Firm Foundation with Bryan Hudson

Hebrews 12:1 (NLT) Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. 2 We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith.....

While treating my lawn to kill springtime weeds using a hose end sprayer, I pulled the water hose towards the far corner of my lawn spraying as I went along. When I reached the far corner, the water flow suddenly reduced to a trickle. Looking back along the length of the water hose, I could see four kinks in the hose.

I laughed to myself because this kinking occurred while I was thinking about a message on "How to Run Your Race" using the above text from Hebrews Chapter 12. I thought, "This kinking of the water hose looks like occasions in life when energy and effectiveness become restricted."

The only solution to the problem was to walk back down the length of the long water hose to remove each kink, one-by-one. Every "unkinking" afforded a greater flow of water.

I thought more about restrictions (kinks) in the hose and in life. What caused the kinks? After all, four kinks in a water hose were a lot of kinks even for a cheap water hose! What are the causes of reduction in personal vitality and effectiveness in life?

So I diagnosed the conditions:
1. This particular water hose had been left outside during the entire winter season. It was a decent quality hose when I bought it a couple of years ago. Because of a lack of proper care and storage, the water hose was degraded and had become weaker.

2. The water hose had been curled up behind my house for more than five months since I last used it. Some points along the hose were sharply folded. When I pulled it out, attached the sprayer, turned on the water at full strength, and put a demand on it to function at 100% capacity, it was as if the water hose said, "Bryan, you haven't taken care of me. You left me out here in the snow, cold and ice of winter. Now you want me to operate normally? C'mon man!"

Hebrews 12:1 reads, Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. 2 We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith.....

We have both grace from God and responsibilities to God, and ourselves. Like proper care for a water hose, we have the responsibility to monitor and correct conditions in our lives. The best part of all this is that everything God requires, He provides!

Look to Jesus! He is your victorious example. He is the "Champion who initiates and perfects our faith!"

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Listen to the message, "Running With Purpose: How to Run Your Race"

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Habakkuk 2:1 I will stand my watch and set myself on the rampart, and watch to see what He will say to me, and what I will answer when I am corrected.2 Then the LORD answered me and said: “ Write the vision and make it plain on tablets, That he may run who reads it. 3 For the vision is yet for an appointed time; But at the end it will speak, and it will not lie. Though it tarries, wait for it; Because it will surely come, It will not tarry.

When Habakkuk decided that it was time to receive clear direction, he put himself in position to hear from God. This text provides a useful outline for all seekers of direction:

1. "Stand my watch" - Habakkuk didn't only seek God in times of crisis. A "watch" suggests a regular time or consistent pattern of standing before the Lord.

2. "Set on the rampart." - During one of my trips to the United Kingdom, I visited a castle in Wales that was constructed around A.D. 1000. While walking and exploring, I saw a sign that read, "This way to the rampart." I climbed several stone stairs to arrive at the highest point on the castle wall. I was soon standing on the rampart looking out on the countryside, peering between the gaps at the top of the stone wall.

Our "rampart" is a spiritual vantage point, which is a place where we are free from distractions, and full of faith and godly expectations. From that "high place" we signal to God our readiness to hear and receive from HIm.

3. "Watch to see what He will say" - The New King James Version's use of these words suggests that whatever we hear from God becomes something we can "see" in our hearts. Clear direction from God has the effect of imparting vision. Correction and adjustments also accompany that direction and vision.

4. "Write the Vision" - Things that we don't write down or record in some fashion, are things we don't expect to do. As the text indicates, once written, the vision can be read and cause people to "run" or take action.

5. "The vision is for an appointed time" - Once a vision has been birthed, it comes with its own seeds and season. Anything you plant, you will have to wait for. But it will "surely come" so don't get discouraged and leave the place of provision which is always in the vicinity of where you have heard from God and have sown your seeds of obedience.

God keeps all HIs promises!

Romans 6:3, Have you forgotten that when we were joined with Christ Jesus in baptism, we joined him in his death? 4 Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, 6 knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin.

Springtime in the midwest and Easter Sunday go together. Springtime brings a renewal of life as days grow longer and temperatures rise. The resurrection of Jesus brings eternal life from death and newness to life. Springtime in our region happens every year and is a reminder of the cycles of nature and God’s unfailing power. Jesus resurrection happened once over 2000 years ago, but we celebrate His life and resurrection power every year. We live in resurrection power everyday.

We celebrate Jesus' resurrection, not only because it was only a life-changing event in history. We celebrate because it is a empowering grace today. This is why we say, “Jesus is risen,” not “Jesus has risen.”

Identification with Christ is the master key to unlocking our understanding of our Christian identity and kingdom living. Identifying with Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection empowers us to “walk” in a new way. Paul called this new walk, “newness of life.”

“Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life..” (Romans 6:4)

The person who enters upon the Christian way is committed to a different kind of life. He has died to one kind of life and been born to another. We cannot live our physical life unless we are in the air and the air is in us; unless we are in Christ, and Christ is in us, we cannot live the life of God. (William Barclay)

Romans 6:4 is a text with few words, but loaded with insight! In essence, “just as” Jesus was raised, “even so” we can walk in newness of life. Again, Jesus resurrection empowers us to walk (live) in with newness.

Listen to MP3 audio from my illustrated sermon on Sunday, April 5, 2015

Watch video recording of the Illustrated sermon, "A Resurrected Walk Called, "Newness of Life."

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Watch skit, "What If Jesus Never Died" Written by Jonathan Hudson