tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-201005112024-02-19T06:31:55.169-06:00devinhudson.comthe random thoughts of Devin Hudson - a Jesus follower in constant need of radical graceUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger24125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20100511.post-57632642033072156762022-08-30T14:57:00.003-05:002022-08-30T15:08:15.321-05:00When a House Becomes a Home<p>A little over 9 years ago Ashley and I bought a house. We were just starting to come out of one of the toughest seasons of our lives and God graciously opened several doors for us to purchase a beautiful house that has served as a safe place for us for almost a decade. Our house became a home - a home we love. We love it because of what God has done inside these walls both in our lives as a couple and the lives of those we love the most in this world. </p><p>In our home, God has rescued wounded love, healed broken hearts, restored hurting souls, and repaired damaged relationships. In our home, we have laughed, cried, laughed until we cried, celebrated, hurt, prayed, argued, rested, wept, remembered, dreamed, danced, played, sang at the top of our lungs, and made more memories than we can ever recall. <br /></p><p>Over the course of these 9+ years, we welcomed into our family our precious gift of grace Levi and we said goodbye to each of his three older siblings as they spread their wings to fly. </p><p>We have painted walls, grown vegetables, planted flowers, ate good food, pulled weeds, played hide-and-seek, mowed grass, shot basketball in the driveway, played board & card games, wrestled in the yard, celebrated Christmas, birthdays, and graduations, brought home a puppy who is now 9 years old, hosted family and friends, walked the neighborhood, read the Bible, watched hummingbirds, played in the snow, did homework, jumped on the trampoline, played video games, skipped rocks in the creek, studied for tests, caught fireflies at night, watched movies, roasted marshmallows, rode bikes, laid in the hammock, and chased each other around and through the house. </p><p>In short, we lived life - a life reshaped and transformed by undeserved grace. </p><p>When we walk out of our home for the final time, Ashley and I will cry. We will cry tears of happiness and sadness. We are excited about what our next season holds. We are excited about a new home where we will make fresh memories and share new experiences. But a part of us is also sad to leave behind our beautiful house that God transformed into a place of grace and healing. </p><p>Life happens in the rhythm of moments and seasons: ups and downs, hills and valleys, good times and bad. And through each moment and season of life, God is writing His redemptive story. And one day when our story is in its final chapter, we will earmark these 9 years as another season God created beauty out of ashes.</p><p></p><p>Goodbye 100 CR 470. You will be missed. </p><p></p><p></p><p><img alt="" height="240" src="https://photos.zillowstatic.com/fp/8fdae7b67d19cabaa2ba40d2eb43ffe8-uncropped_scaled_within_1344_1008.jpg" width="320" /> <br /></p><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20100511.post-41099463032203960932020-07-03T09:38:00.001-05:002020-07-03T09:39:32.036-05:00Be Still & Know that He is Godpan-dem-ic: occurring over a wide geographic area and
affecting an exceptionally high proportion of the population.<span style="color: black;"></span><p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The word itself generates fear, uncertainty, and insecurity.
Pandemic … the word feels global. Uncontrollable. Uncontainable. Chaotic. And
always present. Turn on the news – there it is. Scroll social media – there it
is. Engage in conversation with a friend or family member – there it is. Run by
Chick-fil-a to grab some heavenly goodness – There. It. Is. Always lurking. We
can’t get away from it. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">And it is in these seasons we are tempted … we are tempted
to take our gaze from the Creator and to focus on the brokenness of the
creation. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Psalm 46 offers a different perspective.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i>God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in
trouble.</i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i> </i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i>Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way,
though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar
and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling.</i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i>There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
the holy habitation of the Most High.</i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i>God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved; God
will help her when morning dawns.</i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i>The nations rage, the kingdoms totter; he utters his
voice, the earth melts.</i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i> </i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i>The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our
fortress.</i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i> </i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i>Come, behold the works of the LORD, how he has brought
desolations on the earth.</i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i>He makes wars cease to the end of the earth; he breaks
the bow and shatters the spear; he burns the chariots with fire.</i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i> </i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i>“Be still and know that I am God. I will be exalted among
the nations. I will be exalted in the earth!” The LORD of hosts is with us; the
God of Jacob is our fortress. (ESV)</i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i> </i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Psalm 46 speaks of a God who is sovereign and in control …
who is constant even in the chaos. And we are invited by the Psalmist to come
& behold (gaze deeply upon) this unchanging God. We are invited amid the
confusion and commotion and disorder to pause and to be still and to know that
He is God. And that He will be exalted. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">In addition, this sovereign Creator God is <i>with</i> us. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He is our refuge. He is our strength. He is
our fortress. He is our <i>present</i> help in trouble.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">God is near. He is not removed or confused. He is sovereign.
He is never caught off guard. He is never unsure what to do or how to react. He
is the God who is in complete control even if the earth crumbles and the
mountains are tossed into the seas. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">And we are His people. He chose us to be His children. We
are loved and protected by Him. We are secure in Him. We are safe in His
eternal care. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The brokenness is vying for your attention. The chaos wants
to distract you. Uncertainty is calling your name. Fear is pursuing you. The
brokenness screams loudly. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">And in the middle of the storm Jesus echoes Psalm 46:
“Peace! Be still.” As the storm rages, He invites us into stillness – to fix
our eyes on the Creator who is sovereign over the pandemics of the creation and
who is near. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i>Be still and know that He is God. Selah</i>. </p>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20100511.post-87266865429823124372020-02-05T11:04:00.001-06:002020-02-05T11:35:41.128-06:00Hearing God "Speak" <div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
Several years ago I sat in a “vision” service of a local
church and heard the pastor declare to his listeners that while he was hanging
out in the woods recently God “spoke” clearly to him and revealed to him a 2020
vision for the church – in other words what their church would look like by the
year 2020. The pastor was clear that his vision was “without a doubt a clear
word from God.” Of course, this “God-given” vision included larger attendance
and giving numbers, more campuses in surrounding cities and bigger influence
locally and globally. I even remember vividly the pastor suggesting God informed him they would reach a certain numerical attendance goal based on
some type of misguided “tithing” principle where God would give them 10% of the
number of people who lived in the specific cities where they planned to launch
campuses. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I was somewhat shocked by the confidence with which the speaker made
his declarations based on the premise “God spoke” these promises to him. I
asked my wife when we got in the car, “What happens when 2020 arrives and these
things have not happened?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here we are.
2020. And the vision God “clearly” provided that day in the woods? Unfulfilled - almost every component - unfulfilled. What happened? Did God change his mind? Or maybe the listener who was
so confident and clear on what God was saying missed it or misheard God or
heard some other voice? And if he did <u>not</u> hear the voice of God that day, how
can his listeners be confident of the other hundreds indeed thousands of times
this type of “God told me” language is employed to put forward the next “God-given”
vision or mandate to the church? </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
On a side note: Scripture is clear true God-called prophets
and spokespeople do not “miss” it or “get it wrong.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If they do speak fallaciously in the name of
God, they are labeled “false” prophets and we are instructed to avoid them. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I am not a complete cessationist (the belief supernatural
gifts <u>ceased</u> after the Apostolic Age of the Early Church) for two
primary reasons: 1) I do not find it taught clearly in Scripture and 2) I
refuse to put boundaries I don’t find in Scripture on how a sovereign God does
or does not reveal Himself in His creation. With that being said, I believe we must
be guarded when speaking on behalf of the Almighty in areas where He has not
already clearly spoken in His inspired Word. Some have labeled this position <u>cautious continuationism</u> (the spiritual gifts continue but must be exercised with caution and in submission to Scripture). </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
God is not a genie to be manipulated nor a
pawn to be used with our natural tendency to shine the spotlight on
ourselves even when evoking the name of God.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We must proceed with caution when we make use
of language that claims the authority of a God who is unable to misspeak or
mislead. We need to be hesitant to use the phrase “God told me” and more inclined to
base our assertions on what God has <u>already</u> said clearly in His
word.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Words of knowledge and prophetic utterances
should always be weighed in light of what God has already said and affirmed by
other leaders in the church who spend consistent time in God’s word. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I believe God speaks. I believe God the Spirit lives inside
of us and points us to the truth. I believe God illuminates our minds and
hearts as we ingest His inspired Word. I believe God works through experiences
and situations and relationships and history and gospel proclamation and other
Jesus followers and everyday life to point us to Jesus and to remind us of who
He is and who we are in Him and of our absolute dependence upon Him. I believe God is active in our world so we need to pay attention. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It seems clear in the New Testament that as the dust settled
after Pentecost and the Early Church was birthed that God’s methods of revealing
Himself once again evolved (see Heb 1:1-2). It is also evident that the
writers of the later New Testament books & epistles recognized this shift.
Paul encourages his protégé Timothy to focus on preaching the Word (which he argues
is competent for equipping). The apostle emphasizes again and again to the
fledgling faith communities in specific cities to stay centered on the message
of the cross – to protect, preserve, proclaim, and pass on the Gospel. His
instructions on how to live out the Christian faith are grounded strictly on
the finished work of Jesus. And by the time we reach the final words of what
became the New Testament canon, we are warned of the danger of adding to or
taking away from God’s already spoken Word. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
For these reasons alone we must proceed with caution when
speaking on behalf of God especially if what we are claiming is “from God” is
not <u>already</u> found in Scripture. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Do I hear God “speak” to me? Absolutely. Let me provide some examples. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When I behold His creation, I hear God speak of His glory
and the work of His hands.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When I fall more deeply in love with my wife, I hear God
speak of His church as a bridegroom that He will present holy and blameless.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When I hear my children laugh, I hear God speak of the
unconditional love our Heavenly Father has for His sons and daughters.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When I watch the birds of the air, I hear God speak of how
much more His provision is for me. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When I participate in genuine fellowship with other Jesus
followers, I hear God speak of how the unity of His people stands as a testimony of His goodness. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When I read of His sovereignty, I hear God speak of how we
are chosen from before the foundation of the world and how He is reconciling
the world to Himself. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When I enjoy a meal with family or friends, I hear God speak
of how He provides our essential needs day in and day out. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When I hear stories of radical grace, I hear God speak of a
grace that is bigger than our sins.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When I experience and exercise forgiveness, I hear God speak of how we
are able to forgive because we have been forgiven so much. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When I watch someone come to faith in Christ, I hear God
speak of His invitation to come and believe. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When I struggle, I hear God speak of coming before His
throne to find grace to help in my time of need. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When I doubt, I hear God speak of His faithfulness. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When I stray, I hear God speak of His mercies that are new
every morning. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When I sleep, I hear God speak how He is near even when we
lay our heads down at night. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When I weep, I hear God speak of how Jesus wept and grieved.
