Author: mbard
myTunes Monday
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16
The lyrics to “How Deep The Father’s Love For Us” powerfully convey the Gospel message and the depth of God’s love for us that led Him to send His perfect son to redeem a world far from Him. Let these words sink in as you bask in the love of your heavenly Father. Have a blessed week!
How deep the Father’s love for us,
How vast beyond all measure
That He should give His only Son
To make a wretch His treasure
How great the pain of searing loss,
The Father turns His face away
As wounds which mar the chosen One,
Bring many sons to glory
Behold the Man upon a cross,
My sin upon His shoulders
Ashamed I hear my mocking voice,
Call out among the scoffers
It was my sin that held Him there
Until it was accomplished
His dying breath has brought me life
I know that it is finished
I will not boast in anything
No gifts, no power, no wisdom
But I will boast in Jesus Christ
His death and resurrection
Why should I gain from His reward?
I cannot give an answer
But this I know with all my heart
His wounds have paid my ransom
[Reflection] White as Snow
Current state: Snowed/iced in, slightly delusional.
I’m an extrovert, so I naturally gain energy from being around people. Due to frozen roads, I’m completely isolated from humanity – okay, that’s slightly dramatic, but you get the point. Cabin fever is beginning to set in. So far, I’ve named my heater “Sonny” and have been referring to my situation as hanging out with “Sonny and Mer” (get it, Sonny and Cher…). It’s getting harder to convince myself I haven’t completely fallen off my rocker. On the upside, my window faces a fall-colored tree and a yard blanketed with the icy mixture that’s graced North Texas over the last 24 hours.
As I stare out my window concocting an escape route, I’m pleasantly haunted by the following: Sin had left a crimson stain, He washed it white as snow. My view is breathtaking, and I can’t get over the juxtaposition of bloodstained, red leaves and pure, white snow. Scripture tells us creation points to the Creator (Romans 1:20), yet it always stops me in my tracks when I stumble on such a beautiful depiction of the Gospel right outside my window. As I pout about my circumstances, God is reminding me of what the cross accomplished. My past, present and future sins: washed as white and snow. My debt: paid in full. My soul: accounted for in the book of life. My joy: complete in Jesus.
‘Tis the season.
“Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord:
though your sins are like scarlet,
they shall be as white as snow;
though they are red like crimson,
they shall become like wool.” -Isaiah 1:18
[Heart Fuel] Jesus Is Better
The Austin Stone has an incredible worship team that released a single titled “Jesus Is Better” this Fall. Those three simple words carry a lot of weight. I’ve asked myself if, at the core of my being, I believe Jesus is better than anything this world offers, good or bad. My conclusion? He is.
“In all my sorrows, Jesus is better.
Make my heart believe.
In every victory, Jesus is better.
Make my heart believe.
Than any comfort, Jesus is better.
Make my heart believe.
More than all riches, Jesus is better.
Make my heart believe.
Our souls declaring, Jesus is better.
Make my heart believe.
Our song eternal, Jesus is better.
Make my heart believe.”
Written by Aaron Ivey and Bret Land
2013 Austin Stone Music
It’s simple: Jesus is better. Lord, make our hearts believe.
To download a FREE copy of “Jesus Is Better,” visit this link: http://www.austinstoneworship.com/freedownload
For the story behind the song, watch the video below:
myTunes Monday
I think this one speaks for itself. Enjoy “You Love Me Anyway” by the Sidewalk Prophets and have a blessed week!
The question was raised
As my conscience fell
A silly, little lie
It didn’t mean much
But it lingers still
In the corners of my mind
Still you call me to walk
On the edge of this world
To spread my dreams and fly
But the future’s so far
My heart is so frail
I think I’d rather stay inside
But You love me anyway
It’s like nothing in life that I’ve ever known
You love me anyway
Oh Lord, how You love me
How You love me
It took more than my strength
To simply be still
To seek but never find
All the reasons we change
The reasons I doubt
And why do loved ones have to die?
