Redeemed and Loving it

Why does Christ's resurrection matter anyway?

2010-04-03T20:55:00.000-07:00

For most people, Easter is primarily a day of egg hunting, nice clothes, and your grandmother's casseroles. For others--namely Christians--it is a day of joyful celebration as we look back to the resurrection of Jesus. However, I am convinced that the majority of churchgoers are like I was most of my life. Easter Sunday was just another day of wondering why what Jesus did mattered. I mean, my whole life I was told that Jesus' life, death, and resurrection was important, but this news didn't create a joyful celebration in my heart and soul. So, I did what most people do; I concentrated instead on my outfit and on getting presents from a scary bunny, hoping a good basketball game would be on after an over-proportioned lunch with my family.

I am thankful to say that this Easter I "get it." As Paul would say, what used to be foolish to me is now wisdom (2 Corinthians 2). So, I want to take just a small amount of time to tell any readers of this blog why this day is about something so much more exciting than baskets full of freaky chocolate bunnies. This day is about who Jesus Christ is and what He has done. The good news of Jesus' life, death, and resurrection is what is known as "the gospel." The gospel is the message that Christians are called to take to all of the world (Matthew 28:18-20). I believe the reason that most Christians don't share this "good news" is because they are not really all that sure what makes it "good news." So let's do it. Let's look at why Jesus matters.

1. Why does His life matter?

The life of Jesus Christ matters because He lived it without an ounce of sin, earning Him the right to die in the place of sinners like me...and you. Whether you want to admit it or not, you are a sinner. Yeah, I said it, a sinner. The Bible teaches that, ever since the Fall of man, (Genesis 3) sin has been passed down through the seed of Adam. This means that we all have a sinful nature. This isn't good news for us because the Bible also teaches that the penalty for our sin is death. If the penalty is death, God must give us death because He is a perfect and just God. He would cease to be perfect and just if He passed over our sins. So what does this have to do with Jesus?

The reason why Jesus' life matters is because He was not born with the same nature as we were. Remember, Jesus was born of a virgin...He was born of God, not of Adam. Jesus was born without sin, as Adam was created without sin. The difference is that, when tempted, Adam sinned and Jesus didn't. Don't you see, the Bible shows us that Jesus Christ was tempted in every way, yet He did not sin. Jesus lived a perfectly righteous life everyday on this earth. That means that He always perfectly loved God and mankind. This earned Him the right to become the perfect sacrifice and substitute for our sin. His life matters!

2. Why does His death matter?

Jesus' death matters because on the cross Jesus absorbed the full wrath of God that sinners like myself deserve. See, on the cross Jesus didn't just die, He was punished. He hadn't done anything wrong--He was willingly punished for the sins of all who will ever believe on Him. 2 Corinthians 5:21 says, "For our sake he made Him to be sin who knew no sin, so that we might become the righteousness of God." What? How could that be? The Bible is saying that, at the cross, God the Father literally looked on Christ as if He were my sin and punished Him for it. The Bible also says that God now looks on me as if I lived Christ's perfect life. This exchange is only made possible through Christ's death on the cross. His death matters!

3. Why does His resurrection matter?

So, we are finally to the question of the day. Why does Jesus rising from the dead matter? It matters because at the moment of Christ's death all evil had began to celebrate and Satan thought he was victorious. The disciples mourned, Jesus' family was distraught, and all the people who had looked to Jesus for hope now sunk into despair as He was placed in a tomb. But three days later, just as Jesus had said, He rose from the dead! He is alive! Don't you get it? That means that everything that the Bible says about Jesus is true. The resurrection proves that Jesus really was and is God. It proves that He really has made the way to God for us! If Christ didn't raise from the dead, then his death was a failure and we are still stuck in our sin. But in fact, "Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father." (Romans 6:4) The success of his suffering and death was truly vindicated. If we put our trust in Christ, we are no longer under the penalty of sin. We are able, for the first time, to know the One who created us in His image. We can know that, as Christ raised, we will be raised to live forever with Him. Praise God for what He has done! Jesus' resurrection truly matters! That, my friends, is a brief and incomplete breakdown of why the gospel of Christ truly is "good news."

