Plan Your Weekend with the JHHT Weekend Planner

Plan Your Weekend!

Plan Ahead

• Smyrna's Depot Market starts on June 9, 8AM to Noon, For More Info

Murfreesboro

• Summer Concert Series featuring Grizzly Goat, Friday, June 1st at Barfield Crescent Park, 6-8 PM, $free For More Info 
• Movie Under the Stars, Tuesday, June 5th at Cannonsburgh, showing Paddington 2, 8:30 PM, $free For More Info
• Movie Under the Stars, Monday, June 4th at Barfield Crescent Park, showing Paddington 2, 8:30 PM, $free For More Info
• Boro Bites and Brews, Saturday, June 02, 6:00 PM - 9:00 PM, $35 online For More Info
• Carwash for Siegel High Band Sat, Jun 2, O’Reily Auto Parts on Memorial Blvd. 11:00 AM 
• Stones River National Battlefield Lantern Tour, reservations required, 7:30 PM, $free For More Info
• Murfreesboro Farmers Market, Saturday, June 2, 8AM till Noon For More Info

Smyrna

• Open House at 209 Orchard Valley Drive in Smyrna, 2-4 PM, Come See Brett at this Awesome Listing! For More Info
• Simply Smyrna Celebration, June 2nd at Historic Depot, live music-food-wine tasting, 5-10 PM, $free For More Info
• Sam Davis Home School of the Soldier, June 4-8, live life like a period soldier, 8AM-4PM, ages 7-14, $150 For More Info
• Summer Safari Camp at SOAC, June 4-8, 8AM till Noon, $75, For More Info
• Please Note that the Taste of Smyrna planned for June 1st at Stone Crest Hospital has been cancelled

LaVergne

• LaVergne Farmer's Market at City Hall, Tuesday, June 5th, 3-7 PM For More Info

Nashville

• 7th Annual Brew at the Zoo, Friday, June 1st, Nashville Zoo, over 100 craft beers on tap, 6:30-11 PM, $65 For More Info
• 222nd Birthday of Tennessee, Friday, June 1st at Bicentennial Mall Park, 9:30AM-3 PM, birthday cake, living history, activities, $free For More Info
• Musicians Corner at Centennial Park, Friday, June 1st, 5-9 PM and Saturday, June 2nd, Noon-6 PM, live music, $free For More Info
• Evening Big Band Dance, Saturday, June 2nd at Centennial Park, $free For More Info

Other Areas

·  Concerts in The Caverns, Friday, June 8th (and throughout the summer), Pelham, TN, Prices Vary For More Info

·  Live Music at Picker's Creek Winery, Saturday, June 2, 6-9 PM, Lewisburg, TN, $free For More Info

Click this link to view the weekend weather forecast:

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Click to play this video.

They

I'm struggling with something this morning, so, of course, I am going to turn to my blog and then post it on Facebook as this is the source of all wisdom. I'm struggling with how I feel about the people at the top of the off ramp at Medical Center. It seems like there are 4-5 different ones that rotate. It's not just them though, its everyone standing on a ramp, corner, whatever, holding a sign asking for money.

Part of me says "get a job!!" Part of me says, "Giving them a dollar will in no way cause me any troubles, go ahead and give."

Part of me is quite prejudiced. I "prejudge" what they will do with the money. "Probably just go buy alcohol or drugs," I say to myself. "Tough love to not give them money." Another part of me says, "that is stupid. They are stuck in such a dark place that they can only survive by soliciting money on an interstate ramp."

Still another part of me is just uncomfortable. "Those people" remind me just how privileged I am. Yes, I worked hard to get where I am. Yes, I earned a lot and yes I made good decisions that got me here. BUT, I was also blessed with great parents, a great wife, a fantastic up-bringing, amazing teachers, abilities and gifts from our creator and much more. I have been blessed by family members that were frugal and smart and left legacies. I acknowledge that everything I have did NOT just come from me. "They" remind me that not everyone has it as good as I do. "They" remind me that I could have been in their shoes with just a few decisions going the other way. "They" bring up guilt, compassion, introspection. "They" make me uncomfortable in my nice car, headed to my nice office, having left my nice home in my nice clothes.

