"Simon says? Solomon Says!" Chad O

"Simon says? Solomon Says!"

Have you every played the game Simon says? When you play it, you're not supposed to move until the leader calls out, "Simon Says!" Wise King Solomon had many rules for living. You should get to know these rules--especially the ones found in the Book of Proverbs. Then you can be guided by the things that Solomon says!

He wasn't just a king. He was also a very wise man and a good writer. When he finally put down his pen, what was this man's final advice? It's simple:

"Here is my final advice: Honor God and obey his commands." Ecclesiastes 12:13

Wow, God's mark is on everything that obeys Him. The next time you have an important choice to make, ask yourself this: "Am I honoring God and obeying Him with everything I THINK, everything I SAY, everything I DO and everything I DON"T DO? And am I doing what God wants me to do?

If you can answer those questions with a great big "YES," then go ahead. But if you're uncertain if the choice you are about to make is the right one, slow down. Why? Because that's what Solomon says...and that's what God says, too!

I hope you have a great day today.

Chad O on "Comforting Others"

Why should we comfort others if we are the ones needing comforting?

Take a minute to read II Corinthians 1:3-11

Here we are listening to the life-wisdom of Paul. On behalf of God the Father, Paul blesses his friends with grace and peace.

"PRAISE be to God...who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God."

Paul immediately turns attention to why God should be praised:
1. He is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
2. He is the Father of compassion.
3. He is the God of all comfort.

God comforts us how? ...in ALL of our troubles.

Why? ...so that...we can comfort those in trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received... From whom? ...from God! Direct comfort from God to us! Personally!

Even as suffering flows into our lives, whether it be the same perils as Paul testifies about in verses 5-8, or possibly the suffering that comes from watching our child suffer, or even our own personal traumas, so too, our comfort overflows. It all happens for a reason. Why? Our answer is found in verse 9: "so that we would not rely on ourselves but on God."

What troubles do you have today? Who has recently shown you comfort? Detail why they comforted you________________________.

Close your eyes right now, no matter what is going on around you. Thank the Lord for the above mentioned person/people. In spite of their own circumstances, they took time to comfort you with the same comfort they received from God. That should mean something to you.

Marriage Humdrum...Just Click Refresh by Brad Hodges

See if this sounds familiar, married guys?

The first several years of our marriage was like most, I guess.   Rear kids, make meals, go to work, pay bills, clean house, maybe attend church, take out the garbage, do the dishes, help with homework, change light bulbs, plunge toilets, rush through bedtime routine and wake up and do it again…

Meanwhile, in my relationship with my wife… we switched our focus off similarities to differences.  We shifted our dreams with reality.  We fought over finances.  We felt misunderstood and at times disrespected.  We went to bed angry and silent on many nights….

Every couple at some point complains, “We do the same things over and over and over again!”  When a marriage gets wedged in a monotonous rut , the vacuum of intimacy sucks each spouse dry.  It is exhausting and draining.  

Wouldn't it be great to just click the refresh button?  Maybe your marriage feels monotone.  You feel stuck, and want to be unstuck.  Do you remember all the fun times you had while dating and wonder if days like those are even possible again?

So, we ask ourselves, “How do we have that great marriage again?”  “Enjoy each other in the middle of the "routine grinder"?

Enjoying marriage and your wife is actually possible in the midst of differences, hard work, toddlers, communication issues, pain, and a tight budget! 

I’ve read this perspective on marriage recently:  “God gave you your spouse to beat you down and suck the life out of you so you can be more like Jesus.”  What? No way! 

We need to raise the value of our marriage and wife, prioritize our marriage (fight against the kid-centered home), and enjoy our wife. 

Ecclesiastes 9:9 -  Enjoy life with your wife, whom you love, all the days of this meaningless life that God has given you under the sun—all your meaningless days.  For this is your lot in life and in your toilsome labor under the sun.

