Intentionally Significant

The story of Zacchaeus, found in Luke 19:1-10, reveals so much to us about both Zacchaeus & Jesus. First, take a look at Zacchaeus. He was a man, a Jew, who had become a tax collector for the Roman government. He was a man searching for significance in his life, mostly by becoming rich at his own people's expense. He thought he would find fulfillment in money, yet something was missing. Something in his life seemed so empty that he had to climb a tree to see what this Jesus guy was all about. So he sat there in that tree & Jesus called him down to go visit him at his house.

Now Luke tells us Jesus was just "passing through" when he found Zacchaeus in that tree. Jesus was on His way to another town, but stopped, found Zacchaeus & eventually changed his life forever. Zacchaeus repents of his sin after encountering the Savior & promised to live a new life. A life fulfilled & a life changed. 

What stands out about Jesus in this story is his intentionality. Jesus INTENTIONALLY stopped to find Zacchaeus & give him new life. As He was "passing through" Jesus saw an opportunity to make a difference. If Jesus wasn't living intentionally, He would have never stopped. He would have never looked up. He would have never seen Zacchaeus in that tree. And He would have never changed Zacchaeus' life.

So what's missing in your life? What's keeping you from significance? If we learn anything from Zacchaeus, we know that nothing will fulfill us like Christ. Nothing but Jesus can fill the void to become more & He can change your life forever. From Jesus, we know life is more than just living. More than just living everyday blended in & normal. We have to live our lives INTENTIONAL, looking for opportunities to be changed & to change others. 

As Christians, Jesus calls us to be the salt of the earth & the light of the world. Salt & light are both difference-makers. When you put salt on food you can easily tell the difference. And when you shine a light into a dark room, the difference is significant. So again, how significant is your life? What difference are you making?

Live intentional. Live to make a difference. Live significant. 

JV

Music Spotlight - Phil Wickham

Phil Wickham's latest album, "Heaven & Earth", came out last November, but it is an album I have grown so much more fond of after seeing Phil Wickham perform live in concert. He is a tremendous performer & sounds just unbelievable live. That says a lot considering how good a studio can make someone sound & I honestly prefer to listen to him live over a studio album. So go see Phil!

"Heaven & Earth" is a strong effort from Phil Wickham. The title itself is telling of the content within the album, & the lyrics are so spiritually strong. It tells the story of our relationship with God & our desire to be back in that perfect relationship found in "Eden." We are here on Earth & because of sin we are not in the relationship with God we were created for. Phil then expresses his desire throughout the album to be back in that relationship, & the anticipation to have that relationship restored to it's original design in Heaven. It is an extremely well done album, & provides unbelievable images in vivid terms. 

3 of my favorite tracks are in the playlist on the right, so give them a good listen. And head over to iTunes to purchase this 12-track album for $12.99. 

JV

 

Reality Weekend

The deadline for Reality Weekend is this Wednesday, January 6th! Be sure to come on Wednesday night & bring your registration forms with you, and don't forget to turn in forms for your friends as well. The cost is $45 for the event, but don't worry about the money if you can't pay. Just come talk to me & we'll get everything worked out. Here are the details on the event:

The event is January 15-17 (Friday - Sunday), and will be much like a retreat format. The guys will all be in one home, and the girls in another. We will have discipleship & growth time as a group, and also will gather together with some other churches for worship 3 times throughout the weekend. This is a great opportunity to grow as a young Christian, as well as growing with our youth group. It's also going to be tons of fun, and spiritually challenging. You don't want to miss out!

JV

Music Spotlight - David Crowder Band

If there's one album I have worn out digitally on my iPod, it's David Crowder Band's latest release, Church Music. This album came out last fall, but has yet to lose it's hold on me. It continues to remain fresh, and I constantly hear new lyrics I don't remember hearing before. DCB is not only very creative & original in composition, but his lyrics are incredibly strong & spiritually solid. Here are a couple reasons why it should be on your iPod:

1. Spiritually charged lyrics. The words to these songs will leave you challenged, thinking, and full of praise to our King in worship. 
2. Fun & creative music. The music is awesome, and I love how he mixes things up. He'll have a slow song & then pump things up. And every track ends with the intro to the next. If you start from the beginning, it's like one REALLY long song. Super cool.

So head over to iTunes & pick up this 17-track album for only $11.99. I got 3 of my favorite songs from this album on the playlist, so be sure to take a listen.

JV