NorthStar Church Blog

Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you.

Philippians 4:9 (NIV)

KEEP GOING!

One of my many quirks is that I love acronyms.  Good ones, bad ones, any of them.  I especially enjoy making acronyms out of nonsensical things.  Something about shortening down a string of words or thoughts just entertains me on a deep level.

If I could shorten down Philippians 4:9, it would be to two simple words.  “Never quit.”

Even in the mundane, and especially in the hard times, never quit.

How long can we keep going?  How long can we endure?  Philippians 4:13 says “I can do all this through Him who gives me strength.”  We can endure always.  Because God is GOOD.

So, in the interest of making things short and sweet – I would encourage you today to take a few minutes to pray: “Father God, strengthen my heart, so that I may never quit.  Jesus, help me to NEVER stop locking eyes with you daily.”

Josh Neal and his family have been members of NorthStar Church since 2016.  He is married to his lovely wife, Mallory, and has three children: Ember, Clover, and Jack.  He loves being a part of the prayer ministry at NorthStar, and enjoys everything from Georgia Tech Football, to hunting, to writing.

And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.

Philippians 4:8 (NIV)

THINKING TIME

I just love the message of Philippians 4:8.  Something about it always leaves me feeling so encouraged!  I guess that is one of those funny little things about the Word of God; it always seems to know how to get to the heart! 

There is something to be said for taking the time to discipline our minds.  The Bible speaks about taking every thought captive, and intentionally dwelling on things that are true, honorable, right, etc.  Colossians 3:16 says, “Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives.”  We are constantly surrounded by our own thoughts, and to a large degree, our thoughts shape our reality. 

Everything that we think about will form the lens by which we perceive the world.  If we are constantly thinking about all the things that are going wrong, we will start to see every little thing and interaction through that lens of wrongness, instead of seeing the blessings of God.  That is one of the reasons Paul instructs us to intentionally think about that which is “true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable.”

Philippians 4:6 and 4:8 really tie together – that intentionally dwelling on the Good (God) things, will help us develop a spirit of thankfulness, which then will lead to us dwelling on the good things, which continues to build a cycle of renewing our minds day by day!

So, today, take a minute and try something.  Instead of watching whatever catastrophe has happened in the news, or seeing who has been dragged through the mud, take a few minutes to pray, and spend time with God telling Him the things you see that are good and admirable, and ask Him to reveal more pure and praiseworthy things to you!  Prayer does not always need to be laying down a spiritual to-do list; sometimes it can just be spending time with the Lord, and thinking about His Good things together!

Josh Neal and his family have been members of NorthStar Church since 2016.  He is married to his lovely wife, Mallory, and has three children: Ember, Clover, and Jack.  He loves being a part of the prayer ministry at NorthStar, and enjoys everything from Georgia Tech Football, to hunting, to writing.

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

Philippians 4:6 (NIV)

BLESSED, NEVER STRESSED

Sometimes life can be frustrating – can I get an Amen?  And it sure seems like frustrations have been popping up like weeds in spring!  And what are we supposed to do in the middle of all these worries?

Let’s look at the second part of Philippians 4:6 – “but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” In EVERY situation?  I don’t know about you, but for me, it can be pretty hard to pray thankfully in EVERY situation – and yet, Paul does not leave a lot of room for interpretation. 

Sometimes keeping an attitude of thankfulness is difficult for me.  I think that lack of thankfulness really comes from a lack of proper perspective.  I am not suggesting that you compare your situation with someone else’s; even if someone is always in a worse spot, saying “well, at least I am not going through (insert tragedy here)” isn’t really helpful.

Instead, I think it is important to ask the Lord to reveal to you an accurate perspective on your situation.  That isn’t to say that what you are going through isn’t difficult; but ask Him how HE sees it. And ask Him to help remind you of how blessed you are – because no matter what is going on in your life, God the Father Almighty, Maker of Heaven and Earth, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, loves you specifically, and He blesses those He loves in countless different ways.  On top of that, ask The Lord to remind you of an eternal perspective – remembering that all things- ALL things – work to the good of those who love Him.

