The Christian and Money

Sunday I preached the first message in our series “Money and the Christian.” You can watch the message here. In the message I laid out some basic principles from Jesus’ teachings and Paul’s letters. I mentioned some practical tips briefly Sunday and I’ll dig deeper on those in the bottom half of this post. To start, here’s the vision Jesus has for money:

MONEY IS A USEFUL TOOL, BUT A TERRIBLE GOD. Jesus and Paul warn about the dangers inherent with money. The bible doesn’t condemn or condone welsh. In some passages the abundance and wealth are celebrated when God blesses His people. In other passages and parables the hazards of wealth are clearly laid out. Money isn’t the issue, what it can do t our heart is the issue.

GRACE IS HARD TO UNDERSTAND IN A TRANSACTIONAL CULTURE. One of the dangers of wealth is pride. Wealth convinces us we’ve earned everything and anything can be purchased. The gospel is specially hard for the rich because it isn’t a transaction. We can’t earn this love or forgiveness.

HOW WE STEWARD TREASURE HERE IS HOW WE LAY UP TREASURE THERE. Jesus lays out a vision for laying up treasure in heaven in Matthew 6 and Paul picks that theme up in I Timothy 6 . Paul instructs the wealthy to use their wealth to be rich in good works, generous and ready to share.

Practical tips when it comes to money

1 You Need a Budget

I know that inflation has made this harder, but the truth is: living below our means is never easy. It requires diligence and sacrifice. I once heard Tim Keller say in this powerful message that Xians are called to refuse the temptation to let their wealth determine their lifestyle. Instead they’re constantly living at the lower end of what their income could afford for the purpose of making generosity prominent in their lives. This is only possible with a realistic budget. Here’s a great resource on budgeting that gives an overview and has a budget you can input your numbers to get started.

2 Your Budget Needs Margins

Most people want to be generous, but feel strapped because lifestyle creep has robbed them of any margins.

Margins don’t just happen, they’re planned. What used to be a luxury, but now feels like a necessity? The moment we allow wants to become needs we kill margin.

Here are 3 margin killers

• Meals: Remember when eating out was a luxury? Over time we get used to the convenience and speed of just ordering to go or driving thru to get our meals. Our family eats home cooked meals most evenings and mornings. If we eat out it’ll be Friday night or Sunday afternoon. We budget for this. There have been busy seasons where we’ve leaned on restaurants and fast food. Every time we end up spending 2-3x as much for lower quality food. I know there are seasons of life that are busy, but cooking and eating real whole foods at home is better for your budget and your health.

• Vehicles: Our cars are one of our largest line item expenses in our budget. Often we just think about the car payment as the cost of owning a car. There’s insurance, gas, maintenance, etc. We’ve never had more than one car payment and that’s been on purpose. We always wait until one car is paid off to consider buying another. This forces us to be patient. We’ve also never spent what we were qualified for (goes back to lifestyle creep). Just because you can afford it doesn’t mean you need it. Dealerships shouldn’t determine how much car you can afford, your budget and spending goals should. We also research how much any vehicle will cost to insure. My daily driver is a small Honda that gets 46mpg. The temptation is often to purchase the most car we can afford because a coworker or friend got one and now we need one too. I am often tempted to buy a new truck, but our 1998 s-10 just refuses to die. As a result of delayed gratification, we can be generous, save for the future and rest easy in the area of finances.

• Random Purchases Retail therapy is real. We feel down or off and think, “I bet a new outfit, shoes or device would make me feel better!” And it does… for a while. When you’re living below your means you know you can do this occasionally, which makes it a constant temptation. I once heard it said that women splurge in several small shopping trips over time and men in one large purchase. Think the lady who constantly spends 100’s of dollars here or there but never in one huge shopping trip. Now picture the man who’s been pretty conservative fiscally, but comes home one day with a new truck, motorcycle, rv, or boat. There’s no remedy like the emptiness of dealing with the consequences of these spending episodes. It takes time and commitment.

3 You Need a Generosity Plan

Have you prayed about how much and where you’re going to be generous? Casie and I have always tithed and we automate that portion of our giving. Every week it comes out of our account via online giving. I’m for regular, disciplined giving, but we also want to be spontaneous in our giving. So when we give to missions, benevolence, or a major endeavor at church, we pray and consider how much to give and do it on a Sunday either by check or a one time gift online. We don’t want our giving to become mechanical or lazy. Our church operates the same way. Each month there are regular donations from our church to missionaries around the world, non-profits in our community and church planters around the nation. However, we also respond to needs as they arise. Our church gives to benevolence needs inside our church regularly. At the end of every year we’ve given single moms in our church a few hundred dollars to help with Christmas for their kids. Generosity has to be more than aspirational. It must be built into our budget and our lifestyle.