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When I hurt, I hear God speak of His compassion and
kindness. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When I suffer, I hear God speak of how it is through the road
of suffering that Jesus was glorified and we are refined and matured. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Do I hear God speak? Every day in almost every way … as I pause to behold the bigness of our God, as I am drawn
into communion with Him through the work of the Holy Spirit, and as I am engaging the
living and active word of God that pierces and refines my soul. He is speaking. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Be encouraged Jesus follower who feels inadequate because you do not “hear from God"
like those standing on the stage. Be encouraged – He is speaking – we just need
to stop, lean in and listen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Stop waiting for
visions in the woods and open your Bible (God's breath on a page). Ask the Holy Spirit to awaken
your spiritual eyes and ears. Pay attention to what is around you. And soon
you will learn God is speaking in more ways than we can comprehend. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
One final story: during a season of extreme brokenness and
restoration in my life, I was wrestling one morning with the labels people were
pinning on me based on my own failures and sins (liar, manipulator, sinner …
you get the picture). My heart was heavy and I was reading Romans 8 when God <i>spoke</i>
to me from this verse: “There is therefore now NO condemnation for those who
are in Christ Jesus.” The Holy Spirit brought a freshness in those words I had
never experienced. It was as if God were saying to me: “Devin, why are you so
consumed with the labels everyone has for you when I have labeled you NOT condemned? You are <i>in</i> Christ Jesus. Now live like it.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I wept. God spoke to me in that moment
through His living and active word to remind me His labels for me are the only ones that matter and He has
declared me <u>Not Condemned</u>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That moment
was a milestone in my path of restoration. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Did I hear God speak? Absolutely. His truth became clear and
made real to me through the Holy Spirit. So be cautious when speaking on behalf of
God – what you say has lifelong and eternal implications. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Let those who have ears hear.<br />
<br />
<br />
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</div>
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</style>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20100511.post-79519207867240076962020-01-07T11:48:00.000-06:002020-01-07T12:06:40.938-06:00A New Decade of ValleysFor a few years now I have basically <i>put down my pen</i>. Outside of writing weekly messages for City Church and a few other thoughts here or there, I have not had a lot to say publicly. Honestly I still don't. God has been teaching me to listen and absorb more than I speak. And in the process, I think God is helping me find my voice again. I am not sure. But I <u>think</u>. <br />
<br />
I have been through <i>a lot</i> of life in the last decade. The 2010s included both my lowest moments of life and also many of my most favorite memories. God has generated life from death, beauty from ashes, redemption from brokenness.<br />
<br />
And that is kind of how life works: the good, the bad, and the ugly tend to manifest themselves for seasons of time ... each season gradually teaching, shaping, and transforming us.<br />
<br />
Most of my lowest moments in life have been self-induced. That is not always the case. Some valleys are the direct consequence of the brokenness of the world we traverse. No explanation provided. Other times we are dragged involuntarily through valleys created by other fallen rebels whose choices now mark our story. <br />
<br />
What life guarantees is at some point you will walk through the valley of the shadow of death. Self-induced. Broken-world initiated. Fallen creatures caused. Valleys. And we walk these valleys for different seasons of time: days, weeks, years, or even decades. No expiration dates offered. <br />
<br />
And yet it is in these valleys the Good Shepherd is doing His most sustaining work. At times pursuing. At times leading. And always with us. <br />
<br />
As I reflect on the last decade what stands out to me is the constant and steady work of the Father. He never left. He never forsook. He never stopped loving and pursuing and restoring and guiding and simply putting things back together. He never stopped being who He is - a good & gracious King.<br />
<br />
I do not know what the 2020s have in store. I do know they will include valleys - seasons God will use for His glory and for our good. I have no idea if I will have much to "say" in 2020 and beyond but I do know He continues to write a redemptive story that is worth sharing. Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20100511.post-17894525796501040962017-11-22T09:10:00.000-06:002020-02-05T11:18:49.456-06:00Dear Zac: A Father's Thoughts on His Son Turning 16When the doctor announced that we were having a son, I shouted for joy (literally). Don't get me wrong: I love my 2 daughters. They are my girls and they hold the keys to my heart in ways they do not even realize. And I was convinced a third daughter was my parental destiny. So when I learned I was the father of a <b>son</b>, my spontaneous reaction was sheer delight. This week, my son Zachary Devin Hudson turns 16. Here are a few my thoughts to Zac. <br />
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<b>You are my son and I am proud to be your dad. </b><br />
<br />
I love you Zac more than life. I am proud to be <i>your</i> father. The elation I felt on the day the doctor revealed I was having a son has exponentially grown and deepened. When I tell people that you are my son, I do so with pride, pleasure and excitement. The ways that you are a great son to me are more than I can list. <br />
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For example, almost every Sunday on our ride home from church when it is normally just you and me in the car, you encourage me. You tell me how awesome the message was that day - how much you loved it. You speak words of affirmation and life to me. During the toughest seasons of my life, you were there for me. You have never stopped believing in me. You are not ashamed to tell people (including your friends) that I am your dad. You do not even avoid me when your friends are around! You live your life in a way that provides me confidence you seek to make right decisions. You have exceeded my expectations of what I thought it would be like to have a son. <br />
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<b>You are a great brother. </b><br />
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You have always loved and taken care of your sisters. You make them laugh like no one else. You honor and respect them. You protect them. You love them. You want to spend time with them. You have been an incredible brother to your sisters. And they love you deeply.<br />
<br />
And then this year everything changed. Levi entered the world. And suddenly for the first time in 14+ years, you were not my <i>only</i> son. Understandably, you were unsure, hesitant, and troubled. You questioned whether our relationship would be the same. We had some tough conversations. You shared your heart with me. I shared mine with you. We waded through some turbulent waters. I prayed for you and with you. You questioned what your relationship with Levi would look like. Even in the hours before his birth, you were uncertain about what it would look like to have a little brother. <br />
<br />
And then ... you held him and allowed your heart to love him - to love him deeply. And now you are his hero. It is your name he screams up and down the halls of our home. It is your room where he wants to go. It is your face that changes his expression. It is your every move he watches and wants to emulate.<br />
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I have always believed your sisters were fortunate to have a brother like you who loves them and wants to spend time with them. And now you have a little brother who is experiencing just how much his "Z-A-A-A" loves him. I am so grateful Kayleigh, Ragan, and Levi get to call you brother.<br />
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<b>You are a valued friend.</b><br />
<br />
One of the things I love about you is the type of friend you are to your friends. Your personality is almost identical to mine in that you are not always the most sociable person in the room. And yet you have a diverse friend group. You do not draw boundaries that are confined to people in your same social circle. You are a positive influence. You initiate and seek resolution in times of conflict. You are a loyal friend and a leader by example. Your friends enjoy having you as a friend.<br />
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And you also are a great friend to me. I love spending time with you. You even claim I am your "best" friend and you enjoy spending time with me! We road trip together. We hang out. We shoot hoops. We play video games. We watch sports. You are not just my son - you are my buddy. <br />
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<b>You have a heart to serve other people.</b><br />
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You have always displayed a sincere care for other people. You serve faithfully. You ask questions that reveal your heart for others. You are genuine. We talk regularly about grace in our family and you seek to live out grace as a way of life. <br />
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<b>You work hard to achieve specific goals.</b><br />
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I have watched you develop tremendously in this area of your life. In recent years, you determined to become a better basketball player. You trained. You worked hard. You practiced. And you are achieving that goal. You have taught yourself how to play instruments and how to create music. You resolved to become a better student and you did. You wanted to improve your speaking and presentation skills and you excelled. Dad challenges you at times and you step up. This determination and drive toward improvement will help you navigate life. <br />
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<b>You are hilarious.</b><br />
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You make people laugh. You make our family laugh. You make me laugh. Your sense of humor is identical to mine in so many ways. Not everyone gets to appreciate your humor the way we do but we love it. <br />
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<b>You are competitive.</b><br />
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We love 2 primary sports teams in our home: the UNC Tarheels basketball team & the Dallas Cowboys. Some of our best (and most frustrating) moments in life are watching our teams play. Not everyone else understands the competitive "spirit" with which you pull for our teams ... but I get it. And even when we have to have those "it is just a game" talks, I love your competitive nature. I love it when it surfaces while watching sports or playing basketball, video games, ping pong, or a board game! Competition makes us stronger and I am glad you love to compete. <br />
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<b>You are growing into a young man who loves Jesus, your family, and others.</b><br />
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Over the last couple of years, I have watched your heart for Jesus, family, and others grow. My deepest desire for you is that you grow into a man who loves and prioritizes Jesus, his family, and other people. I have been given the opportunity to be your dad, friend, and pastor. I love serving in each of those roles and watching you develop in your journey. You are learning how essential the gospel of grace is to our story and to yours. And I love walking with you on this journey. <br />
<b> </b><br />
I can't wait to see where life takes you Zachary Devin Hudson. I am grateful that God granted me the privilege of being your Dad. I am thankful that you are the son who will carry on my name and legacy. Happy 16th! <br />
<br />
I love you.<br />
<br />
<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20100511.post-10316777536850907922017-05-01T15:53:00.000-05:002017-05-01T15:53:03.940-05:00Resurrection: DeconstructedWe spent the last 3 Sundays at <a href="http://citychurchdecatur.com/" target="_blank">City Church</a> deconstructing the historical, eternal, and everyday life implications of the resurrection of Jesus. This gospel-centered series was a great reminder of the centrality of the resurrection to our beliefs, hope, future, and daily living.<br />
<br />
To watch the messages, go <a href="http://citychurchdecatur.com/watch/" target="_blank">here</a>. <br />
To subscribe to or listen to the podcast, go <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/city-church-decatur/id1042516479?mt=2" target="_blank">here</a>. <br />
<br />
Here are a few of the truths that stood out to me.<br />
<br />
<u>Historical</u><br />
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- There is no form of historic Christianity that does not affirm at its heart that after the brutal death of Jesus Christ that the Father raised him to life again. The resurrection is woven into the structure of Christian belief, life, and thought - informing everything about our faith.<br />
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- The survival of the movement known as Christianity makes no sense outside of the resurrection of Jesus. Christianity did not survive because of the teachings, miracles, pithy sayings, or even the death of Jesus. It survived and thrived because people encountered a man alive who they watched die.<br />
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- Everything in our belief system stands or falls with the resurrection of Jesus. <br />
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- The bulk of my faith journey / spiritual growth stems from review - reminding myself over and over of the gospel - of what Jesus did & of who I am in Christ.<br />
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- The resurrection of Jesus Christ changed the course of human history. More specifically, it changed the course of my history. His story becomes my story.<br />
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<u>Eternal </u><br />
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- The resurrection of Jesus <b>guarantees</b> our eternal salvation.<br />
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- Our new birth is guaranteed through the resurrection (1 Peter 1.3). The regenerating work of the Holy Spirit awakens spiritually dead hearts enabling us to respond to and live in the gospel. This regenerating work is made possible through the resurrection power of God.<br />
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- The resurrection guarantees our right standing before God (Rom 4:24-25). Justification is the declaration of the Father that we are not guilty but righteous before Him. We are declared righteous before God through the resurrection of Jesus.<br />
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- For the follower of Jesus ... when God sees you - He sees Jesus. God does not see my unrighteousness but His righteousness, not my guilt but His innocence, not my disobedience but His obedience, not my sin but His sacrifice, not my shame but His victory. <br />
