My True Worth

Are you "an approval addict"? Are you controlled by the fear of others' opinions of you? Welcome to my world. There are a number of reasons people become "approval addicts". It can be that your parents disciplined by withdrawing their affection when you misbehave. But that certainly isn't the only reason. If you get sucked in to this trap, however, it will completely control your life, just like any other addiction. Some are completely controlled by how others view their appearance. They seek surgical options or workout and diet options in order to become "good enough".

Satan has a lie that he has propogated through the ages: Self-Worth=performance+Other's opinions. According to this lie, a persons worth is totally dependent upon how hard they work and how others view the results. The problem with this equation is that peoples opinions are fluid and you never know if you've done enough work to be "of worth". So you try harder! But then, even though 100 people express approval, it only takes the disapproval of one person to totally ruin your day. For the rest of the day, and maybe even the week or longer, that comment in replayed over and over in your mind and controls your mood and your behavior. Eventually, this addiction leads to depression as you can never be totally pleasing to others and are therefore "worthless" in your own eyes.

The question that we need to ask ourselves is this: "why do I value the opinion of those who do not hold me in high regard?" You see, there is an opinion of us that is infinitely more important. It is an opinion where we are held in the highest regard. God considers you of inestimable value and thus gave His Son to purchase you. When you and I received Christ and committed our lives to Him, our sins were completely forgiven. Forgiveness equals acceptance. Acceptance equals worth. God decided you were "worth it" so He gave His son in your place.

The Bible says that God is Love. Using that description of God's Character, look at 1 Corinthians 13 and see your heavenly Father as He is.

My Father is very patient and kind. My Father is not envious, never boastful. My Father is not arrogant. My Father is never rude, nor is He self-seeking. My Father is not quick to take offense. My Father keeps no score of wrongs. My Father does not gloat over my sins but is always glad when truth prevails. My Father knows no limit to His endurance, no end to His trust. My Father is always hopeful and patient.

(Robert S. McGee. The Search for Significance: Seeing Your True Worth Through God's Eyes (p. 74). Kindle Edition.)

Looking at 1 Corinthians in this way, I hope you can see that true love, God's love, holds you in ultimate regard and treats you accordingly. In contrast, the people that have been controlling your life have done so by behaving in exactly the opposite way that 1 Corinthians describes.

The desire for success and approval constitutes the basis of an addictive, worldly self-worth. Certainly, withdrawal from this dependency may cause us some pain as we change the basis of our self-worth, yet we will begin to discover true freedom and maturity in Christ only when we understand that our lives mean much more than what success or the approval of others can bring. We can do nothing to contribute to Christ's free gift of salvation; furthermore, if we base our self-worth on the approval of others, then we are actually saying that our ability to please others is of greater value than Christ's payment. We are the sinners, the depraved, the wretched, and the helpless. He is the loving Father, the seeking, searching, patient Savior who has made atonement for the lost and has extended to us His grace and sonship. We add nothing to our salvation. It is God who seeks us out, convicts us of sin, and reveals Himself to us. It is God who gives us the very faith with which to accept Him. Our faith is simply our response to what He has done for us. So then, our worth lies in the fact that Christ's blood has paid for our sins; therefore, we are reconciled to God.

Robert S. McGee. The Search for Significance: Seeing Your True Worth Through God's Eyes (p. 69). Kindle Edition.

I hope this helps to heal or at least bring those of us who need healing, to take a true look in the mirror and respond.

Father,

It is very difficult to acknowledge that I have fallen victim to Satan's trap, but I freely confess that my fear of rejection has become the primary motivator in my life rather than the truth of how much You love me. To quote Thomas, "Lord I believe. Forgive my unbelief". I know everything that I've written today is true. I don't know exactly how to embrace it and let it become the driving force in my life. Therefore I need your help and guidance as I learn to accept your approval as the only approval that matters. Help me to understand "who I am" in Christ so that I can experience the joy and peace that Christ promised this relationship would bring. I do not know how to do this on my own and freely admit I am completely dependent on you to 'save me'. Help others who are going through this same struggle. I fear there are many. Heal me and use my experience to heal others if that is your desire. Thank you! I love you!

Delight in your way

Delighting in your way

Psalm 37:23-24 (ESV)
^{23} The steps of a man are established by the LORD, when he delights in his way; ^{24} though he fall, he shall not be cast headlong, for the LORD upholds his hand.

Yesterday I wrote extensively about this scriputre, but didn't focus on the condition that must be met. This scripture says our steps are established by the Lord. There's two ways to look at this scripture. One, our steps are established by the Lord, and he catches us when we fall -PERIOD. The second is conditional. That when we delight in the path we are on, God catches us when we fall. The inference is that when we dont delight, He doesn't catch.

I read this verse in a few different translations and realize the difficulty in translating the original intent. That said, I will point out the obvious: the unquestioned truth is that if we take joy in our circumstances, God will protect us. Every day is a good day if you know the Lord. Every circumstance in life may not be comfortable, but I can still rejoice in the fact that I'm saved and loved.

So, whatever circumstance you and I are living in, we need to pray and seek for that ability to "delight". I know that's easier said than done. Today I will embark on some 'uncharted territory' in my life and admittedly have a truckload of emotions but delight isn't one of them. So my advice is "pray till the delight comes".

Father,

I continue to be "up and down" on this whole concept of 'delighting in my way'. Doubt and confusion at times create that 'fog' that causes me fear and frustration rather than delight. I acknowledge my struggle to truly 'believe' that I can delight in stressful circumstances, but I know that your word is true. I commit myself to delight in my path today, even though I have huge amounts of fear and 'failure feelings' about that path. I will rejoice anyway. This is a good day, because today you will help me become more like your Son. Today is a good day, because you are walking with me. This current journey is a good one because the outcome will be for the glory of God.

So, I choose to delight in my path today. Thank you for letting me walk THIS road.

Make Him Smile: Are You Lost In The Fog?

Make Him Smile: Are You Lost In The Fog?

Are You Lost In The Fog?

Have You Ever Been "Stuck"?

Psalm 37:23-24 (ESV)
{23} The steps of a man are established by the LORD, when he delights in his way; {24} though he fall, he shall not be cast headlong, for the LORD upholds his hand.

Sometimes in life we can hit a spot where it seems we are sort of "stuck". It isn't that our life isn't good, it's just that it doesn't seem to be "going anywhere". When we lose sight of God's vision for our lives, we tend to get dissatisfied and lost in the fog. I can certainly relate to this subject in my own life. There have been periods when I have lost sight, lost focus, and are seemingly "lost in the fog".

