It’s a simple message, really, this gospel that we live in and that saves us. Sometimes we confuse the gravity of the message with complexity, thinking that we have to be rocket scientists in order to tell others about Jesus. This is a groundless fear that can paralyze us.

I still remember having lunch with a missionary in France who, after learning that I would be coming to minister in her neck of the woods but that I didn’t have a seminary degree, pointedly asked me, “Well, I assume you’d at least know how to lead someone to Christ, wouldn’t you?” Her tone implied she wasn’t so confident that I could. In her eyes, I clearly was no spiritual rocket scientist.

But it was the sermon of another missionary sometime later that reminded me of what was important. He pointed me back to the opening verses of 1 Corinthians 15, where Paul reminds the believers of the gospel message that saves them, if they hold firmly to it: That Christ had died for their sins as Scripture predicted he would, that he was buried, that he came back to life on the third day as Scripture predicted he would, and that he appeared to literally hundreds of people who knew him well.

It’s that simple. It’s that deep.

Fred Rogers (yes, “Mr. Rogers” from TV) once said that Truth is simple and deep, but what the world gives us is complicated and shallow. And the gospel of Christ is indeed a simple one. God reaches out to a world separated from him because of its sin, its disobedience to its creator. He sends Christ, who dies in our place. And he now lives, so we can live, too. By faith in Christ, we can walk with God, once again. You can listen to the “Grasping God’s Story Together” messages on the Westwind site for more details, but the message won’t change.

But more than just simple, this gospel is deep. It changes who we are, it becomes part of our spiritual DNA through the power of the Holy Spirit in us. This is the depth of a relationship. We’re different people because of our relationship with Christ. And this, too, is part of what we share when we “share the gospel”. We share our changed lives.

Another way to say this is that the Knowledgeable Head is not the same thing as the Knowledgeable Heart. The first knows about Jesus, while the second knows Jesus. A stranger can’t truly introduce you to my wife because he’s never met her. It’s just playacting, in a sense. But if you really need to get to know her, then I’m the one you need to talk to. I know her deeply because we constantly talk together, walk together, plan together, share together. It’s a relationship borne of much time together.

The knowledgeable heart, then, is the heart that spends time with its Savior – through reading his word, praying to him, serving him, even spending time with other hearts that know him.

Do you find the gospel simple? If not, maybe it’s because you’re unknowingly adding something else to it. And is it deep in your life – that is, does it continue to change you? If not, maybe you’re not spending time with the One who is the source of our gospel: Christ.

Simple and deep.

One summer in eighth grade a friend and I decided to do some rafting on the Middle River. We had heard about “loop” on the river that was supposed to take a couple of hours start to finish. We arrived, blew up the raft, and headed downriver. About four hours later, we started to get a little nervous. At five hours we were scared about what lay ahead. We finally came to a bridge and got off the river. We did the only thing we could. We found a farmhouse, knocked on the door, and when a lady showed up, we asked, “Where are we?” We found out that our destination was-six hours down river going the wrong way! We had gotten on the river at the end of the loop, not the beginning. Our bad decision had taken us farther than we wanted–to a destination we never intended.

Sin is the same way. It will take you where you don’t intentionally want to go, and much further than you ever intended. Repentance is all about knowing that you are going the wrong way in your life and doing something about it. It is acknowledging and confessing that the way you are living does not match up with God. In Hebrew, “repentance” literally means to change your direction. Repentance consists of two steps: being convicted of how horrible the sin is in comparison to God’s Holiness, and desiring to be in the presence of God so much you are willing to turn from that sin. Someone who truly repents, makes and unmistakable U-turn!

There is one crucial thing about the act of repentance in a Christ follower’s life. You simply cannot stop sinning on your own, you need a relationship with your Heavenly Father to keep you living a life that is consistent with Him. Repentance is about entering into the deepest possible relationship with God. You desire Him and being in His presence is your greatest passion. You come to a place where you cannot live without His presence in your life and you allow Him to change and transform your direction in every day life.

David knew what repentance was. After his sin with Bathsheba, he found himself heading down river. He was heading to a place he did not want to go, much further than he ever intended, and away from everything he valued. When confronted, David acknowledged his sin and confessed his wrong thinking and actions. His path to repentance is found in Psalm 51. We find David asking for God’s forgiveness and pleading with God to not hold this against him. He asks God to come near and bring a freshness to what had become callous. Verses 7-12 display his passion to be in the presence of his God.

As you read and reread Psalm 51, what do you find you identify with the most? Do you find yourself heading downriver, farther than you wanted, to a place you do not want to go? Has the presence of God become something you remember but do not experience today? Does sin sadden you for you know it is not God’s desire? What can you do? No matter where you find yourself, you can have the presence of God in your life. Repentance is the path to that relationship. Allow some time for the Holy Spirit of God to work in your heart and prepare you for a freshness and restoration of worship that comes when we surrender our will to Him. Let’s enter the river of God’s blessing and presence, going the right way!

