Will Rushing

This Easter, I invite you to look at Jesus, consider what he said and did, and ask for yourself what I believe is the most important question you will ever answer: Did he really leave behind an empty tomb? And if he did, what does that mean for you? This video was made possible and in collaboration with my friends at @ChildlikeMedia.

Throughout my life, I’ve experienced seasons when my relationship with the church was strong and joyful, and others when it was decidedly not. Bad experiences left a bitter taste in my mouth. I’m sure many of you have had a similar experience. When that happens, it's far too easy to drift away. Or walk away. Or stomp off in anger, swearing never to come back. I did that, too. For a few years. But about fifteen years ago, God began to open my eyes to see how much I need my brothers and sisters in Christ. I need a pastor. In fact, I desperately need the life of a local congregation. Christianity is not a privatized “me and Jesus” kind of faith, comprised of solitary believers who fly solo spiritually. How does Paul describe the church in 1 Corinthians 12? As a body. Just as my ear does not exist apart from the rest of my body, nor does my hand live independently from my chest or neck, so Christians are not meant to live apart from their connection to other Christians. Our life of faith is inextricably bound up with the life of the church, and the life of the church is inextricably bound up with Christ himself. That does not mean church life will always be easy and joyful. That should go without saying. The church is comprised of sinners; every pastor is a sinner, too. So, of course, there will be problems and challenges, disagreements and difficulties, some quite painful. Welcome to life in a fallen world. But we still need each other. In fact, for that very reason, we need each other. We need to confess to one another, forgive one another, and bear each other’s burdens. We need to be baptized, hear the Word of God, sing hymns of praise, celebrate the Lord’s Supper, and share in all the gifts God gives through the life of the church. So, “let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near” (Heb. 10:24-25).

The Lord didn’t check who inside the house was worthy. He checked for blood on the doorposts. None of us is worthy. Only the blood of Jesus can cover us.

Michael Jordan and Vince Carter showing why they’re untouchable 🙌 Two minutes of legendary footage 🔥 Could be GOAT mixtape material 🎬

"As a Christian, I don't simply believe in God. I believe in God as revealed in Jesus Christ. God has proved Himself, His existence, His reality, His involvement in my life way beyond philosophical and intellectual arguments." —John Lennox

Bobby Fischer vs. Pal Benko | Curacao Candidates (1962) #chess #chessgame

Voddie Baucham: "All the gospel requires is repentance and faith. That's it. Nothing else. Some of you are going, 'Well, what about obedience?' That's not what the gospel requires, it's what the gospel produces."

Lot of silliness floating around about the Bible and Nicaea. Unfortunately @RealAdamAllred repeats a lot of that here. But I think we should all take Adam’s advice when he says that we should “be honest with ourselves and start listening to the truth that is behind it, and if you doubt me, do your own research.” Hopefully this is an encouragement for Adam to take his own advice in this particular topic.

In Lieu Of @CoachJim4UM Leaving Michigan, I Will Always Be Michigan’s Biggest Fan, But My New Team Now Is @OleMissFB. Lately, @Lane_Kiffin Is The Greatest Coach In College Football. @KirbySmartUGA, I Will Never Forget You Walking By And Ignoring Me And Shaking @HerschelWalker’s Hand While I Was Standing Right Next To Him. Go Ole Miss & Lane Kiffin! LFG! WOOOOO!

Jonah is literally a downer. The Hebrew verb yarad (“to go down”) shows up again and again in his story: ⬇️ He goes down to Joppa ⬇️ Down into the ship ⬇️ Down to the inner part of the ship ⬇️ In the fish, down to the depths of the sea Only there did he finally listen to God. Sometimes the Lord has to bring us down before we can hear words from on high.

What we consider to be failures are often God's successes in disguise. Think of the two Emmaus disciples, who did not know their traveling companion was the resurrected Jesus. They told him, "We were hoping [Jesus] was going to redeem Israel," (Luke 24:21). Oh, the irony! To them, the death of Jesus was the death of their hopes. His mission, from their perspective, had turned out to be an embarrassing, faith-crushing failure. Nothing had gone according to their plans and hopes. How wrong they were. And how wrong we so often are. What they grieved over as failure was in reality the success they had desired. He did redeem Israel in the very death they were now lamenting. What they thought was the end of hope was precisely the beginning of it. We all have our "hopes" for God. What we want him to do in our lives and in the lives of others. We were hoping he'd redeem us from a bad year, hoping he had grand plans for us, hoping he'd work some miracle to save our relationships or dream or job. And, in the end, it doesn't happen the way we had planned. If we know anything about God, however, it's that his version of success often looks like our version of failure. He works in upside-down, backward ways. We might never know the exact reasons why our "hopes" didn't work out the way we had planned, but we do know this: in our failures, God is at work to empty us that he might fill us with Christ, kill us to make us alive in him, strip away our self-made identities to unite us more fully with our Lord. In that, his good and gracious will is always done.

