Foundational Devotions for 2010

DAY #26: December 31, 2010

2010-12-31T04:39:00.000-08:00

This is the last day of devotions for 2010. I'll end with the three other prayers you can pray to learn how to handle toxic relationships.

#2. Second prayer is this: Father, enable me to forgive my family.

Even as I write that, I know that phrase sounds toxic to some of you as you hear it. Forgive my family? You don’t know what they did to me, you’re thinking. I can never accept what they did to me. Folks, let’s clear up some mis-conceptions about forgiveness. Forgiveness does not mean accepting what they did to you.

Forgiveness does not mean saying that what they did to you is OK. What they did to you was wrong. It may even have been evil. What does it mean to forgive? Forgive means to release it. It means you let it go to God. You say to God, “Instead of me holding on to this and trying to get revenge on my own, I’m going to trust this into Your hands.”

So you release it. You let it go to God. You say, Here it is. I let it go. I forgive them. I let go of my desires for revenge. I let go of my desire to get even, and plot their demise. I let go of my plan to get as many people as I can to come against this sworn enemy of mine. I’m going to release it to You. I forgive them.

Jesus’ first followers had to deal with this. Matthew 18. Peter, one of the first followers of Jesus said to Jesus, “Lord, how long shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him?” Then he offers up a big number “’Up to seven times?’ Jesus said to him, ‘I do not say up to seven times. But up to seventy times seven.’” You say, I’m not sure I like the sound of that.

What’s Jesus saying? Jesus is teaching Peter and He’s trying to teach us. St the bar high. Peter comes to Jesus and says I want to forgive my brother. Let’s set the bar high. Seven times. I’ll forgive my brother seven times. Isn’t that magnanimous of me Jesus. Jesus says, No, let’s set it higher. Seventy times seven. 490 times. And the truth is, 490 times isn’t enough – Jesus is really saying forgiveness is to be limitless. You say Pastor, that is impossible. Of course it is – on your own. Forgiveness even one time is hard on your own, but limitless – impossible.

Here’s why. If we set the bar at nine feet we think we can do that in our own strength and energy. But once Jesus says nine miles all of a sudden I realize, I can’t do that! Jesus says, “Exactly! That’s exactly what I want you to see. You can’t forgive on your own strength. You need My strength.” With Jesus’ strength I can forgive.

I don’t know about you but the only place I’ve ever found the strength to forgive others is in the fact that Jesus has forgiven me. That’s where it comes from. Jesus says, You’re going to need My strength to do this. Don’t try to do it on your own. Would you pray – “Father, enable me to forgive my family. “

By the way, here’s another fact about forgiveness you might want to store in you quiver. The Bible says in Ephesians 4:32 “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ, God forgave you.” Folks, forgiveness is immediate. Forgiveness is total. We forgive others just like God has forgiven us.

If you follow that – forgive them to God immediately, then when someone who has hurt you comes to you, you’re going to be able to forgive them because you’ve already dealt with it. You do not wait until they come to you.

I want to take just a minute to talk to God about this one. Would you bow your head with me? Just a thirty second prayer. Is there someone you need to forgive? Is there someone whose asked you for forgiveness and you withheld it? Is there someone you need to ask to forgive you? Just pray, “Father, enable me to forgive.”

Jesus, thank You that You have forgiven us and in Your strength we can find the strength to forgive others. You’ve forgiven us for so much. Thank You. In Your name. Amen.

As we work through this, things we can do, prayers we can pray to make a difference here’s the third prayer.

#3. Father, empower me to change my thinking.

If you’re going to deal with toxic relationships you’ve got to change your thinking. The truth is a toxic relationship is not hard to spot. You can see toxic relationships. But it’s difficult to change them. To change them doesn’t mean to just seeing that it’s there or knowing I need to do something different. It’s changing the way that I think. To change the pattern I’ve got to change the way that I think. That’s what the Bible teaches.

Romans 12:1-2 says, “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, [the selfish patterns] but be transformed by the renewing of your mind and then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – His good, pleasing and perfect will.” You let go of the old patterns of sin, fear, selfishness and the way to do that is to be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Before I can do something different I have to be able to think something different. To think in a new way. And God can do that. That’s why you pray, “God, empower me to change my thinking.”

Folks, sometimes it takes a long time to renew our minds. Why is that? God’s given us the Bible. Why don’t our minds get renewed right away? As soon as I read the Bible, as soon as I come to church. I hear it, I see it! I know what to do! Why does it take time to change? Why isn’t it instantaneous?

There’s a problem: Jeremiah 17:9 says, “The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?” You didn’t want to hear that verse. I didn’t either. The heart’s deceitful? You bet it is. My heart’s deceitful. Your heart’s deceitful. Our hearts deceive us. God is working to renew our mind but our heart, our mind is deceiving us.

“I don’t really need my mind renewed in that area. I’m right – they are wrong. I am going to hold unto my grudge, no one can change me. I deserve to be mad. I’ve been hurt.” And that hurt somehow justifies gossiping, slandering, falsifying facts. Write this one down, hurt people hurt people. And that hurt betrays us. That hurt we hold in our hearts deceives us into staying the same when God’s trying to change us. What’s the answer then? I mean, is there any hope then, when you’ve got this dynamic at work? YES!!! You need God’s power working in you. Not your power – not your muscle – you need God.

There’s a fourth prayer to pray.
#4. Father, free me to accept Your love.

The truth is to deal with toxic people in your life, in your family, you need to know that there is one relationship in your life that you can count on no matter what. The only one you can count on no matter what, the only one that will never fail you, or forsake you is God Himself. He has perfect love for you. So you pray, “God, would You free me to accept Your love,” and you build your love for everyone else on that love.

If you’re trying to find in some human relationship a perfect love that you can build all your other relationships on, you’ll never find it. Everybody’s imperfect. If you’re putting the weight of perfection on any human relationship that in itself is toxic. You’re going to create, even in the best of relationships, you’re going to create expectations that can never be met. So where do you start? You start with the love of God. You accept His love in your life. Out of that every other love grows.

The Bible says in 1 John 4:16 “So we know and rely on the love that God has for us. There is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. We love because He first loved us. There is no fear in love.”

How do I know God loves me? He shows me. 1 John 4:9 says, “God has shown His love or us by sending His only Son into the world so that we could have life through Him.” Some people think, “God loves me? When did He show me?” He showed me in Jesus Christ, coming into this world. That’s what Christmas is all about. Jesus was born for you. Jesus was given to you.

SO WHAT? Ephesians 3:20-21 (NCV) says, “With God's power working in us, God can do much, much more than anything we can ask or imagine. To him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus for all time, forever and ever. Amen."

Today, on this last day of 2010, I need to ask you, do you need God’s power working in you? I invite you just to talk to God and say, “Father, I want your power working in me. Free me right now to accept Your love. Empower me to change my thinking. Enable me to forgive my family, strengthen me to accept my limitations. God, I start here by recognizing how deeply You love me. AMEN.”

In 2011, tomorrow, we'll be using a new format for devotions. There will also be a new COV devotional website. you can find the devotions for 2011 @
www.covdevotions2011.blogspot.com/

I love you guys. Stay faithful. Stay the course. ENDURE!

DAY #25: December 30, 2010

2010-12-30T07:04:00.000-08:00

1 John 4:7 says, “Dear friends, let us love one another for love comes from God.” The truth is, if we don’t have the goal to love other people, we’ll tend to write them off. Maybe ignore them, dismiss them, forget them, turn our backs on them. So the goal is love. Today, we need to discover how to love people, even in the difficult circumstances. So, the goal is love. Loving all the people God has placed in my life – even the toxic ones.

Since we’re talking about toxic people it’s important to define this. How do you recognize a toxic family member? Definition: toxic is when two people are stuck in a way of relating that is poisoning them both. They just can’t seem to move on. They can’t seem to move past hurt. They hurt each other and they are destructive to each other.

What talk about handling toxic family members? Because, you can maybe ignore them through the year, but as you gather at Christmas and the New Year, they are right in front of you. You can’t put this off anymore. This year, this Christmas - this New Year, as you prepare to worship Jesus, as you get ready for Christmas, together, let’s learn how to handle, in a righteous way, those toxic family members.

You say Pastor – where do we start? We start with prayer. Specifically, four prayers that will help us with toxic people. These are four prayers that I have been praying for the past several years in my life. God is using these prayers to help me. He will use them to help you.

Prayer number one: Father, strengthen me to accept my limitations.

You wouldn’t have to be concerned about toxic people if you were superman or superwoman. But you’re not. You’re not indestructible. You’re just a human being. We all are. Those of you who are believers in Jesus Christ and many of us are, this is an especially difficult thing in our life. A lot of people think, I’m a Christian. I can handle anything. Well, the truth is, you can’t.

You’ve got your limitations. Accept what God says about who you are. He knows us better than anybody. I love the picture in 2 Corinthians 4:7 about who we really are. “We are like clay jars in which this treasure is stored. The real power comes from God and not from us.”

You say, CLAY JARS? That’s all I am? A clay jar? You know the truth about clay jars? They’re easily broken. That’s what we are. There’s great freedom in accepting who you are. Not trying to be the lord of the universe, something that you’re not. Just accepting “I’m a clay jar. I can’t tell you the freedom in accepting that. You accept your limitations. You accept God’s picture of you – a clay jar.

Some clay jars have more in them and some have less. But they’re still just a clay jar. Some clay jars are painted on the outside, some are plain. Still it’s just a clay jar. Some are larger, some are smaller, some are skinnier, some are wider. But you’re still just a clay jar.

God honors us by telling us who we are. We’re clay jars and that means we all have limitations. I am not God. I’m a clay jar. I have limitations, and so do you. You say what limitations do we have? We can’t change other people. We can’t make other people do the right thing. We can not make other people get healthy. Limitations. And the truth is, not only do we have limitations, we also have weaknesses – don’t we? We’ve got to recognize that about ourselves.

Paul, one of the greatest Christians whoever lived, he didn’t mind admitting the fact that he had weaknesses. 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 says, “God told me ‘My grace is enough: It’s all you need. My strength comes into its own in your weakness.’ Once I heard that, I was glad to let it happen. I quit focusing on the handicap and I began appreciating the gift. It was a case of Christ’s strength moving in on my weakness. Now I take limitations in stride, and with good cheer,. these limitations have cut me down to size- abuse, accidents, opposition, bad breaks. I just let Christ take over. So the weaker I get, the stronger I become.”

I’m a clay jar, I have limitations and I have weaknesses. Folks, there is incredible freedom in admitting that and accepting that.

Some of you, right now, maybe you’re in a toxic situation. The same pattern keeps repeating itself again and again and again. You feel hopeless to change the situation. That’s the starting place - accepting my limitations. Let God do what He can do, let others do what they can do, and let me do what God’s given me to do. But not try to be all things for all people. I’m not God. I have weaknesses. I accept my limitations. God work in me in spite of my limitations and weaknesses.

DAY #24: December 29, 2010

2010-12-29T06:39:00.000-08:00

#3. The third thing that makes people toxic is bitterness.

What makes people toxic is bitterness from rejecting God’s grace. In your life, you’re going to go through problems and you’re going to be hurt. Sorry, but you live on a broken planet. It really doesn’t matter so much that you’re hurt as much as your response to it. How do you respond to the hurts in life?

God says I will give you the grace to handle all the hurts of life. What is grace? Grace is when God gives you what you need not what you deserve. He says you go through a bankruptcy or credit problem. I’ll give you the grace to handle that. You go through a marriage difficulty or somebody spits on you, I will give you the grace to handle that. You go through being turned down for a promotion, I’ll give you the grace to handle that. You had a tough time at school, somebody breaks your heart. Whatever it is. You have a health issue, you deal with cancer whatever, God says, “My grace is sufficient for you.” God says “I’m not just going to give you strength. I am your strength.”

But when you reject the grace of God and you don’t let God help you in the hurts, you’re going to get bitter. When you say instead of “I’m turning to God,” “I can handle this on my own.” You’re going to get bitter. Anytime you handle a hurt on your own, you’re going to get bitter. Anytime you try to solve the problem yourself without God, you’re going to get bitter. You’re going to carry it on and on. Some of you have been carrying hurts of your past for twenty, thirty, forty years.

