Climb Out of Shame

August 31, 2025

Pastor Lavon Coles presented today's message, "Climb Out of Shame." A video of today's message is here on YouTube. The discussion that follows assumes you are familiar with the message content.

Pastor Lavon spoke about the Zacchaeus story (Luke 19:1-10). And like I love to do, at one point he talked a bit about a particular Greek word used in the story. In Luke 19:5c, Jesus says to Zacchaeus, "I must be a guest in your home today." The word is dei (δεῖ), translated here as "must." As Pastor Lavon pointed out, the meaning is more than simply "must." It's a "divine necessity or urgency."

This notion of divine urgency or divine necessity plays out in the Old Testament as well. In fact, when God intervenes, which happens many times in the Old Testament, it is because of divine urgency. It has to be taken care of, now. Here are three examples:

The Exodus. God hears the cry of his people in Egypt and he responds with urgency. In this case, the intervention is in the form of miracles, i.e. plagues and the parting of the Red Sea.

Elijah calls upon God when it becomes clear that the nation is torn between God and Baal. God met Elijah's request with urgency, consuming their offerings with the Lord's fire.

God responds to the urgent request of King Hezekiah who is being attacked by the Assyrian army. God sends a messenger ("angel") to strike down the Assyrian army.

Interestingly, the word dei carries a meaning of behoove. "Must" suggests it behooves you somehow. It's good for you. This is the case in Luke 2:49 and Luke 4:43 which Pastor Lavon mentioned.

In a less direct manner, "must" leads to "obligation" which leads to "bind." Note that you can be bound for things that behoove you as well as bound like a prisoner.

Bonus

All I Really Need to Know I Learned from Christmas Movies

Yeah! The Brrrrrrrr months have arrived! You know: Septembrrrrrrr, Octobrrrrrrrr, Novembrrrrrrrr, and Decembrrrrrrrr. Which means... One can't be criticized too much for watching Christmas movies. Like non-stop...

As it turns out, I'm a Christmas movie watcher 12 months out of the year. And all this research has brought me to the conclusion that all I really need to know I've learned from Christmas movies. For example:

Don't rely on overheard pieces of conversations.
Love trumps careers.
Plant a Christmas tree at each anniversary.
Don't lose grandma's recipe (or hunt for it till you find it).
Find the photos from way back when. Take photos that will be those photos.
Recognize good people. Be good people.
Be open to trying new things.
There's always room for one more.
Expect the unexpected.
Always be open to dancing.
Life is not about business.
What is it about small towns?
Beware old red trucks. They break down at just the right or wrong time. White walls notch up the "power."
Sugar cookies have powers.
Snow storms mean something.
You can't cancel the Festival.
B&Bs can be magical.
When you need to ponder the basics, build a snowman. The fun clears the mind. Snow angels work, too. As does Christmas tree decorating.
Bake together.
It's fun to be clumsy on the ice.
Some wise men are named Nick.
Home is a very big word.
Plans can change, and that's OK.
Sometimes you end up where you started because that's where you're supposed to be.
Letting go of something, or someone, hurts. But can still be right.
The music description subtitles are fascinating.
Presents = Presence
Value the past. Look to the future. Stay in the present.
It's OK to mention God's hand.
Flour fights are good ice breakers in the kitchen.
Whether outer space or people, always look deeper.
Petty rivalries and bickering don't help.
Miraculously, the hard-to-find perfect gift gets found.
The Rules. In "Sugarplummed" it's a book of Christmas movie rules the Sugarplum has from her hometown of Perfection. P.S. the rules don't always work. Don't pursue perfection to the exclusion of others' needs.
I just can't believe that…
Don't play a part. Play yourself. (ChristmasLand)
Godwinks (series of movies). Things happen that we don't understand, are out of the blue, are counter intuitive, etc. yet are very good for us. The key is recognizing these events.
When you run out of gas and stop at a farm you do much more than borrow a phone. Could mean finding exactly what you need: gas, food, an event venue, love, etc.
To learn the words of a song, dance to it.
Being successful and living in the city isn't always what really matters.
When faced with a big decision, check in on your feelings at the exact moment you make the decision. Might tell you something.
You can't chase happiness. (Christmas Question)
It's the experience, not the end result.
Sometimes a change in plans can be a blessing.
Follow Yonder Star
Hope can come in unexpected ways.
Christmas can hit you all at once.
You can't worry too much about what others think. Fear God.
A Christmas wish is when you recognize what's important to you and maybe what to do about it. (A Christmas Wish)
What's good for the parent is often good for the kid.
Lights line the bayou and Santa floats down the waterway pulled by gators. (Christmas on the Bayou)
Five Golden Rings (movie). Faith sees best in the dark (church fire, dark day).
Christmas Charade. Crossed identities with an FBI guy. Undercover Christmas…
The pursuit of perfection is a road paved with disappointment. Enjoy the beauty of the mess.
Nothing scarier than love. And it's the only thing worth risking everything for.
Festival of Trees: historical flag(s) in an office setting. Ornament design to capture hospitalized kids' favorite things. Great idea for making memory ornaments.
Road to Christmas. Real segments on a TV special.
Sometimes you gotta just listen to the song (when you think you can't dance). Catch a Christmas Star
Don't plan too restrictively. Storybook Christmas
Don't miss the right things right in front of you.
Clearing your mind leaves room for solutions.
If you want more than a bit of French language: Christmas in Paris.
Sometimes doing the right thing isn't the easiest.
Life is a lot out of our control. Be grateful.
A heart that doesn't know pain doesn't know love either.
Traditions are the stories that families write together. Keep writing your story.
Crazy for Christmas: Don't miss the 34th street sign at the end!
You never really know what you're doing. (Adulting)
Publishing a heartwarming story about what you've learned is always a good idea and sets in motion all the needed fixes.
Everyone needs a good and honest friend who will offer good advice at just the right time.