Holding on to hope when everything hurts

Hope is one of the most powerful ingredients in our lives. The minute we lose hope, everything begins to unravel. Without hope our lives are dark shadows of what they could be. When hope is lost men turn to destructive vices or even willful self-destruction. Hope is what we need when everything around is seems hopeless. The good news is you and I aren’t the first (and won’t be the last) to face hard or even hopeless scenarios in life.

Peter wrote a letter to new believers who were being persecuted of their faith. Before following Jesus their lives were simple and straightforward but also hopeless. They weren’t persecuted but they also weren’t hopeful about the future. For most of human history hope wasn’t much of an option. Famine, starvation, slavery, and oppression of all sorts was the norm. People just lived, reproduced and died. Then the gospel of Jesus showed up and said there’s more to life than this present suffering. Now they had a hope for the future a hope for eternity. Yet now they also encountered persecution from the state and the culture at large.

In his first few remarks Peter emphasizes the hope that they (and every believer) enjoy.

I Peter 1:3: Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.

Don’t miss that living part. Our hope is alive and well. The world is full of dead hopes. My childhood hope to one day play in the NBA is very much dead. Forgive me, but hopes that people had in JFK to fix our nation died in Dallas. The hopes that millions of people placed in random investments that were supposed to make them rich, well you get it. Hope in Jesus by contrast won’t die. Peter was reminding them that their hope grew even though many of them were being systematically oppressed and killed. Rome thought it could kill these believers hope by killing them, but Rome would die before their hope could ever be killed. Why? Because their hope wasn’t tied to their life, but a living Jesus who was resurrected.

““The Resurrection is the supreme vindication of Jesus’ divine identity and his inspired teaching. It’s the proof of his triumph over sin and death. It’s the foreshadowing of the resurrection of his followers. It’s the basis of Christian hope. It’s the miracle of all miracles.””

— Lee Strobel

The good news is we have a living hope. So my question is simple. What’s the basis for your hope? Your health will fail. My money will run out. Our government will let us down. Jesus is alive and His resurrection is the basis for a hope that won’t die.

"Optimism is a wish without warrant; Christian hope is a certainty, guaranteed by God himself. Optimism reflects ignorance as to whether good things will ever actually come. Christian hope expresses knowledge that every day of his life, and every moment beyond it, the believer can say with truth, on the basis of God's own commitment, that the best is yet to come." ~ J. I. Packer

Do Christians have to tithe?

In my message “why does Jesus care about my money” Sunday I mentioned tithing, giving and generosity. You can watch the message here. I was raised in a culture of tithing. From the beginning my wife and I have been careful to tithe on our income. This was often difficult early on as we struggled to make a living, yet God was faithful. Over the course of my ministry I’ve had many conversations with believers about the tithe. Often, believers will say the tithe was an Old Testament requirement that doesn’t carry over to the New Testament. There are certainly portions of the Mosaic Law that don’t apply to New testament believers. Consider Paul reminding gentiles they didn’t need to be circumcised or Peter’s vision allowing the consumption of meats once deemed unclean. However, giving certainly carried over to the new covenant and if anything seemed to increase. Early church documents indicate tithing was the floor for believers not the ceiling. The debate rages on as to whether or not tithing is required.

Each believer needs to reconcile the evidence and come to terms with what generosity should look like. We shouldn’t just trust our heart to make the decision. typically our hearts are greedy and stingy when it comes to giving. I’ll link a few opposing articles, some in favor of the tithe, some against, then I’ll share my understanding in light of it. Each article makes clear that regardless of tithing or not generosity is explicitly called out of believers.

---

Here are 4 articles with differing views on the subject.

Article One

Article Two

Article Three

Article Four

---

Here are a few reasons I practice tithing and encourage it in our church.

Tithing is a biblical principle.

I do believe the biblical principle carries over into the New Testament. The command not to murder is made stronger by Jesus condemning hatred in our heart. The command not to commit adultery is made stronger by Jesus equating lust with adultery. To read the new testament and conclude that our calling as believers is easier than the old testament isn’t a serious understanding. In every way we are challenged to go beyond what the law required. To move beyond surface level obedience into deep abiding faithfulness. A tithe should inform us about God’s view of sacrifice. Left to our own considerations we tend to give far less than a tithe.

Tithing is a practical solution.

