Romans 15 – Brandon Hatmaker “Thank God”
Tuesday, June 10th, 2008
“We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves. Each of us should please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. For even Christ did not please himself but, as it is written: "The insults of those who insult you have fallen on me." For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.” – Romans 15:1-4
I’ve been going through a “mini” season of doubt the last week or so. Not the doubting of faith, but the doubting of my faith emphasis. I’ve been wondering if I’ve been teaching too much on keeping our emphasis on others. Seriously. I’ve felt the temptation to stop talking about serving others so much and concentrate more on matters of faith that are more “self-help”. Mostly because I’m afraid people will get bored. Weird.
Today I’m comforted and reminded. I’m not making this stuff up. The emphasis of the Gospel is on God and others. The emphasis of the Life of Jesus is on the Father and others. The emphasis of the Pauline Epistles is on God and others. It goes on and on.
The thing I love about reading the Bible through a chapter at a time is how it forces you to keep things in perspective. You can’t help but see what are mega themes and what are minor themes. You can’t help but see the emphasis of God and others throughout every doctrine, every practice, every discipline, and every motive.
Thank God, literally, for the fruit we get to experience, the journey we get to be on, the lives we get to see changed, the contentment we embrace in confidence as a child of God, and the freedom we have in Christ…
… all while we keep the emphasis on God and others.
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The Son of Man came to serve not to be served. We are suppose to fallow Jesus' example. We are suppose to live our lives as close as we can to His. The hitch comes in when our sinful nature comes out. It was not a hard thing for me to get out of FCA. When we went on vacation for a week and Andrea took a picture of me on my cell phone making a deal in the Rookies, it was a done deal. Since I have been out, I have been offered an FCA job in Missouri and Tulsa. I have been offered two head football coaching jobs. Every time I ask my oldest, Jaycee, if I should go back to work for FCA, her yelling no is about to take the roof off the car. It is a very hard way to live and some might even see it as selfish but, I am trying to say no to the "good" things so I can say yes to the "great" things. The trick is to be able to identify the "great" things in your life. I have taken a head coaching job. I am the high school cross country head coach. The lifestyle is a LITTLE move laid back then football and my family, my "great" thing, can be more a part of it. Everyone is different. Everyone's "great" things are different. Ministry gets messy at times. We all know that. If God puts you in the situations and lays on your heart what needs to be done, then do it. You are an inspiration to me and my family. Keep doing the things God lays on your heart!!
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