But You love me anyway
It’s like nothing in life that I’ve ever known
You love me anyway
Oh Lord, how You love me
I am the thorn in Your crown
But You love me anyway
I am the sweat from Your brow
But You love me anyway
I am the nail in Your wrist
But You love me anyway
I am Judas’ kiss
But You love me anyway
See now, I am the man that called out from the crowd
For Your blood to be spilled on this earth shaking ground
Yes then, I turned away with this smile on my face
With this sin in my heart tried to bury Your grace
And then alone in the night, I still called out for You
So ashamed of my life, my life, my life
But You love me anyway
Oh, God… how you love me
You love me anyway
It’s like nothing in life that I’ve ever known
You love me anyway
Oh Lord, how You love me
You love me, You love me
You love me, You love me
How You love me
How You love me
How You love me
[Heart Fuel] Hope
Biblical hope does not disappoint. Did you catch that? Biblical hope does not disappoint. Let that Truth soak in for a moment. The hope we have in Christ continues rising no matter the circumstances we’re walking through. That should overwhelm us with peace. Valleys lead to mountaintops. Tears are wiped away. Joy is eternal. Hope is rising.
We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. -Hebrews. 6:29
myTunes Monday
At work last week, my boss and I were brought to tears by Colton Dixon‘s rendition of Everything by Lifehouse after being voted off of American Idol. My boss watched his performance live, but I haven’t watched much TV in a while, so it was completely new to me. There’s something beautiful about the raw emotion and complete satisfaction despite earthly disappointment that testifies to the fullness of joy found in following Christ. That combined with the reality of someone worshiping God on national television for millions of people to witness led us both to waterworks.
This week’s myTunes Monday is a little different. I’m featuring a recording of Colton’s final performance in hopes that you’ll be encouraged to use your platform to worship the God who loved the world enough to send His only son to die for it (John 3:16). Your stage may not be national TV, but I can guarantee it has the power to transform at least one life. That one life is worth it.
Awestruck
I’m repeatedly blown away by how The Lord can use a sinner like me to exalt Himself. Yesterday, I had an interview and I prayed God would use the interview to glorify Himself. I knew I would have one hour with the interview committee, and in that time I wanted the light of Christ to shine, even at the expense of getting the job. Part of the interview included giving a 10 minute presentation about what I wanted to tackle the first 90 days on the job. If hired, my purpose would be to market sustainability. Earlier this week, I decided to begin my presentation with an image from Haiti and sharing how that experience reformed my view of sustainability.
God designed Haiti to be a rainforest, but due to deforestation it’s become a wasteland of dead grass, treeless plains and rocky soil. I attribute this sad reality to sin. God gave us dominion over the earth, but when sin entered the world, perfect peace was disrupted and we’ve since failed to steward what’s been given to us well. The eight days I spent in this incredibly broken, yet beautiful country opened my eyes to the importance of sustainable living. That’s one of things I love most about Mission of Hope Haiti. Their vision isn’t short term. They use Christ’s method of discipleship to equip Haitians in Christian leadership and sustainable practices that will impact Haiti for decades. During my presentation, I shared my experiences in Haiti with the committee and they were enamored with my willingness to serve. Question after question was asked about why I went, what I did and how I would promote sustainability internationally. For those of you who know me, I light up when given the opportunity to talk about Haiti. In a mere eight days of my 22 years of existence God changed my heart in so many ways. There’s not a morning I don’t think about the sun rising over the Haitian mountains at the dawn of a new day full of new mercies. Not a day goes by that I don’t think about the 30 minutes I spent playing frisbee with a 6-year-old boy whose stolen my heart. I can only praise God for giving me the courage and peace to clearly share the heart He’s transformed from the inside out.
There’s a chance I may have spent hours preparing for this interview and won’t get hired. Honestly, the outcome doesn’t matter to me. What matters is that for the one hour I was given, the Lord graciously answered my prayers and exalted Himself. I’m awestruck by His goodness.