I am better with my money because I learned to tithe. Tithing forced me to save money to give, which helped me learn to save money in general. I learned the power of saving, living below my means, and giving. When Jesus said it’s more blessed to give than to receive He didn’t just mean it felt better (though it does). People who only know how to receive are more vulnerable. Those who know how to save, give and leverage money as a resource benefit from that understanding of money. Teaching people to give systematically forces them to confront their budget, their spending and their values.

Tithing is sacrificial.

The average believers gives between 2-3% to charity each year. That’s far below a tithe. We’d rarely choose 10% at random without the Word guiding us higher in our generosity. Whether you believe tithing carried over to the new Testament church or not there’s no argument that Jesus, Paul and the entire New Testament clearly calls out a form of generosity that is sacrificial and systematic over and over. I’m afraid many believers simply take the easy path of “tithing isn’t required” in order to justify their refusal to be generous. No matter your take on tithing there’s no escaping the fact that Jesus taught on money more than anything else and He calls out and required a level of generosity from his followers that was counter cultural. May we be found just as generous.

Why does God care if we worry?

Sunday I preached a message dealing with worry. Many mentioned how helpful discussing this has been. Let’s start with what we already know: worry is pretty pointless and powerless.

J. Arthur Rank (picture), an English executive, decided to do all his worrying on one day each week. He chose Wednesdays. When anything happened that gave him anxiety and annoyed his ulcer, he would write it down and put it in his worry box and forget about it until next Wednesday. The interesting thing was that on the following Wednesday when he opened his worry box, he found that most of the things that had disturbed him the past six days were already settled. It would have been useless to have worried about them.

What’s something you constantly worry about? Is it a sin to worry ? If so what do we do about it? Why does God care if I worry? I believe it’s a sin to clearly disobey a command from Jesus. He instructs us not to worry numerous times. Why does it matter? I believe it matters to God because worry reveals a lack of trust, a sneaking suspicion that God can’t or won’t care for us as well as we might hope to if we were in charge (control is a major factor). God also cares because a life filled with worry is completely opposed to the joy-filled trusting lifestyle Jesus died and rose to secure for us to enjoy. A believer overcome with worry is a terrible example and witness.

"Worry never robs tomorrow of its sorrow; it only saps today of its joy."

—Leo Buscaglia

Most of us are aware that most of our worries never come to pass, yet we persist in them. In the US here’s what most adults worry about:

• 70% were anxious about keeping themselves or their families safe.

• 68% were anxious about keeping their identity safe.

• 66% were anxious about their health.

• 65% were anxious about paying bills or expenses.

• 59% were anxious about the impact of climate change on the planet.

• 50% were anxious about the opioid epidemic.

• 45% were anxious about the impact of emerging technology on day-to-day life.

Notice where worry begins: a desire for control mixed with fear of the unknown. In Matthew 6 Jesus will tell us not to worry. He also tells us not to lust, hate, envy, withhold forgiveness, yield to pride and we know we often fail in those areas. My point is Jesus takes for granted that we know not to give in to external sins like adultery, murder, and stealing. He takes it a step farther and tells us not to lust, hate or envy. Jesus point is to show us what we naturally do and then offer us a better way that leads to life, real life. We can’t help the circumstances that lend us toward worry, but we can choose how long we stay there or let our minds rest in worry instead of trust.

Here are some passages that deal directly with worry and anxiety:

PHILIPPIANS 4:6-7 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

ISAIAH 41:10 Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

I PETER 5:7 Casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.

PROVERBS 12:25 Anxiety in a man's heart weighs him down, but a good word makes him glad.

MATTHEW 6:34 “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

MATTHEW 6 is where I’d like to focus my attention.  Notice what Jesus said (MATTHEW 6:25) “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?

1. Worry is based on fear 

It may be based on fear of man, fear of lack,  fear of the future, fear of  loss, or fear of the unknown. This is why God often says FEAR NOT in the Word. Jesus’ remedy is to look to the birds. Which is so simple, yet powerful. Birds don’t work as hard or store their food like we do, yet they don’t lack. Jesus was saying these birds were exhibiting more faith in God than humans. What are you afraid of? Jesus even reminds us that worry doesn’t add life. We now know thanks to medicine and science that worry actually can shorten your life (see this study). 

MATTHEW 6:28-30  And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, 29 yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?

2. Worry reveals what I value 

Many of Jesus’ listeners (like us) were concerned with how they looked or were perceived by others. Worry about our appearance is common but pointless Jesus says. He points them to “lillies” but what lillies? According to John Chancellor, in his book The Flowers and Fruits of the Bible was the poppy anemone (picture below). The poppy anemone covers the ground with brilliant blossom in early spring. It is the most conspicuous of all spring flowers. Walking at this season in the Holy Land, among the olives and through fields of thisles and wild grass, I was often hit by an unexpected flash of red--it was the anemone, the "lily of the field" of our Lord's discourse. God gives us visual reminders not to worry, but we miss them because we are focusing on all the wrong things. When's the last time you listened to the birds and remembered the promises of God or strolled through a park and enjoyed the flowers and remembered the providence of God.

