No Apologies Metal Addition
14 years ago
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Acts of the Flesh
The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.
Galatians 5:19-21
These are all problems that people struggle with. As long as we keep giving into any of these whether it be one or all we are going to make a gap between our relationship with God. Not saying that if we do "good" things that we are "better" in God's eyes. But if we aren't striving to rid ourselves of these acts of flesh then we clearly are nowhere near to comprehending what Jesus did for us on the cross. These are problems and if we aren't constantly battling against them then we are giving in to sin and not useful in God's kingdom.
Galatians 5:19-21
These are all problems that people struggle with. As long as we keep giving into any of these whether it be one or all we are going to make a gap between our relationship with God. Not saying that if we do "good" things that we are "better" in God's eyes. But if we aren't striving to rid ourselves of these acts of flesh then we clearly are nowhere near to comprehending what Jesus did for us on the cross. These are problems and if we aren't constantly battling against them then we are giving in to sin and not useful in God's kingdom.
Monday, May 9, 2011
Mom
As cliche as it may be to write a blog for my mom on Mother's Day... well it is cliche so I waited a day after to write this. I have been contemplating whether or not to put my mom's encouraging note to me up. Often it is my struggle with personal pride that keeps me from writing most things on my blog, and re-writing a personal encouraging note about me makes me uneasy. But ultimately this is about my mom so I am going to try and keep it that way.
Shortly after my graduation from high school my youth group held a banquet for all the Seniors. This is the beginning of my mom's encouraging note to me....
" 'Sweet'.... the adjective I frequently used to describe you when you were young. Your demeanor hasn't changed, but I get that 'sweet' isn't exactly the word a soon-to-be-freshman in college wants to have ascribed to him! As I was reflecting upon what I wanted to say to you tonight, Jonathan, I felt an overwhelming thankfulness for the years we have had the privilege of sharing with you so far."
As her note went on she highlighted good qualities she saw in me and things God has blessed me with. I remember reading this note whenever I got discouraged last year as I had a little bit of a rough time my first semester adjusting to freshman year. Mom I know it makes you sad when I say I struggled or had a hard time and didn't talk to you about it when it was happening, because you always want to be there to comfort me. The honest truth is that your words are so comforting and this note has meant so much to me over the last two years. I want to share what I wrote on the back of this encouraging note last winter...
"Thanks Mom,
I have never been able to show love to you like you have to me. When people talk about their moms [and the arguments and fights they get in with them] I feel like you are perfect. Many times you have taken my harsh comebacks or rude statements and never have you tried to retaliate. I wish I was humble enough [and grounded in the Lord enough] to do that. You and Dad have always been there for me, although I didn't always take advantage of that simply knowing that you were there for me helped support me. Especially when I was too chicken to be vulnerable with you guys. (I start to go on sort of a tangent here, remember it is my immature freshman self) The reason there are so many problems in the world has a lot to do with parents. It is apparent to me that a lot of people who lash out at the world are the ones who have/ had poor adult figures in their lives. You have blessed me in so many ways with how great of parents you and dad are.... I love you!"
There are so many amazing qualities about my mom, that's why before I cared about being cool I was the biggest mommas boy ever! If you are up around 6:30-7:30am (depending on the day) in the Goff household you can be confident that Mary Goff is spending time with God on the leather recliner in the living room, my mom is so faithful. She spends her day teaching children who learn differently than most kids and has such a passion for them. My parents just recently stepped down from Young Life Committee as they no longer have kids in high school. They wanted to let someone who was more involved in the area step up. We used to have campaigners (Young Life Bible study) and other events at my house constantly. My mom has sacrificed so much sleep from letting my friends stay over longer, have bonfires, night adventures and Goff basement deep-talk/ epic story time. Not to mention that she still does as our basement is very poorly sound-proofed and she can hear whenever I have friends back from college to catch-up. My mom being a light sleeper could have easily sent my friends home early but barely ever did she even bring up that I was loud unless I asked the next day. When I think about how Paul tells us to be selfless every time the first person I think about is my mom... "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others" (Philippians 2:3-4). She is the best example I have ever seen of someone valuing others above herself and being concerned about the interest and well being of my family over herself.