When you’re in a rut in your marriage; enjoy life!  Live life and pursue it!  Decide now not to waste it!  Celebrate the little things.  If your marriage is in crisis mode, my prayer for you is that you will find hope again.  Jesus breathes life into dead people, and I know He breathes life into dead marriages.

Over the next several blog entries, we’ll look at a bunch of different warning signs that will help us identify marriage pits that most couples drift into.  And, we’ll look at the decisions necessary to having fun again together.

Chad O on "Having a Heart"

"Have a Heart"

Psalm 37:4 "DELIGHT yourself in the Lord and He will give you the DESIRES of your heart."

Not long before "American Girl Dolls" became my daughter's interest, I remember my wife dragging me to a Build-A-Bear store in the mall. "Please, Mommy, Please" Mallory begged and in we went. Each time we went to the mall I noticed that the well-marketed store always motioned and drew my daughter in. Upon entering the store, Tania and Mallory started the process of creating a unique teddy.

First Mallory chose which type of teddy she wanted to adopt, complete with adoption papers. Her delight was in a soft tan hide. Next we filled the soon-to-be adorable creature with fluffy cotton that would give shape and substance to the chosen bear. Before they decided on the outfit the bear would wear, Mallory ever so carefully personally chose a satin red heart that she would place inside the forming creature. Before she laid the heart inside, she was instructed to hold the heart in her hand, close her eyes, make a wish, kiss and then lovingly place it within.

As I read this verse, I remembered this parenting memory of Mallory placing that little heart inside her bear and thought that maybe that's what God does with each of us. He has in mind the exact time we are to be given life, and carefully chooses each of us inside and out.
He puts His loving hands over our heart, He longs for us to one day connect with Him. His desire is for us to desire Him. When we do, he will give us all that we will ever long for, and that's something to cheer about.

Recall your favorite teddy bear or doll. Do you remember it's name and what made it so special to you.

Betrayed and Bitter by Jonathan Martin

Betrayal has to be one of the worst experiences.

When someone who is supposed to love you doesn't just neglect you but intentionally does something that harms you…that's the kind of wound that cuts deep.

I'm gonna be real with you:

My wife, Emily, and I have been talking over some things in our lives and how we deal with fear and hurt. During that process I've been sorting through how my natural response is to get bitter. Bitter and negative and cynical.

I've actually known this about myself for a while, but the Holy Spirit has me at a place in my life where I'm just seeing this sinful response in all new light and with new clarity.

Hebrews 12 encourages to throw off everything that weighs us down. That's how bitterness feels. It feels like a heavy weight.

If I've learned anything, it's that bitterness isn't helpful.  I need tools for dealing with life and relationships that won't weigh me down, but that will help me to continue running my race.

I have found no better place for life-giving tools than the Word of God.

Take Joseph's life for example. I'm going to assume that most of you are semi familiar with his story, but here are some key points:

- He was betrayed by family (brothers wanted to murder him, but sold him into slavery instead)  

- He was betrayed by his employer (employer threw him into jail after the employers wife lied) 

- He was betrayed by co-workers/friends (fellow prisoner forgot Joseph for many years and left him in prison) 

(If you want the full story you can read it in Genesis chapters 37-50)

Joseph's story is basically one wrong committed against him after another. The amazing thing is that Joseph, in the midst of it all, doesn't let himself get weighed down in bitterness. Instead, he runs his race diligently.

Here are somethings I learn from the life of Joseph.

1. He pressed on - he didn't give up on life, he continued forward in each new season

2. He worked hard with integrity and great character striving to be excellent in all that he did - he didn't just "press on," he really did everything with excellence which is why he continued to rise to the top no matter how low he was previously.

3. He used whatever God-given power he had to serve, both in the heights and the in the depths of his life/career. - Whether in prison or with empowered by Pharaoh himself, Joseph was constantly serving others.