MATTHEW 6:31-34 31 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. 34 “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble..

3. Worry is a waste of time.  

Jesus isn’t belittling our circumstance. In Matthew 8-9 (picture below) He spends time with 10 groups of people facing anxious circumstances. Jesus Himself would face death and pain head on. However He knew worry is wasted energy and the Kingdom is where our hearts should focus. Our worry often keeps us focused on self and Jesus wants to move the focus from us to God and serving others. There is so much kingdom work to do, but we often can’t se beyond what has us paralyzed in fear. Why does God care about my worry? It reveals my lack of trust in Him, it stagnates my spiritual growth and paralyzes my kingdom potential. 

When the enemy can’t sideline us with sin, he will settle for fear, doubt, or worry.

Take a walk. Trust in God. Remember His faithfulness. Trust in His promises.

How should a believer handle mental health?

Sunday I preached a message about the myths surrounding mental health. Today mental health is everywhere in the news. The National Institute of Mental Health is always sharing statistics and at the moment about 1 in 5 adults are dealing with mental health issues. Recent studies bare out that 1 in 20 adults have considered serious thoughts of suicide. This is an important topic that many of us try to tackle:

1 by ourselves 

2 usually equipped with a handful of bad ideas

3 while believing lies about mental health & how it does or doesn’t line up with faith

My goal: Lay out myths about mental health & use God’s Word to show you truths about your mind, God and his plan to renew our minds. Let’s start with truth, move to common myths, then end w/ truth.

“What I’ve learned is that asking for help isn’t a sign of weakness it’s a sign of maturity.”

— -Craig Groeschel

ISAIAH 26:3 You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.

God keeps those in peace who stay their mind on Him. Let’s look at some truth about ourselves and God.

1. You are more than your body

Our culture is body obsessed. Jesus reminds us we are more than flesh when He challenges us to love the Lord with all your heart, mind and soul. Body is part of us not all of us. Your brain is part of your body, but it affects your heart, mind and soul more deeply than your body. You are more than what you look like or do for a living.

2. You are more than your diagnosis 

Satan often tells us we are what we do. Lie and he calls you a liar forever. He’s the great accuser. If he can’t find sin, he’ll settle for sickness to use as leverage against your purpose and peace. He’ll say “You’re just a mess. What a problem you are, what a burden!” By the way: WE. ARE. ALL. BURDENS. …yet God forgives redeems and calls us to bear one another’s burdens

GALATIANS 6:2 Bear one another's burdens, & so fulfill the law of Christ.

3. Your mental health (good or bad) doesn’t change God’s redemptive nature.  

The Word tells us that our hearts are deceitful, but God is good and He longs to redeem us in spite of our hearts. His plan is deeper than saving our soul. He saves us and promises an eternity with resurrected bodies. God has a plan bigger than your physical or mental health. Nothing can get sepearet us from the Love of God.

I THESSALONIANS 5:23 Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, & may your whole spirit & soul & body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24 He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it.

Now, let’s discuss some commons myths believers latch onto surrounding mental health.

MYTH 1. REAL CHRISTIANS WON’T STRUGGLE WITH MENTAL HEALTH

  You may hear “Jesus saved you. You’re good. Stop feeling that way.” Jesus did save me but I still wear a seat belt, watch what I eat, go to the dr and wash my hands. I’m not negating the spiritual side of life. I want to point out that very spiritual people in God’s Word dealt with depression and mental health often. Jeremiah was a weeping prophet. David was in despair in the Psalms. Elijah was so depressed he asked God to die. Jonah too. 

“Struggling with mental health doesn’t mean you’re a bad Christian, it means you’re human. ”

— Craig Groeschel

MYTH 2. IF A BELIEVER DOES HAVE ISSUES, ALL THEY NEED IS THE BIBLE AND PRAYER

You wouldn’t say that to someone who broke their arm. You wouldn’t offer someone the Bible or prayer if they were starving. Yes, there are spiritual aspects that affect our mental health, but we are physical beings too. I preach Bible reading and prayer every single week. Jesus modeled well how to navigate this dichotomy. When He was healing people everyone assumed everything was spiritual. They’d ask who’s sin caused this sickness. They assumed everything was a demon. Jesus would cast out demons when it was demonic or spiritual. Other times He’d just heal people indicating the issue was physical. Today our culture believes everything is physical and nothing is spiritual. Believers should model a both and approach. I go to the dr, but I pray too. I trust God, and I do my part (healthy eating, exercise).  But when we are sick emotionally, or mentally it’s not as clear what to do. When Elijah was suicidally depressed God told Elijah to take a nap and eat some cake. I love God’s advice. God knew he was exhausted. God didn’t chastise Elijah or tell him to go read some of the Law. He told him to rest and eat. 