I don't know if you've ever been literally 'lost in the fog' but if you have, you can relate to the analogy. I remember once driving home from West Plains and the fog was so thick that any sensible person would have gotten off the road and waited. Since I'm not sensible, I rolled down my window and was literally driving down the road looking down at the yellow line in the middle of the highway to make sure I stayed on the road. I couldn't see anything in front of me, but I kept driving! By the incredible Grace of God I made it home without incident, but looking back, it was probably one of the most dangerous stunts I've ever pulled! Any obstacle in the road would have spelled disaster. I would have been totally unprepared and unable to stop or to avoid the collision.

In my life, sometimes I get in the fog. I can't see where I'm going and I feel 'lost'. The good news from scripture is that there is a remedy for the fog! "The steps of a man are established BY THE LORD, when HE DELIGHTS IN HIS WAY." To find a way in the midst of the fog to delight in it will result in God establishing our steps! He didn't say 'curse the fog'. He didn't say 'try to get out of the fog'. He didn't say 'just sit still untill the fog lifts'. He said to 'delight IN THE FOG'.

Now I will be the first to admit that this concept makes very little practicle sense, but the bible says that God's ways are different than ours. Therefore, when we find ourselves lost in the fog, we need to delight in it! That's a choice that we make. That's a decision we determine in our own mind and heart and say, OK God. I'm here and I don't know why but let's have some fun!

When I think about the word "delight" I think about my grandkids and how they are so happy doing 'whatever'. Even little Cooper can express sheer delight at the simplest things He can be sitting on Jackie's lap, totally powerless to go anywhere or do anything; 'stuck' if you will;(ALTHOUG BEING STUCK ON NAN'S LAP ISN'T SUCH A BAD THING!) and I can just look at him and open and close my hand to wave at him and he will grin from ear to ear and sometimes even laugh out loud. I have no clue why that motion is so funny to him, but he finds delight in it even though to me it looks like he is 'stuck'.

So, we need to learn from the kids and delight in our situation no matter what it may be. Oh, wait. Didn't scripture say something about that too?

Now, here's the rest of the story. You're stuck in the fog but you've decided to have a party while you're there. You're still walking down the road but you're finding delight in the fog. You're bee bopping along and all of a sudden.......you stumble! Something was in the path and you fell right over it! The good news from scripture is this, "though he fall" (and you will) he shall not be cast headlong for the LORD upholds his hand." Even though we may be unable to see where we are going, even though we may be in the fog, we need to delight that God has allowed us to be there and we need to keep walking. When we stumble;(and stumbling probably looks a whole lot like, uh, .... sin), we need to remember that as long as we are delighting in our journey, even though we stumble, we sin, God is not going to let it destroy us. God Himself is holding our hand!

My favorite scripture has always been Isaiah 41:10. In it, God says "Fear not, for I am with you. Be not dismayed for I am your God. I will strengthen you. I will help you. I will hold you up with my righteous right hand." If you find yourself lost in the fog like me, relax and find a way to delight in your circumstance. Be thankful to God for where you are, even if you don't like it or understand it. Make the conscious choice to "DELIGHT". Keep moving and know that even if you stumble, God is holding your hand!

Shaloam!

Father,
I admit that I have been lost in the fog for quite some time now. I confess that I've let that lostness cause unhappiness and discontentment in my life. I've become bitter and angry because I don't understand why the fog hasn't lifted. So today, I make a choice. In obedience to your word, I choose to delight in the fog! I thank you that you have allowed me to become lost and confused, and I'm going to delight on my journey today in the fog! I wish I knew where we were going, but I'm just glad that you're in charge of the fog and the journey! So today, I choose to relax in my 'lostness' and just delight in being where I am. I believe that you will catch me if I fall, so I will move forward with confidence and no longer let the fog hold me at a stand-still.
Thank you for being so incredibly patient with hard headed people like me. Forgive me for being selfish and childish in my attitudes and help me to live up to my committment to delight in where I am.

Am I Mis-Aligned to be blessed?

OK, here we go. It's been literally years since I've had the habit of writing on a regular basis and sharing that with my friends. I wish I could tell you exactly why that is, but I'm not sure I even know at this point. What I do know is it is time to reestablish some priorities in my life and reorder some things as well. I won't bore you with the details of why I'm writing today, or what's been going on, I will simply share what God has shared with me this week. Maybe 'confession' will come when I understand more fully what I need to 'confess'.



In our Community Group this past Sunday, we studied about King Asa and the topic, "Signs that your life is mis-aligned to receive God's blessing". There was a list of 8 signs which I will share in a moment. I'm not a mechanic or a car guy. I've just never really been a 'gear head'. Techy stuff is more my thing. However, I do know that sometimes the front end on your vehicle can get out of alignment. Usually, this happens slowly, a little 'bump' at a time, and the car starts to pull one direction or the other, especially when you hit the brakes. Sometimes it can get knocked out of alignment by a huge pot hole or some obstacle in the road. Usually when that happens, we know it immediately.



Sometimes our lives get out of alignment as well. It can come from a huge pothole in the road that really knocks us off course, but more than likely it comes one 'little bump at a time'. We sin but don't confess it and repent. We are hurt or offended but we don't deal with it. Whatever the bump may be, we continue to drive down the road with our hands on the wheel, not even recognizing that there is a force at work trying to steer us off the path. Once the mis alignment gets bad enough, as soon as you take your hands off the wheel, you're in the ditch.



I don't know about your life, but I can look at my own life over the past three or four years and say that there have been some 'major pot holes' and a lot of bumps in the road that have knocked me out of alignment. Let me share those indicators with you now.



2 Corinthians 4:17-18 (ESV)
{17} For this slight momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, {18} as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.

Psalm 37:22-24 (ESV)
{22} for those blessed by the LORD shall inherit the land, but those cursed by him shall be cut off. {23} The steps of a man are established by the LORD, when he delights in his way; {24} though he fall, he shall not be cast headlong, for the LORD upholds his hand.





The things that break God's heart don't break yours.
You prefer to be isolated from others
Your relationships are strained
You can't remember being part of another persons faith journey
You're fine with all these things
That's all I can remember of the 8 things at the moment, but I think you get the idea.



Here's the real test. It's one thing to acknowledge that these things exist in my life. (or don't exist, whichever the case may be) Recognizing their existence is just the first step. Real healing comes when we allow the Holy Spirit to address these things in our lives and change us.



As I was writing this devotion, I called Todd Braschler to get some information. (or so I thought) Instead I received some 'revelation' and some 'inspiration'. Todd is a good friend. He challenged me that even being ashamed about my condition is its own form of pride. He challenged me to seek the Lord till I could come to a place of rejoicing about this present situation and struggle, believing that God has brought it about in order to align my life with His purpose for me. I will admit, I'm not there yet, but as I write, I realize that scripture is right. Todd is right. And I need to rejoice!



