What Does it Mean to Admit?

I’m praying our people, our church, our family, our friends, our community, finds FREEDOM through the grace, hope, mercy, and forgiveness offered through a relationship with Jesus Christ. When we let go of our past, we can experience peace in our present.

Be encouraged…

You’re not the labels of your past.
You’re not the mistakes you’ve made.
You’re not your struggle.
You’re not what you’ve done.
You’re not what you’ve said.
You’re not what others have done to you.

In Christ you are a NEW creation.
He gives you a NEW name.
He has a purpose for your life.
He has plans to prosper you.
He wants to bless you.

He is your refuge.
He is your strength.
He will come through…ALWAYS!

Take a moment and watch this video. Be reminded that you no longer have to live in FEAR, but in Christ, you can live in FREEDOM!

What is Your One Thing?

We’ve all got that ONE THING. That one thing that keeps us from reaching our potential. That one thing that holds us back from success, joy, happiness, rest, peace, relaxation…whatever it might be, we’ve all got that ONE THING.

What is your one thing?
What is it?

I would be willing to argue that for most us (me included) it is our unwillingness or inability to be OPEN and HONEST in our relationships. I’m talking about marriages, parenting, work, friends, you name it. I’m talking about ALL relationships. Some of us I would dare to say won’t even get honest with God. For whatever reason we have a tendency to retreat, to hide, to cower behind the veil of guilt and shame. It’s like we’re experiencing a heart attack and simply try to tough it out…“No, I’ll be just fine. I’ve got this.”

Really?

Why do we do this? Why are we so afraid to be REAL? Why are we so afraid to let people see the REAL us, the real YOU, the real ME? Did you know that when we choose to do this, when we choose to isolate and shut others out, that we are actually running away from the blessing God promises?

Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.
James 5:16 NIV

I’m willing to bet that if you’re experiencing a heart attack you’re calling for help. I’m willing to bet that if you break your foot you’re going in for help. When we get sick, we want to get BETTER. When we get sick, we get HELP. Nobody wants to be sick. Everybody wants to be healed. It’s not that we WANT to be sick; we simply don’t want the diagnosis.

That’s called DENIAL.

“If I don’t acknowledge my sickness, then I’m not sick.”

Right.

Remember, you’re only as sick as your secrets. Will you stay sick or will you get help?

A Letter to New Life Community Church

Good morning New Life! I have 6 things I want to share with you today…

#1—Sacrifice or obedience? At church it can become really easy to toss around words like sacrifice and obedience. They are churchy words. I would dare to say they are so MUCH MORE than that. Samuel told Saul obedience is BETTER THAN sacrifice. Jesus walked in obedience to the will of his father, which of course ultimately led to his sacrifice. Paul challenges us to be living sacrifices (walking in daily obedience). Time and time again these words appear throughout Scripture, not to point a finger in self-righteousness, but to encourage and inspire the follower of Christ to TRULY LIVE FOR JESUS. It’s not about money. It’s not about volunteers. It’s all about Jesus. Plain and simple. It’s all about Jesus. He’s not interested in the occasional sacrifice, he wants our daily obedience. Which one are you ready to give?

#2—Let me just say that Sunday night was both heartfelt and funny as…well…fun. New Life came together in BIG fashion as we sent off the Parsons Family. Pictures from the past scrolled across the screen. Story after story was shared from the people who have served alongside both Ryan and Pam, been discipled by them, worked with them, and even hired them. My hope is that we, the body of New Life, their friends, their family, continue to pray for them as they continue their journey of FOLLOWING JESUS! My hope is that others are inspired by their story of OBEDIENCE and choose to FOLLOW JESUS! Ryan, I love you dude. I’m going to miss seeing you around. I’m going to miss your sense of humor (albeit not quite as funny as mine, but it’s ok). Thank you for challenging me to LOVE Jesus and make him my EVERYTHING!

#3—I’m EXCITED for this Wednesday night (June 27, 6:30p) as we get the privilege and blessing of hearing from our Bolivia Teams. 27 people left. Nearly 2,000 received Christ! I want to hear their stories. I want to hear their hearts. I’m anticipating that our church will be INSPIRED and MOVED to be a church that makes a global impact, to make Jesus’ name known throughout the world! That’s something worth celebrating! Remember New Life…we will REACH this generation with the gospel, TEACH them to become fully devoted followers of Christ, and SEND them out to reproduce their faith in others. We’re seeing the vision fulfilled! See you here!

#4—2 weeks ago I had the AMAZING honor of sharing a message with you on Father’s Day, well, this week I’m PUMPED to get back behind the wheel at Celebrate Recovery. This Friday (7p) I’ll be teaching a lesson on how to confess or ADMIT our sins, the dark secrets that we’ve told ourselves we’d never share! I’m believing God will open our hearts and FREE us from the pain of our past. My hope is that the people of New Life will be set free from their past, so they can experience joy in their present. I truly believe THE BEST IS YET TO COME!

