"Please Help" -- Outreach to Contentment

When you think of the word contentment, what does it mean to you? Are you content in this life? Are you content in all circumstances? Some people get confused about the concept of contentment because they think it means they have to settle where they are, or just sit back and go with the flow. However, there’s a huge difference between being content and being complacent. When you are content, you are satisfied; you’re full. It’s not that you aren’t pursuing your goals or striving to reach new levels; you are just able to enjoy where you are on the way to where you are going.


Read more: http://blog.beliefnet.com/wordsofhopeandinspiration/2012/07/11/balance-and-contentment/#ixzz2DiQFwnbq

When you think of the word contentment, what does it mean to you? Are you content in this life? Are you content in all circumstances? Some people get confused about the concept of contentment because they think it means they have to settle where they are, or just sit back and go with the flow. However, there’s a huge difference between being content and being complacent. When you are content, you are satisfied; you’re full. It’s not that you aren’t pursuing your goals or striving to reach new levels; you are just able to enjoy where you are on the way to where you are going.

Read more: http://blog.beliefnet.com/wordsofhopeandinspiration/2012/07/11/balance-and-contentment/#ixzz2DiQLt3ZP

Read more: http://blog.beliefnet.com/wordsofhopeandinspiration/2012/07/11/balance-and-contentment/#ixzz2DiQLt3ZP

When you think of the word contentment, what does it mean to you? Are you content in this life? Are you content in all circumstances? Some people get confused about the concept of contentment because they think it means they have to settle where they are, or just sit back and go with the flow. However, there’s a huge difference between being content and being complacent. When you are content, you are satisfied; you’re full. It’s not that you aren’t pursuing your goals or striving to reach new levels; you are just able to enjoy where you are on the way to where you are going.

Read more: http://blog.beliefnet.com/wordsofhopeandinspiration/2012/07/11/balance-and-contentment/#ixzz2DiQFwnbq

In life, it’s easy to get so   focused on our dreams and goals, the things we want, that it consumes us. We can get to the point where we’re not happy, and we’re not going to be happy until it happens. But I’ve found that if we have to have something in order to be happy, our lives are out of balance. When our goals and dreams start to frustrate us, and we lose our peace and we’re not enjoying life, that’s a   sure sign that we’re holding on too tightly. What’s the solution? You’ve got to release it. Freedom comes when you say, “God, I’m turning it all over to You. You know my desires, and You know what’s best for me. I’m choosing to trust You and Your timing.”

Here are a few things that we can do everyday that will help us keep things in perspective.

1) Give Thanks In All Things. Paul had learned to give thanks in every circumstance and he encouraged all believers to do the same. Thankfulness is a matter of obedience (1 Thess. 5:18; Eph. 5:18), but it is also a characteristic of a Spirit-filled believer (Eph. 5:18-20).

2) Rest in God's Providence. If we truly know God, we know that He is unfolding His agenda and purpose in our lives. He has determined each part of His plan for us so that we'll be benefited and He'll be glorified (Rom. 8:28). We should not be surprised when we experience trials because we know that God sees perfectly the end result (1 Pet. 4:12-13).


4) Live Above Life's Circumstances. That's how Paul lived. In 2 Cor. 12:9-10 Paul didn't take pleasure in the pain itself, but in the power of Christ manifested through him in times of infirmity, reproach, persecution, and distress. We also should learn to take pleasure in the power of Christ in times of distress.

5) Rely On God's Power And Provision. The apostle Paul wrote, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me"; and Jesus said He will never leave us nor forsake us (Heb. 13:5). Like Paul, we can learn to rely on Christ's promise. He faithfully promises every believer with His own strength He is with them in their time of need. (Eph. 3:16).

6) Become Preoccupied With The Well-Being of Others.  This one is the one that will completely change your mindset. Paul summarized this mindset in Philippians 2:3-4, where he wrote: "Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others."

  A self-centered person is a discontented person. But the person who lives for the interests and benefit of others, will find blessing upon blessing in his life. Today, I encourage you to find contentment in your journey by reaching out to others. Focusing on others instead of your own circumstances brings balance to your perspective. When you live in balance, you live in supernatural contentment and position yourself to be a vessel of His glory all the days of your life! -- “I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation.” (Philippians 4:12)

Today, I encourage you to find contentment in your journey by reaching out to others. Focusing on others instead of your own circumstances brings balance to your perspective. When you live in balance, you live in supernatural contentment and position yourself to be a vessel of His glory all the days of your life!
“I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation.” (Philippians 4:12, NIV)


Read more: http://blog.beliefnet.com/wordsofhopeandinspiration/2012/07/11/balance-and-contentment/#ixzz2DiSf9i7z

(see Prov. 11:24-5; 19:17; Luke 6:38; 2 Cor. 9:6).

The Danger of Emotional Leadership

 “And Pilate again said to them, ‘Then what shall I do with the man you call the King of the Jews?’  And they cried out again, ‘Crucify him.” - Mark 15:12-13

Pilate released one prisoner annually during the Passover to gain favor with the Jews.  He offered the Jewish crowd that had gathered Barabbas, a thief and murderer.  But the chief priests had salted the crowd with anger against Jesus.  In mob violence, it’s always a few who start the anger.  Then it spreads.  Soon, everyone is yelling the same thing.  Everyone feels the same anger.
The people respond to Pilate’s offer of Barabbas by shouting out again, “Crucify him.”  They want Roman execution for Jesus purportedly breaking Jewish law.  It’s strange reasoning.  It could be that Pilate had never faced anything like it.

In my opinion, Pilate shows a very poor aspect of leadership.  Strong, forceful, good leadership doesn’t ask the crowd for its opinion in decision-making.  It doesn’t try to get the followers to make a tough decision.  They don’t have all the facts.  They don’t have all the information.  Often, as is seen here, they are ruled by mob emotion which isn’t rational.

Strong leaders often have to make difficult decisions that are right when the crowd doesn’t agree.  Strong leaders are the ones who have most all the information.  They understand the outcome of the decision.  Their desire is to do what’s right, no matter what the cost, even if the decision is unpopular.
All leaders can learn a valuable lesson from Pilate.  Leaders must make decisions, based on the information they have.  They can seek input from followers.  But, ultimately, they must do what is the right thing to do, not necessarily the popular thing.  The leader may not win any popularity contests.  But deep in his or her heart, they know they made the right decision.That’s why strong leadership is often costly and lonely.