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- What Jesus did is enough for you. Stop trying to be good enough, work hard enough, do enough. His resurrection guarantees your right standing before God.<br />
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- We cannot be unjustified any more than Jesus can be uncrucified & unresurrected.<br />
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- The resurrection guarantees our final resurrection ... if Christ is raised, we will be raised (1 Cor 6.14, 15.20, 2 Cor 4.14). <br />
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- Brokenness does not win. Sin, shame, guilt, sickness, disease, disability, temptation, grief, death, hate, crime, racism, hurt, evil do not win. Jesus wins. And because Jesus wins, we win.<br />
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<u>Everyday Living</u> <br />
<u> </u><br />
- Due to the pull of real life, we have a tendency to drift and lose sight of the significance of the resurrection between the resurrections (his and ours).<br />
<br />
- The resurrection is not an afterthought tacked on to a cool story about Jesus dying for sins. The resurrection is the most important announcement of all: death is defeated. And that truth alters all of life.<br />
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- Life outside of Jesus is marked exclusively by death. The resurrection redefines life for the follower of Jesus. Our lives are now marked by His life. <br />
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- The resurrection changes my perspective on sin (Rom 6.5-14). Sin is a defeated foe. Sin has no power over me. The resurrection life provides victory over sin ... not by trying harder but by resting in what Jesus has accomplished on my behalf.<br />
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- When temptation comes, do I focus more on trying harder to overcome it or on what Jesus has already done? <br />
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- Life stings. Death stings. But the resurrection swallows up the temporary stings of the here-and-now shifting our focus to the eternal and not the temporal. <br />
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- The resurrection is the source of our faith and faithfulness - it is what enables us to live for Jesus. My faithfulness comes through His faithfulness to me.<br />
<br />
- Do I focus more on my faithfulness / faithlessness or do I focus more on HIS faithfulness? <br />
<br />
- Because of the resurrection, my history, eternity, and everyday are defined by Jesus. Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20100511.post-38716919600761550822017-03-06T12:25:00.000-06:002017-03-06T12:25:18.112-06:00Faith, Miracles, & JesusThis past Sunday I taught at <a href="http://citychurchdecatur.com/" target="_blank">City Church</a> from <b>John 4:43-54</b> about a desperate father who comes to Jesus on behalf of his dying son with the sole purpose of bringing Jesus back to his house for a miraculous healing. What he received from Jesus instead tested the essence and validity of his fledgling faith.<br />
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This story is found between one of the most recognized encounters of Jesus - the Samaritan woman (we spent 3 weeks walking through it) & one of his most dramatic miracles (curing a man who was an invalid for 38 years). For that reason, we have a tendency to view it as more of a filler moment in the life of Jesus but this week I was reminded of the depth of what took place in this narrative. Here were some of the things we dug into yesterday.<br />
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- Jesus responds to desperation with compassion. He meets us right where we are - in our life context. <br />
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- Jesus asks us to trust Him with what is closest to our souls - what we value the most. Can Jesus be trusted with my kids, my marriage, my finances, my job, my very life or the life of someone I love?<br />
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- This official was used to giving commands - of being in control. Jesus asks him to relinquish control and trust Him with something that was beyond his control.<br />
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- The official planned to bring Jesus home with him. Instead Jesus healed his son from a distance and instructed the father to walk home simply believing the word Jesus had spoken. Can Jesus be trusted when I have His word but I do not sense His presence? Can Jesus be trusted even when He does not provide me what I so desperately want or need? <br />
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- Sign-based faith (belief that rests on supernatural or miraculous events) is rarely authentic and lasting. Miracles have a limited scope and usefulness. Jesus is the only sure foundation upon which genuine faith endures.<br />
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- One of the root struggles in our fallen capacity and human frailty is receiving and accepting things that do NOT benefit or profit me as from God. <br />
*Think deeply on this truth. It stands in contrast to our #blessed Christian cliche subculture. <br />
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- Human ability, without divine intervention, to seek after, identity with, and worship God is broken. It was true when Jesus walked the earth and it is true today.<br />
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- Can Jesus be trusted when I don't get my way? Is He faithful when He does not appear faithful? Is He loving when He does not feel loving? Is He reliable when He does not seem trustworthy? Can Jesus be trusted in the good AND bad / joy AND sorrow / easy AND difficult / life AND death?<br />
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This message struck a chord with so many people in our church for so many different reasons. It resonated deeply with me as well. I am still processing what it means to trust Jesus with what I hold the closest to my heart. <br />
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It is also a great reminder why we preach the Bible at City Church. God works through the consistent preaching of His truth to generate belief and create life change.<br />
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"These [signs] are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name." (John 20:31) #TheBeliefProject Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20100511.post-26114919456509814612017-02-02T11:10:00.002-06:002017-02-02T11:10:37.707-06:00I Am Not ImportantThis Sunday I am preaching from <b>John 3:22-36</b>. Following on the heels of one of the most popular texts in the Bible, this story often gets neglected but serves as one of the clearest ministry models in the New Testament. Let me put it in context for you.<br />
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John the Baptizer hits the preaching circuit in full force. He is provocative, confrontational, inflammatory, and offensive. His message stands in stark contrast to the religious world of his day and the commoners love him. They flock to hear him. He is baptizing people by the droves. Reporters are itching to get an interview with this crazy desert dweller turned evangelist. He rocks the establishment.<br />
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He even has disciples ... students ... loyal followers who have been transformed by his message of repentance. John has a devoted team and his ministry is busting at the seams. Outreach Magazine is calling ... "let's get you on that fastest-growing list Johnny."<br />
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And then Jesus shows up. Another ministry moves into town ... one that attracts more attendees, baptizes more people, draws more attention. Suddenly The Baptizer's numbers posts on social media are not quite as impressive as the ministry down river. And John's disciples take notice. <br />
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Resentment ensues. Jealousy surfaces. And Simultaneous Ministry Success Syndrome takes over. "Have you heard John? That Teacher who we thought was on our team ... the One you raved about ... His numbers are outpacing ours! Everyone is going to Him! Call an emergency staff meeting! What are we going to do? Our attendance is dropping!"<br />
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John's response should be framed and posted in every church building and office. It should be the mantra of every group of Jesus followers on the planet ... and yet.<br />
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The Baptizer's reaction? Ministry success is not found where you think it is ... in numbers - baptisms, attendance, money, programs, recognition. Ministry success is determined by one standard: <b>are we making much of Jesus? </b><br />
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Here is how John articulates it: <i>Jesus must increase but I must decrease</i>.<br />
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No seven words in the New Testament challenge me more. Jesus is important. I am not. The success of a ministry is gauged by how important Jesus is and how unimportant the leaders are. <br />
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To be honest, I am not sure how well this truth fits in the modern evangelical landscape. We tend to measure success with the yardstick of John's disciples. We tend to highlight the biggest and fastest-growing. We tend to transform pastors into rock stars. And we pastors tend to like it.<br />
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What would John the Baptizer think about the modern evangelical terrain? What would he think of our social media driven achievements & our large buildings & our cool appearance & our rock concert style experiences & our measuring rod criterion of success & the pathetic cliches we employ to justify our self-promotion?<br />
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I find it interesting that the final words of the forerunner in the Gospel of John remind us that we are not that important but Jesus is. His last spoken words remind us Jesus is Superior. Greater. Better. Grander. It is all about making Jesus famous. He must increase and we must decrease.<br />
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Jesus can't increase if I am increasing. I can't make Jesus more important if I am consumed with my own importance. Jesus can't be in the spotlight if I am standing there.<br />
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Confession: I have spent a lot of my life both inside and outside of ministry striving to be important. It is exhausting. And if we are being frank, there is no finish line. There's always more people, bigger goals, more money, bigger opportunities, more campuses, more recognition, more followers, more, more, more, bigger, bigger, bigger. Stop the madness!<br />
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He must increase and I must decrease. Period. Anything less (notice I chose the word <i>less</i> and not <i>more</i>). Anything less is misguided. Foolish. And yes - idolatrous.<br />
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Go read John 3:22-36 and let it soak in. And then pray that it becomes our heartbeat - for life, for ministry, for everything. More about Jesus - Less about me. Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20100511.post-27164974029329488762016-12-12T15:16:00.000-06:002016-12-12T15:16:25.397-06:00Thoughts on GraceYesterday at City Church we completed a 13-week series on God's grace entitled <i>Charis</i> (the Greek word for grace). It is a series I have been putting together and processing for a few years now. Perhaps no set of sermons has ever been more personal to me. Here are a few of my takeaways.<br />
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- Grace is more than tolerance or leniency. It is even more than the unmerited favor of God. Those definitions dilute the fierce and aggressive nature of grace ... which not only welcomes rebels but relentlessly pursues them. <br />
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- If grace does not offend your human sense of justice or fairness at some point, you probably do not grasp a) the magnitude of your own sin and/or b) the scandalous nature of His grace.<br />
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- Grace is more than a doctrine. Grace is found most clearly embedded in stories. The Bible from cover to cover is filled with the narrative of broken people who stand in need of radical grace and the God who pursues them. Do not try and restrict it to a theological concept that you can parse. <br />
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- The redemptive stories of the Bible are R-rated. We attenuate the scandalous nature of grace when we try and omit or clean them up and make them only appropriate for our children's Bible storybooks. <br />
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- You can't make God love you. Stop trying. Grace declares that God loves me no matter what I do or do not do. Do we really think keeping up with a Bible reading plan or remembering to pray before I go to sleep somehow earns the favor of a God who pursues His enemies?<br />
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- God redeems rebels because of who He is not because of who we are. <br />
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- Obedience flows out of grace. Salvation and Christian living both originate from grace. God doesn't save us and then hand us the keys to take over. The gospel of grace is needed for salvation and sanctification. <br />
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- The bloodline of Jesus Himself is filled with the stories of people we would want to rewrite or edit out of our history. The Bible writers go out of their way to include these stories so that we might remember that Jesus came to save the type of people found in his own history - broken, messed up sinners ... like us.<br />
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- When we begin to understand our vast need for grace, we begin to live a life defined by grace. Grace becomes a way of life only when we understand how desperately we need it and how much of it we have been provided and offered in Jesus.<br />
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- Grace redeems us both from our filthy unrighteousness and our feeble attempts at self-righteousness. Grace is bigger than your deepest, darkest sin and your failed attempts at behavior modification. <br />
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- Grace should make us uncomfortable. Live with the tension. Don't try and add to it or subtract from it in order to make it more palatable.<br />
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These are just a few of my lingering thoughts from the series. The longer I am on this journey the more God is teaching me about my desperate need for His grace.<br />
<br />
All of the Charis messages can be <a href="http://citychurchdecatur.com/watch/" target="_blank">watched on our website</a> or <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/city-church-decatur/id1042516479?mt=2" target="_blank">listened to from our podcast</a>. Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20100511.post-54778131820441509742016-09-26T09:31:00.000-05:002016-09-26T09:31:13.227-05:00Dear Levi from your DaddyToday is the due date for Levi Lockey Hudson. Unfortunately he is not on our schedule. We are on his. So he has not officially arrived yet. I've been thinking about his arrival and had a few thoughts I wanted to share with him.<br />