Mom I want to thank you for encouraging me throughout my baseball career as I always felt like I had you and Dad's 100% support especially when it got difficult. Same with the trips and time you have let me go on at the cost of spending time with you, in order to spend it with buds that I felt called to reach out to or grow deeper with. Your love has been only second to God's in how it has shaped how I know to interact and treat others. Your love has made me want to bless my friends and WyldLife kids anyway I can. I wouldn't ask for you and dad to have been any other way. In fact I like when things are clean and when Steven isn't playing video games. This hasn't even scratched the surface on what you have been to me but thank you.
Here is the last paragraph of your note to me.....
"I am grateful to have had the opportunity to be your mom, Jonathan. My job isn't finished, but my role is changing. I am going to greatly miss all the action you bring to our house, but I'm excited for you, as you look to the future. I am confident that, as you make yourself available, God is going to continue to grow you into a remarkable man.
Mom
SHYG Senior Banquet
6/8/09"
I am incredibly blessed to call you my mom, I promise I will bring some action this summer! Hopefully someday I can be a remarkable man but I will always be a child of God.
Love you,
Jonathan
Shortly after my graduation from high school my youth group held a banquet for all the Seniors. This is the beginning of my mom's encouraging note to me....
" 'Sweet'.... the adjective I frequently used to describe you when you were young. Your demeanor hasn't changed, but I get that 'sweet' isn't exactly the word a soon-to-be-freshman in college wants to have ascribed to him! As I was reflecting upon what I wanted to say to you tonight, Jonathan, I felt an overwhelming thankfulness for the years we have had the privilege of sharing with you so far."
As her note went on she highlighted good qualities she saw in me and things God has blessed me with. I remember reading this note whenever I got discouraged last year as I had a little bit of a rough time my first semester adjusting to freshman year. Mom I know it makes you sad when I say I struggled or had a hard time and didn't talk to you about it when it was happening, because you always want to be there to comfort me. The honest truth is that your words are so comforting and this note has meant so much to me over the last two years. I want to share what I wrote on the back of this encouraging note last winter...
"Thanks Mom,
I have never been able to show love to you like you have to me. When people talk about their moms [and the arguments and fights they get in with them] I feel like you are perfect. Many times you have taken my harsh comebacks or rude statements and never have you tried to retaliate. I wish I was humble enough [and grounded in the Lord enough] to do that. You and Dad have always been there for me, although I didn't always take advantage of that simply knowing that you were there for me helped support me. Especially when I was too chicken to be vulnerable with you guys. (I start to go on sort of a tangent here, remember it is my immature freshman self) The reason there are so many problems in the world has a lot to do with parents. It is apparent to me that a lot of people who lash out at the world are the ones who have/ had poor adult figures in their lives. You have blessed me in so many ways with how great of parents you and dad are.... I love you!"
There are so many amazing qualities about my mom, that's why before I cared about being cool I was the biggest mommas boy ever! If you are up around 6:30-7:30am (depending on the day) in the Goff household you can be confident that Mary Goff is spending time with God on the leather recliner in the living room, my mom is so faithful. She spends her day teaching children who learn differently than most kids and has such a passion for them. My parents just recently stepped down from Young Life Committee as they no longer have kids in high school. They wanted to let someone who was more involved in the area step up. We used to have campaigners (Young Life Bible study) and other events at my house constantly. My mom has sacrificed so much sleep from letting my friends stay over longer, have bonfires, night adventures and Goff basement deep-talk/ epic story time. Not to mention that she still does as our basement is very poorly sound-proofed and she can hear whenever I have friends back from college to catch-up. My mom being a light sleeper could have easily sent my friends home early but barely ever did she even bring up that I was loud unless I asked the next day. When I think about how Paul tells us to be selfless every time the first person I think about is my mom... "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others" (Philippians 2:3-4). She is the best example I have ever seen of someone valuing others above herself and being concerned about the interest and well being of my family over herself.
Mom I want to thank you for encouraging me throughout my baseball career as I always felt like I had you and Dad's 100% support especially when it got difficult. Same with the trips and time you have let me go on at the cost of spending time with you, in order to spend it with buds that I felt called to reach out to or grow deeper with. Your love has been only second to God's in how it has shaped how I know to interact and treat others. Your love has made me want to bless my friends and WyldLife kids anyway I can. I wouldn't ask for you and dad to have been any other way. In fact I like when things are clean and when Steven isn't playing video games. This hasn't even scratched the surface on what you have been to me but thank you.