So what is the big deal? What is the Danger of Emotional Leadership?

Emotions affect the decision making process. If you lack this insight you can easily be manipulated, make less than wise decisions, and you will be limited in your ability to influence others. This goes for  when your leading in the Home, at Work, or in Ministry. Don't allow yourself to be persuaded by popular opinion. “Good leadership is a channel of water controlled by God; / He directs it to whatever ends he chooses” (Prov. 21:1). The key to godly leadership is submission, for leadership under God’s control will accomplish God’s work. The kings of Israel are an instructive example of this principle. Those kings who submitted to God and followed His ways experienced success while those who went their own way or followed the crowds opinion met disaster. A good leader must also be a good follower. But a Follower of the Lords Leading

Wanna Get Away?

The world is stressful. It is not getting any easier. Many of us live busy lives with multiple different responsibilities on our plate in a given day. I for one go through this everyday. Trying to juggle my Family Life, Ministry Life and my Professional Life takes a tole on me. So I asked myself.....

What should we do? How do we handle the stress of daily living?

Here are 7 General Suggestions

Have A Greater Purpose Than Today – If it’s all about your current situation, when times are good you’ll be good, but when times are bad… You have to live with a greater purpose. What’s beyond today? Where are you headed? What’s the future look like for you? Do you have a plan beyond the stress of today? It will help free your mind from stress when you can lift your focus from today. (By the way…mine is an eternal purpose!)

Be a Giver – People who cling tightly to what they have stress when they have less or what they have feels in jeopardy. Stinginess leads to discontentment. Giving frees you to joy.

Direct Your Thought Life – It is a discipline to think of the glass as half full. Stress often comes through what consumes our mind. Garbage in…garbage out. In times of extreme stress, we have to pull from our ability to look to the bright side no matter what our current situation looks like.

Stay As Physically Healthy As Possible – Exercise and eating healthy are always good ideas, but it becomes monumentally important during stressful times of life. We tend to do the opposite. We skip our workouts and grab junk to eat. In the process, we starve our bodies of energy and our brains of needed nutrition. In April of this year I began to Juice and eat less processed food. I will be the first to tell you, the results have been life changing.

Forgive Easily – The lack of forgiveness injures you more than the person who injured you. Holding a grudge leads to bitterness. Bitterness leads to store up destructive emotions. That’s a recipe for stress. Pile on the normal stress of life and you’re going to be one stressed out person. Let go. Forgive. Move forward in freedom. You’ll stress less.

Ground Yourself In Truth – You need some roots in something that will sustain you during times of stress. God’s word is my foundation. I read it everyday. I sometimes write a verse down so I can see it during the week. Here’s a good verse: “He who began a good work in me will be faithful to complete it.” (Philippians 1:6) Or, “When I am afraid I will trust in You, in God whose word I praise.” (Psalm 56:3-4)

Celebrate Often – Take time to laugh. Decompress. Unwind. Choose the bright side of life. It is there even on the worst days. Sometimes I get up from my desk, put my headphones in my phone, crank up a fast Worship Song, some Neon Indian, or Foster The People. It breaks the hold stress has on me at the time. Also, surround yourself with positive people when you can. Find a community of hope. That’s what church does for me and I LOVE My Church!

Here are 7 specific Things I Do From Time to Time for Handling Stress

Plan Each Day – Begin each day with a predetermined win for the day. What do you intend to get accomplished? Learn to plan what you can actually do. Don’t overcommit. Complete the item or move it to another day. Keep in mind, if you keep moving items you are either not making good use of your time or planning too much for effectiveness. The more you plan days you can complete the less stressful individual days will be and, ultimately, the more effective you will be.

Switch Projects – If your like me and have multiple different projects at once, it gets overwheming sometimes. So when I’m really stressed about a specific project, I like to take a break and work on something different; hopefully something I can easily complete. Now obviously that can become a problem if you never complete the stressful project, so use it as a help not a crutch. Sometimes, howerver, the energy created in making progress on another project will fuel you for the stressful project.

Review Your Time Commitments – Monitor all the ways you spend time. If you were going to create a monetary budget for the first time, financial planners would have you track everywhere you spend money. The same principle applies here. If you’re always stressed chances are good you have a time management issue on your hands. Figure out the problem areas and you’ll decrease stress.

Practice Redirection of Thoughts – Read a Psalm. Listen to a song. Recite Scriptures that mean a lot to you, Look at pictures of your family. Take a moment to reflect on something of greater value in your life than that which is causing the most stress. (By the way, this works even if the family is causing the stress)

Move Your Body – Take a walk. Stretch your muscles. Head to the gym. I have found that the deeper the stress the more exercise I need, even during the middle of a busy day. When I come back from time in physical activity I’m more energized to attack stress and win!

Stop and Dream – This one is my Favorite. What is something you can look forward to? It may be at the end of the day, the weekend, or a year down the road. Knowing there’s something beyond today helps me handle the current stress. Guys, this is one reason I’m always intentionally trying to have a mini-vacation on the calendar for my family and me. I know she and I both need that in our marriage to handle the daily stress grind. Again, don’t let this become a distraction to progress.

You’ll have to discipline yourself back to the task at hand, but,in my experience, typically people who stress the most (people like me) are wired for progress more than process. We stress when things aren’t getting done fast enough and we tend to overcommit. I’m not sure our basic wiring will ever change, but sometimes, in the midst of that stressful moment, stopping to “smell the roses” lowers our stress level, gives us more fuel for the journey, and makes us more efficient…and more happy!

Selfish Church?

 

All organizations tend to lose their focus and forget their original purposes over time. The attitude becomes one of protecting the way we’ve always done it rather than looking back to the original purposes and reasons for existence.

The primary dangers with a selfish church are twofold. First and foremost, the Church can forget the very reason it was created. Second, the drift is often extremely subtle. Many Churches don’t even realize there is a problem until it’s too late.

When Selfishness Comes to Church

The majority of churches in North America are likely in crisis because of the negative impact of becoming selfish. Some of the labeling of congregations is unfortunate. Particularly, when we speak of “traditional churches” or “contemporary churches,” we rarely come to a clear definition. My Pastor Sam Masteller, uses the term “established churches." An established church is simply a church that has been in existence for a few years and is susceptible to drifting into becoming selfish. Indeed most any church three years or older will likely begin to experience some of the symptoms of this.