MYTH 3. I CAN HANDLE THIS ON MY OWN  

In scripture we are told to rely on God and His people in our time of need. Counsel, therapy, mental health professionals, these aren’t off limits to believers. Just like hospitals, medicine and doctors aren’t. God often uses these places and people to help. Trust God to guide you to right counselor, dr, people. Don’t assume every “Christian” counselor is giving you solid advice. Filter everything through prayer and the Word of God.

““God is looking for those with whom He can do the impossible — what a pity that we plan only the things that we can do by ourselves.” ”

— A. W. Tozer

Now let’s observe 3 truths about God.

ISAIAH 26:3 You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.

JOHN 14:27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.

1. GOD CARES ABOUT YOUR MIND 

Long before it was popular God’s Word addressed the power of our minds in multiple passages. When common understanding said “toughen up, get over it, big deal” God’s Word indicated that our minds and feelings mattered to God. Other religions and cultures mocked the idea of gods caring about humans. The Bible inidcates that God CARES and is near the hurting.    

PSALM 34:17-19  When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears and delivers them out of all their troubles. 18 The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit. 19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all.

2. GOD USES PEOPLE WITH PROBLEMS

Peter had a temper. Samson was a womanizer. Martha was a busy bee. Thomas was a doubter. Moses had a stutter. Abraham was a liar. People have problems. Jesus died to save, redeem and use people with problems. You are no different. God knew what He was getting when He saved you and called you.                 

3. GOD OFFERS A PATH TOWARD PEACE OF MIND  

God’s plan is deeper than saving your soul. Scripture says He will redeem earth, save our soul, give us resurrected bodies etc. But Jesus also said to his disciples about to endure persecution that they could have peace here as they face an awful future physically.

JOHN 16:33 I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”

Jesus was interested in helping his disciples have peace in world of storm heading their way. Many of us assume God just wants us to grin and bear it. God is interested in leading us to trust Him in such a way that we have a peace that passes understanding.

I THESSALONIANS 5:23 Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, & may your whole spirit & soul & body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24 He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it.

For more encouragement along these lines read this blog post at the Gospel Coalition.

10 great getaways for couples close to Coastal Virginia

We've been focusing our attention on improving marriages lately during the "Save the Date" series (watch/listen here). Many couples start drifting apart because they don’t spend enough intentional time together. We want to invest more time in marriage, but life is busy. Sometimes it's good just to get away alone together. One regular rhythm we try to model is getting away every 90 days for 2-3 nights without the kids. It doesn’t have to be far or expensive. The point is to get out of our regular space and spend time together.

Here are our top picks for close get-aways:

1. OBX NC

It’s only a 2 hour drive but a world away. Of course it’s crowded in the summer, but shoulder season (fall) is heavenly. We love driving on the 4x4 access beaches and watching the sunset on the sound. Walking the beach or just biking through town (we prefer smaller villages like Avon, Hatteras and Duck) is always our highlight.

2. Blue Ridge Mountains

This is actually my wife’s preferred destination. Whether we camp in Shenandoah or find an airbnb nearby this is where she loves to go in the fall. Hiking and scenic vistas abound in Virginia’s only National Park. We always make time to drive the blue ridge parkway too.

3. DC

We realized a few years ago it was cheaper and more relaxing to ride the train from Norfolk to Washington DC. We don’t have to find parking for our car or fight traffic for 3-4 hours. The scenic train ride is part of the experience. The wifi and snack car help too. Once we get to DC we typically stay within walking distance of the national mall or the Baseball stadium depending on what we plan to do.

4. Eastern Shore

The Chesapeake bay Bridge Tunnel toll is so expensive that the Eastern Shore remains relatively undeveloped and untouched by the busy lifestyle of Hampton Roads. Less than an hours drive away are beautiful empty beaches and small towns like Cape Charles right on the bay.

5. Richmond

Richmond has grown into a food scene over the years. There are numerous districts in Richmond proper and just outside the city known for quality restaurants and entertainment. We typically drive since it’s less than a 2 hour drive from our home. We try to visit when there’s a concert, play or comedian we want to see in one of Richmond’s historic theaters.

