The Walking Dead…don’t be a Zombie

Here are the notes and Podcast link from the first sermon of The Walking Dead series

Click for the Podcast: Walking Dead Week 1

We often look like people just shuffling aimlessly through life, not really alive, looking for the next person to devour…

We’ve been presented a better way to live…

I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. (Romans 12:1, 2 ESV)

It is difficult to not conform (look like a Zombie) because we all have one thing in common…

We are all infected.

For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. (Romans 3:23 NLT)

The sin virus is always fatal!

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 6:23 NLT)

Christ is our life saving vaccine….

If we are all infected what does it mean to not be conformed but be transformed?

We often judge how “Christian” someone is merely by outward appearance…

Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment.” (John 7:24 ESV)

We may not look like zombies but we may be just as rotten on the inside

We need to test what is right and wrong living by what the Bible says…

Do not stifle the Holy Spirit. Do not scoff at prophecies, but test everything that is said. Hold on to what is good. Stay away from every kind of evil. (1 Thessalonians 5:19-22 NLT)

Our actions and values as Christians should show we are different than the world

With the Lord’s authority I say this: Live no longer as the Gentiles do, for they are hopelessly confused. Their minds are full of darkness; they wander far from the life God gives because they have closed their minds and hardened their hearts against him. They have no sense of shame. They live for lustful pleasure and eagerly practice every kind of impurity. But that isn’t what you learned about Christ. Since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from him, throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy. (Ephesians 4:17-24 NLT)

He died for everyone so that those who receive his new life will no longer live for themselves. Instead, they will live for Christ, who died and was raised for them. This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! (2 Corinthians 5:15, 17 NLT)

So stop telling lies. Let us tell our neighbors the truth, for we are all parts of the same body. And “don’t sin by letting anger control you.” Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry, for anger gives a foothold to the devil. If you are a thief, quit stealing. Instead, use your hands for good hard work, and then give generously to others in need. Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them. And do not bring sorrow to God’s Holy Spirit by the way you live. Remember, he has identified you as his own, guaranteeing that you will be saved on the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you. (Ephesians 4:25-32 NLT)

Unkind Christians

There has been a recent controversy regarding our local Hamilton County elected officials and the topic of public prayer. A group has brought a lawsuit against the County accusing our officials of endorsing Christian religion.

This commentary isn’t about whether the lawsuit is valid or not. My frustration stems from the way people who claim to be Christians are representing Jesus. I have been watching the debate rage in social media such as Facebook; unfortunately I see very little behavior resembling how Jesus Christ treated others. Here are some samples of the language being used by local Christians from just two Facebook discussions concerning their opponents:

• I’m gonna have to take God’s side!
• Use your right to move somewhere else!
• Majority Rules 
• Trouble Makers
• Communists
• If you don’t like it close your ears
• Get a life
• Suck it up
• Bunch of Cry Babies
• Get over yourselves
• If you do not like it you are “free” to leave the room!
• Grow Up
• Get a real life and get over it!
• Shut Up
• Idiots!
• None of their business
• Get a job and do something worthwhile
• Moron
• I have no sympathy
• Turn your ears off
• Ridiculous
• Low Lifes
• Clowns
• So-called men
• Devil Worshipers

This language might be suited for political debate but it is a far cry from how Jesus commands us to treat others.

 

 

1 Peter 3:15

English Standard Version (ESV)

¹⁵ but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect,

       

        Where is the gentleness and respect in the inflammatory words Christians are using in this debate? It seems that public debate brings out the very worst in Christians. I am still somewhat baffled as to why praying at a public function is so important anyway. The most noted passage in God’s Word dealing with this doesn’t sound like a favorable endorsement:

 

Matthew 6:5

English Standard Version (ESV)

⁵ “And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward.

I see no reason for insisting on praying a verbal prayer out loud as opposed to praying silently unless you want to impress the people around you, the very thing Jesus condemned.

 

        Jesus’ Church loses influence every day in society because His followers refuse to act as He did. I pray that those who want to follow Jesus will truly follow His commandments and that their actions will show it. I leave you with the Bible’s advice on how to treat those who oppose the followers of Jesus.

 

Luke 6

English Standard Version (ESV)

²⁷ “But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, ²⁸ bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you.

Life of Valor: Armor Up

 

This is the third message in Journey Church’s Life of Valor series

Today we are going to be talking about how to survive on the spiritual battlefield. We are often much closer to the front lines of battle than we realize.

1 Peter 5:8  (NLT)
⁸ Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.

One minute life is going along great and then suddenly it seems that our entire world is crashing down around us. We find ourselves in the midst of a tremendous spirtual battle. It would seem that at anytime spiritual warfare is indeed close at hand, it is just a shot away.