Josh Neal and his family have been members of NorthStar Church since 2016.  He is married to his lovely wife, Mallory, and has three children: Ember, Clover, and Jack.  He loves being a part of the prayer ministry at NorthStar, and enjoys everything from Georgia Tech Football, to hunting, to writing.

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

Philippians 4:6 (NIV)

WHAT ARE WE SUPPOSED TO CARRY?

Do you ever get really excited about something in life, and then as soon as the moment arrives you think to yourself, “Oh… great…”? 

Because that is exactly what happened to me when I started to write this particular Digging Deeper.  I was so excited to dig in to the word and write… but did it HAVE to be that one pesky verse?  When Paul tells the Philippians “Do not be anxious (or worry) about anything…” I just so dearly wish that I could overlook this verse in the Bible. 

Worrying is a bit of a pastime for me.  Work, family, money, politics, traffic, health – with so many things to worry about it almost feels irresponsible sometimes NOT to be wringing my hands over everything!  And yet… the Lord tells us in His Word NOT to worry.  Even Jesus himself says ”Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life?“ in Luke 12:25.  So what do we do about this?  I think Mike gave us a great point on Sunday when he said Jesus wants to carry our burdens.

I don’t know about you, but it is awfully hard for me to just NOT do something, or just give away a responsibility.  Fortunately, I think Jesus knew about guys like me from the day He gave us breath.  Jesus says in Matthew,  “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” 

He doesn’t just leave us idle!  He has a plan for us!  Instead of worrying and being belabored by the world’s woes, He tells us to give those burdens to him.  And in exchange, he has a light and easy burden to lay on our shoulders instead!  I don’t think the light and easy means inconsequential; rather, something that is blessed and ordained by the Lord as something we can carry!

Today as you get going, take a few minutes and pray through giving Jesus your burdens, and asking Him for HIS burdens instead!  If you’re anything like me, it will change your day!

Josh Neal and his family have been members of NorthStar Church since 2016.  He is married to his lovely wife, Mallory, and has three children: Ember, Clover, and Jack.  He loves being a part of the prayer ministry at NorthStar, and enjoys everything from Georgia Tech Football, to hunting, to writing.

38 Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. 39 And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to his teaching. 40 But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.” 41 But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, 42 but one thing is necessary.5 Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.”

Luke 10:38-42 (ESV)

TRUST CARRIES US THROUGH SUFFERING

As we learned about Martha and Mary this week, we have seen repeatedly how differently they treated the situation of Jesus’ visiting their home. While Mary sat and soaked up his words, Martha complained that she should be helping her prepare for the guests, to which Jesus replies, “Martha, Martha, you are worried about many things (Luke 10:41).”

Worrying about the wrong stuff instead of listening to the Lord, now that sounds too close to my life. It is normal to worry, to feel anxious, but when does worry become sinful?

According to Dr. John Piper, all the time. Answering a question about it on his podcast, he said “Worry or anxiety is a sin. God wants us to trust his sovereign, all-wise, all-good, all-providing, all-protecting, ever-assisting care. This is a trust issue.”

Trust is hard when it means we must forfeit control. We all want to feel “in control” in our lives as much as possible. Yet the older we get, the more we are forced to face the fact that we control much less than we would like to admit.

God tells us repeatedly to trust Him in the face of trouble (Proverbs 3:5, Joshua 1:9, Jeremiah 17:7-8, John 14:1, etc.). Sometimes He tells us that by putting us in impossible situations, stripping us bare of any notion of control and forcing us to our knees in desperate hope and prayer.

My wife, Deanna, and I faced such a situation with our first child.

When we were 36 weeks into an up-to-that-point “normal” pregnancy, Deanna received a phone call and we had to go in for terrifying news – our daughter, Roselyn, had a Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia (CDH) and faced grim odds at life following her birth.

We were crestfallen. Our first child, the first grandkid of the family, might not survive. For the next four weeks we met with specialists, sought opinions from doctors all over the country and even debated trying to make a trip out of state to have her delivered at a hospital that might be better suited for such a high-risk birth and a surgery thereafter.

