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Where's My Coffee?!?!?


Let's get one thing clear right from the start... 
I don't drink coffee. 

Never have. 

Probably never will. 

I don't like the taste of coffee.

I've had many people tell me over the years that coffee is an acquired taste... "Just drink it and you'll learn to love it!"

My response: "Forget that!"

Why in the world would I subject myself to drinking something I don't even like, just so I can become hooked on something that's not even all that good for you!

And yet, oddly enough, in some strange way, I envy the coffee drinkers.

I'm not sure exactly what it is.

I suppose there's a bit of excitement in the hunt for a good cup of coffee.

But mainly, I think it's the "cool factor."

Let's face it, people carrying around a Starbucks cup look cool, right?

And what we long for is not just the coffee inside that cup but the cool factor it represents.

So much so, that even though I don't like coffee, I will go into Starbucks and order a hot chocolate (which is the drink my 4, 8 and 10 year old kids drink) just so I can carry around the cup and "be cool."

It's crazy the things we do to fit in, isn't it?

God has uniquely made each one of us to be who we are. With different tastes and different styles. And yet all of us at different points feel this pressure to be something we're not. To drink things we don't even like so that we can "be cool."

The thing is, all of us ARE cool. We're cool in our own unique way. We're cool the way God made us. We're cool in His eyes and that SHOULD be all that matters. 

He wired us to be who we are so that we can fulfill the unique purpose that he has only for us. My fear is that when we spend so much time trying to be something that we're not, we continually deny ourselves of who we are and can very quickly lose sight of who God has created us to be and the purpose he has for our lives.

Okay so maybe a cup of coffee won't lead us to an existential crisis with God and the meaning of life, but it's a small example of a much bigger issue in our lives.

We all have our Starbucks moments where we just want to fit in. If we're not careful, those Starbucks moments can start to consume and drive our lives.

What would happen if we took the same amount of energy we put into trying to fit in and be accepted, and put it into embracing who we really are and discovering who God created us to be?

What would happen if we learned to love and accept people for being themselves? What if we celebrated uniqueness instead of uniformity? 

What if we lived our lives trying to help people discover what makes them cool instead of trying to make them like us?

I think that... would be cool.

Be who God created you to be. Like the stuff you like. And don't like the stuff you don't like. Be true to yourself.... But more importantly, be true to God. Take time to discover who God has created you to be and live life to the fullest in him.

What are your Starbucks moments that tempt you to do something just for the sake of fitting in?
Read More 2 comments | Posted by Skot Lokers edit post

The Triumphal Entry

This week at Heartland Church we are beginning a new series for the season of Lent called "Journey to the Cross", looking at the final events of Jesus' life here on earth and what they mean for us.

This week we'll be looking specifically at Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem for the Feast of Passover and ultimately his death and resurrection.

There are several accounts of this story in the Gospels but my favorite is in the book of Luke.

After Jesus had said this, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. As he approached Bethphage and Bethany at the hill called the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples, saying to them, "Go to the village ahead of you, and as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. If anyone asks you, 'Why are you untying it?' say, 'The Lord needs it.'" Those who were sent ahead went and found it just as he had told them. As they were untying the colt, its owners asked them, "Why are you untying the colt?" They replied, "The Lord needs it." They brought it to Jesus, threw their cloaks on the colt and put Jesus on it. As he went along, people spread their cloaks on the road. When he came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen: "Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!"
"Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!" Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, "Teacher, rebuke your disciples!" "I tell you," he replied, "if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out." As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it and said, "If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes. The days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment against you and encircle you and hem you in on every side. They will dash you to the ground, you and the children within your walls. They will not leave one stone on another, because you did not recognize the time of God's coming to you." (Luke 19:28-44 NIV)

A couple things that are important for us to note in this story...

1) JESUS ENTERING JERUSALEM ON A DONKEY - Why is it that after traveling a great distance on foot that Jesus chooses to stop at Bethphage and ride the remaining short distance to Jerusalem on a donkey? The reason is that Jesus is making a statement. We often view donkeys as a lowly form of transportation but back in those days, only the very wealthy and kings and rulers rode on donkeys. Also, the significance of Bethphage was that it was considered to be like the city limits of Jerusalem. The Hebrew people knew their scripture well and the prophets foretold that when the Messiah came, he would enter the city of Jerusalem riding on a donkey. Jesus was making a statement that he was indeed that Messiah. Judging by people's response to his silent statement, they understood what he was saying. The people begin crowding around him, waving palm branches and shouting, "Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!"

2) THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE PEOPLE'S RESPONSE - There is a lot of history here, that for the sake of this discussion, we won't get into. But it's safe to say that the Hebrew people experienced a long line of oppression under ruthless governments from the time of their slavery in Egypt to Jesus' day when they suffered under the Roman empire. So when the prophets spoke of a Messiah who would come to be their King and free them from oppression, the people expected a physical king to come and overthrow the government, and to literally free them from this physical oppression.

Over the years there were a number of groups who would rise up "in the name of God" and try to overthrow the government. One such group was called the Macabees. Interestingly they took as their symbol, the palm branch (you can find Macabean coins with the palm branch on them), and they took as their battle cry, "Hosanna!" which literally means, "God save us."

Well in Jesus' day, there was a group of people known as the Zealots who were also all about physically overthrowing the government. The Zealots fashioned themselves after the Macabees and took as their symbol, the palm branch, and took as their battle cry, "Hosanna!"... "God save us from our enemies!"

Here's where this all comes together. When the people crowd around Jesus in this story, waving palm branches and crying, "Hosanna!", they certainly were recognizing his claim to be the Messiah, but their expectation was that he was triumphantly riding into Jerusalem to overthrow the government and to establish his kingdom. Their own agendas clouded out what Jesus had really come to do. It's interesting how Jesus responds to them... He looks over the city of Jerusalem and weeps, and says, "If you only knew this day what would bring you peace..." In other words, in all the excitement of this moment, they weren't seeing what it was really about.

One of the things that strikes me about this story is how it exposes our own agendas in approaching Jesus. How often do we, like the crowds, approach him as Messiah, with our own ideas of how he should act and what he should do in response to our needs? We often think we know best. One of the lessons we need to learn in following Jesus is to constantly surrender our own agendas to the will of God for our lives. We need to recognize that even when it doesn't make sense to us, God's plan is always the best plan.

Are you willing to surrender your own agenda for God's agenda?
Read More 1 Comment | Posted by Skot Lokers edit post

Living in Community

This week at Heartland Church we are continuing our Alternative Lifestyle series looking at Living Life in Community. 

We've talked in weeks past about how intentionally choosing to live alternatively to those around us and to follow Jesus is not an easy thing to do. It takes intentionality, hard work and discipline to make significant changes to our lives.

The truth is though, that the journey of pursuing an Alternative Lifestyle becomes exponentially more difficult when we try to do it on our own, because God has created us for community.

How many of you have ever tried to make significant lifestyle changes on your own? How successful were you? Statistics show that when we invest in making changes to our lives while surrounded by a support system of other people, we are much more successful than when we try to do it alone.

God never intended for us to journey through life on our own. We see in God's own triune nature (Father, Son and Holy Spirit) that he himself is a communal being. 

When God created Adam, the first man, he said, "It is not good for man to be alone" (Genesis 2:18) and he created a woman to be with him. 

God established his covenant with a community of people (the nation of Israel) who did life together. 

The book of Ecclesiastes speaks of the power of community and relationships. "Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble. Likewise, two people lying close together can keep each other warm. But how can one be warm alone? A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken." (Ecclesiastes 4:9-12)

In the New Testament we see Jesus living and doing ministry in community with his disciples. We see the establishment of the New Testament church, to which the Apostle Paul referred to as the Body of Christ - many parts who all need one another.

God has called us to live an Alternative Lifestyle and one of the ways we do that is by choosing not to journey through life alone but to surround ourselves in community. It's not always easy but it's one of the ways we begin to experience the fullness of life that Jesus came to give.

How are you doing at surrounding yourself with other people and doing life in community?
Read More 0 comments | Posted by Skot Lokers edit post

Living Life on Purpose

This week at Heartland Church we continue our Alternative Lifestyle series looking at the topic of Living Life on Purpose. The phrase Living Life on Purpose has a dual meaning in my mind. 

On one hand it speaks to the intentionality behind what we do... we are intentional and purposeful in the things we do. This is vital to following Jesus down this alternative path of living. When we talk about going against the norm and living according to an alternative way, that doesn't just happen by accident. We have to be disciplined, intentional and purposeful about the decisions we make. It takes hard work to live differently... do it on purpose!