#5—Did you see the video this past Sunday from our LifeKids interns? That was freakin’ hilarious! Jeff Gillis falls like a champ! Well, in case you missed it, this Saturday (June 30, 8:30a) the Olympics invade New Life! Our very own LifeKids is hosting a Summer Olympics events for children ages 1st-5th grades. Bring sunscreen (yes, we allow that here). Bring bandaids. Bring a willingness to get dirty, have fun, and just be stupid.

#6—I LOVE MY CHURCH!

How Can I Stop Playing Games With My Hunger?

This past weekend Pastor Gary challenged the people of New Life Community Church to step up, step out, and start following Jesus. Sounds easy doesn’t it? It’s deceptively difficult. Nothing about following Jesus is easy. When it comes to making myself AVAILABLE, when it comes to being FLEXIBLE, when it comes to SURRENDER, I struggle and struggle every single day of my life.

I think of Katniss volunteering to take her sister’s place. I think of Katniss, in that moment, determining the life of her sister was more valuable than her own. I think of Katniss, in that moment, arriving at the conclusion that regardless of her dreams, her aspirations, her needs, her desires…the LOVE for her sister far outweighed ANYTHING ELSE. Then I’m reminded of Christ’s LOVE for ME and how it surpasses any notion of measurement; that means it’s unfathomable, inconceivable.

It makes me wonder how many of us, follower of Jesus, fathers, mothers, sons, daughters, brothers, sisters, neighbors…how many of us are willing to set ourselves aside and put ANOTHER first?

Would I?
Am I?

Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God–this is your spiritual act of worship.
Romans 12:1 NIV

Primrose didn’t have a choice. She was picked. She was chosen. Her life would be unwillingly offered as a sacrifice. That ain’t right. God’s given us the gift/ curse of freewill. We HAVE a choice. We love him or we don’t. We follow him or we don’t. Unlike Primrose I choose to offer my life as a living sacrifice, as TRIBUTE, but I’m not trying to survive, I’m trying to die a little more with each passing day.

It’s all so HE can live through me.

So, what will you do this week? Will you simply go about business as usual or will you chase after Jesus? Will you settle for what’s on the television or will you get in his word?

Sacrifice or obedience?

Have You Considered His Favor?

1 Give ear to my words, O Lord, consider my sighing.

2 Listen to my cry for help, my King and my God, for to you I pray.

3 In the morning, O Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation.

4 You are not a God who takes pleasure in evil; with you the wicked cannot dwell.

5 The arrogant cannot stand in your presence; you hate all who do wrong.

6 You destroy those who tell lies; bloodthirsty and deceitful men the Lord abhors.

7 But I, by your great mercy, will come into your house; in reverence will I bow down toward your holy temple.

8 Lead me, O Lord, in your righteousness because of my enemies—make straight your way before me.

9 Not a word from their mouth can be trusted; their heart is filled with destruction. Their throat is an open grave; with their tongue they speak deceit.

10 Declare them guilty, O God! Let their intrigues be their downfall. Banish them for their many sins, for they have rebelled against you.

11 But let all who take refuge in you be glad; let them ever sing for joy. Spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may rejoice in you.

12 For surely, O Lord, you bless the righteous; you surround them with your favor as with a shield. Psalm 5 NIV

Have you considered his FAVOR?

When Was The Last Time...?

When was the last time you simply cried out to God in celebration of WHO HE IS?

You are GOOD
You are LOVE
You are LIGHT
You are HOPE
You are PEACE
You are TRUE
You are JOY
You are LIFE
You are MORE
You are LORD
You are HERE
You are GOD

Who is he to you? Who is he in your life? Do you want to know him? Is his love enough? Do you want him to FOREVER REIGN?

Are You A Beacon Of Hope?

The elder, to the chosen lady and her children, whom I love in truth—and not I only, but also all who know the truth—
2 John 1:1 NIV

What a great way to open a letter. I love John’s choice of words. The chosen lady and her children. The CHOSEN lady. Her CHILDREN. It’s poetic. It leaves room for debate, for discussion.

Who is the CHOSEN lady?
Who are her CHILDREN?

I think of the love I have for my wife, my bride, and it blows me away to think that the love Jesus has for HIS bride is exponentially GREATER! I wonder if he still looks upon her the same. I mean, he DIED for her. He CHOSE her to change the world, to be a beacon of light, a ray of hope.

Is she?
Are we?
Am I?