4. He forgave - He let it go. He didn't hold-on to things.

5. He repaid good for evil - His life proved he had forgiven by saving and rescuing the very lives that sought to murder him years earlier. He comforted those that hurt him.

Listen to this amazing response of Joseph to his brothers in Genesis 50.

His brothers also came and fell down before him and said, “Behold, we are your servants.”But Joseph said to them, “Do not fear, for am I in the place of God?As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.So do not fear; I will provide for you and your little ones.” Thus he comforted them and spoke kindly to them.

Bitterness doesn't equip me to do any of these things.

Bitterness doesn't equip me to repay good for evil. To run my race with diligence. To be excellent in all that I do.

Bitterness truly IS a poison for the one that holds it in their heart.

This is why Jesus encourages us in Matthew 5:43-48 to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us.

I'm convinced that EVERYTHING that Jesus commands He commands it not only because it's right, but also because it is for our benefit.

We don't love our enemies JUST because it's the right thing to do…it's also the better thing for us to do. It's the most life-giving thing for us to do. It's going to be the thing that will give us the most success in life.

Jesus came to give us abundant life NOW. Loving our enemies doesn't work against that, loving our enemies works towards giving us that abundant life. 

 Maybe you, like me, need to look more in the Word, look more to Jesus to give you tools for overcoming bitterness.

Jesus was like Joseph. He WAS murdered and betrayed…and He too offers salvation to those who have betrayed Him. (aka. everyone/you/me)

Jesus wasn't controlled by those that hated him…and He can empower you and I with the same kind of freedom.

He can empower you to return good for evil and in doing so you will be equipped to live life to it's fullest.

Naked and Scared by Brad Hodges

In the first marriage, everything started out very well.  In fact, Adam and Eve began "naked and unashamed."

Genesis 2:24-25 For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh.  The man and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame.

They started out with no barriers to intimacy.  There was no fear, no negative patterns, and what must have been an incredible and fun intimacy.  This ended when they sinned, and covered themselves.

Genesis 3:7-8 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves... and they hid from the LORD.

They hid from each other and they hid from God.  What had been great intimacy was shattered.  Adam's response:

Genesis 3:10 "I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid."

At the core, we are all imperfect people who, like Adam and Eve, seek closeness and acceptance.  This desire for relationship was built in by God before sin even entered the picture.  But out of fear (a result of sin and the fall), we tend to cover ourselves and make barriers in our relationships. 

Relationships, especially marriages at times, are all to often not safe for intimacy.  We get afraid, and we let our fears impair our ability to love fully.  We cover up and the relationship in marriage suffers.  But scripture points to the antidote to such fear, LOVE.

1 John 4:18 There is no fear in love.  But perfect love drives out fear, ...

Put your love in action in such a way as to keep the avenues of intimacy open in marriage.  Work with God's strength and wisdom to overcome the tendency to build barriers in marriage.  God designed marriage for great blessing--oneness in all its mystery and promise!

Chad O on "Paying it Forward" - Part 2 of 2

"Paying It Forward - PART 2"
 
Philippians 1:6-11 is the passage we are in. Just like many of us today, Paul was in the middle of a crisis. His letter from prison has provided us with a prescription for follow-up called, "Paying it forward!"

1. In keeping with Paul's positive attitude, complete these sentences:
I feel PEACE when _________________________________________.
I feel JOY when ___________________________________________.
I am THANKFUL when ______________________________________.
I am CONFIDENT in ________________________________________.

2. Who do you know that needs words of encouragement today?

3. Take 5 minutes right now (yes, right now) and write this person an email or send them a note letting them know they are on your heart. Tell them what you are praying for them. (Use verses 3-11 as a model.) You may even include these verses in you note, substituting the person's name where any pronouns (you, your, etc.) may be.

4. Before jogging off to start your "to do list" for today, thank the Lord for your "positive emotions" listed in #1 of today's prescription for follow-up and pray specifically for the person you listed in #2 above.