The scripture quoted above from Corinthians challenges me to look beyond what I can see to what God sees for me. I want to challenge you to do the same. Rather than letting your circumstances determine your vision, let God's vision become yours. Let His vision for your life become the prevailing motivator in your life.



We must deal with our sin but we cannot stay there. God brings sin to our attention because He has a better future ahead. Repent. Confess. Follow God's voice, God's direction and look for God's vision for your future. Don't take your hands off the wheel and let your 'mis-alignment' send you in the ditch. Get aligned and enjoy a wonderful trip with the Master!

The Love Passion

What is this greatest of passions called love? There is no word harder to get a satisfactory definition of. Because, whatever you say about it, there comes quickly to your mind some one who loves you, or you think of the passion that burns in your own heart for some one. And, as you think of that, no words that anybody may use seem at all strong enough, or tender enough, to tell what love is, as you know it in your own inner heart.
Yet I think this much can be said—love is the tender, strong outgoing of your whole being to another. It is a passion burning like a fire within you, a soft-burning but intense fire within you, for some other one. Every mention of that name stirs the flame into new burning. Every passing or lingering thought of him or her is like fresh air making the flames leap up more eagerly. And each personal contact is a clearing out of all the ashes, and a turning on of all the draughts, to feed new oxygen for stronger, fresher burning.
There are many other things that seem like love. Kindliness and friendliness, and even intenser emotions, use love's name for themselves. But though these have likenesses to love, they are not love. They have caught something of its warm glow. A bit of the high coloring of its flames plays on them. But they are not the real thing, only distant kinsfolk. The severe tests of life quickly reveal their lack.
Love itself is really an aristocrat. It allows very, very few into its inner circle, often only one. The real thing of love is never selfish. Now we know very well that in the thick of life the fine gold of love gets mixed up with the baser metals. It is very often overlaid, and shot through with much that is mean and low. Rank selfishness, both the coarse kind and the refined, cultured sort, seeks a hiding-place under its cloak. But the stuff mixed in it is not love, but a defiling of it. That is a bit of the slander it suffers for a time, from the presence in life of sin.
Weeds with their poison, and snakes and spiders with their deadly venom, draw life from the sun. That is a bit of the bad transmuting the good, pure sun into its own sort. The sun itself never produces poison or any hurtful thing.
Love itself is never mean, nor bad, nor selfish. The man who truly loves the woman whom he would have for his own lifelong, closest companion is not selfish. He does not want her chiefly for his own sake, but for her sake, that so he may guard and care for her, and her life be fully grown in the sunlight of the love it must have. And, if you think that is idealizing it out of all practical reach, please remember that true love will steadily refuse the union that would not be best for the loved one.
What is the finest and highest love that we know? There are many different sorts and degrees of love revealed in man's relation with his fellow: conjugal, the love between husband and wife; paternal, the love of a father for his child; maternal, the mother's love for her child; filial, the love of children for father and mother; fraternal, or brotherly, meaning really the love of children of the same parents for each other, both brothers and sisters—the same word is used for love between friends where there is no tie of blood; and patriotic, or love for one's country. And under that last word may be loosely grouped the love that one may have for any special object, to which he may devote his life, outside of personal relationships, such as music or any profession or occupation.
This is putting them in their logical order. Though in our experience we know the father-and mother-love for ourselves first; and then in turn the others, so far as they come to us, until we complete the circle and reach the climax of father-and mother-love in ourselves going out to another.

Eating Broccoli in a "Krispy Kreme" World - Part 2

Ephesians 4:17-24 (AMP)
17 So this I say and solemnly testify in [the name of] the Lord [as in His presence], that you must no longer live as the heathen (the Gentiles) do in their perverseness [in the folly, vanity, and emptiness of their souls and the futility] of their minds.
18 Their moral understanding is darkened and their reasoning is beclouded. [They are] alienated (estranged, self-banished) from the life of God [with no share in it; this is] because of the ignorance (the want of knowledge and perception, the willful blindness) that is deep-seated in them, due to their hardness of heart [to the insensitiveness of their moral nature].

Yesterday I was asked by a friend as we talked about the economy and politics: "What's wrong with this country?"
"Sin", I replied. My friend didn't want to accept that answer, rightly stating that sin has always been present, but things have never been this bad.
"O.K. Then it's the absence of God in people's lives", was my next reply. He agreed

Unfortunately I believe we have become a nation and a Christian people who more closely resemble the gentiles described in this passage. The admonition from Paul is that we "no longer live as the Gentiles". His accusation against them was that they were living from the "emptiness of their souls and the futility of their minds." I think that is a pretty good description of the church today. Paul further goes on to state that they are "estranged, self-banished from the life of God with no share in it because of their ignorance.

Paul is making the case that there were folks in the church who were living far below the potential that God intended for them. When I read about those times when God is actively moving in the hearts of a nation or group of people, there is great hope: not futility.

Paul further says that this spiritual dilemma is because of the hardness of their own hearts. It's not because of a some outside variable that we are the victims of. It is because of the hardness of our own hearts that we live beneath God's intended level of spiritual life.

Sometimes when I gain weight, I reach a point where I "just don't care" and say I'd rather be fat and happy! That's the physical equivalent of hardening my heart to the idea that there is a better way to live. But that better way takes discipline. I have to say yes to broccoli and no to Krispy Kreme and that's hard sometimes! In a physical sense, to experience God's best requires personal discipline on my part. Far more importantly, if I want to live at the level that God has for me spiritually, it takes discipline.

Paul said "Hard Hearts" was the cause. I'm not sure how to soften a hard heart, but I suppose you would soak it! Soak it in His Word! Soak it in His presence! Make Him my priority!

Father,
I am one who has allowed myself to live far beneath your provision for my life. I've allowed the cares of this world to take priority over your things, and have thus developed a hard heart. I ask your forgiveness and your help today that I could begin anew to soak my heart and allow you to soften it. I've allowed hurt and bitterness to build a wall around my heart and separate me from You and Your people. Help me to simply soak in you today. As I do, I pray you would soften my heart so that I can once again live where you called me to live. I cannot do it alone! Without your help I will fail. Please meet me where I am and take me to where You want me to be!