When we talk about the death of Jesus, we often rush straight to his resurrection. But in doing so, we risk skipping over something essential. Between his dying and his rising, Jesus was buried. Paul even includes the burial of Jesus as a core part of the Christian confession: “For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was BURIED, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures…” (1 Cor. 15:3–4). The burial of Jesus matters. Because when we place our loved ones in the ground, or when one day we ourselves are laid in the grave, we can know with confidence this is not our final resting place. Our graves are merely rental property until Jesus returns. Our bodies may lie in the ground for a year, or for many years. But the day will come when they will rise. Why? Because Jesus’ body did not remain in the tomb. He died, he was buried, and on the third day he left the grave behind. And so will we. As when a person lying down gets up, his head rises first and the rest of his body follows, so Christ our Head rose and we, his body, will follow. We will be raised with glorified bodies, patterned after his own resurrection body. Paul says in 1 Corinthians 15 that what is now weak and perishable will be raised in power and immortality. Just as we have borne the image of Adam, the man of dust, so we will bear the image of Christ, the man of heaven. Paul says the same in Philippians 3:21: the Lord Jesus Christ “will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.” And John echoes this hope: “Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is” (1 John 3:2). Thanks be to God that Jesus not only died and rose again, but was also buried for us. His empty grave became the grave of death itself. _______ This subject usually raises the question, "What about cremation?" See my thoughts here: help.1517.org/knowledge/what…

Removing the stigma, acknowledging it yourself, and letting others know publicly makes all the difference 🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾

10 YEARS SOBER 🙏🏾 I would’ve never imagined being here today after hitting rock bottom checking into rehab the night before the 2015 postseason. Early in my career, alcohol was a coping mechanism after losing my dad and navigating life’s ups and downs. Having the courage to tell somebody about my addiction changed my life. My thoughts go out to anyone facing their own journey. Just know you’re not alone and asking for help makes all the difference. Thank you to everyone who supported me along the way.

I have a lot of friends from Jackson, MS who belong to The Country Club of Jackson where the PGA is playing the Sanderson Farms event this weekend. Here's to you🥰 @BandonDunesGolf

John 14 is often read at funerals, especially Jesus’ words about preparing a place in his Father’s house. Many assume this means Jesus has gone to heaven to build rooms for us. Here is a different way to understand these words. In John’s Gospel, the “Father’s house” is not a heavenly mansion but the true temple, which is Jesus’ own body. When he says he is going to prepare a place, he is speaking of his death and resurrection. By the cross he makes room for us in himself, and by rising he draws us into his body, where we now dwell with the Father. This reading fits with John’s larger themes. The Word became flesh and “tabernacled” among us (1:14). Jesus himself is the sanctuary where God’s presence is found. In John 2 he even said, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up,” referring to his body. Thus, the temple, the Father’s house, is Christ’s body. His going to the Father is through the cross. His return to the disciples is in his resurrection appearances and through the Spirit. Already now he takes us into himself so that where he is, we may be also. As he says later in John 14, “My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him” (v. 23). This has profound comfort for the present. We don’t have to wait for death to find a place in the Father’s house. Already in baptism and faith we are united to Christ, given forgiveness, safety, and life in him. Death cannot take away what Christ has given: a place in himself. Just as he took up his life again, so too we will rise. In him we already abide in the Father’s house, a promise that sustains us now and will be fulfilled in resurrection glory. ____ I realize this is not the interpretation with which many of you are familiar—or agree with—but if you are interested in a longer and more detailed argument, here are two resources: My video: youtu.be/HSTTJpQM-Wk Jeffrey Gibbs’ essay (to which I am very indebted): issuu.com/concordiasem/d…

Paul Azinger takes a shot at Rory McIlroy’s Ryder Cup behaviour: “Today in the press conference he said ‘I think golf should be held to a higher standard of decorum. But in the meantime he says ‘f-you, f-you, f-you’ in full voice for the world to see. “He turns around and says to the guy ‘shut the f up’. The guy in the media today asks him ‘how did it feel Rory to tell the guy to shut the f up and then hit it to feet’ and he said ‘it felt pretty f-ing good.’ “And I’m like, which is it Rory? Is it that golf is held to a higher standard or are you just gonna f you the fans and act like that’s ok?” What are your thoughts on this? Is Azinger right? Or was Rory justified in his actions? Clip from @golf_subpar with @ColtKnost and @thesleezyman full link in comments

This is so good. Listen if you can.

My wife and I just listened to these famous words of Alistair Begg. I’ve heard it before but I could listen to it a thousand times and still say Amen. If you’ve never heard it, drop whatever you’re doing and have a listen. youtu.be/xk9wgJBoEd8?si…

There is an Ole Miss class that teaches us these dance moves.