"Hope" @ Sardis Baptist October 9th

Fat Boy: Doughnuts and Milk

Image by chotda via Flickr

There are plenty of great combinations. Examples include MJ and Scottie, Mac & Cheese, and shoes and socks. But, not much can compares to the dominating combination of Doughnuts and Milk. Doughnuts are hot, milk is cold, and I am full.

Though it is rare, there are a few combos that beat it out. One is Christians and reading the bible.

This combination, believe it or not, is not an obligation. This combination is actually a privilege. It is not the bible's privilege. This book shouldn't feel special to be read, but we need to feel blessed by having the opportunity to read it with intent.

Many people, including over seas, do not have this privilege due to persecution. Yet, we take it for granted. Where is yours right now? Night stand, coffee table, or dresser? When is the last time you read it? Was it a chore or a blessing?

You have the opportunity of a life time to team up with the Word. Get full of it, because it does not run empty. Will you?


Believe Jesus. Love Jesus. Live Jesus.

Other People Talking..

Image via Wikipedia

People love to talk. I know I do. Communication is key to our relationships. It is what we do. Some may speak well, and some may remind you of a squeaky door. People go on and on about this and that. With all this talking comes hearing. Maybe you don't listen to it all, but you hear. And, I can almost promise that no matter how hard you try to block it out, some seeps in.

If everyone is talking, then everyone is hearing, and that means some are listening, and this means that all are affected. Who are you listening to? Who are you affected by?

If you are surrounded by something you are constantly being impacted by it. Life is not neutral. This means that it is very important that we be cautious about who and what we surround ourselves with. This ranges from everything you listen to on the radio, to the friends you sit with at lunch.

I can remember a time in the past when I was at an event and music was constantly playing. It was a type of music that should not fill my mind, but I thought I could just block it out. This is foolish. As I left the building I was humming the tune of a song I had just heard. Two days later, thoughts were triggering me to sing the words that I "blocked out." Point? We are not strong enough. That's not to bash you and I, but that is reality. We need to be aware of our surroundings, because our lives and our hearts will show the scars of our setting.

Question: Who are you listening to?

Warning: Don't listen to this world. Don't listen to this culture. The bible tells us that we are strangers in a foreign land. Meaning, if you are a true follower of Christ, your home is not here. Meaning, that your home is with Him, in heaven. A resident of heaven should not be covered in the filth of this world. A man or woman who will reside with the King of kings in heaven should not be walking with foolish and sinful words stuck in his head.

I recently ate a bag of popcorn. If you do not eat much popcorn, I recommend that you do. But, popcorn is not only tasty, it's cool. I love to listen to it pop. It is probably the definition of cool. The heat from the microwave causes the popcorn to transform from a boring kernel into a delicious snack. The warmth works itself into the kernel, causing it to explode from the inside out! So?

The people that we are around, the sights that we see, and the sounds that we hear transform us. Like the heat to the popcorn, our surroundings motivate and push us to be something more. But, what are those things pushing towards. If the things that surround you are centered on Christ, they will push you towards Him. If they are not, they will push towards destruction.

Who are you listening to?


Believe Jesus. Love Jesus. Live Jesus.

Book

I am unworthy, uneducated, and overwhelmed. But, I love to write and feel led to. I think that writing will play a little bit of a role in my future, but I think I may go ahead start now.

Today, I begin drafting, outlining, and praying. It may all amount to a stack of white computer paper stapled together, but "it is what it is".

Please pray with me as begin this process. The piece will be titled, Senseless: The Calls of Christ.


If any of you are interested you can email me @ tsethsprings@aol.com or on facebook.

In Christ,
Seth Springs

Believe Jesus. Love Jesus. Live Jesus.

Trick Plays

I am having a good day. Had an 11 am breakfast. I cleaned my room. Spent lots of time with my lady. And, now I am watching the South Carolina vs. Alabama game. As I sit beside a man who loves the Gamecocks, Kenn Hucks, we watch the Gamecocks take a 14-3 lead with less than 2 minutes left in the 1st  Quarter. We are excited. South Carolina may have a real chance against the defending National Champions.