<br />
Dear Levi: <br />
<br />
<b>You are a product of grace </b> <br />
<br />
One day when you get older you will hear a story of grace and redemption that led to this moment in time when you became a part of our family. You are a gift from a gracious God who heals, restores, and redeems. God has given us the privilege of being your parents for one simple reason: He is a good Father.<br />
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<b>Your mommy is the best </b><br />
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Your mommy is my best friend. She is a blessing to those who know her. She is loved by a lot of people. She is sweet, kind, pleasant to be around, encouraging, positive, beautiful, smart, and a ferocious lover of God, your daddy, and our family. You are privileged to have her as a mommy. I will seek to love her in a way that demonstrates for you just how special she is. <br />
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<b>You have awesome siblings</b><br />
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You are blessed with 2 sisters and a brother who love each other deeply, who love Jesus, who have incredible hearts, who will demonstrate for you what it means to love, laugh, and enjoy life. They are much older than you which is a blessing because they have years of experience, ups & downs, and life to share with you. Listen to them. Value them. They have walked life's path before you and want what is best for you.<br />
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<b>Your home has been redeemed</b><br />
<br />
Some people will call the home in which you have been born a "broken" home. You will not understand what that means for some time. Your siblings have a different mommy than you. They have "step" parents. They do not spend every night in our house but they are a part of our family. You will have some questions as you seek to understand this dynamic. But here is the good news: your home is not <i>broken</i>. It is <i>redeemed.</i> God takes our messes and redeems them for His glory and purposes. Your home is a constant reminder that we serve a God who redeems broken people.<br />
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<b>Your daddy needs Jesus</b><br />
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God has chosen me to be your daddy. That makes my heart happy. I promise you that by God's grace I will seek to be the daddy you need. But also know that I am broken and in constant need of that grace. There will be times I make wrong decisions. I sin. I disappoint people. I react. I don't always represent clearly the Jesus we follow. I will need you to forgive me at times. Your daddy needs Jesus and that is good news!<br />
<br />
<b>You are loved by a perfect Father</b><br />
<br />
While your daddy will let you down on occasion, you have a Heavenly Father who will never let you down. He loves you more deeply than you will ever know or understand. There will be times that you do not understand His plan. There will be times you walk away from His love for you. There will be times you question His very existence. But even in those moments, He will never leave you nor forsake you. He will pursue you. His grace is relentless. He is quick to forgive and heal and restore. He can be trusted. Rest in Him.<br />
<br />
<b>You have a deep heritage of grace</b><br />
<br />
Your story is one of grace. Your <a href="http://www.devinhudson.com/2016/06/whats-in-name.html" target="_blank">very name</a> represents this heritage of grace. Jesus has transformed the Hudson family with His grace. I pray that God's grace will capture your heart from your earliest days. I pray that you rest in who you are in Jesus and what He has done for you. You can't be good enough to earn His grace. You can't be bad enough to be disqualified from His grace. He can never love you any more or less than He does right now. I pray that the gospel of grace becomes your life mantra. Our desire is to model it, teach it, live it, and constantly point you to it. <br />
<br />
Welcome to the world Levi Lockey Hudson. You are our gift of grace.<br />
<br />
NOW COME ALREADY!!!!<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20100511.post-56579122240733831452016-07-11T15:59:00.000-05:002016-07-11T15:59:02.261-05:00A Transparent, Tough, and Needed Discussion at City ChurchYesterday at City Church we took a Sunday to break away from our "regularly scheduled programming" for a Sunday of intentional prayer, reflection, and discussion regarding what has been happening in our culture. We discussed racism, violence, the role of the church, and many other tough topics. <br />
<br />
A few of the things that I took away from our discussion:<br />
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- God is in absolute sovereign control. Not one thing that has happened recently caught God by surprise. His sovereign rules extends to every square inch of our planet and He can be trusted.<br />
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- We must be intentional to listen way more than we speak. Social media is a platform that gives me the opportunity to state an opinion before I take time to listen. Don't fall into the trap. It is easy to make noise with a keyboard. <br />
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- Life matters to God - all life. Protestors. Victims. Cops. Criminals. Bystanders. All life is valuable. Every person is created in God's image. Treat people like they are valuable ... particularly those with whom I disagree and are different than me.<br />
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- We know and believe that all lives matter YET it is not necessary for me to dismiss the hurt of a particular group who wants to emphasize the value of their lives. Black Lives Matter - yes, yes they do. All Lives Matter - yes, yes they do. There is no reason to create an unnecessary divide between the two. Allow people the space to voice their hurt without dismissing it. <br />
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- There are people in every movement who speak and behave inappropriately and sinfully. Don't be one of those people and don't judge the entire movement by the voice of the loudest.<br />
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- I am a mid-40s white American male who lives in a specific region and in a particular socio-economic class. That is my life perspective. I should not pretend to understand the life perspective of someone who is not in my life situation. I am not a black, urban, twenty-something year old male who lives in a different life context than me. I should not pretend I know how he feels or how he should react. I need to listen and seek to understand the heart and hurt of others. <br />
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- Get to know people who are different than you and seek to understand their life perspective. Look for common ground. <br />
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- Don't be a "yeah, but" person ("yeah, but he was a criminal") ... true compassion does not seek to qualify - it listens and seeks to understand why someone is hurting. Jesus followers should lead the way in terms of compassion and mercy. <br />
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- Repentance begins with me. <br />
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- God has placed human means in place to help thwart evil and promote good. These institutions are composed of flawed sinners. I should pray for them - all of them. I should pray as fervently for the President and government officials with whom I disagree as the police officer who sits in my church. I do not get to pick and choose based on my beliefs which government officials deserve my respect and prayers. Paul instructs us to pray for and intercede for ALL of them. <br />
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- We seek to be full of grace and truth. Sacrificing one for the other misses the point of the gospel and model of Jesus.<br />
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- I have been reconciled to God and others through Jesus. As a Jesus follower, I am an agent of reconciliation. I should promote peace and unity not division and hate.<br />
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- Our world is broken. I am broken. Jesus is the ultimate answer. Point people to Him.<br />
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- As a Jesus follower, my beliefs will often run counter-cultural. That is okay. The Church thrives in times of uncertainty, trial, and persecution. Just don't be a jerk with those beliefs because that is counter-Jesus.<br />
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I left yesterday's time together with a ton of thoughts in my head and heart. I think we were able to talk about some tough issues in a raw and authentic way that left us all challenged. Thankfully we have some diversity in our church so we were able to hear from different people with different perspectives. It was refreshing and I am thankful that my children were exposed to the gospel at work.<br />
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Thank you City Church. Hopefully this step was a small one in a positive direction. We have a long way to go but I think our community of Jesus followers grew stronger yesterday. <br />
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** We did not record the service intentionally. I wanted people to be able to share freely in a family style gathering. I believe it accomplished its purpose. Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20100511.post-78707500187941309092016-06-13T14:26:00.000-05:002016-06-13T14:26:06.543-05:00What's in a Name?!?As you have probably heard, Ashley and I are expecting a <b>baby boy</b> at the end of September. We are beyond excited. We have discussed a multitude of names and have finally decided on a name for our son. We wanted to pick a name that we love and also has meaning. We believe we have found one that meets both criteria. So we are happy to announce the name of the next Hudson boy will be... <br />
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<b>LEVI LOCKEY HUDSON </b><br />
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<i>LEVI </i><br />
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Levi is the name of Jacob & Leah's 3rd son in the Old Testament. I identify closely with the story of Jacob as he wrestled constantly with the struggle between his own human identity and the man God created and called him to be. His ultimate identity was not found in his own cunning ways to gain notoriety but in the God who saves and redeems sinners. He is one of my favorite OT characters. Also Jacob and his wife Leah met under unusual circumstances generated by wrong choices that God used to create a lasting bond in spite of the choices that landed them there ... a story that resonates deeply with Ashley and I. <br />
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Levi was also the priestly tribe of the 12 tribes of Israel. Our Levi comes from a heritage of people set aside for God's service so it is fitting.<br />
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In the New Testament, Levi is the name of the tax collector Jesus called as one of his 12 disciples. He also went by the name Matthew. And if you know the story of Matthew, you know it is one of scandalous grace. Tax collectors were some of the most despised and dishonest people in the Roman Empire. And yet Jesus stops specifically at the booth of Levi the tax collector and invites him to become one of his followers. The grace of Jesus crossed boundaries that no religious person in his day would even approach. He pursued sinners like Levi. <br />
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When Matthew followed Jesus, one of the first things he did was to invite Jesus to a party for his friends and acquaintances - who were all labeled "sinners" (Luke 5:27-32). The religious were infuriated Jesus would attend such an event and hang out with such shady people. They even labeled Jesus a "friend of sinners" - a title He embraced and affirmed. Levi stands as an amazing testimony of God's radical grace and how he crosses boundaries we tend to frown upon to extend his message of forgiveness and love. Ashley and I have experienced this grace in a real and lasting way and we want the name of our son to reflect that reality. <br />
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The name Levi means <i>to be joined in harmony</i>. Ashley and I have been joined to Jesus and each other by grace and Levi is a product of our story of redemption and healing. We want his name to echo the pursuing, radical grace of Jesus.<br />
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<i>LOCKEY</i><br />
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Yes - you read that correctly. His middle name will be Lockey. My grandfather (Pappaw Hud) was named Lockey Lynue Hudson. While Lockey is an unusual name, we want Levi to be named after my Pappaw (and his great-grandfather). Pap Hud was a man whose life was forever changed by the gospel of Jesus. For his first 40 years, his life was marked by vile living, alcohol abuse, fighting, and depravity. And then he encountered the grace of Jesus and his life was forever changed. The second half of Pappaw's life was marked by gentleness, delight, humor, grace, and a love for Jesus and his family. I never knew the "old" Pappaw. I only knew the Pap Hud defined by grace. He was not perfect. His faith was raw. And that's one of the things I most loved about him. There was no facade. He never forgot where he came from and who He was in Jesus. <br />
<i> </i><br />
Prior to the conversion of my dad and then grandfather (who God saved after one of Dad's first sermons), there is no real history of faith in our family. In other words, I am just one generation removed from a family tree marked by scandalous living. My Pappaw serves as a reminder of how redeeming grace transforms not just individual lives but generations to come. <br />
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Pap Hud has been gone for several years now. I still miss him. He and I were close. I spent two of my high school summers living and working with him. I will never forget those times. It was in those day-to-day moments where I saw his faith lived out in a real way. He was not a pastor, preacher, teacher, or deacon. He was just a man who loved people, who people loved, and whose life was marked by grace. It is with great honor we name our son after him.<br />
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We love you Levi Lockey Hudson. And we hope your life is marked by the same grace that has transformed our lives. <br />
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What's in a name? A story marked by grace.<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20100511.post-22494836339248988272016-03-28T16:47:00.001-05:002016-03-28T16:47:59.201-05:00Guess who is pregnant?!? God never ceases to amaze us with His amazing grace. Grace by its very definition is undeserved and unearned. As you know, our story is one of brokenness and redemption, hurt and healing, unfaithfulness and forgiveness. It is a story that testifies of God's relentless grace. And our grace story continues to be written.<br />
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Ashley and I are thrilled to announce our family is growing! God is giving us another undeserved gift of incredible grace.<br />
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<b>WE ARE EXPECTING A BABY!!!!!</b><br />
