different bond with these children. Being a male in Early Childhood can be difficult yet rewarding when you come upon children in these situations. I see their desire to have a “father figure” and they interact with me in a different way than their classmates. I felt challenged by Sunday’s message to become more involved when I come across those children. I am so very thankful that I was blessed with an earthly Farther, who was a good image of my heavenly Father. Though it wasn’t easy for him to love me through my stupid mistakes, struggles, and failures I never saw it as a struggle. My Father loves me unconditionally and I hope that if God decides to bless me with children, that I am able to love them and to be the “training wheels” to prepare them for the “ride.”
Father’s Day is a difficult day. Typically, Dad’s have all the tools they need, they wear the same (out of style) clothes they wore since you were born, there’s nothing you can really buy them that they need. Even if you asked them what they want, usually you’ll get a response that indicates they don’t want anything. How can we truly thank our fathers for all they do?
This is the first Father’s Day that my family will have, without my Grandpa. Wesley Somerville was one of a kind! A coach, friend, husband, uncle, Grandpa, father, husband, role model, and a prankster. Grandpa loved a good laugh. One of his ways to get a good laugh was at Christmas time! Whenever there was a new girl that one of his grandson’s was bringing around came to our Christmas get togethers, was to wrap their gift in a Victoria’s Secret box. When it was unwrapped you would see the young woman’s face turn red and she was typically scared to continue opening the gift. However, when she did it wasn’t anything from Victoria’s Secret. Makes me wonder what was bought from Victoria’s Secret that he was able to get that box, but I try not to think about that. Always, Grandpa loved to make people laugh. I grew up thinking he was stern, harsh, and a “Clint Eastwood” type of guy. As I got older I realized that when get wouldn’t let me get up from the table until I finished my plate and was excused from the table, that Grandpa was teaching me lessons I’d later learn. That people matter! Grandpa loved people! Grandpa wasn’t the type to say “I love you” or give lots of hugs. However at my brothers college graduation, he did plant a kiss on his cheek! That was Grandpas way of making others laugh, making Jacob feel uncomfortable…but also giving him something to remember. Grandpa was good at that. He was good at giving those around him something to remember. That’s what I miss most about Grandpa. His humorous way of sharing his love for others. If Grandpa ever pulled a prank on you, joked with you, said something to embarrass you, or did something to make you very uncomfortable…it was because he loved you. Happy Father’s Day Grandpa! You were one of a kind and we’ll miss your grin as you plotted to embarrass us with your love.
Early Childhood Education has been my career for a little over 5 years now. I work with the Pre-K children so the time I arrived at my center the children I’m currently teaching, were infants. I am only 25, but seeing their birth year makes me feel old! I felt even older when we were listening to Pat Boone’s telling of Noah’s Ark on my iPod and I told a student that I had this story on tape when I was little and his response was “tape is for sticking stuff.” Regardless of how old they often make me feel, they teach me.
As a male in Early Childhood Education I am surrounded by a community of women. This is co-workers, mothers, administrators, directors, and almost everyone I come into contact with other than fathers. However I am grateful for this. I have often times felt less of a man because I’m not a pastor, construction worker, athlete, or some other “masculine job”, I’m a MALE EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATOR! I love it! Every day, I get to wake up and I look forward to getting to work. I look forward to children walking through the doors and saying “good morning, Mr. Jordan!” I look forward to God giving me a word to speak to a child and seeing that word amplified through my voice to be received by that child and then to see the visual expression of that child as brain stems are joined together as they have their “ah-ha” moment. I look forward to a swarm of children surrounded me with questions, hugs, laughter, joy, and even fights, misunderstandings, and whining. I don’t want to sound too crazy, I do stress, get frustrated and wonder at times about our future.