While marching down the field, USC used a trick play. The quarterback faked the hand off, and then he rolled out to the opposite side of the field. It was for a substantial gain and a... GAMECOCK FIRSTDOWN!

As happy as I was to see USC move the ball, I was also reminded of a destructive habit some us have made. We try faking our way through life. From situation to situation, we attempt to look like something that we are obviously not.

Whether it's to cover up a physical imperfection, or to cover up a mental mistake, we all like to have that special play up our sleeve. It seems that we get to a certain point of desperation and deceit becomes an option.

In football, fakes are acceptable. In life, they are not. Do not allow yourself to be fake. Walk in the truth. Walk with Jesus. He is the Truth.


Believe Jesus. Love Jesus. Live Jesus.

Jesus...and Coffee.

I recently began teaching a lesson every week to the Trek class in our Awana program. The class is made up of about 30 students and I have a blast with them every week.

The first two weeks we talked about the Bible. But, not only the book. We talked about The Word. That's right. We talked about Jesus. We dove into the fact of the New and Old Testament, both, being all about Jesus. The main point that I attempted to stress was this: It is a privilege to read the book about The Word. It is a privilege to sit and read the Word of God.

I can say that since I began to study this fact, I have never enjoyed reading my Bible more. Every morning, before I go to school, I sit, and I read. Not because I'm good, but because I am unworthy. It is a privilege for sinners like me, and sinners like you, to even grasp a glimpse of The Word.

I also love coffee. But, drinking it while I listen to God speak makes the coffee so much better! I grab my brown sugar oatmeal (yes, oatmeal), my Myrtle Beach, SC coffee cup, and  head off to meet with God.

Since starting this, I can tell a large difference in the way that I communicate with God. He is breaking me of seeing it as a duty and obligation. Everytime I leave my prayer, I want to look up at heaven and say, "It's been a pleasure." Yea, conviction is still there. Yes, God continues to break my heart over my sin. But, through this privilege , He is also mending it.

How do you see God's Word? A gift or a burden? A privilege or an obligation?

Read the word. Find satisfaction in Jesus! Coffee ain't bad either.

Believe Jesus. Love Jesus. Live Jesus.

Slap the Bull

I recently watched a comedy where they played a game. Now, I wouldn't play it if I had the chance. But, the name was "Slap the bull". When introduced, some of the characters thought that it included drinking. It didn't. It is actually what it is called. It involves sneaking up behind a bull, slapping the bull on the less-than charming side, and running. You hope to run faster than the bull or catch him taking a nap.


Let me repeat, you will never hear of me playing this game.

But, why not? The answer is obvious. It has to be FEAR. As helpless human-beings we fear quite a few things. Some fear death, some fear failure, and some people are just plain scared. But, fear does not always help or hide us from danger. Sometimes fear hides us from success. Sometimes fear keeps us from taking a step that would put is right where God wants us to be.

For so long, I rejected Christ out of fear. In that fear was pride. I was afraid of being minimized in light of something greater and larger than myself. I was afraid of following Christ, and preaching, teaching, and sharing like he was calling me to do. My fear was wrapped up in ME. I had fear, because I was still concerned with me, myself and I. I was consumed by thoughts of my well-being. Our fear is usually not fueld by outside circumstances, but by our own insecurities.


Romans 3:23- "For all have sinned, and fallen short of the glory of God"

The fact of things being out of our control should be comforting, because we always manage to mess things up. It's a fact. I do not grasp why we think we will be better off following our own plans and configurations. Maybe it is trust? I have no clue, but I do know that we are better off following God's plan, because he is faultless. He is the one drawing the map, so why not let him lead us on this journey.

Jeremiah 29:11- "For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope."

