You know you’re a single guy whenever you make Ramen noodles… and save the leftovers.

“I like pie.  Live with it” (Steven, the Great, Gilliam).

Sunday afternoon, I was playing a massive game of dodge ball with a bunch of little people.  One who was already out came over and asked if her and her friends could be cheerleaders.  “Cool,” I said, “Knock yourself out.”

A few minutes later, the cheering began: “Go Mr. Matt, go Mr. Matt…”

There’s just not a whole lot quite like having your own cheerleaders.  My pace picked up.  I threw the ball harder.  My throw to kill ratio increased.  Little kids were sprawled out across the playing field crying for their mommies…

You get the idea… maybe?  The point was supposed to be that having someone to encourage you is absolutely valuable… invaluable, in fact… priceless.

So, for whom are you cheering? 

(Love is kind… It actively, deliberately, and intentionally looks for ways of building others up…   starting with the people who reside under your own roof, then pushing outward to everywhere you go and everyone with whom you lock eyes.)

((Love cheers for others and leads others to cheer for others.)) 

After an extremely tough week, Jesus said, “It is finished.”  Everything was complete.  There was nothing left to be done.

So since it’s finished, quit jacking with it by trying to add something.
He did it… all.

Religion is about what I do.
Christianity is about what He did.
Quit being so religious.

Could it be that God allows us to have weaknesses so we’ll always have to trust Him?

What’s your weakness?

Are you trusting Him?

If the only thing you’ve learned from your mistakes is that you’ve made mistakes, then you haven’t really learned much at all.

What happens when we live God’s way? He brings gifts into our lives, much the same way that fruit appears in an orchard—things like:

• affection for others (love),
• exuberance about life (joy),
• serenity (peace).
• We develop a willingness to stick with things (patience),
• a sense of compassion in the heart (kindness),
• and a conviction that a basic holiness permeates things and people (goodness).
• We find ourselves involved in loyal commitments (faithfulness),
• not needing to force our way in life (gentleness),
• able to marshal and direct our energies wisely (self-control). 

Legalism is helpless in bringing this about; it only gets in the way.  Among those who belong to Christ, everything connected with getting our own way and mindlessly responding to what everyone else calls necessities is killed off for good—crucified.  Since this is the kind of life we have chosen, the life of the Spirit, let us make sure that we do not just hold it as an idea in our heads or a sentiment in our hearts, but work out its implications in every detail of our lives.  That means we will not compare ourselves with each other as if one of us were better and another worse.  We have far more interesting things to do with our lives.  Each of us is an original.

Galatians 5:22-26, The Message

What if, in your little group of people, someone said that another amongst you would go against everything the group stood for?  What would your first thoughts be?  Let’s get specific here:  Think of your people.  Who are they?  How long have you guys been together?  How much have you invested in one another’s lives?  Gimme some names here.

Let’s say that you have all been together for… three years.  During that time, you have done some incredible things together.  You’ve helped one another tremendously.  You’ve learned tons from one another.  You’ve laughed and played, maybe even prayed.  You’ve watched one another’s kids.  You’ve rejoiced when one achieved and mourned when another lost.  I mean, you’re tight.  You’re practically family.

You with me?

Then, as you’re sitting around the dinner table one evening, word comes that one of you is going to throw it all away.  They’re gonna go south on the group, betraying everyone to the core of what you guys are all about.

Sounds bad, huh?

So, as you and your people are sitting around the table, what would you be thinking?  Would you be naming names in your head, pointing fingers in your cerebral cortex?  “I knew he was a loser…”  “I knew she wasn’t for real…”  What?  Think about this before you read on.

Well, something similar happened to thirteen friends a while back.  Jesus was dining with his disciples and it was said that one of them would betray him.  One of the privileged twelve would ditch.  After three years of hearing all he heard and seeing all he saw, he would walk away from it all.  Worse yet, this one had not only heard, but taught.  He had not only seen, but done.  Everything about him looked like he surely belonged. 

Strange thing though:  When the revelation was first announced, noone pointed fingers.  In fact, the story (John 13:21-30) goes that everyone looked at one another at a complete loss.  John looked at Peter.  James looked at Judas.  Matthew looked at Mark.  But not a one said a word against any other. 

They believed in one another.
Personally, I find that refreshing.

Maybe a lesson here is that until someone flat out proves they are a Judas, we should believe in them.

And even then, should we stop believing in them?

I wonder: If Judas hadn’t taken his own life, could his family have loved him (back) to the Way, the Truth, and the Life?  (Those of you with TU LIPs may know the answer to this… or do you?)

What do you think?

as·sume [uh-soom]
verb (used with object), -sumed, -sum·ing.
1. to take for granted or without proof; suppose; postulate; posit.

Jesus never did that.
He did not assume things about other people.
Said another way, he was not judgmental.

If he didn’t, than we shouldn’t, so don’t.

Any questions?

Sometimes, to get to beautiful, you have to go through a season of ugly.