KEY QUESTION: Is your heart prepared for God to use you?

“Welcome to McDonald’s, can I help you?” When you hear those words, does it take you back to being a kid? Remember standing in line and being able to ask for whatever it was that you wanted, and people would hustle and bustle around getting it for you? You were The Customer and their job was to see to your satisfaction. They were there for YOU.

In a sad way, Christianity has become like this. “Welcome to Heaven, can I help you?” is what we think God is saying to us, but it should be the other way around. We should be asking God what he wants from us? We should be hustling and bustling to meet his needs. So, what is the central desire God has for his people?

An answer to this is found in the book of Micah. God shares his heart with humanity as to how they can “help” him.

Micah 6:8 (The Message)

But he’s already made it plain how to live, what to do, what God is looking for in men and women. It’s quite simple: Do what is fair and just to your neighbor, be compassionate and loyal in your love, And don’t take yourself too seriously—take God seriously.

When asked what God’s heart for humanity is, he says to treat our neighbors well, be compassionate to others and take him seriously. This should be the pursuit of anyone after God’s heart. This verse shows that our relationship with God has everything to do with our relationship with others. We are his tools to reach the world. The problem is that we “take ourselves too seriously”, and God’s desire not seriously enough. However, by focusing on God’s heart instead of our own desires, we have the opportunity to encounter Jesus’ resurrection in an all new manner.

Today is the first day of a month-long encounter with the resurrection of Jesus Christ. We are calling it Resurrection Encounter. Our first week is focused on preparing ourselves to be used by God this Easter season. As we PREPARE for Easter it is important to ask what God’s desire is for us as followers of his son. We are taking this first week to prepare our hearts for the desire of God’s heart: to share him with others. It is our hope that this all-church missional experience will be used to 1) deepen our understanding of the resurrection and 2) create in us a daily missional mindset. We can use this four-week experience as an opportunity to grow in our faith, and in our appreciation of what God has done for us.

KEY QUESTION: What do you think God’s desire for you is this Easter season?

Are you like most people and think of Easter as a holiday to be celebrated once a year? Does your vision of Easter contain a large Easter dinner, egg hunts, and boys and girls in suits and dresses? Easter should be thought of differently. Instead of being a day of remembrance, what if it became a catalyst to a renewed sense of purpose in your life? Instead of seeing Easter as a holiday, what if it became a Christian work day, that all Jesus followers use to inspire them to take on the Great Commission and the Great Commandment? When the early church was getting started it was important to know what their mission was. Because of their new identity as “Christians” it was important that they focus on Jesus’ commission to “go and make disciples.” As they took the first steps as a church, the Book of Acts says that:

All the believers were united in heart and mind. And they felt that what they owned was not their own, so they shared everything they had. The apostles testified powerfully to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and God’s great blessing was upon them all. (Acts 4:32-33)

Notice that they were “united in hearts and minds” as to what was necessary to share the story of Jesus. Everyone was on the same page. This principle is still important today. As a church, Westwind needs to understand its mission in the world. Everyone who calls Westwind their worshipping community needs take ownership in that endeavor.

Secondly, the apostles testified to the resurrection of Jesus. They made sure everyone knew what they were about. This, too, is important today. In a court of law a person testifies as to what they have seen and experienced. Jesus followers should live a life that is a testimony to what Jesus has done in their lives.

Lastly, the writer of Acts wants the reader to know that “God’s great blessing was upon them all.” The people were blessed by God because of their work to expand the kingdom. What a compliment to say about a person, or a church: they are greatly blessed by God! The blessing comes as a result, not as a precursor. Their participation in the fulfillment of the Great Commission opened up blessing for them.

As Westwind enters into its second Easter season, we want to use this opportunity to challenge ourselves as a worshipping community to encounter the resurrection in our daily lives. This happens as people open their lives to “testifying powerfully to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus.”

We are offering a 4-week Resurrection Encounter to help inspire and equip people to make Easter an opportunity to spread the Good News of the resurrection in their environments. Over the next four weeks we are offering daily devotionals that will walk the reader through a four-step missional approach (Prepare, Prayer, Care, Share). We hope you will participate in this with us as we seek to make this Easter season an opportunity to receive “God’s great blessing.”

This winter has been one for the record books! My kids have already had more snow days in this school year than the last ten years combined! People are pining for spring break, warmer temperatures and green grass. I even dreamed about mowing the lawn and did not mind the work! This year has brought to mind the various winter storms we face here in the upper Midwest. Think about it for just a minute. I promise it won’t be long.