I can say though that there are times I wish I could have the mindset of a Preschooler. There was a day when two children were having a difficult time getting along. It got to the point where I was growing tired of their bickering and arguing. Finally God spoke through me and I witnessed something that has stuck with me ever since. I spoke with one of the children whom I’d built a relationship with over the years. His older brother was in my class, I knew this child was more spiritually developed than other children, and I had much respect for him and his parents. I started taking to him about what was going on with this the boy. I began to explain to him the story of Abraham and Lot. How they had a hard time getting along and that they decided that it would be better if they separated. I went into some simple detail about the story, and this young boy was able to go off by himself, take time to think, play by himself for a while, and then as the day went on he never had conflict with the other boy.
I thank God for those moments, not because the situation was “fixed” because to this day those boys still have argumentative situation arise on a weekly basis. I thank God for those moments because I remember them. I’m able to store them up life jewels, better than jewels…they are memories that I will cherish forever. I honestly hate the cliche answer I hear Early Childhood Educators say when they are asked about why the do what they do. Typically the answer is, “I love kids.” Which I feel is a dumb answer, I mean who doesn’t love babies, who doesn’t love to laugh at “Kids Say the Darnedest Things”. What I truly love about my job is that God uses me, while at the same time using my job to teach, reach, and give me wisdom for my life.
Dr. S. M. Lockridge is the speaker in this video that I posted with this blog. Watching this video should bring us to tears, and make us speachless.To think that Christ was all of those things…and to think that He is all of that for me. That someone like me, a sinner who was lost, blind, in darkness, bound for hell…He was in a place with no worries, pain, nothing but pure joy, and He took on flesh to become all of that for me. His love for us isn’t something we can begin to fully understand. All this and think about all our friends, and even family, who are in the same shape we were in at one point, lost in the darkness, blinded and bound for hell. We claim that we care about them, we say we love them and would do anything for them, yet when it comes to sharing the greatest love of all to them…..we reamain silent.
Matthew 28:18-20
“18And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.19Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 20Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.”
The great commissioin…something that we read with such a simplistic view, that we think it is a choice. It’s not a choice, it is not something only set aside for Pastors, Missionaries, or Evanglist…it is to ALL of God’s children! Go into ALL nations, that doesnt mean we have to go on a mission trip to a foreign country. We have people we come into contact with on a DAILY basis who do not know our King…why dont we share? Fear.
If your reason for not sharing is fear, or whatever the reason is…even if you do share your faith. I’d like to encourage everybody reading this to get the book Sharing Jesus Without Fear. We had a class on it at my church, and I will PROMISE you, no doubt in my mind. You will never look at witnessing the same. It will excite you about it and make you want to share your faith!
In Websters dictionary, a rebel is defined as this: a person who does not obey rules or accept normal standards of behavior…so is it ok to be a rebel? Why of course let’s go to scripture.
Romans 12:2 “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what (is) that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God.”
So yes God tells us to be a rebel…not to Him, but to the world. Remember a rebel is someone who doesnt obey the rules or ACCEPT NORMAL standards. Well let’s think about the standards of the world, a perfect example are the images that Television displays. Television teaches us that instead of using our bodies to glorify our Father, we use them to get attention from people. Typically for women, the world says that to be accepted girls have to be skinny and show off their bodies. The Bible teaches us to present our bodies as a living sacrifice. The world tells us through television ads that alcohol is the greatest thing ever. The beer ads of television display drinking as a fun and that nobody is harmed by it. Dosent the Bible also teach us not to get drunk with wine?? Also how many TRULY happy alcoholics do you know? A study showed that alcohol is the 3rd leading cause of death in the US alone. is that God’s will? The world would also try to tell us to just let everybody be happy and be who they are and get along. They say to allow homosexuality, divorce, abortion, then we as Christians are told we cannot speak against it. BE YE TRANSFORMED! Meaning don’t CONFORM to what the world tells you is right, even though you know it is wrong. Stand up for what God says, even if it means being persecuted. BE A REBEL TO THE WORLD!
So I started this blog in High School in Mass Communications class and havent done anything with it sense…well i decided to make a come back. My first blog was about what I ment by my blog site “be rebel” so I guess by restarting it, I’ll post what it means to me, and I’m sure since its been two years it’s changed a little. I figure since I spend so much time on the computer why not blog, and spend time using it for God and not just to stare at Facebook or Youtube all day…I pray that those of you who choose to read it will be encouraged and blessed by it and that whatever I post is from God and not myself because I cant help you but He can!
