The Christmas Spirit

I love Christmas.

I enjoy traditions, and like most families, we have our own. My family and I love to put up our Christmas tree together. Kim and I like to reminisce and talk about the stories that go along with each ornament from our vacations, while the kids get excited about their super hero or Disney ornaments. Then lastly, we set out our nativity and explain to the kids why we celebrate Christmas. This whole process really is a special time for us.

Another tradition we have is we ride around one night and look at all the Christmas decorations people have out, then of course cap it off with a trip to Krispy Kreme! But, while I drive past people's houses, listening to the kids get excited about all the blowup things and bright lights, I look in their windows at their trees, and I think to myself:

 "I wonder what is going on with that family and what were the conversations the people had while putting up that tree? What have they experienced over the past year that is gonna make this Christmas different than last year? Will this Christmas be sad for them because of a sickness or the loss of a family member or friend? Are they celebrating new life? Are they stressing about how they're going to make ends meet? Are they wondering if that wayward family member will reconnect with them this year? Etc."

It's a time of similar reflection for me as I look not only at my own life, but also at the lives of my family and friends I closely associate with.

I also enjoy this time of year because Christmas seems to bring a spirit of grace and unity.

I see people longing to help the poor and oppressed, locally and globally, during this season. I see others put away past angers and hurts between friends or family members for this one time a year because something about Christmas makes us long for unity and peace amongst each other. There is a longing to spend time together, and to help each other become "happy" during the Christmas season.

So, before we tear down the commercialism, complain about how people have just forgotten the meaning of Christmas, bark "No you mean Merry Christmas" to the store employee who tells us "Happy Holidays", and cover our cars in "Keep Christ in CHRISTmas" bumper stickers, let's remember the Gospel hasn't left Christmas. The Spirit is still on the move, and no human campaign can stop it.

Look around you. People's hearts are being transformed. People are seeing the joy found in the giving of themselves to make others happy, even if it's only for a brief moment in time. God uses this season, and all seasons, mightily for His glory.

My prayer is that instead of being a scrooge, kicking Santa to the curb, complaining about the business of malls and time with family, gossiping about people who view Christmas differently than I do, is that I would use this time to share with others why there is a hope for something better than this world, why they have a desire to help the poor and oppressed, why they are more open to showing grace to family and friends, and why they have a longing for peace, is not because it's Christmas, but rather because we have been given this spirit of grace and a longing of reconciliation with others through God who has made a way for us to be reconciled to Himself, where all good things come from, and that way is through Jesus Christ...who came to dwell amongst us and is who we celebrate on Christmas day.

thanks for reading.

peace,

bg

Twitter: @gossettbrandon

Christmas? Already?

click on the picture to view the video

I was in a local mall the other day, and saw them.
Christmas decorations.
Hard to believe it's already that time of year.

I actually got excited though.
I love Christmas.
I love the traditions, time with family, riding around with Kim and the boys through neighborhoods looking at Christmas lights, excitement of Christmas Eve and Christmas day, the delicious food, etc.

But, it got me thinking, how will I spend the Christmas season?

How will you?  

Stressed out about schedules and family / Church gatherings? 
Spending time in traffic jams and long lines in stores?

Arguing with your spouse over finances, about how much time you're gonna spend with each family, and trying to decide what gifts you are gonna buy them this year?

My family's not. We're tired of it.

Are we giving up on Christmas? No.  

Will I rip my kids heart out and tell them there is no such thing as Santa? Nope.
(insert your individual "you include santa?" judgements here)

Over the last couple of years though we have changed how we celebrate Christmas, and here's why:

We see a world that is hurting around us. 

We see a world where there is massive physical need.

We see a world where there is massive spiritual need.
We see a world that is looking for hope in everything from $$ to stuff to politicians.

We see a world, whether they admit it or not, are asking themeselves, "Surely, there has to be more to life than this?"

And I believe we have been granted the answer. 

The Gospel.

And I believe that He has commanded us to share that News. (Matthew 28:18-20)

And there's no better time than now.

What if, for just one year, you changed the way you did Christmas? And instead of buying more and more gifts, you spent that money to drastically change somebody else's life?

Why not try it? 
Celebrate Christmas differently this year. 

Worship Christ. 

Spread the News. 