So I ignore them. 99.9% of the time I ignore them. I consciously look straight ahead or make sure I am a lane of traffic away from them at the red light. Maybe if I don't look, they will just go away. I secretly breath a sigh of relief when I pull up and "they" aren't there. "Whew, I can get through the red light without feeling bad."

I know this is not what God wants. Matthew 25:31-46. I am ignoring God. Giving to "these people" is an act of love. It is giving of myself to someone in a worst position. It doesn't matter how they got there. It doesn't even matter what they do with the love I give them. How often do I not do the right thing with the love God gives me. I need to share with "them." I need to minister to "them." When I say "minister," I don't mean preach, I mean help. They don't need church. They don't need programs. They need help. They need the Jesus that was in John 8:1-11.

So how do I do it? Do I hand each of "them" a buck? Do I put them in my car and buy them a burger? I don't know yet. I don't know what the "best" answer is. I think I can start by NOT ignoring them.

What do you think?
What do you do?

Great Homes Available in Smyrna!

Hey Everyone!

Look at these two great homes available in Smyrna!

6021 Inglewood Dr
$295,000
MLS 1518187
3,175 sqft 
3 bed/3 bath

110 Bonifay Dr
$299,999
MLS 1565059
3,030 sqft

4 bed/3.5 bath

Adventure

From time to time I get to help people that are making a big move. Sometimes it is their job relocating them to another state. Sometimes it is family. Sometimes it is just a need for change or some other attraction to another location. Whatever it is, I always have a slight tinge of jealousy.

I like trying new places. We moved to Atlanta for one year and I loved the challenge of learning a new place,  making new friends, exploring, etc. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE where I live and, especially now with family, don't intend on moving somewhere else. Even so, I would love to try some different places, if only for a short-long term (like 6 months or something). I would love to live in a big city like New York or Chicago. I would love to live somewhere "paradisey" like in the Caribbean. I would love to live somewhere super historic like Rome or London. I would love to live somewhere totally laid back too like Northern California. I would also love to try somewhere totally remote--Montana or in the desert in New Mexico or Arizona. I know it will likely not ever happen that I get to actually live in all these places but it is nice to dream.

What about you? You may love where you live (I know I do) but where else, if given the opportunity, would you want to live or at least "try out" on a semi-long term basis?

Under 200K in Smyrna

Hello Everyone! I have been searching for homes in Smyrna under $200,000 and though they are going quickly I found a couple of great ones left! Take a look at what I found!

106 Springfield Dr
$194,900
2,156 sq ft
3 bed, 2.5 bath

722 Williamsburg Dr

$189,000
1,939 sq ft
3 bed, 2 bath

5026 Mary Ellen Cir

$199,900

2,381 sq ft

3 bed, 2.5 bath

Encouragement

Got a little note from someone at church today that saw something good I was doing that I did not expect anyone to see. The note basically said, "thanks for all you do, you are valuable and I noticed." Nothing terribly flowery or overly poetic. Nothing too mushy. Nothing long winded. It was short and to the point and the point was, I saw you doing something great and wanted to thank you for it. It was one of the nicest notes I've received in a long time.

Now don't misunderstand, I am not fishing for a compliment or wanting people to see how great I am or anything like that. I am commenting more on the person that A) noticed someone doing something great behind the scenes and then B) took the time to tell them about it. It's rare. I want to be that person. I want to notice people when they don't necessarily want to be noticed and I want to be the person that takes the time to tell them. But, of course, like so many of us, I have excuses. I am too busy, I am too tired. I don't know that person. Blah, blah, blah. Bottom line, I am too selfish. If I want to do that, it is a noble cause--one worth undertaking. I should do it. You should too.

