31 For 31


I'm turning 31 on July 19th, 2018.

I did this last year when I turned 30.

It seems self-indulgent, but then again, isn't a blog somewhat self-indulgent anyway?

It's up to you whether or not you want to read it.

If you do choose to read, please enjoy 31 of my thoughts, observations, and all around tidbits as I enter into my age 31 season.

31 For 31

  1. I'm fed up with Christian moralism. It is not the gospel. What I mean by Christian moralism is basically the "Holier than thou" version of Christianity that is about cleaning oneself up to "fit in." Christian moralism says "You can clean yourself up, and once you change some things in your life, you can be in the club." Or even worse, Christian moralism tends to tell people (overtly or subtly) they can't be in the club at all. They don't belong because of that thing they do or say. That isn't the gospel. The gospel is for everybody. The gospel isn't about behavior modification; it is about sanctification, becoming like Jesus. The gospel is about heart change brought about by God. The gospel is about people transferring from death to life, because the Spirit of God has awakened them. The gospel is about a bunch of redeemed, broken sinners, who know they can't get their act together without God's gracious intervention in Jesus. The gospel tells me that God created things good, and humanity (all of us) fell into sin. When we look around the world, or even at our own hearts we can see that this is true. Sin by nature is so bad that there is nothing we can do to remedy our own situation. The only remedy is found in God sending his son to die on a Roman cross, punishing for all time the sins of all who would call on the name of Jesus for forgiveness. The gospel is about God making a way for sinners, not about sinners cleaning up their act to get to God. Then, God sent the Holy Spirit into hearts, awakening people, supernaturally drawing people to Christ. Jesus tells us that no one can come to him for eternal life unless God the Father draws us. We are taught of God to believe in the Son, very God, who came into the world to die for our sins. Our hearts are awakened to these spiritual realities by the Holy Spirit, very God. The gospel, true Christianity, is hope in the work of God in the world. The gospel is the outside help coming in to us from none other than our Creator, the holy and true God, who graciously takes action on behalf of sinners. We are saved by grace, through faith. Nothing in our hands we bring, simply to the cross we cling. So we don't look down on others, because we are just like them, not better than them but redeemed by Christ. Christian moralism is an empty gospel, offering help only to "those who help themselves." That is not the gospel. The gospel is, God helps those who couldn't help themselves. So, if you are a non-Christian, atheist, skeptic, agnostic, or anyone else who doesn't believe in Jesus Christ and you are reading this, I hope you would re-examine Jesus and see what he says about being born again. I hope you would see that we Christians are a bunch of broken sinners, attempting to humbly stumble forward in repentance by faith. We are a people who have been redeemed by a great Savior. Gandhi said, "I like your Christ, but not your Christians," and I don't blame him at times. If you are sick of Christian moralism, I hope that you'd reconsider Christ. See Jesus in the Gospels for yourself this year. 
  2. That being said, the Church is the bride of Christ. I love Jesus & I love his followers. Jesus loves his Church, and so do I. The Church is the Spirit-filled people of God, living as citizens of heaven, foreigners and exiles, sojourners in this world, salt and light, redeemed people, followers of Christ, servants of the King of Kings, living in this world for the sake of others, laying down our lives sacrificially to see the rule and reign of God spread in the world until the day that Jesus returns to make all things new. The Church is the one movement in history that will be successful, not because we are so great, but because God is at work in our midst, and Christ is our head, our leader, the one who sets our example of sacrificial love, and in himself has the power and faithfulness to never let us down. I love being a member of Christ's Church, what a joy and a treasure! I'm thankful everyday for my brothers and sisters in Christ. 
  3. Okay, i'll try to lighten these up a little bit. Hitting a home run in baseball, catching a nice bass, smacking into an opposing lineman in football - man those things are fun!
  4. I drive about 9 miles an hour over the speed limit most of the time. 
  5. I still use Pandora, which apparently shows my age. 
  6. I sometimes eat food just so I can put Sriracha on it. Man, that stuff is the best!