Colby's Call: Alabama vs Florida International

2009-09-12T10:58:00.000-07:00

Okay, so last week I was a little off on the score but I still covered the spread. This week is all about numbers, and boy do we have them. Whether you believe it or not, five-star athletes and depth does matter. If you are Florida International you want to strike quickly and early, but let me tell you--it's not going to happen tonight. Expect a 35-point-or-more blowout under the lights at Bryany Denny. I am going with a score of Alabama, 41; Florida International, 6. Key players to look for tonight will be freshmen sensation Trent Richardson #3, Mark Ingram #22, and of course the infamous Julio Jones #8.

Other games to look for will be Auburn vs Mississippi State and USC vs Ohio State. Here is what you can expect from those games:

AU vs MSU

Look for Auburn to wear down MSU in the second half to win by a score of 28-17.

USC-OSU

Forget about the Buckeyes in this one, they are as overrated as a team can be. I am calling a beatdown at the Horseshoe on national television. My final call will be USC dismantling OSU by a score of 48-24.

Colby's Call

2009-09-04T12:47:00.000-07:00

Every Friday I am going to post my prediction for the Alabama game. Here is my call for Saturday's matchup: Tomorrow night around 10:30 you will see a score of (or at least closely resembling) Alabama 38; Virginia Tech 10. This will involve two touchdowns from outside of Alabama’s offense--I believe there will be one by the defense and one by special teams. Any difference in score will be minimal. Get ready Hokies, I am feeling a beat down in Atlanta this weekend. Roll Tide!

My First Father's Day

2009-08-27T21:50:00.000-07:00

On June 21st of this year I celebrated my first Father’s Day. It was not the way I expected to spend my first Father's Day, but it was my first nonetheless. If you don’t know, Kathryn's and my first child, Lucas, was stillborn in December of last year. This was obviously a difficult time for us, and has only gotten harder as the days pass. Life is different when part of your family is absent. I read a quote that summed it up like this, “If your parent dies, you lose a part of your past, but if your child dies, you lose part of your future.”

Though my first Father’s Day was a day of sorrow, it was also a day of great joy. For one, I was so proud to be the father of Lucas Brooks Mouchette and the proud husband of his mother. Another reason it was a day of joy is because I found out that, on my very first Father’s Day, I was actually a father of two! Yeah, I know, how gracious is God to bless me with news like that on a day that had been so mixed with emotions? I will never forget it. I had just arrived at a family gathering at Kathryn’s grandparents' house when Kathryn pulled me outside, sat me down, and pulled a pregnancy test out of her tiny clutch. With excitement and fear in her eyes she gave me the news of our second child. What a great Father’s Day!

Today at fifteen weeks, we are still excited and scared. Pregnancy is so difficult after loss, so please pray for my wife and my baby. Pray for the protection of our child and pray that Kathryn would be protected from all the sicknesses that are going around. (Keep in mind that she works in an elementary school.) Thank you for your prayers.

Thinking back on our first four years

2009-07-30T15:55:00.000-07:00

Last Wednesday, Kathryn and I celebrated our fourth year of marriage. A part of me is saying 'I can't believe four years has already gone by,' yet another part of me is saying, 'It feels like we have always been.' I mean, I can hardly remember a time when there was a Colby without the Kathryn. I am the biggest fan of my wife of four years.

Over the last couple of days I have been reflecting on our years of marriage and have come to realize just how much we need God's grace in our lives. Something that I have learned and want to pass on to others is the primary purpose of marriage. I wish that I would have known this before I asked Kathryn to marry me but remember, God's grace has been evident in our lives. Well, what is the primary purpose of marriage?

The primary and beautiful purpose of marriage is to showcase the gospel of Jesus Christ. Paul tells us in Ephesians 5 that wives are to submit to their husbands as the church submits to Jesus. He also teaches that, as the wives are to submit, husbands are to love their wives as Jesus loves His church. What a calling we have been given! What that means is that when people look at my marriage they should be able to see a picture of Jesus Christ and His Church. I am to love Kathryn as Jesus Himself loved the church and gave Himself for her. It is my prayer that I will love my wife in that way.

Thank you Father for your overflowing grace in my marriage and thank you Kathryn for loving me.

