Undeniable Truth # 10

UNDENIABLE TRUTH #10- PRINCIPLES MUST BE HONORED OVER PERSONALITIES It was my father that first taught me a simple definition of a principle: “it is a decision you only have to make once.” For example, if my values and biblical convictions lead me to adopt the principle: "lying is wrong" then, I can make a one time decision: "I will tell the truth". Then comes the hard part. Applying this principled conviction consistently regardless with whom I interact. Even though I determine this value once- there will be a thousand times it will be called into question and integrity demands that I stand firm on it regardless of who raises the question. One of my greatest temptations in life has been to let my principles operate on a sliding scale for those I truly love or even worse, to adjust them to get what I really want. That’s hard to admit. It hurts to say it. But isn’t that the universal disease of self that has plagued us all since the garden of Eden? You see, God had a principle of His own that day: “anyone who disobeys must die.” And, when the awesome creature that was His own handiwork defied Him, the principle had to be upheld and the punishment meted out. He held firm to the principle because it flowed from his character. He could do no less because he could be no less. Adam and Eve had a principle that had been operative in their lives: “obey the Father.” But the day came when this principle was tested and when Eve found herself interacting with a sly and charismatic person called the devil- her desire for knowledge overpowered her principle of obedience. We are flawed people. We will not live perfectly by our principles. But I am passionate about teaching our children about the power of a principled life. The world is increasingly personality driven. Decisions are made based on who is involved, who I might offend, or who I might endear to myself. The apostle Paul stated emphatically: "do I seek to please men? For if I still pleased men, I would not be a servant of Christ," (Galatians 1:10). In the end it's not my intestinal fortitude that will make me a godly man. It is my love for Jesus and my desire to honor Him that will allow me to live by my convictions.

Undeniable Truth #9

Undeniable Truth #9 LIFE IS SHORT- GOD IS FUN- John 10:10 Growing up in a very conservative, if not fundamentalist, type of Southern Baptist Church had it's advantages. For example, I never took the word of God lightly and I grew up with an active conscience that kept me humble and repentant. But, along with my conservative principles I also picked up another message that although it was never directly verbalized, still came through loud and clear. It sounded something like this: really holy people do not have much fun. In reality, I thought they mostly wore drab colored clothes and sat around reading serious books all the time. I will never forget finding out at age 13 that I would not be able to use my musical talent in church because drums were "not allowed" since they appealed to the flesh and tended to make people act in a sensual manner. Because of this, there came a time when I was close to denying my faith and giving up on the local church entirely. But- my dad and brother came to the rescue by finding creative outlets for our musical talents like valentine banquets and Sunday afternoon concerts down on the T head on Corpus Christi Bay. Now that I think of it- I think my entire 29 year history as a student pastor was spent disproving that idea- that Christians couldn't have crazy fun! The truth is that I have had insane amounts of fun serving Jesus and have still seen God move in truly phenomenal ways. And now, my greatest joy is scrolling through my 1700 friends on facebook and seeing literally hundreds of people who were part of our student ministry who are now serving The Lord around the world and raising godly children of their own. We were much more than a fun and games department and along the way we proved that doing life with Jesus and his family means buckling your seat belt for a ride that has taken me literally around the world. Life IS too short to be lived without laughing and loving and letting God take you places you never dreamed of. Again, I am stunned that a Garage Sale kid from Corpus Christi has had the opportunity to preach the gospel in 7 countries, to make prank phone calls from the stage with David Naser, to bungee jump with teenagers in Florida and all while loving Jesus and loving the awesome family of God. Jesus said: "I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly. He has surely filled ours with people and events we will never forget. May your life with Him be unforgettable and free.