Tell The Story.
Live it out in such a way that people ask, "Why?"
Make eye contact with people.
Serve the poor.
Volunteer your time.
Give away some of your money.
Transform somebody else's life, here and around the world.

Transform your familiy's life.

Transform your own life.

Show your family, friends,  & coworkers, the Child.
The Babe.

The Savior of the world.

He is worth it. 

He is the reason, after all.

thanks for reading...

peace,
bg
Twitter:gossettbrandon

Why I was baptized Sunday

On Sunday, September 16th, surrounded by several family members and my community group, I was baptized in my neighbor's pool by a dear brother in Christ.

The decision to be re-baptized was one that I had been wrestling with for quite a while. I've struggled with the fact that I was baptized at a younger age, 13, and did I really grasp what I was doing then. I knew Jesus was good enough to be a "Stay out of Hell" card, but Jesus as my King, well that was a whole other story.

Reflecting on my life, I saw there were extended periods of time that I felt I lived as a Christian. But, there were also long periods of time where every decision I made was based on my own selfish wants and desires.

I abused Grace.

I convinced myself that God had to forgive me, and I would just repent "later". I was playing a game with sin and forgiveness.

I continued to try to live as both one in the "the world" and one as a christian.  The only problem with that is the Bible clearly states this can not be the case. A believer is to be living a life of obedience to Christ, separate from the world, and not a slave to its pursuits and passions.

As I have matured in my faith, I have realized my view of what it means to abide in Christ, my hatred of sin, and my desire to be obedient to Him is vastly different than it was prior to 2010. I can now confidently say that I am a disciple of Jesus, and I long to live a life in accordance with His will.

Below, I've posted what I read to everyone who was a part of my baptism below if interested.

thanks for reading...

peace,

bg

Twitter: @gossettbrandon

My Story: (what I read to everyone in attendance)

By God’s grace, I grew up in a Godly home, where Christ was preached all the time from my parents and grandparents. My parents raised me in a church, and I remember my mom always telling me "God knows your heart." I was baptized at 13 with a belief that Jesus was good enough to be my Savior, but wasn’t good enough to be my King. But God began to change my heart in 2009 and by God’s grace, I repented of my sin, and I submitted to Jesus as my King in 2010. After many months in prayer, reading the Word, conversations with Kim, my community group, and with other godly men, I realized that I had not been living a life that Jesus described as being a true follower of His really until 2010. I believe that God has chosen me and saved me through His grace alone, and I am no longer standing in my sin, but rather in His righteousness, and His payment on the cross and His resurrection has saved me.

Romans 6:1-12 says "What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have been united in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. For one who has died has been set free from sin. Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions. 

So today I desire to be baptized out of obedience to Christ and to tell my family, friends, the church body, and the whole world that because of His life, death, and resurrection, Jesus Christ is my Savior King.

A great question

We are coming to a close in our study of the Gospel of Mark in my community group.  This morning during my quiet time and going through the lesson, the last question was rather difficult:

What difference has Jesus' death on the cross made in your life?

I had to pause, and ask myself, "What difference has it made?" 

Do I live like Jesus' death and resurrection has made a difference in my life?

Can others look at my life and tell it has made a difference?

Do the things I give my life to show it has made a difference?

Do I really understand the profound impact it has on my salvation?  If so, why don't I talk about it more to this world that so desperately needs the Gospel, instead of worrying about rejection?

Am I ever over whelmed by the power of and what really has been accomplished by His death on the cross and His resurrection?

Are the things I'm vocal and passionate about reflect that His death has made a difference?

Do my conversations reflect that my life is different because of it?

Can people I don't even know look at my Facebook and Twitter and see that His death and resurrection have made a difference in my life?

Does the way I spend my time and money reflect it has made a difference?

Do I love others, even those I adamantly disagree with, in a way that reflects it has made a difference in my life?

Do I just do religious routine, or does my worship reflect the power of His death and resurrection?

His final words on the cross were, "It is finished"(John 19:30).  

The Gospel.  

The debt has been paid.  

God's wrath has been satisfied.

This should floor us, draw us to obedience and worship, and truly make a difference in our life.

thanks for reading...

peace,

bg

Twitter: @gossettbrandon

What are you living for?

What are you living for?

Want to know the answer to that question, then look at what you do with your two most valuable resources: your time and your money.

