The word sacrifice is not usually a fun word to think about, it isn't even that great of a word to look up in the dictionary.  Half of the definitions given to  'sacrifice' have to do with OFFERING something, while the other half have to do with SURRENDERING something.  Either way you look at it, the end result of a SACRIFICE will always be a LOSS... and let's be honest... we don't like to lose. 
It is said by many that JESUS was the ultimate sacrifice, when he died on the cross for OUR human frailty he sacrificed Himself so that we would WIN the prize of an eternity spent with Him in heaven.  This is a fundamental foundation for Christianity.  So, maybe it's just me, but as I have been thinking about Easter (as it's coming up fast) I can't help but ask the question, since Jesus sacrificed His life so that I wouldn't have to, why does it seem like EVERYTHING we do as Christians equates to a lifestyle of sacrifice? Think about it... we sacrifice our time to help others, we sacrifice our money to build His church, we sacrifice our lives to causes that are greater than ourselves and we sacrifice our humanity in order to pursue a supernatural way of living.  We sacrifice ALL THE TIME!  So why then, do WE sacrifice so much if HE already made the BIG one?
In the 80's at the height of his reign in the NBA, Michael Jordan was not only the superstar of basketball or the symbol that landed on the shoes of every baller out on the court, but he was also the king of advertisement.  If you put MJ's name on your brand (even if it was cereal!) your product was guaranteed to sell.  In the early 90's a company called Bayer Bess Vanderwarker came up with the ultimate slogan for Gatorade in 1991 using three simple words 'BE LIKE MIKE'.  This campaign ran forever (it seems) and has been noted by sports fanatics globally who were inspired to try to be just like Michael Jordan.  So why did this simple strategy work so well for a company peddling colored water?  Because Michael Jordan represented the IMPOSSIBLE becoming POSSIBLE.  In his prime he was someone to align your own hopes and dreams and ambitions to and that slogan captured the hearts of a generation of people who wanted to do the impossible.
Now, as much as I like Michael Jordan (and yes, I was once a baller on the court showing off my Air Jordans!) good old MJ is NO Jesus Christ.  He can fly, I'll give him that... but last I checked he hasn't yet perfected the slam dunk in the middle of the ocean!  JESUS on the other hand... NOTHING BUT NET!  Jesus did greater things than this, He healed people, He fed people, He reconfigured the ingredients in water, He brought a man back from the dead, He restored vision to blind people, He called out demons and sent them on suicidal missions, He loved the unlovely, He forgave the most guilty and He did it all while BEING HUMAN.  Now that is a pretty significant point in the story of Jesus, because we (as humans ourselves) tend to focus on His deity - on the fact that He is God as well - and so we look at these stories that we read in Matthew, Mark, Luke and John and we worship/praise Him for all that He is and all that He set up for us, but we often times forget to focus on the simple fact that He did these things while being a human.  So what's the big deal, you ask?  The BIG DEAL is this: just like Michael Jordan did some pretty extraordinary feats on the ball court - Jesus did some pretty extraordinary feats on the LIFE court and just as the slogan 'BE LIKE MIKE' inspired a generation of athletes to do the unthinkable, the never before tried and the seemingly impossible; we have an even greater slogan to 'BE LIKE JESUS'.
I for one KNOW that there is a strategic reason that Jesus laid low for the first half of his life, just being human and learning and growing and trusting and working and experiencing what life (as a human) is truly like, you know, the stuff that we have been doing.  Did He have struggles? Did He face challenges?  Did He ever worry or stress?  We can only speculate that He did, since He was human like you and I.  But you know the coolest part?  When He was ready, He did the impossible.  He broke the record books with the things that He could do.  And He showed us how to be just like Him.  Ooooh!  I'm gonna say that again... He showed us how to be just like Him.  Did He make the ultimate sacrifice?  Absolutely.  And if we are going to 'BE LIKE JESUS' a sacrificial life is our equivalent to the young kids jumping in the air and sticking out their tongues in driveways across the globe to be like the man who broke a few barriers of his own. And you know the stories of how MJ put in the time and pain to get where he got, what ever made us think that it would take anything less than the DEATH to our comfort zones, in order to spread the JESUS LIFE to those who are still DEAD to His LOVE? In other words, IF IT TOOK THE ULTIMATE SACRIFICE TO SECURE THE SALVATION OF THE WORLD,  IT'S GOING TO TAKE THE SAME TYPE OF THING ON OUR PART TO DISTRIBUTE IT!!!!!!!! Whatever that means to you personally JUST DO IT. So what is YOUR sacrifice?  That's up to you, EVERY day you've got a choice, choose to sacrifice the things that continue to hold you back and although it may feel like you are losing something, soon and very soon, you WILL realize that you are actually starting to WIN.