The call of Christ does include a cross. Don't get confused. This verse does not support the health, wealth, and prosperity gospel. But, it supports truth. Because, it is truth. The road that the believer will travel is not easy. It is not all sunshine and flowers. But, it is beautiful. It calls for humility, and brokenness. It calls for submission, and commands us to tap out in the grasp of our Father. Though it is hard, it is worth it. This plan is to give us hope. This plan is to give us Jesus. Jesus is to be our hope. If He is our true hope, all fear is to be cancelled out. The wrath is no longer on our back, but the grace is in our hearts. This plan is tough, but it is to lead us to the cross. Don't forget that after the cross was resurrection. Want life? It is in Jesus. You are called to carry a cross before you get there, and while you are on your journey, but so what? If your hope is in Jesus, the victory has already been won.
What do you fear? Don't. God has a plan for you. You're right. It isn't your plan. It probably isn't what you want. IT'S BETTER!


Jesus is everything, and if you don't have Jesus you don't have anything.


Believe Jesus. Love Jesus. Live Jesus.

Brothers

Brothers. I have them. I love them. We are all pretty close, and I like that. We all have different personalities, faults, and strengths, but we are still brothers.


I enjoy holidays. A holiday is more than just a day to us. These are the times that we all take a break from our busy schedules, come home, sit around, and just talk. From time to time a wrestling match, or "discussion" will break out, but we love it. They cover my back, as I do theirs. My brothers are important to me. I like that.

At the Last Supper, Jesus sat around the table with His disciples. They sat like brothers. They talked. They ate, as all brothers like to do. Jesus spent time with His disciples. He loved them.

Because Jesus loved them, He served them. Jesus is master. He is the example they, and we, are to follow. He led by serving. In John 13, Jesus calls His disciples together and does something remarkable. He commits an act that is outside of this world. He washes their feet.

I can't imagine that they were pretty feet. They were the feet of walkers. The were the feet of workers. They were the feet of harvesters. One by one, He washed. He didn't whine about the dirt under their toe nails, and he didn't complain about the smell. But, He washed. Jesus didn't wear latex gloves, or keep a bottle of hand sanitizer near by. But, He washed. He didn't worry about what others would think, and he didn't do it with selfish ambition. But, He washed. After He washed, He commanded us to wash. Not for me to wash my own, but for me to wash yours.

Lesson? We are to serve. If you care about someone, you will serve them.

Humility

I should not serve a brother with myself in mind. As we do it for those we love, we to do it for them. Don't serve your husband or wife and expect something in return. Don't serve your brother or sister so that they will cover your back when hard times come. When you serve others, serve them and not yourself. Obvious.

"Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another's feet." - Jesus, John 13:14

Don't think that you are above it. If Jesus did it, we are not worthy enough to do it ourselves. But, He commanded it. And, it is our privilege to listen. Some of us think we are too good. That washing feet is below us. The Lord of Lords did it. The King of Kings did it. Are you above Him? No. Don't be foolish. John the Baptist even said that he was not worthy to untie the straps on Jesus' feet.

Who do you love? Are you serving them, or are you only concerned with being served? Real question. Do you have a real answer, or only excuses.


Believe Jesus. Love Jesus. Live Jesus.

Completely Done By Sovereign Grace Music

This is one of my favorite songs. It is finished.

What is this you speak of?

There are many topics that I fail to understand. I often answer questions with, "I don't know." I often respond to comments with a dumbfounded look.

You're like this too. This is an obvious fact of life. We don't understand everything, and if we claim to, it shows how little we know.

I hate math. I hate math, because I do not understand math. In class today, I found myself in anger. It was almost like my teacher was speaking another language. I felt like an Indian who just met the pilgrims. I mean, I was frustrated beyond belief. What do you not understand? Maybe the way your spouse communicates or fails to communicate? Maybe the way your parents act over your curfew. Or it may be life. I stand on what I said. We hate what we do not understand.

