by Caleb Moore | Oct 24, 2016
In Philippians, Paul writes,
“…make my joy complete by being of one mind, having the same love, being united in spirit and purpose.”
As I was reading this, I found it strange that he believed that his joy would not be complete unless there was unity among the believers. Was his joy not complete and found only in Christ? Surely he didn’t need other people to make him happy.
Paul of all people should know that only God can meet our deepest needs. So why then did he use his own joy as a motivation for them to be united? I think an experience I recently had can shed some light on this.
Opening day of deer hunting season was a few weeks ago. This is a day I have been looking forward to with great enthusiasm. I decided this year I would go camping the day before and spend the time by myself out in the woods. The weather was perfect. I had my tent set up deep in the woods, a warm fire to cook my food and the blissful silence you only find when you go off the grid. I woke up early and climbed my favorite tree. As the sun rises, you get to be a silent witness to all of nature coming alive. The birds and squirrels scurry about their busy day as I keep my ears open for the sounds of rustling leaves and the hopes of spotting the white tail of a deer. Although I never saw a deer, as any hunter will tell you, there is enough satisfaction in the hunt that we will return to try again another day.
As much as I enjoyed my day alone hunting and camping, something was missing. It was like I planned a great dinner party but forgot to invite my friends. I had everything needed for a great time, but it was missing something because I had gone alone. Joy is something that needs to be shared in order to be complete. It was a good day, but it could have been a great day if I had brought some friends along to share the experience with.
Paul had joy, but his joy was only complete when he discipled others to share in the joy he had in Christ. We are to invite people to the party that God has stirred within our hearts. Take the time to invite other people to the banquet of God’s grace, and you will find your own joy being more complete.
by Caleb Moore | Sep 21, 2016
I remember very clearly the first time I received my acceptance into the motorcycle community. My first bike wasn’t very big or fast, but it was mine.
You might have noticed that when two motorcycles pass each other on the road they throw out a little hand signal to each other. It’s almost always the same gesture, your left arm shoots out and down towards the ground while holding two fingers out like a peace symbol. It was only a few days after I had my bike that I began riding down city streets.
Early one cool spring morning I put on my helmet and riding gear and headed to work. As I was riding, I saw a much bigger bike in the distance, driven by a much bigger man.
I could tell right away he was the real deal. He had a big grey beard and a leather vest covered with patches. As we passed each other I watched with great anticipation to see if he would give me the “sign.” I had my doubts, though, surely he wouldn’t recognize me on my little bike. I’m just a novice, and I might as well have training wheels attached to the side.
Then, as we were about to pass, without even looking my way, he let go of his handlebar and threw me the sign.
I’m glad my visor covered my face because I was grinning like an idiot. “I’m in the gang now!” I thought to myself. My posture on my bike changed, I was no longer some little kid puttering about on his scooter; I was leather jacket-wearing man riding his steel horse full of thunder!
I’m on my fourth bike now; I ride a Harley Davidson that is so loud I have to wear ear plugs. Every time I see another bike approaching I throw out the sign instinctively. I don’t have to think about it. Now, it’s just habit.
But it still makes me smile because in a weird way it makes you feel like there is a group of people to whom you belong. No matter what else is going on, you know you just passed a stranger who understands you, and shares with you your love of the open road.
Recently, as I was taking my son to the store, we approached the steps of our front porch. He was talking away in his little voice the way he always does, but as we drew closer to the steps he reached his little hand up to mine without hesitation or even so much as a glance to see if I would be there to receive it. He knew by instinct that his father is always right there. He knows that the stairs can be dangerous for his short little legs and that without fear or anxiety he can overcome it as long as dad is there to hold his hand.
When I looked down, I noticed he always holds my same two fingers – my middle and index fingers. These are the same two thrown out when I see a motorcycle passing.
Just like how I throw out this silly hand gesture to a passing motorcyclist as a way to acknowledge our group bond, my son reaches his hand up because he knows he belongs to an even better group. I envy how effortlessly we can belong to so many different groups or families, but when it comes to belonging to the Kingdom of God we often struggle.
I believe this is one of the reasons God gave us prayer. Prayer often comes with a gesture of its own. Whether it be the clasping of our hands, the bowing of our heads, or simply the bending a knee, it is helpful for me to think of this gesture as a symbol of my belonging.
I know that when I reach my hand up in prayer, my heavenly Father is always close by to guide me through the dangers of life. I desire to repeat my gestures of prayer so often that simply by instinct I know not only that I belong but that God is with me.
by Caleb Moore | Aug 15, 2016
We are all aware that women can often struggle with trying to meet the unrealistic expectations society puts on them. It has to be hard to be a woman who is blasted with magazines and television commercials where fit women can eat junk food without loosing their airbrushed abs. When it comes to culture trying to define what a woman should look like, it’s very obvious and in your face. However with men, I think it is a lot more subtle.
Yes, we men struggle with some of these issues too. We may not worry as much about our physical appearance, but there is a subtle way that the enemy appeals to us in order to distract us from what we were actually created for. I have heard before that where women have magazines that appeal to their physical and relational weaknesses, men have magazines that appeal to our material and egotistical weaknesses. Men’s magazines often have a guy who is extremely fit or an expensive car. Just about anything with loud shiny metal on it is bound to peak the interest of your average male.
Beyond the surface of these material things lies what is the real temptation. We don’t like Rambo or Iron-Man simply because they are big guys with big guns. We like their total independence. They rely on nobody but themselves, and everything they have they simply got from hard work and determination. There is nothing wrong with these things, but as always, there is a temptation to make good things God things.