When you don’t let the grace of God into your life and you try to handle the problems all by yourself, that makes you toxic. The Bible says this in Hebrews 12:15 “Be careful that no one misses the grace of God so that no root of bitterness grows up among you.” Bitterness can get rooted in your heart. And when it gets rooted in your heart it makes trouble because it can poison a large number of people. And the source of bitterness is rejecting the grace of God. And it’s contagious.

SO WHAT? This is where the rubber really hits the road - How will you deal with the toxic religion in your life??

#1. Confess your sin. 1 John 1:8-10 (TEV) says, “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and there is no truth in us. But if we confess our sins to God, he will keep his promise and do what is right: he will forgive us our sins and purify us from all our wrongdoing. If we say that we have not sinned, we make a liar out of God, and his word is not in us.”

#2. Refuse to play the game. One of the Pharisees’ favorite games was to try to trick Jesus with questions. Here’s an example: Matthew 22 say, “Then the Pharisees met together to think of a way to trap Jesus into saying something for which they could accuse Him. But Jesus knew their evil motives. ‘You hypocrites!’ He said. ‘Who are you trying to fool with your trick questions?’” Jesus was saying - You think I just woke up this morning? That I just got out of bed? I understand these games that you’re playing. I’m not going to fall for this trap.

Whenever they tried to get Jesus in a corner He refused to debate the Pharisees. Usually when they asked Him a question, What He would do is He’d ask them a question back and keep on walking. He would not get hooked. He just would not engage with toxic people.

#3. Live for an audience of one. If you live for an audience of one and say “I’m only going to worry about what God wants me to do,” then it will always be the right thing. 1 Thessalonians 2 it says “We’re not trying to please men but God who tests our hearts.” When you do that you will find great relief from trying to please everybody else. Here’s your choice. Do you want to live your life with toxic religion? Or do you want to live your life with a healthy relationship to God? It’s your choice.

Prayer: If you’ve never begun that relationship with Christ, this is your time. I want you to follow me in this prayer. Just in your mind say “Me too, God,” as I pray it. “Dear God, I don’t want a toxic religion. But I want a relationship to You. I want to know Your truth and Your love and Your forgiveness and Your peace. Thank You for dying for me. Help me to understand it more. I want to learn to love You. I want to learn to trust You. Today I’m saying Yes to You as best as I know how. Set me free from toxic religion and give me the strength to deal with the toxic people in my life. I pray this in Your name. Amen.”

DAY #23: December 28, 2010

2010-12-28T06:19:00.000-08:00

So what is it that turns a person toxic? How does a healthy person become an unhealthy person? How does a normal person become somebody who’s damaging others around them? How does someone become a Pharisee? Three causes of toxic religion…

#1. The number one cause of toxicity is envy.

Envy and jealousy will rob your soul of joy. Envy and jealousy is like taking cancer in your heart. When you see somebody – a friend or a family member, a relative or somebody – and all of a sudden they’re succeeding and you’re not and you get envious, you’re being set up to become toxic. You just need to be aware of it.

The moment you allow envy into your heart, toxicity has been planted. When somebody all of a sudden makes a whole lot of money and you didn’t, are you going to get envious? You’re going to get toxic. When somebody gets promoted at work and you get envious, you’re going to get toxic. When somebody gets married and you want to be married and you didn’t get married, you’re going to get toxic if you don’t watch out. When somebody has a baby and you’ve been longing for a baby and you start getting jealous and envious, you’re going to get toxic.

Do you know what put Jesus Christ on the cross? You know why they killed Him? He hadn’t done anything wrong. He was perfect. Jesus never hurt anybody. So why did they kill the only perfect person who ever lived? Envy. Matthew 27:18 (LB) says, “It was out of envy that they handed Jesus over to Pilate.” The Pharisees, the toxic religious people, could not stand the popularity of Jesus. The resented it. Envy is toxic.

#2. The second thing that causes people to go toxic is money.

Money, really the love of money, has made more people toxic than almost anything. I have seen money destroy relationships. I have seen money destroy marriages. I’ve seen money destroy kids, families, friendships.

Folks, Jesus was a very generous person. “God so loved the world that He gave.” The Pharisees could not stand the fact that Jesus had no interest in money. Jesus said, “A man’s life does not consist in the abundance of things he possesses.” What did the Pharisees do with that? Luke 16:14 says, “When the Pharisees heard this they made fun of Jesus [They ridiculed Him] because they loved money.”

You are to love people and you are to use money. Money is a tool. You never love money. You love people, you use money. If you start loving money you’re going to use people. You’re going to use people to get money, if you love money. Money becomes toxic. You’ve heard me say this before. Your value has nothing to do with your valuables. Your net worth has nothing to do with your self-worth. The greatest things in life aren’t things. You make a living by what you get. But you make a life by what you give. It is only in giving your life away that you learn to truly live.

Ponder these things today! i love you guys. Stay faithful. Stay the course. ENDURE!

DAy 322: December 27, 2010

2010-12-27T07:20:00.000-08:00

#4. The fourth trait of toxic religion – Ridicule.

Jesus was ridiculed. He was put down. He was slandered. He was made fun of in the crowds, even on the cross. You will be ridiculed. When others ridicule you, you can’t avoid it. Proverbs 11:12 says this “He who belittles and despises his neighbor lacks sense.”

So when you’re ridiculed, remember this - Little people belittle people. They want to feel better about themselves. They want to make themselves feel like they’re more important. So they belittle others. But great people make other people feel great. They recognize the greatness of God’s love and grace in their lives they’re able to share with others how great God is and what a great life we can live in Him. That’s the difference. Ridicule is one of the signs of toxic faith, toxic people.

#5. The fifth trait of toxic religion - Gossiping

I’ve got to admit I can I go through the first four traits of toxic people and religion and I think maybe none of these are me. But when I get to gossiping that’s all of us. You say, “I don’t gossip!” But you like to listen. It takes someone to talk and it takes someone to listen to make gossip happen. We all get involved in gossip and gossip is toxic.

The Bible says in Proverbs 10:18 “Anyone who spreads gossip is a fool.” Gossip is toxic to faith. It’s toxic to churches. Gossip has destroyed, ripped apart, ruined more churches than all the false teaching ever taught put together. It just rips through a church. It is toxic. Proverbs 20:19 says, “Whoever goes about slandering reveals secrets. Therefore do not associate with anyone who gossips.”

So what is it that turns a person toxic? How does a healthy person become an unhealthy person? How does a normal person become somebody who’s damaging others around them? How does someone become a Pharisee? That's what we'll talk about the next few days.

I love you guys. Stay faithful. Stay the course. ENDURE!

DAY #21: December 26, 2010

2010-12-26T07:16:00.000-08:00

#2. The second trait of toxic religion - Hypocrisy.

You see this in toxic faith all the time. You know what hypocrisy is: you don’t do what you say you believe in. You’ve got all these rules and you push them on everybody else but you’re not keeping them yourself.

The word “hypocrisy” actually comes from two Greek works that were literally used in the old Greek plays, the tragedies. When they would have a play, often actors held many different parts. You have one guy playing many different roles in the play. He comes out on stage with one mask and says a certain monologue. Then he goes back and gets another mask and comes out and does another monologue. He goes back and gets another mask and does another monologue.

Hypocrite means you act different ways with different groups of people. It’s like you act one way at church and you act another way with guys on the golf course. You act another way with your kids. You act another way at work. You act another way in your small group. Your life is not integrated. You’ve got your life segmented, compartmentalized, and you act different ways. That’s what hypocrites do. The Bible says in Matthew 23 that the Pharisees, the toxic people, were great at hypocrisy. He said, “They don’t practice what they preach.”

#3. The third trait of toxic religion - Nitpicking

You know this one! People who love to find fault are toxic. That’s called a toxic faith. They are the folks who are always pointing out our mistakes. Always trying to get at you. Judgmental, critical of actions. Particularly critical of your words. Toxic people like to take words and twist them.

In fact the Bible says the Pharisees did this. As I read through the gospels multiple times this week, I found this sentence multiple times. “The Pharisees went out and made plans to trap Him in His words.” They’re always looking for ways to catch you – to trip you up.

Jesus never put up with this kind of nitpicking. That’s why Jesus says this in Matthew 23:24 “You strain out a gnat but you swallow a camel.” When Jesus would say things like, “Before you get the speck of sawdust out of your neighbor’s eye, you go get the telephone pole out of your eye!”

I’m sure the entire crowd who hear Jesus say these words burst into laughter. Then when Jesus said, “It’s easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than a rich man to get into heaven.” They must have been rolling in the aisles. Folks, nitpickers are toxic. Don't be one.

DAY #20: December 25, 2010

2010-12-25T05:23:00.000-08:00

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

First, the five traits of toxic faith. These are all illustrated in the lives of the Pharisees. I call this list, How to Spot a Pharisee.
#1. The first trait of toxic religion - Legalism

Legalism is when people are more concerned about rules than they are about people. They’re more concerned about observing rituals than helping people’s needs. Legalism is that which says you’ve got to earn your way to heaven, which you can’t. Legalism says that God only smiles on you when you’re keeping certain restrictions. Legalism says it’s not about a relationship. It’s about rules. Legalists always have a huge list of rules and regulations and rituals and policies. They love policies. They love rules. If you don’t have one for particular area they’d be happy to make one for you.

Luke 11 talks about one Pharisee – verse 38. “The Pharisee was shocked and somewhat offended when he saw that Jesus didn’t wash up for meals.” That is a big offense! He didn’t wash his hands. But they’re much more interested in the legalism of - 'did you keep certain rules'? Forget all the healings and miracles that Jesus did. Forget the great sermons and messages He preached. Forget the lives He has touched – you gotta wash those hands. Legalism.

Jesus always offended legalists. Because they couldn’t control Him. They couldn’t manage Him. They couldn’t handle Him because He had a totally different perspective on life. Life is not about rules and regulations and rituals and policies and performance. It’s about love and it’s about relationships. He didn’t play by their rules and they didn’t like it.

Be on your guard against legalism. Give people huge measures of grace and mercy. Dole out generous portions of love and tenderness and compassion - especially today. I pray that you have all have a blessed day - a great day. I love you guys. Stay faithful. Stay the course. ENDURE!

DAY #19: December 24, 2010

2010-12-24T05:09:00.000-08:00

Ephesians 1:4 (MB) says “Long before He laid down earth's foundations, He had us in mind, and settled on us as the focus of His love, to be made whole and holy by His love.”

I love that verse. God tells us that before He created the oceans, before He created the mountains, before He created anything, He had us on His mind. We have always been the focus of His love. How powerful is that? If we could just connect with that truth, it would change everything.

Starting today and for the rest of the year, I want to talk about being on guard Or better yet, not letting your guard down. It's so easy to do - especially at Christmas. We fall into old patterns of relating to our family. Old grudges re-appear. Old memories of hurt and heart ache.

Psalms 139:23-24 (MB) says, “Investigate my life, O God, find out everything about me; Cross-examine and test me, get a clear picture of what I'm about; See for yourself whether I've done anything wrong— then guide me on the road to eternal life.”

This is so key, because it is so easy to let unhealthy stuff into our lives. Unhealthy thoughts, unhealthy emotions, unhealthy habits, unhealthy relationships. This unhealthy stuff can be toxic- poisonous if you like. Follow me on this… Jesus had to deal with unhealthy, poisonous people all the time of people.

In fact there were two toxic religious groups in His day. Two different parties. One was called the Sadducees, which were kind of the left-leaning, theological liberals of the day. The other group was called the Pharisees. They were the right wing leaning, conservative, legalists who saw as their whole job to go around to make rules and regulations for everybody.