I scoured the pages of scripture daily, searching for whatever hope and truth I might be able to cling to in the words of God. And one night, weighing all of these tenuous options, a verse reached out and spoke to me from Hebrews: “So do not throw away this confident trust in the Lord. Remember the great reward it brings you!  Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God’s will. Then you will receive all that he has promised. (Hebrews 10:35-36 NLT).”

I was reminded, clearly, that I wasn’t in control. We have no choice but to trust in those moments because we are trying to seek his will, not our own. Patiently enduring until the end so that we can receive his ultimate promise – eternity in his presence.

We tearfully prayed at Roselyn’s bedside for every day of her life, and after 22 days she passed into eternity. We found a song, through a friend, called Though You Slay Me by Shane and Shane, and the song resonated deeply with us and was played at her service. Finding its roots in Job 13:15, the chorus goes like this:

Though You slay me
Yet I will praise You
Though You take from me
I will bless Your name
Though You ruin me
Still I will worship
Sing a song to the One who’s all I need

We listened to the song over and over, and in the online version there is a break and a snippet from a sermon by Piper is played where he talks about suffering. Preaching from 2 Corinthians 4:17, he insists that every second of anxiety, pain and suffering that we feel this side of Heaven is “working in eternal weight” to produce Glory for the Kingdom God. It all matters and it all counts.

It’s not easy to walk with the pain we all carry, like that of child-loss for us. We have to come to the cross for any chance at finding meaningful and lasting peace amidst this fallen and sinful world. For in this world we find trouble, but Jesus has overcome this world. (John 16:33).

Lee Wilson and his wife, Deanna, have been NorthStar Church members since 2010. They are parents to Everett, Henry and Roselyn. Lee is passionate about sports (Go Braves, Go Dawgs) and has the pleasure to serve on the worship team as a bassist.

38 Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. 39 And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to his teaching. 40 But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.” 41 But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, 42 but one thing is necessary.5 Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.”

Luke 10:38-42 (ESV)

REMEMBER GOD CARES FOR YOU

Being a dad is the best thing I get to do each day. Our two boys are full of energy and life and bring much to joy us. Their personalities are so different, as happens often with siblings, and as a parent the differences breed an even greater depth of adoration.

One thing they both do frequently, though, is ask for help. My older son likes playing Mario Kart, and when he gets stuck on a hard level he quickly calls for dad to help! My younger son loves Legos, but he hasn’t quite mastered the construction process, so what does he do? “Dad, help!” I am not as good at Mario as I used to be (I still haven’t lost to him, don’t worry), and I am no Lego “master-builder.” So when I help my kids, the results often produce painstaking errors before resolution.

These inconsequential problems my kids face serve as a good model for how we behave. When we get faced with tough situations as Christians, we look skyward and say “God, help!” And that is a good thing! God wants us to bring our troubles to Him. Peter says “Cast your anxieties on him, because he cares for you (1 Peter 5:7).”

The fact that God cares about us is quite humbling. That feeling alone provides spiritual sustenance when I remember it. The problem is that when I am facing anxious and troublesome moments, it is difficult to remember!

When we examine the story of Martha and Mary (Luke 10:38-42) this week, we see Martha asking for help, much the way my kids do. As she feverishly works, she demands Jesus to send Mary in to help her (with an audacity I can only hope to attain). As Jesus tenderly rebukes her, we are reminded that Mary’s eagerness to find the words of Jesus are a great example for us.

When we face moments of trouble, we want the quick fix, just like Martha. However, in many instances the Lord chooses to teach us through patience or suffering. In these moments, we must remember the many promises of the Lord and trust that He’s got us, even if it’s not in the timeline we would like.

The Psalmist reminds us to “Cast your burden on the Lord, and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved (Psalm 55:22).”

There might be pain, there might be anxiety, there might be misshapen Lego projects, but the Lord promises to sustain us if we will turn to Him. For “God is ever true to his promises (1 Cor 1:9),” so if He promises to sustain us, then He will.

Just trust him.

Lee Wilson and his wife, Deanna, have been NorthStar Church members since 2010. They are parents to Everett, Henry and Roselyn. Lee is passionate about sports (Go Braves, Go Dawgs) and has the pleasure to serve on the worship team as a bassist.

38 Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. 39 And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to his teaching. 40 But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.” 41 But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, 42 but one thing is necessary.5 Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.”

