Your Cana Moment!

“Standing nearby were six stone water jars, used for Jewish ceremonial washing. Each could hold twenty to thirty gallons. Jesus told the servants, “Fill the jars with water.” When the jars had been filled, he said, “Now dip some out, and take it to the master of ceremonies.” So the servants followed his instructions. When the master of ceremonies tasted the water that was now wine, not knowing where it had come from (though, of course, the servants knew), he called the bridegroom over. “A host always serves the best wine first,” he said. “Then, when everyone has had a lot to drink, he brings out the less expensive wine. But you have kept the best until now!” This miraculous sign at Cana in Galilee was the first time Jesus revealed his glory. And his disciples believed in him.”-John 2:6-11

Of all the miracles that could have been Jesus’ first miracle, why would Jesus choose the miracle of turning water into wine as His first? Why not walk on water first, or feed the five thousand or heal the sick first? A casual reading of this passage might make you think this was some kind of warm-up miracle. He really wasn’t looking to do anything, yet Mary kind of forced the issue:

“The next day there was a wedding celebration in the village of Cana in Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there, and Jesus and his disciples were also invited to the celebration. The wine supply ran out during the festivities, so Jesus’ mother told him, “They have no more wine.” “Dear woman, that’s not our problem,” Jesus replied. “My time has not yet come.” But his mother told the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.” -John 2:1-5

However, if we can look past the fact that it was His least extravagant miracle, we will find that it was His most extraordinary. Because what Jesus was about to do to the water, He desires to do in each of our lives.

The miracle in Cana was not about Jesus being capable of changing the molecular structure of water into wine. It was a demonstration of His ability to categorically transform one thing into something new. With a little heat I can change water to steam or with some frigid cold I can turn water to ice. Regardless, it is still going to be H2O. Jesus, however, can transform it into an entirely different compound. He can make it a new creation!

He didn’t make good wine better or even bad wine better for that matter. Instead, He made that which was not wine, to be wine. He demonstrated with water what He intended to do with us:

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.”-2 Corinthians 5:17

That is a hard truth for many to accept. Jesus doesn’t simply want to make you better, He wants to make you new. Sometimes it’s easier to have faith in the idea that God can create something from nothing than it is to believe that God can transform something common (like you & I) into something extraordinary. 

It was at Cana where God showed us just what He is capable of, if we will put our trust in Him. Today is your Cana moment! Jesus wanter you to come to Him and let Him transform your life!

Scott Burr 
Dayspring Community Church 

Nothing Wasted! (Pt.2)

(Part 2 of 2)

“Then Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks to God, and distributed them to the people. Afterward he did the same with the fish. And they all ate as much as they wanted. After everyone was full, Jesus told his disciples, “Now gather the leftovers, so that nothing is wasted.”-John 6:11-12

The problem that most of us have, is that in order to bless many, God has to break up the loaf. That seems so contrary to how we want to live our lives. We don’t want to live broken, we want to be whole.Yet, as appealing as a whole loaf can be, left intact it is all that we have. If we remain whole, we can only give ourselves to one person, but broken we can be a blessing to many. In God’s economy, dividing doesn’t diminish the amount we have to give, it multiplies the people that can be reached.

Jesus took that boy’s lunch and broke it. This creates a stumbling block in so many people’s hearts and minds. That ideal life that you have dreamed of, carefully planned, and settled into; at times must be broken or disrupted to bless many. Those disruptions are God’s way of preparing us to be shared. 

We all go through trials, difficulties, and seasons of pain and in those moments we may feel as if we are falling to pieces and perhaps that is exactly what is happening. Unfortunately, we look at brokenness as a problem and not an opportunity. We want God to step in and take those broken pieces and reassemble us like a puzzle, but instead God is trying to prepare our lives to be given away. Truth is, we receive better from people that have experienced what we have been through. 

That part of your life, like when you lost a child, you can share that experience with others going through the same thing. How about when you and your spouse struggled in your marriage and God brought you back from the brink of divorce? You can share that experience with others and give them hope. Or when you lost your job and had to file bankruptcy and thought you’d never recover? You can share that with others and be an encouragement to them. 