And just in case you still haven't followed up with that note of encouragement, do it right now before you get distracted!

Chad O on "Paying it Forward" - Part 1 of 2

"Paying It Forward - PART 1"

 Philippians 1:6-11 (STOP! Read this so we can discuss it.)

Through a letter he has written to friends, Paul the Apostle shares words of encouragement with others, in spite of the fact that he is in the midst of his own crisis. Due to unfair circumstances (bogus indictment and consequent imprisonment), Paul has somehow found the secret of contentment no matter what his situation is.

Observations:
1. He recalls the good times in spite of his current hardship.
2. He looks for something for which to be thankful.
3. He connects with God by praying.
4. He prays for others needs even though he has overwhelming needs of his own.
5. He focuses on helping others instead of waiting on someone to do something to lessen his plight.
6. He speaks/writes positive words such as grace, peace, thanks, joy, instead of bringing others down to a level of gloom and depression.

We need more "Pauls" in the world today. We whine, we complain, we sulk, we want others to feel sorry for us and many time our conversations tear others down so that their attitude will join us in our pity. Oh I want to be like Paul. Tomorrow, we will work on an assignment together that might just change our little corners of the world.

Enjoy your day. Part 2 is coming soon...

Pondering and Meditating ?!?! by Matt Warren

I am on a journey through the Psalms right now . . . God is teaching me more and more about their power in the life of a Christian.  From Bonhoeffer, Spurgeon, Piper, and others I am discovering greater truths, greater strength, and greater intimacy with God.  In Psalm 77 we find an important revelation from Asaph, the writer of this Psalm.  He admits to great struggles in his life, and overwhelming sense discomfort.  In this moment he senses a great distance from God and wonders if the Lord will spurn him forever, even asking if His steadfast love has ceased (certainly these are rhetorical questions that we all ask when we experience aspects of disconnect, all the while knowing the answer - The Lord is always faithful.).

Then Asaph imparts an important tool, he teaches us to acquiesce to the will of God.  This is the meaning of verse 10.  We must accept our circumstances as those imparted by the will of God for us.  When this occurs we are more apt to acknowledge that the Lord is able to change this.  So we find not only solace or comfort from the power of our God, we discover Asaph acknowledging the God of wonders.

I am convinced most Christians arrive at this same location, but we don't often know what to do with the truth of this.  This is where Asaph so poignantly gives us a practical application.  He says that he ponder all of the Lord's work and he meditated on the Lord's mighty deeds.  The words here are interesting.  Ponder means to talk to one's self as if in the thinking process to not only consider but to speak the words out loud.  It was often used in relationship to the Word of God.  Meditate means to talk out loud regarding what was being considered.  But it is a different talking.  It is built around repentance focusing on the works of God, which declare his power and bring the soul into right position before him.

John Piper, teaching on this same Psalm said, ". . . the Word is our only hope to survive and come through our struggles with faith and hope."  So I am left with this "takeaway" - When life is overwhelming and when from my perspective things seem very bleak, I need to ponder the things of God - I must be in the Scriptures to find the reminders of His wonders and goodness.  Then I must reorient my thoughts and attitudes and consider a new perspective, His- and come to Him in worship that acknowledges His supremacy in all things.

Therefore, I need to be in His Word, pondering it, allowing it to divide me (Hebrews 4:12-15) and addressing life by spiritual songs, psalms and hymns (Ephesians 5:15-21), so that the meditations of my heart enable me to "be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might." (Ephesians 6:10ff.)

A Meditation on Sunsets by Bruce Fong

There is always an excitement on the Pacific Coast.  It has been a part of my many past experiences.  For years I would make a trek to the shores of the great ocean to the West and join good friends and family for a lingering tradition.

We would rarely be alone for those forays.  Throngs of people would gather on the sandy beaches, gentle sand dunes or jagged cliffs to take in the free show that God puts on at the end of every day.  It did not matter if life was rough or filled with sheer happiness.  This show was for everyone.