Luke 10:38-42 (ESV)

IS COMPARISON ROBBING YOU?

As someone who enjoys presidential history, I relish the chance to read biographies and anecdotes about our leaders of the past. Probably my favorite President is Theodore Roosevelt. Raised in a Christian home, Teddy was devout in his faith his whole life.

Teddy understood the importance of biblical study, saying “I ask that the Bible be studied for the sake of the breadth it must give to every man who studies it.” He is easily one of the most quotable Presidents our nation has had, producing countless refrains in our common lexicon today.

Here is one often attributed to him that you may not know: “Comparison is the thief of joy.”

As we studied in Luke this past week, we found the disparity between sisters Martha and Mary as Jesus taught in their home. Their reactions produce a clear picture of two distinctly different kinds of behavior. Mary sat and soaked in Jesus’ words, while Martha hurriedly tried to prepare food and clean for the guests. In Martha’s annoyance, she got so busy comparing herself to Mary, suggesting that it was “unfair” (Luke 10:40) that she was doing all the work while Mary sat and listened.

Our lives place us in constant situations of comparison. Especially in America, a country where resources abound, we can easily get wrapped up in trying to keep up with the Joneses, until (as Mike Linch likes to say) you realize your neighbor is Chipper.

This is exactly what Teddy was hinting at – when we compare ourselves to others, just as Martha did, we allow that disparity to steal our joy. We can muster up feelings of inferiority or superiority quite quickly, and lose site of the blessings we have right in front of us.

Sometimes the comparisons run far deeper, as we see others blessed in ways that we are not, manifesting in good health, or perhaps financially. This discontentment is indeed a thief of joy and can seep into our spirits and fester into bitterness. This is ripe ground for the enemy to plant his seeds of doubt and despair within us. The antidote, for us, is the belief in our savior Jesus Christ.

We must always remember that our joy is not linked to things like finances or health, but in the hope of eternity in the presence of God.

In Lamentations, Jeremiah speaks greatly of the afflictions facing Jerusalem after its fall at the hands of the Babylonians. Chapter 3 quite literally opens with “I am the man who has seen affliction…” (Lamentations 3:1, ESV).

Yet Jeremiah comes back to the Lord and his goodness: “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul,
    “therefore I will hope in him. (Lamentations 3:24, ESV).”

We face the temptation to compare ourselves and our situations to others, and we can get lost in despair when lying in those pits. It is a natural part of the human condition.

In those moments we must remember, as Jeremiah did, that the Lord is our portion and cling tightly to the joy found in Christ. For the contentment we find in him transcends the doubts and troubles we face in this world. The author of Hebrews reminds us to be content with what we have because “he will never leave us or forsake us. (Hebrews 13:5, ESV).”

Don’t get caught up comparing yourself to others, for it is a fruitless endeavor. Instead, focus on the joy and contentment you find in the love of Jesus. Only in him can you find true joy.

Lee Wilson and his wife, Deanna, have been NorthStar Church members since 2010. They are parents to Everett, Henry and Roselyn. Lee is passionate about sports (Go Braves, Go Dawgs) and has the pleasure to serve on the worship team as a bassist.

38 Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. 39 And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to his teaching. 40 But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.” 41 But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, 42 but one thing is necessary.5 Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.”

Luke 10:38-42 (ESV)

THE DOWNFALLS OF DISTRACTION

Marveling at the wonders of modern technology is easy to do these days. The technology we each hold in our hands, perhaps as you’re reading this, is itself remarkable. The advances in our present age offer limitless entertainment and communication and have given way to new ways of working and completing our daily tasks.

With all of these new gadgets and gizmos comes a bit of trepidation. With each new app, phone, computer, self-driving car, etc., we can become distracted. Routines get altered for convenience and at times we can lose meaningful moments due to our incredible distractions. These distractions often take us away from what matters most, and the warp-speed nature of our modern schedules breeds anxious feelings.

We need to press pause and be intentional about our relationship with Jesus. Paul tells us in Romans, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” (Romans 12:2, ESV).