Here is the last paragraph of your note to me.....
"I am grateful to have had the opportunity to be your mom, Jonathan. My job isn't finished, but my role is changing. I am going to greatly miss all the action you bring to our house, but I'm excited for you, as you look to the future. I am confident that, as you make yourself available, God is going to continue to grow you into a remarkable man.
Mom
SHYG Senior Banquet
6/8/09"
I am incredibly blessed to call you my mom, I promise I will bring some action this summer! Hopefully someday I can be a remarkable man but I will always be a child of God.
Love you,
Jonathan
Monday, March 28, 2011
Monday, February 7, 2011
Thin Places
Lately I have been thinking about "thin places" or times where God has been really real or present in a certain time in my life. When I think of thin places I think mission trips, Young Life camp experiences or even late night conversations with great people. Any kind of place where there was community, encouragement and wisdom being brought out. I think it is important that we don't look to the past as a way to try and shape our future but that we make sure we are looking to God. I try to keep up on this devotional called "My Utmost For His Highest" and this is a quote I pulled from it.
"Our tendency is to lie back and bask in the memory of the wonderful experience we had when God revealed His will to us. But if a New Testament standard is revealed to us by the light of God, and we don’t try to measure up, or even feel inclined to do so, then we begin to backslide. It means your conscience does not respond to the truth. You can never be the same after the unveiling of a truth. That moment marks you as one who either continues on with even more devotion as a disciple of Jesus Christ, or as one who turns to go back as a deserter." -Oswald Chambers
I think way too often we are caught up with what happened in the past. Sure I know I need to hold on to experiences I had in the past for times when I am doubting or unsure of certain things. But I cannot continue to relive these experiences and reminisce in a way that I cannot be present where I currently am. Even worse is when I can't follow God because I was so reliant on that place that was so "thin" to be where I think God actually lives. That place where it was easy to go to you or it was easy to notice you everyday. God is not confined to Detriot Lakes Minnesota or places that look pretty or places with good memories. God lives and thrives throughout places that we think He has no place being and places that we would be ashamed to be if we realized He was there with us. We can't be stuck in one place and wanting to be back at that place so that we can follow Him better.
This is like when Moses lead the Israelites to Mount Sinai. It was a crazy experience where God actually descended to the top of Mount Sinai and talked with Moses. "11Be ready by the third day, because on that day the LORD will come down on Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people....18 Mount Sinai was covered with smoke, because the LORD descended on it in fire. The smoke billowed up from it like smoke from a furnace, and the whole mountain trembled violently"(Exodus 19:11,18) It was a crazy awesome time for Moses and all the Israelites where God was very real to everyone and it seemed like a very "thin place." But although it seemed like a sweet place to stay God had a plan for all of them. Mount Sinai was a starting point for all these people, God took them there as almost a discipleship training school not as a final destination
"Every once in a while our Lord gives us a glimpse of what we would be like if it were not for Him. This is a confirmation of what He said— “. . . without Me you can do nothing” (John 15:5). That is why the underlying foundation of Christianity is personal, passionate devotion to the Lord Jesus. We mistake the joy of our first introduction into God’s kingdom as His purpose for getting us there. Yet God’s purpose in getting us into His kingdom is that we may realize all that identification with Jesus Christ means." -Oswald Chambers
When we get stuck in what God has done through us in the past we sometimes can feel useless or like we are failures if we look at what is going on in our lives now. But we can't be stuck on Mount Sinai, sure that's where we actually saw God or maybe your Mount Sinai is where you felt Him so closely it was like you were having conversations with him constantly. Those are all great memories and wonderful things to hold on to but not to compare with our life now in a way that makes us want to go back to when that was. As Pastor Peter Haas from Substance Church says, "It is time for us to leave Mount Sinai." God's purpose is not for us to have that joy of our first introduction to Him and to thrive on that, his purpose is for us to thrive through Him. To be the person who stays faithful even when life gets depressing or to bounce back to Him when we mess up. God lets us realize how lame we are sometimes when we get prideful or just don't really think we need Him quite as much as we do. It is scary how messed up we can all be when we are without God. I guess this is what I am meaning to say and I personally need to remember this more, we shouldn't get caught up in the dramatic feeling of that one crazy place or time and be stuck there because that feeling isn't God's purpose for bringing us to that mountain. God never intended the Israelites to stay at the mountain just like God doesn't intend us to stay in that one magical place(not yet at least) where everything is amazing and it is surreal because it is such a "thin place." So branch out and accept these new challenges and obstacles even though they are more difficult and have seemingly less magic than that "thin place" you were at. Because ultimately it is not about the magical goosebump raising, warm feelings... it is about God and our devotion to Him.
