Do you see what Jesus sees?

Posted on January 27, 2014 by jeremygarrettawaken

Have you ever had that moment when you thought you were seeing one thing and it turned out to be something else altogether?  I’m sure that the two spies Joshua sent to scout out Jericho didn’t think much at first of the prostitute named Rahab.  But, due to their circumstances they found themselves staying at her house.  They probably didn’t think that a prostitute would be much help to them or to the Israelites.  According to their laws, they were most likely quite repulsed by her and her “occupation”. 

But, the two spies were about to learn that they couldn’t judge a book by its cover.  Can you imagine their surprise when Rahab said to them, “I know that the Lord has given you this land and that a great fear of you has fallen on us, so that all who live in this country are melting in fear of you. We have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea for you when you came out of Egypt…for the Lord your God is God in heaven above and on the earth below.” (Joshua 2:9-11)

The spies had to be thinking how did this prostitute from Jericho know about our God?  She speaks as if He is her God also!  You know the rest of the story.  The spies save Rahab and all of her household when the Israelites destroy the city.  As a matter of fact, her family is the only family spared in all of the city!

Who is the Rahab in your life?  Who is it that you have already judged, categorized, and dismissed as not important in your life?  I know I am guilty of devaluing the lives of some that I have judged.  Who am I to judge them?  Am I any better?  Am I not a sinner just like them?  I am guilty of thinking my sins aren’t as “bad” as theirs. 

Lord, I pray that you would heal our hearts and minds.  I pray that we would see those around us as Jesus sees them.  Wow, wouldn’t we be surprised if we saw people as Jesus does?! 

Rahab was later named in the genealogy of Jesus in Matthew and is listed in the “Hall of Faith” in Hebrews chapter eleven.  And the Pharisees–who were supposed to be the teachers of the faith–are called by Jesus “sons of hell” (Matthew 23:15).

This week, our challenge is to identify a person–they could be someone you know or don’t know–that you normally don’t associate with and try to start a conversation.  Is this radical?  Perhaps.  Is this what Jesus did?  You bet! (See the Gospels for many examples!)

Let’s see what happens!

More to come…

Jeremy

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What’s wrong with “ordinary”?

Posted on January 20, 2014 by jeremygarrettawaken

In our culture today “ordinary” gets a bad rap. Everything has to be bigger, better, more exciting, once-in-a-lifetime, epic, or insert your own favorite superlative here! Don’t get me wrong, I like those extraordinary times as much as anyone–but let’s not forget about the ordinary.

Let’s face it–ordinary is where the overwhelming majority of our lives are lived. Those moments when we are just going about our daily routine doing the things that need to be done. It is those moments where we can and do make an enormous impact for God’s Kingdom.

Chuck Swindoll was quoted as saying, “Ordinary people do more than the extraordinary people.” Now, he wasn’t disrespecting the people we call extraordinary people of the faith. His point was that there are millions of Christians that everyday do millions of “ordinary” deeds that advance the Kingdom.

A couple weeks ago I watched the first Hobbit movie on blu-ray. I admit that I have not read the book–not sure how I could have missed out on this one! Anyway, I was struck by a powerful quote that Gandolf said to Galadriel, “Saruman believes it is only great power that can hold evil in check, but that is not what I have found. I found it is the small everyday deeds of ordinary folk that keep the darkness at bay…small acts of kindness and love.” Great words crafted by J.R.R. Tolkien!

So, try to remember that as you go about your week. Those boring, ordinary parts of your day when you are just “doing what needs to be done” are the things that can help keep the darkness at bay!

This week, be ordinary and be proud of it! You are doing God’s work!

More to come…
Jeremy

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“Fight the battle well”

Posted on January 13, 2014 by jeremygarrettawaken

John Maxwell has said, “We overestimate events, but underestimate the process.” I think this statement is very true in my life. I know I can’t wait for some of the big events in my life. My patience gets tested every time “the next big thing” comes up in my life. I have several of them again this year–two new ones for me are becoming a dad and turning 40!