Well, Jesus didn’t have a whole lot of use for either group and actually dealt with them quite frankly and blatantly. Jesus used terms for the Pharisees like they’re hypocrites. He said they’re blind guides. He said they’re vipers. He said they’re white washed graves. In fact He said they’re poisonous snakes. When Jesus tells somebody that you’ve got to figure they’re toxic. Not only did He warn the Pharisees that they needed to change but He warned everybody else and said, You need to stay away from them.

Luke 12:1 says, “Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees.” What’s He talking about there? Yeast in the Bible often represents evil. He said just a little bit of yeast can get in and leaven a whole batch of bread. Just a little bit of Phariseeism, a little bit of toxic religion in your life can ruin the whole batch. It can mess up your life. It can mess up your attitude. It can mess up your friendships. It can mess up your marriage. He says you need to be aware of the yeast of the Pharisees.

I hate to tell you this but 2000 years later Phariseeism is alive and well. There is still modern day Pharisees. In fact there’s a little Pharisee in all of us. So what I want to do this week is look at five toxic traits of toxic religion. When you see these, this is the religion you run from, you stay away from it. Then we’re going to look at how people become toxic. Then we’re going to look at how to deal with the toxic religion you find in your own life. The Bible says there’s certain things you need to do about it.

I love you guys. I'm praying you'll join us tonight @ 5pm for our Christmas Eve Candlelight Service. It's mu favorite service of the year. Stay faithful. Stay the course. ENDURE!

DAY #18: December 23, 2010

2010-12-23T06:08:00.000-08:00

Here’s the third purpose of Christmas – Reconciliation.

Here’s the third thing the angel said at the very first Christmas. “Glory to God in the highest, and on Earth peace good will toward men.” The third announcement was, “Let there be peace on Earth and good will toward men.” That’s called reconciliation.

What is reconciliation? It’s when a broken relationship is restored. When a boyfriend and girlfriend get back together. Or a husband and wife get back together, there’s reconciliation. When a father and son reconcile. They restore harmony, they restore peace between each other. The Bible talks about the kind of peace that Jesus came to give us…

Jesus came to make peace between us and God. Colossians 1:19-20 (NIV) says, "For God was pleased to have all His fullness dwell in Him (Jesus), and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross."

I don’t know if you realize this or not, but if you’re trying to live your life without God, you’re at war with God. If you’re saying, “I’m going to run my own life, and I’m going to do my own thing. Forget You, God. I’ll make my own decisions, thank You very much.”

You’re at war with God, and you need a peace treaty. You need reconciliation because that relationship has been broken. Jesus Christ came to be that bridge over troubled waters, to be that reconciler between God and man.

Acts 10:35 say this, “It makes no difference who you are or where you’re from If you want God, and you’re ready to do as He says, the door is open.” God does not care what your religious background is. You may be Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, Muslim, Mormon, Buddhist, Baptist, Hindu, nothing – no religion. This is not about religion. God did not send Jesus to give religion. He sent Jesus so you could have a personal relationship with God. It’s all about relationship.

Make sure you share this with some you love this Christmas. I love you guys. Stay faithful. Stay the course. ENDURE!

DAY #17: December 22, 2010

2010-12-22T05:18:00.000-08:00

The second purpose of Christmas is salvation. That’s the second thing that the angel mentions when he announces the birth of Jesus. Luke 2;11 says, “Today, in the town of David [that’s Bethlehem] a savior [there’s the salvation part] has been born to you, [For you. A personal savior.] and He is Christ the Lord.”

What are you saved from? First you’re saved from sin. That’s what Jesus’ name means. “Jesus” means “to save people from their sin.” In fact, Joseph was told in a dream these words “Give Him the name Jesus because He will save His people from their sin.” That’s what “Jesus” means.

What in the world is sin anyway? Sin is an attitude that says, “I’m just going to do what I want to do. Forget God. I’m going to do what I want to do.” That attitude has caused us to be separated from God.

Every one of your problems is caused by sin, that separation from God. Every single one of them. Sin causes confusion in your life. It causes guilt. It causes shame. It causes regret. It causes bitterness, resentment, grudges. It causes worry. It causes fear. It causes anxiety. Sin causes depression. It causes discouragement. It causes emptiness. It causes despair.

It causes conflict between you and other people. Every single one of your problems is caused because you’re not connected to God. You’re separated by your own sin – “I’m going to do my own thing.”

As a result of that, Jesus said, “I want to set you free. I want to release you. I want to save you.” Jesus Christ wants to save you from your hurts. He wants to save you from your habits. He wants to save you from your hang-ups. He wants to save you for His purpose, and He wants to save you by His grace. But you’ve got to quit trying to do it yourself. You need to let go and let God be God. God is God, and you’re not.

Maybe, you came to that conclusion some time ago. You gave your Life to Christ, but something happened. You got off God's path for your life. You're doing your own thing. Living apart from God and His plan for your life. Come home this Christmas. Rededicate your life to God.

I love you guys. Stay faithful. Stay the course. ENDURE!

DAY #16: December 21, 2010

2010-12-21T06:40:00.000-08:00

At the very first Christmas, at the birth of Jesus, an angel announced three things. Luke 2:8-14 (NIV)

“And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.” This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger." Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests."

In this proclamation of the angel, we find the three purposes of Christmas. The first purpose of Christmas is celebration. It’s a party. I bring you good news of great joy. What’s the joy? God loves us. This is what we celebrate. The Bible says – John 3:17 (NLT) says, “God didn’t send His Son into the world to condemn it, but to save it.”

The Bible makes it very, very clear – God loves you. When He sent Jesus Christ to Earth, Jesus later as He grew to a man, stretched His arms out on a cross to die for your sins, and he was saying at that point, “I love you this much. This much! I love you so much it hurts. I love you so much I’d rather die than live without you.”

You will never fully comprehend how much God loves you. It’s like an ant trying to understand the Internet. You don’t have the brain capacity to understand how much God loves you.

How many of you have been abandoned in life? One of the great truths of Christmas is that God will never abandon you. You may not feel it. But that just means you’re not tuned in. You’re not connected. If you’re lonely this Christmas, you need to turn to Jesus Christ, accept His love. You’ll never be lonely again.

We celebrate Christmas because God loves us and God is with us, but also because the Bible says that God is for us. He’s on your side. He wants you to win. He wants you to succeed. Romans 8:31 (NIV) says, "What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us?"

This Christmas, celebrate these things. In the midst of gift giving and receiving, take time to celebrate God's love for us.

DAY #15: December 20, 2010

2010-12-20T06:32:00.000-08:00

He takes care of my past, He takes care of my present.

#3. MY FUTURE CAN BE GUARANTEED.

Hebrews 2 says, "Jesus became like us to set free those who were slaves all their lives because of the fear of death." The fear of death is a universal problem. It doesn't matter if you're rich or poor, educated or uneducated, white, black brown, whatever, we're all going to face death. It a universal problem. It is an inevitable fact of life that we're all going to die. The mortality rate in America is 100%. Since we're all going to die, it seems foolish to go through life unprepared for something you know is inevitable. That just doesn't make sense. I know someday I'm going to die. Everybody else in history has, so I guess I'm going to. So it makes sense to be prepared for it. You're not ready to live until you're ready to die.

Have you noticed people don't like to talk about death? Some of you get nervous with me talking about it now. Why? Because they're afraid of it. Why? Because they're uncertain about what's going to happen when they meet God. You're going to meet God someday. You can run from God the rest of your life, but then you can't run any more.

How do you make certain what's going to happen on the other side? The Bible says "It's appointed unto man once to die." That's one appointment you will not be late for. God has already chosen that time. But He doesn't want you to fear death. It says Jesus came to set us free from the fear of death. Why? If you already know where you're going and you already have a relationship to God and He's your friend, you're not worried about what's going to happen. I can stand before you and say in absolute sincerity, I am not afraid to die. I'm afraid of pain but I'm not afraid to die! I know where I'm going. I've already settled that issue. I'm already friends with God. For a Christian, death is just a homecoming, a transition to better things.

At Christmas time, probably the most used word you hear is "gift". Everybody's worried about getting the right gifts. Have you ever received a gift within a gift? I received one time a pair of ski gloves and inside was money stuffed into each finger. I didn't even know it was there until I stuffed my hand in it. It was a gift within a gift.

God has some gifts for you at Christmas time this year. They are three gifts, but they are wrapped up in one big gift, Jesus Christ. When you receive Jesus Christ, the gift, you get the three benefit gifts.

1) The gift of forgiveness. "Let us praise God for the free gift he gave us in his Son we are set free, our sins are forgiven." That takes care of my past.

2) The gift of strength. That takes care of the present. Jesus said, "I'm leaving you with a gift, peace of mind and heart So don't be troubled or afraid." He says, I'm with you. I'll handle it. I'll help you. You don't know what's going to happen but I'll help you.

3) The gift of eternal life. Romans 6:23 "The gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."
Two questions:

1) Have you received God's Christmas gift of Jesus Christ? I was reading in the San Fransico Chronicle last week about a guy who got a Christmas gift, 49 years ago and he still hadn't opened it. Isn't that strange? I can't imagine if my wife gave me a gift and it was there under the tree (or you gave me a gift) and three months after Christmas, about March, you say, "How did you like the gift?" I say, "I'm sure I loved it, I just haven't had the time to open it yet."

The tragedy is many people celebrate Christmas, year after year... , and they've never received God's Christmas gift. That doesn't make sense! Have you accepted God's gift of forgiveness, strength and eternal life through His Son, Christ? You can't celebrate Christmas. You're not going to find it under the tree until it's in your heart. Have you ever received that gift?

I heard the story of a father who gave his daughter some plastic pearls. She wore them for years. When she turned 13, he said, "I want you to give me those plastic pearls you're wearing." Why? "Just trust me, just give them to me." As he took them back with one hand, he pulled from his pocket a string a real pearls.

God is saying to you, "Give Me the cheap plastic thrills, give Me the things you think satisfy but really don't, and I'll give you something genuine. I'll give you something real, something that lasts if you'll trust Me."

2) How do you receive God's gift at Christmas? You receive God's gift by believing. What does it mean to believe in Christ? It means more than just having head knowledge. I believe in Stalin, Hitler, Mao but I'm not a Nazi or a Communist. But I believe in Christ and I'm a Christian. Why? Because it means to commit your life to.

Some of you remember the story of many years ago on Christmas day the world famous tight rope walker, George Blondin, decided he was going to walk across Niagara Falls on a tight rope. They stretched a tightrope across Niagara Falls -- Canadians on the Canadian side, Americans on the American side. He was a real ham. He said he wasn't just going to walk across but he was going to push a wheelbarrow full of dirt across Niagara Falls. Everybody knew if he made just one mistake in balance, he'd fall off the rope and over the Falls and be killed. He gets on the other side and was safe. The crowd went wild. He did it again and pushed the wheelbarrow back across to the American side. When he got there safely the crowd exploded with praise. He did it again. He did it about 20-21 times that day -- back and forth. On the last trip he set the wheelbarrow right in front of a tourist who says, "You're incredible. I believe you could do that 100 times. I believe in you." Blondin took the wheelbarrow, dumped all the dirt out and said, "Get in the wheelbarrow."

That is very much what Jesus Christ says to you. If you believe in Jesus, put your money where your mouth is. Lay it on the line, make a commitment and say, "Jesus Christ, I receive Your gift of forgiveness, of power for today, and Your guarantee for the future with You in heaven. In exchange for that I want to trust You with my life." That's what it means to believe in Him.

God is saying to you, "I have a gift for you at Christmas. You matter to me." Maybe you felt close to God in the past but you've drifted away. Or maybe you've moved to this area and have never found another church. We invite you to become a part of our church family. But there is a place for you.

More than that, God has a gift for you. I challenge you to not waste another Christmas by refusing this gift.

DAY #14: December 19, 2010

2010-12-19T05:54:00.000-08:00

Christmas is so important - not just because it takes care of your past but...

#2. MY PRESENT CAN BE MANAGED.

I've met more stressed out people in the last six weeks than I have in a long time. I don't know if it's the economy or what, but I think you'd agree that life can wear you down. It gets to you. If you look around it seems people are searching for additional power everywhere.