LIFE.  We ALL get one to live and it's OURS ALONE to live it.  Some of us who enjoy having our ducks lined up in a row function BEST when life presents little to no surprises; others who enjoy a little chaos from time to time function BEST when every day allows for spontaneity.  The beauty of this thing called life is that there is NO wrong approach. We ALL have different growth spurts and we ALL have different time lines.  What works for one person may not work for another and what appears to be the right for one, just might not be the right for another.  So if there isn't a wrong approach to our lives, how can we know for sure that our decisions are RIGHT for US, specifically?

One of the things that I love most about Jesus is His ability to go DEEP by remaining so SIMPLE.  He cut through the laws of the Pharisee's at a most volatile moment (when they were aimed and ready to stone the adulterous woman) by His simple statement "Let he who is without sin cast the first stone" (John 8:7)- powerful yet simple.  We can all get a little Pharisaical at times toward ourselves when we don't quite meet the law requirements.  We have this fantastical standard that we KNOW we SHOULD be living up to, but our reality is that we tend to be a little off the mark, every time. We forget that we are human and flawed and always a little bit wrong, "My ways are not your ways, nor are my thoughts your thoughts" (Isaiah 55:8), God didn't reserve this statement for only a specific period of time, God didn't say this and then say until you hit 60 years old or even 100 years old; it's just plain and simple that we will NEVER fully think or act exactly like him.  Now, if THAT doesn't take some pressure off of the way we are living our lives, then I don't know what will!

There are a couple things that Jesus said he would leave us with , 1. Peace  2. Holy Spirit (comforter) (John 14:26-27).  Why these two things?  Could it be that He knew how hard we would be on ourselves as we navigate through our life?  Furthermore, was He giving us a HUGE HINT that we don't need to put expectations on ourselves or create some type of 'dream life' that we could never possibly live up to?  Could it be that He was SIMPLY telling us to follow the PEACE and the HOLY SPIRIT in every aspect of our lives? Well, Jesus was certainly clever enough to simplify something as complex as LIFE, while at the same time giving us the secret to living it well.
But if it is noisy on the outside and I'm supposed to follow peace, how can I find it in the midst of all the distractions? Jesus NEVER said that the bombs would stop falling when you are on the right path, but rather there is a secret place within those that follow Him that has been set up as our centering point where He abides, that can't EVER be disturbed.

I don't believe that the original intention of our lives was ever meant to be complicated.  I believe that just like everything Jesus did, this life was designed to be simple and easy (after all, why would He ever entrust something so complex to US of all people!). So back to the question of 'how can we know for sure that our decisions are right for us, specifically'... just follow the PEACE and the HOLY SPIRIT. Simply turn in towards that place within where God abides and connect with Him who is our PEACE and if pleasantness isn't awaiting you, SIMPLY adjust your course until the PEACE you need is sensed within.   When something is right for YOU, you won't be stressed about it.  When someone is right for you, you won't be worried that they aren't.  When a decision is the BEST one for you to make, you won't be miserable and unhappy as it's result.  Now, move in the strength of the moment when PEACE arrives and follow His lead with NO LOOKING BACK.  The bible says it like this, "Wisdom's ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace." (Proverbs 3:17)  REMEMBER, DON'T EVER make a decision based on circumstances or feelings, because BOTH are fickle and constantly changing.  

