Aaron in Real Life

I think I've discovered the game I hate the very most! Maybe you've played it before? It's called the waiting game. I hate it. My wife Julie and I are now unwilling participants in this devilish game as we wait with overflowing anxiousness for her to go into labor and our son to be born. She's been having a lot of contractions. Alot of them are pretty painful. We've been to the hospital a couple times and sent home just as many times. The last time we went was last Saturday. Her contractions were regular and painful, but not enough. They told Julie and the pain needs to be at least twice what it was then. And her cervix wasn't open enough. Her body just wasn't ready.

Now, we do things just to pass the time. We go on walks, shopping, bumpy car rides, watch movies. Anything to take our minds off of "it." We've looked up and tried just about every way to get her body into labor, but with no success yet. Her due date is not until Jan. 3rd, but she's just done being pregnant. I'm totally ready for her to be done, too. We laugh because Julie has never wanted to be in so much pain before. She wants the pain of labor, because at least that means the pregnancy is almost over and baby Andrew will be here.

Pray with us that Andrew comes soon!!!

This morning I was reminded of something very powerful and very profound.

In church, we started singing a song I don't think I'd heard before. It was by Jonathan Stockstill and the verse went like this:

"Open up the sky
Fall down like rain
We don't want blessings
We want You"

And as Pastor Shawn spoke afterward, God gave him a word for me and our church and that is what I want to share. As Christ followers, believers, Christians (or whatever you want to be called) our pursuit is "to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death" (Phil 3:10). Our focus as a person and as a church should be on God, on Christ alone.

Too often however, our pursuit, our focus, our goal is on the blessings that God gives to us rather than on God Himself. Our focus is on gift rather than on the Giver. We start delving into books like The Prayer of Jabez and focus on what God will give to us. Our worship time is sometimes consumed with "falling out in the Spirit" instead of creating a sweet sound unto God's ear. I remember part of a lecture in college. The professor gave this analogy. Over time people would consider something sacred and holy, so in order to protect it they would build a wall or fence around it. People would come this "holy" site to see the sacred object and worship and pray. More time would pass and the "holy" object inside of the wall or fence was forgotten and the wall itself had become the sacred object. The wall was decorated, ornate, and well kept. The object inside was forgotten, the structure around was now sacred and holy.

How true is that of today's church? Our buildings, our programs, God's blessings are all great things but they are not our focus. Jesus is the "sacred object" surrounded by the walls we have built around Him. Isn't it time that we tear down those walls that we have built around Christ and make Him and Him alone our life's pursuit? I would much rather know Christ.

The truth is that we have all received the ultimate blessing in Christ's death and resurrection. If God gave us nothing else, Jesus' life and death here on earth would be enough.

So think again about this song and sing it with a sincere heart:

"Open up the sky
Fall down like rain
We don't want blessings
We want You"

"Open up the sky
Fall down like fire
We don't want anything
But you"

I hate computer viruses. I also hate that Norton Antivirus didn't protect my computer. I had to re-format my harddrive and reinstall everything. I think I'm finally done.

I found that Windows Live OneCare work pretty good (assuming your running Windows). This blog is pretty lame, but it's all I have time for right now. Life is definitely busy. October is already gone!

I wanted to post an email that my wife sent me. She is pregnant and recently has been tested for gestational diabetes. Her first test results were high, so they had her come back last Friday for addtional testing. The test involved fasting (difficult for any pregnant woman to do) and a lot of blood being drawn. Here is the results:

Guess who passed their glucose test with flying colors??...... ME! Dr. Abbey said that my levels were great on all 4 tests. Amazing. What is even more amazing is that I was talking to my mom… and she said that her mom, and she both had Gestational Diabetes (which I knew) but on top of that Grandpa Q’s mom had it… and actually ended up with full blown diabetes, and Grandpa Q has diabetes. And then my Dad has diabetes too. But I don’t!! I totally dodged the bullet with this one. I’m amazed with all that family history that I didn’t get it. God’s got his plan!

God is amazing!!! Miracles still happen!!!

I have recently been offered something pretty profound and challenging. I can't mention what it is yet, but it is something that is very close to my heart. It is something that I'm not sure that I am qualified for to be quite honest. But, the people that have offered it to me believe that I can and that is a very encouraging thing.

I will blog more about it as soon as I am able. All I ask is that you pray for direction and God's will to supersede any presuppositions that there might be.

Today, Pastor Shawn preached the 2nd sermon on UnChristian. It was quite biting and challenging. He dealt with the issue of hypocrisy.