Notice the best sellers. They are all about power. How to dress for power, how to eat for power, how to shower for power... People are always looking for additional energy. People say "I'm sick and tired of being sick and tired." Good news. The Christ who came at Christmas 2000 years ago can give you the power to manage your present problems.

Philippians 4:13 says, "I have the strength to face all conditions by the power Christ gives me." You don't know all problems and stresses that Christmas this year in 2010 holds, but you can face them all. God assumes the responsibility to meet your needs. That's amazing. When you give your life to Christ, He assumes responsibility to take care of all your needs.

Romans 8:32 says says, "God gave us His own Son. Can we not trust such a God to give us everything else that we need?"

Even if Satan and all the forces of evil come against us, in the end, God promises the victory. How much is God for us? So much that he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all. The word for “spare” is the same word for “withheld,” used in Genesis 22:12, when God said to Abraham, "You have not withheld even your beloved son from me."

Our major struggle with prayer is not that God doesn’t answer our prayer of help and rescue. What upsets us is that He seldom answers in line with our plans or schedule. At those times we may think that God is intentionally withholding something from us. But God has already given us the greatest gift of all. Remembering God’s gift will help us see that God is working for our good even when we can’t immediately see it. God sacrificed his Son to save us; will he now invalidate that sacrifice by refusing to help and guide believers? No, instead, he promises to give us everything else to bring us to the ultimate goal—our sanctification and glorification.

God says He'll supply all your needs. If He supplies all your needs, what else is left? Nothing.

I love you guys. Stay faithful. Stay the course. ENDURE! Keep on keeping on.

DAY #13: December 18, 2010

2010-12-18T05:47:00.000-08:00

Why is Christmas such a big deal? What difference does it make?

#1. BECAUSE JESUS CHRIST CAME AT CHRISTMAS, MY PAST CAN BE FORGIVEN.

Romans 3:23-24 (LB)says, "All of us have sinned yet now God declares us `not guilty' of offending him if we trust in Christ who freely takes away our sin." That's good news. The fact is none of us are perfect. I don't measure up to my own standard, much less God's. We all have regrets.

I love reading in the newspaper the letters to Santa Claus. One little kid wrote, "Dear Santa, There are three little boys who live at our house. There's Jeffrey. He is two. There's David. He is four. There's Norman. He is seven. Jeffrey is good some of the time. David is good some of the time. Norman is good all of the time. I am Norman." The problem is -- none of us are Norman's. None of us are good all of the time.

We all have regrets and guilt has a devastating effect on our lives. It robs us of happiness. It causes depression. It can make you sick. Guilt does all kinds of things to us because we don't know how to get rid of it. People will do anything to relieve guilt. They'll take drugs or get drunk or try therapy or go to Disneyland. Thrills, travel, become workaholics. Anything to cover up the things I wish hadn't happened in my life.

But there's only one solution. And that's forgiveness. The good news is God wants to forgive you. He wants to clear your conscious. When God forgives you there's several things about it that you need to know.

- It's instant. He doesn't make you wait to forgive you. You don't have to wait through a long period of time before you're forgiven. It's instant.

- It's undeserved. You'll never earn it. You can't work for it. You can't beg God for it. You can't bribe God for it. It's undeserved.

- It's complete. The Bible says, When we confess our sins to God we give them to Christ, God says, "Their sins will I remember no more." That's one of the most amazing verses in the Bible, that God can forget. The God who made the whole world, chooses to forget your sin once it's forgiven. Isn't that a mind blower? If you come and say, "Christ please forgive me. I accept You as my Savior." And you died tonight and go to heaven and said, "God, about that divorce..." He'd say, "What divorce?" "God, about that dishonesty..." "What dishonesty?" "God about that remark..." What remark? It's forgiven.

What God forgets, you can forget too. That's good news. Most of us, even if we believe God forgives us, don't forgive ourselves. We hold onto guilt over the years. Somebody said, When God forgives us, He takes our sin and throws them in the deepest part of the ocean and then He puts up a "No fishing" sign. Don't drag them out again. Satan wants to keep you under guilt, but God says it's forgiven.

My past can be forgiven. Even if there were no such thing as heaven, and there is, but even if there weren't, it would be worth it just to have a clear conscious.

Have you ever been halfway through painting a room and wish you could start over? Have you ever been halfway through a meal and wish you could start over? Halfway through some project? Halfway through life and wish you could start over?

2 Corinthians 5:17 says, "If anyone is in Christ, he becomes a new person altogether The past is finished and gone. Everything becomes fresh and new." God wants you to not just turn over a new leaf, God wants to give you a new life. It's like starting again, being born all over. Jesus said, I didn't come to rub it in, I came to rub it out. If there is anything that's good news it's that God says my past can be forgiven. Regardless of who you are or what you've done or what you think you've done, you matter to God and He cares about you. He wants to forgive you.

I love you guys. Stay faithful. Stay the course. ENDURE!

DAY #12: December 17, 2010

2010-12-17T06:44:00.000-08:00

This Christmas, will you …
#2. ACCEPT GOD'S GIFT OF HOPE?

"Today your Savior was born.” Why does that statement bring hope to us today? What does it mean? It means forgiveness for your past, it means freedom from the problems that mess you up in the present, and it means fulfillment in eternity. Forgiveness, freedom and fulfillment. That's what it means. Folks that’s really called hope.

Listen to Ephesians 1:4-7 (GN) "Let us praise God for the FREE GIFT he gave us in his Son... we are set free, our sins are forgiven." I don’t have to be the same person anymore. I can change. Man is that hope or what? It’s like I have said so many tome you have to have hope to cope.

Last night we watched “It’s a Wonderful life”. It’s one of my all time favorite movies. My favorite line in that movie comes right near the beginning. Clarence, the angel second class is about to get this assignment to go out and help this guy who’s in trouble. The superior says, “You’ve got to go help this guy George Bailey.” And Clarence says, “What is it? Is he sick?” And I love the response that he gets. “No it’s worse than that. He’s discouraged.” I love that line because discouragement – the lack of hope – can be worse than physical illness.

The writers of the Bible recognized this more than 2500 years ago. King Solomon wrote in Proverbs 13:12 “Hope deferred makes the heart sick but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life.” The message bible says“When hope is crushed the heart is crushed.”

Doctors in World War II and Korea and Vietnam said some prisoners died from the condition of what they called give-up-itis. And what they meant by that is if prisoners faced grim conditions with no prospect of freedom and some of them became demoralized and some of them became mired in despair and after a while they became apathetic and they refused food and they refused to drink and they would spend their time in their bunk just staring into space. With their hope drained away these prisoners eventually just wasted away and they died. They died of give-up-itis.

The human spirit needs hope to survive and to thrive. Folks, if you don’t remember anything else this Christmas, remember this a savior has born for you. He was born for you to give you hope. John 3:17 (LB) says "God did not send his Son into the world to condemn it, but to save it." He didn't come to put you down, He came to lift you up. Folks that’s hope.

This Christmas, will you …
#3. ACCEPT GOD'S GIFT OF PEACE

"Let there be peace among the people." God wants you to have good relationships with other people, not just with Him. He says, "I want you to first get your life right with Me and then you can get your life right with other people." Christmas is a time for peace – a time for reconciliation. It's a time to break down barriers, build bridges, restore relationships that have been broken and damaged. Its a time to say, "I'm sorry. Will you forgive me?"

For many people, Christmas is a very tense time because it means dealing with relatives you have unresolved issues with. Christmas is a time for reconciliation. Not only get your act together with God but get your act together with other people. First you get peace with God and once you've got peace with God, then you get the peace of God in your life. Once you've got the peace of God then you can have peace with other people.

John 14:27 (LB) (Jesus) "I am leaving you with a GIFT; peace of mind and heart... so don't be troubled or afraid."

Some of you are saying, "But you don't know what they did to me. I could never forgive them." That's why you need Jesus Christ. Human forgiveness and human love run out. Why do you think the divorce rate is so high? Human love runs out. That's why you need God's love in your life. It never runs out. There's an endless supply of it. You say, "Lord, love that person through me.But, I need your power"

DAY #11: December 16, 2010

2010-12-16T06:04:00.000-08:00

The most used word in this season is the word "gift". And you've all been out frantically searching for gifts, finding the right gift at the right price. Where did all that come from anyway? The tradition of gift giving began because God gave you a gift at the very first Christmas. God has a gift for you and His gift is Jesus Christ. It's a person. these next few days, let's talk about the gifts of Christmas.

Listen to the key verse this morning - Romans 6:23 (NIV) "... the GIFT of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord." Don’t miss that this year. Christmas is not about a new car – it’s not about the perfect gift, it’s about Jesus Christ. Have you ever received a gift inside of a gift? My son-in-law,Matt did that for Kelsey, our daughter – gave her a Christmas ornament an inside was the engagement ring he used to propose to her. A gift within a gift.

When you get the gift of Jesus Christ, there are gifts within Jesus Christ. Three gifts. When you accept the gift of Christ -- what do you get? There's a package deal. This Christmas accept God's gift of a New Life, God's gift of hope and God's gift of peace. This Christmas, will you …

#1. ACCEPT GOD'S GIFT OF A NEW LIFE?

The angel said, "I bring you the most joyful news ever announced." Man, is that a proclamation or what? The most joyful news ever. What is that news? That you can have a new life when you receive Jesus Christ. Folks, that is the message of the bible, that is the message of the gospels – that is the message of Christmas – the good news, the best news. You can have a new life through Jesus Christ!

The Bible is very clear about this – listen to2 Corinthians 5:17 (LB) says “When someone becomes a Christian, he becomes a brand new person inside. He is not the same anymore. A new life has begun!”

This is the story of John Baker.

I was raised in a Christian home in the Midwestern town of Collinsville, Illinois, population 10,000. I had a so-called “normal” childhood, whatever that is. My parents were members of a small Baptist church pastored by a very young Gordon MacDonald. I asked Christ into my heart at age thirteen. In high school I was class president and lettered in basketball, baseball, and track. I felt called into ministry at age sixteen and applied to several Christian universities. Up to this point, everything sounds normal—almost boring.

But I had a problem: I had to be the best in everything. Deep down inside I never felt good enough for my parents, my teammates, my girlfriends, or anyone. If I wasn’t good enough for them, I wondered how I could ever be good enough for God. I must have missed the Sunday sermons on God’s mercy and Jesus’ unconditional love and undeserved and unearnable grace. I was a walking, talking paradox—a combination of the lowest possible self-esteem and the world’s largest ego. Believe me, that’s not a very comfortable feeling inside. The best way that I can describe the feeling is a burning emptiness—a hole—right in the gut.

After high school I went to the University of Missouri. When I packed for my freshman year, I took my nonexistent self-esteem with me. I joined a fraternity and soon discovered the solution—or what I believed to be the solution—for my life’s pain: alcohol. It worked! I fit in! For the first time in my life I felt like I belonged.

In 1970 I graduated from college, joined the Air Force, and was chosen to be a pilot. I attended Officers’ Training School, and in ninety days learned to act like an officer and drink like a gentleman. I continued to abuse alcohol, viewing it as a cure for my pain, certainly not a sin!

After the service I joined Scott Paper Company. I earned my MBA degree at night school . I was promoted eight times in the first eleven years of my business career. I was the vice president of sales and marketing for two large consumer food manufacturers. I had reached all my life’s career and financial objectives and goals by the time I was thirty! Along with all this business success, however, came several relocations. Moving every two years made it difficult for us to establish a home church, but as my drinking continued, that became less and less important to me. I knew that if I died I was saved, but my Christianity was not reflected in my lifestyle, business practices, and priorities.

Still, I thought my life appeared normal to casual observers. I was a leader in my church’s Awana ministry for youth. I thought nothing of leaving work early to stop by a bar before the Wednesday night meeting so I could relax and relate better to the kids. Didn’t everybody do that? I was also my son’s Little League coach for five years, but I always stopped by the pizza joint with my assistant coach for a few pitchers of beer after every game. Again, didn’t everybody? Talk about insanity!