Eating Broccoli in a "Krispy Kreme" World

Ephesians 4:17-24 (AMP)
17 So this I say and solemnly testify in [the name of] the Lord [as in His presence], that you must no longer live as the heathen (the Gentiles) do in their perverseness [in the folly, vanity, and emptiness of their souls and the futility] of their minds.
18 Their moral understanding is darkened and their reasoning is beclouded. [They are] alienated (estranged, self-banished) from the life of God [with no share in it; this is] because of the ignorance (the want of knowledge and perception, the willful blindness) that is deep-seated in them, due to their hardness of heart [to the insensitiveness of their moral nature].
19 In their spiritual apathy they have become callous and past feeling and reckless and have abandoned themselves [a prey] to unbridled sensuality, eager and greedy to indulge in every form of impurity [that their depraved desires may suggest and demand].
20 But you did not so learn Christ!
21 Assuming that you have really heard Him and been taught by Him, as [all] Truth is in Jesus [embodied and personified in Him],
22 Strip yourselves of your former nature [put off and discard your old unrenewed self] which characterized your previous manner of life and becomes corrupt through lusts and desires that spring from delusion;
23 And be constantly renewed in the spirit of your mind [having a fresh mental and spiritual attitude],
24 And put on the new nature (the regenerate self) created in God’s image, [Godlike] in true righteousness and holiness.

It is so easy to gain weight! It is much easier to gain weight than it is to lose it. I know! I've lost an entire person in my lifetime and yet I'm as big as I've ever been! Gaining weight takes very little effort and no restraint. All I need to do to gain weight is to listen to my body and give it what it wants! But to lose weight, I can't give in to all those desires. I have to deliberately change my way of life to produce the desired outcome. I have to be aware of my weight. I have to constantly monitor it. If I gain a couple of pounds, I must immediately take steps to correct it and lose the weight, or slowly, a pound at a time, I lose the battle.


Paul writes in Ephesians 4 and tells the people that they are looking more like "their old fat selves" than the "healthy body" that they were born-again to be.

19 In their spiritual apathy they have become callous and past feeling and reckless and have abandoned themselves [a prey] to unbridled sensuality, eager and greedy to indulge in every form of impurity [that their depraved desires may suggest and demand].

As I've read this passage and studied for the upcoming sermon, I am shamefully aware that Paul's words apply as much to me as to the Ephesians. Paul is genuinely concerned for the Ephesians because they are losing their first love and he is trying to "shake them up"! Later, in the book of Revelation, we find Christ talking to the same church and pronouncing judgment, saying "I have somewhat against you because you've lost your first love."


The instruction from Christ in Revelation and from Paul in Ephesians 4 is:

21 Assuming that you have really heard Him and been taught by Him, as [all] Truth is in Jesus [embodied and personified in Him],
22 Strip yourselves of your former nature [put off and discard your old unrenewed self] which characterized your previous manner of life and becomes corrupt through lusts and desires that spring from delusion;
23 And be constantly renewed in the spirit of your mind [having a fresh mental and spiritual attitude],
24 And put on the new nature (the regenerate self) created in God’s image, [Godlike] in true righteousness and holiness.

I must return to the place of repentance from dead works and embrace, put on, the new life of holiness, righteousness and truth. I must determine to "lose the weight and the sin which so easily trips me up" and continually monitor my progress in becoming like Christ. Paul said "be constantly renewed in the spirit of your mind". Through Satans deception, I have fallen woefully short of this instruction. I, we, must stop comparing ourselves to ourselves in order to feel good about ourselves, and start comparing ourselves to the "Author and Finisher of our faith" - Jesus Christ.


Using my weight analogy, my goal shouldn't be to be thinner than someone else. It should be to look like Jesus!

I Know My Redeemer Lives

Job 19:23-27 (ESV)
23 "Oh that my words were written! Oh that they were inscribed in a book!
24 Oh that with an iron pen and lead they were engraved in the rock forever!
25 For I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last he will stand upon the earth.
26 And after my skin has been thus destroyed, yet in my flesh I shall see God,
27 whom I shall see for myself, and my eyes shall behold, and not another. My heart faints within me!


We live in a crazy, busy world! With all the things going on at work, at school and church, it is very easy to lose sight of the really important things in life. I/m somewhat of an adrenaline junkie, and seem to operate better when things are on the edge of disaster. If I have an assignment with a deadline, I will often wait till the last minute to get the thing done. It's like I enjoy the pressure.


But does God want us to live these out of control, on the edge lives? My answer is "I don't know!" God made us all unique so there probably isn't a "one size fits all" answer. I can learn something about handling life, though, from our friend Job. Job's world is totally crashing. Nothing is going his way. Everyone thinks he's a failure and that his failures have brought all this doom into his life. He doesn't have much to be cheery about! He wasa very wealthy and successful man who "lost it all". If I had been Job, I would have been determined to overcome all these obstacles and prove everyone wrong!


It's a good thing Job isn't like me, otherwise we wouldn't have this great example to learn from. Job didn't try to fix everything on his own. He examined himself, was honest with himself, and turned to God. He put his confidence in what he couldn't see with his eyes, but with spiritual eyes he knew the most important thing: "I know my redeemer lives! I know at the last He will stand upon the earth and in my flesh I will see God!"


Don't let the craziness of your life hide the truth that we should walk in as a child of God. If you feel things are spiraling downward, stop and asses your own life. Be honest. Am I pursuing my relationship with God or have I been too busy? Take a step back and realize that our only hope is in God and stand on His Word. Even though this life deals me hard stuff, I know my Redeemer lives!

I Press Toward the Mark

Philippians 3:14 (KJV)
14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
September 8, 2009

We dismissed services Sunday night due to Labor Day Weekend and Jackie and I took the opportunity to jump on the Gold wing and head for Eureka Springs, Arkansas. It was a beautiful drive. God's creation is absolutely breath-taking. We didn't leave till around 4pm and had no real plans, but as we got down the road we began to talk about "The Great Passion Play". We thought if we made it in time, we would attend, as we hadn't seen it in years.

By the time we arrived in Eureka, it was after 8pm and we didn't know if they even had the play on Sunday. As it turns out, they don' normally have the play on Sunday night, but they had a special showing for Labor Day. We pulled into the parking lot about 5 minutes before the show was to start and had just parked our bike when another couple on a bike came walking up, stated they were tired from riding all day, and they were going to the motel. They proceeded to hand us their tickets and said "enjoy the show". I tried to pay them for the tickets but they insisted on making them a gift.

As it had gotten dark that evening, we rode right by the motel that we had chosen to stay in. It would have been easy to just pull in and call it a night. After we received the gift from two strangers, I thought about Philippians 3:14. Had we not pressed toward the mark, we wouldn’t have received the prize. We were blessed because we persevered.

In the same way, you and I may get tired at times on our Christian journey. Church may not be nearly as "fun" as it used to, or we may get tired of "always serving". But I want to encourage you that we run to receive a prize. We can't quit before the finish line. We must press toward the mark.