Are you spending these 2 on earthly treasures trying to make your life as safe, pleasurable, and comfortable as you can in this world?  Or, are you spending them on things that are making His glory known and His saving power made among all nations?  

We have the tendency to look at people using their resources for the latter,  the ones building up treasures in heaven, and who sell themselves out for the gospel, and we think they are nuts. We ask them, or more than likely talk behind their backs, why would they leave the comforts of America to go deliver the gospel in some of the toughest areas of the world. We see people risk their reputations, or sacrifice money, gifts, trips, and possessions to making Christ's glory known, and we question their motives.  

But, I believe these kind of feelings should drive us to look into our own hearts and ask...
"Where is my treasure? Am I building up treasures here on earth, or am I building treasures in heaven?"  Jesus tells us, where our treasure is, there our heart will be also. (Matthew 6:19-21)

So, let's look upon the cross and the empty grave, and remind ourselves, He is worthy of giving our lives, our time, and our money.  Earthly treasures pale in comparison to His majesty.  Let's live with minds and hearts focused on building treasures in heaven, not the things of this world.

God, give us grace to see the bigger picture.

thanks for reading. 

Peace,

bg

twitter: @gossettbrandon

Do not love the world, or the things in this world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father  is not in Him. For all that is in this world - desires of the flesh, the desires of the eyes and pride in possessions - is not from the Father, but from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever. - 1 John 2:15-17

Really?

Jesus tells us the greatest commandment is this:
 ...You shall love the Lord God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength..(Mark 12:30)

Do I love Jesus with ALL my heart, with ALL my soul, with ALL my mind, and with ALL my strength? Nope.   Does Jesus really mean "ALL"?  Yep.

Believe me, I love Jesus.  I love Jesus A LOT.  But I don't love Him with ALL that is in me.

Of all the things Jesus taught, He called this the greatest commandment. Why? Jesus knew that when He becomes our All, we would experience true joy and fulfillment, and this would drive us to obedience, a desire to deepen our relationship with Him, and to teach others about Christ.

As Christians, obeying this commandment is a struggle. We really have to ask ourselves some tough questions.  Do we love Jesus with our all? Does Jesus even get part of our love, or is He just something we talk about for 2 hours on Sunday, and then kind of forget about Him until the next week?  Jesus fits nicely in our Sunday morning schedule, but after that, sometimes He just doesn't fit in that well.  And, we can come up with great excuses for not spending time with Christ learning to love Him more; "I'm too busy", "Work is too crazy right now", "My kids have so many activities", "I just need some 'me-time'", "I'm too tired", and on and on.

I believe it's safe to say when we think and talk like this, our hearts do not reflect loving God with our ALL. So, what do we do?

We remind ourselves of the Gospel.  We remind ourselves that He foreknew our shortcomings and still forgives us.

And by reminding ourselves of that, it draws us to love Him more.

I pray that I would come to love Jesus more and more everyday, until that day He makes me new, where I will love Him with ALL my heart and with ALL my soul and with ALL my mind and with ALL my strength for eternity.

thanks for reading.

peace.
bg
Twitter: @gossettbrandon


What prevents you from loving Jesus with your all?

Date your wife

I just finished a great book by Justin Buzzard called, "Date your Wife". This is not a book review by any means (I wouldn't have a clue how to do that anyways), so don't check out just yet!    

What I do have a slight clue about though is learning from past mistakes (because I've made millions).

When Kim and I got married, life was fantastic.  It was like we were still dating, but way better!  I got to go home with this woman every night, nobody to worry about but ourselves, go do whatever we wanted whenever we wanted, sleep as late as we preferred, etc.  It was pretty awesome. 

But then we had kids.  Don't get me wrong I adore my kids.  Outside of my relationship with Christ, my wife and kids are my greatest treasure.  I would die for these 3 people.  

Kids though...well...they change the game a little bit.  

They're demanding.  

They take all your time.  

They zap all your energy.  

I'm ok with that for the most part, except letting all my time disappear and all my energy get zapped brought on other issues.  Big issues.

I didn't guard my heart against neglect of my marriage.  And that responsibility falls on me.  And men, it falls on you.  

Men, we are commanded to be leaders in our marriage.  We are called to love our wife as Christ loved the Church (Ephesians 5).  Let that sink in.  I'm to love my wife like Christ loved the Church? He gave Himself up for His church.  I'm commanded to love my wife like that?