Slowly I became more and more uncomfortable with the lifestyle I was leading. I faced a major decision. I had a choice: do it my way—continue drinking and living by the world’s standards—or surrender, repent, and do it God’s way. My life was out of control. I had created my own hell on earth! On an October morning, I was in Salt Lake City on a business trip when I woke up and knew I couldn’t take another drink. But I also knew that I couldn’t live without one! I had finally hit my bottom. I was dying physically, emotionally, mentally, and most important, spiritually. That morning, I decided to give Jesus Christ my life. I decided to stop living life my way. On that cold October morning, God gave me a new life.

Today my life with Christ is an endless hope: my life without Him was a hopeless end! My own willpower left me empty and broken, but with God’s power working in me, I have beaten back the addiction of Alcohol. God has healed my marriage and God has changed my life and stated when I acknowledged I could not do life on my own.

Have you given your life to Jesus Christ? Have you received His gift of eternal life and a NEW life?

DAY #10: December 15, 2010

2010-12-15T07:00:00.000-08:00

Christmas is time to reconnect with God and renew my faith. It’s also a time to rebuild relationships. Finally…

#3. CHRISTMAS IS A TIME TO RECEIVE FORGIVENESS.

Luke 2:11 says, "Today, in the town of David, a Savior has been born for you; he is Christ the Lord!" Notice the word "Savior". It doesn't say that God sent us a salesman because we didn't need a product. And He didn't send us a politician, because we didn't need diplomacy. But He sent us a Savior, because you need a Savior and I do too. God sent a Savior so we could receive forgiveness.

If you remember, a few days ago I said that there's no sin in heaven, there's no suffering in heaven, there's no pain in heaven, there's no sorrow in heaven. It is a perfect place. The Bible says only perfect people get to live there. You may be a good person, but it doesn't say good people go to heaven. It says perfect people go to heaven. Not imperfect... perfect. And none of us measure up. You may be Mother Teresa but you're still not perfect. God doesn't grade on a curve.

So we all have a big problem. I can't get to heaven on my own ticket. I’m not good enough – I’ll never be good enough. But God says, "I will be your Savior."

How do I let Christ save me? It's real simple. You admit you need a Savior. That's hard for a lot of us because it hurts our pride. We think we're a good person. That may be but you're not good enough. You're not perfect. It's admitting to God, "I need a Savior. I need help." That's how you make him your Savior. Admitting you need help.

God can't save you until you stop trying to save yourself. You can't have Christ as your Savior until you quit trying to get to heaven on your own effort. You'll never earn it, you'll never deserve it. It's just a gift. That's the Good News.

In John 3:16-17, Jesus said "For God loved this world so much that he gave his only Son, so that anyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. God didn't send his Son into the world to condemn it, but to save it." Not to condemn but to save. Jesus came to resolve your guilt. He didn't come to condemn you but to change you. He didn't come to scare you but to save you.

One of the biggest problems in our society today is how people need to learn how to get rid of guilt. Turn on talk radio. The answers psychologists give are answers like, "Just learn to live with your guilt." Baloney! That's no help at all. You want to know why they don’t have any real answers? They don't have the power to forgive. Only God does and only God can give me the clear conscious I crave.

I was watching a Colombo rerun a few nights ago on TV LAND. This particular episode had Johnny Cash as the bad guy. The closing line, when he finally gets caught, says, "I'm glad I got caught because the guilt was killing me." You know what I'm talking about if you've ever had regrets.

God says, I came to give you forgiveness. So at Christmas it's time to receive forgiveness. That's the Good News. Christ says I didn't come to condemn but to save.

I love you guys. Stay faithful. Stay the course. ENDURE!

DAY #9: December 14, 2010

2010-12-14T06:18:00.000-08:00

Christmas is time to reconnect with God and renew my faith, but Christmas is also time to - #2. CHRISTMAS IS TIME TO REBUILD RELATIONSHIPS.

It's a time of reconciliations. Luke 2:14 says, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men." God wants you to not only have peace with Him but He wants you to have peace with other people too.

Peanuts cartoon: Lucy says to Charlie Brown, "Charlie Brown, it's the Christmas season. I think we ought to bury our differences, forgive each other and try to be kind and get along." Charlie Brown says, "Great! But why just this season? Why not all year?" Lucy says, "What do you think I am, some kind of fanatic?"

Holiday seasons, often rather than promoting harmony are often a time of conflict. You see relatives that you don't particularly like. All families have difficulties. There's jealousies, grudges, resentment, misunderstanding. There are those special relatives whose elevator doesn't go all the way to the top and everybody knows it. It causes conflict.

Who do you need to reach out to this Christmas? Who do you need to write a letter to, make a call to? Who do you need to offer forgiveness to? Who do you need to ask forgiveness from and restore relationships?

What's the key to happy relationships? 1 John 1:7 tells us. "If we are living in the light of God's presence, just as Christ does, then we have wonderful fellowship and joy with each other." When Christ is in me and Christ is in you, then Christ isn't going to argue with Christ. We're never going to have peace on earth until the Prince of Peace reigns in everybody's heart. We need, the Bible says at Christmas time, to rebuild relationships.

For some of you, it’s time to rebuild your relationship with God. Before you can rebuild relationships with the people in your life, you need to start with God. You've been thinking about it. You've lived this past year apart from Christ and it's frustrating. You run out of energy. Your run out of ideas.

Maybe you've drifted away from God in the past few months or the past few years -- for a long time. Now is the time to come back home. Come back home to God at Christmas. Let Jesus Christ be your Savior. Receive God's gift of Jesus Christ this Christmas and it will make all the difference in the world. It's time.

DAY #8: December 13, 2010

2010-12-13T06:53:00.000-08:00

These next few days, I want to look at the timing of Christmas. The Bible says that everything that happens in the world happens exactly in the timing that God chooses. The Bible says that God specifically chose the time when Jesus Christ would come to earth. It was not an accident. In history, He specifically chose that time as the time for Jesus' birth.

Listen to our first key verse this morning - Galatians 4:4-5 (LB). It says, "When the right time came, the time God decided on, He sent His son, born of a woman so that He could adopt us as His very own children." God waited until just the right time to send Jesus Christ.

The next key verse - Ecclesiastes 3:1 (GN) says "Everything that happens in this world happens at the time God chooses." You know what that means? Everything that happens in your life – it happens at the time and pace that God chooses. When you try and make stuff happen in your time – life gets messed up. So part of what you need to get from this message is the idea that God is God and He gets to decide when the right timing in your life is.

The right time for a new job. The right time to get married. The right time to move. The right to have kids. Let God be God in your life. You quit trying to be God.

When it comes to Christmas – at this awesome monumental time of year – when God decided to put on flesh and show us what He is like. Christmas – we need to ask - what are the implications for us? At Christmas time, what does God want to do in your life?

#1. CHRISTMAS IS TIME TO RENEW MY FAITH.

The reality of Christmas is not Rudolph or Santa or Frosty or Scrooge or Rainbow Bright or Yogi's Christmas or Homer Simpson's Christmas or anybody else's Christmas. The reality of Christmas is Jesus Christ.

Luke 2:10 says, "I bring you the most joyful news ever announced, and it is for everyone!" Notice the phrase "joyful news". The Greek work means "Good news!" Great news, Fantastic news. Christmas is Good news.

I was asked this last week by some pastors – what has the secret been of your growth @ COV? Why is your church growing when ours are not? I think they expected me to say – well, the preaching is so fantastic. Or it is our staff – I mean they are great. Or maybe they thought I would say the worship. Folks, it is none of those things. Our secret is we've got Good News! Great news! It's the best news in the world. People want to hear it. You'd have to lock the doors to keep people away from hearing Good News.

The Good News keeps getting better and better because the bad news keeps getting worse and worse. The contrast between what you see on TV and what you hear at COV or read in the Bible is so different. The Good News keeps getting better and better. Christmas is a time to reconnect with that good news. Christmas is a time to renew your faith.

What’s the good news you need to reconnect with? You matter to God. God knows everything about you -- the good, the bad, and the ugly -- and He still loves you. You matter to Him. He cares about you.

"I bring you good news and it is for everybody." Christmas is God saying, "I want to relate to you. I want you to know Me as much as I know you." So, at this holy time of year – would you reconnect with God? Would you renew your faith? It's time.

I love you guys. Stay faithful. Stay the course. ENDURE!

DAY #7: December 12, 2010

2010-12-12T04:47:00.000-08:00

There’s a third miracle of Christmas. GOD CAME FOR YOU. When God came to earth, He came to ordinary people. When Jesus Christ was born, He didn’t come to a select few. He didn’t come to the privileged class. He didn’t even come for religious people. He came for people who didn’t care less about religion. He came to lowly shepherds. He came for all of us.

Luke 2:7 (NIV) says “Mary gave birth … and wrapped Him in cloths and placed Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.” The Bible says that when Jesus was born, He wasn’t born in a palace although He was the God of the universe. He wasn’t even born in a nice hotel. He wasn’t even born in a hospital. He was bon in a barn. We, today, over sentimentalize the nativity scene. And we talk about how Jesus was born in a manger. Do you know what a manger is?

A manger is a feed box for cattle. And they put wheat and oats and stuff. The cattle stick their nose in it, saliva comes out. It’s not exactly a real clean place to leave a infant, newly born baby. Yet that’s where God was born. When God came to earth, He came in the stuff of life with the stench of animals. You can’t get any lower than being born in a barn. He was born right out in the open where anybody could come and have a relationship to Him.

Luke 2:16 (LB) says “The shepherds ran to the village and found their way to Mary and Joseph. And there was the baby, lying in the manger.” The first people who got to visit Jesus were not religious leaders. They were not royalty. They weren’t political figures. The very first people who were invited to see Jesus were the shepherds. Just regular ordinary people.

Folks, the third miracle of Christmas is that Jesus came to our level. John 1:14 says “Christ became a human being and He lived here on earth among us.” Notice the phase “among us”. He didn’t live in a palace, He didn’t live is some far off place where you couldn’t get close to Him. He lived among us. I love the Message translation: “Jesus became flesh and blood and moved into the neighborhood.” He was a homeboy, one of the brothers in the hood. He was a regular guy and looked every ounce a Palestinian Jew which was what He was.

What’s the Good News of this? God meets us where we are. You may think, “All the things I’ve done in my life, I could never have a relationship with God.” You’re wrong. You may think, “God doesn’t care about me, I’m a little nobody. Nobody cares about me and God certainly doesn’t have time for me.” You’re wrong. Dead wrong. God says, “I love you, I know you, and I want you to know Me.”

There’s a fourth miracle I want to talk about this morning – I think the greatest miracle of all – it’s the miracle of why He came. He came for one purpose. He came for our benefit. He came for you and for me.

Listen to these verses where Jesus explains why He came to earth.

John 18:37 “Jesus said, `I was born for this purpose. I came to bring truth to the world.’” John 10:10 Jesus said, “I came to give you life, life in all its fullness.” John 12:48 Jesus said, “I came to save the world, not to judge it.”

Truth, life, forgiveness – that’s why Jesus came. First He says I’ve come to bring you truth. Truth about what? Truth about ourselves, because we don’t even understand ourselves a lot of the time. Truth about God, because there’s a lot of misconceptions about Him. Truth about life, because there’s a lot of phony philosophies that lead to dead ends.

If you don’t build your life on truth, you build your life on a foundation of faulty information, then you’ll go through life making bad decisions and having unnecessary stress and unneeded problems that God never meant for you to have in your life.

What is the truth? The truth is that you matter to God. You matter to God so much that God left His home in heaven came to earth in the form of a baby, grew up, lived a perfect life, died on the cross, was resurrected, went back to heaven and now says, “Come be with Me. I want you to live with Me for eternity.” That’s how much you matter to God.

Jesus said, “I’ve come to give you life.” Why did He say that? Because most people aren’t really living. They’re just existing. Most people get up in the morning, go off to their job, come home, eat dinner, watch television, go to bed. The next day they do the same thing. And the next day they do the same thing. Folks, that’s not living – that’s just existing.Jesus said, “I came to give your life purpose and meaning and significance. You’re not here just to take up space.”