This is the Sermon I wrote and preached on Youth Sunday
Pictures of Joy in Heaven
Well I guess this my last Youth Sunday. Me and Caleb both, so I guess it is my turn to deliver a sermon. Both my brothers did it, and now I guess its my turn. I guess y’all just love to hear the Savages talk. I’d like to thank everyone for coming. I am pretty nervous I’m not the best speaker…so bear with me today. I’d also like to thank everyone who helped out with they yard sale from the people who donated,
I am not the most athletic guy in the world. If you wanna see that just come on out the the softball game today and I’m sure you will see how true this is. I remember when I was younger and I played for Woodcroft basketball, I was probably the dorkiest person out there. We could be in the middle of a game, and I’d be off by the stands talking to some other kid, I would skip down the court like a girl…and I don’t think I ever made a shot. I was the kid nobody wanted to pass to cause I’d wind up passing it to the other team or shooting it in their goal. Anyway, my Dad was our coach and no matter how bad I was, no matter how goofy I was, he would make sure I got to play every game. He also encouraged me and didn’t ever tell me just how dorky or how bad that I was. Now did he have to let me play no, I think he was doing it because he wanted to lose, just kidding but I think that the real reason that he let me play was not only to let everyone play but that he did it because he loves me. We’ve all got a father like that. No matter how bad we may be, or how distracted by that random kid on the sidelines, he will always love us.
There is a story like this in the Bible, if you have your bibles turn with me to Luke 15, if you don’t have your bibles look up on the screen.
Luke 15: 1-2
Now we’ve got the Pharisees and teachers of the law here, they saw Jesus talking to publicans and sinners. Publicans were tax collectors. They saw him taking with them and wondered how could Jesus be of God if he is talking to those sinners and tax collectors? The Pharisees didn’t realized that the sinners there were making a change and were attentively listening to Jesus. I imagine they were sitting as close to him as possible trying to hear every word, and the Pharisees were maybe to the side or not close to Jesus. They were not listening to what Jesus had to say, they just said he couldn’t be OF God if he receives these sinners and not only is he receiving them he is sharing a meal with with them. So the Pharisees thinking that they were just were actually unjust and the sinners were just, because they turned and were TRULY listening to God.
So Jesus goes on the tell a parable to the Pharisees about the lost sheep, look with me in verse 3.
Luke 15:3-7
Now sheep are not the smartest animals in the world they are actually pretty dumb animals, for example you know sometimes when your cat or your dog wonders off, they can usually find their way home, and can at least usually survive on their own. It’s not like that with a sheep. I heard a preacher tell a story one time of how one day he was going down to his grandmothers house, well he decided that he had one cat too many so he took the cat with him. He got a ways off then dropped the cat off on the side of the road. He spent the day with his grandmother, then when he got home the cat had beat him. A sheep couldn’t do that. The sheep wondered off unaware of their dangers or where they are. Sometimes we can relate to that, we wonder off from God. We go to look for food, when we’ve got plenty of food right there, but the devil may tell us that the food somewhere else is better. keep your place in Luke 15 but turn with me to John 10
John 10:25-28
In verse 26 it says…so an unsaved person is not on of the God’s sheep, they are not his treasure…turn with me to Exodus 19
Exodus 19:5
So a unsaved person, and a sheep that doesn’t belong to the Shepard cannot wonder off from him. He don’t belong to the Shepard.
Go back to Luke 15. After the lost sheep, we are told of the lost coin. In Luke 15:8 it says…
Luke 15:8-11
So now we have the coin. Now the coin had no mind of its own, it was lost through no intent of its own. Through no carelessness of its own. Sometimes we can get lost in sin, with no intent. We can carelessly, we don’t plan to stray from God. We sometimes, like the coin be lost, or don’t plan to stray from God. And we belong to God, just as the coin belonged to the woman. Then, we have what is commonly known as the parable of the prodigal son. I have heard it better called by a preacher as the story of the loving father.