An Established church, however, can exist for years and even decades while becoming selfish. 

"What do you mean by a selfish church?" Glad you asked! The church may not be making disciples. It may not be reaching the community and the nations with the gospel. But it continues to exist more as a religious social club than a true New Testament church. Its members and attendees are willing to fund the congregation since it meets their perceived needs and desires.

6 Signs of a Selfish Church

The signs of Selfishness in an established church are clear even though the members don’t often recognize them:

1. Most of the ministries and programs are focused on meeting the desires and needs of the members.
2. There is More Funerals than Baptism's in a given Year
3. The budget of the congregation is directed primarily at funding the projects and even comforts of the members.
4. Conflict in the congregation is not uncommon since members are more concerned about getting their perceived needs and desires met.
5. There is little to no focus on Evangelism, reaching out to the community, and getting the Gospel to the nations.
6. Leadership is weak and reluctant to address the problems, because that leadership emphasis could disrupt the status quo.

Addressing the Issue of A Selfish Church

First thing is First. We need to See it. When we fail to see the deterioration that is taking place, we will not see the need to make changes to reverse the course. Such is the crisis in many of our established churches today. And it is that Gradual Inward Flow that often makes it so difficult to lead a congregation toward healthy change. In my post this coming later this week, I will address some of the possible steps to lead an established church toward change without destroying it in the process. I hope you will join me then.

God's Delight

 The Lord you God is with you, He is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing. Zephaniah 3:17

Take a moment and savor that verse. Read it. Read it again. Read it one more time!
Pretty amazing, isn’t it?

God takes delight in you! He rejoices over you with singing!

I love the smile on the faces of my kids when I tell them how special they are to me. It still seems to bring such peace to them to hear me brag on them. They seem to want to know my pleasure in them.

I find the same joy in my heart when I read this scripture!

The idea that God delights in me! I don’t know about you, but sometimes I don’t feel very delightful! Sometimes I wonder how I can even stand myself! Yet, God, the Creator, Sustainer, Lord Almighty, the Great I AM, takes personal delight in me! Me!
Picture this! God rejoices over you and me…enough that He does it with singing!  

What a wonderful testimony of the depth of our Father’s love!

As you lay down to sleep tonight, listen carefully for your Father’s tender voice, as He takes great delight in you and rejoices over you in song! Somehow I picture Him having a special tune…a unique lyric…words that are designed just for you.

The Lord your God is with you. He is mighty to save!

Are you listening? What do you have to worry about with a God like this?

The Problem With Thanksgiving

Many who read this will be celebrating Thanksgiving today.

For those of us in the United States, this holiday has come to represent a chance for families to gather, eat too much, watch football, and perhaps prepare for Black Friday shopping. Oh yes, and to give thanks for our blessings.

I love my family, good food and football. And I am as blessed as anyone, so it is easy for me to be grateful on this day.

But that is the problem. Thanksgiving reminds us to give thanks and raises our awareness of the things we are grateful for on one day. By designating a day, we are at some level saying this is the day to be thankful and show gratitude. Unstated for this designation is that for the other 364 days we can return to our regularly scheduled life, oblivious to the blessings, and ignoring the reasons to be grateful.

Research shows that consistently expressed gratitude has many positive benefits for us as individuals.

The Benefits of Gratitude

--A study of couples found that individuals who took time to express gratitude for their partner felt more positive toward the other person and felt more comfortable expressing concerns about their relationship.

--A comparison study was done that found those who kept weekly gratitude journals exercised more regularly, reported fewer negative physical symptoms, felt better about their lives as a whole, and were more optimistic about the upcoming week compared to those who recorded negative or neutral life events.

--Researchers at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania randomly divided university fundraisers into two groups. One group made phone calls to solicit alumni donations in the same way they always had. The second group — assigned to work on a different day — started their shift with a message from the director of annual giving, who told the fundraisers she was grateful for their efforts. During the following week, the university employees who heard her message of gratitude made 50% more fundraising calls than those who did not.

How often do you tell your people you appreciate them and their work?

While research is interesting, it isn’t really necessary. We instinctively know we feel better, have a better attitude, and are more focused and productive when we are aware and grateful.

So how can we as leaders help our team members and our organizational results with this knowledge?

Say thank you more often. We learned it as a kid. Never is it more important to do this than when we are leading.

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays. But the problem is that it is just one day. You can gain the good feelings and positive benefits of this day, every day, without the stuffed feeling of too much food. Will You?

Happy Thanksgiving

Jesus Wept For You

Read: John 11        

It's easy to find ourselves in a place where we approach God based off of our own limitations and failures. Meaning we go to Church on a Sunday morning and sing about the awesome Power Of God's Love, while screaming on the inside about how we screwed up the night before. Asking ourselves "How can this Loving God Love a Failure Like Me?" Or we open the Bible and read these amazing stories about Jesus on this earth going about performing miracle after miracle and we find ourselves at a place asking "where is this powerful God in my Situation? or "How can this all powerful God have time to care about my marriage, financial situation, my broken relationship etc?"

By doing this We place limits on God where there is no limits. God is all powerful no matter what situation you are facing. And He cares about every detail of your life. 

In John Chapter 11 we read about a Man named Lazarus who passed away. Lazarus and his two sisters, Mary and Martha, were friends of Jesus. When Lazarus fell ill, his sisters sent a message to Jesus, "Lord, the one you love is sick." When Jesus heard the news, he waited two more days before going to Lazarus' hometown of Bethany. Jesus knew that he would do a great miracle for God's glory and, therefore, he was not in a hurry. The purpose for this miracle was to strengthen the faith of His followers

When Jesus arrived in Bethany, Lazarus had already been dead and in the tomb for four days. When Martha discovered that Jesus was on his way, she went out to meet him. "Lord," she said, "if you had been here, my brother would not have died." Jesus told Martha, "Your brother will rise again." But Martha thought he was talking about the final resurrection of the dead. Then Jesus said these important words: "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die." Martha then went and told Mary that Jesus wanted to see her. Jesus had not yet entered the village, most likely to avoid stirring up the crowd and calling attention to himself. The town of Bethany was not far from Jerusalem where the Jewish leaders were plotting against Jesus.When Mary met Jesus she was grieving with strong emotion over her brother's death.