It always makes the journey easier if you have someone to "run" with you. Invite a friend to church this Sunday and pray for God to touch their heart. Then, teach them to run the race. Who knows, You may have a "running partner" for life!

Be blessed.


Pastor Scott

Why Does Easter Matter?

Why Does Easter Matter?
Genesis 4:3-5 (KJV) 3 And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the LORD. 4 And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the LORD had respect unto Abel and to his offering: 5 But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell.

Christianity is different than other religious beliefs because it indicts everyone as sinners and provides no personal remedy for sin. The Christian faith says that redemption is only accomplished through Jesus and is not by "our works". This makes Christianity different than any other religion of man which all provide "our works" as the remedy.

God hates sin. His wrath ultimately must be poured out on sin as the true enemy of God. A few times in the Old Testament God has to control His anger against sinful people and not pour out His wrath on them. I believe He was able to do this by looking ahead to the cross and knowing that His wrath against sin would be poured out on that day, on His Son, and thus completely satisfy the penalty for sin.

As early as Abel, God made it clear that it was "the shedding of blood" that atoned for sin. Cain brought the "first fruits of the field" and Abel brought "the first born of the flock". God accepted Abel's offering and not Cain's because it is "the blood" that makes atonement for the soul. Leviticus 17:11 declares "11 For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul." In Hebrews God says, "22 Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins." Hebrews 9:22. Abel's offering was accepted because it was a "blood sacrifice".

Many people in our culture find Christians and Christianity offensive, feeling that we are judgmental and self-righteous because we say "we are right and everyone else is wrong". I understand why those outside of Christianity would feel that way. But the real thing that makes Christianity offensive is Jesus. It goes against human nature to accept that I can't earn my redemption. 1 Peter 2 says that Jesus will be "offensive" for that very fact. People are destined to stumble over the idea that Jesus is their only hope of salvation because, according to scripture, they are disobedient to the law.

Jesus said in Matthew 26:28 that "his blood was being poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins." He made the claim that He was the Son of God and that He was dying for our sins.
Romans 5:9 states "9 Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God." This scripture tells me that I have been justified by Christ and spared from God's wrath because of His sacrifice. So I receive forgiveness from my own sin because Jesus received my penalty for sin when He went to the cross. Easter matters because of the atoning death of Christ on the cross.

But Easter also matters because if Jesus didn't rise from the dead then we have no hope of eternal life either.
The resurrection of Jesus is the foundation of the Christian faith. The resurrection of Jesus is the key to the Christian faith. Why? (1) Just as he promised, Jesus rose from the dead. We can be confident, therefore, that he will accomplish all he has promised. (2) Jesus' bodily resurrection shows us that the living Christ is ruler of God's eternal kingdom, not a false prophet or impostor. (3) We can be certain of our resurrection because he was resurrected. Death is not the end—there is future life. (4) The power that brought Jesus back to life is available to us to bring our spiritually dead self back to life. (5) The Resurrection is the basis for the church's witness to the world. Jesus is more than just a human leader; he is the Son of God.
I passed on to you what was most important and what had also been passed on to me—that Christ died for our sins, just as the Scriptures said. He was buried, and he was raised from the dead on the third day, as the Scriptures said. (1 Cor. 15:3-4)

The Resurrection is the decisive point of the Christian faith. There will always be people who say that Jesus didn't rise from the dead. Paul assures us that many people saw Jesus after his resurrection: Peter, the disciples (the Twelve), more than five hundred Christian believers (most of whom were still alive when Paul wrote this, although some had died), James (Jesus' brother), all the apostles, and finally Paul himself. The Resurrection is a historical fact. Don't be discouraged by doubters who deny the Resurrection. Be filled with hope because of the knowledge that one day you and they will see the living proof when Christ returns.
What does the Bible teach about our resurrection?

BIBLE READING: 1 Cor. 15:12-28
KEY BIBLE VERSE: Tell me this—since we preach that Christ rose from the dead, why are some of you saying there will be no resurrection of the dead? (1 Cor. 15:12)

Our resurrection includes body and soul. Most Greeks did not believe that people's bodies would be resurrected after death. They saw the afterlife as something only for the soul. According to Greek philosophers, the soul was the real person, imprisoned in a physical body, and at death the soul was released. There was no immortality for the body, but the soul entered an eternal state. Christianity, in contrast, affirms that the body and soul will be united after resurrection. The church at Corinth was in the heart of Greek culture. Thus many believers had a difficult time believing in a bodily resurrection. Paul wrote this part of his letter to clear up this confusion about the resurrection.

Our resurrection is certain because of Christ's resurrection. The resurrection of Christ is the center of the Christian faith. Because Christ rose from the dead as he promised, we know that what he said is true—he is God. Because he rose, we have certainty that our sins are forgiven. Because he rose, he lives and represents us to God. Because he rose and defeated death, we know we will also be raised.

Our resurrection is our only hope for eternal life. Why does Paul say believers should be pitied if there were only earthly value to Christianity? In Paul's day, Christianity often brought a person persecution, ostracism from family, and, in many cases, poverty. There were few tangible benefits from being a Christian in that society. It was certainly not a step up the social or career ladder. Even more important, however, is the fact that if Christ had not been resurrected from death, Christians could not be forgiven for their sins and would have no hope of eternal life.

What will our resurrected body be like?

BIBLE READING: 1 Cor. 15:35-58
KEY BIBLE VERSE: Let me tell you a wonderful secret God has revealed to us. Not all of us will die, but we will all be transformed. It will happen in a moment, in the blinking of an eye, when the last trumpet is blown. For when the trumpet sounds, the Christians who have died will be raised with transformed bodies. And then we who are living will be transformed so that we will never die. For our perishable earthly bodies must be transformed into heavenly bodies that will never die. (1 Cor. 15:51-53)

Our resurrected body will be eternal. Paul launches into a discussion about what our resurrected body will be like. If you could select your own body, what kind would you choose—strong, athletic, beautiful? Paul explains that we will be recognized in our resurrected body, yet it will be better than we can imagine, for it will be made to live forever. We will still have our own personality and individuality, but these will be perfected through Christ's work. The Bible does not reveal everything that our resurrected body will be able to do, but we know it will be perfect, without sickness or disease (see Phil. 3:21).

Our resurrected body will be different than our present one. Paul compares the resurrection of our body with the growth in a garden. Seeds placed in the ground don't grow unless they "die" first. The plant that grows is very different looking from the seed because God gives it a new "body." There are different kinds of bodies—people, animals, fish, birds. Even the angels in heaven have bodies that are different in beauty and glory. Our resurrected body will be very different in some ways, but not all, from our earthly body.