Then Jesus said, “I came to save you not to judge you.” You may ask this morning – What do I need a Savior for? The Bible says that heaven is a perfect place. There is no sadness in heaven, no sorrow, no sin, no sickness, no problems, no pressures at all in heaven. Heaven is a place of absolute perfection. That means that only perfect people get to go to heaven.

If God let imperfect people into heaven, then it wouldn’t be perfect any more. It would be like earth. Our earth is obviously filled with imperfect people. You say, “If only perfect people get into heaven, then I don’t stand a chance.” You’re right. Exactly. Neither do I. None of us stand a chance. That’s what Christmas is all about.

God said, “None of you are perfect so I can’t let you into heaven. So here’s what I’ll do. I will come to earth in the form of a human being and My name will be called Jesus. I will live the only perfect life that ever lived. Then I will die on the cross to pay for all the imperfections you have and then ,if you will trust in Me, I will get you into heaven on My own goodness because you’re not good enough.” Those are the miracles of Christmas.

DAY #6: December 11, 2010

2010-12-11T05:43:00.000-08:00

The second miracle of Christmas was how He came. GOD BECAME A MAN . He became like one of us. He became a human being. God came as a baby! Think about it, if you were God, would you have come as a baby? Of all the ways that God could have come into this world, He came the same way you and I came into this world -- as a baby. Every one of us here came the same way. He came into this world and became a human being.

Why did God do that? Because God said, “I’m sending Jesus Christ to save you, not to scare you. Nobody’s afraid of a baby.” Many people are honestly afraid of God. They don’t even like to talk about God. They get nervous when you talk about Him. If God had come in thunder and lightning and clouds, it would have scared a lot of people to death. But nobody’s afraid of a baby.

God wants you to know Him. He knows all about you. He knows everything that’s ever happened to you. He’s watched every single moment of your life. He saw you in your mother’s womb. He knew that you were going to be here tonight, a thousand years before you were born. He knows everything that’s going to happen in your future. He knows all about you. He wants you to know Him.

He had to come in a way that we could understand. If God had wanted to communicate to birds, He’d have become a bird. If God had wanted to communicate to frogs, He would have become a frog. If He’d wanted to communicate to donkeys, He’d have become a donkey. But He wanted to communicate to you and to me, so He became one of us.

I like that. I can’t relate to some big, ethereal force in the sky – the great almighty, all being, “May the force be with you” kind of thing. But when I look at Jesus and see that He was a baby, but He didn’t stay as a baby. He grew up a human being and lived a full life and died on the cross for me.

I look at Jesus and say, “Oh, that’s what God’s like!” I can relate to God in human flesh. I can understand that. That’s why Jesus Christ came to earth. He was God, but He became a man. And that’s an amazing thing, an amazing humbling experience.

Philippians 2:6-8 (NCV) says “Christ gave up His place as God and made Himself nothing. He was born to be a man and became like a servant. And when He was living as a man, He humbled Himself…”

The Bible says that He was just like us. He was born like us, the way we were all born. The Bible says He grew like we did – physically, spiritually, socially. The Bible says that Jesus Christ was tempted like we are. He had the same needs, the same drives, the same desires, the same problems, the same pressures in life.

The reason He went through all that was so He could relate to us. No matter what you’re going through today, God understands because He’s been there. He came and lived a human life. The Bible says that He was not only tempted but He suffered like we did. He experienced real pain. There were times when Jesus was lonely. There were times when Jesus was tired, fatigued. There were times when He was under pressure. There were times when He was disappointed, misunderstood, when people didn’t treat Him right and He was criticized. He understands all that.

Here’s the point: God not only came to earth at Christmas, He came as a human being so He can understand us and so we can understand Him. That’s the Good News. He wants to have a relationship to you. That’s what Christmas is all about. He came as a child so we wouldn’t be afraid of Him. He came as a human being so He could relate to us. That’s the second miracle. Imagine this: The King of the universe, the God who created everything came as a child.

DAY #5: December 10, 2010

2010-12-10T09:28:00.000-08:00

These next few days, I want to talk about the miracles of Christmas. Isaiah 7:14 (NIV) says “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.” Don’t miss the very real meaning of Christmas this year - Christmas is all about Jesus – Immanuel –which means GOD WITH US.

Folks, Christmas is all about God coming near to us. That was true 2000 years ago and it is still true today! This morning, we’re going to going to focus on the miracles of Christmas. There were four miracles that happened at Christmas time. We’re going to look at them.

That is the first MIRACLE - GOD CAME NEAR! The God of the universe chose to put skin on – He chose to be near us. Folks, it was a big deal when man walked on the moon. But it was a bigger deal when God walked on the earth. That’s the first miracle of Christmas. GOD CAME NEAR>

2010 years ago, God came to earth. You say, “God? I thought we were talking about Jesus. Isn’t it Jesus’ birthday?” Jesus is God. He said it Himself. He claimed to be God. The Bible calls Him God and He proved He was God by dying on the cross, being resurrected three days later, walked around. Everybody saw Him. Even the people who crucified Him.

Colossians 1:15-16 says, “Christ is the exact likeness of the unseen God. He existed before God made anything at all. In fact, Christ Himself is the creator who made everything in heaven and in earth.” The Bible says that Jesus Christ created this world. Jesus didn’t start in a stable. What we’re celebrating is not the beginning of Jesus Christ. What we’re celebrating is the day He came to earth.

I know a lot of people say, “I believe Jesus was a good man. I even believe He was a great teacher.” There’s only one problem with that. Jesus never claimed to be a good man. He claimed to be God. John 10:30 (MB) says “Jesus said, `We are the same – Father and Son. He is in Me, and I am in Him.’ Now, onto the miracles...

The first miracle you can’t miss at Christmas – GOD CAME NEAR - It’s the most significant event in history. All of history is split into A.D. and B.C. by this one event. Jesus Christ, who was God, is the reference point for every date in history because it was that important. Every time you write a date, who are you using as a reference point? Jesus Christ. Even atheists, people who say, “I don’t even believe in God,” use Jesus Christ as a reference point every single day of their life. That’s how important it is. It was God who came to earth.

It didn’t start out in some flashy way. He came in a simple way. It all started on one cool, clear Christmas Eve. The first miracle of Christmas was that it God came to earth – He came near us. How grateful are you for that? Don't miss that this year. Celebrate HIS birth.

DAY #4: December 9, 2010

2010-12-09T06:09:00.000-08:00

The third thing the prodigal did that we need to do…
#3. Come home to God’s Love!

Verse 18 “I’ll set out and go back to my father.” You have to move – get off dead center. Remember 2 Peter 3:9 (NIV) "The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance." God is waiting for everyone to come to repentance - to turn around and come home.

Runaways can always come home. When you do just imagine God’s presence, His joy, His face. Ephesians 3:12 says, “Because of Christ and our faith in Him we can now come fearlessly into God’s presence assured of His glad welcome.” Underline the phrase “glad welcome”. You can be assured that God’s saying, “Welcome back! I’ve been waiting for you. Welcome home!”

The natural result of these three steps is the fourth one.
#4. Come celebrate a fresh start!

Celebration is the result of being connected with God. When I am connected with God, it gives birth to an attitude of celebration. I live in the real world with you. I understand pain. But what I’m talking about is the celebration that rises above your circumstances. It’s a joy that is deeper than just your normal happiness. When any one of us comes to our senses, comes clean, comes home – we need to celebrate.

This coming home that Jesus referred to in His story ends with a celebration. It ends with a celebration. Verse 22-24 “But the father said to his servants quick, ‘Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fatted calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. For this son of my was dead and is alive again. He was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.”

Listen to this story out of Readers Digest It’s a story about the game that all of us know called Hide and Seek. We’ve all played it.

“ Hide and Seek – what a great game. I loved it as a kid. Did you ever have a kid in your neighborhood who always hid so good that nobody could find him? We did. After a while we’d give up on him and go off leaving him to rot wherever he was. Sooner or later he’d show up all mad because we didn’t keep looking for him. He’d say, “It’s Hide and Seek, not Hide and Give up!” We’d all yell about who made the rules and who cared for who anyway and how we wouldn’t play with him any more if he didn’t get it straight and who needed him anyhow and things like that. Hide and Seek and Yell.

Now, as an adult, I write this, and the neighborhood game goes on. There’s a kid under a pile of leaves in my yard just below my window. He’s been there a long time now and everybody else is found and they’re about to give up on him. I considered telling them where he’s hiding. Then I thought about sitting the leaves on fire to drive him out. Finally I just yelled out my window “Get found kid!” I scared him so bad, I think he wet his pants, but either way, he started crying and ran home to tell his mother. It’s hard to know how to be helpful sometimes.

I think adults play hide and seek – just not for fun. Most of us probably don’t even know we are playing it. A man I know found out last year that he had terminal cancer. He was a doctor and he knew about dying and he didn’t want to make his family and friends suffer through that with him so he kept it a secret and he died. His family and friends were angry that he didn’t need them, didn’t trust their strength and he didn’t say good-bye. He hid too well. Getting found would have kept him in the game. Hide and Seek grown up style. Wanting to hide. Needing to be sought, confused about being found.

Come in from the game – come to your senses, come clean – admit who you are and what you have done, come home and watch the celebration that happens.

Prayer: God, thank You for Your love for us. When I read this story and think about how much You love me I’m overwhelmed. Thank You God that Your love for us is patient, that it’s extreme and it’s forgiving and that You created us and want a relationship with us. It’s incredible.

If you’re reading this today and you want a relationship with God, you might say something like this in the silence of your heart, “God, I want a relationship with You. I don’t understand everything, but I want to come home. I’ve come clean. Forgive me of my sins. Thank You for sending Jesus to die on the cross as a payment for my sins so that I could have a relationship with You. I want to come home.”

God, thanks for hearing our prayers. Thanks for hearing the prayers of those who’ve drifted that we can come home. And you say Welcome back. God, may we be different people as we all leave here today because we’ve heard Your voice, we’ve sense Your presence. We ask this in Jesus’ name. Amen.

DAY #3: December 8, 2010

2010-12-08T06:55:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday to my wife, Sharon. The most beautiful, amazing, caring, selfless woman of God in the world. I celebrate her life today! I love her with all my heart.

What does this story of the Prodigal son mean to me? How can I come home?
Since it was Jesus’ story about how to come home let’s just follow the steps of the son.

#1. Come to your senses.

Verse 17 “When he came to his senses.” My father’s hired help eats better than me and has a better life than me. He came to his senses. In the New Century version it says, “When he realized what he was doing.” This first point is the wake up call. For some of us it’s the “Ah-ahh! That’s what I need to do.” Sometimes it’s surrounded by pain and it’s not the “Ah-ahh!” it’s the “Oh, no!” A wake up call.

I love to preach – it is what God created me to do. But many times, I've got to be honest with you, it is painful. WHY? Because I’ve got to work the message out in my own life first. To preach with integrity, God's word must filter through my life and soul before I bring the message to COV.

When I think about the lost son – the prodigal and I think, I’m not this runaway. I’m not out there in this distant land. I don’t go to Vegas and blow my money and live an immoral lifestyle. But the truth of the matter is that I AM an occasional drifter. I know as a pastor I’m supposed to be a professional Christian. And I love God. Don’t question that. But I drift occasionally. I don’t consciously wake up in the morning and say, “Ok, today I’m going to drift.” But there are times when I just don’t pay attention to God. And I allow my soul to starve. It just happens. There are times when my times with God go unattended. And my spiritual life goes shallow.

Then God gets a hold of me somehow – through a worship song, through the tenderness of my wife, through one of my children and boom it’s like - Pedlowe get you head in the game – snap out of it man.

Romans 13:11 says “Another reason for right living, for coming to your senses, is you know how late it is. Time is running out. Wake up. Don’t miss out on that closeness you can have with God.” You can come home and be intimate with Him.

The second thing the prodigal did that we need to do…
#2. Come clean about your sin!

The prodigal says, “I’m going to say ‘Father, I have sinned.’” That’s coming clean. This is where you expose to God your sin and ask for forgiveness that you know He’ll give. You admit who you are and what you have done.