Luke 15:12-32
I think that this parable is the most gracious one of all three. The son left by his own desires and selfishness. He wanted to stray off from his father, and he completely strayed. He completely turned his back on his father and wondered off and did what he wanted to do. When the son returned home the father says “This my son was dead” Dead he called his son dead. The boy had wandered so far off from his father that his father called him dead. He was as far away from his father as he could be. He left wanting to be self directed, and we can’t do that. God’s people cannot be self directed and if we try to be self directed, no question about it we will fail. He trying to be self directed, purposely surrounded himself with the wrong crowd. I am sure this was the crowd that his father would tell him as a little child not to hang out with. Parents always worry about who their children hang out with, they tell their kids, don’t go hanging out with the wrong crowd. Turn with me to 1st Corinthians 15
1st Corinthians 15:33-34
Here it says, don’t hang out with the wrong crowd. Don’t put yourself in a place where you may fall into peer pressures and temptation of sin. Evil communications, bad associations, the wrong crowd. It isn’t saying here we are to shun them, we should be examples to them and not fall into their ways. Verse 34..
That wrong crowd can take away our strength if were not careful. It’ll sap us. Heard about a preacher who was a farmer, he was out bailing hay one Saturday, and a lot of your time is spent when your bailing hay, trying to get the rake to rake or the bailer to bail. He said he didn’t to get caught up in work like that on a Saturday because it sapped him…it’ll slow him down.
Parents fear with their children that they’ll get into the wrong crowd, and some do and take it to and extreme. Getting into the partying and drinking. The wrong crowd can be a danger. But being Children of God, we should realize how far we have strayed, and think to ourselves we need to go back to God. Heard a preacher say one time “a saved man can finally get his head on straight.” He already belonged to the father, already had his head on straight. When he finally realized he should return to his father, it was because he had spent all his money, with his gambling and partying. He wanted to be found again, like the sheep, and the coin were found again.
The Shepard’s friends all were asking him, now you have 99 sheep but your still going to go out and get worked up over this one sheep that is lost? God will find his sheep, he will find his treasure as the woman found her coin. These go to show you how much God values his people. The woman looked until she found her coin, as the Shepard looked until he found his lost sheep. Those 99 sheep were not righteous , they still needed repentance, Bible says ALL fall short of the glory of God. Not just the lost but the saved as well, we ALL fall short. That’s a beautiful picture of the Shepard searching until he found his lost sheep and how God will search till he finds us.
Can we share that joy with heaven? Do we share that joy with heaven? We’ve got three pictures here to represent that joy, with the recovery of the sheep, the coin, and the son. I’ve got a video I’d like you to watch…maybe you cant really visualize the joy I am talking about here…
Soldiers Surprising Their Kids-VIDEO
Did you see the joy in those kids faces? I cry almost like a sissy almost every time I watch that video. Because we cannot even imagine the fear and sadness when they are away from their fathers who are at war. Did you notice that EVERY SINGLE child, when they say their daddy, they stopped everything that they were doing and RAN to him. No hesitations. Then with that last little boy they said “even Zach’s fellow students were thrilled for him.” They were THRILLED! Thrilled that Zach and his father were rejoined and that he was with his Daddy again! Thats the kind of attitude that we should have when one comes to the lord for the first time…or when one has strayed and come back again! That joy will not come from ourselves but from God. As a Church, we should have that attitude when a sinner repents, and we should be praying deeply for those who are lost. We, the 99 sheep, when they return to the field should rejoice with them, and receive them with open arms and let them know we welcome them back. That is what the father did with the lost son. The son was at the lowest of the lows, he was eating the food that the pigs were eating.
When the son decided to go back home I like to imagine and when he began his journey home. I imagine the whole way home he was thinking in his head what to say, what to tell his father. And I like to imagine the father sitting out on his porch every day, or in the house with his head in the window looking down a long driveway, thinking maybe today, maybe today my Son will return home. Then on this day the day his son returns, I imagine the father looking out the window and seeing his son far off down the road coming home. I imagine that front door flew open and the father ran and didn’t stop running until he got to his son, then he fell down and hugged and kissed his son…that should be the attitude we have when a sinner repents.