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That's right: Ashley is pregnant. God has granted us the privilege of becoming parents. He continues to make beauty out of ashes.<br />
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We have often questioned whether we "deserved" to have a baby. The Enemy has a way of constantly reminding you of your consequences and how "undeserving" you are of God's blessings. And yet we know that God redeems brokenness for His glory and goodness. He brings life out of death. And in His sovereign grace He has created life in spite of our failures. <br />
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For 14+ years, I have been privileged to be the daddy of three amazing children. I love them more than my own life and never anticipated having the opportunity to walk this path again with Ashley. But God had a different plan and so we take this next step in our grace story with both excitement and trepidation - knowing that the same God who creates life provides more grace than necessary to take each step of this journey.<br />
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It is our heart's desire that the life of our child will point people to Jesus and Jesus alone. <br />
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Approximate due date: September 25th <br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20100511.post-17280983965914253492016-01-07T11:10:00.001-06:002016-01-11T10:46:12.064-06:00Grace Point Church turns 10Do you ever wish life came with an edit button? Do you wish you could go back and rewrite or omit a chapter of your story? I think all of us have moments or seasons we wish we could amend.<br />
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<b>Ten years ago</b> this week a new church launched in Las Vegas. 135 people gathered in a middle school cafeteria north of Las Vegas and <a href="http://gracepointvegas.com/" target="_blank">Grace Point Church</a> was born. I had the privilege to serve as the Founding & Lead Pastor of Grace Point for its first five years. In reality, I had already invested over 3 years of my life into that moment so the official "launch" was simply the climax of the previous chapter of my life.<br />
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Parachuting into a community like Vegas and planting a church is a daunting task. Very few church plants survive in Vegas. And truthfully only a church planter knows the weight and burden of starting a church from scratch. The amount of money that must be raised (a million dollars for us), convincing a core group to move to Las Vegas with you with no guarantees of success, finding staff and key volunteers to lead, securing a location, letting the community know you are there, questioning if and why anyone would even show up, all of your doubts and insecurities exposed again and again ... and on and on and on. The church plant death rate in the first three years is telling. But we were a part of something unique. <br />
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Over the first 3 years, Grace Point grew to a self-sustaining church of over 800 people, even seeing more than a thousand show up on a few occasions. We preached the gospel and hundreds of people came to faith in Jesus and were baptized (including my 2 daughters). Lives were changed. Marriages were restored. Broken people found a place of healing and redemption. People from around the country began to take notice of Grace Point.<br />
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The name Grace Point came from my own personal quiet time in Romans 5:20 where Paul reminds us grace is bigger than sin. We wanted to be a point in Sin City where God's grace abounds. And that is the environment and message we were able to demonstrate and proclaim.<br />
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My dream became a reality ... and in the process <i>my heart drifted from God</i>.<br />
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Five years ago this week and on the fifth anniversary of Grace Point Church, I stood on the stage and preached my last message as their pastor. My own sinful choices disqualified me from leading the very church God enabled me to start in 2006. I hit bottom. I hurt people - most importantly the ones God called me to protect first and foremost. It was a devastating time in my life and I had no hope that God could restore my marriage or my ministry. I gave up. I ran. I hid. I disappeared. And Grace Point was forced to rebuild without me. <br />
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This weekend Grace Point Church turns 10 years old. I have no idea if they plan to celebrate this monumental occasion. I do know that you will likely never hear or see anything about the first 5 years of their journey. In a sense those chapters have been omitted except in the hearts and minds of the people involved. That is often the way it is when a pastor has a moral failure. But thankfully God has enabled Grace Point not only to survive but to thrive. After being portable for 10 years, they are about to move into their own facility. Exciting days are ahead of them. And occasionally I peek in to see what is happening and rejoice in what God has done <i>in spite of </i>me.<br />
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The Church belongs to Jesus. It is bigger than any one person or sin. It is His church and He will sustain it. I am regretful that it took a life-altering chapter for me to grasp fully that truth.<br />
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For a few years, I wanted to rewrite those chapters in my life. I think at times you have to hit bottom to look up. When a person is drowning in sin, the tendency is to try and tread water or try and make it to shore on your own. But that struggle only takes you deeper until something breaks. I was broken and it changed my outlook. <br />
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My perspective has shifted dramatically in recent years. I know that I cannot go back and amend those seemingly defining chapters but God can redeem those chapters for His glory and in the process heal my heart to the point those chapters do not define me. God has shifted my perspective from focusing on my personal, relational, and pastoral failures while at Grace Point to observing what He was doing behind the scenes for the season I was removed.<br />
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Here are a few glimpses of how God was working a bigger story behind the scenes when my chapter was being written.<br />
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- I sat in the kitchen of a young couple many years ago in rural Kentucky and shared the gospel with them. They prayed to embrace Christ, were baptized in our church, and began a spiritual journey that eventually landed them in Las Vegas to become a part of Grace Point. He now serves as the Lead Pastor of the church. <br />
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- One of the current elders/full-time staff members and his wife moved to Vegas after being displaced by Katrina. He was a marine biologist and took a job taking care of the aquariums at The Mirage. She assumed a hospitality director position for Caesar's Palace. They randomly saw a sign one day for Grace Point, attended, and embraced Christ. I had the privilege of baptizing them. <br />
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- Another one of the current elders attended another church in north Vegas but was dating a lady at Grace Point who came to the church through one of our community events. Her story is one of incredible grace and redemption. She also came to faith at Grace Point and I baptized her. He was also going through some healing from a previous relationship and soon became an active part of our church. A few years later I was able to officiate their marriage and watch God heal their hearts in the process.<br />
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- Back in the early 2000s, I was considering taking a pastoral position in southern Indiana. A teenage young lady with a heart for Jesus was a part of the selection process that hired me to be their pastor. When we decided to move to Las Vegas a few years later, I asked her and her husband to be a part of our launch team and move with us. They took a huge step of faith and moved to Las Vegas where they have been a part of Grace Point ever since. He is also an elder at the church. <br />
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- Other current staff members also came to Grace Point during our first few years and their lives and the lives of their families were radically transformed by God.<br />
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- Three different churches are being planted around the country by young men who served as interns at Grace Point while I was the pastor. One of them met his wife at Grace Point. She also moved to Vegas (by herself) to be a part of our launch team.<br />
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- Ironically enough after participating in a mission trip to help Grace Point, a couple from Alabama asked if they could move to Vegas and serve on our team. They spent one year at Grace Point on our staff before returning to the city in which we now live - Decatur. They eventually took over a small church that has exploded to more than 1500 people and has impacted many lives throughout North Alabama. They were also a vital part of the healing process for my first wife who now serves on their staff. <br />
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- Grace Point helped launch 2 churches in San Jose and San Francisco that are making a huge gospel impact in those areas.<br />
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- During our first few years, we worked hard to establish a partnership with the City of North Las Vegas that enabled us to touch hundreds of thousands of people in a few years time. It was an important component of who we were as a church and our presence in the community. That partnership continues today.<br />
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- We started a community service weekend in North Vegas called Servolution where we served aggressively our community for an entire weekend. That vision has continued and still shapes the church and community.<br />
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- Even my younger brother Derek who came to Vegas during a difficult season of his life and served on our staff met his future wife at Grace Point!<br />
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- I can't tell you how many emails or Facebook messages I have received and still receive from people all over the country who were impacted through what God did at Grace Point during that season.<br />
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Can you see the common thread here? God was writing a story bigger than the individuals in the story. God's story is bigger than any chapter or chapters in your life. He is in absolute control. He is writing a story larger than our failures and our success. He uses different people at different seasons in our lives to get us where He wants us. He is writing His redemptive story and broken people are a part of the narrative.<br />
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It blows my mind God was writing a redemptive story in a small house in rural Kentucky that would enable Him to continue something on the other side of the country in Sin City - something that He began in my heart but would continue through the ministry of someone else whose path divinely crossed mine years earlier. That chapter alone demonstrates how sovereign and big our God is. <br />
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The decisions I made during that season of my life hurt a lot of people. I will always live with that reality. But God has healed my heart to the place where I will not focus on my past mistakes but on the story He was writing in spite of me. My sin did not catch God off guard. He knew the chapters of my story before they were lived out. He knew how my story would play out before Las Vegas was even on my radar. And in His sovereignty He put together a redemptive plan that He would use to transform the lives of thousands of people long after my chapter ended. <br />
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Thankfully God is now writing a new story in our lives. In spite of the brokenness and sin, God has even redeemed my poor relationship decisions and is allowing me to serve and lead alongside an incredible wife. Our story truly is one of beauty from ashes. God is allowing us to compose a new chapter. He has given us the privilege after 5 years of healing and restoration to lead a group of broken Jesus followers who also have chapters they wish they could rewrite or amend. Our stories are all about Jesus - the One who takes our chapters of brokenness and sin and redeems them for His purposes.<br />
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So on this first week of January when memories of both victory and defeat tend to plague my mind, I am thankful I serve a God who is writing a story bigger than mine.<br />
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Happy 10th Birthday Grace Point Church. And thank you Jesus for allowing me to be a small part of their journey. And now on to the next chapter of our God-written story. Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20100511.post-25357883128269556852015-12-22T08:03:00.001-06:002015-12-22T08:03:40.658-06:00Dear Ragan: a Daddy's Reflection on His Second Daughter Turning 16A few years ago I wrote <a href="http://www.devinhudson.com/2013/08/dear-kayleigh-fathers-thoughts-as-his.html" target="_blank">a blog post</a> regarding my oldest daughter Kayleigh turning 16. This week my second daughter Ragan crosses that threshold as well. I am in denial and shock. My sweet princess is 16! How does this happen?!? Time is a cruel taskmaster and a wonderful gift at the same time.<br />
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On this special day, I want to remind you Ragan of a few reasons why your Daddy loves you "to the moon and back" ... <br />
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<b>1) You have a caring heart.</b><br />
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I love Ragan's heart. She cares for people. She loves her family and friends. She has a tenderness about her that is unique. Her heart has been captured by the gospel and it gives her a loving kindness that few young ladies her age have.<br />
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<b>2) You are growing into a beautiful young lady.</b><br />
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As Ragan gets older, she is growing more and more beautiful. I love her cute smile and happy personality. Her naturally small frame is the envy of anyone who has to "work" to stay in shape but it does not define her. In a day and age where culture has so many expectations on what a young lady is supposed to be and look like, she is discovering her true beauty is found in her identity in Jesus. Her beauty flows from the inside out. <br />
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<b>3) You are naturally affectionate.</b><br />
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Ragan is the child who naturally holds my hand and kisses me when she sees me or tells me good night. Even our dog Toby knows he can give plenty of kisses to Ragan when others turn away from his slobbery affection. When our life took some tough turns a few years ago, Ragan still wanted to be close to her Daddy and show me that she loved me no matter what. I will never forget how affectionate she was to me in my most difficult days. <br />