The Jews with her were also weeping and mourning. Deeply moved by their grief, Jesus wept with them. 

Jesus wept NOT because he forgot what He was capable of doing. Jesus Wept NOT because He was overwhelmed with the situation He was facing. Jesus Wept NOT because His Power left Him. Jesus Wept because He seen the people that He cared for deeply for mourning and weeping over someone they cared greatly for.

Jesus was truly human. Only a human could feel with so much depth and so much beauty. And Jesus was truly divine. Only a Savior – only God – could raise a man from four days in the grave. This story is fascinating – not merely for the miracle – but because of the depth of human emotion and LOVE Jesus shows to those in their time of need. The people were so disappointed in the Master they had come to love and to trust. They felt abandoned and when Jesus arrived, four days after their brother had passed, they sought his comfort all while gently rebuking him for not being where they thought they needed him.

Jesus knew the moment He entered Bethany that He would raise Lazarus from the dead. He knew that He would perform one of His greatest miracles. And yet, when He met the people where they were in their grief. He felt their sorrow as His own and He wept with them.

So often we want Jesus to answer our cries with what we can see as the perfect solution to our problem. But what we have to learn from this is that Jesus’ healing – Jesus’ desire to fulfill our true needs – is so much bigger than what we can see in our little minds. And sometimes, to prepare us for the miracle he has planned down the road, He knows we need Him to walk along side us in the midst of our suffering and sorrow and we need him to weep with us. And without that good cry, we will never be ready to receive the blessing He has waiting on the other side of the valley.

Wherever you are at today: There is NO situation to great for our God. God has not over looked you no matter how you feel. God is walking with you. God is working for you. God has not forgotten you. God is weeping with you and cares for you deeper then you can ever Imagine. Be Encouraged -- Let Your Faith Be Strengthened Today - Your God Wept for You

"Jesus Wept" (John 11:35)

"The Voice"

The Voice - How to Know You're Hearing God's Voice 

Here are the Sermon notes from today's message: "The Voice"

Key Thought - God is always speaking, the question is, "Are You  Listening To His Voice?"

Luke 8:4-8

While a large crowd was gathering and people were coming to Jesus from town after town, he told this parable: "A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path; it was trampled on, and the birds of the air ate it up. Some fell on rock, and when it came up, the plants withered because they had no moisture. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up with it and choked the plants. Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up and yielded a crop, a hundred times more than was sown." When he said this, he called out, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear."

• Some People Just Don't Listen (vs 5)
• Some People Listen by. forget (vs 6)
• Some People Listen but its not Important to them (vs 7)
• Some People Listen and Hear the Right Voice (vs 8)

7 ways to know that You're Listening To The Voice of God

We can know that God is leading us to test whether or not our division, feelings or even someone's opinion is from; ourselves (Proverbs 14:12), God (Job 33:14), or Satan (2 Cor 11:14)

1 John 4:1

"Don't always believe everything you hear just because someone says it is a message from God; test it first to see if it really is!"

1. God's Voice is based on God's Word (Luke 21:33, Galatians 1:8) -- Some are waiting to hear God's voice when God is wanting to give you a Verse. God's word is a number of different stories that we need to understand before we apply it to our lives
2. God's Voice tells you to become more like Jesus (Philippians 2:5) -- God is not only interested into our temporary happiness. God is interested in developing you into the image of His Son Jesus
3. God's Voice will be confirmed by Godly Friends  (Ephesians 3:10) -- We need to have the right people in our lives that will tell us the truth
4. God's Voice tells you to do what He has wired You to do (Ephesians 2:10; Romans 12:6) -- God has placed His gifts on the inside of you and created you to do something special for his kingdom. 
5. God's Voice is concerned about HIS Will for your life, not everyone else's  (Romans 14:10-13) -- He created you to be YOU. Be more concerned about what The Lord is speaking to you about you own life not just what you need to tell others
6. God's Voice is convicting NOT Condemning  (1 John 1:9, Revelation 12:10) -- God Convicts us NOT Condemns us to bring us back to Him. 
7. God's Voice will give you Peace (1 Corinthians 14:33, Colossians 3:15) -- God's spoken word over your life will always confirm what The Lord is already speaking to you

This week stop looking only for the times where God Speaks supernaturally and focus on these 7 ways to hear God's Voice.

#Livestrong Part 2

Today we are continuing our look at the 8 Steps To Help You Livestrong that we started yesterday. For the first 4 steps read yesterday's post.

God has a place He wants us to go: I believe with all my heart that God wants us to succeed in this life. In fact, I believe that it is an expression of God’s love to us. Now please understand, I’m not just talking about money. Success includes money, but it is more than money. God wants you to succeed in your spirit, soul, emotions and physical body. He wants you to succeed  in your relationships, marriage and job. He wants you to excel toward the promises of God.

God has already done His part. He’s already made lots of things available to us, but if we don’t understand the process that we need to take to arrive at our destination, we could find ourselves making the wrong decisions, having a laps of discernment and in a sense of desperation finding ourselves compromising our integrity and making choices that will forever impact our lives.

Let’s look at the last 4 steps that we can apply to our lives to help us succeed in all areas of our life.

Step 5: Your Actions
Your decisions will determine your actions. And your actions cause the increase. Faith without works is dead (James 2:17). So start acting like what you just decided. Start talking like what you just decided. God weighs your actions (I Samuel 2:3), so start doing what you can. Let your actions show what you believe.

Step 6: Your Habits
Your actions will determine your habits. You will develop in whatever you are doing on a daily basis. So you’ve got to check what you’re doing and saying every day, because what you do and say determines your potential. If you lie, you have a potential to become a developed liar. If you sneak around looking at pornography every day, you only have the potential to develop in that. So make sure you look at your actions because your actions will determine your habits, and you don’t want habits in your life that are out of line with the Word of God.

Step 7: Your Character
Your habits will produce Step 7: your character. Character is what people have come to expect from you. Understand this: You will never rise above the limitations of your character. The character we should desire is, of course, the character of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. What was His character? Love. We should begin to develop in the character of agape love so we can learn how to love people with agape love.

Step 8: Your Destiny
Finally, the type of character you develop will determine your destination in life.
What’s your destiny? In John 10:10, Jesus says: “I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to the full, till it overflows)” There’s your destiny. Enjoy life! That’s where you’re headed.