It doesn't have to be something as complicated as a note. Try noticing the checkout person at Kroger. Try noticing the bank teller. Try noticing the person at Hardee's. Tell them thank you and mean it. They can tell. Try noticing your kids. Try noticing the neighbor kids or the church kids. When they are well behaved, tell them so. If they say something intelligent, tell them you are impressed. Take the time to be an encourager. You never know when people will truly need it.

Disconnecting

Last week Cindy and the kids and I went to Canada with another family from church and 6 college kids. We went up to a lovely place called Vineland, Ontario to help some other friends of ours with their church's VBS (they call it Bible Day Camp). It was a fantastic trip. I was able to unplug from work a bit (I only worked about 10 hours last week instead of my normal 70-80).

One thing that happened though, that I did not expect, was the difficulty I had staying connected. I knew that my cell carrier would charge extra for service but I did not expect to have a tough time getting to a WiFi hotspot that was reliable. The dorm we stayed in did not have it. The church we spent a lot of time at had WiFi but it was SLOW. There was one cafe that had a reliable connection but we could only get there super early in the morning or later at night. I am used to being connected constantly. When I first realized the situation, I was pretty freaked out--"What am I going to do? The world is going to melt down!! All my clients are going to fire me!!"

Then I took a deep breath and realized Taylore is competent and will be able to handle most things. Not to mention that a lot of the "emergencies" in my life can wait a few hours. I started to calm down. Then I started to have fun. It was so relieving to unplug and disconnect for a while.

After getting back home, I realized just how important it is to do that from time to time. Part of the problem is ego, I had to realize that I am not important enough that people would miss me during a 24 hour stint. Another part is that I started telling people about it a few weeks before so the expectation was set that I may not be overly reachable. Finally, I had someone to back me up (thanks Taylore). It was a healthy reminder for me and was very good for me to exercise letting go for a week. I really need to do it more often. If you are in a high stress, high demand job, I highly encourage you to unplug, disconnect from time to time. It's good for the soul.

It Takes A Team

Real estate is an interesting gig. Most Realtors go get their license, they hang it at the first office they find and they expect to start selling houses. They forget about lots of the other parts. The prospecting, the continual learning, the let downs, the fact that almost everyone already knows at least one Realtor. They also forget to build a team around them.

Now I'm not talking about the "team" concept that some Realtors use where there is one "superstar" Realtor and a bunch of other Realtors under that person all using his or her name. I mean a team of professionals that support the transaction in a variety of roles. A good real estate team should consist, at a MINIMUM, of a great lender or 3, a great title company or 2, an excellent home inspector, a small army of contractors in multiple fields--including at least 3 or 4 reliable "handy men" and an insurance expert.

Realtors have to have their "go to" people in all these areas. They need to be able to trust the service providers to ALWAYS deliver to at least the same standard as they would themselves. When the Realtor refers that service provider, the provider is, essentially, an extension of the Realtor. If that provider messes up, it absolutely looks bad on the Realtor.

Does your Realtor have a team? Can your Realtor get anything done? Does your Realtor get stuff done? Is your Realtor the person to call when you need a great referral for some type of service? If the answer to any of these questions is "no", then you should reconsider sticking with your Realtor.

Starter Homes in Murfreesboro

Hey guys!

Today I wanted to do a search on starter homes in the Blackman area of Murfreesboro- check out what I found!



3144 Wellington Pl
1,605 sq ft
3 bed, 2 bath, 1 half
$167,500

1533 Quantum Ct
2,190 sq ft
4 bed, 3 bath
$167,900

1817 Saint Andrews Dr
1,799 sq ft
3 bed, 3 bath
$168,000

What is Justice?

2 years ago a mother in my town of Smyrna fell asleep and let her 3 year old and 2 year old get out of the house and into a broken down car. They shut the door and died because of the heat. These poor kids died a horrible, painful, excruciating death because of their mother's exceptionally gross negligence. She was sentenced yesterday. She plead guilty and received 16 years. Of that 16, she will serve 8 but can actually serve less based on "good behavior" or whatever they do for parole. 

