The Hook brings you back! But Jesus breaks the hook through His hands on the cross!

Some of you may know the song I am referring to in the title of this writing. It is the theme of our struggle recently.

Several months ago, while I was watching Jimmy Fallon on YouTube.com, I came across a section of Fallon's late night fun; the lip sync contest. As many of you know, I love to throw down some sic lip sync. I mess around getting ready each day in lip sync, I mess with my family in lip sync, I even entered a talent show with lip sync (that was a little discouraging, I rocked that air song). On that entertaining night, Jimmy Fallon had Emma Stone (The Amazing Spider Man) on his show and challenged her to a lip sync contest. Emma Stone kick his tale and one of the songs she sang was "Hook" from Blue's Traveler. It has been in my head ever since.

I don't think I am interpreting the song how it was meant, but it has become something that has represented a struggle in my and my family's life these past 2+ months. We are struggling with leaving Lebanon, Ohio and planting our family in Southwest PA. The struggle is that every time we see momentum or we get a sense of what God is doing, the house we are selling in Lebanon calls louder and louder. It beckons to give up trying to sell it and then it throws its hook into our hearts trying to pull us back there. It is a continual fight between longing to be in my bed, around surroundings and people we know versus the church that we love and the cities we are falling in love with. It has been a hook to bring us back.

Sin is this hook. Something that constantly beckons us back to settle for something God has not intended for us. Sin calls us to return to all that you can control and know. Sin says I have you, God doesn't. It is a hook that brings us back to the place where God is not enough and control seems to be ours. However, that hook is a lie. God is really in control and sin, not destroyed, becomes chaos in the Christian's life. The hook rips the heart of flesh apart and causes damage that can leave painful scars which limit our trust in God. The hook never stays the same size either, it has to get bigger because the hole from the previous hooking has gotten bigger from the tearing of the flesh. Sin never stays in its original form. 

Thanks be to God that He breaks the hook with His death, burial, resurrection and now His life! The power sin has on us has been broken and the heart can heal with the life of Christ in it. Jesus is the only one that can defeat the hook! 

Jesus defeated the hook for me this past weekend. One of the wondrous things God did for me during our weekend with 13 of our guys, was make them my guys! I remember introducing people to our group and an incredible healing happened. They were my men that I had the privilege to introduce to those who use to be my men. That is an incredible work for my heart, that God has ripped from my hands all that is comfortable and has placed our church within our hearts. This is my church, these are my men and this is my city! God has broken the hook.

Now to see when God will eventually sell the house! Enjoy Emma Stone whipping Jimmy Fallon and don't let "The Hook Bring you back" to sin!

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