The Word produces your thinking; your thinking produces your emotions; your emotions produce your decisions; your decisions produce your actions; your actions produce your habits; your habits produce your character; and your character produces your destiny. Where you end up in life will be based on how you handle that progression.

#Livestrong part 1

With the recent news of Lance Armstrong I find myself feeling heavy about the whole situation. For years Lance has been looked at as such a powerful figure of Inspiration, Determination, Hope, Hard Work and was looked up to by millions.

At 16, Armstrong began competing as a triathlete and became a national sprint-course triathlon champion in 1989 and 1990. In October 1996, he was diagnosed with testicular cancer that had spread to his brain and lungs. His cancer treatments included brain and testicular surgery and extensive chemotherapy. His last chemotherapy treatment was received on December of 1996. In February 1997, he was declared cancer-free and the same year he founded the Lance Armstrong Foundation for cancer support called LIVESTRONG -- The Foundation unites, inspires and empowers people affected by cancer.

On February 16, 2011, he announced his retirement from competitive cycling, while facing a US federal investigation into doping allegations. The U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) charged Armstrong with having used illicit performance-enhancing drugs, and in August they announced a LIFETIME ban from competition, as well as the stripping of all titles won since August 1998.

Lance Armstrong has cut formal ties with his Livestrong charity to avoid further damage brought by doping charges and being stripped of his seven Tour de France titles. Armstrong also resigned from the board of directors for Livestrong on Nov. 4. He had resigned Oct. 17 as chairman from the charity he founded but had kept a seat on the board.

Here is a man who spent his entire life competing and striving to succeed and pushed himself to be the best. And by the choices he made he completely destroyed his legacy in the sport and stained his name. And now finds himself banned from the sport that he devoted himself to for life and stripped of all his titles. I gotta ask.... Was it worth the risk?

God has a place He wants us to go: I believe with all my heart that God wants us to succeed in this life. In fact, I believe that it is an expression of God’s love to us. Now please understand, I’m not just talking about money. Success includes money, but it is more than money. God wants you to succeed in your spirit, soul, emotions and physical body. He wants you to succeed  in your relationships, marriage and job. He wants you to excel toward the promises of God.

God has already done His part. He’s already made lots of things available to us, but if we don’t understand the process that we need to take to arrive at our destination, we could find ourselves making the wrong decisions, having a laps of discernment and in a sense of desperation finding ourselves compromising our integrity and making choices that will forever impact our lives.

Let’s look at what we can apply to our lives to help us succeed in all areas of our life.

8 Steps to Help You Livestrong

Step 1: The Word of God
The Word of God. This is where everything starts. If you’re going to succeed, you’re going to have to start with the Word. “In the beginning was the Word” (John 1:1).
The Word is the incorruptible seed, the seed that will always produce, the seed that will never fail. It is the origin for all success—the gateway to the blessings of God. We can’t achieve success  without it.
Livestrong is Word-determined, not money-determined. So many of us want to succeed, but we don’t have a life in the Word. And so we release our time, talents and treasures without any force behind it.

Step 2: Your Thinking
If you ask people why they read the Bible, they’ll give you all kinds of answers. But the reason you should read your Bible is because it governs your thinking. It shows you what type of mind-set you should have. And that’s the second step in this process: Word thinking.
III John 1 states, “Beloved, I wish above all things that you will prosper and be in health, even as your soul prospers.” The success of your life is based on the prosperity of your soul—that is, your mind, will and emotions.
You will be as you think. Proverbs 23:7 says, “As [a man] thinks in his heart, so is he.” If you think you’re going struggle all your life, you probably will. If you think you’re going to break out of this situation, then you’ll break out of it.
Consider how you think. Do you have a lack mentality? A poverty mentality? A sickness mentality? A mentality of defeat? You’ve got to look at your thinking and what influences your thinking, because everything that’s going on in your life can be traced back to how you think.

Step 3: Your Emotions
The Word of God will lead you to start thinking thoughts that are in line with the Word. And thinking that lines up with the Word will produce emotions that line up with the Word.
God gave us emotions. They are a gift. Jesus had emotions. The Bible says He was touched with the feeling of our infirmities (Hebrews 4:15). It is fine to have emotions…but we must make sure that emotions never have us.
Emotions are feelings caused by pain or pleasure that will direct you or move you in a direction. God has given you emotions. If you don’t learn how to control them, they will move you to places you don’t need to go.
If the devil’s going to move you out of the will of God where success is concerned, then he’s going to do it by enticing your emotions. He tried to do that with Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane. Jesus was sweating blood because He was “deeply distressed” (Mark 14:33). He was resisting, not allowing His emotions to take charge.
As Jesus resisted, the King James Version says He “went forward” (verse 35) and kept praying. When your emotions try to move you out of God’s will, do like Jesus and keep moving forward. Keep doing God’s will, regardless of how you feel.
You have authority over your emotions.

Step 4: Your Decisions
It’s extremely important that we understand how to take charge of our emotions because how we feel will determine the next step in this process: the decisions we make.
Life is a series of decisions. Every day you wake up, you make a decision. According to Deuteronomy 30:19, you’re a free moral agent. You can choose life or death, blessing or cursing. And when you make decisions in line with the will of God, heaven will back you up.
Look what happened when Jairus made a decision and interrupted Jesus’ plans in Mark 5:21-23: Jesus got into the boat again and went back to the other side of the lake, where a large crowd gathered around him on the shore. Then a leader of the local synagogue, whose name was Jairus, arrived. When he saw Jesus, he fell at his feet, pleading fervently with him. “My little daughter is dying,” he said. “Please come and lay your hands on her; heal her so she can live.”

Now, look at what Jesus did in verse 24: “Jesus went with him.”
Did you get that? Jesus stepped off the boat, ready to accomplish the will of God for His life. But when Jairus interrupted Him, Jesus turned and went with him.
Then in verse 28, right in the middle of this situation, a woman with an issue of blood arrived. She had made a decision, too: “If I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole.” Jesus stopped and healed her right there on the spot. Shortly after that, Jairus’ daughter was healed, too.
In both circumstances, Jesus was doing one thing when He was directed elsewhere. When you make a decision that lines up with His will, He will stop, turn and show up at your house to remove burdens and destroy yokes. That’s how powerful a decision is!