What is amazing is that everyone thoroughly enjoys the stunning display no matter what is going on their life.  For those who are enjoying life, this entertainment heightens their glee.  At the same time for those who are facing hardship, they find in His creation a respite, a moment to breathe easily or a slice of freedom where their troubles seem smaller or at least put on hold for a few minutes in an otherwise horrendous day.

Breathing slows down at these times.  A deep sigh releases more than air devoid of oxygen.  Worry, fear and even doubt leak out into the ending of the day.

There is something therapeutic about watching the sun set for the day.  Each of us can blow out the final breath of a long day.  It is refreshing to our human bodies, relaxing to our simple minds and rejuvenating to our souls.

Once it seemed to make sense to me that every sunset of every day is a stunning reminder that God gives us all second chances every day.  A good night's sleep and a new day appears with the rising of the sun.

For now, the bright ball of fire sizzles into a radiant red and orange beacon.  Slowly the darkness pushes the sun down below the horizon.  Blackness is about to claim the world.

The air calms down and seagulls call.  There is the drumming of the ocean waves beating the shore line.  An ebb and flow of the surf added to the calm of the growing night.

My mind is resting along with my weary body.  It has been a good day.  Work was demanding but it is now over for now.  A small smile erupts on my face.  Good people filled my day.  Now, the Good God of creation is saying "Good night" like only He can with a splendid sunset.

photo credit: brucefong photography

Chad O on "Commercials"

"But wait! There is more, still!" - ever seen that on TV?

Isaiah 40
"He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak."

Multiple times every day I plead with God, "Give me strength to lead!" 

• Sometimes, it's when my 12 year old is having one of his stubborn moments and thinks the world revolves around him. 
• Sometimes it's when everyone and everything is sucking the life and leadership out of me leaving my tank empty, my mind spinning, and my to-do-list without a single thing crossed off. 
• Sometimes...Sometimes...Sometimes...

The promise found in today's dose of scripture is enough infusion of strength in itself. And yet there is more. Just like those ads on TV that promise "And if you buy today, you will also receive, absolutely free..." We are promised that we will "soar on wings of eagles." Wait! there is more, still! We will also "run and not grow weary." Listen! For calling today, while supplies last (which we soon find out from Isaiah that the supply of strength is everlasting) we will also receive the promise that we shall "walk and not faint."

I need these additional products of hope in the Lord because I need to live like the eagles - above and beyond the chaos of those around me. I need to run and not grow weary. I have too much on my "to do list" than I can accomplish in myself. I also am renewed by the promise of being able to "walk and not faint".

I am reminded that my hope is in the Lord and not in my circumstances. This hope is not a false hope when it is placed in the Lord who does not grow weary and has a reservoir of strength and power which He freely gives to those who hope in Him.

Where Are You Going?

What are you running after?

I think it has to do with what gets you excited. What's your ultimate goal and ambition? What do you want to see happen more than anything else?

We all know the "right" answer…but what is the true answer?

The true answer has been different for me in different seasons of my life.

• I've run after the elusive "cool" status amongst my peers.
• I've run after the thrill of getting that cute girl in school or church to realize just how awesome of a boyfriend I would make.
• I ran and worked hard to obtain the position of "Lufkin High School Drum Major." For those of you that don't know…drum major is equal to "biggest band nerd." This thoroughly demolished my ability to obtain the "cool" status. (To those of you band nerds out there, more power to ya! I loved it!)
• Even still, at different times, I'm tempted all the time to run after various things like fame, money, pleasure, title…

I've been in a relationship with Jesus for a while now, but I feel that in the last couple of years I'm just starting to truly run after the "right" thing.

What is the "right" thing really?

But one thing I do, forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. 