[Reflection] The Porch: Enjoy Your Life
As promised, here’s the link to the message from The Porch mentioned in my most recent post: http://s3.amazonaws.com/Wccaudio/20131112Porch.mp3
Take an hour or so to listen to the message and reflect on what it means for your life.
Be blessed!
[Heart Fuel] Creativity
A brief update on my current adventures: I moved to the DFW area three weeks ago because God closed a lot of doors and opened one. He obviously knows I’m indecisive, so He made my next steps easy to decipher (He’s so good, y’all!). I love Austin and the incredible people I’m blessed to call friends that live there, but I’m confident that it’s not where the The Lord wants me right now. When I left ATX, I bawled. I didn’t want to leave, but I knew that if I intended to walk in obedience, I needed to trust and go. Since that move, The Lord has repeatedly affirmed that DFW is where He wants to use me. I’ve found community, made friends, and am loving every surprise – even Siri’s inability to guide me where I want to go. It seems like “proceed to the highlighted route” and “rerouting” are some of the most common phrases in my vocabulary lately. In Philippians, Paul talks about a peace that surpasses all understanding, and I can honestly say that’s what I’m experiencing (Phil. 4:7). Complete peace that doesn’t make sense.
Now for some heart fuel!
One of the many blessings The Lord has given me in “The Plex” is The Porch at Watermark Community Church. It’s quickly becoming a “Tuesday Tradition” to attend the young adult service and hang out with my incredible friends afterwards. Last night’s message was POWERFUL! We’re walking through Ecclesiastes, and JP, empowered by the Holy Spirit, brought it. One of the main things I took away from the message is that Christians are creative, not boring. So often, we are categorized as rule followers. I know that is especially true of me because my heart is prone to legalism and self-righteousness (Gross, I know. PTL for JESUS!!!). I’ve struggled with cycles of religion rather than relationship, and God’s used some extreme measures (sending me to France) to transform my heart. Like I said earlier, He’s so good.
This simple thought is so true. Think about it. God is creative, so it’s natural that His creation is creative. Every single person you cross paths with is uniquely designed. No one looks exactly the same (including identical twins), which means BILLIONS of people have walked the earth, and not one person is an exact replica of another. That’s creativity. If the God of the Universe is creative, it makes sense that the aspect of creation He made in His image is creative too (Gen. 1:27). When I reflect on events in my life that have been the most fun, I’ve realized they were spent with other Christians doing some of the most random things. After last night’s message, I now realize these moments were incredibly joy-filled because we were fully exercising the creative nature God gives His people. Sometimes I feel like a 12-year-old walking around in a 22-year-old body, but the reality is the imagination The Lord’s given me and my friends leads to some pretty random and ridiculous adventures. And, I wouldn’t change that for the world.
Exhibit A: Fancy Pants Valentine’s Dance. Photo booth included.
Exhibit B: You’re never too old for a game of kickball.
Exhibit C: Staying up until 4 a.m. for no reason. Apparently we thought it was a good idea to take pictures in ski clothes and bicycle helmets. YOLO
Exhibit D: Camping in hurricane-force winds with a Honda Civic. Always an adventure.
Exhibit E: Water guns + no sleep = brilliance!
Exhibit F: Fire pit dancing completely sober on New Years. Party time!
Exhibit G: There’s no shame in dancing in the bed of a truck at a coffee shop.
Exhibit H: Spontaneous trip to the ballpark. Why not?
As I reminisce on these memories and many more, it’s evident that this life isn’t meant to be boring! It’s meant to be creative beyond measure. Yes, fun looks different from the world when you’re following Jesus. That’s not a bad thing. Sin isn’t creative. It’s repetitive and harmful. Get creative. Now! Do something absolutely ridiculous and completely righteous. Hit me up if you need ideas. I would love to help you out!
There is so much freedom and creativity that comes from knowing Jesus as your Lord and Savior. When the podcast is posted online, I’ll share a link to it ASAP!
sojourney 