I have to admit sometimes I get caught day dreaming too much about the actual event and not spending my time as well as I should. I don’t know if Timothy also had this problem or if Paul was just warning him about this potential danger when he instructed him in I Timothy chapter 1, “I am giving you this command in keeping with the prophecies once made about you, so that by recalling them you may fight the battle well, holding on to faith and a good conscience, which some have rejected and so have suffered shipwreck with regard to the faith.” (verses 18-19)

These verses kind of snap me back to reality! I need to stay in the moment because it is presumptuous of me to look too far ahead in life when tomorrow isn’t promised to anyone! I need to not just focus on the “big events” of life, but all of the little, seemingly boring, and tedious parts of life also.

I know, I know, we are supposed to enjoy the journey. “Success is a journey, not a destination” and all those other quotes that I know in my head that I am supposed to believe. I am just being transparent with you–I struggle with this more than I care to admit.

It’s not that I don’t enjoy the process of growing. In fact, I generally really enjoy the process. But, Satan knows where my weaknesses are and he really likes to exploit them.

So, how am I combating this struggle? I am renewing my committment to study and apply Scripture daily along with praying (like Paul) for the grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord (verse 2). I am also setting better goals that help me to keep track of the process and not just the events of life.

This week the challenge for you is to look closely and deeply–yeah, I know it’s painful sometimes–in your life and see where you need to grow. The steps I followed were to first identify the problem, second to find out what Scripture says about this problem, and third set a course of action to work through the problem. The fourth step is critical–find someone to hold you accountable! Be transparent–in my experience people are more likely to respect you if they see you as a real person with real struggles!

More to come…
Jeremy

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New Year, new opportunities!

Posted on January 6, 2014 by jeremygarrettawaken

Happy New Year!

I hope that you are as excited about 2014 as I am! There is just something about a new year that has always given me a renewed sense of hope and anticipation.

Personally, 2014 stands to be a great year for Laura and I because if all goes well we will become parents for the first time. Another landmark for me is that 2014 is the year that I turn the BIG 40! Wow, that used to seem so far away!

I am also excited about what 2014 will bring for Awaken Ministries. Honestly, I have more ideas than I do time! So, here is what is where we are going over the next 12 months:

1. Blogs: The weekly blog and email have been the best way for me to communicate two things to you: 1. What the vision and thinking behind Awaken Ministries is and 2. To keep you updated with what is going on. I would like to expand the blogs to include guest writers, interviews, personal stories, and commentaries.

2. Offering a second class that builds off of the first class. In “Christians That Changed the World…and How You Can, Too!”, we talked about what others have done to help redeem our culture for Christ. In this second class, we will take a more in-depth look at what we must do to be intentional about our spiritual growth and how to think differently in a world that can easily distract us from Him. It will be a hands-on, activity-driven class that will lead the participants towards Christ-like thinking.

3. Offer “Christians That Changed the World…and How You Can, Too!” to other churches in the area.

4. Turn the handouts from that class into a small booklet. I think the presentation will be more “professional” that way.

5. Form a Board of Advisors. There are 3 reasons why I am wanting to form this board: 1) I think it is important to have accountability in ministry work. 2) I want the wisdom of others to help shape this ministry. 3) No one person is gifted enough to do ministry alone.

6. Follow the Lord’s lead!!! I have other ideas for ministry but I want to make sure I am doing His work and not something that is my work alone. Pray that I would keep faithful to Him!

Thank you for your time and prayers! May 2014 be a blessed one for all of us!

More to come…
Jeremy

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Thank you for a great 2013!

Posted on December 27, 2013 by jeremygarrettawaken

This blog is coming to you early as I will be “off the grid” for the next few days as Laura and I continue our vacation. But, first I wanted to thank you for your support of Awaken Ministries!