A Letter to New Life Community Church

What’s up New Life Community Church? I have 5 things I want to share with you…

#1—Will Jesus Be Primary or Secondary in My Life? This past weekend I shared a message that I believe has the potential to change our church and our community FOREVER (if you missed it, you can listen to it here). I believe if we want to see CHANGE, it starts with us, it starts within! We need to stop pointing our finger at others. We need to stop trying to fix things ourselves. We need to start working on our families! Our children and our children’s children are in need of men who aren’t afraid to stand up and be MEN! I’m anticipating a wave of growth within the men of our church. I’m anticipating the dismantling of generational curses! I’m anticipating the restoration of families!

#2—Wow! God is so GOOD! In America our faith is often blinded by the comfort and ease afforded us through the freedom and liberties of our country. This is NOT the case for most other countries. Jesus is not welcome. Persecution is real. People continue to die for their faith. All our people have returned from Bolivia and they have stories to share. Stories of HOPE (1,700+ decisions for Christ!!). Stories of GRACE. Stories of MERCY. And stories of HARDSHIP (the church facing persecution…people in danger due to faith in Jesus Christ). Continue to pray for our brothers and sisters in Bolivia. Continue to pray for God to RESTORE his people in Bolivia. Continue to pray for REVIVAL to sweep across the country of Bolivia.

#3—This past Friday Martin challenged the people of Celebrate Recovery to open up, to share life’s hurts, to release the pain of the past, to CONFESS (if you missed it, you can listen to it here). What would happen if we, the church, took an honest look at ourselves, owned up to our responsibilities, and admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs? What would happen? Forgiveness. Healing. Read James 5:16. United, we’d change the world.

Let me take a moment to speak to you, you who have experienced abuse (physical/ sexual/ emotional/ mental) at some point in your life. It was NOT YOUR FAULTH! Stop BLAMING YOURSELF! YOU ARE NOT GUILTY…N-O-T  G-U-I-L-T-Y! Stop believing those lies and start embracing the FREEDOM that’s been given you through the cross of Christ! You have a Father in heaven who loves you, believes in you, and wants the best for you!

#4—This Sunday we continue our current series (At the Movies) by examining the biblical truths of The Hunger Games. Jesus was the ultimate SACRIFICE. He was our RANSOM; assuming the responsibility of our sin debt—paying it IN FULL on the cross. So, where does that leave us? How should we respond? How do we pay TRIBUTE? Are you ready to see Pastor Gary ride a flaming chariot to the stage? You don’t want to miss this.

#5—We’re in the final stages of preparing the tracks from our LIVE Recording on June 6th. Stay tuned for more information.

New Life, hear me when I say, THE BEST IS YET TO COME!

Will Jesus Be Primary Or Secondary In Your Life?

What’s up New Life Community Church? I’d like to just take a moment to say I LOVE MY CHURCH! I had my butt kicked last week. There’s no other way to say it…I simply had my butt kicked and HARD! God is working on me. He’s changing me. He’s stretching me. I reached a point last week when God said, ‘If you can’t LIVE THIS OUT, don’t you dare try to TEACH IT!’

Some might be asking, ‘Teach what?’ Well, that simply means you weren’t here. I shared a message yesterday at church that was both personal and pointed (and when I say pointed, I mean pointed right AT ME!). I challenged the men of New Life to answer the question, ‘Will Jesus be PRIMARY or SECONDARY in my life?’

I had the privilege of hearing story after story of men who are struggling, barely clinging on to SANITY. Families are in ruin. Marriages are falling apart. Children are falling away. Jobs are being lost or are nowhere to be found. And spiritually…Jesus seems so distant. Our men are hurting and because we’re men, we’re ignoring it, trying to fix it, living in fear of failure instead of the grace of the Father.

Men, set aside some time today and read through Genesis 3:7-12. Remember that you’re NOT ALONE! You’re struggling. I’m struggling. We’re ALL struggling! Struggling to be the MEN God has called us to be. But remember, it’s not just you, it’s not just me, it goes all the way back to Adam. We fail. We run. We hide. We try to fix it ourselves!

Now read verse 21. God has something BETTER for you! He doesn’t want something FROM you, he has something FOR you! He wants to BLESS you! He’s the God of second chances and he will absolutely RESTORE you, REDEEM you, RESCUE you! Will you choose to call out and ask for help? Will you allow him to be the LORD God of your life?

Men, will Jesus be PRIMARY or SECONDARY in your life?

What's A Healthy Definition Of Health?

So this week I returned to the gym after a 10 year hiatus. It’s one of those love/ hate relationships. It’s one of those I’ll start going next week, but never do kinda things. My body is sore. My body aches. My body hates me.

Heading back to the gym has been an almost spiritual experience…mainly because the time slot I’m lifting weights and running on a treadmill was formerly the time slot when I was reading Scripture and praying…so it HAS to be spiritual! But really, it has been. It’s been painful, but peaceful. I’ve had time to think, to contemplate, to explore this idea, this concept of HEALTH.