We have to fight the urge to clutter our schedules and limit our distractions, despite what the world tells us we need. We don’t need to get a new phone, or a new car, or those new Jordans (even though I really want them); we need to renew our minds by spending time with Jesus. Our anxious clutter can be resolved by this intentional erosion of our “busy-ness.”

In the 90’s action movie The Rock, John Mason (played by Sean Connery) is talking about his special forces experience and notes “I was trained by the best, British Intelligence…but in retrospect I would have rather been a poet, or a farmer.”

This simple life he references is something that tugs at our hearts. We weren’t meant to be so distracted and busy. We fill our calendars with meaningful intent, feverishly working in appointments, practices, homework, meals, parties and meetings all in one day, all the while trying not to dirty our superhero capes.

This is how Martha felt when she jumped at the opportunity, along with her sister Mary, to have Jesus and some followers in their home. As Jesus spoke, Martha was hard at work preparing to serve the guests, getting annoyed with her sister for not helping as she sat at the feet of Jesus and listened. Then, when Jesus rebukes her (Luke 10:41) he noted she was “anxious about many things.”

She worried too much! Instead of being distracted and anxious (like Martha), we need to take a deep breath and return to the throne of our King (like Mary). Whatever we have in front of us – worrying us, distracting us, nagging at us – we need to set it aside and sit in the presence of Jesus.

In Colossians 3:2 Paul says to “Set your minds on things above, not things on Earth.” The apostle is pleading with us to have the right perspective on our daily schedules.

Is your heart set on what is above? Are you making a schedule that prioritizes the Lord?

Trust in him and make time for him – DAILY.

Lee Wilson and his wife, Deanna, have been NorthStar Church members since 2010. They are parents to Everett, Henry and Roselyn. Lee is passionate about sports (Go Braves, Go Dawgs) and has the pleasure to serve on the worship team as a bassist.

38 Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. 39 And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to his teaching. 40 But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.” 41 But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, 42 but one thing is necessary.5 Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.”

Luke 10:38-42 (ESV)

THE ANTIDOTE TO ANXIETY

Anxiety. That word alone carries connotations and emotional responses for all of us when we see it. It has permeated our society at alarming rates, affecting all ages and leaving many to ponder its causes and potential treatments for it. According to one study by the National Institute of Mental Health, roughly 31 percent of U.S. Adults experience clinical anxiety in their lifetime. We are all familiar with it, and many of us have experienced it.

We learn that Martha experienced it, too. When Jesus had joined Martha and Mary in their house, we see some angst from Martha. She felt like her share of the serving workload was imbalanced and unfair as Mary sat and listened to Jesus speak. But in Jesus’ response to her request for assistance, He didn’t simply say that Mary was doing the right thing by listening to his words; He first noted that Martha was “anxious and troubled about many things (ESV).”

Anxiety can have that affect on each of us. We lose patience, feel upset or depressed and can even lash out in irrational ways. So, what should we do when we recognize these symptoms in our hearts? From the lips of our Savior himself we are told to do as Mary did: sit and listen to His words.

RC Sproul, when preaching on this passage, said that “while Martha was grousing, and complaining, and feeling annoyed at her sister, Mary was basking in the presence of Christ.”

Sproul also noted that when the Lord rebukes Martha for begrudging her sister, that he did so “in the most tender fashion,” as one dear friend would do to another. When he addresses her “Martha, Martha” that name repetition is a clear sign of Jesus’ affection towards her. He recognizes that what is happening in her heart isn’t about Mary at all, but rather a manifestation of her inner turmoil.

In correcting her, the Lord simply says that Mary has chosen “the good portion.” When you are faced with anxiety, will you choose the good portion? Will you bask in the presence of Christ? That is the only way to truly find peace.

In the gospel of John (14:27), Jesus promises each of us peace: “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.”

So instead of worrying, instead of begrudging, instead of being overwhelmed, fight with all of your might to bask in the presence of the Lord and his words. He cares about you, and he promises us peace if we will trust in him.

Lee Wilson and his wife, Deanna, have been NorthStar Church members since 2010. They are parents to Everett, Henry and Roselyn. Lee is passionate about sports (Go Braves, Go Dawgs) and has the pleasure to serve on the worship team as a bassist.