Pastor Pete Wilson slays the pulpit on a regular occasion. You can find him most Sundays at Cross Point Church whether in person at the Nashville Campus or on a screen at the other 4 locations in TN. If you’re not in TN or just want to chill on your couch while you commune with Jesus, you can check him out online. You really don’t have any excuse to not listen to this message as I have also included a link to it in the post.

Week 5 of Cover to Cover

A few high points for me from this message:
– Yes, cats are going to Hell. Sorry, I don’t enjoy them.
– When I thought of the most beautiful person I’ve ever met it was someone that I thought my heart let go of a long time ago. Darn!
– Happiness is not based on ignorance, but rather it is based on perspective. It isn’t that I “don’t know” or “shouldn’t know” about my circumstances, but instead I should change my way of thinking about my current situation. I should be in the business of choosing joy regardless of what’s happening around me because God trumps ALL.
– Revelation in 3 words: GOD WILL TRIUMPH! Amen!
– Heaven is= A resurrected life in a resurrected body with a resurrected Christ on a resurrected Earth. This world is our home because God is going to heal this world and make it into the place he originally meant for it to be when he created it and put Adam and Eve on Earth.
– The three things we desire:
1. An intimate relationship with God- The concept of inconsolable emptiness is why no matter what I do, I am always unfulfilled. More of nothing (clothes, money, trips, accolades) never fills the void. When will I fully grasp that I have to stop spending to collect more stuff that only makes me feel “better” for a day or so. God satisfies and nothing and no one else can or ever will achieve that goal. We were made for another world.

2. A purpose to live out–I never thought about “the curse” changing the nature of work. We will still work in Heaven but we will have a purpose that will fulfill us and put all of our strengths to use. Work will no longer seem like a burden and we won’t have a case of the Mondays.
3. Untainted Community with no hiding or secrets- We all want to be loved. We all want to be loved for who we truly are and not for the disguise we wear everyday to hide whatever flaws we’ve assigned to ourselves or allowed society to assign to us as we moved throughout this world. We want to be known and loved unconditionally. No judgment, no fear, and no pretense. This is me “naked” like Adam and Eve were literally and figuratively in The Garden of Eden prior to “the curse”. Actually, living the slang of “keeping it real” and not worrying about losing those who “love” you. Our greatest fear, according to Pete, is to be known and not loved. Unfortunately, that is too common of an occurrence. People show up as their true self and we turn our backs, we move away from them so that we don’t “catch” whatever ill we think they have. My friend Darren often uses this Maya Angelou quote,

The ache for home lives in all of us, the safe place where we can go as we are and not be questioned.

This describes the untainted community. You really know me and you really love me. I don’t have to hide from you or “keep up with the Joneses” for you to appreciate me. I’m not afraid to discuss my woes, shortcomings, and downright failures. We have learned to walk around with a mask and for many of us that mask is what we think everyone else wants to see. I haven’t lost faith in humanity and I’d like to think that there are places in this world where you can “do you” but one has to be willing to take the risks to reveal themselves and be vulnerable. Just know, that whatever happens, God is there with you always. Just because I write a blog doesn’t mean that anyone knows me any better. I write this stuff for you just as much as I write it for me. Everyone’s got their stuff and I ain’t no exception. I just happen to have some pretty dresses to cover it all up as I prance off to work in the morning.

I strongly encourage you to watch the message and make a visit to Cross Point one Sunday. I’d love to see you there.

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Later Y’all.