What is it?

I believe, just like I walked away from the gym 10 years ago, many of us simply walk away from our faith in Christ. Now don’t get all excited, don’t get all ruffled, I use the phrase ‘walk away’ lightly. What I mean is, just like I THOUGHT about going back to the gym, just like I THOUGHT about working out, most of us THINK about Jesus, most of us THINK about following him, yet there’s no ACTION. We stop. We give up. We throw in the towel. We walk away.

What is health?

According to the dictionary (well, dictionary.com), the term health refers to soundness of body or mind, it’s general condition. My mental and spiritual health have been great, not superb, not perfect, but I LOVE Jesus, I seek to know him more through his word and prayer, I’m constantly reading something with the desire to learn something new…yet my physical health has been poor. I’ve neglected it. I’ve allowed it to lag behind and play catch-up. Does that describe your spiritual life? Is it something that you allow to gather dust? Check it out, here’s what the Bible says:

I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 3:14 NIV

I LOVE this verse! I PRESS ON! I keep GOING! I PERSEVERE! I’m UNRELENTING! I want this verse to describe ME! To describe YOU! I don’t want be lazy anymore. I don’t want to do things half-heartedly. I want to do EVERYTHING like I was doing it for Jesus, for his glory, for his fame, for his recognition.

How is your health?
How are you spiritually, mentally, physically, emotionally?
How is your marriage?
How is your parenting?
How are your relationships?
How is your job?
How are your finances?

The list goes on and on. Are you PRESSING ON? Are you PERSEVERING? How is your health?

What's The Point Of Confession?

James 5:16 says, “Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.” (emphasis mine)

When was the last time you confessed your sins, your struggles, your shortcomings, your habits…whatever you want to call them? When was the last time you experienced HEALING because you were willing to LET IT GO?

1 John 1:9 says, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” (emphasis mine)

Here’s that word again…CONFESS. This time, however, it’s not tied to healing, but with forgiveness and purification. Purification? Yes. God says he will wash us clean, he will cleanse us, in fact, when he’s done with us we’ll be as white as freshly fallen snow (Isaiah 1:18). When was the last time you were FORGIVEN? Have you been FORGIVEN?

It’s not your burden to bear. You don’t have to hang on to whatever it is you’re holding on to. You don’t have to cling to the pain of your past. You are not the sum total of the mistakes you’ve made.

In Christ there’s HOPE for a better tomorrow.
In Christ you get a NEW name, a NEW you.

Outside of a relationship with Jesus, forgiveness is something you might HEAR ABOUT, but never fully EXPERIENCE. It’s never too early to make a change. No turning back. The decision is yours.

How Do I Fight This Loneliness?

Making connections can be tough. Making connections? Huh? By ‘connections’, I’m referring to friends, acquaintances, meeting people. As a kid it’s easy. Two kids want to play. Fun is the goal. You team up together to reach that goal. As a teen it’s easy (for some). At school you’re force to be AROUND people most of your day; working together on projects and what not. As an adult it’s slightly more difficult. You might see people at work. You might see people at church. You might see people in your neighborhood. But nothing forces you to reach out to them, to introduce yourself, to share life.

Meeting people takes EFFORT. Meeting people takes ACTION. You must be INTENTIONAL. You have to be willing to take that first step, then another, and another, and finally open your mouth and speak a word (or two).

I know too many people who are lonely. I know too many people who feel as if the whole world is against them. Instead of REACHING OUT they STEP BACK. The world seems dark, bleak, so they ISOLATE. They RETREAT to the safety and comfort of their natural surroundings…their home…their room…their mind.

God did not create us to be ALONE. In fact, God said it is not good that man should be alone (Genesis 2:18). Granted, this might be in reference to the love shared between a man and a woman, but regardless, God noticed how Adam was alone and said it was NOT GOOD.

The early church, the church everyone wants to create and emulate, the Acts 2 church, is described as meeting together DAILY in the temple courts and from house to house (Acts 2:46). In church (and Lord of the Rings) we call this ‘fellowship’. I call it COMMUNITY.

There’s POWER in coming together. There’s STRENGTH in numbers. There’s ACCOUNTABILITY. The benefits seriously could go on and on. We GROW together. We TAKE CARE of one another. We are THERE FOR one another.

How are you doing in this area? Are you connecting with people? Are you reaching out to meet new people? Have you introduced yourself to someone lately? Are you connect with a local church? Do you have a group of people who hold you accountable?

If we’re going to see our church GROW, if we’re going to see this community CHANGE FOREVER, we’re going to have to come together as a family. Sunday morning isn’t enough. Sunday morning is our opportunity to SERVE SOMEONE ELSE! Who's house will you visit this week? Who will you call today? You weren't meant to live this life ALONE!