1. Snow storms. Just plain heavy snow falling straight down. The kind that piles up to more than a foot of white powder and changes the landscape overnight. Trying to move it can be a difficult task, especially when the plow brings it right back into your driveway.
2. Ice storms. The kind that leaves everything looking like crystal. It is beautiful, but it can be deadly on the roads, and it snaps trees and power lines alike. Walking down or up the driveway is an adventure!
3. Blizzards. The fury of the wind and the snow make everyone scramble inside and stay. This storm shuts down cities and even the interstates.
4. Bitter cold. The kind that makes your nostrils hurt when you breathe. Cars won’t start, pipes freeze and burst, even your bones hurt! You add a wind chill, and even though the sun can be shining, it is painful.
5. Heavy fog. The kind that is so thick, you can almost feel it on your skin as you go outside. This kind of storm is deceitful, for you think that it is safe, yet driving in it is hazardous due to the limited visibility.

As we experienced all of these storms this winter, I have had plenty of time to pause and ponder the difference in each one. While they are all storms, they each have their own personality and individual afflictions. I was reminded of the types of storms that come into our lives and how they, too, are all difficult, yet unique.

1. Snow storms. The times in our lives when we are overloaded and burdened. We feel like we can never keep up. With each shovelful, the load gets heavier. We feel buried underneath the weight.
2. Ice storms. The times we are on a slippery slope that we are not sure how to navigate. It can even seem beautiful at times. We think we can manage it alone, and then find ourselves spinning out of control into an area of sin.
3. Blizzards. These are the times for which we can’t even begin to prepare. It paralyzes our every movement. We are in a storm of life, and we know it! Everything shuts down.
4. Bitter cold. When things appear to be okay, but we are hurting and no one may know it. We try to keep moving, but the pain of living seems too great to go on.
5. Heavy fog. Where we lose direction and are not sure which way to turn, when we want God to tell us where to go or what to do, but He seems silent. We lose our vision and direction.

James 1 tells us that the storms in our lives are inevitable. He doesn’t say if storms come our way, but when they come our way (1:2). We can be sure that our Heavenly Father allows these storms to come our way so our dependence on Him will grow. God wants to make us mature, strong, and complete in him. Storms are the avenue to that destination. The outcomes of strength in character and wisdom for living come only through the storms of life. They are very hard to endure and can seem, at times, like they are breaking us. It is then that we have to be sure that all our trust in the One who is in ultimate control of the storm, and He will see us through. We can be assured that going through the storms of life will bring us to a new level of love for God and passion for His glory!

So…even though spring is officially still weeks away, and we still have the snowiest time of the year ahead, we can take heart. Sit back, have a cup of coffee or hot chocolate, build a fire in the fireplace, and enjoy the storm. This too shall pass.

I’ll never forget that night it began.
A night that I will always remember.
We were all settled down and the sheep were asleep,
While others watched I was beginning to slumber.
We had seen so many people coming to Bethlehem,
This census was driving us crazy.
The lines were long, and tempers were short.
All the commotion was really amazing!

Now it was night and stars were bright.
All the bustle has ceased for the moment.
I rolled out my blanket, stretched out by the fire,
And readied to catch a few winks.
I thought about stories I had heard through the years.
Of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
How God would provide, and lead and guide,
And give victory over foe and fears.

It started with nothing more than a breeze.
A blowing that wasn’t the same.
Then it grew louder, and then it was brighter.
The sky was now all aflame!
I was fearful and wondered what it could be
That would make this strange thing occur
Was it storming? Was I dying?
It now all became a blur!

With a shout and scream, and a blast of a horn,
An army now came into sight.
This was an army like I’d never seen!
Their appearance gave me a fright.
Their number was huge, all over the sky,
They looked like they’d just come from battle.
They yelled, and sang, and shouted out praise,
I admit, I was quite rattled.

These angels were giving glory to Yaweh,
The God of heaven and earth.
The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
The forefathers of my nation of birth.
They said not to fear, and not run away,
For the news they were bringing
Would give us great joy
Soon we would be singing!
A messiah was promised,
This we all knew.
Our nation had waited so long.
He would bring hope
And joy to our people
And make right all that was wrong

They sang of peace, and goodwill to all
A Savior they said had been born.
A stable was the place of his birth.
Out of the way and very forlorn.
He was to be found in a simple manger
With animals in His presence
No riches or gowns or presents of splendor for
This king who would make such a difference.

Then they were gone and silence returned.
We were left in amazement and wonder.
We looked at each other and looked to the sky
This message we now had to ponder.
We decided to go and see for ourselves
This thing that we had been told
Could it be? Was it all true?
This promised messiah of old?

So we ran and raced to the little town
Where so many had come to reside
And we found the place the angels had said
We paused and we stepped inside.
We came to the place where the baby laid
And to our knees did we fall
And gave Him our worship, and adoration
We knelt there in wonder and awe.

How long we stayed I don’t really know
For time was forgotten that night
We returned to the fields, laughing and shouting
Telling everyone of the glad sight
Of a baby that came to bring hope to the lost
Of Messiah who came to bring peace
We did not know that price to be paid
Would come in the form of a cross.