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<b>4) You are unique and special in more ways than you can imagine. </b><br />
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Every child has their own special place in the hearts of their parents. For me, Ragan captured her Daddy's heart from the beginning. Our closest family and friends know that Ragan has a nickname reserved only for Daddy: Two-Two (translated Double Two at times). It is a nickname I gave her early in life for a couple of reasons. First, we are both the middle child of 3 kids - the "second born" as my Dad likes to say. Second, she was born on December 22nd. Two-two is a natural nickname for my Ragan that reminds me how precious she is to me even as she thinks she is outgrowing cute nicknames. <br />
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Ragan has a unique and special place in my heart and in the world around her. She is a talented dancer. And dancing matches her personality perfectly as she transitions through life in a graceful yet spunky manner. I love this unique blend that makes her special. She has so much talent and I can't wait to see where life takes her. <br />
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<b>5) You have integrity.</b><br />
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Ragan and I have been discussing the complicated world of relationships and dating for a while. I admit that these are tough waters for me to navigate and I do not always get it right. Sometimes my expectations seems a little unfair or strict to her. She has had to have tough conversations with boys that are not always easy or popular in the culture around us. And yet she handles these situations with respect, honor, and integrity. She has often told me the truth in situations where it would have been easier for her to withhold information. Her honesty and integrity stand as examples to me and it prepares her for a life where telling the truth is not always easy or encouraged. <br />
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<b>6) You love Jesus deeply and He loves you even deeper.</b><br />
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I am a flawed father. I have disappointed my children many times and will do so again in the future. And that is why I always point them to Jesus who will never fail them. As God refines my heart, I pray my example of brokenness and redemption serves as a reminder to my children that God redeems us for His glory and our faithful obedience comes out of living continually in the gospel of Jesus Christ in whom we find our identity and fulfillment. <br />
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Ragan has a passion for Jesus. She spends time with Him. She worships Him. She serves Him. And it is His deeper love for her that will enable her to live in faithfulness to Him. And when she fails Him it will be His faithful love that restores and heals her heart.<br />
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Daddy loves you Ragan Noelle Hudson. You are my Two-Two. And as you turn 16, know that I am proud of you and look forward to watching Jesus continue to grow you for His glory.<br />
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PS - and no you are not ready to hit the road by yourself ;)<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20100511.post-15724522701355406952015-10-13T09:38:00.000-05:002015-10-13T09:38:18.072-05:00Raising DaughtersI do not consider myself a great parent. Unfortunately parenting does not come with an instruction manual. Most parenting is learning as you go. For that reason alone, I frequently make mistakes as a dad. By the time you add to the mix different personalities, genders, emotions, life circumstances, sin, and the complexity of leading and loving another individual, you realize quickly there is no such thing as a perfect parent.<br />
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I have also discovered parenting girls is completely different than raising boys. I grew up in a home with all brothers. My father is an only child so he has no sisters. My mom was raised with two brothers and no sisters. My older brother has only sons. My daughter Kayleigh was the first girl in the Hudson family for 2 generations. Needless to say, raising daughters was not in the genes when my girls came along.<br />
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Every season of a child's life is different. They evolve as a person. They grow. Their personalities are shaped. Life experiences mold them. Raising a toddler looks entirely different than parenting a teenager. Bottom line: this parenting gig is NOT easy.<br />
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I have two beautiful, fun, and intelligent daughters. For a few years now, we have been trying to navigate the "dating" waters. When should they be allowed to start? Should they be allowed to start? {My vote is no} What does it look like? What are the expectations? What is dating? What does a God-honoring dating relationship even look like? My head hurts just typing out these questions!<br />
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As the one and only God-appointed father of these two precious treasures, my natural instinct is to protect them at all costs. I have been through enough life and its consequences to want to guard them from unnecessary heartache and hurt. I want them to be valued. I want them to be cherished. I want them to be honored and respected. I want them to be treated like the princesses they are in my heart.<br />
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And yet, they are young ladies. My Kayleigh is 18 and in college! My Ragan is about to turn 16! I am not sure how and when this transition happened but here it is. And I am not always sure how to handle it. We talk. We cry. We laugh. We yell. We get frustrated. We say mean things. We pray together. We ask for forgiveness and forgive. We get angry. We hug tightly. We love deeply. And through it all, we try and live out with each other the grace that has been lavished upon us by our Heavenly Father.<br />
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If I am completely honest, I don't always "get" my daughters. I don't get their emotions. I don't always understand their feelings. I don't always want them to grow up. For crying out loud, I don't even get why they would want to date any stupid boy ... sorry - there's that protective dad thing. <br />
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And they don't completely "get" me. Truthfully they will never understand the depth of my love for them until they hold their own babies. They do not grasp the uncertainty that resides in my heart as I try and parent them in such a complicated and depraved world. They do not comprehend the concern inside their daddy that something or someone is going to steal their most prized possession, their heart, and then trample it.<br />
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I pray regularly for God to provide preventative grace in the lives of my girls. I am thankful beyond words for the redemptive grace of Jesus that heals and restores our brokenness. But I beg God for the grace of Jesus to intervene in the lives of my girls before the brokenness occurs. I pray His grace protects them from unnecessary hurt and sinful choices knowing that if they make choices that leave them wounded that His same grace will be there to make them whole again. But grace is not just about from what Jesus redeems us but also grace is about from what He protects us. <br />
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I LOVE being a parent. It is one of the greatest privileges of life. I love each of my children as deeply as humanly possible. And in the end, I know they know it. I know they know that their daddy wants what is absolutely best for them. And as they continue this transition from teenagers to young ladies, I know that they know that their daddy is a person who needs the gospel of grace. I have been given much grace in my two girls and so I seek to be a person who extends grace to them when they blow it and asks for grace from them when I blow it. And in the end, I think that is what being a parent is all about - it is about broken people resting in the grace of an unbroken Redeemer who enables healthy relationships in the middle of the complexities of real life.<br />
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The gospel is a way of life that impacts how I parent. <br />
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And then there's my son...Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20100511.post-13679170309967997442015-10-09T10:24:00.000-05:002015-10-09T10:24:24.069-05:00GRACE: a way of lifeWe are in a benchmark series at <a href="http://citychurchdecatur.com/" target="_blank">City Church</a> called CORE. In this series we are unpacking what it means to fulfill the mission to which we believe we have been called: to continue what Jesus began. We have refined our mission with 4 Core Values that serve as our guardrails to make sure we remain focused on our task. Two of those values focus on what we believe: 1) The Church belongs to Jesus & 2) Grace is a way of life. The other two deal with what we practice: 3) We live intentionally in community & 4) We are in the city for the city. This Sunday I will be preaching part 2 of our second core value ~ Grace is a way of life. <br />
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Living a life of grace begins with believing and accepting the gospel of grace. We learn grace by being graced. As we grasp the gospel (what has been done for us in Jesus & who we are in Jesus), grace becomes a way of life. We tend to live out what we have received - what has changed our lives.<br />
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I believe most of our struggles as individual and corporate followers of Jesus often comes down to two primary issues: 1) a failure to <i>grasp, embrace, and live out</i> God's unconditional grace, love, and forgiveness in our lives & subsequently 2) a failure to <i>give out</i> God's unconditional grace, love and forgiveness.<br />
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We fail to live lives marked by unconditional grace because we fail to recognize our desperate need for grace in our own lives or we fail to recognize God's full acceptance of us in Jesus. Religion tends to take a ladder-like approach to spirituality - the more you do or don't do (as defined by your sect), the more spiritual and God-approved you are. I grew up in an environment where spirituality was often defined by conformity. Consequently my deepest struggles as a Jesus follower often have to do with resting in who I am in Jesus and not trusting in what I have or have not done to make me acceptable to God.<br />
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I talk a lot about grace. I even planted a church in Sin City named Grace Point - where we emphasized <i>grace is the point</i> but I am not sure I fully began to grasp grace until I was absolutely dependent upon it. My understanding of grace runs deeper than ever because life has taught me how desperately I need Someone who loves unconditionally.<br />
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Grace is more than a doctrine. It can't be contained within our theological systems. Grace goes places where we are uncomfortable. It is messy and complicated. It chooses the wrong people. Grace is divinely vulgar and uncomfortably promiscuous. Grace will not be controlled by our sense of fairness. It defies logic and has zero to do earning, merit, or being deserved. Grace doesn't demand. It simply gives.<br />
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The gospel of grace liberates us from the ladder-like approach to spirituality. It sets us free from the burden of trying to earn God's approval, the demand to measure up, and the pressure to get it right. Grace releases us from the tireless effort to do or be enough and from the need to be right, rewarded, regarded, and respected. <br />
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*By the way, this truth applies to "church life" as well. Grace liberates the local church from the <i>next level</i> consumeristic approach that drives many churches and pastors today - more people, more campuses, more buildings, more numbers, more impact, and on and on and on. I have lived that life and it is exhausting! <br />
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<i>Grace just happens</i>. And when we get grace ... when we really get it ... when it moves beyond a catchword ... when it moves beyond mere doctrine and becomes a way of life ... when that happens, then grace changes everything.<br />
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Grace is often most clearly visible in stories because grace happens in real life. It happens in the messiness. And that is why I get grace deeper now than earlier in my life. I get it more now because grace came to me in the messiness of my own making and it redeemed, restored, and healed me. Grace came to me when I was broken, when I was unworthy of it. Grace came to me when I needed it the most but deserved it the least. <br />
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As I lead this ragtag group of Jesus followers called City Church, we realize more than ever that we can't make the church cool enough to draw sinners to Jesus. Here is what we can do: proclaim and demonstrate the gospel of grace. We give grace because we have been given grace. And that simple truth will change your life. I know it has changed mine.<br />
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Grace is a way of life.<br />
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Want to listen to or watch our Core series? <br />
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Subscribe to the <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/city-church-decatur/id1042516479?mt=2" target="_blank">City Church podcast here</a>. <br />
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Or watch the messages in our Core series<a href="http://citychurchdecatur.com/watch/" target="_blank"> here</a>. Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20100511.post-91798652013547241192015-09-13T13:17:00.002-05:002015-09-13T13:17:47.346-05:00Welcome to City ChurchToday we announced that Revolution Church is re-launching as City Church. We are excited about this direction change for a number of reasons.<br />
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1. We believe it is time for a fresh start. With new leadership comes a re-defined focus. The name Revolution (and formerly Crosspoint) Church served a purpose. We believe that season is now complete and it is time for a new start. It is important for Ashley and I to take ownership of a fresh focus and changing the name is a natural part of this process.<br />
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2. We want our name to reflect who we are. We believe God has called us to be IN this city and FOR this city. God has called us to proclaim and demonstrate the gospel in this community. We want the people in our city to know that we are for them. We will serve them. We will love them. We will partner with them to make our city a better place. The name City Church reflects a bigger vision than what just happens on Sunday mornings.<br />