A Letter to New Life Community Church

What’s up New Life? Here are 5 things I want to share with you…

#1—Sunday was AWESOME! Numerous people stepped forward to profess their faith in Jesus Christ; people crossing over from death to life…that NEVER gets old! Pastor Jim challenged each of us to take an honest look at our lives, to evaluate our priorities, and check our hearts to see if we’ve left any room for Jesus to be LORD. Our church responded by declaring Jesus must be EVERYTHING and person after person confessed complacency and a desire to be BETTER, a desire to REDEDICATE their life to Christ! I’m EXCITED to see us continue GROWING and CHANGING…the BEST IS YET TO COME!

#2—Keep praying for our people in Bolivia! Last week we sent out 26…yes, 26!!! people to the country of Bolivia! 26 people to share the HOPE of salvation through Jesus Christ! 26 people to invest in and disciple new believers! 26 people to start new churches! 26 people who will NEVER BE THE SAME! Pray for them by name. Pray for the entire group. Pray for Bolivia. Pray for doors to open up. Pray for hearts to be made receptive to the richness of God’s GRACE and MERCY! Pray God uses them to change the country of Bolivia!

#3—In his message this past weekend Pastor Jim discussed the importance of and power of CONFESSION in our lives, citing Acts 19:18. Talk about timing! This Friday, at Celebrate Recovery, Martin Katz will be teaching Lesson 12: CONFESS. I’m anticipating lives will change! I’m anticipating God to truly set some people free from the pains and burdens of the PAST so they may experience joy in the PRESENT! Dinner is served at 6p. Worship & teaching starts at 7p. Groups open at 8p.

#4—This upcoming weekend we celebrate Father’s Day. What are you getting your dad? Do you have something special planned? The typical gift I want is…silence…an empty house…alone time…relaxation. Can you say SELFISH? Not any more. I am personally making the decision to be different this year and I’m praying God gives me the ability to INSPIRE the men in our church to do the same. This Sunday I’ll be sharing a straightforward message on BIBLICAL MANHOOD. I’m PUMPED to share the message and EXCITED about the potential for change! There will be no holding back.

#5—I LOVE MY CHURCH!

How Did I Lose Focus?

Wow! Yesterday at New Life Community Church was, at least for me, an AMAZING day! There were so many things, so many distractions, that I could have easily allowed my focus to move from the work of Christ on the cross, the empty tomb, and the possibility of people crossing over from death to life…BUT by the grace of God I was able to keep smiling and simply worship.

Pastor Jim shared a message that I believe applies to each and everyone one of us. As the Worship Pastor (music guy), I can get so wrapped up in the production, on the programming, things that I’m convinced I ‘control’ that I ignore the purpose of the worship experience…WORSHIP! My focus shifts away from the WHO and lands on the WHAT. I’m a pastor! Focusing on Jesus should be easy right? Spiritual things should be second nature, right?

Wrong.

I struggle just like you. I wake up each day and have to fight myself. Sometimes I don’t want to pray. Sometimes I don’t want to read the Bible. It almost makes me sick to write this…am I REALLY saying that I don’t want to hear from God? Yes. I have a natural tendency to be selfish, self-centered (Selfless? Can I get a rain check?).

I used to stay there. I used to remain frustrated, controlling, and anxious over STUFF. I’ve wanted to quit, throw in the towel, walk away…simply because things were happening the way I wanted, how I thought was best, when I wanted to see it happen (notice all the ‘I’ statements). Selfish. BUT, like I just said, I ‘used’ to stay there. Now, I recognize my faults, I acknowledge my flaws. I no longer run FROM them, but run TO them and hit them head on.

I’ve realized that I can no longer allow my ATTITUDE hinder my decision to follow Jesus. I’ve realized that I must CHOOSE joy in spite of my circumstances. If I’m being critical it’s because I’ve lost sight of the cross. If I’m being sarcastic it’s because I’ve forgotten my redemption. Jesus has to be my EVERYTHING!

My question for you this morning is one that I must answer on daily basis: “Have you fallen out of LOVE with Jesus and fallen into a ROUTINE with church?”

Jesus must be first. Jesus must be my EVERYTHING! I absolutely cannot wait for this coming Sunday!

How's Your Church?

Ah! The end is in sight! Today we’ll be closing out this series on SPIRITUAL INVENTORY (Parts 1 & 2). It hasn’t been easy! Taking an honest look at ourselves, pointing a finger at the man or woman in the mirror, is NEVER easy. It’s tough. It’s the path less traveled. Blaming others, whether it be a spouse, child, parent, friend, co-worker, boss, strangers…whoever, allows us to skirt around our RESPONSIBILITY and continue existing in DENIAL.