Ephesians 6:10–12 (NLT)
10 A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. 12 For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.

Daniel’s prayers set a spiritual battle into motion.

Daniel 10: 7-14 (NLT)
⁷ Only I, Daniel, saw this vision. The men with me saw nothing, but they were suddenly terrified and ran away to hide. ⁸ So I was left there all alone to see this amazing vision. My strength left me, my face grew deathly pale, and I felt very weak. ⁹ Then I heard the man speak, and when I heard the sound of his voice, I fainted and lay there with my face to the ground. ¹⁰ Just then a hand touched me and lifted me, still trembling, to my hands and knees. ¹¹ And the man said to me, “Daniel, you are very precious to God, so listen carefully to what I have to say to you. Stand up, for I have been sent to you.” When he said this to me, I stood up, still trembling. ¹² Then he said, “Don’t be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day you began to pray for understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your request has been heard in heaven. I have come in answer to your prayer. ¹³ But for twenty-one days the spirit princeof the kingdom of Persia blocked my way. Then Michael, one of the archangels,came to help me, and I left him there with the spirit prince of the kingdom of Persia.¹⁴ Now I am here to explain what will happen to your people in the future, for this vision concerns a time yet to come.”

• Prayer is the method we use to communicate with our commander while on the battlefield.

Ephesians 6:13–17 (NLT)
13 Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. 14 Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. 15 For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared.* 16 In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil.17 Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

• Roman soldiers were a common sight in Paul’s time. He used their uniforms and weapons to illustrate the principles of spiritual warfare

• Today’s soldier shares many of the same elements with the soldiers of ancient Rome 

 

• Belt of Truth…truth pulls in all of the spiritual “loose ends”
•  Body Armor of God’s Righteousness….living in obedience to Jesus produces daily righteousness in our lives
•  Shoes of Peace…when we are at peace with God our strength comes from Him and we achieve that peace through the Good News

•  The first three items were worn continuously on the battlefield

•  Shield of Faith…we trust and have faith in God
•  Helmet of Salvation…Satan tries to “get in our head” we must be confident of our salvation.
•  Sword of the Spirit…the word of God is the only weapon we need. It can be used as an offensive or defensive weapon.

•  Satan doesn’t attack those who are living outside of God’s Will. If you have a peace about something and it doesn’t agree with the Bible you are a casualty of spiritual warfare.

 

• Jesus knows how to battle the Enemy

 

Matthew 4: 4-11 (NLT)
The Temptation of Jesus
4 Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted there by the devil. ² For forty days and forty nights he fasted and became very hungry.³ During that time the devil came and said to him,
“If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become loaves of bread.”
⁴ But Jesus told him, “No! The Scriptures say,
‘People do not live by bread alone,
but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.,”
⁵ Then the devil took him to the holy city, Jerusalem, to the highest point of the Temple, ⁶ and said, “If you are the Son of God, jump off! For the Scriptures say,
‘He will order his angels to protect you.
And they will hold you up with their hands
so you won’t even hurt your foot on a stone.’”
⁷ Jesus responded, “The Scriptures also say, ‘You must not test the Lord your God.’”
⁸ Next the devil took him to the peak of a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. ⁹ “I will give it all to you,” he said, “if you will kneel down and worship me.”
¹⁰ “Get out of here, Satan,” Jesus told him. “For the Scriptures say,
‘You must worship the Lord your God
and serve only him.’”
¹¹ Then the devil went away, and rangels came and took care of Jesus.

Armor Up!

Truth:  We are always at battle.  When we stop believing we are at battle, we have become casualties.  God has given us a battle plan and armor to fight an unseen, spiritual enemy and the temptations that we all inevitably face.  Only true disciples (learners) of Jesus will emerge victorious.

Bottom Line:  Unseen enemies and temptations are always defeated by the armor of God. You must choose to put it on every single day.

Life of Valor: Battle Call

This is the first message in Journey Church’s Life of Valor series

Click to hear the Podcast

“Battle is the most magnificent competition in which a human being can indulge. It brings out all that is best; it removes all that is base. All men are afraid in battle. The coward is the one who lets his fear overcome his sense of duty. Duty is the essence of manhood.”  -George S. Patton

• While war is a horrible event General Patton recognized that in the face of battle men had a sense of duty that made them rise to the occasion and overcome their fears.
• We can face any battle with God on our side

1 Samuel 17:43–46 (ESV)
And the Philistine said to David, “Am I a dog that you come to me with sticks?” And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. The Philistine said to David, “Come to me, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the air and to the beasts of the field.” Then David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with a sword and with a spear and with a javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day the Lord will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you down…

• David boldly proclaimed that with God on his side he would defeat the enemy

Psalm 27: 1-3 (ESV)
The LORD is my light and my salvation—
so why should I be afraid?
The LORD is my fortress, protecting me from danger,
so why should I tremble? When evil people come to devour me,
when my enemies and foes attack me,
they will stumble and fall. Though a mighty army surrounds me,
my heart will not be afraid.
Even if I am attacked,
I will remain confident

• With God on our side we have nothing to worry about.

