Digging Deeper – Page 36 – NorthStar Church Blog

Digging Deeper: Jesus Enters Jerusalem – Riding on a Donkey

Larry Grays on February 27, 2024

14 Jesus found a young donkey and rode on it, fulfilling the prophecy that said: 15 “Don’t be afraid, people of Jerusalem. Look, your King is coming, riding on a donkey’s colt.”

John 12:14-15 (NLT)

JESUS ENTERS JERUSALEM: RIDING ON A DONKEY

Tom Barnard writes, “The crowd was clueless. They never got it right. They shouted praises. He wept. They looked for a warrior-king riding a white stallion. They got a carpenter riding a donkey. They wanted hype. They got a healer. They wanted a prophet. They got One who fulfilled prophecy. They wanted a scepter. They got a Savior. They got nothing they asked for but everything they needed. Only they never got it. They were clueless. Jesus was the only One there who really knew what was happening on that first Palm Sunday.

In the culture of their day, a king would ride into town on a horse if he wanted the people to know that he was ready for war and that he was their warrior king. However, when a king rode into town on a donkey, that symbolized the time of peace was at hand. Jesus chose a donkey to show that the time for peace and love had come. The people were awaiting the king, but most of them thought the king would be an earthly king who would readily protect Jerusalem from all enemies. Jesus, however, came as a king of peace.

Reflection

Jesus would come to die for our sins so we could have this peace with God. Tom Barnard said, “The crowd was clueless.” In what ways have you felt clueless in your faith? When have you asked God to do something and later realized you were asking for the wrong thing?

Prayer

Thank God for being patient with you. Praise Jesus for starting with bringing peace to your heart. Pray God would open your eyes to misconceptions you have about Jesus.

Dr. Larry Grays is the father of four and lives in the Canton area. Larry consults with churches, schools, city governments, and businesses nationwide. He’s been a member of the NorthStar family for over 20 years.

Digging Deeper: Jesus Enters Jerusalem – Palm Sunday

Larry Grays on February 26, 2024

12 The next day, the news that Jesus was on the way to Jerusalem swept through the city. A large crowd of Passover visitors 13 took palm branches and went down the road to meet him. They shouted, “Praise God! Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the Lord!

Hail to the King of Israel!”

John 12:12-13 (NLT)

JESUS ENTERS JERUSALEM: PALM SUNDAY

“The palm branches! Where are the palm branches?” the Donkey shouted. “Yesterday, you threw palm branches!” Hurt and confused, the donkey returned home to his mother. “Foolish child,” she said gently. “Don’t you realize that without Him, you are just an ordinary donkey?”

John records the beginning of what has traditionally been called “Passion Week.” Beginning with Palm Sunday (named this because the people spread palm branches out before Jesus during His so-called Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem). Spreading their coats on the road, as well as freshly cut branches, it was their version of rolling out the red carpet.

Praise God, also translated Hosanna, was originally a prayer addressed to God, meaning “O save us now” (Ps. 118:25a). Later it came to be used as a shout of praise (like “Hallelujah!”) and then as an enthusiastic welcome to pilgrims or a famous Rabbi.

This week started with praise but was filled with unpleasant interactions with Jewish leaders in Jerusalem, culminating in Jesus’ arrest, trial, and crucifixion. The people misunderstood the type of Kingdom Jesus had come to establish.

Reflection

What are some misconceptions you believe society in general has about Jesus? What are some misconceptions you have had about Jesus that have changed since you became a Christian?

Prayer

Praise Jesus as the King of all Kings. Ask God to show you any areas of your life where you have misunderstood His place in your life.

Digging Deeper – Coyotes in the Neighborhood

Chris Boggess on February 23, 2024

“Now go; I’m sending you out like lambs among wolves.”

Luke 10:3

COYOTES IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD

I saw a coyote in my neighborhood. I pulled out of my driveway early one morning, and as I slowly moved down the street, he came out of the trees like a ghost. He was a big boy. Not a wolf, but I wouldn’t want to meet that creature in the dark. He was slightly bigger than a German Shepherd (some of that might be the bulk of his winter coat). His long snout and loping stride gave away his wildness. He was not a dog or someone’s pet. He glided across the road through the beams of my headlights and disappeared into a tree-filled space by a creek that ran through our neighborhood.