I’m done.
I’ve been done.
I want God to break me.
I want God to rebuild me.
I want to be DIFFERENT!

So far we’ve talked about your MIND, your BODY, and your FAMILY; today we’re going to discuss your CHURCH…THE church!

It blows my mind when I think about how many people say they believe in God, profess faith in Jesus, they speak of a relationship with the Creator, yet they have NOTHING to do with his church. There’s a disconnect there. That’s like saying I had a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, but left out the bread. Really?!? I’ve heard all kinds of excuses.

The church is full of hypocrites.
The church is all about money.
The people are judgmental.
The music is too loud.
The sermons are too light.
The pastor is too young.

The church is all about money (oh wait…did I already say that?).
That’s not a church; it’s a gym.
I work on Sundays.
I like to sleep in.

I'm a good person; I don't need the church.
Yada yada.
Blah blah.

I’ve heard it. I’ve said it myself. It’s nothing new. Each one has been and always will be an EXCUSE. Try to justify it, try to rationalize it…it’s merely an excuse. What you have to do is get to the root of the excuse. Why do I feel this way? What’s caused me to think this way? Maybe it was a bad experience as a child. Maybe church seemed boring. Maybe you were forced to go. Maybe someone hurt you. Maybe you know church people who SAY one thing and LIVE another. I don’t know. It’s your story. Only you can figure that one out. BUT, here’s what God says in his word:

And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.
Hebrews 10:25 NLT

God says DO NOT NEGLECT OUR MEETING TOGETHER! God makes it very clear that we cannot and should not do life alone. He refers to the church as his BRIDE! He died for her! (John 3:29; 2 Corinthians 11:2; Ephesians 5:25-27; Revelation 19:7-9; 21:9). God has a purpose for you within the context of the local church, to use the gifts he’s given you to CHANGE THE WORLD! If you’re not there, if you’re not serving, if you’re not doing your part, someone’s missing out.

Ask yourself these questions. Have I been faithful to my church in the past? Have I been CRITICAL instead of ACTIVE? Have I discouraged my family’s support of the church?

You may feel unworthy and that’s ok, you are, I am, we ALL ARE. We’ve all messed up. We all struggle. BUT God uses us anyways! He lavishes us with his love, grace, and mercy so that we can do the same to those who do not know him.

Are you ready to stop thinking of the church as a place to GO, but who you ARE?

How's Your Family?

Ever have those days when you wake up or even before you ‘fully’ wake up, you kinda just shuffle around in bed HOPING that you can maybe get an extra 5-10 minutes of sleep? You flip your pillow over (to get to the cool side of course). You readjust your blankets. You roll over and over again. Yet, after all this, you can’t get to sleep. Your legs hurt. Your knees are sore. Your eyes don’t want to open. Your head is aching.

And it’s all because you chose to NOT go to sleep at a decent time? That was my morning. I had no one to blame but myself. Believe me, I tried to find SOMEONE to blame, but all fingers pointed at me. So, I just laid in bed. I didn’t bother to get up and make my wife’s coffee. I didn’t make breakfast for the kids. I didn’t do anything of the things I typically do. I was IN the house, but I wasn’t PRESENT.

Today, we’re talking about your FAMILY. So, far we’ve discussed how we can allow our MIND and BODY to become obstacles to experiencing the full expression of God’s presence in our lives…today, it’s FAMILY.

This can be a touchy subject. Some of us have joy filled memories of family outings, picnics, celebrations, vacations, life. Others of us have quite the opposite. Our memories are dark, filled with memories of abuse, neglect, mistreatment, abandonment, life. I have personally experienced both.

What I’ve come to realize is that I cannot, WE cannot, allow the experiences, the situations, the circumstances of our PAST dictate the course of our PRESENT. It’s easy to play the VICTIM. It’s easy to remain stuck in the crap, trapped in the pain from past abuse, fearful of what could happen now, scared, untrusting, angry. Nobody LIKES to be there. Nobody WANTS to live like this. Yet we’re too afraid to get out or simply don’t know HOW to get out…to break FREE!

You can’t heal a wound by saying it’s not there.
Jeremiah 6:14 TLB

Too many of us simply try to ignore the pain from our past. Too many of us simply stuff it away, cover it up, brush it aside. IT DOESN’T GO AWAY! It merely festers and grows and poisons our soul. To be set free from the pain of your past you gotta learn to let it go. You have to be willing to give it to Jesus, to lay it down at the foot of the cross, and LEAVE IT! DON’T pick it back up! Let it go!

For many of us this pain holds us back from being the men and women God intends for us to be. We fail to experience JOY because we cling to the PAIN. We become so wrapped up in our PAST that we neglect our families in the PRESENT. Desperate and disappointed, we demean our spouse, we ignore our children, we isolate from family and friends. Who can we TRUST? How can we LOVE? We find ways to occupy our time (TV, work, hobbies, etc.)…

We continue the cycle of abuse without even knowing it.