I really had no idea how this adventure would go when Awaken was launched in January. But, I did have a vision and many good people around me giving me guidance and support.

So, number-wise, how did the inaugural year go? Well, the weekly blog had almost 1,200 views. The first class–“Christians That Changed the World–and How You Can, Too” was taught to around 120 people. There were 9 speaking opportunities for me to either teach a class or talk to a group about the vision of Awaken. Honestly, all of those numbers were higher than I thought they would be at the end of the first year!

Now, numbers are nice but they quite honestly are only important if those who read the blogs and attend the classes are inspired or cheered on to impact their world for Christ. God has placed on my heart to wake up God’s people to see the impact we can have by redeeming the times to Him. The vision is to light the fire in believers so they can spread that fire to others who would spread it to others and so on and so on!

So, what will 2014 bring for Awaken Ministries? That will be next week’s topic! But, I do want to thank each and every one of you who take part of your valuable time to read and respond to the blogs. I truly love it when I hear your stories.

I also want to take the time to thank my wonderful wife Laura. Truly, her support has been an inspiration to me. She already has to sacrifice so much due to my job as a principal. But, she is always there to listen and critique a blog for me or to listen to an idea for a class that I have. Her support has made Awaken Ministries possible and I am blessed to share this journey with her.

God bless and have a safe and Happy New Year!

More to come…
Jeremy

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Preparing for a New Beginning

Posted on December 23, 2013 by jeremygarrettawaken

(Note from Jeremy: My wonderful wife, Laura, wrote today’s blog as I was driving to our Christmas vacation. Merry Christmas to you and to your family!)

This week while many of you were probably busy preparing for Christmas, I was preparing for the arrival of that special child that Jeremy and I hope to adopt in 2014. We don’t know when our child will arrive, we don’t know when our child was born, we don’t even know if our child will be a boy or a girl, but we know a little one is coming that will turn our lives upside down… in a good way! And so there has been much to do. I’ve started evaluating how to make our home safe for a toddler (It’s likely our child will be 2-3 years old when they arrive). I’ve started contacting pediatricians, and asking advice from parents. But I had one task ahead of me that I have been dreading for years… cleaning up the bonus room. This is our room upstairs that we throw stuff in when we have guests coming for a visit and lack the time to discern whether to keep, toss, or donate. Nothing in that room was organized or neatly put away. I would be completely mortified if anyone was allowed to see this room.

messy room

Well, what would cause me to finally tackle this messy room of mine? A child! A child that needs room in my life. I have a vision that this messy room, once cleaned up, will serve has a perfect room for a child to run, jump and dance around in, to throw a ball, to build a grand Lego construction, to cozy up with Mommy and Daddy for story time. And so with this vision in mind, I dug in and got to work! I went through EVERYTHING in this room, and if you have ever tackled a project like this, you know it takes longer than you anticipate. The reason it takes so long is that this mess is full of memories. I found old photos, old letters, old newspaper clippings, my wedding dress, remnants from a scrapbook that I worked on with Jeremy’s mom, old plane ticket stubs from trips with Jeremy, notes from my first Caterpillar project, and many many books (someone really needs to introduce Jeremy to a library card). The work stopped many times to reminisce. It seemed appropriate to reflect on the great gifts I’ve been given as I was preparing for the next chapter in our lives. But as great as all those memories are, I think the best is yet to come.
So how is God calling you to prepare this Christmas? God might not be calling you to prepare an actual room, but is He calling you to make a different kind of room in your life? More time with Him? More time with your family? More room in your heart for a prodigal in your life? The smallest act is not in vain. Whatever it is, know that it is God’s grace that is giving you time to get your rooms in order, to get your heart and mind on track, to awaken you to how you can help redeem this world. Because someday our Lord will come again, and someday will be today!

Laura

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Are you talking to me?