Finally, sometimes we hold back because we fear that what we give will be wasted. Ever feel like you give and give, but never see a return. We feel spent and depleted and so we stop giving of ourselves, worrying that we are wasting our loaf (life). However, a life that is broken and blessed by God is never wasted: 

“After everyone was full, Jesus told his disciples, “Now gather the leftovers, so that nothing is wasted.”-John 6:12

Nothing wasted! Jesus gathered up the pieces of that little boy’s lunch and collected twelve baskets full. In the end, that little boy ended up with far more than he started with, because he was willing to give up what little he had at first. 

It’s not about what you have to bring, but what you are willing to give. The key is that you give it to God first. That little boy could have divided his own lunch up and maybe fed two or three others. Instead, he brought his lunch to Jesus, let Him bless it, and saw the multitudes fed. Today you may not feel like you have much to bring, but if you will give it to God; He will bless it to see the multitudes fed. 

Scott Burr

Dayspring Community Church 

Nothing Wasted! (Pt.1)

(Part 1 of 2)

“Then Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks to God, and distributed them to the people. Afterward he did the same with the fish. And they all ate as much as they wanted. After everyone was full, Jesus told his disciples, “Now gather the leftovers, so that nothing is wasted.” -John 6:11-12

The story of Jesus feeding the five thousand is an iconic story in the Bible. It is recorded in all four of the gospels and is an amazing account of God’s provision. However, reading it again I realize that the lesson goes deeper than just fish and loaves. It reveals more than simply what God can do with a little boys lunch, but rather it demonstrates what He can do with your life, if you will let Him.

There are three major characters in this story: Jesus, the crowd, and His disciples. I say, three, because those are the groups we most often focus on when we teach and read this passage. However, the real hero of this passage is the young unnamed boy who gave up his lunch. We don’t know who he is or to whom he belongs, but it is curious that the one person in this story who acted with complete selflessness doesn’t even get a name drop!

More than anyone else in this story, God’s desire is that we identify with that young boy. This young man didn’t have a lot to offer, but he was willing to give what he had to bless others. He could have eaten what he had been given and went home satisfied, but rather he did something extraordinary with what little he had and God used it to bless the multitudes.

Jesus received the two fish and five loaves from the young boy and the according to the passage he took it, blessed it, broke it, and gave it away. That is precisely what God wants to do with your life, if you will give it to HIm. He will bless it, break it, and give it away.

In our culture, we measure value by how much we have or how much we have accumulated. However, in reality, how much we have isn’t as important as how much we are willing to give. Pastor Andy Stanley stated it like this: “The value of a life is always measured by how much of it is given away.”

It reminds me of a story in the Bible about a poor widow who came to the temple with her offering. She dropped in two coins that did not amount to very much. At the same time a rich man came in and gave a hefty offering which was much larger in comparison. Yet, Jesus turning to his disciples told them that the widow gave more than anyone else that day, because everyone else gave out of their surplus, where she gave out of her need.
So it isn’t too hard to believe that even Jesus’ disciples looked at the little boy’s lunch and thought: “We don’t have much to work with here.” The need was so vast and what this little boy had to offer was so small. Let’s be honest, sometimes it isn’t just other people that see us as having little to offer, we see ourselves that way too. Because of that we hold back. We don’t even bring to Jesus what little we have.

The beauty of this story is that nobody that day, besides Jesus, knew the potential that little boy was carrying around with him. He carried the making of a miracle, yet nobody but Jesus saw it.

Scott Burr
Dayspring Community Church

Word became flesh! (Pt.2)

(Part 2 of 2)

“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth”-John 1:14

Bibles are wonderful tools, but they don’t have feet. They cannot go anywhere they are not taken. So when God decided to mobilize the gospel, He chose to sow His word into men’s hearts and minds:

“But this is the new covenant I will make with the people of Israel on that day, says the Lord, I will put my laws in their minds, and I will write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people.”-Hebrews 8:10

Let’s be honest, just as Jesus was the Word made flesh among us, we are to be the embodiment of His Word among our friends, family and neighbors. 

