Why You Judging Me?!?

Today is Tuesday staff meeting at Freedom Life and Pastor Sam hit on some things this morning about judging  that was awesome. After the meeting, I open up Facebook (cause that's what we all do) and the first couple things I read from my news feed are different post about people feeling judged by others. Feeling compelled I want to unpack the difference between Judging and Correction. So here are my random thoughts: 

Just because something can be perceived as negative does not mean it’s judgmental. Some people think anytime you say something that can be taken even remotely negative that you are judging them. (Meanwhile, this is usually only Christians because they feel entitled to go judgment free. In various other scenarios many people expect to be told the truth straight up.} “You were late to work” can be construed negatively by the person walking in 20 minutes late, however, it is also the truth. “I’ve noticed that you’ve really started acting out of character and I’m wondering if everything is okay?” could be taken as judgment or taken as a question from a concerned friend. 

Some people say all judgment is wrong by singling out the verse "Do Not Judge" (Matthew 7:1). It is true that there are certain forms of judgment that we are not meant to make. The above verse is referring to one of these forms. However, there are instances where the Bible says that we need to judge. We need to read other verses and not only the one above. 

Correction is not judgment, as the Bible says that we should correct, rebuke and be bold to those who are sinning. It is to be done in an act of caring for them in the hope that they will believe. That way we could contribute to the saving of a soul. If we don't, we could be responsible for suppressing the truth which could mean eternal death instead of eternal life for that person. 

"James 5:20 My dear brothers and sisters, if someone among you wanders away from the truth and is brought back, you can be sure that whoever brings the sinner back will save that person from death and bring about the forgiveness of many sins.Where the Bible says do not judge, it could actually mean judging whether someone is born again or not born again. This is because in doubtful cases only God can be the judge of this. The form of judgment that this verse says not to do could also be referring to a form of judgment that a person makes when they despise a sinner, while at the same time believing that they are worthy themselves. We should only correct in a humble way as an act of love. The Bible indicates to boldly correct people in an effort to bring them to repentance. We could say that someone may be eternally separated from God to spur them to repentance. But to say that someone is definitely saved or that they will be eternally separated from God would be wrong. For only God knows who is saved and who is not.

Let's correct those we care about in LOVE and may we not fall I to the trap of saying "Why You Judging Me" when someone is speaking into our lives

4 Things To Declare Over Your Life Daily

Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour

 (1 Peter 5:8 NLT)

The strategy of satan is to draw you into sin and get you to except failure, shame, condemnation, and guilt that comes along with sin.

He wants you to hear his voice on the inside of you that says,

     

      "You're beyond help or hope and so you might as well give up." 

This becomes imbedded into your mind and begins to form your view of yourself. Listen the Bible is clear, we all fall short and this is exactly why the enemy trys to use comdemnation and guilt against us. 

I am hear to tell you this morning, do not buy into satan's schemes. Do not listen to the lies that he speaks over your life!

He will tell you that you can never live for God, He will tell you that you can never be free!

But you are going to have to learn to refuse the devils accusations against you, and understand that if any man be in Christ, He is a NEW creation

And thousands of years ago when Jesus shed His blood on the cross, he was thinking of you.

There is power in the blood of Christ and that power is over every single one of his children

The Blood of Jesus Christ turns us from sinners into son's and daughters of the most high God.

No matter what the enemy has told you, I want to declare over you this morning that you are His child and the same power that raised Christ from the Dead is on the inside of you this morning!

Declare these 4 things over your life today!

1) "The Enemy is Defeated

2) "I am loved by God"

3) "I am chosen by God"

4) "I am called to be victorious in this life!!"

Positioned To Influence

We become influencers, knowing that God has called us to be the head and not the tail, above and not beneath 

(Deuteronomy 28:13)

As believers we should be influencing every aspect of the world. We are to not only rise above adverse circumstances but also to be leaders in a lost world. We are to be light in the darkness. If we are the head and not the tail, we should be leading in all aspects of society. But how do we distinguish ourselves in this way? Through God’s incredible grace.

Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us…(Ephesians 3:20)

We know God is able. That’s what Paul told us in Ephesians. If God is able, why aren’t we automatically head and shoulders above everyone else? It’s because of what we choose to believe about ourselves. God places us right where we need to be, and He has given us the tools to excel. But these tools must be accessed by His power—which is His grace.

You might say, “But Derek, I’ve been trying to do well and other people are still doing much better than I am!” It is not by our works that we succeed but by God's power at work within us, and that power is accessed by faith. Faith is like a container for grace. God’s grace will only fill whatever container we bring to Him. If we bring Him a bucket, He will give us a bucketful. But if we believe for grace in the measure of an ocean, then He will supply an ocean of His empowerment to us! 