The religious folks in the new testament did not understand grace. They could not wrap their minds around anything, but rules and regulations. When people spoke of grace they tuned their ears to a different station. In their eyes, when they saw grace, they saw nonsense. They didn't understand grace, so they hated grace. Jesus supported grace. Grace was shown through the actions of Jesus. Grace was heard through the words of Jesus. Grace was felt through the hands, and the blood, of Jesus. Religious people do not understand Jesus, so religious people hate Jesus. 

Religious people? When you hear this term you may think church. When you hear the word religious you may see gargoyles or nuns. This is not what I mean by religious folk. These things may be an aspect of a certain religion, but that's not what I'm pointing to. When I say religious people, I don't mean people who go to church, even though people who attend church may be religious. Your church or your t-shirt does not define you as religious or not. When I say religious people I mean this...

Religious people are those who find themselves too good or righteous for Jesus. They are those that find themselves to be better than everyone else, and even those who find themselves to be better than some or most.

These people do not even understand the law that they attempt to represent. But, they most definitely do not understand Jesus.

Jesus came for sinners, and we are those. Jesus set down his crown, to walk as a human. He decided to humble himself and deal with our struggles. He did not do this from a distance. He came to us and walked among us! Jesus was sinless. Jesus was perfect. But, Jesus was murdered. He put himself in harms way. Jesus took death. But, it wasn't ordinary death. It was our death. We made mistakes, but He paid the literal price so that we could be victorious in the name of Jesus. We chose sin, He chose us.

Religious people hate this. They see themselves as different from sinners. They go to the altar, looking down on sinners, as if they are not one!


I don't claim to even begin to understand grace. But, I love it. I love it, because I have felt it. I embrace it, not because I am above it, but because I am below it. And yet, Jesus has still shown it.

Jesus is Lord. We are not. Love Him, know Him, and serve Him.

• "...blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed"- John 20:29b
• "God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble..." Proverbs 3:34

On the other hand...

There are other things that I do not understand. Like, why should I make my bed? I'll get in and mess it up the next night. I do not understand why I have to do school work at home. It seems senseless.

Maybe your sitting there thinking that you are okay. You are not. You say your okay out of pride or laziness. You may think that you have no need to stop sinning, because you love sin. You may think that you don't need to stop sinning, because you don't sin. Don't be lazy, don't be proud, for the wages of sin is death.

Don't allow YOU to get in the way. Jesus is is everything, and if you don't have Jesus, you don't have anything.

Believe Jesus. Love Jesus. Live Jesus.

Big Belly or Little Shirt?

I have gained weight. How do I know this? Well, the shirts that used to look big on me now look like spandex. Not, what you would call, appealing. Why have I gained this weight? I like to eat more than I like to run. I like to eat a lot. It is fun. There are times where I know that I should eat a banana, but I choose a honey bun instead.

I don't just stop with that snack. I want another..and another...and another. I never seem to get full, and if I do, the satisfaction passes quickly.

So what sense is there in me eating? Why should I fatten my self up like a prize calf, when the only fulfillment is between my stomach and shirt?

This makes no sense. But, you do it as well. You may not be on the brink of 800 lbs. like me, but you feed yourself with something.

Love money? Work real hard? What happens to that money once you spend it? Sure, you may have a new product, but won't it get old like the one you had?

Alcohol, drugs and sex? Feels good while your on cloud nine, right? But, what about when you fall? What about when the girl or boy, man or woman gets up to leave? What about when you wake up and feel as if someone hit you over the head with a baseball bat? Broken and ashamed. Empty. Sure, that's what we're looking for.

Athletic success? Maybe you want to be first in your class academically. Where does this get you when you don't go pro or people stop looking at your high school transcript?

What then? I will be quite frank with you. Once you smother yourself in the crap of this world you will still be hungry.

John 4:14 "..but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life."

Do not drink "the water" of this world because you will thirst again. Do not invest in worldly things, because they will fall through. And, do not pour yourself into the ideas of people, because they don't even hold water. I beg you, believers in Christ, do not whore yourselves to this world, for you are not your own, and you were bought with a price.

