New Surroundings

So I'm working on my third full week of classes now here at Austin Peay. I'm loving it here, but it still taking some getting used to. There's so many differences here in Tennessee from living back home in Texas. For one, it's not as open, there is a massive abundance of trees, much like East Texas, but I have grown up in Central Texas, where from my house you can see downtown Ft. Worth and Dallas. Another thing, people from Clarksville think there is nothing here, but they have a lot compared to what I'm used to. Midlothian was always a small town, and business wise still is, so here it's a completely different atmosphere. I still don't understand the barbecue argument between Texans and "Southerners". Barbecue is barbecue! If you smoke some meat and throw some homemade barbecue sauce on it I'll eat it, whatever kind of meat it is. On second thought, I might have a couple of reservations on the meat choice, like no domesticated animals, that's just weird. Everything here in Tennessee is great and beautiful, but in a different way than Texas. A few things that are great about being here. Like the fact that my favorite style of music, bluegrass, is in abundance here. I love helping out at First Baptist and being a part of what is going on there. The students are a great group, and the college ministry is a blast.

If there's something I have learned here, it's that you can't forget who you are. Not in the sense of me being from Texas, but in the sense that even in an emotionally stressful time, in the midst of changes in life, you can't forget who you are in Christ. When something is thrown in your way you can't revert back to how you used to be, but accept it and move on. Things happen, and since being here things have been tossed in my way that started to make me doubt myself, and have that "poor me" attitude, but through some constructive words from back home, I had to remember who I am. Christ has made us new, and there's no reason to go back to the way you were before that, because the slate has been wiped clean and you are alive in Christ.

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come." - 2 Corinthians 5:17


Just for fun, I mentioned bluegrass at the first of the post, here's some bluegrass!

Christ’s Example to Glorify the Father- Philippians 2:1-11

It's been a while since I've posted anything, soon I'll have some more up, but in the time being I wanted to post this. This was my sermon outline for the last time I spoke in front of Oak Crest before I left for college. I think that this is something we can loose sight of and it's good to be reminded of our chief purpose.

- If we take a long, honest look at our culture as a whole, we live in a world where people live for their own gain. A world where “popularity” is worshiped, whether you’re talking about celebrities, reality shows, or the lottery. A culture that teaches to look out for your own interests and not care about someone who is “worse off” than yourself. Sadly, we can see the affects of our culture leaking into our churches. People who care more about how they look to everyone than giving all to God. In Philippians chapter 1, Paul talks about living for Christ, saying in verse 21, “For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” This conveys his desire to live for Christ, as well as his desire to be with Christ. Beginning in chapter 2, verses 1-11, he further explains how to live for Christ by showing the example Christ himself gave to us through his life, and by his death on the cross. If you’ll read with me, beginning in verse 1…

1So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, 2 complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. 3Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. 4Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. 5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

- Paul begins this section by invoking the people of the church at Philippi to peer into their own life and heart to see if these qualities are evident. Encouragement, comfort from love, participation in the spirit, affection and sympathy, these qualities come from being in Christ. He then says in verse 2, “complete my joy…”, as Paul cares greatly for them and is writing from prison, “... by being of the same mind, having the same love, being of full accord and of one mind.” He doesn’t mean that they should all think exactly the same, but to be one for the cause of Christ, each doing their part, none bigger or smaller than the other, but all together as body of believers. In verse 4, he begins to explain further what this looks like, saying that each person should not look to their interest alone, but to also look to the interests of others. In other words, if we make sure that we are taken care of on an individual level, we cannot function properly as the body of Christ. Instead, be unified in love, putting other’s needs over your own.

- Next, Paul writes saying to, “Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus.” This heart of love and spirit of selflessness is in us through Christ. If we embrace these things and put away the vain teachings of this world and culture, we begin to imitate the humility of Christ. In verse 6, he explains the humble attitude shown by Christ, “… who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.” Jesus is the perfect example of how we should live, as servants to an all powerful God. In doing the task set before us, following God’s lead, putting his agenda before our own, we imitate Christ, who “humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.”

- Beginning in verse 9, Paul explains that through this, Christ showed that he shared the likeness of God, being “highly exalted” and having “ bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,…” Then, in the last of verse 11, he explains the purpose of it all, “… to the glory of God the Father.” That’s it! Simply put in seven words. The purpose of man, the purpose of following Christ’s example of obedience in love, the purpose of Christ himself and his death on the cross, the purpose of it all is to give glory to God the Father.

- So, as we are daily bombarded by a culture that teaches self reliance and to live for the gratification and the gain of one’s self, we as a body of Christ are to follow the example of Christ. Putting the needs of others above ourselves in a spirit of love and selflessness, fulfilling the purpose for which we are made, giving all glory to God in every aspect of life itself.

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