Do you believe God promises you only what it takes to get by, or do you believe that His grace can position you to excel and succeed? Are you ready to tap into the full potential of grace and have significant influence on everyone around you?

Can We Be Holy?

Of His [Jesus'] fullness we have all received, and grace for grace.

                 -John 1:16 NKJV 

God first reveals grace in the New Testament as the empowerment that gives us the fullness of Jesus. Grace is not first mentioned as a free gift or as the remittance of sins, although both these things are aspects of grace. 

Grace is more than a “get out of jail free card.” It’s an unstoppable force that enables us to fulfill all God has called us to do. The primary function of God’s grace is to empower us, giving us the ability to go beyond our natural ability.

My grace is all you need, for my power is greatest when you are weak. 

-2 Corinthians 12:9 TEV

In giving us the richest abundance of grace, God has given us the fullness of Jesus Christ Himself! This includes all of His characteristics. So one way to put it is that God’s grace has re-created us to be like Jesus and to live on the earth like He did.

Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did. -1 John 2:6

This is no suggestion; it is God’s command! This charge might seem intimidating, especially when we are struggling with sin. But holiness is not a work of the flesh; it is a product of His grace. We will always struggle with sin if we don’t tap into the power God has given us to set us free. If we see grace as only covering our sins, of course we’re going to struggle to find victory. But when we take hold of His grace as He truly intended it—as an empowering force that enables us to be like Him—then we can acceptably serve Him (see Hebrews 12:28)

God knows that we are human. He knows where we are weak. We cannot live rightly on our own, which is why He gave us His grace. It gives us the ability to do what we cannot do in our own ability.

…we beg you who have received God’s grace not to let it be wasted… 

…So then, let us purify ourselves from everything that makes body or soul unclean, and let us be completely holy. -2 Corinthians 6:1; 7:1

When God calls you to be holy, He is not setting you up for failure. He didn’t send Jesus to die and conquer death just so you could survive in a small, sinful life until you finally make it to heaven. He has made available to you all that you need to live a relentless life of victory and righteousness. Do you believe you can appropriate the grace He has placed before you and use it as He intended?

"6 Simple Plays to Help Leaders Make Big Gains "

6 Simple Plays to Help Leaders Make Big Gains   Who's your favorite football team? I grew up in Lancaster Pa so growing up I followed the Eagles. I live in Pa now so I love it when the Eagles do well (which is slim pickings.) But as a kid I fell in love with the Chicago Bears. So the Bears will always have a place in my heart. Today during staff meeting at Freedom Life, Jason Rising shared a article that I thought was fantastic. It was written by Dan Reiland and I think it will be helpful for you.  Check It Out: --Football games are won by moving the ball down the field a few yards at a time. So many of the most exciting games have been won or lost at the one-yard line!  It's true that we all love it on a kick off when the ball is carried back for a touchdown or when a 40 yard Hail Mary pass wins the game! But over the course of any given season, championships are won (or lost) a few yards at a time. The little wins give you the big win! If you want to wear the ring, you have to dig in for the small gains all season and execute well every game. NFL coaches know their goal, develop the best team possible and score more points than the other team! You know your mission too. It takes hard work to take new territory, one person for Christ at a time. It's not just the big plays that win it; it takes far more well executed little plays every day! Here are six "quick plays" to help you as a leader create big gains toward your mission. 1. Get the right people in the room I invest a good amount of time getting the right people in a room together, at the right time, for the right reason. I never cease to be amazed at the power of a wisely and intentionally convened group in contrast to a "regular" meeting. Or how much time we can waste by meeting with six or seven people one to one, multiple times! Get them all in a room at the same time!! Meet for a purpose and get the job done. It's so much faster and so much more productive. 2. Pick up the phone The difference between getting things done and making things happen is often made by simply picking up the phone! Getting things done is usually the result of someone calling you. Making things happen is usually the result of you calling someone! Heck you can start a war by picking up a phone! That is powerful! Everyone gets things done, but leaders make things happen! So what could you do by thinking strategically, with a redemptive heart, and in alignment with your mission? What needs to happen? It might be just a 5 minute phone call away. 3. Make a decision It's true that some big decisions require significant time to process and percolate. But through years of leadership I've learned that many decisions can be made relatively quickly. Most in 24 hours or less! That gives time to pray, think, make a couple calls, check the budget etc. So many things get bogged down in your church because simple decisions get stuck in someone's inbox. If someone else needs to make the decision, get the issue moved to that person today! 4. Resist distractions  This is the only item on the play list that is a defensive move. Generally, a list like this needs to be all offense, all the time. But without some defense, you can't win the game. Distractions are lethal to busy leaders. From email to extraneous demands or from persistent sales people to the next unhappy member, sometimes you need to resist the distraction and stay focused on the priority right in front of you. You'd be amazed at how many problems are solved, in fact, just "go away" from momentum. Fight to cast vision and lead in such a way that produces momentum! 5. Experiment  In this case I don't mean to call an audible. Most church leaders don't need encouragement for more of that! I'm referring to taking a strategic risk, a planned approach to something "new and improved." Don't declare it as the new vision for the next five years. Experiment short term, maybe for six months, with something new, a better way of doing something you already do. Make sure you measure carefully for improved results. At 12Stone® we often say, "don't just make it different, make it better!" What needs to be made better at your church? Don't make a two year study and write a 20 page paper. Take two to three weeks to dig in, dig deep and make a new plan. The new plan should fit on 1-2 pages. Then experiment and make in flight corrections. You'll likely be very pleased with the results and if not, you'll be pleased with what you learned. 6. Care Don't underestimate the power in simply caring. At times I think it's becoming a lost art. Please don't misunderstand. I believe that church leaders care. They really do, but sometimes the demands of a busy schedule can result in an inability to keep up with everything. This sometimes results in a depletion of the finite amount of energy any one person has. The final result is no energy left to demonstrate that you care. You are so busy making things happen, (and getting things done), that your relational bandwidth runs thin. The good news is that the remedy is often a "simple play" and as long as it's from the heart you are good to go! It might be a hand written note, or a quick phone call, or a cup of coffee with someone. It might be as simple as a thank you card with a Starbucks gift card inside. It might be a smile and a hug. Sometimes it's just not complicated. We just need to do it!  So which of these simple plays will help you move the ball down the field today?