But eat, sleep, drink, and breathe Jesus. He alone is worthy, and he alone is enough. He will not falter. He will not leave you needing more. His love can never bounce like a bad check and His grace will never grow old.

Put every bit of hope into Jesus. You do that, and everything is taken care of. I am not talking of health, wealth, and prosperity. I am speaking about love that never fails, and a peace that will pull you through any suffering. As our Lord suffered, we will  suffer, but we will do so without hunger.

The woman at the well was holding on to 5 husbands. What do you need to let go of?




Believe Jesus. Love Jesus. Live Jesus.

Tenth Avenue North - Love Is Here

Read "Big Belly or Littel Shirt?"

John Piper and the Prosperity Gospel

Football and Opportunities

Image by scotthelsinger via Flickr

Today is the first College Football Saturday of the year. Let me say that I am pumped. Watching young men go out and punish each other is a treat. Helmets bashing and cleats click-clacking.

The coolest thing to me is the preparation and the pay-off. The players have worked hard. Most of them have waited for this moment since they were small children. All summer long they have busted their butts. Breaking themselves down in the weight room and building each other up in the locker room. They pulled themselves together and toughed it out through 100 degrees practice. And on this day, it all pays off. They will battle another team, who has prepared just the same, and attempt to catapult themselves to victory.

That is passion.

Do you have passion? What pushes you? Is it football? Is it your job, and that big promotion? I pray that for those players, it is not the game. I pray that it is the opportunity. I pray that they take it as an opportunity to glorify Christ in the game.

Everyday you live in a game. You prepare, you plan, and you play. But, who do you play for? I know this is cliche, but men do not play for themselves. Real men do not even play for the game. But, they play for the one who created the game and the one who gives us the opportunity to play

1 Colossians 3:17


"And^(AT) whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus,^(AU) giving thanks to God the Father through him."


What do you do? Do it for Christ. What pushes you? What motivates you? For men, it is to be Christ. Period. If it is not, you are not a man. You are stuck in the 7th grade. Grow up, and put your big boy pants on. 


Whatever it is, do it in the name of Jesus. When you lose your job, Jesus is there. When you realize you won't make it as a pro, he will be there. Do you put your hope in things that won't?


Take everyday as an opportunity. An opportunity to make an impact. Players seek to make big plays. Make the great throw, run then great run, or completely demolish someone with a devastating hit. Make an impact, but not in the name of Seth. Not in the name of Bob, Bill, or Dan. Not for the Glory of Susan, Lucy, or Ashley. But, in the name of Jesus. Thats the only way it will count. In the end, with the points tallied, the scores that will count are those that were scored in Jesus' name. Make an impact today and tell someone the Gospel. Be a gamebreaker and love someone unconditionally. Uncomfortable? Maybe. Worth it? Yes!


Believe Jesus. Love Jesus. Live Jesus.

Decisions and Soldiers

When young men and women sign up with the military, they have made a decision. They have decided to pack up, leave home, and when the battle cries, they will answer. There is no going back. There is no highway option.

Christianity is the same way.


Luke 9:62 "But Jesus told him, “Anyone who puts a hand to the plow and then looks back is not fit for the Kingdom of God.”


But, within this battle you have to make decisions. When it comes to running the race with endurance, you have to make choices. 

What influences your decisions, Soldier? Is it home? Is it where you came from? No. It can't be.

When it comes to making decisions on the battle field it ultimately comes down to one thing. What would your commander have you do?

What are you going through? What choices are you having to make? Don't allow anything to sway you from The Way. Put your head down, and make the choice that will ultimately glorify Christ. God's will? Glorifying Jesus is God's will.

Believe Jesus. Love Jesus. Live Jesus.

Where He Would Be...