6. Williamsburg

Growing up I assumed everybody lived near an old town like Williamsburg. It was a regular field trip in school. As an adult we’ve realized how special Williamsburg can be. There’s the beauty of colonial Williamsburg, but also the shoppes and restaurants in downtown. History buffs will love it. Williamsburg is just 45-55 minutes from most of Hampton Roads. When we visit we typically try to visit a new restaurant (there are too many to choose from).

7. Smithfield, VA

Just up the road you’ll find an old downtown with a hotel and a waterfront hotel with a restaurant and marina. It’s a walkable small town full of charm. Perfect for a quick getaway. One of our favorite BBQ spots (Q Daddy’s) is close by too.

8. Local Hotels 

If you don’t feel like leaving town, consider booking an ocean front stay in Virginia Beach in the off season. Rooms at the Renaissance in Portsmouth have an incredible view of the Norfolk Skyline. Explore the beauty in our own backyard. Stay in a part of town you’ve never frequented. Many of our favorite restaurants are in Ghent. There’s a reason tourists head to our area each season. There’s much to do and see right here.

9. Edenton NC

Just over the state line you’ll find a charming small town full of old fashioned bed and breakfasts. The harbor is full of boats and restaurants. We enjoy walking around the historic homes in some of the oldest neighborhoods near the waterfront.

10. First Landing State Park

We love camping, but sometimes can’t get away away. First Landing (formerly Seashore State Park) is a great camping option nearby. You can walk to the bay from your campsite and watch the sunset. The sites are large and private. The restrooms are clean and close by as well. There are plenty of walking trails as well. They have recently added yurts if tent camping isn’t your thing.

The Covenants that God Keeps

In Sunday’s message I covered 5 of the covenants found in the Bible. There are far more than 5 covenants in the Word. I simply sped through 5 of the more familiar covenants and their themes. Jesus referenced a new covenant in his death (blood always represented death). He was the fulfillment of the greatest covenant God offer to humankind.

LUKE 22:20 And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.

When the disciples heard him say that they knew the prophets had foretold a ne covenant that was coming. They were also familiar with Old Testament covenants like:

1. Noahic Covenant: In Genesis 8&9 God enters formal relationship w/ Noah & all living creatures promising that despite humanity’s evil he will never again destroy. Rather, he will preserve the world as he works towards fulfilling Genesis 3:15, rescuing humanity and creation through the offspring of the woman. He reiterates the cultural mandate (Genesis 1:28), inviting humans to partner with him in filling & ruling his world.

This covenant included a sign: the rainbow. It represented God laying down his weapon (bow) of destruction.  

2. Abrahamic Covenant: God enters a redemptive partnership with Abraham, developed progressively in Genesis 12,15, and 17. He promises Abraham a huge family that will inherit a promised piece of land in Canaan and bring universal blessing to all humanity through his family. You can remember these promises like this: 1) offspring, 2) land, and 3) universal blessing. 

The sign for this covenant was circumcision. It set the family apart and signified their dependence upon God for fertility and children.

3. Mosaic Covenant (Israel):  God rescues Israel from slavery in Egypt and promises to make them his own treasured possession, a holy, set apart nation. He will personally dwell in their midst and bring them into the promise land. He (Yahweh) will be their God and they (Israel) will be his people. Moreover, they will be a kingdom of priests that mediate his goodness and glory to all the nations. An epic role in redemptive history.

This covenant also included a sign: the sabbath. One day per week was set aside to rest. This was a sign for God’s people and to the nations of their dependence upon the Lord.

4. Davidic Covenant: God establishes David as king over Israel and promises to make his name great. He’ll give David a royal kingdom in which the promises made to Abraham and Israel will be fulfilled through his lineage. God will raise up a Davidic descendant who will build a house for the Lord and his throne and kingdom will last forever. God’s steadfast love will never depart from him. But then prophets speak of a new covenant coming…

Jeremiah 31:31  “Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will make pa new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah,

5. The New Covenant is the culmination of God’s saving work in his people. He promises to make an everlasting covenant with his people in which he will write his law on their hearts, bring complete forgiveness of sin, put his Spirit in them to empower them to love and obey his commands, raise up a faithful Davidic king to rule over them, bring them back into the land to reunify them into one people of God, and cause them to be a light to the nations. Wow!

"In the Old Testament, God dealt with His people as a nation...Their relationship was completely external. But in the New Covenant, the presence of God moved out of the temple and into our hearts." ~ John Chisum

Scripture: Hebrews 8:10 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my laws into their minds, and write them on their hearts, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.

