Engaging your faith through exorcising it

This morning I met with Marc Nee for my first session with a personal trainer. We went over his evaluation from our time last week and laid out the plan for our time together. It looked easy enough but I had this sneaking suspicion that it would be more than I had bragained for.

Let me tell you that as we neared the end of the hour I was worn out. We didn't even do that much. Mostly stretching and flexing and rolling and pulling. I had worked up quite a sweat too. My body just wasn't used to doing that much work. Of course by anybody else's standards we really didn't do that much. It was a lot of little things. Things that I am not used to doing.

It prompted me to realize that even though I have been going to the gym for twelve years, I have never had this kind of a workout. I usually do cardio. I ride the bike, walk the treadmill, do the elliptical trainer or every once in a while try another machine. I sweat. I feel good. But today I think I used muscles that I don't normally use. I probably burned off just as many calories too.

It made me think about the people who come to church for years and years but don't really do much with their faith. They get a good baseline. They develop some good habits. But the power of living with Jesus in your every day life just isn't there. Jesus is more like a historical figure than the Loird of your life. He is more of a memory than a real presence.

If you want to exercise your body you need to engage it. The same is true with our faith. It needs to be lived out every day. We need to walk with Jesus. We need to read his word. We need to praise and worship him. Then we will feel the change in our life and begin to do some powerful faith walking.

Cal

God is amazing

A friend sent this to me and I was moved by it. It speaks to a truth about God that is so deep. You see God uses every scrap. He weaves together a tapestry that picks up all the pieces and redeems all of us in ways we can never imagine.

Think about it. He takes a despicable slave captain and knocks him down on his knees. He turns his heart inside out and then uses his words and his experience to give us one of the greatest songs of faith ever written. John Newton penned the word to Amazing Grace but he got the tune from the people he oppressed. It is amazing what God's grace can do. Enjoy.

Cal

The reason we celebrate Easter

This is what Easter is really all about. Want to hear more? Attend worship this Easter weekend. Don't have a church to go to? Come join us at First Baptist at 10:30 a.m. on Sunday morning. We'd love to have you. My sermon is titled, "What They Really Found in the Empty Tomb!"

Cal