Our resurrected body will not experience present limitations. Our present body is perishable and prone to decay. Our resurrection body will be transformed. Our spiritual body will not be limited by the laws of nature. This does not necessarily mean we'll be superpeople, but our body will be different from and more capable than our present earthly one. Our spiritual body will not be weak, will never get sick, and will never die.

Passion for the Passion

Hello all,
As we move through Passion Week I wanted to remind you to focus on the reason for this week’s celebration. In Western Culture we seemingly put much more emphasis on Christmas than we do on Easter. I suppose it is only an opinion that would elevate one event over the other, but the Passion Week seems to be much more significant to me than the celebration of the birth. Perhaps we celebrate Christmas more enthusiastically and more readily because it is more universally accepted. Everyone likes births. New babies are sweet and cuddly, so the celebration of Jesus birth is somewhat a natural instinct. Besides, it gives us an excuse to rack up credit card debt to buy stuff……the biggest stuff we buy for ourselves! But Easter is a lot messier and much more controversial. The world stumbles, according to 1 Peter 2:8, over the figure of Jesus precisely because of what the bible says he purchased with His death: forgiveness of sin. Without Jesus’ sacrificial death on the cross there would be no forgiveness for sin and no entrance to heaven. That claim sets the world at odds with Jesus and with Easter, because we don’t like being told we are sinners.
During this week in history, Jesus most likely was preaching sermons warning people of the wrath of God to come. He was preparing his disciples for his impending death. And, he was preparing his own heart and spirit for the awful fate that was ahead of Him: the wrath of God. Scripture teaches that He became sin for us who knew no sin. Because He became sin, and because He was offering Himself in our place, He had to suffer, as God poured out His wrath against sin – on Jesus. This was most probably what Jesus was referring to when he prayed “let this CUP pass from me”. The ‘cup’ in the Old Testament was representative of the wrath of God. Jesus took the punishment, not just the physical beating and death, but the true punishment from God, for our sin. He did so, because He loves us! That is absolutely, without a doubt, the most amazing love that has ever been seen!
This week is a reminder of the penalty that should have been ours and the amazing love that held Jesus on that cross! Those of us who are Christian have the great responsibility to be missionaries in our culture. We hold in our possession this vital information regarding God’s ultimate act of love and we need to be telling it to those with whom we work and play. When we forget the amazing graciousness of the gift, we stop talking about it. But when we are aware of this amazing love, we tell it to those who haven’t yet believed. God’s speed as you serve as missionaries of God’s grace and love in a graceless and loveless world.

Peace

The Dawning of a New Era

Today marks the beginning of a new era for America. President Obama's Inauguration speech was a classic and will long be remembered for its eloquence. As I listened, I felt a sense of hope that I haven't felt in our nation in a while. Even though I do not agree with many of President Obama's positions, it is my God-directed duty to lift him up in prayer and to support those things that scripture will allow.
He laid out his first 100 days for us:

For everywhere we look, there is work to be done. The state of the economy calls for action, bold and swift, and we will act - not only to create new jobs, but to lay a new foundation for growth.
1. We will build …that feed our commerce and bind us
together.
a. the roads and bridges,
b. the electric grids and
c. digital lines
2. We will restore science to its rightful place, and
a. wield technology's wonders to raise health care's quality and
b. lower its cost.
3. We will harness the sun and the winds and the soil to fuel
a. our cars and
b. run our factories.
4. And we will transform our schools and colleges and Universities to meet the demands of a new age.

All this we can do. And all this we will do.

The Main thing we must remember is that "unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain that build it." We must collectively fall to our knees and cry out to the one who can change the circumstances of our present decline. We are tallest when on our knees.

God cannot honor or bless a nation who ignores His instruction or who denies His very existence. We, the God-fearing, God-trusting, God-believing few must earnestly pray. We must sincerely repent of our own sin, and the sins of a nation that has forgotten God. We must be willing to break with popular opinion and common practice to live lives that are holy and God-honoring. We must be willing to surrender our own passions and pleasures to the One who died for our salvation. He must become more than our "cosmic blesser" and take His rightful place as King of Kings and Lord of Lords in our personal lives.

We cannot change a country. We can only allow God to change us. But as we surrender ourselves to His will, one by one we change the climate and the culture or America. We didn't wake up one day to a massive exodus from God and His principles. We gradually, one by one, ignored His reign in our lives. The path back to Godliness and blessing will come in the same way. We will not "wake up" one day to a Godly nation. We must individually allow God to transform us.

Peace!

The Greatest Job Ever

A Psalm of the Sons of Korah

The "Sons of Korah" were the Temple singers and are mentioned in 1Chron. 6:33-48. They were servants to the people in leading them in singing. They also served as gatekeepers and the bakers of sacrificial bread. Their total lives were lived in service to God by serving others. It is the greatest of vocations, the greatest of callings.

One of the songs that was in their hymnal is found in Psalm 84.

Psalm 84:1-12
(ESV) 1 To the choirmaster: according to The Gittith. A Psalm of the Sons of
Korah. How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord of hosts! 2 My soul longs, yes,
faints for the courts of the Lord; my heart and flesh sing for joy to the living
God. 3 Even the sparrow finds a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where
she may lay her young, at your altars, O Lord of hosts, my King and my God. 4
Blessed are those who dwell in your house, ever singing your praise! Selah 5
Blessed are those whose strength is in you, in whose heart are the highways to
Zion. 6 As they go through the Valley of Baca they make it a place of springs;
the early rain also covers it with pools. 7 They go from strength to strength;
each one appears before God in Zion. 8 O Lord God of hosts, hear my prayer; give
ear, O God of Jacob! Selah 9 Behold our shield, O God; look on the face of your
anointed! 10 For a day in your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere. I
would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of
wickedness. 11 For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and
honor. No good thing does he withhold from those who walk uprightly. 12 O Lord
of hosts, blessed is the one who trusts in you!

The writer observed the birds nests that were built in the church. Not something that we are accustomed to nor would we welcome in our comfortable sanctuaries. Nesting birds are noisy. And yet the writer said, even the birds build a home where they can lay their young at the feet of the altar of God. He saw in the birds a desire to be close to the creator. I understand that. I long to be close to the Creator as well. My favorite place to be is in His presence, uninterrupted from the noise of the world and the craziness of schedules.

One day soon Christ will return and those who have prepared their hearts will spend eternity in His courts. It will be perfect peace and I long for that day! My heart and flesh cry out for you the living God. Your Spirit's water for my soul.

Do I Consider Myself "Unworthy"?

