Mike Henderson

Reading Your Bible with a Study Bible

 

Bible Reading

 

Christmas and More

Christmas is a great time of year for many.  It's a fun time to give and receive gifts and spend time with our families.  However, somewhere along the way Christmas has turned into the Holiday of More.  I am not against having more, but getting more can get us into problems.  Rarely do we think more will cause more headaches for us. 

For the last few weeks we have been bombarded with advertisements, sales, and extra store hours so that we can pursue more.  Now I am all for whiter teeth, closer shaves, cleaner laundry, and discounted prices.

But do we really need more?  Lucifer thought he needed more and it led him to rebel against God.  Adam and Eve went after more when they ate from the tree.  Israel constantly wanted more.  Dissatisfaction ultimately led a downfall.

Yet how many of us contemplate the negatives of getting and striving for more and more.

In fact, one of the fascinating things about the holiday season is that right after Christmas we once again slam the stores in search of more sales.  The chase continues as we pursue even more.

More gets us into trouble.  The two biggest examples are debt and obesity. 

While things and stuff and toys and gadgets get all the attention there are at least three things we could use more of.

Family-It's fun to reconnect, share old stories, open presents, and sit around the dinner table.  Personally I'll miss seeing Rachel this year during the holidays.  When you have five kids schedules do not always work out, especially with her living in Pittsburgh.  Last Christmas she was in South Korea. 

Friends-This is popular time of year for parties and get togethers.  These can be extremely uplifting for those from broken homes. 

Faith-December is a good time to set aside extra time for prayer and reflection on Jesus, His birth and the Christmas Story, and the New Year, 2012. 

So this holiday season it's fine to buy and exchange gifts.  Yes, that will result in you having more.  But hopefully it will be more as the result of love and not covetousness.

 

 

Personal Failure and Success

While I recognize the benefits of personal failure there is a part of me who hates to see people fail. 

For instance, I hate seeing a kicker miss a field goal at the end of the game and watching the team lose.  Recently with all the media focused on Tim Tebow, many have escaped an inordinant amount of attention on their own failures. 

As an example, in the Chicago Bear-Denver Bronco game I was pulling for the Broncos.  What an incredible win they got.  But for the Bears, it was Marion Barber who made two costly, game losing mistakes.  Now, let me say as a fan, I am all for the opposing team messing up, getting penalties, and missing field goals.  But at the same time I feel bad when one particular player stands out as the reason for the loss.  I realize that other things can be pointed to, but it is the end of the game that gets all the attention.

So what did Barber do?  He ran out of bounds which stopped the clock.  Then in overtime he fumbled the football.  Two incredibly huge mistakes.  Ultimately it cost the Bears the game.

Perhaps you are thinking I am being schizophrenic.  I must be a wierd fan, because I felt bad for Barber, even though he was on the Bears team.  Is it possible to want the team to fail, the play to fail, without wanting to see a particular player fail?

I'm just not a fan of watching people fail.  But once again, I totally understand the value of personal failure.  We learn so much from out mistakes and failures.  Abraham Lincoln is known for years of personal failure, but ultimately he became one of our best presidents.

As much as I dislike the Dallas Cowboys being a Redskin fan, I was glad that Tony Romo did not make a game losing mistake.  And I do not like watching kickers miss last second field goals.  However, in the Cowboy loss the kick was partially blocked, and so really no one person was really at fault.

It can't be easy to be criticized for a personal failure.  Life is tough enough.  While personal failure is frustrating and at times humiliating, it truly can be life changing and a stepping stone to personal success. 

So while I have a disdain for watching people mess up, I love watching people succeed.  With that said, I guess I'll have to watch more people fail so I can watch more people can succeed.

 

Disunity is Devastating

Every year in sports world we see the devastating effects of disunity.  This year as the NFL began its season the Philadelphia Eagles were called the Dream Team.

Yes, without a doubt they had acquired some playmakers.  However, it was their superstars who brought the disunity to the team.

In particular, Desean Jackson, who has been explosive on the field making incredible plays, has also displayed a poor attitude on and off the field.

This is not to say that he is responsible entirely for the downfall of the team.

However, it is clear that a lesser talented team that is unified can beat a more talented team that is characterized by self-centeredness and disunity.

And the year the Philadelphia Eagles thought they would make a credible run for the Super Bowl will now be remembered as the year that they were devastated by disunity.

Challenge Your Assumptions

Of course your assumptions are always correct, right?  At New Hope we have been portable, meeting in Sutherland Middle School for just over three years.  For the first year we seemed to always be fussing about the sound.  Not a soft or loud issue, just that it wasn't right.

Then about a year in no more issues. Now prior to that there were a couple of assumptions that obviously turned out to not be true.  For instance, one assumption was that the sound board was not set up right.  Then it was something else.  Now for over two years we just don't have any problems with the sound board or anything.

So my guess is any early assumptions were misguided.  The board was fine. 

One of my favorite assumptions that proved to be false was that I assumed Starbucks had decaf coffee in the evenings.  The fact is, most don't want decaf then, and many are traveling.

And sometimes our assumptions are based on our own personal preferences.  I love Starbucks, but not long ago I was talking with a friend about getting a cup of coffee there, and he repudiated the idea of drinking their nasty coffee.  Fact is, not everyone likes Starbucks coffee.  Yes, odd people do exist.

Although I do know it's not true, I assume everyone would like to have an iPhone, iPad, and a Mac.

I assume that because 2011 has been our best year ever at New Hope that 2012 will be even better.  Granted there are some assumptions you hope turn out to be true.

With the current state of our economy many are assuming the coming year will be better than this year.

Football coaches assume their offense can pick up one foot on fourth and less than a yard.  Sometimes those assumptions prove to be untrue.

Some assumptions are not a big deal.  Others are.  Some can turn out horribly negative.  Some can devastate your marriage or your finances. 

In church world it is not uncommon to assume that if you walk with God life will be a cake walk.  For those of us who live in reality we know that not to be true.

So what assumptions are you clinging to that may not be true at all?