Should we not embody God’s sacrificial love?

“This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you.”-John 15:12

Should we not embody His kindness?

“Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.”-Colossians 3:12

Should we not embody His compassion?

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.”-2 Corinthians 1:3-4

Should we not embody His forgiveness?

“Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.”-Ephesians 4:32

The most effective way to mobilize the gospel is not to make sure it is printed in every language, but to see that it is imprinted on people’s hearts and minds. 

When the word becomes flesh in our neighborhoods and the people begin to experience the grace and truth of God, that is where the lost get found, the sick get healed, and dead get raised, and bound find freedom! It is where the people see the glory of God, not simply read about it. 

Scott Burr
Dayspring Community Church 

Word became flesh! (Pt.1)

(Part 1)

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”-John 1:1.

It would be hard to find another passage of scripture that elevates and promotes the significance of the Word of God more than this one. This passage tells us that Jesus embodies the Word of God. He is the Living Word and if that concept isn’t mind blowing enough, God does something that would radically change the course of history. He put feet to the gospel:

“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth”-John 1:14

God wrapped the Word in flesh and sent the Word to us in human form, that we might behold His glory. God mobilized the gospel! 

“But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them? And how will anyone go and tell them without being sent? That is why the Scriptures say, “How beautiful are the feet of messengers who bring good news!”-Romans 10:14-15

Throughout history there have been some amazing moments that have helped to mobilize the Word of God. From 1382-1395, John Wycliff translated the first English Bible by hand. In the 1450s, Gutenberg’s printing press opened the doors to mass printings of the scriptures and from 1550-1650, the Protestant Reformation saw the Bible translated into some 400 languages. 

Nevertheless, when God sent Jesus in the flesh to dwell among us, He was modeling the most effective method of mobilizing the Word of God. Wrap the word and flesh and let it dwell among the people. In the Message Bible, John 1:1 reads like this: “The Word become flesh and blood, and moved into the neighborhood.” Here’s the question, “When you moved into your neighborhood, did the Word of God move in with you?” 

Should we not, like Christ, be the living word among our friends and neighbors? Are we not suppose to be the word dwelling among the people? 

Jesus spent his entire adult ministry sowing the Word of God into twelve men who He would then send out to the surrounding towns and villages to stay in people’s homes (Luke 9:4). In Luke 10, He sent out 72 others with the same instructions. He filled them with the Word of God and then He sent them out to dwell among the people. 

Why? John 1:14 explains that the reason God sent the Word wrapped in flesh is so that we could see the glory of God and experience His grace and truth. God wanted the people to experience Him right where they lived; in their own homes, workplaces, and communities. Even if a person never graced the doors of a church, they could experience the grace of God right in their own neighborhood. 

Scott Burr

Dayspring Community Church 

Don't be surprised! (Pt.2)

(Part 2)

“Now concerning how and when all this will happen, dear brothers and sisters, we don’t really need to write you. For you know quite well that the day of the Lord’s return will come unexpectedly, like a thief in the night. When people are saying, “Everything is peaceful and secure,” then disaster will fall on them as suddenly as a pregnant woman’s labor pains begin. And there will be no escape. But you aren’t in the dark about these things, dear brothers and sisters, and you won’t be surprised when the day of the Lord comes like a thief.”-1 Thessalonians 5:-4

Not only did Jesus express some truths that we, as believers, shouldn’t be surprised to hear, so did the Apostle Paul. Speaking of the future catching away of the church and the second coming of Christ, Paul admonishes us not be be surprised when that day comes like a thief in the night. 