You’re destined to live an Livestong life. You’re destined to be healed, to be at peace, to be a success. You’re destined to be happy. You’re destined to be sound. That’s what you were born to enter into. But not at the cost of your Integrity and Character. 

You can make the argument that Lance Armstrong is innocent and is free from all allegations. However he had to compromise something in order for his name to mentioned in these allegations. Guilty by association??

Tomorrow I will be posting the final 4 Steps, so Today: make the conscious decision to spend time in the Word and allow the Word of God to govern your thinking process. This will then help you control your emotions and make the wise choices that will position you for success

Stretching To New Heights

Trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. (Proverbs 3:5 NLT)  God wants us to be constantly growing, rising to new levels, and reaching higher heights in this life. He wants us to flourish and excel at whatever we set our hand to. But so many people stay right where they are, day in and day out, settling for less than God's best simply because they've grown accustom to their circumstances. In short, they've become comfortable. However, if we are going to experience all that God has for us, we can't just stay where we are; we have to stretch and step out of our comfort zones. Reaching new levels isn't always easy—but it wasn't meant to be easy. If everything were easy all the time, you wouldn't need to stretch. You wouldn't stretch your faith, you wouldn't stretch your capacity to receive, you wouldn't increase, and you would miss out on discovering so many facets of God's character. Every time we step out, we learn more about who God is and what He's placed on the inside of us. Every time you take a step of faith, every time you stretch, you are tapping into more of what He has placed on the inside of you.   Stretching is good for your mind, and it's good for your faith! Stretching builds your confidence. Your spiritual life begins by God doing a work in you, and then you begin to work with Him. The more new situations you experience, the more you will stretch, and the more confidence you will have. Sometimes stretching is uncomfortable, but it prepares you for the challenges that line the road to your destiny. Today, I encourage you to stay open to what God wants to do in your life. Be open to the people He's placed around you, people who recognize your talents and want to help you discover your inner strengths. It may not be easy, it may not be comfortable, but it will be worth it! Be willing to step out of that comfort zone because there are new levels of greatness in store for you!

"The path of the righteous is like the morning sun, shining ever brighter till the full light of day." (Proverbs 4:18, NIV)

Stay Forward

Stay Forward

 Moses answered the people, "Do not be afraid Stand Firm & you will see the deliverance The Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again." Exodus 15:3

UNDERSTAND-->>THINK-->>SPEAK-->>ACT-->>CHOOSE-->>STAND

Key Thought - Keep moving forward by STANDING firm in your faith! You fight from victory, NOT for victory

"The Lord will conquer your enemies when they attack you from one direction, but they scatter from you in seven!" - Deuteronomy 28:7 (NLT)

6 Things You Need To Stay Forward In Your Life

Stand Firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist , with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that  comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the Helmet of salvation and the sword of the spirit, which is the word of God."  Ephesians 6:14-17 (NIV)

1) Integrity  - The Belt of Truth (Psalms 24:3-5)

We have the tendency to live one way during the week and another on Sunday

2) Purity  - The Breastplate of righteousness (Psalm 24:3-4; Matthew 5:8)

If you want your life to flourish and blessed walk in purity for that will keep you clear of all distractions

3) Serenity - The shoes of the Gospel of Peace (Psalms 119:165; Romans 12:18)

So you can have a sure footing and not slide and slip. It is the PEACE of God that gives us a sure foundation

4) Certainty - The shield of Faith (Genesis 3:1; Matthew 9:29)

Trusting God No matter what. God is for you & with you no matter what!!

5) Sanity - The Helmet of Salvation (Colossians 3:2)

 Protect your minds. Whatever you allow into your mind will take root in your life

6) Maturity  - The sword of the spirit (Hebrews 5:12)

Putting God's word into practice

"Abide in Me (Jesus) and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides I. The vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me."  John 15:4 (ESV)

Every set back is a set up for a comeback in Christ. If your knocked down today, choose to get up and apply these 6 principles to your life & begin to MOVE FORWARD

Changing the Flow

I tell you the truth, you can say to this mountain, ‘May you be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ and it will happen. But you must really believe it will happen and have no doubt in your heart. I tell you, you can pray for anything, and if you believe that you’ve received it, it will be yours.

-- Mark 11:23-24 --

If your in a tough situation today, now more than ever you need to guard what you say. The Bible says "The tongue can bring death or life, those who love to talk will reap the consequences." (Proverbs 18:21). You create an environment for either good or evil with the words you speak. If you are always complaining and talking bad about life; your always going to view your life as a mess. Resulting in you being miserable and even depressed. Don't focus and talk about the problem, talk and focus on the solution!

In Mark 11:23-24 we hear from Jesus himself instructing us to speak to our mountains. Maybe your mountain is your marriage, your finances, your sickness, perhaps a troubled relationship. Whatever your mountain is, you must do more than just think about it, you must PRAY about it. When you begin to pray about it, what happens is the Lord will begin to reveal to you how he looks at your situation. You take the focus off of yourself and put it on God himself. Pray God's word over your situation..... God's word says this: "Let the weak say I AM strong" (Joel 3:10) 

Stop talking to God about how big your mountain is and start talking to your mountain about how big your GOD is!

When David faced the giant Goliath, he didn't complain like everyone else. He did not allow the size of the giant intimidate him like everyone else. He did not dwell on the fact that Goliath was 3 times the size of him. Nor did he dwell on the fact that Goliath was a skillfully trained warrior and he was just a little Sheppard boy. He choose instead to focus on the greatness of his God. He changed his whole view of the situation with the words that came out of his mouth.

David looked into the eyes of the Giant with great determination: "This is the Lord’s battle, and he will give you to us!” (I Samuel 17:47). 
  
When facing mountains in your life, you must boldly proclaim God's word over your situation. You must fully trust in God no matter what the outcome may be. Stay faithful and proclaim His good news out of your mouth!  
  
"Greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world." - (1 John 4:4)
 "No Weapon formed against me shall prosper" - (Isaiah 54:17)
"As for me and My house, WE WILL SERVE THE LORD" - (Joshua 24:15)

Change the Flow:

From Today on choose to speak words that are consistent with the Word of God.  Speak words filled continually with Faith and Hope over your situation. 

Overwhelmed?

“But he said emphatically, “If I must die with you, I will not deny you.”  And they all said the same.  And they went to a place called Gethsemane.  And he said to his disciples, ‘Sit here while I pray.’”

