from Luke chapter 16-20

As way of encouragement this week I have included a message form Kenny Luck, the Saddleback men's pastor.

Kenny leads us every Thursday morning in a bible study directed at men's issues. Attending this study has been an important part of my recovery & I would encourage you to join me from 6:30 am to 7:30 am next Thursday at table No. 7. It’s another great way to connect with other men.

And the men's retreats are a MUST!!! So start making plans for our Houseboat Trip September 29th !!!

This message from Kenny ties into our reading last week in Luke 18:15-17 where Jesus asks us to be like children. So take a look:

The Boy Is Not Supposed to Die

Tension. Unpredictability. Letting go. Adrenaline.

Jumping off things is in our DNA. It took me two seconds to make my short list. Jumping off the roof. Jumping into a cold pool. Jumping off the roof into cold pools. Jumping on a trampoline. Jumping off the swings. Jumping on a pogo stick to Billy Joel music eight hundred and fifty seven times in my garage. Jumping over Calabasas Creek with my yellow Schwinn. Jumping into mischief for the thrill of it. How about you?

Our fathers looked at us and said, “What were you thinking?” We said, “I don’t know.” That’s because there was no explanation! We were being boys. That is, we were stretching the limits of our courage, we were testing the limits of our abilities, and we were risking injury for the rush on the other side of the experience. We lived for that feeling.

Funny that Jesus turned to a little boy to answer the spiritual significance question: “Who’s the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven?” In other words, what can I do here that will make me significant up there with God? Imagine the visual:

“He called a little child and had him stand among them. And he said: ‘I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children you will not enter the Kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.’” (Matthew 18:2-3 NASB).

What would this mean in the masculine context? What qualities did they need to recapture from their boyhood which would shape their manhood in Christ?

Eager to trust. Eager to risk. Eager to “jump off.”

Risk is the DNA of man – of every man – and it’s put there by God and for God. You may have misplaced it, neglected it, or misused it but it is time to get it back and do something great for God with it.

Kenny

SW: Recovery is all about me... about my healing... and the first step to my healing is admitting that I am powerless... and what is more powerless than a child. Like powerless children we come to our Father... we can pretend we are big & strong... we can pretend we can do it alone... we can pretend we know it all... "let me do it daddy, let me do it!" we cry out... and somethings he lets us do. But, if we are honest, we must admit just where doing it ALL ourselves has gotten us. But HE knows our own true selves even when we don't. He ACCEPTS us just as we are. We are accepted! We just need to stop pretending, "... and become like little children," before our God... powerless ... & loved.

For this week: Continuing on Step 1 - Lesson 2
Reading:
Bible: Luke 21-24; John 1
Step Devotional: Time to Choose pg. 1309
Serenity Devotional: pg 351

Monday Group (20 June):
Devotional: Serenity pg 355
Sharing: Lesson 2 - Questions 4,5,6 & 7

Sunday Summary Luke 11-15

Luke Chapter 11-15

Recovery Lesson: Denial

Here in chapter 15 Luke lays down the foundation for Jesus as our God of second chances with the parables of the lost sheep, lost coin & the lost son.

Chapter 11-14 is primarily a warning to those in denial about the true nature of God. So according to Luke, Jesus’ ministry proclaims that he is Master and Savior of the lost... and we are all lost! It is the denial of the fact of our lost-ness that he riles against as hypocrisy.

In Luke 13:1-8 Jesus calls us to repent with the parable of the fig tree. But as is his nature, he is patiently waiting for us as he says, “...leave it alone one more year.”

So this is how Jesus tells us that to break our denial:
· I must repent (to acknowledge our errors – call them out by name);
· I must take responsibility (to accept my errors – own them by name);
· I must surrender (to unload my errors – surrender them to Him);

This is His formula for breaking denial & setting ourselves free from the false beliefs that have keep us captive.

But what is the one false belief, the real basis of our errors, that we must stop clinging to?

“He who clings to his life
will lose it,
But he who loses his life,
will gain it.” (Lk 17:33)

It is the false belief, deep down inside, based on our past hurts, that we are unlovable & unloved. This is a lie.

The truth is that we are loved. Luke tells us through Jesus own words that the worse we are, the farther we’ve wandered, the deeper we’ve fallen, the more dear we are to Him. He waits for us in joyful anticipation at our return:

But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive; he was lost and is found. (Lk 15:32)

The truth that we are denying is:

There is nothing wrong with our own true selves,
But that we have hidden behind the false belief,
That we had to be someone we were not,
That we could not be the someone that we are
And still be loved.

And still loved we are
After all we’ve done
By the one who knows the truth
And loves us still,
now and forever. SW

That is the truth that we can no longer deny. We must put down our guilt, anger & shame and accept his precious gift.

SW