We must be careful with our desire for independence because we are created to be dependent beings. I have seen it swing to both sides of the scale. The man who wants independence so badly that he pushes people away. He might not do it intentionally, but his attempt to be his own boss in and out of the house damages those he is closest to. The other side is the 30-year-old who lives at home in his mom’s basement who finds independence by avoiding responsibility.
Here is the truth: we are created to be dependent creatures. There is no such thing as total independence. By our very nature, we are dependent upon God to create the air we breathe and to sustain the governing principles of our universe. We are created to be in relationship, not just with other people but with God. Someone who gets too sidetracked in their quest for independence is in danger of trying to free themselves from the One who creates and sustains the universe.
We must be on guard, then, in a world that pushes an overinflated idea of independence down our throats on a regular basis to remember that those who are fully dependent on God are the only ones who are truly free.
by Caleb Moore | Jul 19, 2016
The curse – that is where this all started. In the Garden, Adam was a provider. He worked the ground, cultivated it and made it his own. This is part of his design. He was supposed to use the work of his hands to provide for his family. But then he fell and the curse followed him.
God said that man would work the field, but it would never produce equal to the amount of work he invested. Ever since then, man has tried to find his worth in what he could do with his hands, only to find that it never truly fulfills. This is why so many men are workaholics. We chase the temporary satisfaction of hard work like a drug.
My wife stays home with our two children. As a church planter, my financial resources have never been the envy of my neighbors. But my wife knows one thing, if my family has a need I will do anything to provide it. I work several jobs outside of being a full-time pastor. I do web design, photography for a motorcycle shop, and have at times spent my summers mowing yards all to make sure my family is provided for. If she comes to me with a need, I can tell her to not be afraid and to have faith. Her husband will make it work. I am designed to do this.
However, there is a down side. Sometimes I confuse being a provider with being THE Provider. I take on her stress and worry so she can relax, but I forget to pass that onto my Provider. God never intended for me to provide merely out of my own strength, but to trust in His provision. When I fail to do this, I do not lead my family to trust in God more, but make them more dependent upon my own strength and effort. What happens then when my strength fails me and my efforts are disappointed? This happens often, because the curse follows me the same way it followed Adam out of the garden.
I am not the provider for my family. I am merely the steward of Gods provision for my family. It’s a trust issue. Men, we must never forget that we have need of a provider as well. In the same way that we find joy in being able to tell our family that they can trust in our ability to provide.
God finds joy in providing for us. The more successful a man is, the less likely he is to trust in God as his Provider. These men might be giants in business, but I am certain you will find their family spiritually starving.
A true Godly man provides for his family, but reminds them and himself of where those provisions came from. Remember to let God be your Provider. He asks us to cast our cares, our burdens, our finances, our emotions and ask Him to provide what nobody else can. Do not let the curse follow you home from work by thinking what you made that day will satisfy you in the deepest parts of your souls.
by Caleb Moore | Jun 20, 2016
For the last few months, I have been preaching from the Gospel of Mark. After the first 10 chapters, I am amazed that anyone is a Christian. The disciples, for the most part, just don’t show many signs of competence. They constantly role model what not to do. But let’s cut them some slack; many of them are in their teens. Although classic paintings make them look like men in their 40’s, most of them were under the age of 20. I have worked with a lot of young adults, and there are few people more certain of themselves than a young man fresh out of college. These are men with little or no experience, but miraculously know how to do everything.
One of my favorite stories in Mark is when Jesus tells the disciples He is going to Jerusalem to die. Soon after foretelling his own death, James and John come to him with a selfish request that highlights their immaturity. What do they want? Well, they demand that Jesus make both of them vice presidents of Jesus town. They want to sit in the best chairs in his Kingdom. What might be even worse is the way they begin the conversation. These two “Sons of Thunder” walk right up to the Creator of the universe and say, “Do for us whatever we ask!”
Somewhere in their minds they thought this was a good idea. They thought this would show their faith and make Jesus happy. Perhaps they thought they would be praised for being so bold. We love to look at these men and shake our heads. Had we been there we would never have done something so childish. Or would we? Why do we always read ourselves as the heroes in the Bible? We are more likely to be Goliath than we are David. Given the chance, we would have voted to free Barabbas and crucify Jesus with the rest of the angry crowd. So I have some sympathy for the disciples in this moment of poor decision making.
Let’s give them some credit; they did leave everything behind to follow Jesus. They quit their jobs for a life of ministry and travel. That’s already living more of a faith-based life than most people I know. So why all these poor decisions? If you have ever given young men adult responsibility, then you know exactly why they acted the way they did. At first, they get puffed up with pride, then they get jealous, then they make demands, then they tell Jesus what He is doing wrong. This pattern is something I have seen in myself and many others. But eventually, most of these bad traits are slowly broken down and beaten out of them. They are on the path of Christian maturity.
As I read of their journey, I can’t help but think of the maturity level of church in America. The explosion of the health and prosperity gospel that has found its way into so many evangelical houses of worship are a sure sign of our own immaturity. Christians have only repeated the idiotic demands of the early disciples, “Give us whatever we want.” When we see the disciples on the path to becoming mature, Christian leaders, we should not pity them for being so naïve, we should look for those red flags in our own lives. It’s painful to grow, but it is even more painful to be ignorant and immature.
The Gospel of Mark contrasts their ignorance with a blind man who simply cries out, “Have mercy on me.” The ultimate mark of maturity is submission to the One, True God.