This significant truth would not come without its controversy as many false teachers in Paul’s day tried to capitalize on the event. However, Paul was not surprised to find false teachers and false prophets among the body of believers:

“But I will continue doing what I have always done. This will undercut those who are looking for an opportunity to boast that their work is just like ours. These people are false apostles. They are deceitful workers who disguise themselves as apostles of Christ. But I am not surprised! Even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. So it is no wonder that his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. In the end they will get the punishment their wicked deeds deserve.”-2 Corinthians 11:12-15

There are many people today who will be shocked to find false teachers and false prophets among them and consequently, because they are not diligent in discerning their presence, will be led astray by their teachings. Nevertheless, we shouldn’t be shocked that following Jesus would require us to face opposition and trials:

“Dear friends, don’t be surprised at the fiery trials you are going through, as if something strange were happening to you.”-1 Peter 4:12 

Fiery trials? Who signed up for that? The Apostle Peter warned us that it should not be considered a strange thing to suffer for Christ or to walk through difficult situations on account of our relationship with Him. Yet, there are believers that are shocked by the idea that part of our experience following Jesus is to share in His suffering. Instead, many people see fiery trials and suffering as an indication of God’s displeasure, when in reality it is a sign of divine relationship. In fact, the Apostle John takes it a step further:

“So don’t be surprised, dear brothers and sisters, if the world hates you.”-1 John 3:13

The more you separate yourself from this world (the way that it thinks, acts, and believes) the more it is going to hate you. There are those who are surprised by the idea that you cannot be friends of God and friends of this world. They are shocked to hear that following Jesus means that the world will hate them. They believe that you can live one foot in the world and one foot in God’s Kingdom, but James 4:4 is clear:

“Don’t you realize that friendship with the world makes you an enemy of God? I say it again: If you want to be a friend of the world, you make yourself an enemy of God.”

If you count the cost now, you can prepare for and face those things knowing that God warned you they were coming. However, if you thought coming to Christ was suppose to make your life rosy and perfect, you are going to be surprised by a few things along the way.

Scott Burr

Dayspring Community Church 

Don't be surprised! (Pt.1)

(Part 1)

“Jesus replied, “I assure you, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit. Humans can reproduce only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives birth to spiritual life. So don’t be surprised when I say, ‘You must be born again.’”-John 3:5-7

Was coming to accept and live for Jesus everything you thought it would be? Have you been surprised by anything along the way? Things ever get difficult and you find yourself saying something like, “I thought coming to Jesus was suppose to make my life better, not harder.”?

In my devotional time I came across a few passages that I found interesting. All of them used the phrase, “Don’t be surprised” or a variant of it. Jesus and some of His disciples used this phrase to cast light on some things that should be expected by those who follow Jesus.

A surprised reaction is a startled response caused by an unexpected event. So with that in mind, the passages that we will look at focus on things that should not catch us off guard or seem unexpected to us as we pursue following Jesus.

Jesus begins right here in John 3:5-7 telling Nicodemus, a Pharisee, that following Christ requires that he be born again; not of water, but of the spirit. Humans can only reproduce human life, but the Holy Spirit gives birth to spiritual life. We were all dead in our sins, until we repented of our sins and received Christ’s forgiveness. It as as this point that we a made new creations in Christ and are born again spiritually.

There are some people out there that are going to be surprised to find out that Jesus truly is the Way, the Truth, and the Life and that no one gets to the Father except by Him. They are going to be shocked to discover that being a good person is not enough and that going to church is not enough, but rather you must have a personal relationship with Jesus if you are going to make heaven.

That “Don’t be surprised” moment takes on even greater significance when we read what Jesus says in John 5:25-29:

 “And I assure you that the time is coming, indeed it’s here now, when the dead will hear my voice—the voice of the Son of God. And those who listen will live. The Father has life in himself, and he has granted that same life-giving power to his Son. And he has given him authority to judge everyone because he is the Son of Man. Don’t be so surprised! Indeed, the time is coming when all the dead in their graves will hear the voice of God’s Son, and they will rise again. Those who have done good will rise to experience eternal life, and those who have continued in evil will rise to experience judgment.

Jesus emphatically states that we should not be surprised to hear that the dead will someday be raised and stand in judgment before God.

There are some people out there that are convinced that God is a God of love, however they will be shocked to find that He will also, one day, judge the world as well. They will be surprised to find that He is as equally just as he is loving.

Scott Burr
Dayspring Community Church