Charleston: Day 2

2009-07-22T17:49:00.001-07:00

Meet Sam, our horse. He took us around town.

Sam took us to the church house...

Sam took us to the graveyard...

Sam took us to eat shrimp and ham stuffed collards....

Sam took us to eat Jelly Belly Beans...

Sam took us to get a throwback pack of Big League Chew...

Sam, thanks for the memories. We love you.

Destination #3: Charleston, SC

2009-07-22T08:32:00.000-07:00

Tuesday afternoon we arrived in the city of Charleston, SC, a place full of rich history and beauty. I love this place!

After we arrived and checked into our third B & B of the week, we headed out the door to explore Charleston and find us something to eat. Here is a shot of us as we enjoy each other as well as the beautiful landscape.

After searching for a restaurant we landed here at S.N.O.B. My beautiful bride got the crab cakes and I went with the fresh swordfish.

Here is my swordfish...........

Someone stole my swordfish! Okay, I really ate it.

After we devoured our meals we took a stroll to this romantic venue. I was totally feeling the swings on the pier. It was so relaxing here and the people were oddly friendly. Guess a nice pier will do that to you?

Here are some friendly pier people.

Check out rule #5. Pooping or Puking in fountains is bad. Remember this if you ever feel a rumbly tummy in Charleston.

This morning I got up and went for a jog and, as you can imagine, it was amazing. Here are a couple of early morning shots.

Well, it is almost time for lunch and we are about to head out to do some touring. I will post more from Charleston later.

Destination #2: Asheville, NC

2009-07-21T14:28:00.000-07:00

Until I get some pictures posted I am going to avoid giving bland details about our every move, but I do want to give you the highlights. Our Asheville highlight may seem a bit unexpected--it was not the beautiful landscape of the Great Smokey Mountains reaching as far as the eye could see, or the splendor of the Biltmore estate; nor was it the incredible dinner we had at The Early Girl Eatery. Instead the highlight of our time in Asheville was the time spent with the owners of our little B & B, Larry and Nancy Merrill.

The Merrills are truly one of the friendliest couples I have ever met and are excellent at what they do. What I love most about staying in a bed and breakfast is the awkward, spontaneous conversation that you have with random people who you have never met and will never see again. I mean it is quite humorous to wake up, roll out of bed, and come to the breakfast table with complete strangers. Some people might even feel a little sick at their stomach just thinking about the awkwardness of this setting, but I believe this is a situation we should place ourselves in more often. In fact, I would say that as believers we should be on the lookout for times of unplanned conversation with people that we don't even know. How else will we ever learn about people enough to reach them with the good news of the gospel? The more I think about it the more I'm amazed at how isolated my life as a minister really is from the world. I mean sure I go to Starbucks and Panara a lot but typically I find myself, even in those settings, surrounded by a normal circle of friends. I believe that I can learn a lot from my new friends Larry and Nancy, people who truly just love other people.

Destination #1: Chattanooga, Tennessee

2009-07-20T18:09:00.000-07:00

On Saturday afternoon Kathryn and I arrived in the great city of Chattanooga, TN. If you have never been to Chattanooga there's a lot to do there including visiting the Tennessee Aquarium, taking a stroll across the pedestrian bridge, hearing some music from locals on the street, or eating at one of many amazing restaurants in the city. What I find most appealing about the city is its walkability. I don't know if that is a real word, but I love a city that's easy to navigate on foot. Usually cities like these have an assortment of family-friendly parks to hang out in and Chattanooga has no shortage--in fact, the main downtown area is a park.

This trip to Chattanooga, we really only stayed for one night and didn't do a whole lot in the city. Saturday night we ate at The Blue Plate, which rocks face, and then went hand-in-hand to the art district. After a short walk we headed back to our B & B for a night of Harry Potter watching. Sunday morning, we ate breakfast and went to Brainerd Baptist Church. I was quite encouraged to find Brainerd Baptist a place of friendly people and Christ-centered worship. Well, that pretty much sums up our time in Tennessee.... off to North Carolina we go.

Vacation! Woo-Hoo!