This is one of the major "image" issues that the church has today. We as Christians have cast an image to the world around as not doing what we say everyone else should do. We tell the world that marriage is sacred and divorce is ungodly, yet the divorce reate of "christians" is higher than the world's. We lie, cheat, and steal yet tell everyone the Ten Commandments are not suggestions.


The only way to combat the image the church world has on "outsiders" is to change our image. One person, one church at a time. Check out Pastor Shawn's sermon here and tell me what you think.


http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/780741

As for the book. I have read some more and it's quite interesting. I'll blog more about it later.

My wife and I just went and saw the new movie Fireproof on Tuesday. The movie is from the same people and church that made Facing the Giants.

Aside from the obvious bad acting in some of the scenes (most of the actors are not "professional" actors) the movie was very good. It brought together aspects and teachings from the Bible and also from 2 other books that I've read, Love and Respect and The 5 Love Languages. The latter 2 books are great reads and useful for any married couple or couple looking to get married.


The movie tells the story of a young couples struggle in marriage. The husband is a firefighter who is addicted to internet porn, expects his wife to do everything around the house, and is verbally abusive. The wife works in public relations at a local hospital, expects her husband to be a help around the house, and looks for love and quality time with other people outside of her marriage.

The husband (by the way, played by none other than Kirk Cameron) is challenged by his father to a love dare. He must do what is told to him by a hand-written book his father gave him everyday for 40 days. At the end of the 40 days, the marriage may be saved. But only through the acceptence of Jesus as his savior and through God's forgiveness can the marriage be saved. The husband must do all he can to save the marriage and make it "fireproof."



The movie has an outstanding message, especially for a world so quick to divorce at the first signs of marital strife. Check out the movie for yourself and find out. Take someone with you.


Fireproof = B+

This week, my pastor began a sermon series entitled and based upon the book Unchristian. I have yet to start reading the book, but plan to this week. Basically what I have understood so far is that we as Christians, evangelicals in particular, have an extreme image problem. The world hates us because we essentially have hated them. The world distrusts us because we have not given them anything to trust. The world see us an homophobic, hypocritical, judgemental, too political, and users of people and resources because that is the exact image we have given them to see. Instead of being united in faith, we divide ourselves and wage war against other local churches in the name of "numbers." We're seen as seekers of converts and money instead of loving and genuine people who want to share our lives with one another.



A Christian is a "Christ follower" or someone who is "Christ-like." Christians should be "Jesus with skin on." Instead, we are no different than those whom we condemn, look down upon, cast aside, or disregard. The truth is that we are guilty on all charges. Maybe not every single individual christian, but Christians as a whole are guilty of pushing away the very world that we are mandated to reach with the gospel of Jesus Christ. We have relegated the "good news" of Jesus to a simple conversion experience when God specifically commanded us to make disciples. We have relegated the "good news" of Jesus to a message that is either shunned, disheartening, guilt ridden, too lofty to attain, offensive, or all of the above.



The sad part is, most Christians are shocked to hear that this is what the world thinks of us. It's also sad because most Christans probably don't even recognize the very thing we have become. The Bible says to love the Lord and to love others and that the world will recognize us because of our love for each other. To quote the Black Eyed Peas, "where is the love?" Where is the love that Jesus tells us we should have when we go to work everyday and see the same people everyday and have the same meaningless conversations everyday and yet say nothing about the love that Christ has for them. Most of us don't care because our "ticket" is already punched. Is it really?



Our actions speak much louder than our words. Our actions as Christians is one of the most undermining aspects of our movement. The world sees us a hypocritical because our words say one thing, but we live another. Who have you and I given Christianity a bad name to because of how we acted? Who have I turned away from God in the name of being "right" instead of "righteous?"



This is simply food for thought. You can agree or disagree. I will post more after I read more, but it's definitely something to think about.

http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/780976

• Is this bailout really going to affect any change? My sister-in-law still lost her job along with 159,000 others. Michigan is in it's worst financial state ever. The bailout raises my taxes and millions of others just so we can pay for the mistakes of greedy corporations that took advantage of millions of people who many unwittingly overextended themselves. I have no doubt that our courts are going to be flooded with more and more bankruptcy filings in the next couple years.


• Is anyone else as confused as I am over who to vote for as President this November? McCain/Palin or Obama/Biden? Both have pros and cons. Both promise change and reformation in Washington and how this country is run. I'm not generally Democrat or Republican. All I ask of myself and others is that we pray and truly seek the wisodm of God. This election is huge for all of us. Check this out.


• What would chairs look like if our knees bent the other way?


• Since baseball is played outside, why is it segmented into 9 "innings" and not 9 "outings?" I guess in any pro sport, no athlete wants to be involved in an "outing."