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3. Our mission statement is simple: City Church exists to continue what Jesus began. We believe the New Testament teaches that we are to continue what Jesus taught and did. We are to be a gospel-centered and Jesus-focused. And this mission begins where we exist in everyday life - our homes, our places of work, our schools, our parks, our restaurants, our stores, our ballparks, our neighborhoods. In other words, we are called to live out the gospel in our city. Our name reflects our desire to be Jesus followers within our everyday life context.<br />
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Change is a natural part of life. God created a world that is constantly changing - seasons come and go, children become adults, parents become grandparents, flowers grow and fade, and on and on. Even so, change is a natural part of the life of a church. And we believe this change is a natural step in our process to be who we believe God has called us to be in our city.<br />
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We could not be more excited to be on this journey. Our story is one of authentic brokenness and grace-filled redemption. We are thankful to be able to lift up Jesus in this city. And we invite you to be a part of this group of broken, grace-dependent Jesus followers that we call City Church. Come as you are. It is okay to not be okay. Just remember one thing: no perfect people are allowed. <br />
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Welcome to City Church! <br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20100511.post-63045003043711328812015-08-15T09:57:00.000-05:002015-08-15T09:57:19.968-05:00And Then She Went to College...Eighteen years seem like such a long time ... until you drop off your first child at college. At that moment, you realize just how short 18 years actually is.<br />
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There is no way to prepare for the 18 years of emotions you feel as a parent. As I drove home yesterday after leaving my Kayleigh at Samford, my heart felt ... I don't know how to describe it other than <i>weird</i>. I am SO excited for her future and know that these next 4 years will potentially be some of the most memorable of her life. And yet there is a deep heaviness in my heart knowing it will never quite be the same.<br />
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I am not sure you ever feel ready as a parent to say goodbye to your child. I am proud of the young woman she has become and yet every insecurity I have as a parent surfaces in these defining moments. Your mind is filled with both good times, struggles, and a flood of questions regarding your abilities as a parent.<br />
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A lot of memories are created in 18 years - many you will cherish always and some you wish you could edit or rewrite. But each life occurrence serves as a word, sentence, paragraph, or chapter in her story. The first section of her life story has now been written and the next section begins.<br />
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Thankfully I am not the supreme writer of Kayleigh's story. Nor is she the ultimate biographer of her life. No single person stands as the final composer of her narrative. The Sovereign Author of her life story is a Heavenly Father who fills her pages with grace, redemption, healing, hope, love, and forgiveness.<br />
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There is no promise that Kayleigh's story will be filled only with happiness for the goal of our Author is not to make us happy. His purpose is to make us holy - to conform us to his image. The aim of the Author runs deeper than mere happiness for happiness comes and goes. Happiness is fickle. It is a cruel taskmaster drawn by superficial architects. God wants to develop something deeper within Kayleigh. He wants to create within her a supernatural<i> joy</i> that surpasses human comprehension.<br />
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Jesus talks to his followers about a joy that can't be taken from them. This joy is not dictated by circumstances. It is not controlled by humans. And it is provided solely in Jesus.<br />
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As God writes Kayleigh's narrative, I am thankful that I play a significant role in her story. God chose me to play the role of Kayleigh's Daddy. And that reality is both a huge privilege and responsibility. I have not always played my part in a God-honoring way. I am a sinner. I am human. I created chapters I wish could be edited out or rewritten. And yet, every sentence I composed God uses for her development and His glory.<br />
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God has taught me a lot in these 18 years with Kayleigh. His education has not always translated into everyday life. But in the end, I must rest in the sovereign control of the Author who above all else has taught me how to love her unconditionally. <br />
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I think I am still in a little denial that my Kayleigh is now a college student. In some way, she will always be the curly-haired, brown-eyed beauty that captured her Daddy's heart as a child. And yet as I kissed her goodbye yesterday, the tears that streamed down my face were not generated by sadness alone but a deep joy - knowing she has a Heavenly Father who loves her more deeply than I ever could. And it is in His sovereign love that I can rest as He writes her beautiful biography. <br />
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I love you Kayleigh Hudson - now go live out your story. It is really just beginning. <br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20100511.post-90763719442020325372015-05-21T11:34:00.000-05:002015-05-21T11:34:06.752-05:00A Daddy's Thoughts on His Daughter's Graduation Tomorrow evening my oldest daughter Kayleigh will put on a cap and gown, walk across a stage, receive a diploma, officially become a high school graduate, and enter a new season of life. <br />
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I am not sure that reality has sunk in for me yet. My little girl is becoming a young woman. Even as I type those words, my heart pauses for a second. On one hand, I am so excited for her and what lies around the corner in her life. On the other hand, I want to burst into tears, hold her close, and protect my little princess from the broken world that awaits.<br />
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My mind races to the giggles, vacations, closeness, wins, laughs, and everyday moments we have enjoyed. And at the same time it also recalls the hurts, tears, tough conversations, pain, and moments of distance we endured. As she prepares to transition into this new season, I wish I could multiply the good times and edit the not-so-good ones ... but then I realize ~ God has used both to make her the person she has become and is becoming.<br />
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Time can be a cruel taskmaster. We can't escape it. We can't alter, rewind, or erase it. It simply marches forward. And in the process, children grow up. Memories are created. Hurt happens. Moments are spent and we are left scratching our heads wondering where it went and how it happened so fast. And yet time is a friend. It allows healing to transpire. Hurt weakens its grip. Growth occurs. Time provides opportunity. <br />
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The gospel reminds us that the eternal God confined Himself to time. He entered our space. And in so doing, He entered our world of happiness and hurt, joy and suffering, peace and pain. Jesus placed Himself within time and faced the same mix of experiences and emotions that time generates in our lives.<br />
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And it is because of this gospel, that no matter what emotions and fears I face tomorrow night as the parent of a high school graduate, I know that she is safe in her Savior's love. She can't remove God's love from her. Time will march forward and she will face both the blessings and struggles of life. She will make wise decisions and foolish ones. She will feel secure and confident and she will feel vulnerable and defeated. Time will bring mountaintops and valleys. And through it all, Jesus will never leave or forsake her ... even if she leaves and forsakes Him. <br />
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No one prepared me for these moments as a parent. No one taught me how to hold on while letting go. No one coached me on how to trust that what you failed to do as a parent will be redeemed by a God who loves her even more deeply than her parents. <br />
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I love you Kayleigh Dean Hudson. I love you more than words can explain. I love you more than life. And when you walk across that stage tomorrow night, I will beam with pride and happiness on the outside while I am crying, afraid, and anxious on the inside - thankful that time allowed me the opportunity to experience life with you, to be your daddy, and for that I will be forever grateful. <br />
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* There may or may not have been a few tears shed in the drafting of this blog post - only the author will ever know. Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20100511.post-85243420219734869912014-10-01T10:30:00.000-05:002014-10-01T10:30:37.475-05:00To: The Pastor Considering an Extramarital Affair. From: Me.I read an interesting article yesterday entitled <a href="http://www.ronedmondson.com/2014/09/to-the-pastor-considering-an-extramarital-affair.html" target="_blank">To the Pastor Considering an Extramarital Affair</a>. As someone who as the culprit has lived firsthand through this reality, I was interested in what Dr. Degler had to say. Her perspective is spot-on for the most part. Here are a few of the thoughts that stood out to me.<br />
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1. The real issue when it comes to sins like adultery is my own brokenness. <br />
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I can blame my former spouse and our unhealthy relationship on my choices (and those issues are not totally irrelevant) but in reality my own brokenness caused me to make the choices I did. While my wife loves and understands me at a level that I have never experienced, it is only because of what God has done in our lives that I can make that statement. What caused us to get involved with each other initially was rooted in our own selfish hearts and actions. <br />
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2. Your sin will be exposed.<br />
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I can't describe the pressure of living with the realization that you are on the verge of getting <i>caught </i>at any time - especially in ministry when everything is on the line. It is crippling. And yet somehow you convince yourself that you will be the exception to the rule. <br />
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I have no doubt there are multitudes of pastors who are living with hidden sins who may or may not ever be exposed. They may "get away with it" from the public eye but eventually their heart will be exposed in other ways. Sin always leads to death. It may be the death of your ministry, influence, and family. Or it may be the death of intimacy, a relationship, one's heart for God, or a multitude of other possibilities. But regardless of how public your disclosure becomes, your sin will be exposed and things will die in the process.<br />
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3. You are one google search away from being exposed again and again.<br />
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We live in a world of easy access to information. Even four years removed from my exposure, someone continues to take it upon themselves to continue to remind people of my sin. In my opinion, it is a sad individual who is that obsessed with the sin of someone else but it is my reality. I wrote <a href="http://www.devinhudson.com/2012/02/life-is-short-have-affair.html" target="_blank">an article once telling how someone even fraudulently signed me up for the Ashley Madison website</a> (Life is short. Have an affair)! <br />
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In King David's famous prayer of repentance in Psalm 51, he talks about how his sin was ever before him. In some sense, exposed sin is ever before everyone now. <br />
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4. Your sin affects a lot of people deeply.<br />
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I am not sure I still recognize the deep effects that my choices had on other people. I experience in everyday life how my choices affected those I love the most. And I am sure those effects will continue to surface as time goes. My sphere of influence was somewhat wide and I know I hurt more people than I even realize. <br />
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There are numerous people even after four years who refuse to acknowledge my existence. I am talking about people I led to Christ, people I married, people I hired to serve on my staff, people I baptized, whose children I baptized, people I mentored, who mentored me, people in whom I invested time, energy, and money, people I once influenced or who influenced me, and on and on. I am not saying these people are right or wrong in their continual reaction. Honestly I understand their response. It is the easiest and most natural one. And these examples are simply people with whom I had a direct relationship. I have no idea how many people outside my direct circle felt the impact of my choices. Remember: sin never impacts you alone. It always affects other people.<br />
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5. There is hope for those who have an affair. <br />
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I'm not sure we fully grasp the magnitude of God's grace, redemption, and healing until we go through a life situation that forces us to rest solely in it. I'm not suggesting you should go through what I have been through in order to experience the level of healing God has provided. I do not wish these past 4+ years of my life on anyone. Sometimes God's grace is as much about from what it protects us as much as from what it delivers us.<br />
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What I am saying is that I talked a lot about grace prior to my life-altering season of sin but I have truly experienced His grace in recent years. When almost everyone in your life is telling you how <i>great </i>you are, you tend to ignore or forget your need for grace. But when almost everyone in your life is telling you how sinful, wrong, and foolish you are and yet God in His grace reaches down and picks you up and reminds you that you are His child in spite of how sinful, wrong and foolish you are, that's when you begin to grasp fully how undeserved, radical, and necessary grace is.<br />
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The road is long. The journey is tough. The path I chose rarely ends well. And yet there is hope. There is hope because God redeems. There is hope because God forgives. There is hope because God never gives up on us. There is hope because His grace is bigger than my sin.<br />
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I live everyday knowing I am not doing what God gifted me to do. I struggle regularly with how God wants me to use my gifts for His glory. I miss doing the things I am equipped to do. And yet, I have hope. I have hope that no matter where my life goes from here God's love for me remains constant.<br />