My wife Debbie and I have always strived to be followers of Jesus who take big risks and love at all costs.  On paper this concept and way of life seems effortless and within reach, after all, we can do all things through Jesus who gives us the strength needed, right?  Well, the part about the strength and being within reach is right, but the part about effortlessness isn't exactly accurate.  You see there is a massive difference between learning the lessons (that we must learn in order to grow) and living out those lessons.  
You know how when you go to church on a Sunday and you hear a great word being preached or taught and you sit there and gulp your way through the hour or so, feeling a bit hot under the collar and completely convicted on the inside (as if the guy or girl is speaking straight to your soul)?  Whether you realize it or not, something has been planted inside of you.  You have been exposed to a truth that ignorance can no longer claim the rights to.  This truth is becoming a lesson and this lesson is either going to be learned or it is going to be lived, the choice is yours.  
When I was a younger man I picked up my young family from Southern California and I moved to Tulsa, Oklahoma to attend a bible school.  I was exposed to principles of faith on a daily basis.  My wife and I were both learning all about trusting God and what faith can actually do for us in our lives.  The lessons that we were learning were essentially building us up on the inside and at times we felt pretty invincible because we were learning just how much God was on our side, providing for us.  We learned and learned and learned, but it wasn't until we started to actually live (apply) the faith principles that the lessons became our reality.  Like the time that we were driving home during one of our breaks and we ran out of money for gas, the gauge was on empty and the only thing we had was the concept of faith and trust (which essentially go hand in hand).  Debbie and I asked God to supernaturally fill our tank so that we could make it home to California and we lived that lesson in a very real and tangible way.  This is the difference between living a lesson and just learning it, action and trust and belief like no other.  Oh and by the way... we made it home to California without a single drop of natural gas in our tank :)
The bottom line is that this God stuff isn't just a good idea... it is NECESSARY in this crazy roller coaster called life.  Going to church and learning new methods & concepts straight out of the bible, isn't just a great community effort... it is a NECESSARY element if we want to have authority and power in our every day lives.  This God stuff is REAL and it takes more than just learning this stuff... it takes us living it out & putting it to the test every day.  Selah & I dare you to LIVE IT!!

There is a lot of hype still going on about a book called 'Love Wins' by Rob Bell.  And many people have asked me what I think about this book and the teachings that Rob Bell is "introducing" to Christianity. So here are some thoughts and facts that I have about this hot topic (note: this is NOT a book review).  I bought 3 copies of this book.  I have it in book form, I'm currently listening to Rob Bell read it to me via my ipod AND I have it electronically written on my ipad.  Can you guess if I endorse this book or not? 
The facts are that the concepts and ideals presented in this book are NOT NEW.  This teaching has been around for years and centuries.  In fact, I grew up in a church from the age of 5 that taught this exact teaching and the Pastor that I sat under after first accepting the call of God on my life, Pastor Arthur H. Rogers, was an avid believer in this line of teaching.  The fact is that biblical doctrine supports the concept that ALL people will get to heaven. 
The truth is that after all of our studying, understanding and belief in the scriptures (as we continuously grow and interpret them daily) in the end our ways will NEVER be HIS ways and our thoughts will NEVER be HIS thoughts (Isaiah 55:8). What does this mean?  It means that we need to remain open to what God teaches us individually and collectively as a body.  It means that we need to continue asking questions and have a loose grip on the various interpretations of the scriptures, because according to Isaiah 55:8, NO ONE will ever know God's EXACT INTENT.  And that's OK.  We need to responsibly ask ourselves and our leaders the hard and tough questions and refuse to be satisfied with one person's interpretation or point of view.  Because 10 times out of 10 interpretations change and evolve.
So, would I recommend this book to a friend... ABSOLUTELY.  Why?  Because if nothing else, it will challenge what you think you know and hopefully it will cause you to dig a little deeper into your own theology, but the ultimate goal is that you will eventually find yourself talking to God about it... and that's the stuff HE loves!
Do I believe that in the end, love truly does win?  NO DOUBT.