• God has a Battle plan for each of us

Jeremiah 29:11-13 (ESV)
For I know the plans I have for you,” says the LORD. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. In those days when you pray, I will listen. If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me

Philippians 1:6 (ESV)
And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.

• Often we go into battle unprepared relying on our own abilities and God has to reach in and rescue us.

Check out this Navy SEAL in training. I don’t know if he made it as a SEAL or not but you have to give the guy credit for having guts enough to jump in the water with full gear and not know how to swim.

Mathew 14: 25-31 (ESV)
And in the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea. But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, “It is a ghost!” and they cried out in fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.” And Peter answered him, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me.”  Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”

• We need to have faith in God throughout the battle

Truth:  As men and followers of Jesus we are called to lead and influence those around us.  You can choose to live a life of courage or succumb to a life of fear.  A godly leader must know how to follow his leader, fight fear and have the courage to lead, knowing that God has his back.  Whenever we follow God, He always has our back.

Bottom Line:    Have the courage to lead by being ready to follow. God has your back.

RevScottie and the Street Preacher

Street Preacher and RevScottie

 

 I haven’t blogged in a while but this incident fired me up so much I needed a place to vent and the blogosphere is a great place for that. For those easily offended you may need to stop reading now.

I recently attended a car show in Pigeon Forge and ran across something I had never encountered in that environment, a full-fledged megaphone wielding street preacher. Actually not just one but a whole slew of white shirted, tie wearing, shouting, tract distributing, street evangelists. Now I know some of you are thinking why would a pastor who claims to be so passionate about reaching men for Jesus object to this evangelistic activity? The answer is simple, these clowns were driving away the very people they were trying to reach. While well-meaning Christians drove by honking their horns and giving a big thumbs up to the anti gay, anti fornicating, anti drinking, anti anything else you could think of signs I wondered what would an average person living without Jesus in their life think? As a simple test I decided to do a little undercover work as a beer swilling, car loving, redneck.

Take a close look at the picture above and you will see yours truly apparently drinking his favorite “tall boy” malt beverage from a paper sack. (Actually a 16oz Diet Mountain Dew) I attempted to engage this individual by opening up with some friendly banter. He seemed to be somewhat angered by my opening question. “Hey bro you got any cold beer over there in your cooler?” He smugly replied “No I do not” and it was on from there. He explained to me in detail the evils of alcohol. Well even the most  unchurched drunkard knows that the Bible talks about wine so I proceeded to lead him down that path. He explained that wine in the Bible is actually unfermented grape juice. With a puzzled look on my face I asked him “didn’t people in the Bible get drunk on wine?” Well he explained this really wasnt wine but was strong drink. (By the way Jesus turned water into wine and Baptists turned it back into grape juice) My next question…”How does an average guy like me figure out this whole mess, its confusing, what does it mean to be saved anyway?” Here it is, an evangelist’s dream. I had teed the ball up, put the club in his hand and all he had to do was whack it home. His response “You need to read your Bible and repent” What? This idiot had just reduced the greatest news in the world into a religion of works. It wasn’t about what Jesus had done for me but about what I must clean up in my life in order to escape the wrath of God.  I  want you to notice something else in the picture. This man never attempted to make eye contact with me. He was so focused on his message of repentance and damnation that he overlooked a person seeking the answer to the most important question to ever be asked: “what must I do to be saved?”

I know some are going to be critical of my analysis and say, “well at least he was doing something”. I’ve got news for you, doing something isn’t always better than doing nothing if it drives people away from Jesus. The South, the buckle of the so called bible belt, is filled with people who won’t go to church because of this very type of encounter with the Christian elite. This is the reason I co-founded Journey Chattanooga with Mark. We want to cut through all of the religious crap and show people the Love of Jesus Christ and His power to change lives!

If you want more information on the street preachers check out their website. Even better maybe they will show up at Chattanooga’s Riverbend festival and some of you hell bound music lovers will get to experience their “love” first hand.

http://www.warningsofwrath.com

XXX Sunday

A recent article in the Chattanooga Times Free Press indicated that congregations need to move forward on issues of sexuality.  Here are some highlights from Journey Chattanooga’s recent teaching on Pornography and healthy sexuality.

