With God

Recently Oliver, Pierce (my two sons 7 and 5) and I have been reading Hank the Cowdog together.

This classic literature, keeps the boys giggling, me stumbling over words spoken with a southern draw, and in general tells the story of Hank, a dog who is the self-proclaimed "head of ranch security" on a Texas ranch.

This will all make sense in a brief moment, but context is important, so hang with me. A few nights ago Hank found himself trying to rescue his owner's oldest son of (4 yrs old) from the "dark unchanted forest" after he wandered from the backyard. He had nearly talked himself out of going in to the slightly wooded area to search for him but had a deep sense of obligation toward the boy.

He went in anyway.

Hank payed careful attention landmarks so as to find his way back out again. Eventually, the inevitable happened. Hank recounts: 

"Why didn't I leave the forest? There's a very simple explanation for that. A guy can't leave what he doesn't like unless he knows where to find something better. And I didn't."

Identification emerges as we consider the fate of the poor mutt. We find ourselves at times less than enthusiastic concerning our faith. If the truth were really told of many Christians, they would even say, "Man, I'm flat-lining here."

We want more, we long for more... but the reality is we don't know where to look. 

We need help.

Last week at NCF (church were I have the privilege of being a pastor) we began a new series entitled "With." It is based in large part on a book with the same title by Skye Jethani. In the series we explore postures of relating to God that have developed as a result of: believers through the years not engaging the whole narrative of Scripture AND a desire for self-rule.

Genesis 1:27 and all of chapter 2 God displays His intent to live WITH and rule WITH His people. Adam and Eve rejected that and opted instead for self-rule... to be like God. Through the years then different ways (postures) of relating to God have come to prominence. Jethani notes four primary postures:

1. Life Under God - in this category we see God in cause-and-effect terms. We obey His commands and he blesses our lives, our families and our nation. We try to determine what He wants and work to stay within it.
2. Life Over God - the focus here is on organizational principle rather than prayer. The wonder and mystery of God has been exchanged for predictable or controllable outcomes.
3. Life From God - in this category we desire the gifts and are less concerned with the Giver. This is the health, wealth and prosperity Gospel.
4. Life For God - this posture emphasizes what one accomplishes for God. High emphasis is placed on what one is doing FOR God. 

Each week as we explore another posture I hope to summarize it in a post here and provide a link to listen OR watch the message. So I invite you to follow along to discover God's intent to relate WITH you!

On Sunday we looked closely at life UNDER God. Essentially we discovered that what we do (our rituals) and how we live (our morality) were really control exerted to secure a blessing. A few critical questions were asked in order for us to consider life WITH God! You can listen to the sermon here. Or you can watch the sermon here (scroll to the 32 min mark). 

1. How do I respond when I am not in control of a situation or relationship?
2. When am I most tempted to hide? Why? Who or what draws me out of hiding? 

Feel free to post your thoughts.