The Facebook jury was outraged and is still speaking. Let me tell you, some of the comments far exceed the measure of decorum one would expect from civilized people. Now, before you jump all over me for "being on her side", hear me (or should I say, "read me") out. 

Is it really possible for justice to be served in this case? 

If the mother had been given the electric chair and killed the next day, would that be justice? Some would say no she did not have the opportunity to experience enough grief or be haunted long enough.

If she had been given a life sentence, would that be justice? Some would say no because she gets to live on our dime for the rest of her life. 

If she would have been sentenced to die the same way her kids died, would that be justice? Some would say no because there were two of them and she can't die twice. Plus, that doesn't bring the babies back.

I read several comments that say she has no remorse. We can't know that. I read some comments that alluded to vigilante justice, that just puts blood on someone else's hands. I read some that called this woman all kinds of names from "crackhead" to "hooker". None of that is substantiated nor is it constructive. Of course the woman's mother was in the interview and did not help matters with her idiotic comment that it wouldn't have happened if it was cool outside. 

Bottom line is this, there is no way for justice to be served--period. It doesn't matter what you do to this woman, the babies are gone and they died way more horribly than I would wish upon anyone else. It is a tragedy, an avoidable tragedy. 

The best thing for the community to do is to remember that it happened and educate people so that it never, ever happens again. In the meantime, let our "justice" system work, broken though it may be, and pray for this woman, her family and anyone that knew the babies. Pray for them all to heal, to repent, to gain perspective and to perhaps, somehow, redeem this situation. Maybe she can go on to share her story with expectant mothers as a means of communicating the need for vigilance and responsibility. I know that is far-fetched but you never know. Either way, stop trying to make sense of it and exact justice. It can't be done.

Follow Up

Follow up is probably one of the most difficult things for people in a service oriented industry. We get busy following leads and forget to go back to the prospects that aren't making a lot of noise. Those prospects, however, are the future clients. I know it is hard to remember to keep in touch and incubate all those leads. I certainly don't have a great system for it. I wish I did.

It is also hard to remember to follow up on all the things you say you will do or "get around to".  If you are like me you have an infinite list of things you want to do, maybe chores or projects around the house, maybe trips you want to take, maybe things you want to tell people, who knows. If you are like me, you also forget about more of these things than you actually accomplish. It is frustrating, you know.

Please share some tips and tricks you use to keep up with all your follow up and your ever expanding to do list.

PS--one bit of follow up, the situation I wrote about last week--resolved--mutually beneficial. Thanks for the prayers if you offered them up for me and my clients.

Writer's Block

I don't know that I truly consider myself a writer. I do write regularly. I do have some people that read it but I certainly don't do much to hone my craft. I am not purposeful about getting better. I don't seek publicity with it or even really worry about how many people read it. I write because it feels good. I write because I like opening up conversations and giving people things to think about. I write because I like to think. So, it is kind of interesting when I run into writer's block. Part of me says, "Jonathan, you have to come up with a topic, your public depends on it." Another part of me says, "That is stupid. You don't have a public." So, I missed last week--and I felt guilty. I don't have a ton to write about this week--and I feel guilty.

The truth is, I am in the middle of the most difficult transaction I have ever been in. Both sides have dug lines in the sand and, quite frankly, I am on the "losing" side this time. I'm not used to that. It all kind of culminates today and I have been nervous for the past week. I've been praying like crazy and have been losing sleep. I'm ready for it to be over but I am far from giving up. It has completely consumed me for the past week. the crazy part is, its not a deal where I make a ton of money or anything. Its just a situation where, if it goes one way, my clients lose--big time. If it goes the other way, everyone wins. It is so incredibly one sided, I have actually thought to myself "its unfair." And that is almost never something I think. The one silver lining is that I have discovered a few people that are truly reliable and helpful. Its good to know who those people are.

Do me a favor and pray for me today. Pray for my clients and pray for a peaceful, mutually beneficial resolution to this ordeal. I appreciate it. I will always return the favor.