Yes.  I am.

You know who was really bad at following the command to love their wife like that, though? 

>This guy<

I Failed.  Miserably.  

But praise God for the Gospel.  It covers my failures.  It says there is forgiveness, restoration, and redemption at the cross. And God in His infinite mercy and Grace, has blessed my marriage to be even better now (with 2 kids, I might add) than it was in the beginning when I had thought it was at its PEAK! Why? He forgave me. He allowed me to learn from my mistakes.  

And so did Kim.

I learned to love my wife better.  I learned how to better prioritize Kim and her needs. I learned I needed time alone with Kim, (probably more than she needed it with me). And, I'm still learning.  And, I've got a long way to go to be the husband I'm called to be, but I can say I've gotten better.

How did I learn to be a better husband?  I got in the Word. There is NO substitution for this. I got counseling. I watched other men in Godly marriages. I read quality books. "Date your wife" is one of those kinds of books.  It's gospel-centered, and has great practical tips and ideas that are easy to implement.  

So men, get in the Word, and see how we're called to love our wives. Let's spend time with our wife. Get a babysitter and go out.  Go on a trip, just you and your bride. Spoil your wife sometimes.  Let's not just tell her we love her, show her!  

What are some ways you "Date your wife"?

thanks for reading...

peace.

bg

Twitter: @gossettbrandon

We're really good at listening...

We're really good at listening to the Word, especially here in the South.  We love church.  It's a Sunday "must do" without a doubt.  We put on our Sunday best, make sure the kids have the cutest clothes, and out the door we go...Off to church!  Start the day in Sunday school, read a couple verses, have a couple discussion points.  Follow that up with a service where we sing a couple hymns / praise songs, listen to the preacher, maybe even get "moved" by the sermon or music.  As southerners (at least a large percentage of us), listening to the Word on any given Sunday is a part of our culture.

But when it comes to DOING what the Word says....whoa...and, if we're honest with ourselves...we struggle in this department (or at least I do).

James 1:22 says, "Do not merely listen to the Word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says." 

(The phrase, 'and so deceive yourselves', should cause us to raise our eyebrows, but that's for another blog post another time)

Back to the task at hand...

Jesus says in Luke 6:46, "Why do you call me 'Lord, Lord', and not do what I say?"

So why don't we do what the Bible says?  What hinders us?

I saw a great sermon clip one time from Francis Chan about doing what the Bible says.  He used an analogy about telling his daughter to go clean her room.  He said she knows better than to come back to him and say, "Daddy, you told me to clean my room, and I memorized what you said.  And I can say it in the Greek. And now, me and some friends are going to sit around and talk about what it would look like if we went and cleaned my room".  

We would think that's ridiculous if that's what our kids did, right?  And we should.  So, why do we think when it comes to what the Bible says, we can get away with saying that kind of stuff?  Why do we think we can listen to the Word, and not do what we're commanded to do? Yet, we'll quickly throw together a Bible study, small group, or Sunday school class, and really talk about what the Word says.  We'll share on social media how "powerful" a sermon was, talk about "Jesus moving during the service", or "Pastor so and so really brought it this am", etc...  

But, we find ourselves just continuing to sit idly by doing nothing.  Then we go right back to church the next Sunday and go through same religious routine; week after week after week.

In Matthew 28, Jesus says, "Go make disciples of all nations, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you".  

Believers, are we making disciples?  Do we even know what that looks like?  

If we don't know, read the second half of the verse above; teach others what it looks like to follow Jesus.  Show them the Jesus of the Bible; not some middle class American, comfortable, safe, Jesus.  Let's show them what it means to be a disciple of Christ. Show them that He is worth giving our lives for.  Show them the kind of joy and fulfillment in life that comes from being a Christ follower. Let's show them what it means to not just be a listener, but being a DOER of the Word.

thanks for reading...

peace.

bg

Wow, does time fly!

8th grade "Best Dressed"

                                (unfortunately for me, no award for "Best hair".  Could've been a big day)                                           

And now, 21 years later...

"Her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her: 'Many women have done excellently, but you surpass them all.' - Proverbs 31:28-29

I adore this woman. 