It saddens me that I meet a lot of people that are more concerned with getting caught than getting help. Come clean. The Bible is so clear about this. Proverbs 20:8 says, “People who cover over their sins will not prosper. But if they confess and forsake them they will receive mercy.” It is healthy to daily examine tour life and ask God to make you aware of any sin in your life. (2 Corinthians 13:5)

Psalms 139:23-24 (ASV)says, "Search me, O God, and know my heart: Try me, and know my thoughts; And see if there be any wicked way in me, And lead me in the way everlasting."

Would you pray that to God today? I love you guys. Stay faithful. Stay the course. ENDURE!

DAY #2: December 7, 2010

2010-12-07T06:18:00.000-08:00

WHAT ELSE CAN WE LEARN ABOUT GOD THIS CHRISTMAS FROM THE STORY OF THE PRODIGAL SON?

#2. The other thing we learn about this story that Jesus told is that God is passionate enough to show extreme love.

This story is probably my most favorite story of all the Bible. And my favorite verse in my favorite story is Luke 15:20 “The father saw him a long way away and he ran to his son.” Notice the phrase “he ran”.

It’s the only time in the Bible where God is pictured as running. What makes this even more interesting is that in this culture, during this day, men wore robes. So running in a robe, like a long dress, is difficult… from what I’ve been told. For him to pull that robe up and run with his bare legs showing in that culture was unheard of. It would be like a dad today running down the street in his underwear or something like that. It was just unheard of. But this was extreme love. This dad didn’t care. (Much like you who are dads who wear colored socks with short pants and loafers. You don’t care what other people think of you! Or you don’t have somebody in your life who loves you enough to tell you how idiotic you look!)

Why did he run? Because he was passionate enough to go to extremes to say to his son he loved him regardless of his past. Then it says in verse 20 he threw his arms around him and he kissed him. This is extreme love. He just came out of a pigpen. He throws his arms around him and kisses him.

And notice there is no lecture. He doesn’t say anything about the boy’s past. And in the absence of words he says a lot. In the absence of words he says everything. God communicates in silence. Those of you waiting for God to talk to you before you change, that he’s going to talk to you verbally or He’s going to match up some clouds for you or double your bank account and that type of thing. God speaks in silence. One of the things that I’ve learned is I never have to question whether God loves me or not. In not saying anything, He says everything.

In my moms last years, she had a hard time talking. When I had not seen her in a while, she didn't recognize me. But there were times she would remember – and her whole body is in her face, she’s trying to communicate, and she can’t. Her lips begin to quiver and then tears come. As she begins to cry I know enough about my mom. We had a great relationship when I was growing up. I love my mom very much and I know she loves me. Those tears communicate, “Michael Patrick Pedlowe, if I could jump out of this decaying body every neuron in my soul wants to hug you and love you and tell you I’m proud of you.” I don’t need the words to know what’s going on. Extreme love – that’s the kind of love that God has for us!

God is waiting for you. He's waiting to throw His arms around you and welcome you home. Don't delay. Come home home to him today.

I love you guys. Stay faithful. Stay the course. ENDURE!

DAY #1: December 6, 2010

2010-12-06T06:26:00.000-08:00

As we close out 2010, I'd like to share about Christmas. Over the next few days, I'd like to share some thoughts about the prodigal son. Not your typical Christmas message I know. The reason I wanted to preach about the prodigal son and include his story at Christmas is two fold;

1)The Prodigals story is my story, and my guess is it is probably many of your’s as well. God has taken so many of us who have blown and redeemed us – restored us. I want to look at his story again to remember where it is He saved from and to remember our primary job as Christians is to help others discover His love, His redemptive power, His restoration for themselves.

2) At the core of the story – is the truth that you can always come home. It is never to late to come home to God’s love.The word “home” is a very powerful word. I was reminded of its power a few years ago as Sharon , the kids and I went to visit my mom. About four years earlier we put my mom in a care facility because of her progressive battle with Alzheimer's.

We talked about Christmas -we sang Christmas songs, and throughout the day, I was reminded that the next time my mom would really get to celebrate Christmas would be in her new home in heaven. I miss my mom and all the wonderful memories we had. But there is a profound sense of peace – knowing that we will celebrate again together in heaven – our real home!

Let’s read the story of the prodigal son. Read Luke 15:11-32

Jesus tells this story and in doing so He’s trying to paint a picture of the character of God. Two things about God’s character that I think it’s important for us to understand as we talk about coming home to God.

#1. God is patient enough to not give up.
This story tells us that God is patient enough to not give up. It breaks my heart to hear people say, “I’m so messed up! God doesn’t want to have anything to do with me. You don’t know how many times I’ve walked away from God. So many times I can’t even count. God is done with me.”

God is never done with you – even if you think you’re done with God. He will never give up on you. That is hard for us to grasp, because we give up on people, and we in our puny little brains think well, God must be the same way. Wrong!

Luke 15: 20 says,“…While he (the son) was still a long way off, his father saw him…” What is the picture of God’s character here? He is waiting – patiently for our return to Him. As a father, I pray it never happens – that any of our kids walk away from the Lord or that there ever is a break in our relationship. But, I know it can happen. I’ve seen it countless times in other ministry families. As a father, I guarantee there would not be a day that goes by that I wouldn’t be hoping, waiting, praying that this would be the day my child would return. That’s what is happening here. The father saw him, because he was looking for him scanning the horizon – praying – Lord turn my sons heart toward home.

The Bible says this in 2 Peter 3 “He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” Notice the word “everyone”. He wants everyone to come to repentance. What does “repentance” mean? Repentance is kind of a churchy, theological word that simply means this: Turn around. Do a 180. Come home. He is patient. He wants everybody to come home.

Do you remember the movie Forest Gump? At the end of the movie Forest takes Forest Jr. to the first day of school to the bus stop. He watches his son get on the bus. The best words in the whole movie were “I’ll be here when you get back.”

Some of us today need to see God in that light. You’re in a distant land or you’ve disconnected and you need to see God, that He’ll be there. He’s waiting patiently. Some of you aren’t runaways but you’ve jumped on a short bus ride called Disconnect. He’s not going to give up on you. Come home to Him today. Don't delay.

I love you guys. Stay faithful. Stay the course. ENDURE!

DAY #7: December 5, 2010

2010-12-05T05:07:00.000-08:00

Romans 8:28 says - “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” That’s a great promise, a promise you can build your life on. It is saying that in all situations, in every circumstance of life, God can bring good out of it. It says that God always has our best at heart – ALWAYS! Our job – trust God and believe. Folks that's called faith.

This morning, we’re going to look at Abraham. He was a guy who knew about Romans 8:28, even though it was written thousands of years after he died. He knew in his bones that God had his best at heart, and that God would never burn him.

If you remember, God gave Abraham a promise that he’d have a baby who’d become a great nation which later became the nation of Israel. But Abraham had to wait one hundred years for that baby. That’s a long time to wait. I can’t wait one week very well. We are talking about 5200 weeks of waiting. That’s faith!

One of the most difficult things in life is to sit in God’s waiting room. God's waiting room is when there’s something beyond your control that you can’t speed up – an answer to prayer, a miracle, a change in a situation – you want it to change but it is totally out of your control and you have to wait on God.

The Bible says in Ecclesiastes 3:11 “God does everything just right and on time but people can never completely understand what He’s doing.” Boy, is that the truth! We don’t know always what God is doing and we don’t know when He’s going to do it. What do you do while you’re waiting on God?

The first phase of faith is when God gives you a Dream – an idea, an ambition, a goal. God gives you a dream. And at age 75 God gave Abraham a dream. He said, I’m going to make you into a great nation. But that’s just the start.

Phase two is a Decision. A decision is when you decide to act on that dream. A dream without a decision is worthless. And every dream of God has a risk to it. It has a part where you have to take a step of faith. Abraham had to leave his existing homeland and go to a place he never knew, where he had never heard of, never been there. So he took a risk. When God gives you a dream and says, “This is what I want to do with your life.”, there’s going to come a point when you have to make the decision to say, “OK, God, I’m going to go after Your dream for my life, not my own dream.

Phase three is Delay. A dream is never fulfilled instantly. When God gives you an idea of what He wants to do with your life and when He actually fulfills it there is always a time gap because He wants to grow you. He wants to build you up. Eleven years after God gave Abraham his dream Abraham still didn’t have a child. When he was 86 it says, “But Sarah still had not borne any children.” What’s happened in those eleven years? The answer is nothing. He’s just waiting on God. He’s tempted to doubt, tempted to despair, tempted to take detours. But he doesn’t – he just waits. That’s faith!

Then comes along phase four and that is Difficulty. God not only lets you wait for a while but while you wait He lets you have some problems. Isn’t that fun? So you go through the stage of difficulty where things go from bad to really bad to worse to impossible. And notice that at the age 99 Abraham still did not have a son. He’s 99, his wife Sarah is 89. What’s worse is that God changed Abraham’s name. His name originally was Abram and God changed his name to Abraham which means “Father of a great nation.”

Imagine this: He walks into a 7-11 and the guy says, “What’s your name?” Father of a great nation. “Oh? How many kids do you have?” None. “How old are you?” 99. That’s kind of embarrassing. It’s a test of his faith.

But eventually God fulfills the dream and at age 100 and his wife is ninety, they have a miracle baby. And they name him Isaac which means “laughter”. Because they laughed at the thought. Any woman who really believed God and ninety and told she was pregnant would have cried. But Sarah laughs and God laughs and Abraham laughs and Isaac is named Laughter.

But then comes the most difficult phase of all. Dead end. At Dead end God allows your dream to seemingly die. Abraham was asked to give up the miracle child. God says I want you to sacrifice him back to Me. Get this: Abraham waits a hundred years and has a baby. He starts to grow up then God says, “By the way, now I want you to give him back to Me.

Abraham may have been thinking, “What kind of God is this? Is this a cruel joke? He’s asking me to sacrifice the very dream child that was promised to me.” And he feels pretty hopeless.

How do you know when you’re at a dead end? You feel hopeless. Some of you are at a dead end in your marriage right now. Some of you are at a dead end in getting married. Some of you are at a dead end when you look at your budget, when you look at your career, when you look at your friendships. Some of you are at a physical dead end and your health is falling apart. When you’re at this stage you start to doubt God's wisdom and love and say, “Why is this happening to me?”

Congratulations! God is getting you ready. He is preparing you for the final phase of faith which is Deliverance. The greater the dead end, the more hopeless the situation, the greater the deliverance is going to be, the more of a miracle it’s going to be. You’ll say, “Wow! That was God! Only God could have done that.” So God is getting you ready for a miracle, the miracle of deliverance.

Everybody readin this devotional today – God is going to take you through these six phases of faith many, many times in your life. Then He’ll do it again and then He’ll do it again to keep you growing in your faith. My question to you - will you cooperate?

I love you guys. Stay faithful. Stay the course. ENDURE! (hope to see you in worship this morning)

DAY #6: December 4, 2010

2010-12-04T06:18:00.000-08:00

HOW ELSE CAN YOU FINISH YOUR LIFE OF FAITH WELL?
#3. Resist all discouragement

I know there are some of you who are discouraged. About your health, about your finances, about your marriage. You may be discouraged about your children or your desire to get married, or your desire to have children or your desire to change jobs. You may be discouraged about your finances, a personal problem. Whatever you’re discouraged about I'm sorry. But as your pastor I need to be honest with you and tell you something. It’s your choice.

You are discouraged because you are choosing to be discouraged and that is your choice. Nobody’s holding a gun to your head. Nobody is forcing you to feel discouraged. Discouragement is always a choice just like any other attitude. If you’re feeling down, if you feel like quitting, if you feel like giving up it is because you’re choosing to think discouraged thoughts.

You don’t have to. In fact, the Bible says don’t do that. It says to do the opposite. It says fight the discouragement. Resist the discouragement. Move against in. Discouragement is Satan’s favorite tool in making you ineffective. If he can get you discouraged, you’re locked up. Forget it! You’re history.

