Tag Archives: steve austin

We Are God’s People

We are God’s people, the chosen of the Lord,
Born of His Spirit, established by His Word;
Our cornerstone is Christ alone,
And strong in Him we stand:
O let us live transparently
And walk heart to heart and hand in hand.

We are God’s loved ones, the Bride of Christ our Lord,
For we have known it, the love of God outpoured;
Now let us learn how to return
The gift of love once given:
O let us share each joy and care,
And live with a zeal that pleases Heaven.

We are the Body of which the Lord is Head,
Called to obey Him, now risen from the dead;
He wills us be a family,
Diverse yet truly one:
O let us give our gifts to God,
And so shall his work on earth be done.

We are a temple, the Spirit’s dwelling place,
Formed in great weakness, a cup to hold God’s grace;
We die alone, for on its own
Each ember loses fire:
Yet joined in one the flame burns on
To give warmth and light, and to inspire.

Facts:
Lyricist: Bryan Jeffery Leech
Lyrics Date: 1976
Arranger: Fred Bock
Arrangement Date: 1976
Composer: Johannes Brahms
Music Date: 1876
Scripture: Psalm 100:3

Everyone is hungry.

southside fountain

I had the opportunity to buy lunch for a new friend Saturday.  His name is Steve, too!  So how could I say no?

Steve served four years in the U.S. Army, installs flooring as a profession, and recently moved from New Orleans to Central Alabama to be closer to his Momma, who’s in assisted living (and I found out this weekend that she has a new “beau”).  He was so funny, as he told me that “she’s too old to be fooling around”!

As we sat outside The Cantina on Birmingham’s Southside, Steve kept apologizing for his smell.

I honestly didn’t smell him, but he sure was self-conscious.  Then again, the smell would make sense–he’d been living outside for the past three nights.  It’s hot.  And three days of sweat would make anyone smell pretty strong.

Here’s what struck me about my encounter with Steve: it wasn’t so much my encounter with him at all.  It was that while I was inside the restaurant, ordering his food, the guy taking the order said, “That’s really cool that you bought him a meal”.  And I responded, without even really processing what I was saying, “Hey dude, everyone is hungry.  We’re all thirsty”.

It’s so true.

From a castle to the street corner, we are all hungry.  We’re all thirsty for something.  The “cowboy nachos” and the cup of water I was able to pass along to my buddy probably satisfied him for three or four hours, but we all have a hunger and thirst that will never be satisfied until we’ve experienced the Living Water than can only come from Jesus.

ATTIC,

Steve

Jesus said, “Everyone who drinks this water will get thirsty again and again. Anyone who drinks the water I give will never thirst—not ever. The water I give will be an artesian spring within, gushing fountains of endless life.”  The woman said, “Sir, give me this water so I won’t ever get thirsty, won’t ever have to come back to this well again!”

John 4:13-15

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Nose-to-Nose

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Lindsey and BT flew out Wednesday for Tampa. They have abandoned me for a full week! “Bach’ing” it sounded great for a couple of days. But as the song says, “The thrill is gone”!

I miss them both for so many reasons.

I miss Lindsey’s face.

I miss the way that “Superstar” perfume smells on her as it hits my nose in the first few seconds after she gets into the car with me. Our time together is a sweet smelling fragrance.

I miss BT’s face. Maybe because it reminds me so much of his Momma.

I miss looking into his eyes and seeing total innocence. When does that get lost? I hope it’s a long time from now.

I miss BT’s super early morning snuggles and the way Lindsey will put him on my pillow and he will roll over until we are nose-to-nose. He finds comfort in being face-to-face with his Father.

Warning: I think this blog just took a quick and unexpected turn.

There are similarities with our relationship with Abba.

1) He finds our time with Him as a sweet-smelling fragrance. Whether it is worship, prayer, or the simplicity of seeing Him at work in every moment. Being present. Living in the now.

2) He wants to be nose-to-nose with you. Always close enough to feel His breath on your face as He whispers “I love you”.

There is such an amazing (and wonderfully strange) Fatherly intimacy that we are able to experience when we are vulnerable.

I miss my family.

But Abba misses me more.

ATTIC,
Steve

P.S. He misses you, too.

Awakening

I can’t get the message of this beautiful song out of my heart or off my lips this morning, so I figured the best thing to do with it is give it away!

Take a couple of minutes, if possible, tune out everything else, and pray the words of this song.  “Awake my soul!”

 

 

ATTIC,

Steve

WHO will get the NEW?

I started a new job today.

It’s my dream job.  Do you know that God wants to make your dreams come true, and that (even more importantly) He has His own dreams for you?!

The dreams thing was just bonus material, but what I want to talk about is the whole concept of “new” today.

This is a new job.

I got some new clothes for the job.

I just washed my car yesterday and it looks like brand-new!

I have a new office, new computer, and a whole new group of people to work with.

There’s a lot of newness going on in my life right now!

The whole concept of “new” can be:

  • thrilling
  • invigorating
  • nerve-wracking
  • satisfying

…and all sorts of other great descriptors.

But do you know the best “new” of all?

From Revelation 21:

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband; and I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling of God is with men. He will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself will be with them; he will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning nor crying nor pain any more, for the former things have passed away.” And he who sat upon the throne said, “Behold I make all things new.” Also he said, “Write this, for these words are trustworthy and true.” And he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the fountain of the water of life without payment. He who conquers shall have this heritage, and I will be his God and he shall be my son.

New life.

New hope.

New future.

No matter the past, no matter the problems or pain, the One on the throne (God Almighty), says that He will make All THINGS new.  Not some things, not most things, not a few things, but every single thing…He will make it new.  And He goes on to say, “write it down!” because it is true and worthy of trust!

Another thing to notice: he doesn’t limit WHO will get the NEW.  He says, “Look!  I will make ALL THINGS new!”

Not just new for the good folks.  Not just new for the churchgoers.  Not just new for the pastor or the missionary.  Not just new for the innocent, the prude, the meek, and the mild.

God promises that one day, if we will just hold on.  If we will just take that “next right step” (as my father-in-law puts it), that eventually, He will make it all new.

One day, at the end of Time.  God will hit the “reset button” and everything will be like it was supposed to be, before the very first mistake ever occurred.

Sounds pretty good to me!

ATTIC,

Steve

Check out this incredible sermon on “All Things New” (if you don’t have time for the full 45 minutes, just fast-forward to 41 minutes and view the final 4 minutes….it is a powerful story):