Available for 200-250k in Smyrna

Happy Tuesday!

There are definitely a shortage of homes out there- but I found several great ones available in Smyrna in the $200-250,000 range...take a look!

1600 Harrow Ct
$216,000
4/2/1

2009 W McLaughlin St
$229,900
3/2

4105 Oakstone Dr
$249,900
4/2/1

Have a great day!!

Significance

I can't believe I entirely missed writing a blog last week. And I am a day late this week! Needless to say it has been extremely busy around here. I currently have 10 contracts pending and am working with several buyers and a few new listings. Plus it is the end of the school year for Jonas and, thus, there are all kinds of events at his school. Plus we are planning the summer for the college ministry. Plus I am helping them head up a class at church. Plus, plus, plus!!

I am going to take a break from my series on pop culture Christian lies and look today at something I have been tuning into lately.

Almost all of us have a tendency to forget our place in the world. Since we live inside ourselves, we are each, by default the most important person in our own world. I have seen more and more people that lose sight of the bigger picture. I don't know if there truly are more people with a very, very small world view or if I am growing my world view to the point where I notice everyone else's more. Hard to say. Could be both, I suppose. The point is this, I am insignificant. You are insignificant. At the same time, you and I are both extremely significant. It is an odd but true dichotomy.

I have really started seeing this on a very small level. You go to a restaurant and raise cain because someone forgot to bring you some bread. Perhaps they forgot because the kitchen messed up someone else's order and they were busy figuring out how to help. You are driving and you honk at someone at a red light because they are turned around messing with a kid in the back seat. Is your extra 30 seconds really worth them ignoring the kid that just dropped its drink and is screaming? You go to Kroger and the checkout person isn't the most friendly person you've ever met. Is it worth telling the manager that the person was unfriendly? Did you know that person has a grandparent on hospice right now and they were at the bedside until 3 AM?

See what I mean, we forget, no ignore, the fact that everyone else is significant, exists outside of our little world and has their own set of issues. We demand service or some kind of attention like it is our right. We forget that, really, we are insignificant and, really, that small piece of bad service is highly insignificant. Thus we are all significant and insignificant at the same time.

My goal, upon realizing this and tuning into it, is to be a catalyst for good. Instead of getting upset at the unfriendly checker-outer, be kind to them. My goal is to be as jovial and kind as possible to the people that everyone else dumps on. I want to try to make them feel significant and appreciated instead of feel like a servant. I want to serve them so they can better serve others. That is significant. That will help the world.

I don't know that I did a good job explaining my views on how individual people are significant and simultaneously insignificant. Why don't you try? First, do you agree? Second, how would you explain it?

Murfreesboro Condos

Good afternoon! 

There are so many condos being built all over in Murfreesboro and if you want low maintenance and community amenities- this might be the way to go for you! Take a look at some of the ones available!

903 Thunder Gulch Way

1532363

$154,900

1,642 sq ft

3bed/2bath/1half

714 Village Green Circle

1535241

$165,000

1,752 sq ft

2bed/2bath

234 Danoher Walk1531445$199,9002,169 sq ft3bed/3bath

Christians Must Stand Up For Themselves in Society

So I wrote this on Thursday and forgot to post it!! It's been a crazy few days. I will write about that in a week or two. Anyway, sorry for the delay, here it is.

Have you noticed that Christians tend to get pushed around in our culture a bit? If we speak out against any prominent figure for a public sin, we are intolerant bigots. If we take a stand for morality, we are backward and old fashioned. If we try to reason with mother culture concerning our views on scriptural tenets, we are judgmental, ignorant and hateful. If we try to evangelize, even a little, we are zealots or "fundamentalists" (and that has taken on a negative connotation). It seems that every time a television show has an outspoken Christian in it the character is some kind of dangerous nutcase or is in for comic relief. Don't you think it is time for Christians to take a stand and demand our rights and demand better treatment?

Well, I don't.