Seeing him has caused me to think a little differently. I know he isn’t interested in me as prey, but seeing that lupine form in all his fluid grace made me a little warier when I take the trash out at night to the lightless lower side of our house, the side closest to the woods.

Wolves are made to hunt. And in their own territory, they are extremely dangerous. A full-grown ram would have his horns full with wolves around, but a lamb would be easy prey. So, when Jesus tells those he sends that they will be like lambs among wolves, that is a dire warning.

How does a lamb protect itself against wolves? First, keep the flock nearby. Having other believers around you to lift you up is essential. And it is even better when you give them the license to correct you when you stray. Accountability gives you protection from the wolves in your life.

Second, Keep the shepherd in sight. We must take time each day to “lock eyes with Jesus.” In my personal life, I can tell the difference between when I take the time to get myself into the right relationship with the Good Shepherd and when I don’t. It makes the difference. If you don’t take time to run to him, then you might just spend your day running from wolves.

What are the wolves in your life? The things that are too big to handle on your own? Lift them up to Jesus and share them with other believers you trust.

Chris Boggess is the Next Generation/Family Pastor at NorthStar Church. He grew up in St. Albans, West Virginia, and still cheers for the Mountaineers. He and his wife, Heather, have two grown children and one granddaughter.

Digging Deeper – Truth Seekers

Chris Boggess on February 22, 2024

After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him. ⁶⁷So Jesus said to the twelve, “Do you want to go away as well?” Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, ⁶⁹and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.”

John 6:66-69 (NLT)

“Now go; I’m sending you out like lambs among wolves.”

Luke 10:3

TRUTH SEEKERS

The Barna Group is a company that does interviews and compiles data on many topics related to faith and Christianity. I was reading a recent study that polled Christians, non-Christians, and Pastors, and the results were fascinating. When asked what might make them doubt the Christian faith, the Christians said “human suffering” gave them some doubts. But when non-Christians were polled, almost half of them said that the thing that makes them doubt Christianity is the hypocrisy of religious people.

Along those same lines, when the question was, “What are you looking for spiritually?” Christians and non-Christians agreed that “inner peace” and “hope” are in their top three. But Christians rounded out the top choices with “forgiveness,” while the non-Christians said “truth.”

Paul says, “For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate.” (Romans 7:15). This is something I think we can all identify with. It is probably also why Christians round out their top three with forgiveness and may also be why the non-Christians polled were quick to think of Christians as hypocrites. We know that we have these struggles with sin. When we try to constantly hide this struggle and put up a front of perfection, we set ourselves up for a fall. Then, we end up being the obstacle for non-Christians. They see us as hypocrites.

The people around us don’t need to see perfection. They need to know that we are not perfect but striving to live the best we can, not because we want to earn heaven, but because we are thankful that heaven has already been given to us.

Jesus said to Thomas, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6). He offered the inner peace we crave by saying he is “the Way.” The best way to inner peace is to live in this world as a follower of the way Jesus showed us. Jesus fulfills the need for hope by offering “life.” He says his life is more abundant (John 10:10) and leads to eternity (John 10:27-28). And finally, he lets us know he embodies the absolute truth; not the subjective truth of our modern world (as if truth could be subjective), but eternal truth.

So, as we “live sent” in the world, let’s not live behind a mask of perfection, pretending we are always right and always alright. Instead, let’s live in the way of Jesus and let people see the truth of who he is through our lives, and when we fall short, acknowledge it and seek forgiveness. By living that way, we can show the forgiveness and hope he offers in the way we live our lives.

Digging Deeper – GRAPE is not the Answer

Chris Boggess on February 21, 2024

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, ⁹not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

Ephesians 2:8-9 (NLT)

“GRAPE” IS NOT THE ANSWER

I love the game Wordle. A quick round of the game is often part of my morning routine. It is a great way to wake up my mind and get me thinking. But I never believed that Wordle might have something to teach me about my faith. I was wrong.