• Was O.J. Simpson convicted on the current charges against him or did the jury really have an agenda? The jury deliberated 13 hours and found him guilty on 12 charges which could land him in prison for life. He was found guilty exactly 13 years to the day of his being acquitted in the murder trail of his wife and her friend. Coincidence?

I think I've figured out the one thing that I really don't like about pregnancy: False Labor. Yesterday, Julie started feeling contractions for the first time. We both had read a little bit on what is called Braxton-Hicks contractions. Basically what they are is the woman's body "practicing" for the real thing. The uteris will contract some and strengthen to be ready for the real thing when it comes along. All of the books we read said the these practice contractions are usually not painful and usually don't occur more than a couple times. They can be caused by stress, dehydration, and a variety of other reasons. Well, Julie had 4 painful ones in less than an hour. So, she called her doctor and told her. The doctor said, "Don't go to the hospital tonight, go RIGHT NOW!" So, we packed a couple things and headed to Providence Southfield. Our usual hospital is new and not equipped for baby delivery this early in a pregnancy (Julie is only 26 weeks).

There were so many things going through my mind on that drive. What if he's born tonight? What if there's something wrong with him? What if something happens to Julie? Am I ready to be a father right now? What if something happens to both of them? What if they make me choose between the two of them? I really was thinking and preparing myself for the worst. If Andrew had been born last night, he would have been 14 weeks early. He would have had to stay in the hospital in the ICU for 14 weeks so that his body could finish developing. I can't say that I would have had the strength to go through something like that.

But thank God, none of my fears came true. Julie is fine. Andrew is fine. God is great and still on the throne!

If you haven't seen this on YouTube yet, then check this out. I crack up everytime I see it.

With the soon arrival of my baby boy (Andrew David Sexton), I have thought a lot about how miraculous humanity really is. Mark 10:8 keeps going through my mind: "and the two will become one flesh.' So they are no longer two, but one." (read all of Mark 10 for context).

Now I know that this verse is dealing with marriage and divorce, but it triggered an amazing thought. Something that I had never really thought about until now. The verse says that the man and woman in marriage will become one flesh. The miracle that I am in amazement over is the creation of a new human being, a little baby. A baby (or all humans for that matter) are half their mother and half their father. Everyone has 13 chromosomes from each parent for a total of 26. This is where this verse in Mark 10 came to mind. Literally, a man and woman become one flesh in the form of their offspring.

When I have the opportunity to look into the eyes of my baby boy I will see myself and my wife at the same time. Sure he may have more physical traits from me or Julie, but my wife and I have become one flesh in the form of Andrew. It is such a miracle and an amazing thing to know how God designed humanity to operate. Mark 10:8 has a new meaning to me now. It may not be theologically correct, but I see a figurative and literal meaning in it now that I didn't see before.

Food for thought I guess. I love God and I love His amazing creation and I love how He designed us.

Detroit Lions fans, you have finally gotten your wish. Matt Millen is gone. I haven't heard whether if he was fired or if he resigned. But the good news is that he is gone.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=3606294

Something said in the sermon this morning at my church triggered something in my soul.

Acts chapter 1 tells of Jesus' last words to his disciples before ascending to heaven. He tells them to wait for the Holy Spirit and that when the Holy Spirit comes upon them that they will become His witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. Then we read in Acts chapter 2 of the Holy Spirit coming upon the disciples and they begin to change the world for Jesus. They did it at any cost, even when it cost them their own lives.

But in today's world, being pentecostal is a bit exclusive. The day of Pentecost in the Bible was the springboard to the apostles reaching out to anyone and everyone with the gospel of Jesus Christ. Today, people associate being pentecostal with being crazy, snaking handling, tongue-talking, and everything else. When was the last time you were in or heard of a church small group consisting of non-denominational, baptist, pentecostal, lutheran, etc people. Why are we only reaching people that have our exclusive theology or at least are willing to accept it. Why not reach everyone? Why are we trying to snatch people from other churches when so many countless others are lost and don't even know it?

Our message doesn't need to be pentecostal, but anycostal. As the apostle Paul wrote, "I have become all things to all men so that by all means I may save some." We as Christians needs to become adaptive, accepting, and outgoing. Lets use the pentecostal filling of the Holy Spirit as it was meant to be used; to be anycostal. Reaching people even if it means my own ego is hurt. If it means spending some of my own money. If it means going outside of my comfort zone. If it means setting aside my theological predispositions and assumptions. Even if it means not getting any glory, adoration, acknowledgement, or reward for myself. Because reaching people is not about me, but about them. Let's reach people with the power of anycost.