Joe Fontenot's Blog, page 7

The difference between praise and thanks

It’s quite difficult to separate true praise from thanksgiving. The one often brings the other, because, at their core, they feed each other. Yet, there is such a thing as selfish praise. A reimbursement, as it were. It’s when I use my social capital as payment to one who’s done something for me. Jesus had […]

The post The difference between praise and thanks appeared first on Joe Fontenot.

Salvation from what (and how)

Family and friends bring warmth.

Extra food, extra travel, and extra love.

For many, though, Christmas has none of this. And for the rest, for those for whom it is a happy time, there are plenty of times in the rest of life that are miserable.

Browsing international news, seeing the daily lives of some of the poorer countries, illustrates this well.

But we see the same thing here, when we see loveless families or those driving forward with their boring and unfulfilled lives.

Christmas is about the opposite of this. Christmas is a celebration of purpose.

Jesus came to set things right, one person at a time. One by one, he saves us from waste, from loss, and ultimately from what we’ll do to ourselves.

The only cost to us is the logic that comes with it.

By way of an analogy from physics, one cannot continue going down if they intend to go up.

This is the invitation: come all who are weak, tired, or wanting. Leave the rest behind.

And, really, it’s not ‘leaving behind’ so much as it is trading up. Because what’s ahead is better.

Much better.

The post Salvation from what (and how) appeared first on Joe Fontenot.

What Emmanuel means

Described as having “seen a great light.” And with their joy “multiplied” and “increased.”

Known as a “wonderful counselor,” “everlasting father,” and “prince of peace.”

Taken from Isaiah 9, these are descriptions of a life with Jesus.

The difference some miss is that these are not superficial changes (though they often can be that, too).

Life is still just as hard, if not harder. Failure and pain are still very real.

Instead, these changes reflect a deep settling. As some say, a change deep in our soul.

It’s a knowledge that has a way of settling the rest of life.

That’s why Christmas, the coming of Emmanuel, is such a big deal.

For a lot of people, life really is different now.

The question is…what about you?

The post What Emmanuel means appeared first on Joe Fontenot.

Excellent normal

Society praises the exception, the prodigy. The outlier that stands out–where the work is somehow easier, more successful, or just automatic.

This approach is dangerous because it sets a false standard. It tells us to believe in something that’s not real. Namely, that we are only excellent when we are exceptional.

And I think a lot of people get stuck here. They don’t do what they’re supposed to do, because the standard is too high. They can’t make the jump…and so they don’t.

So, what’s the alternative?

An excellent normal.

This is where you focus on changing or influencing only the things in your power.

Those last three words are key.

In your power.

Much of what happens in life isn’t in your control. But a certain amount of life will cross your path and step into your influence.

What you do with that is how you measure excellence in your life.

The post Excellent normal appeared first on Joe Fontenot.

Even the little

“Untie them”

-Jesus (Matthew 21:2)

This is small but telling. So small the other gospels don’t mention it.

Before entering Jerusalem for his last week—when the crowd will lay down their jackets for him as king mere days before turning to crucify him—Jesus gives an instruction to his disciples.

Go ahead of us, he says, and get a colt (a young donkey). He tells them where it will be. And he tells them what to do if anyone gives them trouble.

But Jesus, being God, knows this colt will still be attached to its mother, and so he says to bring “them.”

The coming week is going to be turmoil. His entire mission will be accomplished—not to mention the difficulty that will accompany it.

And yet, here, he makes provision for a young animal to be comfortable.

In the middle of the biggest events of history, Jesus cares about one of the most insignificant players.

We see God miraculously when we look at the big things.

But it’s often the small things, when we stop to notice, that sing praises his praises the loudest.

The post Even the little appeared first on Joe Fontenot.

Strange ways

When Jesus was young, Herod the king went on a rampage and began killing all of the children.

I think it’s interesting that God didn’t stop it. Instead, he sent an angel to warn Joseph to escape.

There are a lot of implications to that.

Why did God allow Herod to do these things? Why did he intervene only as an angel?

These questions aren’t bad—even if they are unanswered.

But we also see the other side of that. God came as a man to save us. All the pain and heartache today is short compared to an eternity of restoration.

The in between gets fuzzy. This is where faith comes in. We trust God because we know God. Not because we understand all of the points in between.

The post Strange ways appeared first on Joe Fontenot.

“Can you do it?”

“The son of man came not to be served but to serve.”

-Jesus (Matthew 20:28)

“Can you do it?” is the question Jesus asked James and John when they vied to be first and second in his coming kingdom.

The whole episode turns on this idea.

James and John had the right vision (focusing on Jesus’s kingdom), but they had the wrong perspective.

They were trying to see this vision come true like we always do. By grabbing and reaching until we have it.

But Jesus said this isn’t the way.

Like saving pennies until you become a millionaire. It’s just not going to work.

Instead, he says, the way to authority is through service. And not the superficial kind, but service that may require you to “give up [your] life.”

In other words, authority comes from first seeking the success of others.

The post “Can you do it?” appeared first on Joe Fontenot.

A line of comfort

The Lord
The creator of all that is,

is
in the present-tense,

my
speaks to me,

shepherd.
as one who watches out for me and stands between me and the bad things.

I shall not
He gives a direct and strong command for me to not

want.
have any unmet desire.

Why? The psalm (23) gives 18 more lines in answer to that. It’s a good read.

The post A line of comfort appeared first on Joe Fontenot.

Integration (for discipleship)

There’s a time when Jesus tells his twelve: when all is made new, you will sit on twelve thrones.

After hearing that, the mother of two of them (brothers), like all good mothers, asks Jesus if he would bump her two up in line, to get the #1 and #2 thrones.

The rest, understandably, get a bit annoyed at this.

But what’s interesting in this episode is not the jealous, but that it all happened in front of everyone.

Often, we think of Jesus talking to the twelve in isolation. But usually that wasn’t the case.

Here he is predicting the intimacy of his death (Matthew 20:17-19) as well as describing the future world and its state (19:28-30). He walks the twelve through this. And he does it in front of the watching crowd.

Throughout his entire ministry, Jesus made himself transparent to all that wanted him.

He wasn’t creating an exclusive club by ‘picking’ some. He was creating a model for the rest of us to follow.

The post Integration (for discipleship) appeared first on Joe Fontenot.

When wisdom comes

“Blessed are those who find wisdom” 

—Proverbs 3:13

It’s difficult to think of any attribute of life more valuable than wisdom.

But most people go about getting it wrong.

When the two women showed up with the baby, fighting for a verdict on who it belonged to, Solomon didn’t dismiss court to pray about. He made a decision on the spot.

And Nehemiah, when he heard the news of his fallen land, knew in the moment what he needed to do. He spent a few months preparing his heart and interceding on behalf of his people. But he knew from the start what was coming next.

And so follow countless other examples.

Wisdom doesn’t come like a lightning bolt from heaven. It comes steadily overtime.

In other words, wisdom is a lifestyle choice.

It’s a decision we make every day when we immerse ourself in God’s Word, when we make time to praise and thank him, and when we persistently seek his direction.

We, of course, pray in the moments when we need guidance. But that’s not what makes for a wise life. Wisdom comes from the regular interaction with God, day in and day out.

The post When wisdom comes appeared first on Joe Fontenot.