This one word tells everything that God wants from you.

God made you for this one thing.

Hallelujah The sign at your salon says, "Give us a positive review on Yelp and Google. Show us your review and receive 15% off your next visit."  Businesses thrive on more customers coming through the door. The most effective tool that opens the door is the opinion of current customers. Positive reviews are good for business. God wants positive reviews, too, but for a bigger reason.  Your positive review of God is, more than anything, good for you. God is already all-powerful, all-perfect, and the CEO of the universe. He doesn't need your review. But he loves it anyway, because he loves you. Psalm 117, the shortest chapter of the Bible, says, "Praise the Lord, all you nations; extol him, all you peoples. For great is his love toward us, and the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever. Praise the Lord!" Notice three truths about life purpose packed into these words, especially evident from the original Hebrew writing: The psalm has bookends encompassing its message. These bookends store, arrange and provide focus for what's in the middle, similar to our use of quotation marks. The bookends themselves reveal the thrust and theme of the message: "Praise the Lord!" When your thoughts begin and end with God. When your day begins and ends with God. When your priorities begin and end with God. Everything else in between is going to be in its proper place in your life.  "Praise" means to cheer or brag about. A stronger synonym, "extol," is making exuberant statements about the excellence of something. Why gush about God? See that little word "for," in the middle of the psalm? That's the why. Because he loves you, fully knowing your sins, your past, your shame, your unfaithfulness. And his love is faithful. Always. "Forever." God never takes a day off from loving you. God never considers dating someone else. God never forgets about you. God never questions his promises to you. This is true of no other being! Why praise lesser things with praise that only God deserves? Exuberance about God means you are grasping how many blessings he is waiting to give you, starting with his unconditional love. Hallelujah! That's a Hebrew word that means, "Praise the Lord!" Most Bible translations do us a favor and print the name "Lord" in all capital letters when it is used as God's name. It means faithful love. Where is that love of God targeted? "Toward us," not just floating around in the heavens or inspiring mindful souls as an energy force for good. And get this, we're not the only ones. The love of God is designed for and directed to "all peoples." The many cultures of the world don't each need their own version of a god. God the Lord is the only true, loving, and universal God for everyone. What God wants from you more than anything is something he already gives you! His saving love changes your life. It's your "why," and that is what God wants. For you to receive his saving, faithful love and say, "Hallelujah!"  Then your whole life is a review of God that rejoices because of him. PRAYER: Hallelujah, God! I'm cheering about you. I'm gushing about you because no other being is loving and faithful like you. Amen. FURTHER MEDITATION: Did you know? Not only is Psalm 117 the shortest chapter of the Bible, it is also the middle chapter. The Bible is composed of 1,189 total chapters, and Psalm 117 is the 595th chapter. Focus on the three truths outline above, slow down and soak them in with meditative prayer. Use the PRAY acronym for each of the three. Praise (tell God what you appreciate about him) Repent (tell God about a recent sin that has violated that truth, misused it or neglected it, and then thank him for his forgiveness) Ask (make a specific request and ask for God to provide a blessing that will help you change and better practice that truth) Yield (talk to God about the next step after you say "Amen," how you want faith to lead the way, how you are willing to be part of his answer and see it develop for your good)    Daron Lindemann Pastor Daron pastordaron@crosslifepf.org 512-808-6052 Copyright © 2019 CrossLife Church, All rights reserved.

Who said, “It’s not the mountain we conquer, but ourselves”?

There's a spiritual lesson to learn.