Matthew 8:8 (ESV) 8 But the centurion replied, "Lord, I am not worthy to have you come under my roof, but only say the word, and my servant will be healed.

I've preached close to 2500 sermons in my life in all kinds of places. I remember the one place that absolutely humbled me the most. It was at a Minister's Conference in Branson. I was a young preacher and had been asked to preach to an audience of preachers. They were almost entirely men who had been in the ministry much longer than I and had much more wisdom. I remember being scared to death because I was so inadequate for the task. I felt that anyone in that room was more qualified to bring that message than I was. I felt totally unworthy to be sharing anything with them.

Perhaps you have situations where you feel unworthy. Maybe you have friends that are more afluent than you are and you feel embarrassed to have them come to your house because it isn't as nice as they are used to. Or perhaps because of their standing in society you feel that you are unworthy of their time and attention.

In this passage Jesus meets a man who isn't Jewish but who is a leader in the army. This man is looked up to by those who serve under him and probably lived better than most people in his culture. He has servants at home to take care of the house and one of them is very sick. When Jesus offered to come to his house and heal the servant, the centurion stated that "he was not worthy to have you come under my roof." In the presence of Jesus, this man of importance recognized something about Jesus. His humility wasn't because of Jesus social status. Jesus didn't even own a home. It wasn't because of His commanding presence. Jesus was just "ordinary" in appearance. So what was this emotion and why did he feel it?

The centurion realized that Jesus was worthy to be worshiped, and anyone worthy of worship was much too special to "come down" to his level. In the presence of Jesus he felt small and unworthy of Jesus time. It wasn't a self-depracating kind of feeling. He truly recognized the holiness of the Master and how unholy he was.

So I ask myself this question: Do I feel unworthy? Do I really recognize the true holiness of the Lord? Do I see Him as "The King of Glory"? I often see Him as my "best friend" but do I see Him in His Glory? The beings in heaven all fall down at His feet and worship Him. He is the center of attention and object of worship in heaven. They know who He is and worship Him.

Today, I challenge you to think about who He is. Try to see Him in His Glory. Put Him in his rightful place on the throne of your life and worship Him. Allow Him to reveal Himself to you so that you may come to that place of "unworthiness". It was in this state that Jesus remarked of the centurion; "Truly, I tell you, with no one in Israel have I found such faith."

Worship Him today for He is worthy!

The Peace of God

Psalm 4:1-8 (ESV)
1 To the Choirmaster: with Stringed instruments. A Psalm
of David. Answer me when I call, O God of my righteousness! You have given me
relief when I was in distress. Be gracious to me and hear my prayer!
2 O
men, how long shall my honor be turned into shame? How long will you love vain
words and seek after lies? Selah
3 But know that the Lord has set apart the
godly for himself; the Lord hears when I call to him.
4 Be angry, and do not
sin; ponder in your own hearts on your beds, and be silent. Selah
5 Offer
right sacrifices, and put your trust in the Lord.
6 There are many who say,
"Who will show us some good? Lift up the light of your face upon us, O Lord!"
7 You have put more joy in my heart than they have when their grain and wine
abound.
8 In peace I will both lie down and sleep; for you alone, O Lord,
make me dwell in safety.

For the first time in my lifetime "survival" has come into question for many people. Given everything that is going on in the United States economy today, there are some who are struggling to find peace. They have major concerns regarding their personal ability to survive financially. Many watch as their retirement accounts shrink, and they fear they will not be able to survive.

Brother Sid stood yesterday and shared these words of wisdom regarding the present crisis:

"Lay up treasure in heaven. Not on earth. The treasure you lay up in heaven will
be safe."

David understood the peace that comes from relying upon God. He knew the faithfulness and the character of God and he knew he could depend on God.

"You have given me relief when I was in distress. Know that the Lord has set
apart the godly for himself; the Lord hears when I call to him. There are many
who say, "Who will show us some good? Lift up the light of your face upon us, O
Lord!" You have put more joy in my heart than they have when their grain and
wine abound. In peace I will both lie down and sleep; for you alone, O Lord,
make me dwell in safety. "

David had laid up treasure in heaven. As we walk through the uncertainty that lies ahead, put your trust completely in the Lord. Honor Him in your life and in everything you do. Call out to Him in your fear or time of trouble. Trust Him to keep His Word.

Psalm 37:25-29 (ESV)
25 I have been young, and now am old, yet I have not
seen the righteous forsaken or his children begging for bread.
26 He is ever
lending generously, and his children become a blessing.
27 Turn away from
evil and do good; so shall you dwell forever.
28 For the Lord loves justice;
he will not forsake his saints. They are preserved forever, but the children of
the wicked shall be cut off.
29 The righteous shall inherit the land and
dwell upon it forever.

May the peace of God rest with you today!

Shalom!

Does Your Life Stink?

Do you ever feel like your life stinks? Sometimes spiritually we get in periods of stagnation that get really difficult and uncomfortable to deal with. A few years ago, while on a float trip, God revealed a truth to me. If you find yourself in "stinky water" spiritually, this one's for you!

As I continued down the river I came to, what used to be, one of the most beautiful pools of water on that stretch of river. It is filled with huge boulders. Typically, the water is very deep, but it is so clear the bottom looks like you could count every pebble. Because of the low water levels, lack of current, and perhaps the addition of bacteria from all the new development along the river, this pool was no longer beautiful. In fact, it looked and smelled like a lagoon. The odor was awful, so I paddled as fast as I could to get through that section of the river. Then God spoke:

You know, you just passed through a lesson. Even the most beautiful pools can
become cesspools if the water level is low, the current is too slow, or too much
bacteria is introduced into the system. Your natural tendency, when you came
into these bad waters, was to get through them as quickly as possible. So why do
you linger in the stagnation of the spiritual pool of your life? Paddle through
the rancid waters that are no longer flowing, and get to the spring of
refreshing.

There are rivers of refreshing waiting for you and I if we will simply "go to the river". The bible describes a scene in the book of revelation. It is from the very throne of God and out from under it proceeds a clear river of water, the river of life.

Jesus said to the woman at the well:

John 4:10 (ESV)
10 Jesus answered her, "If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is
saying to you, 'Give me a drink,' you would have asked him, and he would have
given you living water."

Jesus invites you to come to the river today and drink deeply. Don't stay in the stagnant pool filled with all kinds of junk. Go to the source of refreshing and drink deeply!

He Knows Your Name

He Knows Your Name

Psalm 139:1 (ESV) 1 O Lord, you have searched me and known me!