The game is pretty simple. You get five letter blanks, and you enter a five-letter word. If you guessed a letter not in the word, it would appear in grey. If you guess a letter that is in the word but not in the position where you put it, it appears in yellow. It appears in green if it is the correct letter and in the proper position. You get six guesses. I usually get it on guess four.

On the morning in question, I started with my usual first guess, “FRAME.” I have never gotten it on the first guess, but maybe someday. The game told me that R, A, and E were the correct letters in the proper position. “Looks like I might get it in three,” I thought as I entered “GRAPE.” I know what you’re thinking. “GRAPE? Why GRAPE?” I don’t know. It was a heat-of-the-moment decision, but it wasn’t terrible because now G, R, A, and E were all green!

For guess three, I entered “GRAZE”… wrong. Guess four was “GRADE”… wrong again. Now things were getting a little desperate. I entered “GRATE” for my fifth guess but still no joy. Final guess, and then I saw it, what some of you will have seen already, “GRACE.” I plugged in the letters and it came up all green. The game posted “phew” across the top of the screen to let me know how close I came.

Grace can be a hard thing for us to see. We have our own ideas about how God should work, and most of the time it looks more like Karma than grace. We hear people say that God can’t exist because bad things happen to good people and that is God’s fault; but, in the same breath they will invoke Karma and tell someone “what goes around comes around.” So which way is it?

The only way it makes sense is that we as humans do our level best to mess everything up. We GRATE people. The definition of Grate is to shred or to make annoying sounds. We hurt each other going through our lives myopically ignoring the problems of the people around us. We make sure that people know what we are against louder than we let them know what we are for.

We GRAZE. We go after every little thing that draws our attention. We live our lives counter to God’s rules, chasing sex and money and anything else that takes our fancy.

We GRADE. We judge ourselves and others by comparing. We compare paychecks, addresses and sins. We want to put ourselves and others into categories that make us comfortable.

God knows we will do this and he offers GRACE. Not because we are so great, but because God is. Not because we deserve it but because it is His to offer. This is the message that the world needs. This is the seed that Jesus planted.

When we are there at the end, the last guess, with nowhere else to turn, GRACE is the answer. And GRACE is the gospel we can share with the world.

Digging Deeper – Living Sent First

Chris Boggess on February 20, 2024

After this, the Lord appointed seventy-two others, and he sent them ahead of him in pairs to every town and place where he himself was about to go. He told them, “The harvest is abundant, but the workers are few. Therefore, pray to the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into his harvest.

Luke 10:1-2 (NLT)

LIVING SENT FIRST

Several months ago, Shelby, our NextGen Director of Student Worship, approached me. She told me she had an opportunity to attend a graduate music program. As she described it to me, I heard what a fantastic opportunity it would be for her to grow musically and professionally. But as we talked more, she let me know she wanted to do it, not because of the personal growth, but for the ministry opportunity it provided. This was a chance to minister in an exclusive world that would not be open to just anyone. This was a chance to minister in a way that she was ideally and specifically suited. She was being invited into this world, and even though it meant more work for her, she wanted the chance to try to reach some of the people in the program.

It strikes me that we make many decisions based on whether we will make more money, move up in our jobs, or grow personally. While none of those motivations are wrong, most of us do not consider the opportunity to minister and share the gospel when considering a job change or a promotion. We just think about how it will make us better or give us a financial boost. We will acknowledge the blessing of it, but do we ever consider it an appointment like what Jesus did with the 72?

Each of us is divinely gifted and ordained to serve God. For most, the field of service is in the place where you are each day. Students, do you realize that God is appointing you to be his ministers in your school and that each class and club is a divine opportunity to reach out to students that maybe no one else can or will reach? Adults, the same goes for your workplace, college classes, neighborhood, and pickleball club. Everywhere you go, you can be a lifeline to the gospel for the people who may not have another.

I pray that we will be people who consider the opportunities we are given as blessings that lead to opportunities to share the grace of God with the people to whom God has provided us access. And that will be our first consideration as we look at new life opportunities. This is the core of living sent.

Digging Deeper – What Can a Few Do?

Chris Boggess on February 19, 2024

After this, the Lord appointed seventy-two others, and he sent them ahead of him in pairs to every town and place where he himself was about to go.