My Mountain "Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything" (James 1:2-4). On this day—May 29—in 1953, Sir Edmund Hilary became the first man to reach the summit of Mount Everest. On top of the world, Everest is a 29,035 mountain that experts feared could easily kill someone with its subzero temperatures and lack of oxygen, not to mention sheer ice cliffs and avalanches.  Hilary conquered it. Of course, he had already experienced the extremes of mountaineering before this successful climb, learning valuable lessons along the way. This includes a previous failed attempt.  How do you respond to failure? To hopeless situations? To overwhelming challenges? To experts claiming it can't be done? Consider one of my favorite quotes from Hilary: "It's not the mountain we conquer, but ourselves." Typically, fear compels you to believe that a problem is bigger than it really is. Fear is a liar.  Therefore, the problem really isn't the problem. The problem is that you are listening to fear. It's not the problem (or mountain) that you need to conquer as much as yourself (your fear).  The Bible says that you can approach any problem with "pure joy." Problems are going to test you, but good things—joyful things—come from them when you approach problems with faith instead of fear.  God is relentlessly working in your life to produce the better version of you that by his grace he has made you to be. He knows there are mountains for you to climb. Like Hilary's earlier expeditions, he wants those mountains to train you, to push you, and to improve you for the next mountain. Listen to faith instead of fear. Focus less on the intimidating mountain, and more on the promises of God equipping you to conquer yourself. Then, the problem won't be so big after all.  PRAYER: Loving Father, none of my problems are problems to you. Teach me to trust in your promises, and to conquer myself before conquering mountains. Amen. FURTHER MEDITATION: Sir Edmund Hilary was known to be a humble man. He often deflected others' statements about how great he was. Read the entire chapter of James 1. Humility is mentioned often. Pay attention to its appearances. Take notes. Ask God to enlighten your understanding. Meditate on this question: How does humility help you conquer yourself and then conquer the mountain?   Daron Lindemann Pastor Daron pastordaron@crosslifepf.org 512-808-6052 Copyright © 2019 CrossLife Church, All rights reserved.

Speak, O Grave

A Memorial Day tribute remembering the cost of freedom

Memorial Day Speak, O Grave: A Memorial Day Tribute Lost You are and I am Had you returned what would have been      Who would we be? Had you refused your orders      your deployment      your honor to country What would have been      Who would you be      Where would justice cry? I miss you I miss us I want both you and freedom I prayed for both you and peace But if I can't have both Then I want what you want Then I champion a cause you died for I want freedom and pray for peace For these you lost your life Even as you found your way Even as you fought for what is right Even as you are forever at peace in heaven Lost to me Found by God May your death not be lost To me To our country To young men and women dedicating their lives to honored military service To others who remember loved ones claimed by war To the world Let your grave tell your story Reminding us all Honoring your gift And thanking God who works everything for the good of those who love him Speak, O grave Reminding me and the world Of a soldier who knew that peace is more than a noble idea Of a sailor who believed that justice is more than a fair decision Of an airman who committed to a cause greater than himself Of a marine who did more than dream of a world where good must win Speak, O grave To my loneliness To my pain To my fear To a village in Africa robbed of human necessities by warlords To a race in the Middle East cursed for no good reason To a city in Asia trembling at the possibility of nuclear war To a people in Europe displaced from their home To another city victimized by terrorism To the wrongly persecuted To those unjustly imprisoned To families mourning for loved ones killed as innocent civilians and casualties of bloody strife Speak, O grave And help us To hear To act To vote To respect To honor To remember To support To care wherever we are To love while we can And Grave of all graves, Empty tomb of the risen Warrior, Forsaken and forlorn as the place of death, Conquered by the Hero from heaven, Speak, O holy grave of Jesus Christ Tell of your resurrected glory And of new life for all who believe Announce your victory:   Death is dead   Sin's curse is cursed   The devil has only lies as his weapon, exposed as faulty by the simplest faith Glorify all whose guilt you entomb forever Raise to new life all who are baptized Awaken those spiritually asleep Trumpet to Christians a cause so great that it calls us To give our lives Our service Our loyalty Our obedience And fight for spiritual peace For the kingdom of heaven Speak, O graves That we may never forget. PRAYER: Speak, O graves of men and women fallen in war, and grave of the risen Warrior Jesus. Tell of victory, of freedom and a new life to live. Amen. FURTHER MEDITATION: Make a mental list of at least 5 things to be thankful about on this Memorial Day. Meditate on these blessings from God. How can you do more than consume or keep them, but use them to glorify God?   Daron Lindemann Pastor Daron pastordaron@crosslifepf.org 512-808-6052 Copyright © 2019 CrossLife Church, All rights reserved.

How do you know what God’s will is?

And what happens when you do. 

