West Cobb Church / Ken Williams Blog » Sermon on the Mount

Follow Up to Picture Perfect

Ken Williams — Tue, 04 May 2010 12:56:50 +0000

Let’s continue the discussion that a couple of Bloggers mentioned in their comments to ‘Picture Perfect.’ Authenticity is a struggle among Americans, even followers of Jesus. What keeps us from removing the mask and being authentic with people? What can we do to change these bad habits?

I can’t wait to read your comments…

Picture Perfect

Ken Williams — Mon, 03 May 2010 12:25:22 +0000

Have you ever seen a photo of a shirtless father holding his naked newborn child? There are several hanging in Phipps Plaza. Skin against skin. Very cool shots. My friend, Bryan, has a three week old son and wanted to have a similar picture made with his son. The day came for the shoot and all was going well. Garrett, his son, was in a great mood. Everyone was having a great time and the photographer was capturing some picture perfect moments. Then, in the middle of the shoot, Garrett started having a bowel movement all over Bryan. Bryan quickly picked Garrett up, saving the day, only to have Garrett start peeing into Bryan’s mouth. Gross! The shoot went from picture perfect to picture awful.

Once everyone got cleaned up, the photographer wrapped up the morning with some great shots of Bryan and Garrett. But the events of that morning are etched into Bryan’s memory.

It’s easy to admire photographs and not see the behind the scenes turmoil that it takes to make them happen. The same is true of our lives. We present cleaned up pictures and don’t show people what’s going on behind the scenes. That’s why Jesus begins Matthew 6 by reminding us not to be fake. He knows the danger of presenting a picture perfect life. He warns us not to give, pray, or fast to be seen by men. If you’re like me, it’s easy to slip into ‘Picture Perfect Mode,’ letting people see our successes without pointing out our struggles and messes.

Jesus’ teachings remind me to show my flaws and messes as much (or more) than my successes. It keeps me ‘authentic’ to others. So how about making this commitment for the week… the next time the world messes on you, be careful to tell the whole story to others. Don’t let them only see the picture perfect moment at the end.

Have you ever encountered someone who was genuine and authentic, sharing their mess, as well as their success? Post a comment about how s/he affected you.

iPhone Apps & The Beatitudes (Matt 5:1-12)

Ken Williams — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 12:53:46 +0000

“I don’t know how I ever lived without these applications!” Those were the words of a fellow iPhone user. We were talking about how iPhone applications have become an integral part of our lives.

I’m like this iPhone user, I depend on my apps, but let me tell you about my favorite one… RunPee. It’s especially designed for small bladder-ed people like me. (I know… TMI!) I always have trouble in movies because I go to the bathroom at the most inopportune times. I have a knack for choosing critical scenes and missing important developments in the plot. But that issue is gone with RunPee. I open the app, choose a movie, tell my phone when the movie starts, and the app cues me when I can head to the bathroom without missing important information. (It even tells me how long I have.) Amazing!

Now jump to today’s reading. As I SOAP the Beatitudes (Matthew 5:1-12), I notice how important these verses are to my life. Every verse is counter cultural and God uses words like, “blessed are the meek… the merciful… the pure in heart,” to reset my thinking. They keep me from missing the life that God has designed for me. In fact, they’re like my own little app. I could call them, RunToGod. They help me get in sync with God’s design for our world.

I read the Beatitudes – my RunToGod app – often. I even memorized the verses several years ago. And even though RunPee app occasionally gets it wrong. (The timing’s off or the movie information isn’t quite right.) Not so with God. He’s right on the mark every time.

I’d love to hear about the Bible verse(s) that God uses to reset your thinking. Join the discussion and share them with the rest of us…