If you think you cant fall into sexual sin, you must be godlier than David, stronger than Sampson, & wiser than Solomon.

• Every second – $3,075.64 is being spent on pornography.
• Every second – 28,258 internet users are viewing pornography.
• Every second – 372 internet users are typing adult search terms into search engines.
• Every 39 minutes: a new pornographic video is being created in the United States.
• Most pornography is viewed between 9 am and 5 pm…on the job.
• 60% of all website visits are sexual in nature
• The No. 1 search term used at search engine sites is the word “sex”
• 38 percent of adults believe there is nothing wrong with pornography use

 

• Pornography and sexual purity is a problem for the Church

Recent surveys indicate the following:

• .90% of Christian men admitted that they were feeling disconnected from God because lust, porn, or fantasy had gained a foothold in their lives.
• 70% of Christians admitted to struggling with porn in their daily lives.
• 50% of all Christian men and 20% of all Christian women are addicted to pornography.
• 54% of the pastors had viewed Internet pornography within the last year, and 30% of these had visited within the last 30 days.
• 64% Christian leaders confirm that they are struggling with sexual addiction or sexual compulsion including, but not limited to use of pornography, compulsive masturbation, or other secret sexual activity.

 

• What is the Root of the Problem?

 Mark 7

²¹For from within, out of men’s hearts, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, ²²greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. ²³All these evils come from inside and make a man ‘unclean.’ “

 

As much as we would like to say “the devil made me do it” that statement simply isn’t true. This passage from the book of Mark clearly indicates that the problem lies within our own flawed self.

  

• Jesus teaches how our thought life affects us.

Mathew 5

 ²⁷ “You have heard the commandment that says, ‘You must not commit adultery. ²⁸ But I say, anyone who even looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

Sex sells and everyone knows it . With sexual imagery all around us how do we resist temptation?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We must realize the porn industry is based on fantasy.

Porn is a whispered promise. It promises more sex, better sex, endless sex, sex on demand, more intense orgasms.

 

You don’t defeat porn by trying not to do it. You do it by learning to look at people a different way. – Dallas Willard

 

Here are some great resources on how to remain sexually pure:

http://xxxchurch.com/

http://relit.org/porn_again_christian/

http://www.covenanteyes.com/

 

 

 

Marriage and Commitment

Married couples often struggle due to lack of commitment in their marriage. Being committed  to your spouse means much more than just not cheating on him or her.  If we are truly to be one flesh we must be committed in all areas of our marriage. 

To be united as one we must be committed: 

• Spiritually

Dr. Tom Ellis, chairman of the Southern Baptist Convention’s Council on the Family said that for “…born-again Christian couples who marry…in the church after having received premarital counseling…and attend church regularly and pray daily together…” experience only 1 divorce out of nearly 39,000 marriages 

• Financially

We must be open and honest in our finances. Financial decisions need to be made together as a couple and couples need to be committed not to buy things they can’t afford. 

• Emotionally

Sigmund Freud, the father of psychoanalysis, said, “Despite my thirty years of research into the feminine soul, I have not yet been able to answer the great question: What does a woman want?” 

Men need to be dedicated to understanding their wife’s emotions. They also need to value and cherish their wives. 

• Physically/Sexually

1 Corinthians 7:2-5 (The Message) 

 “Sexual drives are strong, but marriage is strong enough to contain them and provide for a balanced and fulfilling sexual life in a world of sexual disorder. The marriage bed must be a place of mutuality—the husband seeking to satisfy his wife, the wife seeking to satisfy her husband. Marriage is not a place to “stand up for your rights.” Marriage is a decision to serve the other, whether in bed or out.” 

  

•  to Purity

 Hebrews 13:4 (English Standard Version)  

    Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous.  

 

Sexual intimacy is God’s gift to us as a husband and wife to protect satisfy and guard our relationship

 

Here’s a great website from Justin and Trisha Davis on how to heal your marriage and learn from their mistakes 

http://refineus.org/

Journey Chattanooga Band performing Yours Forever

Watch the Journey Chattanooga Band Rockin it out! I recorded this with my Flip video camera this morning. You guys (and gal) are awesome.Thanks for helping us kick off Full Throttle with so much energy!

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World of Wheels Chattanooga 2010

revscottie’s World of Wheels Chattanooga 2010 set

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Full Throttle

Check out the video for our new series. Guys this is one you don’t want to miss. Charge Hell Change Lives!