Mark 14:31-32

Jesus had just predicted that he would be killed and the disciples would be scattered.  Peter, impetuously, responded that he would never desert him.  Jesus declared that before the rooster in the city would crow three times, Peter would deny him.  Peter says he would would die for Jesus and never deny him.  All the other disciples said the same thing.

Then Jesus and the disciples go to a garden called Gethsemane. The name means “oil press,” indicating a garden area filled with olive groves on the Mount of Olives.  It is on this sloping mount that the olive oil was pressed and prepared by workers.

Upon arrival, Jesus announces to his disciples that he must pray.  Jesus knows what is facing him: the cross. Gethsemane is a fitting place for Jesus to enter into agonizing prayer with his Father in heaven.  As the olives were pressed and the oil extracted, so was Jesus’ soul going to be pressed like never before and faithful obedience extracted.  Jesus is soon facing the weight of bearing all the sins of the world upon himself.  Soon he will take all of God’s judgment on humanity upon himself.

So where did Jesus turn when facing this enormous trial?  To his Father in prayer.  What did Jesus do when overwhelmed?  He prayed.  When he knew he would be tried like no other time in his life, He prayed.  When he was facing the most difficult time in his life, He prayed.  When He knew the burden would be agonizing and painful beyond words, that's right, He prayed.

I’m reminded of a line in that old hymn, “What a Friend We Have in Jesus”: “Oh, what peace we often forfeit, oh what needless pain we bear.  All because we do not carry, everything to God in prayer.”  Jesus received his strength through prayer.  He went to the Father in prayer with all his needs and concerns.  He carried everything to God in prayer.  Not one human need is too great for the Father in heaven to carry.

Shouldn’t that be our example too?  Is there peace we often forfeit because we don’t take everything to God in prayer?  Is there needless pain we bear because we don’t take everything to God in prayer?  If Jesus did so, shouldn’t we too who are his followers?

Prayer.  It’s God’s power to work in our lives and on earth.  It’s God’s strength when we are overwhelmed.  It’s his way of giving us love when we are brokenhearted.  It’s his way to lift the burdens off our shoulders and ensure us he is carrying our problems, pains and passions.
Prayer.  Is it the source of your life?  Is it what you use when your problems seem too huge to carry?  Is it what gives you strength when you are weak?

Prayer--It was Jesus’ lifeline to the Father. It should be ours too.

How Are You Responding Today?

The Election is finally over and the votes have been cast.

President Barack Obama has been reelected as the President of the United States of America.

We as believers need to remember that God is in control of all events that happen in our world.
God reminds us in the book of Isaiah,

 --God Speaking--
“I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say: My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please.”(Isaiah 46:10)

Earlier in Isaiah he Instructs us to Trust in Him

 Isaiah 26:3-4

The steadfast of mind You will keep in perfect peace, because he trusts in You. Trust in the LORD forever, for in GOD the LORD, we have an everlasting Rock. 

God will give your life perfect peace when you trust completely in Him! Don’t trust in the Lord for no reason; don’t blindly trust in Him. No, trust in the Lord because “in God the Lord, we have an everlasting Rock!”

He is dependable because of who He is. His unchangeability, His power, His nature make Him a Rock that cannot be moved. His love for you demonstrated and sealed at the cross of Jesus Christ makes Him someone you can trust.

So keep your mind focused on the Lord. That is God’s message to you today: `You can trust in Me, and if you do, I will give you a sense of rightness and wholeness and rest about your life’.
Don’t be anxious today just because your candidate did not win. Don’t worry about the issues facing you in life. If you will take those issues to the Lord and say to Him, `I trust You, and whatever You lead me to do in this situation, I will do" Whatever the outcome God chooses to bring, you will find that your heart is resting in Him. You are always safe and secure in the everlasting Rock.

Now is the time to Pray for our President for the great challenges that he will face in the days ahead.

Our response to the election today reveals whether we trust God or man

“First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thankgivings be made for all men, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life, godly and respectful in every way. This is good and it is acceptable in the sight of God our Savior who desires all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. “(1 Timothy 2:1-4)

5 Reasons I Don't Care Who You Vote For Today

I’m so glad after today this election will be over!

I have seen many get divided and just plain mean to one another in and for the name of their candidate!

That’s wrong!

I Just Don't Care Who You Vote For

Here’s why…
1- Just because I believe a certain way (Outside clear Biblical Doctrine), doesn’t mean you have to believe the same way. BTW… There is no doctrine of Politics.

2- If you are very verbal with your choice it breaks bridges to others and doesn’t build any. God has called us to be bridge builders not breakers.

3- Just like the commander of the Lords army when he met with Joshua, “I’m not for or against anyone, I am here to do the will of God.” Vote what God tells you to vote, but that’s between you and God. Only God can turn hearts!

4- Being verbal in the political circle makes your circle smaller! You may lose the ability to influence someone who disagrees with you politically. God has called us to grow our circle of influence, not shrink it.

5- Who you vote for today will not matter at all a thousand years from now. God is sovereign over this and all nations. We are called to trust God not man.

I’m not looking to offend or argue with you, there has been WAY too much of that already. Just want you to carefully consider your words.

Have Fun in the Voting Booth :)

Solomon Says

Proverbs 4:23-27

Watch over your heart with all diligence, for from it flow the springs of life. Put away from you a deceitful mouth and put devious speech far from you. Let your eyes look directly ahead and let your gaze be fixed straight in front of you. Watch the path of your feet and all your ways will be established. Do not turn to the right nor to the left; turn your foot from evil.

If you want godliness to flow out of you, guard your inner life!
What flows out of your life comes from inside you. This inner life—the whole non-physical part of you—is called your "heart" in the Bible.

God's clear message to us from this passage is that we must constantly work to take care of our inner lives. The pressures of work, being accepted by your friends and temptations all work together to distract us from our inner lives and make us focus on our outer lives. But if you want your outer life to stay in balance and not overwhelm you, you must make your inner life your first priority. Take time with God each day. Develop your walk with Him. Look at your priorities. Are the most important things in life coming first? Fix your gaze on them; don't be distracted.

                             Don't neglect your heart. Watch over it with all diligence.