People think I'm nuts when I say that in 7th grade math, I knew I wanted a wife like Kim Joiner.    

Sophomore year of college....she finally gave me a chance!  

Got married, thought I had wild oats to sew, but did Kim give up on me...Nope.  She did the exact opposite.  

She prayed for me.  

My wife truly is "far more precious than jewels. (Prov 31:10)". 

Happy 11th Anniversary to my precious wife, and here's to many more!!

peace.

bg

twitter: @gossettbrandon

"What is this "Gospel" you talk about?"

You ever wondered, "If somebody asked me what the Gospel is, could I clearly tell them?"  I was asked that question a couple of years ago, and really had to think to myself, "could I?". 

As Christians, isn't the Gospel the basis of our identity in Christ?  Without the Gospel, there is no Hope found in Jesus. We parade our Christianity around, but could we even define to a nonbeliever, the CORE message of our faith?  We talk in my small group regularly about testing ourselves to be sure we know the Gospel, and can verbalize it.  As believers, we need to be able to convey the Greatest News of all to a world that is in such need of this message.  Jesus's life, death, and resurrection is the ONLY reason we have hope, for He is the ONLY way to the Father (John 14:6).  

The Gospel is not, "God loves you!", "God has a plan for your life!", "Just live by the Golden Rule", or any sort of "do this, do that" message. The root of the Gospel message is that it is DONE! (John 19:30).  Our responsibility is to repent and believe Christ's work is sufficient.

The Gospel is laid out all throughout the Bible, and by no means are these verses below the only places the Gospel is clearly stated, but I most commonly send people to Ephesians 2:1-10 or
1 Corinthians 15:1-4.

If someone asks me, "What's the Gospel?", usually my response is:  Man is separated from God because of sin.  But God in His infinite mercy and Grace has made a way for us to be reconciled to Him, by sending His only Son, Jesus Christ to live the life we couldn't live, to die the death we deserve, rose from the dead conquering sin and death, and when we believe in Him and His Work, we will have eternal life with God, and shall not perish in a Christless eternity.


Do we believe we the Gospel is the greatest news?  How do you verbalize it to people?

thanks for reading...

peace,
bg
Twitter: @gossettbrandon

P.S. Outside of the Bible, I have found some other books that are great resources for helping us clearly state the Gospel.  "What is the Gospel?" by Greg Gilbert (I bought several copies to give to my small group, family and friends), and "The Explicit Gospel" by Matt Chandler and Jared Wilson.

Why Blog?

I'm not really sure why I decided I wanted to start a blog.  I've always enjoyed other people's blogs, and I think the concept is pretty cool. A lot of my friends blog, and are actually really good at it.  I like telling my stories and opinions as much as the next guy; and I enjoy reading others stories and opinions as well.   I love sharing what I learn from other bloggers, especially in the area of theology.  I find myself drawn to many theological blogs, and then sharing them with my family, friends, or small group.  I believe there is a lot to learn from certain blogs, and I appreciate the people that use their blogs to encourage, educate, or make us laugh.

My blog will consist of opinions, lessons learned, thoughts from Scripture/books/sermons, general conversation, rants, and pontifications.  It will also consist of stories about family, friends, my neighborhood, my city, my country, and this world.  I don't expect many, outside of my mom, to read it, but I am excited to see if it's something I like.

I feel like we live in a world where we're all looking for a way to express ourselves and opinions; i.e. note the success of twitter and facebook.  I happen to be one of those people who enjoy being able to express my thoughts, photos, etc to anyone who will listen (or not listen), and to the world of social media (for those of you who know me, I realize this is a very "Captain Obvious" statement).

Plenty of people have told me "everyone is too busy with their own life to care about what's going on in yours", and I agree with that statement to a degree.  Yet every person I know, except my Dad, is on social media.  So I believe within us there is a desire to know what is going on in each others lives. Not only do we like to know what's going on in the world around us, we LOVE to share what's going in ours.

So, when it comes to social media and my love/hate relationship with it, what better way to describe it than with the famous line used by Dan Cathy of Chick fil a last week, "Guilty as charged".  I enjoy social media, yet get frustrated with it all the same. A personal blog is just another avenue for me to express my opinions, thoughts, etc.  I look forward to beginning this process, and if it gets traffic, great, and if not, oh well.

thanks for reading!

peace,

bg