the heart of Dan… « life as best as i remember it…

Tomorrow my son will be the Teacher’s Assistant in his first grade class room. As part of his special day, Liam needs to decorate and fill a lunch bag with five things that define who he is. Now, granted, Mr. Bedi didn’t use the word “define” but rather “that tell the class about you.” This is [...]

Ministry | Feeing It.

I’m in the middle the third week of a new ministry year. I think that my head hurts more today than it did during the week before we launched our programming for this year. I went into yesterday thinking that I’d be able to get down to business and focus on getting my work done. [...]

KidMin | Launch Week

Launching a ministry year boils down to a few weeks of chaos. Here are 25+ things that have kept my attention at work this past week. 01. Fill my iPod with get-down-to-business playlists 02. Finish scripts 03. Get those scripts to leaders 04. Drink coffee 05. Have a day filled with SEVEN meetings 06. Record DV:FX teaser video 07. Record and edit [...]

252 | Fridge Cards

Do you use 252 Basics? Do you handout the Refrigerator Cards every week? Do your kids use them for the right reasons or for making paper airplanes? In the past few weeks, we’ve decided that we needed to share with our kids why we give them these colored pieces of paper each week as they leave their [...]

Orange Church | DV:FX is Coming Soon!

We’re starting to gear up for our family production around Ada Bible Church. We’re making sure everything is in place for opening night on October 7. Next Sunday we’ll begin our buzz-campaign in the elementary environments. Matt Bell and I shot this quick promo-video. One camera. One take. One laugh after another… at least we think [. […]

the heart of Dan…

Posted on 20 June, 2008 by danscott77

Camp is amazing. I know that I said that already this week, but it’s true. We prayed, expecting the Holy Spirit to show…. why is it that we’re still amazed when he does.

Last night I was talking to these junior high students about taking off the old man with his sinful desires and putting on the new man with that which will grow us to be more like Jesus.

We’ve been talking about being Rooted in Christ (Colossians 2.6-7): last night was growing our roots deep in order to come alive and branch out. Being transformed into his likeness….

As I was towards the end of my talk, something like this came out of my heart. It was somewhat planned, but I was not sure that I had the courage to speak these words.

“As I have become more rooted in Christ, drawing nourishment from him, I’ve come to realize that I’d rather spend my time and my money on that which is closer to the heart of Jesus than that which is closer to the heart of Dan. If that is not the case, if I don’t grow in the ways I mundanely live my life, perhaps my roots aren’t growing deeper. And my tree is dying, and my branches withering….”

It came out of my mouth, but this morning thinking over those words I pray they are true. I hope that the choices I make about the conduct of my life is closer to what Jesus would want rather than what I would want. I hope so, but I’m not always sure.

Putting on the new man isn’t easy. Becoming like Jesus drives me crazy sometimes especially when I rather spend money that I have on a new MacBook Pro or the new iphone, but knowing that my money needs to go towards something SO MUCH BETTER. But I was reminded in telling the students last night, we don’t do this alone: John 15 says…”If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” I do this only by the power of Christ working in me. I do this with others who are also planted, rooted in the forest with me. Together we will branch out and be shelter for a hurting, dying world that needs LOVE more than ever.

I pray that the heart of Dan dies and lives again in the heart of Jesus. Someday…

Filed under: faith, life | Tagged: sacrificing now for what is better in the long run, the heart of jesus, the struggle of becoming like jesus