Philippians 3:14

Here is what the upward call is:

• Running to truly abide and delight in Christ (John 15)
• Running to truly see Him glorified and beautifully displayed in all that I do (1 Timothy 1:16)
• Running to truly love others (John 13:34-25)
• Running to be a minister of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:18-19)
• Running to see His kingdom come and will be done in this world (2 Corinthians 5:20)
• Running to deny and let go of my sin and my flesh (Luke 9:23-24)

When I press on towards this call, some of the "prizes" I've experienced are wholeness, genuine satisfaction, relief and rest, joy in work, and contentment that allows me to enjoy the good, sweet gifts from God such as my wife.

And all this happens while running!

I can hardly image what the prize is going to be like once I cross over my finish line. I can hardly imagine what it is going to be like to see Jesus. I can hardly imagine what it's going to be like to be 100% whole, perfect, complete in body, spirit, relationally, and emotionally. (cue Mercy Me song)

We all get sidetracked. We all get distracted. We all have to work to throw aside the things that weigh us down or get us off course (Hebrews 12:2). Even Paul said that he had not yet obtained what he'd like to obtain. (Phil.3:12)

I'm writing this to encourage you to really evaluate what you are running towards.

I'm writing this to encourage you to press on in pursuing the upward call. Press on, not because you're supposed to…but because you GET to.

Press on because the ultimate prize is worth it. Press on because the prizes along the way are worth it.

Know what you are running after.

There are a lot of great things to obtain along the way. Success isn't a bad thing. Pleasure isn't a bad thing. Relationships that give you butterflies aren't bad things. They are just SO much better if you obtain them while running after the greatest thing.

Some of these guys say it better than me:

Put first things first and second things are thrown in. Put second things first and you lose both first and second things. When first things are put first, second things are not suppressed but increased. 

-C.S. Lewis

The believer must devote himself to “running the Christian race.” No athlete succeeds by doing everything; he succeeds by specializing. There are those few athletes who seem proficient in many sports, but they are the exception. The winners are those who concentrate, who keep their eyes on the goal and let nothing distract them. 

- Wiersbe 

Have you ever experienced gaining something you wanted only to realize it wasn't as great as you thought? 

The Sounding version 2.0...What's our purpose?

Welcome to "The Sounding"...Version 2.0.

A Brief History
The Sounding started 9 years ago following a conversation between two friends who were trying to regain consistency in reading Scripture daily. They lived in different time zones and found phone calls difficult between work and family responsibilities. Having a place to post scripture and respond was a simple solution they came up with.

Slowly The Sounding expanded to about 20 men who were invited to have a little encouragement and accountability to read the Bible too. The men lived everywhere from the New England area, to Texas, to California, even overseas. Our jobs covered the gamut of non-profit work, the pharmaceutical industry, professional sports, the financial sector and more. The Sounding was a great inspiration to a small group of men. Sadly over the past 3 years, we have all let The Sounding sit idle.

Version 2.0
As the original creator of The Sounding, I never felt led to delete the blog, but I always wanted to see it become what it was really meant to be. Today, The Sounding is back, only with a slightly different twist. Call it "Version 2.0." There are two basic shifts you will discover:

1) The new purpose of The Sounding is different but pretty simple:

• to provide a source of encouragement to men in short 3-5 minute segments 
• to challenge each man to take the next obedient step in their journey
• to help draw our minds and hearts back to the ultimate hope and reality of Christ...even in the midst of the chaos of our normal days

2) The new team for The Sounding is a diverse group of men from different backgrounds, cities, and vocations. We do share, however, a love for Christ, the Bible, discipleship and life. We are all "in process" and, therefore, extend grace to one another each day. We hope you will do the same. You will get to hear more about the individuals through their writings over the next several months.

 Again, on behalf of the team, I want to welcome you to The Sounding! We invite your feedback, suggestions and participation.

One more note, if you have an iPhone you can download an app that will pull from this blog automatically. That is a simple way to connect with this site.

May you discover all that God has in store for you one faithful step at a time!

Blessings,
Eric