Jason Hayes

The Great Work of God: Rain

Seems like we've had our share of rain here in Nashville recently.  I try to never let the miracle of that happening slip by me too quickly.  Here's one of the best articles I've ever read to remind us of the great work of God, even in the things we often deem as simple or common. 

Is rain a great and unsearchable wonder wrought by God? Picture yourself as a farmer in the Near East, far from any lake or stream. A few wells keep the family and animals supplied with water. But if the crops are to grow and the family is to be fed from month to month, water has to come on the fields from another source. From where?

Well, the sky. The sky? Water will come out of the clear blue sky? Well, not exactly. Water will have to be carried in the sky from the Mediterranean Sea, over several hundred miles and then be poured out from the sky onto the fields. Carried? How much does it weigh? Well, if one inch of rain falls on one square mile of farmland during the night, that would be 27,878,400 cubic feet of water, which is 206,300,160 gallons, which is 1,650,501,280 pounds of water.

That's heavy. So how does it get up in the sky and stay up there if it's so heavy? Well, it gets up there by evaporation. Really? That's a nice word. What's it mean? ...  (John Piper, www.desiringgod.org)

Read the rest HERE. 

Grappling

Depth isn’t limited exclusively to pure Bible knowledge.  It’s about truly grappling with and striving to process information, decisions, and choices in a way that honors God.  Depth means learning about God as you simultaneously learn more about yourself and this world. 

John Calvin once said, "Nearly all the wisdom we process, that is to say, true and sound wisdom consists in two parts: the knowledge of God and of ourselves. But, while joined together by many bonds, which one precedes and brings forth the other is not easy to discern."

A Call To Reverence

Although I obviously affirm the idea that God knows us personally, we must not lose sight of the need for reverence.  God is not our co-pilot.  In addition, Jesus is not our homeboy.  Through the redeeming blood of Christ, we find communion with the Father. He knows us deeply and we can know Him deeply as well. However, we are not coequals with God, and our relationship with Him is different than any human relationship.  All too often we treat God just like He’s a buddy that we hang out with on Friday nights. Here's the problem: Our buddies are not omniscient, omnipresent, or omnipotent. Yes, we can know Him intimately, but let us never lose sight of His deity in the process.

Q&A Journey Continues ... "Ed Stetzer"

I launched my not-so-impressive blog tour of Blemished last week.  You can see that first video and my explanation for doing this HERE.  This week, however, we have a new victim ... I mean, friend.  Thanks so much to "Ed Stetzer" and the real Ed Stetzer.  He said some kind things and posted about the "interview" HERE.

Due In August

Carrie and I are excited to announce that we are expecting our next child in August.  We couldn't be more excited!  Thanks for the kind words and warm wishes that we've already been receiving.  We greatly value your prayers in the days ahead. 

I Agree. Do You?

J. Oswald Sanders said, "Perhaps the most strategic and fruitful work of modern missionaries is to help leaders of tomorrow develop their spiritual leadership."  Do you agree?  I do.

Research Made Visual

For those of you interested in some of the research in Lost and Found, you should check out THIS NEW PAGE at the Threads site.  We've done our best to bring this data to life.  I think you will enjoy it.  Huge thanks to the folks who made this happen.  Below is a video that you'll see on the page. 

 

Threads Research from threadsmedia on Vimeo.

Discover The Undiscovered - Part 2

I told you about all the fun and exciting stuff that we've found at our new house.  Now, it's only fair to tell you about the not-so-pleasant things.  The list could go on and on, but I'll limit it to just a few.  We could start with the multiple layers of wallpaper hidden under the paint.  I could also tell you about the thousands of black walnuts falling from the trees in our yard.  Or maybe I should tell you about this weekend's discovery of possums living under our shed on the back of our property.  Nice, huh?

And while these discoveries aren't necessarily enjoyable, they are important.  It's vital that I continue to know every detail of this house and land in order that I can then take the appropriate steps towards improving it.

What things are you overlooking everyday that might not be pleasing to deal with but must be addressed?

Is it organizational dysfunction?  Is it turmoil or fear?   Is it something that happened in the past?  What is it?

It's time to discover the undiscovered. 

Discover The Undiscovered

As we continue to renovate our home, I am constantly finding interesting little quarks about the house or even small "treasures" around our property.  Several weeks ago I found the original cabinet doors in the attic.  A few days after that, I randomly found a big conch shell buried in the flower bed.  Last week, I rinsed off a bunch of old pennies that were sitting on a shelf in the garage.  And to my pleasant surprise, I looked on-line yesterday and noticed that one of those coins was somewhat valuable.  

With all of these finds,  it has been more about the discovery than any actual monetary value.  There is something exhilarating about discovering something of value that has been so close to you without you knowing it.  Now, take time to consider what valuable "treasure" is sitting undiscovered right around you.

Is it a strong leader?  An amazing idea?  A great friend?  A new business plan?  A ministry opportunity?

It's time to discover the undiscovered.

 

A Valentine's Day Poem

Roses are red,
violets are blue. 
I don't need to be blogging today,
and neither do you.

I'm checking out and focusing on my amazing wife and son.  Be back on Monday.  Happy Valentine's Day!