  7. I watched a ton of Unsolved Mysteries in my free time this year. Only the Robert Stack episodes. 
  8. My wife Allison is hands down an absolute masterpiece of God. She shows me Christ and the gospel every day. She shows me sides of God that I wouldn't see otherwise. Man I have so much fun with this woman. She is the most brilliant, caring, quirky, striking, compassionate, challenging, strong, intelligent, bright, dazzling, intriguing person I've ever met. Look at this woman! I'm about to go on two years of being married to her. That's insane!
    Allison Dawn - The Love of My Life
  9. The Green Bay Packers are the best football team in the history of the NFL. Sorry if you disagree. It's pure grace to have been born a Packer fan. Many are called, few are chosen. 
  10. Being generous & giving to others > living a self-indulgent or self-serving life.
  11. Self-righteousness is a drug. It is so easy to gossip, talk down about others, judge others, feel superior to others, feel more intelligent, more capable, just better than others. It is a drug, and it makes us feel good temporarily, but it never lasts. Self-righteousness presents us with a false reality, much like a drug. When we walk in self-righteousness, we are balloons inflated with ego, but we don't realize that deep down (or maybe we do and try to ignore it), we aren't that great, and we need people. One of the great breakthroughs in my life has been the realization that I am not so great.
  12. God is good. God is good. God is only good. God only does good. God overflows with goodness. God is pure good. 
  13. Jesus is real. Jesus is alive. 
  14. There is nothing in life more powerful than hope. Hope is able to persevere in the face of anything. There is nothing better than having hope for the future because of Jesus Christ. Here is an inspiring example of hoping in Christ despite the turmoil of this life: 
  15. Simon & Garfunkel are insanely talented. Art Garfunkel's voice is truly a gift. There isn't much better music out there than "The Sound of Silence" or "Bridge Over Troubled Water."
  16. The best decision I ever made in my life was to say "Yes" to Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. 
  17. Hard work is very satisfying, especially when kept in the right perspective.
  18. There is nothing wrong with domestic beer. One could do worse than a cold Busch Light. I'm sorry, but I was born and raised in Wisconsin in the pre-craft beer era, it's embedded in me. 
  19. Words are extremely, ridiculously powerful. The things we say to one another have the power to give life or to destroy it. We can speak life and encouragement into one's life, like watering their garden. Or we can speak death and discouragement into one's life, causing corrosion and rust. It is very easy to do either. The older I get, the more powerful I see that my words can be, and it really challenges me to "tame the tongue." Who doesn't want to be the kind of person that builds people up? Don't you want that reputation? I do!
  20. Cereal is amazing. Have you seen a cereal aisle lately. There are insane options and crossover mixes. And I never eat cereal. I'm missing out guys. 
    So many options.
  21. FEAR OF MISSING OUT is what drives Instagram clicks. More than ever, we don't want to miss out on life. I have FOMO for cereal, you guys. 
  22. This is the quote of the year, thanks John Wesley!

    “Do all the good you can,
    By all the means you can,
    In all the ways you can,
    In all the places you can,
    At all the times you can,
    To all the people you can,
    As long as ever you can.”

  23. Pie is better than cake, people. It's not close. 
  24. I love shopping at Costco.
  25. Grilling out with friends is one of my favorite joys in life. 
  26. There are a lot of people in my life that put up with a lot of my nonsense and keep on loving me. Thank you!
  27. God hears prayer. 
  28. The best emoji of my age 30 season was the two eyes looking sideways. 
    Best emoji. Conveys so much.
  29. I love my dog, Sage. I highly recommend having a dog. Sage was all I came home to during some years of terrible depression and oftentimes, I see how she helped me through it. I had to get out of the house to walk her, which is really hard when you are depressed. I had to be responsible for her, which was hard. She brings a lot of joy into my life. Thank God for pets!
  30. I'm truly thankful for you. Yes, you. You are made in the image of God, and you are special to me.
  31. I still gladly eat Taco Bell at age 31, but if I'm being honest, it feels like a restaurant that you stop going to at a certain age. For me, I think that age will be 90. Maybe.
Thanks for reading!

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