On the other hand the phrase Living Life on Purpose also speaks to the idea of living toward the mission or purpose I was created for. The truth is God has created each one if us with a unique calling and has given us each unique gifts and personalities to fulfill the purposes he has for our lives. Ephesians 2 speaks of the salvation God has given us by grace alone and in verse 10 says, "For we are God's masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, SO WE CAN DO THE GOOD THINGS HE PLANNED FOR US LONG AGO." 

A big part of the challenge of learning to live this Alternative Lifestyle is discovering the purpose that God has for our lives and then making a decision to intentionally (purposefully) live according to it.

Will you live your life on purpose?
Read More 0 comments | Posted by Skot Lokers edit post

Why I Hate Religion, But Love Jesus

This is a powerful video in lieu of what we are talking about during our Alternative Lifestyle series. Are you giving God everything or just going through the motions of religion?

Read More 0 comments | Posted by Skot Lokers edit post

Worship and Devotion With ALL of Me

What does it mean to worship God? What does it mean to be devoted to him? For many of us we define these things in terms of portions of our life that we take to do something for God. Worship is something we do on Sunday morning at church when we sing together. Devotions are when we take time to pray in the morning and read a few verses from our Bible. But is this all that God is looking for in our worship and devotion? Is this the standard he has set for us?

Jesus seems to set the bar much higher. He states in Luke 10:27 that the greatest commandment ever given to those who would follow him is to "Love the Lord your God with ALL your heart and with ALL your soul and with ALL your strength and with ALL your mind..." Apparently Jesus isn't interested in having part of our love and devotion, he wants ALL of it! Have you ever thought about what it means to worship God with ALL of who you are?

The Apostle Paul reiterates this same principle in Romans 12 when he says "I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God - this," he says, "is your spiritual act of worship." So apparently worship isn't about singing songs to God or taking time pray in the morning or reading a few verses from the Bible, although those things can be an important part of our worship and devotion. True worship is about giving ALL of your life to God and not just honoring him in certain moments with certain portions of your life, but seeking to honor him every moment of every day with ALL of your life.

What adjustments do you need to make in your life to worship God with ALL of who you are?
Read More 0 comments | Posted by Skot Lokers edit post

The Alternative Lifestyle

This week at Heartland Church we are starting a new series called "The Alternative Lifestyle." The proposition of an "Alternative Lifestyle" suggests that there is another lifestyle that this is the alternative to. Each of us make decisions on a daily basis, both consciously and subconsciously, about how we are going to live our lives. And whether we realize it or not, our culture has a lot to say about what is the "normal", "acceptable" way to live. Many of us spend our lives trying to keep up with what is "normal," in the hopes that we can fit in, be accepted or even be popular and famous.

Scripture speaks to these life choices over and over again. The Bible often talks about what is considered a "normal" practice or way of thinking in the world but then offers an alternative way of thinking and acting for those who would follow after Jesus. Apparently, according to God, those who would be his followers should think and act differently from those around them. God offers an alternative to normal way of doing things and according to Jesus, it's this alternative lifestyle that leads to the abundant life he came to give, or as the NLT states, "a rich and satisfying life." (John 10:10)

There is one particular verse that has always struck me in this discussion about the choice to live a "normal life" like everyone around me or the "alternative life" God calls us to in Scripture.

Matthew 7:13-14
"13 Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. 14 But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it."


According to Jesus words in Matthew 7, the normal way of living (the broad path that everyone else is on) may be easier... and it may be more comfortable... and you may have a lot more friends on the journey... but it leads to one place, destruction. But the narrow path (the alternative way of living) although it may be more difficult... it may be more lonely... people may not understand you... but it leads to life!


So often we are so consumed with what feels good here and now that we forget about the final destination where our choices lead us. Think for a minute about what's "normal" today... stress, anxiety, busyness, being overworked, lonely, depressed, debt, brokenness, broken relationships, broken families, anger, bitterness, hatred, divorce... the list could go on and on. These are the destinations that pursuing a "normal" life has led us to. But Jesus offers us an alternative... peace, comfort, hope, joy, patience, love, acceptance, forgiveness, wholeness, healing... the list too could go on and on.


Which destination do you want to end up at? It's my hope that as we explore this alternative lifestyle over these next several weeks, that each of us would make a conscious choice to follow Jesus down the narrow path and begin to experience the fullness of life he came to give. Let His Kingdom come!
Read More 0 comments | Posted by Skot Lokers edit post
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