Here’s what I’d like you to do. Take a few moments and get somewhere quiet. Get alone. Get on your knees and ask for God’s help. Ask him to reveal how you’ve mistreated your family. Ask him if you’re holding on to any resentment toward your family. Ask him to show you whom you owe amends. Ask him to help you STEP OUT OF DENIAL and STEP INTO HIS GRACE!

Will you LET GO of the past so you can LOVE your family in the present?

How's Your Body?

Ok. Today marks day 3 of our devotional series on Spiritual Inventory (day 8 if you count the 5 days from Part 1). Yesterday, we discussed how our MINDS could be our greatest stumbling block, an obstacle that impedes our ability to experience the richness of God’s presence (in case you missed it, you can read it here).

Today, we’ll be discussing a topic that is often LEFT OUT of the conversation. Today, we’ll be discussing your BODY. I’d be willing to bet that somebody just closed the window swearing to never read this blog again…sometimes the truth hurts, for the next few minutes, let it hurt.

For some reason, a reason that I’m unable to readily identify, church people (me, hopefully you, possibly you), followers of Christ, out of fear, possibly neglect, maybe ignorance, simply DO NOT talk about food, exercise, eating habits, weight…our BODY. We talk about THE body, as in the body of Christ (the Church); we’ll even talk about the harmful effects of drugs, alcohol, and other substances, but tiptoe around the subject of food.

Why? Is it any different?

Why is ok to take a busload of church people to the local buffet, watching people put away 7 maybe 8 plates of food, sweating because their heart medicine is wearing off, knees aching, back hurting…yet we point our fingers in disgust at the person who attends the local bar or has the occasional beer?

Why is one more socially acceptable than the other, when BOTH are killing our family and friends? I don’t know. I can’t put my finger on it. I want to scream HYPOCRITE, but what does that solve? I don’t think it’s a matter of POINTING OUT people’s faults; so much as it is a matter of PAINTING a healthy picture of the body. Enough of me, here’s what the Bible say…

Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body.
1 Corinthians 6:19-20 NLT

God says…

#1—Your body is the TEMPLE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
#2—You do not BELONG TO YOURSELF
#3—God BOUGHT YOU with a high price
#4—Honor God WITH YOUR BODY

If you get anything today, please get this, God LOVES you so much, VALUES you so much, that he sent his son to die on a cross, in your place, in my place, to die for our sins. Three days later he was raised from the dead. Death couldn’t hold him! Victory was his. Victory IS his! And now, through a relationship with Jesus, victory can be ours! In the moment you profess your faith in Jesus, God invades your life, your very being by placing the Holy Spirit WITHIN you. Your BODY becomes the TEMPLE, HIS temple. You no longer have to live as a slave to your selfish desires, but can live FREE standing in the shadow of a bloodstained cross!

So, here’s what I want you to do. I want you to ask yourself the following questions and answer them HONESTLY. How have you mistreated your body? What have you done, what activities or habits, to cause harm to your physical health?

Hurts, habits, and hang-ups related to your BODY are often generational struggles; struggles that were handed down to us from our parents, handed down to our children from us, handed down to our children’s children from them…will you take a stand and BREAK THE CYCLE?

How's Your Mind?

This week I'll be discussing 4 shortcomings that can keep us from experiencing the freedom, the blessings, the joy that God fully intends for us to experience. In case you missed it, you can read the introduction here.

I’ve heard it said before by teachers, TV, books, and probably even my parents, that the MIND is a terrible thing to waste. Over the course of my life I’ve come to the realization that the MIND is simply a terrible thing…that is, unless it’s put in check, not allowed to wander, contained and controlled.

And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
Romans 12:2 NKJV

God has given us explicit instructions regarding our minds. He says that we can actually be transformed, totally changed, made over, simply due to the RENEWING of our mind. What does this mean? How can we do it? I believe many of us have HEARD about the renewing of our minds, but we either didn't want to hear it or were so steeped in denial that we couldn’t hear it.

The mind is a tricky thing. We can know all the right answers, but unless our mind is OPEN to receive them they’ll simply pass through, heading in one ear and flying out the other. We tend to believe what we want. We know the right answer. We know the way. We have it all under control. Really? Do we? Do you? Do I? I believe many of us tend to lean more towards the first part of this verse and find ourselves conforming to the world; we are IN the world and OF it (John 17:6-19).

Instead of measuring our thoughts, words, and actions according to God’s values and character, we look at our neighbors, co-workers, friends, popular culture. We look for excuses to do the things we do, say the things we say, think the way we think.