2009-07-20T17:44:00.000-07:00

I realize that it has been nearly two months since I last posted anything on the blogosphere, and I just want to make it known that I have made a resolution to put away my laziness and begin to write again. My goal is to post at least 2-3 entries every week. Anyway, enough about me and my laziness, let's move on to better things...like me and my vacation.

This week Kathryn and I have taken off on a spontaneous trip around the southeast as we celebrate our 4th year of marriage. We have made stops in Chattanooga, Tennessee and Asheville, North Carolina, and tomorrow we are heading to Charleston, South Carolina. Over the next few days I am going to write about my favorite parts of our vacation. Hope you enjoy!

Precious in the eyes of God

2009-05-28T08:23:00.000-07:00

I have recently been asking myself, "Do I really love and cherish Jesus Christ?" I have to ask this question because I know the selfish and sinful thoughts that flow through my mind and, truth is, many days I love myself more than I love Jesus. The Christian life is a fight between our flesh and the Spirit, a fight for love. God's Word constantly pleads with us to die to ourselves (though we are our first love) and live in Christ. If we are to fully die to ourselves, it will be because of the love that we have for Jesus. We must see him as a treasure (Matthew 13:44). I want to encourage Christians who are struggling in this fight for love by looking at two quotes found in 1 Peter 2:4-6. In this passage Peter writes, "As you come to Him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious..." and then he quotes from Isaiah in verse 6 which says,"Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious, and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame." The two points I want to make are based on the description of Jesus being called "chosen and precious" in the eyes of God.

1. We must see Christ as precious if we are ever to treasure Him.

Precious is a word that people use to describe something or someone that they treasure. I use this word to describe my wife because I cherish and love her deeply. This is precisely why God calls Jesus precious; he cherishes him deeply and sees him as a treasure. While preaching on the passage from 1 Peter, John Piper said, "If the English language would allow I would use precious as a verb to describe my feelings for Christ." What he was saying is that seeing Christ as precious is the same thing as treasuring him. What would our lives look like if we truly saw Christ as our treasure? Let us be reminded that is how God sees him.

2. We must see ourselves in Christ as precious if we are ever to see that we are His treasure.

The second point that we need to see is that though God sees Christ as precious, he crushed him for the sins of his people. Think about it this way--even though Jesus is infinitely precious and treasured in the eyes of his Father, he punished him on our behalf. If we understand this reality it will have a massive impact on our lives. Why? If Christ was given on our behalf then God must really treasure His people! Whenever an OT reference is used in the New Testament it is always profitable to know where it comes from. In most Bibles you will find a footnote at the bottom of the page that will lead you to the OT passage. I'm saying this because Isaiah 28:16 (which is found in 1 Peter 2:6) uses the Hebrew word iqrth for what we have translated as "precious". Isaiah 43:4 also uses the same Hebrew word translated the same way. What is interesting about this word is that it is used in Isaiah 28 to describe Jesus, but in Isaiah 43 the word is used to describe God's people. Isn't it amazing that God would describe his Son and his people in the same way? We are precious in the eyes of God because of the life, death, and resurrection of our precious Savior.

Let these words from 1 Peter 2:9-10 encourage all believers as we celebrate the position that we have in Christ:
"But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people, once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy."

Model Students

2009-05-26T12:03:00.000-07:00

This week I am in New Orleans with Jeremy Burrage for a week long class in Missions. Here is a great example of Jeremy and I as we soak up the knowledge of our professor. Man, we are like two sponges.

You Must Be Perfect as Your Heavenly Father is Perfect

2009-05-14T20:44:00.000-07:00

Over the past few months I have been teaching through The Sermon on the Mount with my youth group. The more that I have studied the teachings of Christ the more I am blown away by Him. A prime example of this is found in Matthew 5:20 when Christ says, “For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” The modern reader, with his inadequate knowledge of the scribes' and Pharisees' lifestyle, can overlook the significance of this statement. These guys' entire lives centered around righteous living. They were some of the most respected religious authorities in Judaism. To your “average Joe” seated on the mount that day, the possibility of entering the kingdom of heaven with a righteousness that exceeded that of the scribes and Pharisees would have seemed impossible. Guess what--that's because it was. Jesus later says to His followers, “You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect." (Matthew 5:48) News Flash: last time I checked, being perfect was not something that I excelled at. Can’t you hear the chatter among the people? "Who does this guy think he is? Perfect? Well, if that is the requirement then I guess we are all out." This would be the worst news known to mankind if that was the end of the story. Here is the good news, the rest of the story: Jesus, the guy speaking--yeah, he is perfect. Perfect attitude. Perfect motives. Perfect love for the Father. Perfect love for people. Without blemish. Jesus Christ, through his life, death, and resurrection, has made a way for fallen, sinful man to be made perfect through Him. It is possible for us to be perfect, but only through the imparted righteousness of Jesus Christ who was “made to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” Praise God for the Gospel!

