but that is not what ships are for

Posted by adamlepp in Heaven Bound, Hope, Identity

The above was my Facebook status the other day.  I spent a good deal of my day yesterday in a state of frustration with God.  It seems like I keep finding myself in these places where I am just coasting along, doing the motions.  It drives me nuts!  I can’t stand it.  I realized yesterday though something I hadn’t processed or understood in my heart before.  I fall into those habits because I fear what would happen if I didn’t.

The quote on my Facebook status says it perfectly, a ship in a harbor is safe.  There are no waves or storms that capsize it.  There is dry and safe land just a few feet away.  A ship, however, was not made to spend it’s days in a harbor.  They are ment to sail the sea.  They are built to go out.  They are designed to cross the vast seas.

And that’s what hit me yesterday.  I’m not built to spend my days in a safe harbor going through the motions.  NO!  I have a purpose and it’s to let the winds take me out into deep waters.  There are many storms out in the sea.  There are many unknowns.  Will I get wet if I leave this harbor?  Yeah, probably.  Will things get messy?  They very well might.  Will Jesus be there to calm the storms, pick me up when I fall, and make things right?  Most defiantly.

I mean, lets be honest.  If my purpose to be out there, then that is what God designed me for.  Even more so, that is His will for me to be there.  I think Erwin McManus got it right when he said:

To live outside God’s will puts us in danger; to live in his will makes us dangerous.

Therefore, in reality, docking in the harbor is probably much more dangerous then being out where I belong.

So I declare now, for the world to know.  I am setting sail.  I’m not waiting for morning, or even for the weather to clear.  I leave now.  I trust in the Lord God almighty to take care of me.  For He is the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords.

Bold!?!?! I dont want to be bold.

Posted by adamlepp in Heaven Bound, Hope, Identity

I’m guessing from the title your thinking something along the lines of: God is trying transform Adam’s life into a life that is bold when sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Well, maybe your not thinking that, but if you were, you would still be wrong. The idea of being bold has been on my mind a lot lately. Even more so, the idea of how I don’t want to be bold (just like the title implies ). Now you might be thinking that isn’t very Christian. Shouldn’t we be bold in sharing our faith?

It all started at a retreat I was at. The topic: God’s Crazy Love. We spent time studying how God was crazy in love with us and learned through a real life situation how to love those around us. After returning home, the idea started forming in my head. What if we love people so crazily, that the concept of being bold had no meaning because we loved them so much that we just didn’t care about ourselves.

What would the world look like if that is how we treated each other.  What if we loved so much, that those we loved would want to have what we have?  What if we loved so much, that sharing the gospel was an act of love and not one of those things that we just have to be “bold” about and do?

Thoughts?  I’d love to hear them.  Post in the comments.

If we really knew you..

Posted by adamlepp in Hope, Questions

For those of you who are not on Facebook, there is an event going on today called “If we really knew you..” where basically, all the members are posting as their status one thing following “if you really knew me.”  I’m going to copy my status for you all to see, but I want to pose the same question to you.  I invite you to go to the comments and finish the sentence “if you really knew me…”

If we really knew you.., you would know that I am just as big of a mess as everyone else. You would know that I struggle just like everyone else does. You would know that I was addicted to porn. You would know that I spent most of my life an outcast and unloved, and that I would be someone I wasn’t to fit in. If you really knew me, you would know that I long for nothing more than to hear my dad tell me that he loves me.

If you really knew me, you would know that it was Jesus transformed my life almost 4 years ago. You would know that he gave me a community of people that loved me for who I was. He freed me from my chains and told me I no longer had to be someone I wasn’t. You would know that He created me, a masterpiece to do good and be good. (Ephesians 2:10). You would know that God is my father and I am His son and that He tells me that He loves me all the time.

heavy rain

Posted by adamlepp in Hope, Life

It’s been raining here this summer…a lot.

And when it rains, it down pours.  you can’t stand in it for more than 2 seconds without becoming drenched.

Farmers are having a tough time with all this rain, and a lot of people are complaining about it.

But I have something else to say about it.  Let it rain!  Let it rain!

I believe God is trying to show us something through all this rain.  Water is a symbol of cleansing, of healing, and of restoration.  I believe God is beginning something big, so big that we can’t begin to comprehend it.  I think God is starting to cleanse this generation.  I think God is starting to heal our wounds.  I think God is going to restore these lands.

So let it rain, let it rain!  God we ask, we beg of you.  Open the flood gates of heaven and let it rain.  Let your grace, your mercy, your holiness rain down on this generation.  Purify us and make us holy.  Open our eyes to the wounds in our life.  Show us where there is emptiness and hurt in our beings, and fill those holes with your joy, with your healing power.  Restore this land.  It was was green and lush with vegetation, but now is dry and dusty.   Make it full of life and peace once again.  Let it rain, let it rain.  God, won’t you please open the flood gates of heaven and let it rain.

Make War (repost)

Posted by adamlepp in Hope

I know this is a repost (original), but I’ve been thinking a lot about this video recently wanted to share it again.

Lost

Posted by adamlepp in Hope, Identity, Relationships

The Series Finale of Lost was tonight.

And it was a good show.  Why was it so good?  I think that is a simple answer.  It was good because, like any other good shows out there, it told the viewers that they are worthy and accepted.  The show took flawed people and turned them into something important.

It was a common theme from the 6 seasons, especially the last 3.  I remember a specific episode when Ben was going to Locke’s side because at least there he would be accepted.  Then he was asked to stay because he was accepted there too.

It happend again in this last episode.  Ben was asked to be number 2.

I think we are all flawed.  We are human, and we all want to be worthy and accepted.  But the show is over, the good feeling it gave while it was on the air has come to an end.  However, there is one place where you can truly feel worthy, where you are truly accepted.

God says He loved us before we were even conceived in our mother’s womb.  He created us to love us.  Like a parent loves a child, God loves His children.  You and I.  All we need to do is receive it.  I spent 2 years of my life running away from that love, but God showed me time and time and time again just how true it was.  And guess what, it doesn’t end after six years.  It doesn’t even end after 100 years.  Not ever.

So, are you searching for something.  Are you looking for validation, for your identity.  If you want it, cry out to God ad ask Him for it.  Then grab a Bible, go to church, email me, or talk to someone about it!

I pray that right now, as you are reading this God will reveal a new piece of His love for you to you.  I pray it would be more than just a feeling or an emotion, but something real.  I pray this because He has told me who I am, and I want you to know who you are.  You are a masterpiece, a beautiful masterpiece, created by a good God who loves you deeply.  I pray this in the name of Jesus the Christ.  Amen.