Untamed God: Awesome!

What are some of the most overused words of 2014? Every year various groups post their “top 10” list of overused words—that they would like to retire from popular vocabulary—because these words are worn out. They need a rest.

Here’s a sampling of today’s most overused words—according to one list. If any of these are your favorites—please consider taking a break from them: ridiculous; whatever; hashtag; seriously; selfie; nice; totally…

Are any of those favorites of yours? Here’s the word that makes me cringe the most when I hear it overused: awesome.

Everything is awesome these days. Lou Malnati’s pizza is awesome; a diving catch in the end zone is awesome; a 30% off sale at Nordstrom is awesome; U2’s decisions to give away 500 million copies of their new album for free on iTunes is awesome.

How many times a day do we hear this word? It no longer means…awesome. Somebody recently sent me a YouTube link to a communications expert, who complained: If I see something that is TRULY awesome—what do I call it? We’ve ruined the word!!

Well, GOD is truly awesome—according to the original meaning of this word.
The dictionary defines awesome as: inspiring an overwhelming feeling of reverence, admiration, and FEAR—produced by that which is grand, sublime, extremely powerful, or the like.

Did you catch that word fear in the middle of the definition? The Bible talks about the importance of fearing God—over 150X! That’s in both the Old Testament and the New Testament.

We’re beginning a 3-week series today on the awesomeness of God—and what it means to appropriately fear him.