Rusty Hutson

I read this quote the other day that really caused me to take an evaluation of my heart. It said this,
“Jesus relentlessly undermines all that is not of God to make room for the God who has redeemed our hearts.”
Sometimes, even as a pastor, I still find junk inside of me that is not of God. Stuff that eats up precious space in me. What that tells me is that somewhere along the way I have not allowed Jesus to do his best work in me. I have selfishly harbored some dark, delicious poison that is slowly doing damage to my soul. It’s not even something that others can see. Like Paul said, “Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”
Hoarding junk just squashes the work of Christ in us!
My prayer for me and you is that we would allow Jesus to do his best work of undermining everything not of God in us, so that we can stand upright and blameless before Him.

I did it…completed my first triathlon. My time was 1 hour 32 minutes and 12 seconds. The hardest part of that whole race - the 12 seconds! Man, I was gutting it out at the end trying to push it a little for a better time. But, all in all it was great! My time didn’t matter nearly as much to me as being with friends, having fun and discovering the boundaries of my physical limitations. I will do it again.
So proud of Mark and Lori Fuller, Paul Hansel, Mike Hart and Jack Fisher for their amazing performances. They were the best part of the whole thing. Special thanks to Amy Hart who fed us a veritable cornicopia of carb-loading joy on Friday night! Thanks to all of you for your prayers and words of encouragement.

44 days and counting…August 22 is the day of reckoning for this 42 year old preacher. That is the day of my very first Triathlon. Before you think, “ooohhh, wow a triathlon…” let me say it’s what’s called a “sprint” triathlon. That’s a much shorter version of the “Ironman” that most people think of when they hear triathlon. The Ironman is a 2.4 mile swim, 112 mi. bike and a 26.2 mi. run. Those are definitely some “Iron” people who do that! The one I’m doing is just a little shorter than that (actually alot shorter!) - .3 mi swim, 14 mi bike and 3.1 mi run. I’m so glad I’m doing this with Mark Fuller. He is in infintely better shape than me and, therefore, makes me push a little harder in our training.  He is Ironman and I’m like Aluminum boy! But, I’m getting there, slowly but surely.

I’m just constantly reminded of how this training and persevering is so like living as a Christ-follower. It is about perseverance and sometimes pushing through the pain or discouragement that can come our way. Paul used this whole idea in 1 Corinthians to describe what the Christian life is like when lived all out. The good news is there is a prize that cannot be matched at the end of this race! Jesus said, ” I am with you always to the very end of the age.” He will be our strength when we have none left. At the end of the day, that’s the only strength that really matters.

So, I’ll keep you updated on the training progress. Let’s just keep pressing on!

“One of my favorite Latin expressions : ubi dolor, ibi Christus; “wherever there is suffering, there is Christ.”

Just got this as a tweet (thru twitter) from Len Sweet who is kind of a cultural, theological and social architect of modern Christian thought (not sure how else to describe him, or if it’s possible to be those things!). It’s not anything new, like something we just discovered about suffering and our Savior. It is simply a truth. Wherever you go and there you find suffering, you will also find Christ. I firmly believe Christ is in the midst of suffering, not separate and distant from it. He embraced it on the cross. He called us to deny ourselves, take up our cross and follow Him. Then grab hold of suffering as a prize for the redeemed. That’s big! If we truly took that seriously…wow. Paul saw suffering as an opportunity to be like Christ in His death and resurrection. So essentially we are the most like Jesus in our own suffering. More good news - he is remaking us in the midst of it. Like an ugly lump of clay to a beautiful, colorful vase that is a joy to look at, so are we being formed and fashioned into the most incredible piece of God-pottery.
So, if you’re in the middle of it, hang on, don’t let it go until God has finished His work. Ubi dolor, ibi Christus - yes.

I just read that professional golfer Phil Mickelson’s wife was recently diagnosed with cancer. Man! That’s tough. I am sorry for he and his family.
Cancer is just one, bad, insidious, unpredictable beast isn’t it?? I have known many people who have struggled with the sickness. I have watched (literally) people die from it. I have watched people overcome it. I have watched people endure it with incredible grace, strength, confidence and sheer determination. I realize it is just one among many ways that we can be physically harmed, impaired or killed, but it seems more prevalent these days than ever before. Honestly, it is on my list! You know, “the list” we are all making of questions we have for God one day when the “roll is called up yonder” and we get to sit with Him and get this whole deal figured out. I look forward to that. It is helpful to know in the midst of tragedy, abuse, cancer, the loss of a baby, etc. etc. that God understands our pain and questions. He knows that we don’t have complete, perfect knowledge that makes the dark clouds of uncertainty blow away. Paul said it best in 1 Corinthians 13:12,

“Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.”

One day we will see God and understand Him clearly. But, for now, we are left with that sometimes murky and always critical practice called “faith”. It is tied directly to hope and is what helps us endure the craziness of this earthly life.

Just wanted to say “thanks” again to Matt Dean for his message on worship. He is such a gifted speaker. His heart is so humble and given to the Lord. I am, again, challenged to think differently about how I honor Christ with my whole life. Matt can be my preacher anytime!

He and the team at Grace Campus will be missed as they head to Hong Kong this summer. Besides Matt and April and their family, we will also be sending out Scott and Catherine Littlepage, Jason Orme, and Micah Brake from our church. Please pray for them as they go to serve Christ by ministering to the lost and empowering the found in China. Also, if you would like to support the Grace Campus team financially you can click HERE.