Luke 10:1 (NLT)

WHAT CAN A FEW DO?

When I think of a large population that is mainly non-Christian, my mind goes to the nation of China. China’s population is approximately 1.42 billion people. A liberal estimate of the percentage of Christians would be around 2.9%, meaning there are roughly 1.38 billion non-Christians in the country. The harvest is plentiful, for sure!

Let us do a little thought experiment. Let’s say we could transport NorthStar Church to China, and that we do three packed-out services with 3000 people every Sunday! Even more extraordinary is that everyone who comes turns to Jesus as their savior. With that kind of fantastic response, it would only take us 9,137 years to reach the unchurched population of China as long as we didn’t take any Sundays off. The population would die off long before they could be reached.

But what if we sent one person, and they spent a year teaching and discipling one person who comes to Christ. At the end of the year, they each find one new person to walk with, and at the end of two years, one person will have reached three. If they continued like this, with each one reaching one person and then doing the same year after year, the unchurched in China would be reached in around 30 years. And not just reached, but discipled and reaching out to others (by the way, I did the same math starting with 72 instead of one person, and they would be able to reach the nation in 24 years, which is fewer than NorthStar has been around).

So, when we ask, “What are we to do? The harvest is so large, and I am so small.” The answer is to reach one. Find that one person you can intentionally pour into and show them who Jesus is, then encourage them to do the same.

One patient, intentional relationship – is that something you could do? Then you can follow the parable of Jesus in the Gospel of Mark: “And he said, ‘The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground. He sleeps and rises night and day, and the seed sprouts and grows; he knows not how. The earth produces by itself, first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. But when the grain is ripe, at once he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.'” Mark 4:26-29.

You may not see the seed germinate, or the first sprouts grow, but the harvest will come if you are patient.

A few can do much. Even one can reach billions.

Digging Deeper – Land of the Lost

C.A. Phillips on February 16, 2024

Luke 15:3-4 (NLT)

LAND OF THE LOST

While Jesus is doing his best to teach the crowd where his priorities lie in this parable, we can’t miss the central figure in this story: the lost sheep. There are any number of reasons the sheep could have been lost: injury is the most likely, but in any event the sheep is weak and falls behind.

One rather interesting characteristic of sheep is that they are not only highly dependent creatures, but they are sensitive. In fact, if a sheep is rejected by its mother – or is not accepted by the flock – it is known as a “bummer lamb.” Like human beings who are rejected, sheep grieve if they are not welcomed into community with others. And, unless the shepherd intervenes, the sheep very well may die.

With that in mind, is it any surprise that we see Jesus consistently seeking out those who are considered outcasts? As we wrap up this week, I pray our eyes are opened anew to those around us who are hurting, feeling “less than,” or have simply been left behind. You and I have an opportunity – like Jesus – to let these men and women know they are valued and loved!

Find ways to engage others who might be looking for community. Speak a word of encouragement to someone – co-worker, neighbor, friend. And always remember that Jesus once came searching for you – because the Good Shepherd always accepts his children.

C.A. Phillips serves as Communications Pastor and Director of Men’s Groups at NorthStar Church. He is a graduate of the Henry W. Grady School of Journalism at the University of Georgia, and he loves the Dawgs and the Atlanta Braves. He has two (grown) boys and lives in Kennesaw with his wife, Amy, and their German Shepherd, Abby.

Digging Deeper – He Carries Us Home

C.A. Phillips on February 15, 2024

Luke 15:3-5 (NLT)

HE CARRIES US HOME

When Jim Redmond walked into Olympic Stadium that summer day in Barcelona, Spain, in 1992, little did he know he would make history. After all, he was simply there to support his son, Derek, who earlier had qualified for the semifinals in the 400M race.

Derek was quick off the starting line and was in great position as he rounded the first bend. He had made the conscious decision at that moment to conserve his energy for a late surge at the finish line. Three strides later, however – roughly 19 seconds into the race – he felt a pop in his hamstring, and his Olympic dreams were dashed. Derek initially collapsed to the ground in agony and disappointment. But after American Steve Lewis crossed the finish line as the winner, the cameras turned their focus back on Derek, who was up again – hobbling his way around the track!