Today was "See You At The Pole". A small group of students met at the flagpole at school to pray for the school and our nation. While they were outside praying, another small group of us were going through the school praying over the lockers and classrooms. As I was wandering the halls praying at each locker, I was overcome as I was reminded that God knows the name of every one of these students. I began to sing in my spirit the song "He Knows My Name" by the McRae's. I remembered the "How Great Is Our God" message by Lou Giglio and the part where he talks about our genetic code.

He says something like this.
"If you could write out the genetic code for a single cell in the human body, that code would stretch to six feet long. If you read one character per second it would take over 100 years to read your DNA! And yet God not only knows it, He wrote the code!"

David didn't know anything about "DNA" or "Genetic Codes", but he did understand that before he was born, God knew him. And before you were born, God knew you. He not only knows your name, He knows your strengths, your weaknesses, your victories and your struggles. He is always at work in your life. He never takes a day off! He is leading and guiding the direction of your life if you and I will only take the time to listen and follow.

We run at such a feverish pace in today's culture that solitude and quiet time are almost a relic of the past. As we were praying and walking through the school, students and teachers started to file in and things got really hectic and distracting. It was a vignette from the scene of life as we know it. We wanted to spend time with God in prayer but instead found ourselves feeling pressured to hurry. God wants us to hit the pause button and just spend some time with Him. He wants us to know Him in a more intimate way. That intimacy only comes in quiet retreat, not in trying to pray while I’m driving to work, answering the phone and listening to the radio. Jesus even told His disciples to "come apart and rest awhile". He was teaching them that they needed to take a quiet retreat with the master in order to refuel and recharge so they could appropriately face the challenges of life.

Be encouraged today. God not only knows your name. He knows YOU! He knows everything about you and what you will face. He knows what you are going to need before you even ask and has already prepared an answer if you and I will just learn to stop and ask. He longs to visit with you today. Try to unplug from the craziness we call "our schedule" and let God speak to your spirit. I'm pretty sure He has some awesome words to share with you!

Shalom!

Uselessly Kindling Fire on the Altar

Uselessly Kindling Fire on The Altar

Malachi 1:10 (ESV) 10 Oh that there were one among you who would shut the doors, that you might not kindle fire on my altar in vain! I have no pleasure in you, says the Lord of hosts, and I will not accept an offering from your hand.

Sometimes, in order to understand something more clearly, we must define what is its opposite. In other words, to understand what something is, we must first understand what it is not. I want to please God in my life as his child, as a husband and father and as a pastor and friend. I have made it my purpose in life to do so, and to live my life in such a way that it makes Him smile. It is amazing, however, how mindlessly I sometimes operate in pursuit of that goal. There are times when I am 'tuned in' to what God is doing and I am able to join Him. There are other times, or even periods of time, LONG PERIODS OF TIME, when I seem to uselessly kindle fire on the altar. If I want to undertand what it means to PLEASE GOD it is helpful to know what does not please him. That answer is found in Malachi 1.

God is holding me accountable to present the best that I and his people have to offer. That's what you give in sacrifices. God's words in Malachi 1 to the priests who were responsible for offering up the sacrifices of themselves and the people was that they were giving, and accepting at the hand of the people, offerings that were less than their best. In response to these offerings, God says to the priests, "I am not pleased with you, nor will I accept an offering from you."

What DOESN'T PLEASE GOD? When I don't love him enough to give my best. In that case, God says I am uselessly kindling fire on the altar. God's blazing condemnation of the priests also contained a plea from the very heart of God: "Oh that there were one among you who would shut the doors, that you might not kindle fire on my altar in vain!". In other words, God would rather someone 'lock the door of the church' than have us give less than our best in church. He would rather we 'not preach' than to preach a polluted gospel! What it seems God is saying is, "Stop wasting your time and mine! I will not accept any more 'leftovers'! Maybe if I stop listening you will start!"

Every Monday night we meet for prayer at the church. Thus far, there have been a few very faithful folks who have experienced just how awesome it is to simply come to God in a time of prayer and to draw more closely to Him. I suppose it could be considered "a sacrifice", since they are giving up time from something else. It is a very small sacrifice and the benefits far, far, far outweigh any "sacrifice" that may be involved. I invite you to join us. We pray, sing and I share a short devotion. Mostly, we pray. Come and experience it for yourself.

I desire, more than anything else, to please Him. In order to do so, I must give my best. I must also require 'the best' from the hand of the people. To that end, let me challenge you: GIVE GOD YOUR BEST, NOT "THE REST"! Saturday, we have an opportunity to learn from Jeremy Horn. Give God your best. Sunday we will meet at God's house to worship. Give God your best. We will have the opportunity to serve others through ministry, and thereby serve God. Give your best. Every day, I have the opportunity to live life God's way. That means if I'm mad at another Christian, I need to forgive. God isn't going to accept an offering at the hand of an angry servant.

Father,
I confess that I have settled for second place. I have let my attitude become one of 'That's good enough'. Please forgive me! And please forgive the sins of the people for offering less than the best. Please be patient with us. Please let us see how awesome you really are, and how deserving you really are of our best. And please give me the courage to accept nothing less.

Who's In Your Circle?

Matthew 26:1 (KJV) 1 And it came to pass, when Jesus had finished all these sayings, he said unto his disciples,

One cell phone commercial on TV asks the question, "Who's in your circle". This particular service lets you call any number in your "circle of friends" for free. The assumption is that each of us has a small group of people that are close to us that we call more often than anyone else. These people are our network of friends with whom we share life.

In the body of Christ we need the same network of "circles" to function at our best. Jesus modeled this concept for us with His own, "circle of friends". Although Jesus came to die for all humankind, he invested His life in a small circle of men and a few other folks in His extended circle. We often think of Jesus life and work in the context of "the multitudes", but it was those twelve disciples that Jesus devoted most of his energy and upon whom he depended in His time of need.

When Jesus was in the garden of Gethsemane agonizing over his future, he didn't call upon the multitude to be His prayer support. He called his circle of friends. If that circle was important to Jesus, if it was needed in His life, I'm sure it is needed in ours! That's why it is so important to not just become part of the church, but part of a smaller group of people within the church that are your circle of friends. They become not just your friends, but your prayer support and encouragers in time of need. I am convinced that every believer needs to be part of a smaller group within the church. Whether that be a Sunday School class or some other small group, we all need that close circle of friends. When we do not have it, we end up facing life's struggles without the same kind of support that even Jesus needed in His life.

If you're not part of a Sunday School class or small group, let me encourage you to become involved for your own spiritual health and the health of others. If you know people within the church or outside the church who don't have this kind of support, invite them to become part of your circle. It is in this "Circle of Friends" that we do life and we do ministry. Don't let either pass you by!