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So to the pastor considering having an affair or the everyday person flirting with a decision that could alter the course of your life and the lives of those around you, don't do it. The price is high. The consequences are severe. Choose life. Choose forgiveness. Choose healing. Choose hope. Choose grace. And for those who have already crossed that line ... you do the same. Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20100511.post-23825436165670667612014-07-15T11:26:00.000-05:002014-07-15T11:28:55.548-05:00A Mistaken Mentor & A Wedding Ring"You will not make it three years! Your <i>so-called marriage</i> is destined for failure."<br />
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The words leaped off the page at me. They hurt deeply. They angered me. This remark was just a small part of a long grace-less diatribe I received from one of former mentors. I had reached out to him to seek his forgiveness after a year of silence. Like many, he contacted me shortly after my sin was exposed and harshly informed me how wrong I was and how deeply disappointed he was in me. And then I didn't hear from him again until I reached out to him a year later to seek his forgiveness and convey how God had been working in my life over the previous year.<br />
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His response? A harangue on how unrepentant and narcissistic I was and how my second marriage was destined for failure. I guess I wasn't surprised. We tend to talk about grace more than we display it. He really didn't know what steps of repentance, restoration, and healing I had taken so he didn't really know the state of my heart nor did he care to learn what God had been doing. Sometimes it is just easier to lash out than accept and practice what forgiveness looks like in real life. I get it. <br />
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<b>Today Ashley and I celebrate our third anniversary.</b> Three years is not a huge deal for most married couples but for us it is monumental. A lot of people believed our marriage would not survive. A lot of people informed us our marriage would not last. And yet not only have we survived, we have thrived.<br />
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Today I can honestly say that our marriage is stronger and healthier than we imagined. Here are a few reasons why.<br />
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1. Strength often comes through refining. Our marriage did not begin under ideal circumstances. Most marriages built on the foundation with which we started crumble under the duress. And yet the tough times we have gone through have actually drawn us closer together and not pulled us apart. Difficulties will either weaken or strengthen a marriage. By God's grace, ours made us stronger.<br />
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2. We are passionate about each other. I have never been loved the way Ashley loves me. I did not know someone could love me the way she does. I love being loved by her. I do not feel I deserve her. I have been asked on numerous occasions how I got "so lucky" to be married to Ashley. And to be honest, I don't know. She is way more than I deserve. I cherish her. I love so much about her that a list can't do justice to the things I love about her. I believe our passion for each other keeps our marriage fresh and growing. She gets me. I get her. I love her for who she is and she celebrates who I am. She really is my best friend. <br />
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3. Second Marriage Grace. My most read blog post ever was one I wrote on second marriage grace. You can read it <a href="http://www.devinhudson.com/2012/10/divorced-remarried-me-too.html" target="_blank">here</a>. In that post, I talk about how God used a message by Andy Stanley to teach us the principle of second marriage grace. It is a truth to which we cling regularly. The statistics of how many second marriages end in divorce dwarfs the failure of first marriages. We know that if we are going to have a healthy, successful, and enduring marriage that we must cling to second marriage grace. It is the heartbeat of our relationship.<br />
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4. God heals, redeems, and restores. This truth is the one primary reason our marriage has not only survived but thrives. Simply put, God's grace defies statistics. We are living evidence of that reality.<br />
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To celebrate our three year anniversary, I gave Ashley a beautiful wedding ring. When we got married three years ago, we gave each other simple wedding bands. It was symbolic of where we were in life and the difficulties that awaited us. Our relationship was built on the only real thing we had at that time: each other. Everything seemed to be stacked against us. And the simplicity of our wedding bands symbolized the simplicity of what we had: each other.<br />
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Three years later I wanted to give Ashley something that symbolizes the depth of where we are now in our relationship.We are defying the odds. Not because of how great we are but because healing and redemption are real. Grace trumps stats. <br />
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My former mentor was wrong. Our marriage is not destined for failure. Our marriage, by God's enabling grace, is stronger and healthier than ever.<br />
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Happy Anniversary Ashley Hudson. I love you more deeply today than I ever have. And the best is yet to come. <br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20100511.post-44064827729077463002013-08-09T09:59:00.002-05:002013-08-09T09:59:32.321-05:00Dear Kayleigh: a father's thoughts as his daughter turns 16This weekend my oldest daughter Kayleigh turns 16. I still remember the moment she was born. I cried as much as she did as I witnessed our incredible gift enter the world. It is a moment that cannot be described. It can only experienced. I can hardly believe she is now turning 16. As I reflect on the past 16 years God has given me with Kayleigh, here are a few thoughts that I have for her this weekend.<br />
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<b>1. You are beautiful. </b><br />
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My daughter Kayleigh is beautiful inside and out. Like any teenage girl, she battles her own insecurities with the unfounded pressures our society places on young people to look, think, and act a certain way. In reality, she is one of the most beautiful 16-year-olds I have ever seen. <br />
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Even more importantly, she is beautiful on the inside. Kayleigh has an incredible heart for God. Her inward beauty dwarfs her outward appearance. She seeks after Jesus. She is a leader. She loves to serve. She worships passionately. She listens to the voice of God. She hungers for God's truth. She cares about people. She is a good friend. She makes wise decisions. She is pure. <br />
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She is a beautiful girl.<br />
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<b>2. You are strong.</b><br />
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Kayleigh has always been a daddy's girl. We have always been very close. A few years ago my actions damaged our relationship in a deep way. It is one of my gravest regrets. In many ways, Kayleigh's image of me was scarred. My actions could have permanently broken her. But God used her season of hurt to make her a stronger person. She has not only survived but she has thrived.<br />
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<b>3. You are way too much like me. </b><br />
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Kayleigh and I have almost the exact same personality in many ways. We react. We need time to think through things. We want to be right. We argue vehemently our points even when we are wrong. People can take us the wrong way. We love to read and we are both decent writers. At times I wish Kayleigh was not so much like me. But most of the time I just smile and shake my head and know she is stuck with the good, bad, and ugly of being like her dad.<br />
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<b>4. You have a world of potential. </b><br />
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I am excited to watch Kayleigh's life unfold. She has more potential than she even realizes.<br />
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<b>5. I am not ready for you to grow up. </b><br />
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Part of being a parent is facing the tension of between protecting your children and allowing them to spread their wings and fly. I am not ready for Kayleigh to get behind the wheel of a car and drive without any adult supervision. But that is the reality I must face as a parent. I am not ready for Kayleigh to graduate from high school in a couple of years and go to college. But that is the reality I must face as a parent. I am not ready for Kayleigh to become less dependent on her parents and more dependent upon her own decision making. But that is the reality I must face as a parent.<br />
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Watching your children grow up is a blessing and a curse. I'm not sure you are ever ready for them to grow up but that's the reality we face as parents. In the end, it makes me pray harder and trust God more. <br />
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<b>6. You have a Father who loves you even more than I love you. </b><br />
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Although it is difficult yet rewarding to watch Kayleigh grow up, I know that she has a Heavenly Father who loves her even more than I love her. Her inward beauty is a reflection of His grace. Her strength comes from the fact that His strength is made perfect in her weaknesses. Although her natural human tendencies reflect her earthly father, her heart reflects her Heavenly Father - the same Father who created her with so much potential. And it is this same Heavenly Father who will love, heal, redeem, protect, pursue, and forgive her as she grows up as a fallen yet forgiven young lady who makes her earthly father proud to be her <i>daddy</i>.<br />
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Happy 16th Kayleigh. I love you. Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20100511.post-936471184798300042012-10-16T14:09:00.000-05:002012-10-16T14:10:16.502-05:00Divorced? Remarried? Me too. I am divorced.<br />
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I am remarried. <br />
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This is my reality (and the reality of many others).<br />
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The circumstances that led to my divorce and remarriage are not pretty. I was unfaithful to my first wife. I sinned against her. I allowed my heart to grow hard and refused to turn from my sin and trust God. And as a result, my first wife rightfully filed for divorce. I did not fight it. I simply allowed the process to happen in order to get my way.<br />
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I live with this reality every day. <br />
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Unfaithful. Divorced. Remarried. <br />
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Over the last 18+ months, I have listened to multiple sermons on divorce and remarriage. When I was a pastor, I preached several messages on this difficult subject. Heck - I even wrote a 300+ page PhD dissertation on the subject. And yet, my reality remains: unfaithful - divorced - remarried. <br />
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Of the many homilies on this subject I have listened to or presented, almost all of them deal with the "how to avoid it" side of the issue. Most approach it from a preventative perspective or the point of view of what the Bible does or does not say about the issue. And let's be honest, the Bible is clear on the subject - God intends for marriage to be between one man and one woman for a lifetime. Anything less than God's ideal in this foundational relationship falls short of God's intention (as does any other sexual sin that distorts the leave/cleave/one flesh paradigm of Genesis 2:24).<br />
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But what about the multitudes who have <i>fallen short</i> of God's ideal? What about the already divorced? The remarried? The unfaithful? The promiscuous?<br />
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Sin destroys the ideal. That is why adultery, divorce, married people looking at porn, and a host of other marriage-related sins are so destructive yet prevalent. And our communities and churches are filled with people who are living with this <i>less than ideal</i> reality. <br />
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I know from personal experience that it is easy to grow content with less than God's ideal. I also know the guilt and shame that accompanies that mindset. For many months, I was persuaded that because of our sinful choices that my second marriage would always carry a <i>less than ideal </i>stigma. And to be honest, very few of the sermons I heard or taught left much space for anything else.<br />
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And then I heard a message by Andy Stanley on this issue that God used to speak directly to my heart and dramatically reshape my thinking. While a lot of the sermon reiterated God's ideal when it comes to the covenant of marriage, it was the second half of the message that spoke precisely to those in my situation (which based on statistics are a large part of every congregation). Andy introduced a phrase to us to which we have clung since that day: <b>second marriage grace</b>. <br />
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While we fell short of God's ideal in our first marriages and live with those consequences every day, God has provided us second marriage grace. This concept is what the gospel is all about - redeeming the broken. Translation: God redeems bad relationship choices for His glory! <br />
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What Andy said in that message was not profound, but for us it was life-changing. We realized and believed for the first time that God wants our marriage to honor and glorify Him. He wants to be the center of our hearts and home. He wants our marriage to succeed! He wants us to embrace His ideal - one man/one woman for a lifetime.<br />
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I have heard and taught many messages on divorce and remarriage but God used that particular sermon to convict our hearts and shape our future. We repented to God and to each other. We cried. We begged for God's forgiveness. I humbly asked Ashley to forgive me for what I did to her and to her first marriage. She asked me to forgive her. And in the process, God did something in our hearts - something that would transform the direction of our marriage. <br />
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A large part of preaching is instilling hope in your hearers - a hope that stems from the reality that no matter who you are, what you have done, or where you find yourself, Jesus did everything necessary to provide redemption, healing, and life.<br />
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Be clear on what the Bible says about this tough subject but don't forget in the process to remind those who have fallen short of God's ideal that there is grace for them as well. After all, that's the story of the Bible. Unknownnoreply@blogger.com