Posted on December 16, 2013 by jeremygarrettawaken

Yesterday, I read Matthew 23. Whoa, that was the biggest collection of woe’s I have ever read! I know this is the season where we sing of the infant Jesus “so tender and mild”, but the grown up Jesus had some stinging words towards the self-righteous.

I think it is easy to read Matthew 23 and think, “I am glad I am not a Pharisee!”. But when I really take the time to examine myself, I know that in my heart I am a lot more like the Pharisees Jesus was addressing than I want to admit.

I know that I suffer from the sin of self-righteousness. There are more times than I care to admit that I find myself judging someone else for their sins. I think to myself, “Well, I have done this or that, BUT I haven’t done anything like they have done!” Woe to me!

Do I hold myself to a high ethic in all situations? Do I live a moral life in every way? Do I live my life with such integrity that I could stand before God in judgement and say that I am confident that I have it all together? No, I don’t. As much as I want to live up to a high standard, I have found that like Jesus says three chapters later in Matthew 26, “the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

This is another reason why Christmas is such an important season for me. I have stumbled so many times during the year that every Christmas season, I am still in wonder that God sent His Son to this earth in the form of a man. As Henry and Richard Blackaby said, “God’s plan of salvation has existed since time began. Only He–in His wisdom, love, power, and perfection–could have devised such a deeply compelling yet incredibly costly plan. Only a God as infinitely loving as our God would be willing to let His sinless Son serve as the perfect and acceptable sacrifice for (my) sin.” I am so unworthy, but by His grace I am given a chance at redemption because Jesus was born on Christmas Day! God had already planned for our redemption before we were even born!

Take some time this week to truly search your heart before the Lord. Let the meaning of the season come into your heart as you search yourself and find that you are still in need of a Savior! Because the Good News is–He has come, and He will come again!

More to come…
Jeremy

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The Christmas Prodigal

Posted on December 9, 2013 by jeremygarrettawaken

Last week, I wrote about the joy that we experience during the Advent season. That joy, of course, is what I hope all of us get to experience this Christmas.

However, I know that the Christmas season also carries with it much pain and sadness for many people. There are feelings of loss, loneliness, and pain. The feelings of loss can be due to a loved one that has passed away over the past year(s). Loneliness comes from that feeling that many will face this Christmas because–due to circumstances or choice–family and friends just won’t be seen this year.

Then we have the feelings of pain that many will carry with them this Christmas. The type of pain I am talking about here is the pain that comes because we know that some of our family and/or friends are lost right now. In my head I am imagining the Prodigal Son’s (Luke 15:11-32) father. Now, I know this was a parable, but like all of Jesus’ parables they not only reflect how God relates to us, they also reflect real human emotions and reactions. Think of the loss that the father must have been feeling in this parable. His younger son had left in one of the most disrespectful ways possible in their culture. He had basically told his father, “I wish you were dead so I could just get my inheritance now.” The father probably spent many hours and days waiting and worrying about when–or if–his son would ever come home again. Think of the time he would have spent praying for his son to come back to his senses.

Who are the prodigals in your life? Who are those lost loved ones that you so desperately pray would come to their senses and return home–figuratively, if not literally? For whatever reason, these people seem to come to my mind even more during the Christmas season.

Now, I do want to leave you with good news! In the parable, the son does come back! Then the ball is in our court! How will we treat those returning prodigals in your life? Will we hold up our arms and stop them and say, “You blew it, son! You had your chance and you blew it. Don’t come back here asking for a second chance.” Or, will we welcome the prodigals in our life like the father in the parable who runs out to meet him when he sees him and hugs him and accepts his son back into the family, “For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found,” (verse 24).

Let’s pray for the prodigals in our lives this Christmas season. Let’s pray that they would ‘come home’ and that we would accept them as our Heavenly Father accepts us.

More to come…
Jeremy

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Advent is finally here!