“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. 3 You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 4 Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me." John 15:1-4
"Our tendency is to lie back and bask in the memory of the wonderful experience we had when God revealed His will to us. But if a New Testament standard is revealed to us by the light of God, and we don’t try to measure up, or even feel inclined to do so, then we begin to backslide. It means your conscience does not respond to the truth. You can never be the same after the unveiling of a truth. That moment marks you as one who either continues on with even more devotion as a disciple of Jesus Christ, or as one who turns to go back as a deserter." -Oswald Chambers
I think way too often we are caught up with what happened in the past. Sure I know I need to hold on to experiences I had in the past for times when I am doubting or unsure of certain things. But I cannot continue to relive these experiences and reminisce in a way that I cannot be present where I currently am. Even worse is when I can't follow God because I was so reliant on that place that was so "thin" to be where I think God actually lives. That place where it was easy to go to you or it was easy to notice you everyday. God is not confined to Detriot Lakes Minnesota or places that look pretty or places with good memories. God lives and thrives throughout places that we think He has no place being and places that we would be ashamed to be if we realized He was there with us. We can't be stuck in one place and wanting to be back at that place so that we can follow Him better.
This is like when Moses lead the Israelites to Mount Sinai. It was a crazy experience where God actually descended to the top of Mount Sinai and talked with Moses. "11Be ready by the third day, because on that day the LORD will come down on Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people....18 Mount Sinai was covered with smoke, because the LORD descended on it in fire. The smoke billowed up from it like smoke from a furnace, and the whole mountain trembled violently"(Exodus 19:11,18) It was a crazy awesome time for Moses and all the Israelites where God was very real to everyone and it seemed like a very "thin place." But although it seemed like a sweet place to stay God had a plan for all of them. Mount Sinai was a starting point for all these people, God took them there as almost a discipleship training school not as a final destination
"Every once in a while our Lord gives us a glimpse of what we would be like if it were not for Him. This is a confirmation of what He said— “. . . without Me you can do nothing” (John 15:5). That is why the underlying foundation of Christianity is personal, passionate devotion to the Lord Jesus. We mistake the joy of our first introduction into God’s kingdom as His purpose for getting us there. Yet God’s purpose in getting us into His kingdom is that we may realize all that identification with Jesus Christ means." -Oswald Chambers
When we get stuck in what God has done through us in the past we sometimes can feel useless or like we are failures if we look at what is going on in our lives now. But we can't be stuck on Mount Sinai, sure that's where we actually saw God or maybe your Mount Sinai is where you felt Him so closely it was like you were having conversations with him constantly. Those are all great memories and wonderful things to hold on to but not to compare with our life now in a way that makes us want to go back to when that was. As Pastor Peter Haas from Substance Church says, "It is time for us to leave Mount Sinai." God's purpose is not for us to have that joy of our first introduction to Him and to thrive on that, his purpose is for us to thrive through Him. To be the person who stays faithful even when life gets depressing or to bounce back to Him when we mess up. God lets us realize how lame we are sometimes when we get prideful or just don't really think we need Him quite as much as we do. It is scary how messed up we can all be when we are without God. I guess this is what I am meaning to say and I personally need to remember this more, we shouldn't get caught up in the dramatic feeling of that one crazy place or time and be stuck there because that feeling isn't God's purpose for bringing us to that mountain. God never intended the Israelites to stay at the mountain just like God doesn't intend us to stay in that one magical place(not yet at least) where everything is amazing and it is surreal because it is such a "thin place." So branch out and accept these new challenges and obstacles even though they are more difficult and have seemingly less magic than that "thin place" you were at. Because ultimately it is not about the magical goosebump raising, warm feelings... it is about God and our devotion to Him.
“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. 3 You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 4 Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me." John 15:1-4
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Knowledge
We know that “We all possess knowledge.” But knowledge puffs up while love builds up.
1 Corinthians 8:1
1 Corinthians 8:1
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