Called To Conquer

For the Word of God is living and powerful.

Hebrews 4:12

Sometimes our greatest challenge is to simply believe God’s Word over our existing conditions. No matter how our circumstances look, His promises are steadfast. A relentless believer is one who believes the impossible. Living relentlessly also means being unstoppable and uncompromising in faith.

God’s promises always call us to where we should be, not to the standard of our circumstances. So while you believe God for the impossible in your situation, also know that He has given you authority to reign in life!

All who receive God’s abundant grace and are freely put right with him will rule in life through Christ.(Romans 5:17)

Life on earth is not to surpass us; rather we are to govern it. We are to rule in life! As a believer, you are in Christ and are to rule over and against all opposition to life and godliness. If something in your life does not align with His Word, attack it head on! There is no reason for the enemy’s plans to succeed when we agree with the Author and Finisher of our faith.

Do you believe Jesus is seated far above every other rule, authority, and power? I’m sure you do! But do you believe these truths about yourself?

And He raised us up together with Him and made us sit down together [giving us joint seating with Him] in the heavenly sphere [by virtue of our being] in Christ Jesus. (Ephesians 2:6)

We are seated with Christ in a heavenly sphere above any other forces. If you are facing a circumstance or battle that seems to be ruling you, declare:

Declare this over your life today!

No circumstance has power or authority over me. Not even Satan himself can defeat me. I reign supreme because of my position and authority in Christ! I declare that every situation in my life will align with God’s Word and His plans for me.

Dive into Scripture and find the promises and truths that reveal God’s plan for your situation. Personalize them and begin declaring them daily. His Word does not return void! (See Isaiah 55:11.)

Believing the Impossible

Finishing is better than starting.
Ecclesiastes 7:8 NLT 

How we finish is far more important than how we begin. But in order to finish well, we must live well. Living well means we never give up. It means we are relentless.

To be relentless means having an attitude or posture that is resolute, persistent, and unyielding. The relentless believer is absolutely steadfast in faith, hope, and obedience to God, no matter what they face. When we choose to never give up, we can become history makers in the truest sense.

You may have just fought your way through a terrible battle and now feel you didn't do very well. But you pushed through! You didn’t give up! Fighting for victory even when you’d rather accept defeat is the mark of a relentless heart. 

Lift up your tired hands, then, and strengthen your trembling knees! Keep walking on straight paths… Guard against turning back from the grace of God. (Hebrews 12:12-13, 15, TEV)

God has specifically designed a life course for you, and every step forward is still progress, even if it comes with bumps and bruises. 

You might say, “But Derek, I haven't made it through this battle. I can’t even take a step because this situation is utterly hopeless.” Would you say there is no solution in sight? That’s good news, for though “with men it is impossible…with God all things are possible” (Mark 10:27 NKJV).

Relentless believers see the impossible become possible. Doing so requires that we look beyond our human ability and trust in God’s strength and grace. To overcome, we first believe. Jesus said:

“If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.” (Mark9:23 NKJV)

God is for you. No one wants your success more than He does. Can you believe what He says, even if it’s different than what you see? Are you ready to start living as a relentless believer?