God's Will A man was journeying at night and fell off a cliff, but managed to grab a straggly branch that stopped him from tumbling to his death. Alone, he quickly surveyed his situation and realized he wouldn't be able to hold on for long. He decided to call out for help. "Is anyone up there?" After what seemed like an eternity of silence, he heard the voice of God, "I can help." Relieved that his life was saved by a miracle, the man waited for his deliverance. "Let go of the branch!" God commanded. The man considered this, and questioned why God would ask something so dangerous and deadly. This wasn't deliverance at all. There had to be a better option. "Is anyone else up there?" the man pleaded. All the while, he didn't realize that, dangling from the branch, his feet were only 18 inches off the ground.  We often wish that we knew more about God's will. "What does God want me to do?" We pray and struggle trying to figure out the right way. All the while, however, God has clearly revealed his will to us. Printed plainly in the Bible.  Jesus once said, "My Father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him will have eternal life" (John 6:40). Yes, there are some things God plans that we don't know. There are many more things, however, that God plans and he lets us know. But we're spending so much energy trying to figure out God's unknown will that we don't pay attention to the will of God that he clearly reveals.  The apostle Paul taught people about God's will when he wrote, "We instructed you how to live in order to please God … It is God's will that you should be sanctified" (1 Thessalonians 4:1,3). These two verses outline the will of God revealed in the Bible: look to Jesus and be saved, and live a sanctified (set apart as special) life to please God. Bullet-pointed under these two themes are sub-sections of God's will for us, detailing the story of salvation that he wants us to believe, and divine commands to obey.  Plenty of material. Perfect promises to live by, and guidance to make life even better. What would change in your life if you started paying more attention to God's will he already reveals? Where could you become more certain and confident? PRAYER: There is so much you already tell me, God, as I search for your will. Open my eyes of faith to see your promises and guidance, to believe, and to do your will. Amen. FURTHER MEDITATION: Spend at least 15 minutes meditating on those two questions: 1) What would change in your life if you started paying more attention to God's will he already reveals? 2) Where could you become more certain and confident? Pray about them using the PRAY acronym. Praise (tell God what you appreciate about him) Repent (tell God about your sins, trust in his promises of forgiveness) Ask (go ahead, think big, or focus on a small detail, God wants to hear it all) Yield (talk to God about the next step after you say "Amen," how you want faith to lead the way, how you are willing to be part of his answer and see it develop for your good)   Daron Lindemann Pastor Daron pastordaron@crosslifepf.org 512-808-6052 Copyright © 2019 CrossLife Church, All rights reserved.

5 Reasons Moses and Elijah Got Fired

and reappeared to talk about it

Fired It seemed like fire ignited Jesus at his transfiguration on the mountain. Peter, James and John were watching. God recorded the event in the Bible for us to watch, too. "Just then there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus" (Matthew 17:3). God summoned Moses and Elijah from their heavenly retirement to appear in fiery splendor, bringing with them the works and wonders God had accomplished through them against the mightiest of enemies and the greatest of odds.  Fire of God that (invisibly) flashes from heaven to deliver you from trouble—like when Elijah prayed to God on Mount Carmel and fire flashed from heaven to defeat the prophets of Baal. Fire that keeps faith burning when you lose sight of the flame, feeling overwhelmed and afraid because it appears the torch has been extinguished—like when Elijah hid in a cave and wanted to give up. Until God showed him that his fire often doesn't burn brightly but deeply, unseen, like hot, orange coals under gray ash. God once appeared in a fiery bush to Moses living with guilty regret and empty hope, and called him to a mission impossible—except with the help of God. Do you hear him calling you the same?  God once appeared in a pillar of fire that protected and led his people traveling through a wilderness of uncertainty, not knowing what the next day would bring. Will you follow him? God once accepted the fiery sacrifices of unblemished lambs and has accepted, once and for all, the innocent Lamb, Jesus Christ, offered as payment for sin. So he forgives you for everything. Your shame is burned and gone. Your life is purified. Will you live your new life? PRAYER: O Holy Spirit, God and Lord, refine me in your purifying fire, burning away sin and hardening my resolve to do your will. Amen. FURTHER MEDITATION: Watch this 5-minute video explaining the role of Old Testament prophets https://youtu.be/edcqUu_BtN0. It tells of their major messages assigned by God: Accusation, repentance, and the Day of the Lord. Through issuing warnings and providing hope, these men of God made a difference in God's salvation history. Would you classify Jesus as a prophet? Why or why not?   Daron Lindemann Pastor Daron pastordaron@crosslifepf.org 512-808-6052 Copyright © 2019 CrossLife Church, All rights reserved.

Can you ever do enough?

Living in fear as a slave vs. living in freedom as a son.