In watching the video of this inspirational moment, you can see the determination – and pain – on Derek’s face as he approaches the home stretch. The crowd takes notice, and what begins as a smattering of applause transitions into a standing ovation as the 65,000 people in attendance encourage Derek to cross the finish line! Then an unknown man enters the frame. He runs up and alongside Derek, wrapping his right arm around his waist, and takes hold of Derek’s left wrist in his left hand. It’s Jim Redmond – Derek’s dad – who has rushed out onto the track to help his son!

Derek breaks down at this moment, overcome with emotion and heartache. But Jim continues to walk alongside him, becoming a human crutch for Derek.

Jim recounted later, “It was a father’s instinct, I had to stop him, to prevent him doing any more damage to his leg. When I got there, he insisted on finishing the race, so I said to him, ‘We started your career together and we will finish it together.’”

Our Heavenly Father also wants us to finish the race, and He will do whatever it takes to bring us back home to him. It’s a minor detail in the Parable of the Lost Sheep, but when the shepherd searches for – and ultimately finds – the missing sheep, he carries it back home on his shoulders. Why? Because the sheep is too weak to come home on its own!

Throughout scripture, the narrative of shepherds and sheep is used to mirror the relationship between us and Jesus – our Good Shepherd! There are many parallels, but one worth noting is that, like spiritually, emotionally, and physically wounded humans, sheep cannot get up without help. In fact, if a sheep is “cast down” (on its back, with legs in the air), it will die, as it is totally defenseless to its prey.

Isaiah 40:11 says, “He will tend his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms, he will carry them in his bosom, and gently lead those that are with young.”

Our Good Shepherd cares for you, and He’ll search high and low if you go missing. And, like Jim Redmond, He’ll carry you back home when you’re too weak to continue on your own.

Digging Deeper – Heaven Loves a Party

C.A. Phillips on February 14, 2024

3 So Jesus told them this story: 4 “If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them gets lost, what will he do? Won’t he leave the ninety-nine others in the wilderness and go to search for the one that is lost until he finds it? 5 And when he has found it, he will joyfully carry it home on his shoulders. 6 When he arrives, he will call together his friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me because I have found my lost sheep.’ 7 In the same way, there is more joy in heaven over one lost sinner who repents and returns to God than over ninety-nine others who are righteous and haven’t strayed away!

Luke 15:3-7 (NLT)

HEAVEN LOVES A PARTY

When I was growing up in church as a kid, I really didn’t hear a whole lot about heaven. I mean sure, it was a place much preferred over the alternative; but, about the only notion of heaven ever conveyed to me left me with the image of floating in the clouds and singing a bunch of songs for eternity while the angels play harps. That’s a grossly incomplete picture of the place our Creator has crafted for his children to spend with Him!

It wasn’t until much later in life that I began to look more into what heaven will truly be like. I don’t know if George Burns or Morgan Freeman will be there, but it’s going to be infinitely greater than anything we can comprehend – and certainly more incredible than what has been depicted in the movies!

According to scripture, heaven will be a tangible place where we’ll know people, and where we will still have a purpose. For an in-depth look at what the Bible has to say about it, I highly recommend the book by the same name: Heaven, by Randy Alcorn.

But another aspect I didn’t grasp until more recently is the amount of celebrating happening in heaven! Not only for those new arrivals – but perhaps more so for those on earth who have made eternal decisions and will reside there one day!

In verse 7 in the above passage, Jesus tells his audience that “there is more joy in heaven over one lost sinner who repents and returns to God than over ninety-nine others who are righteous and haven’t strayed away.” We’d all agree that there’s joy in heaven; but it’s important for us to be aware that heaven is paying close attention to what’s happening here, and they have streamers and a DJ on standby 24/7!

So, let that be the wind in your sails when it comes to doing “whatever it takes” to serve as an ambassador for Christ to a hurting world. We may not witness someone’s salvation here, but when we plant seeds, water the soil, and trust the Lord to do His part, there’s a harvest coming in due time. And, without question, there’ll be a heavenly bash to follow!