God says allow your mind to be RENEWED and he will TRANSFORM you. He will CHANGE you. He will REVEAL himself to you. I don’t know about you, but I want a BETTER life, not just for myself, but for my wife, my kids, and my kids’ kids. I serve a God that can change the trajectory of generations (look at his promises to Abraham and David).

It starts with you.
It starts with your mind.

Today, take a moment and answer these questions: how have you guarded your mind in the past? What have you blocked out? What is it that you’re in denial of? How have you ‘protected’ yourself? What are you watching? What are you filling your mind with (TV, movies, music, etc.)? What websites are you visiting? Is God’s word, the truths of the Bible, a priority in your life?

It’s never too EARLY to make a change in your life. You might FEEL stuck, but you’re not. God can and will set you FREE through a relationship with his son, Jesus Christ. Your mind may be what is hindering you, blocking you, keeping you from this freedom, holding you back from knowing the Savior of the world. I pray God INVADES your life and REVEALS himself to you in a way that MAKES SENSE…I pray he becomes REAL in your life…I pray your mind is RENEWED and your life TRANSFORMED!

I pray you find FREEDOM!

It's Never Too Early To Make A Change

I want to thank Steve Parrill (@smparrill) for doing a FANTASTIC job this past Friday, challenging us to examine our lives, to evaluate our shortcomings, to take an honest look at the areas of our lives that might be preventing God from doing HIS work in us and through us.

I needed it. I can get so wrapped up in doing stuff, in keeping busy, in attempting to maintain such a ridiculous pace that I teeter on burning out each and every week. It’s truly INSANITY! So, this week, I’ll be slowing down a bit and discussing the 4 points of Steve’s message on Spiritual Inventory…

#1 Your Mind
#2 Your Body
#3 Your Family
#4 Your Church

It’s going to be raw. It’s going to be honest. It’s going to be painful. I’m serious. You might want to get a bucket and place it next to your computer or wherever you’re sitting, because anytime you take a stern look in the mirror it’s like being punched in the gut…you might get sick so I want you to be prepared!

You might be thinking, “If it hurts so much to be honest with myself, why should I do it?” Here’s why…

Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.
Psalm 139:23-24 NIV

God says to do it. That should be enough for us. That should be the ONLY reason we, as followers of Christ, should EVER need.

My prayer this week is that you and I are able to get over ourselves (that means setting aside our pride) and allow God to reveal our areas of greatest NEED and then have enough courage to DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT!

Where Are My Keys?

Ever have one of those mornings when things simply seem to be out of place? It’s almost like someone came into your home, rearranged everything, possibly hid some things, maybe pocketed some things, and then left. You wake up. You head out to your normal spots, places in your home that are typically familiar, the same, areas where routine takes place.

Yet for some reason it’s different.
Something’s a bit off.

You can’t find your phone. Where did I put it? Did I leave it at work?
You can’t find your debit card. Did I leave it at the store? Did I drop it?
You can’t find your keys. Are they in the car? Did I leave them in the door?
You can’t find your wallet. Where did I go? What pants did I wear yesterday?

Am I supposed to meet with so and so today? Who was I going to call? Where are my notes? What time was I supposed to be there? Where’s my bag? Did I leave my power cord at work? Did I feed the dog? Was I supposed to pick up the kids? Who? What? When? Where? Why?

Stress.
Worry.
Anxiety.

Ever have a day like this? Sound familiar? Maybe it was your yesterday. Maybe this describes your morning so far. Maybe, while reading this, you’ve already thought of a million things that you need to accomplish today…and now you’re stressed out. Your heart is racing. You’re sweating. It’s difficult to breathe. You can’t relax. Shhh….

Take a moment. Breathe in deep. Hold it for a second. Now exhale slowly.

For many of us it seems NORMAL to be overly busy. It seems NORMAL to be stretched in a hundred different directions, doing a hundred different things, multitasking while already multitasking (multi-multitasking?). We allow ourselves to get in such a rush that things simply slip by us. We forget where we’re going, what we need, who we are. When life gets busy, belief in God can be strained.

I believe many of us think of God in OUR terms, according to OUR way of life, OUR way of thinking, OUR busyness. We forget things, so God must. He’s doing SO MUCH MORE, how could he possibly notice my needs, hear my prayers. STOP! Don’t allow your mind to believe those lies! Take heart and remember that HE IS GOD and you are not! He is here. He is there. He is everywhere, all the time. He’s not too busy for you; you are too busy for him. He hasn’t forgotten about you; you’ve forgotten about him.

He wants to KNOW you. He desires an intimate RELATIONSHIP with you. He’s not too busy.

But God even knows how many hairs you have on your head. Don’t be afraid. You are worth much more than many sparrows.
Luke 12:7 NCV

He makes time for you. Make time for him.