Sunday Morning Notes

Here are the notes from this morning message with Pastor Sam


Choose Forward

"Today I am giving you a choice. You can choose life & success or death & disaster." Deuteronomy 30:15 (CEV)

UNDERSTAND--->> THINK--->> SPEAK---->> ACT --->>

Key Thought - A life of Blessing & reward doesn't happen by chance, it happens by choice. God doesn't make our choices, we do. Godhead given you the power to choose

Our choices really do effect our destiny

Your Destiny is a direct result of your Desire

5 Choices that will move you forward into your Devine Destiny
1) Choose to Understand who you are in Christ
2) Choose to think Faith-Filled Thoughts
3) choose to speak life giving words
4) Choose to Act in Faith (Faith without works is dead)
5) Choose to Follow GOD'S Plan for your life

"Remember Lots wife! Whoever tries to keep their life will lose it, & whoever loses their life will preserve it" Luke 17:32-33

-- History of Lot and his family --

Luke 4:1-13
-Jesus was tempted just like you and I

3 Lessons we can learn from Jesus

1) Move Past Hedonism - Lust of the Flesh (temptation to feel-passion) Luke 17:32-33, Luke 4:4

2) Move Past Materialism -Lust of the eyes (temptation to have-possession) Luke 4:8

3) Move Past Individualism -Pride of Life (temptation to be-position) Luke 4:12

So not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love if the father is NOT in him. 1 John 2:15

God wills that we would do His will, the question is will you choose to do His will

Key Thought: There is a difference between wanting something vs choosing something. Different choices create different outcomes

Matthew 6:10; Deuteronomy 30:19; Joshua 24:15; 1 John 4:4; Jeremiah 29:11

Scar Tissue

The Amazing Power of Regret can Shape Our Future

In 1995 there was a man living in Liverpool who played the same set of lottery numbers every week. One week, when he failed to renew his ticket, his numbers came in. His distress over losing what he thought was millions of dollars (a fact he actually ended up being wrong about), was so unbearable that he committed suicide.

That is an example of the Power of Regret. The kind of regret that happens when we see the difference between how a situation is and how it could have been had we made a different choice.

Imagine if you were offered a trip back in time so you can undo your biggest regret. If you could live your life all over again, what’s the one thing you would do differently?

Who we are today is a direct result of our past.  We all have scars and wounds from the words and actions of others and from our own failures and mistakes.  But for the Christ-follower this is not the end of the story.

As the Spirit of God uses the Word of God to remake us into new creations, these scars from the past become stepping stones to spiritual maturity.  Embrace these top ten principles from God's word and allow Him to rebuild your battered self-esteem:

10) I am created
For we are God's workmanship. (Ephesians 2:10)

9) I am chosen
For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you... (1 Timothy 1:4)

8) I am protected
Protect me as you would the pupil of your eye. (Psalm 17:8)

7) I am complete
His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. (2 Peter 1:3)

6) I am victorious
In all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. (Romans 8:37)

5) I am called
[God] has saved us and called us to a holy life--not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace... (2 Timothy 1:9)

4) I am forgiven
There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. (Romans 8:1)

3) I am free
Then you will know the truth and the truth will set you free. (John 8:32)

2) I am loved
 I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness. (Jeremiah 31:3)

1) I am accepted!
For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. (Colossians 1:13-14)

Prayer: 

  

 Lord I thank you for saving me and loving me with an unconditional love. I give you my my past and I now look at these scars as a reminder of your Grace. Let me now look at myself the way you see me, redeemed and loved. I love you God and help me live it out!

Brokenness: A Road to Renewal

Isaiah 6:8-9
Then I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, "Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?" Then I said, "Here am I. Send me!" He said, "Go…"

Brokenness and restoration make you usable to God!

Look at the chain of events in Isaiah 6. First, Isaiah had a devastating personal encounter with God ("I saw the Lord" - v. 1). This changed his whole view of life and of himself; he became a broken man before God ("woe is me, for I am ruined!"- v. 5). His brokenness and confession led to total forgiveness and restoration from God ("your iniquity is taken away and your sin is forgiven"- v. 7). That new heart-condition then made him sensitive to God's heart and God's leading in his life ("then I heard the voice of the Lord"- v. 8).
What started the whole process that ended in such a powerful ministry, bringing great glory to God? It was Isaiah's personal encounter with God. Don't try to bring yourself to a place of brokenness. You can't do it. It must begin with you truly coming to grips with who God is and encountering Him personally.
For some, this deep personal encounter with God happens at their conversion. For others, it comes later in their Christian lives. God may meet with you in this special way several times in your life. The result will always be brokenness

Poser

Ask yourself three questions. I’ll do the same.

1. Am I a poser Christian?
2. Am I always trying to impress the people around me?

3. Am I comfortable with who God has created me to be?

As I sit in my local coffee shop and drink my Red Eye (a real manly drink), I’ve begin to look around me and wonder what type of lifestyle I am portraying as I sip my highly caffeinated beverage.
I’ve already noticed a few people walk through the entrance, and immediately stare at the bibles on my table with a dumfounded look upon their face. As faithful and holy as I want to claim to be, I wont try to hide that insecure thoughts have now begun running through my head. Hey, I’m human…

Satan Has Me Thinking: “Maybe I should put my bibles away so I don’t make people feel uncomfortable.” Or, ”Maybe I should go to a different coffee shop where the tables are more secluded.”

Instantly I’ve snapped out of my insecure trance and said, “NO!” This is exactly why I am writing this post… So that people who claim to follow Jesus will actually start acting like it, regardless of who they are surrounded by. The title of this post is ”Poser,” and as silly as the title may sound, I want to make sure that my life portrays a living, and breathing example of Jesus Christ and not some washed out 1/2 crafted replica.

TRUTH: Maybe I should just be who God created me to be and stop making excuses as to why I should be someone else. Maybe I should care less about the shallow opinions of some coffee drinking soccer mom, and only focus on the opinion that matters. God’s.

WHY? Because! Since the day I was born, God set aside a place for me in His kingdom. My calling is to walk like Jesus walked, talk like He talked, and serve like He served. I’m sick and tired of our generation being sick and tired. Be who God has called you to be, and not who the world wants you to be.

Even as I continue to write this there is a battle for my heart that wages every single day. No matter where I am writing, tweeting, or posting, the world will try to pull me one way, while the truth of The Gospel moves to lead me the right way. It’s a battle that we must prepare for every day of our lives. And regardless of your past, you can make a change today for the better of your future.