Posted on December 2, 2013 by jeremygarrettawaken

Yesterday was a meaningful day for me and probably for several of you…the first day of Advent! Now, I realize that there are many among those who read this blog that do not formally celebrate the Advent season in their denominations. I am not here to start a conversation on whether or not they should–I will leave that discussion to those with more letters after their names than me!

What I do want to tell you about is why Advent is such a powerful time of year for me. You see, for me–at least during my adult years–Advent seems to come at about the perfect time. By the end of the calendar year, I sometimes get pretty beat down. The weather turns gray and cold (have I mentioned I really don’t like gray and cold weather?). The newness and spark of all I set out to accomplish in the new year has long since started to wane as I realize that it is looking like I am not going to accomplish everything I had set out to do.

By December–I am ripe for restoration! I am ready to experience the hope and joy of the Christmas season as I look back on the first coming of Jesus and joyfully look towards His second coming. The Advent season helps give me back my focus as I turn my focus to Jesus. I have my favorite Advent devotionals and readings from the great saints of the past, along with those that are my contemporaries.

What I love most about the Advent season is that–whether in a song or a story or the way a Scripture hits me–I get to see Christmas like a child again. I get the warm feeling that cuts right through the heart of how Christmas is marketed to us today by our culture. Do you remember what Christmas felt like when you were a child?

I do! I remember the simple joys of how we used to have our Advent wreath right in the center of our table growing up (complete with real evergreen branches–no fire hazard there!) At dinner, we would all take turns getting to read the short Advent devotional our church provided. One would get to read the devotional and one of us would get to light the candles. Simple traditions that provided memories for a lifetime.

What are your Advent memories? What is it about this season that causes you to pause and really take in that God sent His Son into this world–to redeem us?! I pray that this Advent season is a time of restoration for you and a time to pass on the real gift of Christmas to others!

More to come…
Jeremy

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“Come out into the tempest of the living”

Posted on November 25, 2013 by jeremygarrettawaken

Maybe it is was the tornados that ripped through my home county last week that destroyed more than 1000 homes. Maybe it is the adoption process that my wife and I are going through that is seemingly moving in slow motion. Whatever it is–I know that I am need of a Savior!

I have been guilty of thinking in the past that as long as I am actively seeking Christ in my life that things will go smoothly for me. He will make all of my paths straight and will keep me from all harm. Well, that just isn’t the case for me and it probably isn’t for you either.

The truth is that this life can be unfair, unjust, and the unrighteous win many times. But, as a Christian, I know how things will end. My hope lies in knowing that Jesus has conquered death through His resurrection. He has defeated Satan and will come in glory again. Satan wins many battles on earth today, but I know that Jesus wins the war!!

So should we as Christians just sit huddling in our homes and churches in fear of going out in this fallen world? Absolutely not! We are called to live this life in victory–despite knowing full well that there is pain and heartache involved. We are called to redeem this fallen world to Jesus through the Holy Spirit.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer said it so well, “Do and dare what is right. Not swayed by the whim of the moment. Bravely take hold of the real, not dallying now with what might be. Not in the flight of ideas but only in action is freedom. Make up your mind and come out into the tempest of the living.”

Come out into the tempest that is this life. But do so knowing full well that as men and women who claim Christ, we will have a large target painted on our chests! Once we head out to redeem our culture, we will be heading uphill and into the wind both ways! If we are making progress, there won’t be many times where we can sit back and cruise.

Now, don’t get me wrong. We need to make sure we take time to refuel and replenish and have a true Sabbath. But–in my life at least–I know that when I take extended time of taking it easy, I find it more and more difficult to get back in the game. I start to get comfortable being on the sidelines. How do I know when I have taken too much time? I know because I start to make stupid decisions.

My prayer for all of us is that we would be engaged in this world! That we would feel God’s presence with us as we are doing battle in this wild and uncertain time! That we would fight the good fight…and come out into the tempest of the living!

More to come,
Jeremy

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