I believe that Christians have an obligation to be peacemakers, not rabble rousers.  There are virtually no Biblical examples of Christians being angry and standing up for their rights. Jesus flipped tables in the temple but that was internal to the church of the time. Jesus worked against the Pharisees but he did not do so by "taking a stand" or inciting an audience. He did it peacefully and with well reasoned argument. Paul spent time in jail because of his faith. He did not incite people against Rome. Paul did not "stand up for his rights" on a public stage and demand better treatment for all Christians or demand equality. He did benefit from rights granted to him as a Roman but he never made demands based on his "God given rights." He never demanded special treatment or equal treatment to non-Christians. He never "took a stand" for his rights in the context of some other group getting special treatment. He never let the government's special treatment of one demographic incite him to demand the same treatment. He wanted the rights he was already granted and otherwise he worked the movement under the government. Both Jesus and Paul were after the souls and salvation of men and women, rather than government legitimization.

Don't misunderstand what I am saying, if our government was to lock someone up with no reason other than because they are a Christian, that's one thing. That would be contrary to our law. If the State of Tennessee wants to take the Ten Commandments out of a public building, that is quite different. It is within the rights of the state to do so. Our reaction should not be mass protests and inciting anger, but rather prayer and evangelism to promote our cause peacefully. When faced with the discussion of abortion, we should not protest in front of clinics and blow up buildings and all this other stuff. We should be available to minister to the hurting and lost. We should be working with the populace that is at risk for this before they get to the point of seeming to have no choice. When Christians feel that the world is pressing down on their individual rights or are offending them, we should do two things to imitate Christ:

1) turn the other cheek
2) love first, provide second, correct last

That is the example of Christ. That is how we reach a hurt, lost and dying world. When we incite and get angry and bluster and yell and protest, we only feed Satan and we only strengthen the resolve of the opposition. Human nature takes over as no one wants to lose a fight. How much different would it be if we didn't worry about losing the fight? Instead we only ministered to the participants in the fight. Just a thought.

Judgement

This little blog series has been a fun one to work on. I still have a few more to go but this particular topic tends to strike the nerves of people sometimes. I know I am right about this but it just feels wrong to say it. It is also not a popular opinion to have amongst non-Christians and even amongst many Christians. It is the topic of judgement. Specifically, "passing judgement".

Our culture is definitely a culture of individuality, permissiveness, "you don't hurt others, I don't care what you do". At the same time, if someone were to speak against the actions of someone else for committing what they see as sin, the speaker gets lambasted for "passing judgement." Even Christians or quasi-Christians will say things like "only God can judge me" or "before you say something, check your own sins out". While these things are true, only God can be the final judge of you and your life and I definitely have my own sins to be concerned with, they are not a complete picture of the obligations of Christians.

The Bible does direct us to use judgement and to rebuke immorality and to not be stumbling blocks to others. It also tells us to confront an immoral brother (1 Corinthians 5, Matthew 18:15). Further, it tells us not to yoke with unbelievers (2 Corinthians 6). All of these actions require us to judge the actions and even the hearts of others. How do I know if I am a stumbling block to you if I don't know enough to judge your heart a bit? How do I know to confront you about immorality if I don't first judge what you do to be immoral?

This is all fine and good but what about Matthew 7:3-5? How can we possibly "judge" others when we sin too? I think the answer lies in the heart of the person "passing judgement". Do I point out your sin in order to boost me to a position over you? Do I point out your sin so that I look good? Do I point out your sin and completely ignore my own? All of that is wrong. Do I point out your sin with a heart bent to truly helping you on your walk while I am simultaneously working on my own sin? Is it with a heart of humility and servitude? That is correct.

At the end of the day, the Bible tells us to judge others. It tells us to be concerned about others' well being. It does not want us to condemn, only God can do that, and it certainly does not give us the right to pass final judgement. We do have to exercise judgement in our dealings with the world and in our choice of mate (do not yoke). We also must exercise judgement in keeping the church pure and holy. We must do so, however, with humility, with a heart aimed toward helping and growth, not condemnation and self aggrandizement.