The son was only expecting to work for his father as a hired servant, instead his Father ran out to him and fell down before him, kissing him and he threw a party that his son returned. He didn’t expect to get the party, and the best calf that the father owned. Much better than that pig slop he had been eating. I’m sure this was the best meal this son had ever had! Not that it was the food he had, I’m sure that was great after eating pig slop, but the best meal he had ever had because who he was having it with, and after coming back. Expecting nothing but to work for his daddy, and maybe not even that. But instead his daddy welcomed him home and told everyone to rejoice with him because his son had come home. He wanted everybody to be there and to know his son had returned home..and to REJOICE with him. Webster’s dictionary says to rejoice is to feel joy or great delight. It’s not just being happy for a person, its not just coming up here when a person makes a decision to rededicate their lives to Christ or finds Salvation for the first time and shaking their hand, patting them on the back and saying congratulations. When we witness or hear of one finding salvation or making that decision to rededicate their lives we should share GREAT DELIGHT with them. And when we know someone who is lost and needs salvation, we shouldn’t judge them and tell them all the wrong things they are doing, instead we should be a living witness to them. So that maybe they will see Jesus through us. DC Talk made a song years ago called “What if I Stumble.” and the opening to that song they say “the greatest single cause of atheism in the world today is Christians, who acknowledge Jesus with our lips and then walk out the door and deny him by their lifestyles, that is what an unbelieving world simply finds unbelievable.? So instead of passing judgment like the Pharisees did on those who we think need salvation, first we should examine ourselves. If we are not living the life then why would they, they see us who are Christians not acting as we should so they don’t feel a reason to receive salvation. And maybe if we do live the life ourselves and they may see that and through that come to know Jesus Christ. Then celebrate with them when they come to know Him. Rejoice with me for I have found my sheep which was lost, rejoice with me for I have found the piece which was lost, rejoice with me for my son was DEAD and is ALIVE AGAIN.
This past Sunday at church, my pastor made a comment that really stuck out to me. He said “Living for is worth it.” How true, how much we need to! His sermon was why good things happen to bad people. That sometimes we as Christians may want to live like a sinner, because it seems to be better, or a happier life. Sometimes we may envy a sinner because they may seem happier. A I said earlier though, “Living for God is worth it.” It will pay off, if we live as Christians like we should, then it’ll be worth it in the end, because we are all given a choice from God. The choice to die or to live. A sinner dies, but a Christian never dies and has a everlasting life with God! Yes we will all physically die our bodies here on earth, but one who makes the decision to chose life will go to Heaven and spend life eternal with Christ! Jeremiah 21:8 says “And unto this people thou shalt say, Thus saith the LORD; Behold, I set before you the way of life, and the way of death.” So here we are given an option, an option to chose life which is Jesus Christ, or we can take death which is an eternal separation from God.
I’ve got to give credit to my minister at my church Larry and my Uncle Dwight. I got to hear a sermon from each of them this past Sunday. One in the morning then another at night, but their sermons were the inspiration for this.
So, I guess you are wondering why my URL is berebel. Well BE REBEL is from a song by a Christian hip hop artist named Lecrae, the song titled Rebel on his newest album. If you have now heard the song I suggest you hear it and if not listen to it at least google the lyrics and read them. The song tells about how Jesus was a rebel, and that we as Christians should be rebels as well. That Jesus did not live according to the rules of the world, but the world of God. I think that if we as Christians would be rebels to the world and do not partake of the things of the world, that the world will notice that we are different. If we TRULY live as Christians the world will see it and want to follow. If every Christan would be a rebel to the world and start living for God, we could win souls to Christ, and soon being a true Christian will now be rebellious to the world but will become what the world does.
Matthew 5:13-16 (NIV)
13 You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men. 14 You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.
Manny 