No Longer Slaves Both sons in Jesus' parable believed it was by works that they earned a place in their father's household. "Make me like one of your hired servants," was the younger son's plan, and "All these years I've been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders" (Luke 15:19,29) was the older son's self-justification for pouting. The father interrupted the younger son's explanation of his idea that he could earn the father's approval by working as a servant. The father ordered lavish gifts and called him "this son of mine" (Luke 15:24). To the older son, lost without ever leaving home, the father encouraged, "My son, you are always with me, and everything I have is yours" (Luke 15:31).  These young men thought they needed to be slaves and servants for their father to accept them. He loved them as sons. They lived in constant fear. "Can we ever do enough?" He loved them with forgiveness, and let them live in faith and freedom. God's grace does not allow you to find your identity, purpose or success as a hired servant or coerced slave for your Heavenly Father. You still work, but as a son! Free. Lavished with gifts. Unconditionally loved. Listen to this song called "No Longer Slaves" https://youtu.be/PQqkXg-C9jo, and see if you can find references in the song to Jesus' parable of the two sons. PRAYER: Father, your grace makes me free. Not a slave, but a child. Loved by you, I already have your acceptance and approval. Teach me to enjoy. Amen. FURTHER MEDITATION: The word "prodigal" means "reckless, especially with money." Meditate on the biblical truth that God is risky or reckless with his love. How is that represented in Jesus' parable (Luke 15:11-32)? In what ways do you need to be more "prodigal" with your love to God and others?   Daron Lindemann Pastor Daron pastordaron@crosslifepf.org 512-808-6052 Copyright © 2019 CrossLife Church, All rights reserved.

Fear of witnessing is worse than making mistakes

Don't wait to be 100% successful

(I'm) Perfect Whether you are teaching your kids how to say their ABC's, play the piano, or mow the lawn, there's a combination of theory and practice. You tell them how to do it. You might show them how to do it. But then, you let them do it. And, they may replace "C" with "G." They may play a wrong note. They may not mow straight lines (or, if using an electric mower, run over the power cord like I did when I was a teen).  It won't be perfect! But it's good. Because they're learning (on the job) and growing (on the job) and becoming (on the job) the person you know that they can be.  The fear of doing something imperfectly, incorrectly or insufficiently keeps people from success more than their imperfections, incorrect actions or insufficient results. Read that again. I'll say it a different way … My college roommate was an incredible athlete and star of the basketball team. He scored a lot of points. I often compared myself to him and laughed at how few points I scored. I just wasn't a good shooter, and I knew it. So I didn't shoot much. I'd rather pass. He'd always say, "The easiest shot to miss, is the shot you don't take."  You can't wait to become a 100% accurate shooter before taking a shot. Think about the impossibility of that statement, by the way. But that's what we do when it comes to sharing our faith! People tell me all the time, "I'm not good at witnessing." So they don't do it, at least regularly. Honestly, there are times I haven't witnessed, either, because I didn't want to fail. You can't wait to become a 100% successful witness before sharing your faith. Or you'll never share your faith. Jesus believes this, and it's why he gathered his disciples and "sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God … So they set out and went from village to village, proclaiming the good news and healing people everywhere" (Luke 9:2,6). Success! Score! Were they perfect witnesses? Not even close. I count 5 situations, all reported later in Luke 9, where the disciples show how imperfect they really are. They couldn't drive out a demon (v. 40). They misunderstood things (v. 45) and argued who was the greatest (v. 46). Peter inappropriately suggested setting up shelters at Jesus' transfiguration (v. 33), and James and John wanted to zap a few folks with lightning (vv. 54-56).  Not good. Not even close to perfect. Yet Jesus previously sent them out, imperfect as they were, and they succeeded.  Jesus sends you, too. Your witnessing, with a few blunders, is much, much better than no witnessing at all. And you'll learn something more for next time. PRAYER: Dear Jesus, I'm not a 100% perfect witness, but I don't want that to keep me from trying to share my faith. Amen. FURTHER MEDITATION: Read Luke 9. Note the successful mission trip of the disciples, and then pause at the 5 situations later (noted above). I think we find such lessons of faith here. Slow down and note carefully how Jesus responds to his disciples in this chapter. HINT: He doesn't lower his expectations and say, "Oh, well, I see you're not going to handle this the way I want." What does he do instead? What does he promise? What does he expect?   Daron Lindemann Pastor Daron pastordaron@crosslifepf.org 512-808-6052 Copyright © 2019 CrossLife Church, All rights reserved.