What's so good about Good Friday?

My brother-in-law recently celebrated his birthday on the same day that Mother was going in for heart surgery. I remember thinking about that while she was in the operating room and he and I were standing in the hallway just waiting. My thought was that if my mom were to pass away, then for the rest of my brother-in-laws life, he would always be reminded of the tragedy of her death on his birthday.

On the same note my friend Jay Barker (roll tide!) and his wife had their first child on Sept. 11th. Yes, THE Sept. 11th. For the rest of the Barker’s life they will always celebrate a birthday on a day associated with so much death.

Much in the same way, Good Friday is a day full of sorrow and joy. A day full of death and birth. Today we ponder and reflect on the death of Jesus all the while recognizing that it was his death and resurrection that gives life. It was on this day that Jesus died, so that we can be born again. At first glance there is nothing good about this day. Jesus was wrongly tried and condemned, mocked, beaten, starved, and ridiculed, only to be taken to a hill and hung. The day became night, and darkness came with death, but that's not where the story ends. If the story ended there, there would be nothing good about this Friday. The rest of the story is what happened on Sunday. Death could not keep him. The tomb that Christ’s dead body was placed in was empty. The Savior is alive. Resurrected. Death became life, and a very bad Friday, became a good one indeed.

Maybe you're reading this blog and you’re going through a bad Friday marriage. Nothing about your marriage feels good right now. Then I say, hold on. Sunday is coming. Let the risen Savior resurrect your marriage. Maybe it’s your job, your thoughts, your friendships, your kids...whatever it might be, hang on and let resurrection power make a bad Friday, a good one...

Today we celebrate more than a historical event, but one that gives us hope for every dark Friday of our lives.

Season to Fast

I just spent the past weekend in Paducah, KY doing a Deeper weekend with good friends Todd Agnew, the boys from Big Daddy Weave and Chris Davis. They ushered us time and time again into the presence of God with amazing worship, and I attempted to challenge and equip the students to go deeper with their faith through spiritual disciplines.

I have to say that I’ve grown quite fond of Paducah. The great folks at First Baptist Church invited me to their community about six months ago, and since then I’ve wanted to return as quickly as I could. Deeper Encounter gave me that very chance. If you’re ever driving through this part of our country, you have to stop in downtown Paducah – it’s full of eclectic shops and cobblestone streets. The city center even comes with its own restaurants full of ghosts and corky history! Probably the most mind-blowing thing about Paducah has to be the Four Rivers Performing Arts Center. Think Carnegie Hall but with a friendlier staff plus, it’s right smack-dab in Bluegrass Country!

Pray for the nearly 1,000 people involved in this past weekends’ Deeper. Pray that God will use the next 40 days to do an amazing work in the life of each individual who took on a season of fasting.