Why You SHOULD Care What Other People Think About You

So this is the antithesis of everything American. We are a people of individuality and of live and let live and of "mind your own business". No doubt about it, our society inundates us from day 1 to not give a you know what about what others think about us. Its my life and I will do what I want as long as it doesn't hurt others. Even if it does hurt others, as long as its not criminal. Even if its criminal, sometimes its ok as long as you don't get caught. I don't care what you think about me, you don't care what I think about you and thats how it should be. That is the social programming of our great nation.

While there is some merit to this thought process, it is important to understand the Biblical perspective on this topic. As Christians, we are supposed to care about what others think about us. Romans 12: 17-18 says, 17 Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. 18 If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. We should care how people see us. Our reputations are important. We are supposed to be the manifestations of God's love and spirit on Earth. I'm not saying we should be perfect but we should be aware of how our actions help or hurt the process of furthering the Kingdom. When we sin, we not only hurt our own relationship with God, we also hurt our witness with other people. 

The one area where this "lie" is not a total lie is when it comes to sharing God's love. When we are doing Kingdom work, we should not care at that time if someone judges us to be zealous, "holy" (in a negative context), stupid or mislead. We shouldn't care about judgement like that but even then we should be aware of what people think. We should be respectful and humble, not boastful about it. We should be caring and loving instead of forceful and pushy. We should take care of the people first, before we try to evangelize. We should evangelize gently and not try to "thump" people. Remember that our role in conversion may be very, very, very small. 

Bottom line is this, the Bible tells us to be aware of what other people think of us and to try to maintain good standing with everyone we meet. The notion of "individuality over all" and not caring one bit about what someone thinks about you is not scriptural. I don't know that we have to worry about people liking us but we do have to worry about reputation and how our actions affect our ability to carry out the Great Commission. My 2 cents. What do you think?

Next Lie--Christianity is About Loving Everyone

This one is fun. Most people think that Christianity is all about loving everyone and is nothing but love, love, love. The problem is that we have a completely screwed up view of what it means to love someone. We also, as humans, tend to "average" things together. Basically, I think there are two very big problems with this lie so I am going to go two directions with this one.

Problem Number 1--Christianity is not about loving everyone. Christianity is about earnestly seeking to be more like Christ. We get so caught up in our version of loving everyone that we forget about holiness and seeking God's will. We tend to see "loving everyone" as "accepting everyone" where they are and not seeking or desiring holiness. We also think we can love people without taking into consideration their souls and their salvation. Sometimes love is painful. Sometimes I  address an issue with you because I love you. Sometimes (think Jesus with the moneychangers in the temple) love is angry. The point is, love is an outcropping from holiness. If we seek holiness and seek to be more like Christ, all the other stuff we try to manufacture and re-create within Christianity will follow.

Problem Number 2--Humans average things together. If I say, "love everyone", then it is easy for you to see "everyone" as a singular person. In other words--that body of people over there is everyone. "Sure I love them all." It is very impersonal. There may, in fact, be someone in that group that you don't really love but all the others "cancel" him out. A tougher challenge is to love each one. Think about that. You can't average that out. I love each one. I love the guy that smells bad, the girl that is super mean, the gossip, the cheat, the thief. Each one of them is deserving of my love--especially once we figure out what holy love looks like.

It is entirely too easy to get caught up in "yeah, sure, I love everyone." God calls us to holiness and to following Jesus example. We are to love each one and to do so in a holy way. That's what Christianity is all about. Buying into this lie is LAZY. Don't be lazy!

Listed In Cedar Forest Subdivision

Hi All! I hope everyone is ready for this holiday weekend! It's supposed to be nice out! Speaking of nice- there are several beautiful homes available in the Cedar Forest Subdivision in Smyrna! Check them out!

389 SAINT FRANCIS AVE
$209,900
2,197 sq ft

404 Shadowood Dr
$238,900
2,785 sq ft

129 Cedar Forest Dr
$284,900
3,117 sq ft