Here’s the best part. In each covenant God kept his Word, even though we didn't. Consider Abraham, God promises children. Abraham gets impatient and sleeps with his wife’s servant. God still blesses him with Isaac. Israel repeatedly abandons God and worships false idols. God still protects, corrects and even punishes them, but never allows them to be wiped out like so many other nations throughout history.

GOD KEEPS HIS PROMISES EVEN THOUGH WE DON’T. PRAISE BE TO GOD.

What will our resurrected bodies be like in heaven?

I Preached a message from I Corinthians 15 last Wednesday. The passage covers resurrected bodies so i shared 15 interesting biblical insights about our future resurrected bodies. For the portion of I conrithains 15 that dealt with resurrection I relied heavily on some notes from Don Stewart at Blue Letter Bible. Here is a link to his notes. I’ve condensed his notes and my message notes for this post.

We all wonder what we will look like in heaven. Will we be old? young? Look the same? We can picture streets of gold, but what will the inhabitants look like? Why do artists give everyone wings in heaven? Will we fly? Let’s take a look at what the Bible says about our future resurrected bodies.

The Bible says the following about this glorified body that the righteous will receive.

1. Linked To Christ The resurrected body of the believer will, in some ways, be like the resurrected body of Christ.

Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we shall be. We know that, when He appears, we shall be like Him, because we shall see Him just as He is (1 John 3:2).

Who [Christ] will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself (Philippians 3:21).

2. Literal Bodies The resurrection of believers will be just like that of Christ - both bodily and literal.

Then He [Jesus] said to Thomas, 'Reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving but believing' (John 20:27).

Behold My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself. Handle Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see I have (Luke 24:39).

Our Bodies Raised As Christ's resurrection was literal and physical, so will be the resurrected bodies of believers.

If the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also through His Spirit that dwells in you (Romans 8:11).

Characteristics The resurrection body of Christ had certain characteristics that we should note. The body was real, visible, capable of being handled, and recognizable. Yet at the same time it was able to pass through solid objects and disappear.

3. Not Limited Capacity The new bodies of believers will have new capacities. Jesus' body was able to suddenly appear in a locked room.

And after eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors being shut, and stood in their midst, and said, 'Peace to you!' (John 20:26).

Believers will have similar capacities in their new body.

4. A Transformed Body The Bible teaches that we will receive a transformed body.

And what you sow, you do not sow that body that shall be, but mere grain - perhaps wheat or some other grain. But God gives us a body as He pleases, and to each seed its own body (1 Corinthians 15:37,38).

There will be some type of physical connection between the natural body and the resurrection body. However the material identity will not be exactly the same. The key issue is not so much material identity but of individuality - memory and personality. These are the things that make up the unique identity of each of us.

5. God-Given These new bodies will be given to us by God. They will be of divine origin.

But God gives us a body as He pleases (1 Corinthians 15:38).

6. Powerful The resurrected body will be powerful.

It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power (1 Corinthians 15:43).

Our mortal bodies are weak. This will not be the case with our resurrection bodies.

7. Angel-Like The bodies of believers will be angel-like. Jesus said.

For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven (Matthew 22:30).

The idea seems to be they will not have power to reproduce, or have any sexual drive. Jesus also said the bodies of believers will be deathless.

Indeed they cannot die anymore, because they are like angels and are children of God, being children of the resurrection (Luke 20:36).

8. Spiritual Body The new body will be "spiritual." The term "spiritual body" seems like a contradiction of terms. Although we will receive spiritual bodies, we will not be pure spirit. The emphasis is upon the new body in which we receive.

It is sown a physical body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a physical body, there is also a spiritual body (1 Corinthians 15:44).

9. Immortal And Incorruptible Our present bodies decay and die, our new bodies won’t.

So it is with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable, what is raised is imperishable (1 Corinthians 15:42).

For this corruption must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality (1 Corinthians 15:53).

Immortality means not subject to death, while mortal means perishable, or subject, to death.

10. Adaptable To New Environment The new body will be from heaven, adaptable to the new environment. It will be able to function both in heaven and on the new earth.

As was the man of dust, so also are those who are made out of dust; as is the heavenly man, so also are those who are heavenly (1 Corinthians 15:48).

11. Glorious Scripture speaks of our new body as being glorious.

It is sown in dishonor it is raised in glory (1 Corinthians 15:43).

Humans were made to live with God forever - not to be buried in the ground in dishonor.

12. Luminous The new body will be luminous. The Book of Daniel says the wise will shine.

Those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the expanse, and those who turn to righteousness like the stars forever and ever (Daniel 12:3).

Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father (Matthew 13:43).

Moses Moses' face shined when he was in God's presence.