2009-05-07T21:58:00.000-07:00

I don't know about you, but I love me some Shane and Shane. Check out their new song, "Everything is Different."

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Hiccups are funny. I mean seriously funny.

2009-05-04T16:52:00.000-07:00

My mind is whacked. Example: this past Friday afternoon I had the hiccups for at least two hours. All I could think about was this guy Seth Dowell who had a case of hiccups for over a year. I mean, the guy had it bad. Nobody would hang out with him anymore, his girlfriend broke up with him, and his family laughed at him. It was a sob story, but Seth encouraged himself by displaying the washboard abs he gained from constant muscle contractions. Woo-hoo! Nothing like good abs to make up for the loss of all social life. Anyway, not to take his situation lightly, but every time I have the hiccups, I think of that guy. Hiccups are annoying. Try to get someone to take you seriously while having bursts of gas erupt from your throat. I warned you about my off-the-wall thoughts, so here's what I'll leave you with today: What if hiccups came in the form of a fart? If you think it is bad having uncontrollable, obnoxious bursts of gas coming from your mouth, just imagine the reaction you would get if it were coming from your backside. Awkward.

Sometimes a glimpse is all you need

2009-04-25T21:21:00.000-07:00

The past four and half months have been the most difficult and painful days of my life. As much as it hurts to admit, I have been plagued with uncertainty and fear. It feels like a famine in my soul. This week I met someone whose testimony really spoke to me and my fears for the future. I met Isaiah, the prophet. In Isaiah 6 we find the prophet troubled, fearful, and uncertain, wondering what the future holds for him and his people. King Uzziah had just died after reigning in Judah for the last fifty-two years. Think about it, fifty-two years under one leader. In my short life, the United States has already seen five presidents pass through the White House. We don't grasp the type of steadfast leadership that Uzziah had and that Isaiah had grown accustomed to. The majority of Uzziah's reign was characterized by times of great blessing and prosperity for God's people. When the king died, Isaiah was fearful of who would take his place on the throne and of what the future would hold for Judah. As Isaiah was worrying about the earthly king, he was given a vision of the One True King. Isaiah sees that, if God is on His eternal heavenly throne, there is no need to worry about who sits on a temporal earthly throne. Isaiah receives just what he needs--a glimpse of the Holy and Sovereign God. This is also what we need when uncertainty and fear fill our hearts and minds. We need to remember that God is on the throne.

I love Jesus, I just don't talk about Him

2009-04-21T20:58:00.000-07:00

Over the past couple of months, Kathryn and I have been watching Lost. We are currently in the fourth of five seasons and are quite addicted. Seriously addicted. This addiction has caused a mild obsession and this obsession has caused frequent Lost jargon to come from my lips. It almost scares me how much I talk about it. Ok, I am going slightly overboard describing my Lost infatuation to stress that it is easy to talk about what you love. I am convinced there is nothing easier--it is like breathing. If that is true, why is it that so many professing Christians say that they love Christ, yet never speak of Him?

Why start a blog?

2009-04-21T15:26:00.000-07:00

People occasionally ask me, “So Colby, what exactly is it that you do all day?” This is an interesting question to pose to a full-time youth and college pastor, after all. The inquirer probably thinks that all I do is read books, play guitar, and drink coffee with people. Come to think of it, that is pretty much all I do. But seriously... All jokes aside, my life has one sole purpose: to make disciples of Jesus Christ. With this blog, I want to show you how that purpose is driving everything else in my life. I want to show you how I strive to meet my goal of glorifying Christ in all that I do.

“So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”

-1 Corinthians 10:31