David Richardson

Philippians 2:8  -  “And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death – even death on a cross.”

Jesus came to earth and was obedient to God the Father.  He was fully cooperative with the Divine plan of restoring sinful humanity.  He did the right thing up through the very end.  And it costed Him His life.

When we look at the cross, we are reminded of something very important:  the right thing is not always the easy thing.

As much as we would like to think otherwise, God’s work is not always easy or convenient.  At times, it can involve being misunderstood or persecuted.  It can also lead to the loss of friendships, opportunities, jobs, and money.  And yes, even in some parts of today’s world, it can include the loss of life.

Too many of us are all about being comfortable.  Society tells us to pamper ourselves.  We’ve bought into the myth that we somehow “deserve” the life of ease.

While I enjoy comfort as much as the next guy, and while I’m glad that God blesses us with it from time to time, I just don’t think that is God’s #1 concern for my life. 

God is focused primarily on redeeming a broken world, and one of the ways He does that is by using you and me.  We are His hands and feet in the world.  Because of that, we at times will have to do tough, messy work.  We will have to love people who don’t deserve it.  We will have to forgive people that do us wrong.  We will have to inconvenience ourselves to take care of those who are less fortunate.  Ultimately, we will have to speak up and share the good news of the gospel with lost people that may not react kindly at first.

Jesus was willing to do the right thing.  Are you?  Am I?  Let’s follow the example of our Savior, and get on board with what God is wanting to do through our lives…even if it makes us uncomfortable.

Oh, and just remember this:  the amount of discomfort you and I endure down here for doing the right thing, will not come close to comparing to the great rewards and blessings we will enjoy in Paradise forever!

Pictured above is a couple that means a lot to Lara and me.  Tim and Katie are friends of ours from South Carolina.  Lara used to work with Katie, and I used to work for Tim some on the side.  We love and respect them both…and can’t wait for them to come visit us down here in Florida one day.

On Saturday, Katie and I were texting each other.  The last text I received from her really touched me.  It said:  “Have a good Sunday.  Preach strong and with love in your heart for God’s people.”  Now that’s some wise advice from Katie!

When we preach, let’s remember what Katie said:

[1]  Preach strong.  This means stand courageously on the truth and proclaim it without compromise or apology.  The people in the pews need to hear the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.  Strong preaching will address topics that God lays on our hearts, even if we know some in the pews will disagree with us or persecute us.  May we never let fear keep us from saying what needs to be said.

[2]  Preach with love in our hearts for God’s people.  When we stand and preach to our church family, we are addressing our brothers and sisters in Christ.  Every man, woman, boy, and girl in the pews matters to God, and, therefore, should matter to us.  May we preach because we care about the congregation, and we want to help them experience God to the fullest.  Love must be at the core of  who we are and what we do when we preach. 

Thanks, Katie, for the good reminder.  I needed to hear that.   And I’ll bet a lot of my pastor friends needed that too.

*  This was one of my favorite Sundays so far here at FBC Sebring.

*  The praise band was ON during this morning’s 8:30 worship service.  They did a fine job of enabling us to worship God in song.  Proud of those guys and ladies.

*  A girl walked the aisle during the 8:30 service and asked Jesus to save her.  That was awesome!

*  The music at 11:00 was very worshipful.  Really helped us focus on the cross. 

*  I enjoyed preaching today.  It was the final sermon in the series entitled “The Cross of Christ.”

*  Told the congregation that the cross shows us some important things about God.  #1 – His power.  #2 – His love.

*  Starting a brand new sermon series next Sunday, entitled “The Resurrected Life.”  It will be dealing with the resurrection of Jesus, and what difference it should make in our lives.

*  Tonight was our Easter musical.  I’ve heard lots of good reviews on it.  People seemed to really enjoy it. 

*  Yes, I sang in the choir.

*  Our choir had 75 people in it!

*  The drama folks (Allison, Rick, and Robert) did very well.  They added a good touch.  Really proud of them for stepping in there and getting results!

*  One of the things that blew me away about the musical was that the weather was horrible.  It was pouring down buckets of rain…and yet people still came.  It was like a Sunday morning crowd in size.

*  Another thing that blessed my heart was the attitude of the people involved with this project.  Everyone had a great time working together.  We had young people and old people.  We had contemporary music lovers and traditional music lovers.  We had a diverse group, and yet there was a positive, warm, loving spirit throughout the entire experience. 

*  After the musical tonight, a few of us already strarted talking about this year’s singing Christmas tree. 

*  Let me just say this about the 2010 singng Christmas tree:  it’s time for FBC Sebring to blow the roof off the building with thunderous praise for the Christ Child!  Let’s fill up the tree with people, and the stage with people this year.  While it is obviously not time to start rehearsing for that, keep this in the back of your mind. 

*  Lara and the kids are off for Spring Break this week, and they are fired up with excitement!

*  I’m really looking forward to some upcoming visits.  Dad and Mom are coming to spend Easter weekend with us.  Wyman and his family are coming the day after Easter to hang out for a little while.  It’s always good to see the family.

*  My brother Condy and his family have not had a chance to come here yet.  I look forward to getting them down here in the not-so-distant future.

*  It’s a peaceful night around here at the Richardson home.  I’m listening to Jack Johnson’s album “Sleep Through The Static” and reflecting on an awesome day.  I enjoy everything that took place at FBC Sebring. 

*  Ultimately, I’m just at a sweet spot in my life.  I’m exactly where God wants me to be.  I’m in the best church you can find, and I could not be happier than I am!

*  Let’s all focus on Jesus this week.  His death, burial, and resurrection should be at the forefront of our minds over the next few days.  Let’s also be preparing our hearts for church next Sunday.

*  We will have our sunrise service next Sunday at 7:00 am by the pier.  Then we will have our two worship services at 8:30 am and 11:00 am, with Sunday School in between the two at 9:45 am.

*  Let’s all invite someone to church for this coming Sunday!

*  Well, it’s raining outside, and I’m tired.  I’m ready to crawl under the covers, turn out my lamp, and drift off to sleep.

Peace to you and yours.

We had an artist visit our church this week.  On Monday night, he started out with an empty, black backdrop.  Here is what it looked like in the beginning stages of his work:

Then he started working wonders.  With some great music playing in the background, he mixed a wide variety of colors together, and created a masterpiece.  It was a beautiful scene with Heaven at the center.  Here is his creation:

Afterwards, we all were blown away.  This guy took an empty backdrop, and filled it with something spectacular.  Truly, an artist at work!

The more I think about that, the more I realize God is The Divine Artist.

He proved to be an artist when He created the heavens and the earth.  Just look around you at this planet and the galaxy in which we live.  It’s breathtaking.  And the best thing of all is that God made it!

He still proves to be an artist when He works in the hearts of men, women, girls, and boys.  He takes empty, dull lives, and brightens them up with His purpose, joy, peace, hope, and power.  Also, He fills in every square inch of these lives with His Holy Spirit.  He does not leave any empty space.  With His nail-scarred hands, God works a masterpiece in the hearts of everyone He touches.

Now that’s a reason to give Him some praise.  God truly is The Divine Artist.  Wow, what a God!!