And whenever the children of Israel saw the face of Moses, that the skin of Moses' face shone, then Moses would put the veil on his face again, until he went in to speak with Him (Exodus 34:35).

Jesus At the transfiguration, Jesus shone with a bright light.

And He was transfigured before them; and His face shone like the sun, and His garments became as white as light (Matthew 17:2).

Adam And Eve Clothed With Light? It is possible that Adam and Eve were clothed with some type of light garment before the Fall. After they fell, Adam and Eve realized that they had lost something.

Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made loincloths for themselves (Genesis 3:7). It has been supposed that they had lost some clothing of light when they sinned. This would be consistent with the new bodies believers will receive - a bright or luminous body.

13. Perfected In Righteousness The new body of the believer will be perfected in the righteousness of Jesus Christ.

I am confident of this, that the one who began a good work among you will bring it to completion by the day of Jesus Christ (Philippians 1:6).

14. Different From One Another The resurrection bodies of the righteous will be different from one another.

There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for star differs from star in glory. So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown a perishable body, it is raised an imperishable body (1 Corinthians 15:41,42).

15. Our Same Identity We will each keep our own unique identity. Paul wrote.

By His power God raised the Lord from the dead, and He will raise us also (1 Corinthians 6:14).

He will raise "us" up. This shows that we will each keep our identity in the afterlife.

I closed my message with 3 thoughtful instructions. Tim Keller was known to ask “what should I do as a result of this truth?” when reading scripture. In light of the truth

Rejoice that this mortal body of ours is not all there is. Our bodies are constantly failing us. If we aren’t careful we will get discouraged by the frequent pains and break downs. Rejoice in the body we have to come.

Resist the temptation to idolize the human form. We are surrounded by ideal images of the human form. They’re elusive and short-lived. The corinthians were also surrounded by statues and murals celebrating and idolizing the ideal male/female figure. There’s no hope to be found in placing your identity and hope in a perfect body in this life.

Rest in the hope of the body and life to come. We have a glorious hope to look forward to. One day we will be healed for good. One day these bodies full of aches and pains will be renewed in strength free from pain and suffering. One day. One day is coming.

-Pastor Marc

Fighting Fair in Marriage

How to Fight Fair:

I mentioned Sunday in my message on relationship red flags that fighting is necessary in a relationship, but we have to fight fair. Defining what fair fighting looks like is a bit more than can be squeezed into few minutes on Sunday morning.

God’s Word shows us that how we communicate and disagree matters. Our words have weight.

Here are a few principles for fair fighting

Fighting Fair requires a forgiveness and willing forgetfulness

The easiest way to win an argument is to get historical. Bring up countless past offenses that your spouse may have already sought forgiveness for. This is effective if your goal is to defeat your spouse. It’s not effective if you want to solve a disagreement. The past informs our present, sure. However, if we hold on to past offensives, we can’t move forward. If you routinely bring up something from the distant past, you’re likely not fighting fair.

Fighting Fair requires more listening than talking.

I mentioned James 1:19-20 on Sunday in the message. Do your best to consciously note how much talking vs listening you contribute to your next disagreement. Often, we assume we know what our spouse will say, which is rude and frustrating when someone does the same to us.

Fighting Fair requires a willingness to engage

Some are more willing to listen than to speak. Maybe you avoid conflict. It’s important for your spouse to hear from you, even if you’d prefer to stay quiet. Communication is a two way street. Nothing frustrates a marriage more than silence.

Fighting Fair requires a willingness to compromise

This is the part nobody enjoys. In a fractured culture that takes no prisoners compromise can feel like losing. However, in marriage compromise is almost a daily sacrifice we offer daily to one another. I’m not talking about compromising your values. Simple concessions relating to your preferred activities, time allocation and day to day living are part of offering ourselves to one another. If one spouse is always doing the compromising that’s manipulation. Mutual compromise will be present in every healthy relationship.

Tell me some ways you have found to fight fair in the comments.

-Pastor Marc

Child Dedication Recap

Sunday was a highlight. We witnessed 8 families dedicate 11 of their children to the Lord. We prayed over them. We committed to support and encourage them. Here are the children we committed to pray for yesterday:

Kai

Easton

Bristol

Castella

Sterling

Titan

Beckett

Brayden

Cohen

Nora

Levi

Here’s how to pray for each of these children. Pray for the Lord’s protection, provision and plan over their lives. Ask God to give their parents wisdom and discernment. Pray that God would use our sons and daughters to build His kingdom here on earth as it is in heaven. Pray for their parents to have patience and grace in the hard moments. Thank God for each life that was dedicated. Ask God to bless each family that’s longing for children with children to love and care for. Praise God for the blessings we have in our church.