Last night, I went to bed at 2:00 am. Way past my bed time. But before then, I took a trip. A friend, Jon Law, and myself hopped in the car and rode into Louisville. We then stopped on Bardstown Road. It could be Bars-town Road and be understood. Up and down the street, even on a Wednesday night, people were in line to enter a bar. Sitting on benches were men and women who have never seen the inside of a church. Homosexual after homosexual, we saw.

You say, "Seth, why would you go there? What about living above reproach?"

Those people need Jesus. They don't need your religion. They don't your classic comb-over or shirt and tie. They don't need new evangelism techniques or the Awana and Upwards programs. They don't need you to ridicule them. The men don't need the latest gay joke, and the girls don't need you to call them trashy for their lack of clothing. What they need, however, is Jesus.

They need someone to love them. They need someone to care enough to introduce The Lord of the universe to them. Not religion, and not good ole' Southern Baptist tradition. They need Jesus.

I asked myself a question last night. "Would Jesus be in the church with the religious folks, or on the streets with those who are not too proud?"

I think, Jesus would rather be ministering to the prostitutes and homosexuals, than sitting in church and talking about how bad this world is. The world is bad. But Jesus laid down his crown in heaven and entered this bad world. He came for sinners. He came for us, and he came for the de-churched.

Quit being so proud. Quit being so religious. Love Jesus, and love his.




Believe Jesus. Love Jesus. Live Jesus.

Driscoll's Jesus vs. Religion

 Great One!

All I have is Christ

I was recently introduced to this song in KY. It has quickly risen to be my favorite.

Definition of Cool

Cold? No. Chill? Maybe.

There are many definitions of the word cool. You may think that the night breeze is cool? Or you may think that the guy down the street with a cheerleader girlfriend, and a nice car is cool.

What is your definition of cool (I don't mean a breeze)? What makes you think that someone is cool? Their shoes? Maybe their haircut? Probably their personality. Probably their financial status. And probably their view on a certain topic.

Piercings. A lot of people think that piercings are cool. Maybe their nose. It is rare if a 16 yr. old girl doesn't have an earring. All kinds of people have holes drilled into their faces and bodies, and think that it is cool.

I know a guy that had piercings. It was done in a fashion that makes me cringe, but he did it. His feet were pierced. That wasn't enough though. His hands were pierced. And finally his side was pierced. Some people look at the guy and don't understand his reasoning. Why? The world needed a man to be pierced. As time went on, his piercings led to his death. Why? The world needed a man to die.

"5 But he was pierced for our rebellion,
crushed for our sins.
He was beaten so we could be whole.
He was whipped so we could be healed."
-Isaiah 53:5

We sinned. NOT COOL. Christ took our punishment, gaining nail pierced hands, and has the power to forgive us of our debts. VERY COOL. Someone had to take it. But even in that need, we could not fulfill it. See, we are sinful, and saying "God, here is my life with all my junk, crucify me", was not enough. The sacrifice and the payment had to be spotless and clean. We are not. Our sin is like dirty rags before the Father, He cannot stand the sight of it. As we walked in our sin, we were already walking in our death.

Jesus was blameless. Being the Son of God, he came to earth. Laying down his crown, walking this earth for 33 years and living a sinless life, he picked up our cross and died a criminal's(our) death.

Very Cool.

Society's definition of cool is not cool at all. It sets you up thinking that you need new shoes, lots of sex, and expensive jeans. Society is WRONG.

Jesus is the definition of cool. To be cool, you need him. If you do not have Jesus, you are not "cool" with The Father, and you have failed.

Obviously, I am not speaking of social status. I am talking about your relational status with Jesus. If you do not have Jesus, you are empty of everything full and full of everything empty!

You social status will change. You will need new clothes. The bottle will run dry. Is sin cool? Only if the definition of cool includes your eternal destination being hell.

Quit trying to be cool for this world. Be cool IN Jesus. That means to believe and repent. Have you?



Believe Jesus. Love Jesus. Live Jesus.

Sardis Youth Sermon (Summer '10)