How many of you get tired of doing what is right? Why? Because it is easier to do what is wrong. If doing what is wrong was hard, nobody would do it. It is easier to be undisciplined than disciplined. It is always easier to lie than to tell the truth. It is easier to be selfish than it is to be unselfish.

When you’re doing the right thing and you don’t see the immediate reward , the immediate results, sometimes it's easy to get discouraged What do you do when you do the right thing for weeks, months, even years and nothing happens. Do you have a pity party and invite yourself? Do you start complaining? Do you start griping? Do you start saying, “Forget it! I'm going to give up. This isn’t worth it.”

The Bible says resist that discouragement. Folks, I’d be lying to you if I gave you the impression you could do this on your own – you can’t. I can’t. You have to plug into God’s power. Anybody who memorized Ephesians 3:20 knows this.

You may be in a situation right now where you’re thinking, “I can’t take it anymore! I’ve had it. I'm at the quitting point. I'm ready to throw in the towel. I'm at the end of my rope. I'm ready to give up. I can’t take it anymore.”

But you can. You can if you will you renew yourself every day. If you’re going to last over the long haul you must figure out how to recharge yourself - both physically and spiritually.

FIRST, you’ve got to learn daily physical renewal. Psalm 127:2 in the Living Bible says, “God wants His loved ones to get their proper rest.” Many of you are violating that. You know, the first part of this verse says, “It is stupid for you to get up so early and stay up so late for God wants His loved ones (His children) to get their proper rest.”

Discouragment is a by product of being drained physically. Vince Lombardi said “Fatigue makes cowards of all of us.” When you’re tired you get discouraged. What’s the answer? REST! SLEEP!

The SECOND, you need daily spiritual renewal. 2 Corinthians 4:16 says, “This is why we never give up. Our spirits are being renewed every day.” How does that happen? The way you get spiritual renewal is by spending time with God. The secret of persistence, the secret of endurance, the secret of finishing what you start is spending time with God every day.

Hebrews 12:2 says “Let us keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, on whom our faith depends from beginning to end. He did not give up because of the cross!” Jesus had to face something far worse than you’re facing yet He didn’t give up. Why? He knew the reason and He knew the rewards. When you plug into His power you will have the power of persistence.

You need more than your own power to make it in life. You need God’s power. You need Jesus’ power. You need to depend on Him. You need to rely on Him. You need to trust in Him. That’s called faith.

My hope as your pastor is at the end of your life you will be able to stand before God in heaven and say to Him what the apostle Paul was able to say at the end of his life. “I have finished the race. I have kept the faith.” That is my prayer, my desire, my wish for you. I pray we all will FINSH WELL!

I love you guys. Stay faithful. Stay the course. ENDURE!

DAY #5: December 3, 2010

2010-12-03T05:56:00.000-08:00

Do you want to finish your life of faith well?? The second thing you and I have to do is: #2. Remember the reward.

Remember the reward that God has out there in front of us. You cannot run the race well without an eye on the finish line. If you’re going to finish well in life you have to remind yourself why we do what we do. Otherwise you’re going to end up thinking, “Why even make the effort?”

The “why?” behind what you do determine shows how long you’re going to last in what you do. If the “why?” is immediate gratification, you’re going to last for five minutes. The only “why” behind what we do that makes us last all the way through life, through some of the tough things you have to face in life is the eternal reward that awaits us in Heaven.

So when you feel like giving up, when you feel like you’re not going to make it, sometimes the only thing that will get you through is to say to yourself “My faith will be rewarded.” In fact, that is so important I am going to ask you to write it down. My faith will be reward – I have to keep on. I can’t quit. I can’t give up!

1 Corinthians 9:25-26 in the Living Bible says “To win the contest you must deny yourself many things that would keep you from doing your best. We do it for a heavenly reward that never disappears. So I run straight to the goal with purpose in every step. A heavenly reward, personally rewarded by God.”

Think about this: if you’re having a tough day at work about the middle of the day what happens? You start thinking about the way you’re going to reward yourself on the way home. If you’re having a tough week you think at least there’s the weekend. I'm going to do something different on the weekend. If you’re having a tough year you start thinking, "At least I’ve got vacation coming soon.”

What do you do when you’re having a tough life? What do you do when the weekend isn’t long enough to help you make it through, there’s no vacation good enough to give you hope in life? There are many times in life when the only strength that’s big enough to help you make it through to know you can finish well, to encourage you in tough times is knowing that God has a reward that is out there for us personally given to us.

We look at ourselves sometimes and think, “Why can’t I get motivated today?” Sometimes the reason is you need a higher motivation. The next paycheck, the next business opportunity is not enough to motivate you any more. You need the motivation that can come only from the reward that God will give as we are faithful to Him. Not external motivation or internal motivation but the eternal motivation that keeps you going forever.

Galatians 6:9 says “Let us not get tired of doing what is right for after a while we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t get discouraged and give up.” Could any of you use this verse in your life? ABSOLUTELY! That’s a verse you can build your life on! That's a verse that help you keep on keeping on.

I love you guys. Stay faithful. Stay the course. ENDURE!

DAY #4: December 2, 2010

2010-12-02T05:22:00.000-08:00

Hebrews 12:1 says, “We have around us many people (talking about these lives in the Bible) whose lives tell us what faith means so let us run the race that is before us and never give up.”

I love that verse! You know why? It tells us that life is like a race, like a marathon. It’s not a sprint. So, stay in the race until the end – keep on keeping on. Endure, persevere – Unfortunately very few people finish the race of life well. We get discouraged, we get distracted, we get hurt, we get sidelined and very few people actually make it to the end of life finishing well. We give up. And we end our lives with unrealized dreams and unfulfilled potential.

We leave a lot of things in life unfinished. We start something and get tired, bored, distracted, whatever then we move to something else. Our lives are strewn with rubble of unfinished projects, unfulfilled commitments, unkept promises. Because we get discouraged.

If you’ve been discouraged over any issue in your life you’ve picked a good couple of days to read these devotionals because we’re going to look at how to finish what you start even when you feel like giving up. The Bible tells us there are four things you need to do if you want to finish the race of life well. The first thing is this:

#1. Remove any distractions.
Remove any distractions that keep you from running the race of life that God meant you to run. The rest of Hebrews 12:1 says, “Let us run the race that is before us and never give up. We should remove from our lives anything that would get in the way and the sin that so easily holds us back.” He says remove anything that gets in the way, that keeps you from running your race.

What could distract you from your life mission? What could distract you from the purpose you were put on this earth to fulfill?

I thought about that and came up with a few things. One, trying to be like other people will distract you. Another thing is making wealth the primary goal of your life. If wealth is the primary goal of your life obviously God’s purpose is not the primary goal and you are being distracted. Habits can distract you from finishing the race. The wrong kind of friends can distract you from what God put you on earth to do. Television. Good things can distract you. The Bible says remove those things.

I have found as I have worked with people over the years, the biggest distraction of all is our past. Our past keeps us from finishing the race. It loads you down. You continue to hold on to hurts from way back and you refuse to forgive and you keep on beating yourself up over some bad decision you made a while back. That’s a distraction.

Guess what? The apostle Paul had a lot of regrets. He had a lot to regret. Before he became a believer in Jesus Christ, he was a religious terrorist. He went around killing people who were Christians. But notice what he says in Philippians 3:14“Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead I strain to reach the end of the race.” He says I'm not going to let the things in my past keep me stuck.

You need to do that too. To be persistent in life, to finish what you start, you’ve got to focus on the future not worry and regret and guilt on the past. You’ve got to let go of grudges against other people. You’ve got to let go of guilt and you’ve got to let go of grief.

I love you guys. Stay faithful. Stay the course. ENDURE!

DAY #3: December 1, 2010

2010-12-01T06:40:00.000-08:00

Finally, the third secret of expecting the best is...

#3. Talk with OTHER GODLY BELIEVERS!

If you want to get healthy spiritually, you need to hang out with some other Godly people! David hung out with Godly, positive people. He wasn’t just facing this giant on his own. He had emotional and spiritual support. In Psalm 119:63 David says, “I’m a friend and companion to those committed to living by Your rules.” You need to associate with, you need to attach yourself to, you need to fellowship with other people of positive faith.

Who do you hang out with? Who is in your close circle of friends? Do they encourage you spiritually? Do they challenge you? Are you motivated by their Godly walk? Do they speak truth into your life? Does you faith get any support at all?

Folks, if you hang out with cynical, sarcastic, critical, negative and spiritually lazy people that’s as contagious as faith is and they will tend to infect you. If you want to be a person of great faith, of great expectations, then you need to find some people who build into your life additional faith, who help you grow. The wrong crowd will bring you down. My brother Marty taught me this statement - "Show me your friends and I'll show you your future."

Folks, this is why you need to be in a small group of believers who met regularly – who will encourage, build you, and love you! you need to be around spiritually healthy people who will shoot straight with you, speak the truth to you and walk with you through life. Hebrews 10:25 (GN) says “Let us not give up the habit of meeting together… Instead, let us encourage one another…”

If you’re not in a small group that does that for you, where are you getting your encouragement on a weekly basis? You need more VIPs in your life than VDPs. Do you know the difference? VIPs are Very Inspirational People who build up your faith. And VDPs are Very Draining People who take it out of you. Which are you? Which are your friends?

As I write this morning, I am compelled to ask - Will you be the person God wants you to be? The person God desires you to be?

I want you to ask God one question and wait for an answer. In your mind I want you to say, “God, do You want me to grow in my faith?” Then, just wait. If the answer or the impression in your heart or mind was “Yes” I want you to pray this prayer.

“Thank You God, in advance for all You’re going to do in my life. I’m expecting in faith.” I’m sure some of you are worried about a giant problem this next week – a Goliath in your life. Maybe it’s a lab report from a doctor, maybe you’ve got a situation at work, maybe your family is in some sort of difficulty, maybe you’ve got an important decision that has to be made soon. Why don’t you relax right now? Take a deep breath and trust Jesus Christ. Say, “Jesus Christ, I want to put my trust in You and expect the best. In Your name I pray. Amen.”

DAY #2: November 30, 2010

2010-11-30T06:31:00.000-08:00

WHY ELSE EXPECT THE BEST FROM GOD?

#2. When I have faith and expect God for the best, IT INCREASES MY OPPORTUNTIES!

Many people mistakenly think that when David faced Goliath, it was God directing that stone into Goliaths head. Wrong! Remember what David said to Saul when he asked how can you face this giant of a man? He said, listen king, I’ve taken on bears and lions and with God with me; I’ll take in this dude as well.

You see, here is my point – many of us are just standing around for God to show us what to do – where to go. David did not do that. He was training – preparing and at the right time, the opportunity came. How did that stone get throne so accurately? He had prepared. And because He had trained and prepared, he was ready for the opportunity that arose with Goliath.

Many of us miss God’s divine appointments because we were not prepared! (witnessing, spouses, jobs) Oh by the way, this is for you doubting Thomas out there – some ask, well, if he had so much faith, why take five stones? The Bible is very clear. Goliath had four brothers. So as David went out to this battle he was thinking, “If I defeat one giant, God will give me the strength to defeat four others if I have to.”

And folks, when you live out your faith it encourages others to do the same. The Bible tells us that when Goliath was defeated the Israelites gave a great shout of triumph and they rushed after the Philistines and they chased them as far as Gath. The entire nation was victorious. An entire nation was energized, encouraged by the faith of this one young man. That’s the power that faith has. Everyone gets excited. Optimism is contagious. And faith has incredible power to make us optimistic.
Some of you are saying, “Pastor - How can I expect the best? You don’t know what I’ve been through!” No, I don’t. And others of you are saying, “How can I expect the best? You don’t know the problems I’m facing right now!” No, I don’t. Some of you are facing some giants in your life. Some giant problems. You’ve got a financial Goliath. You’ve got a medical Goliath or a relational Goliath. You’re facing some big issues in your life and thinking, “How can I expect the best when everything seems to be going wrong right now?”

I don’t know everything that’s going on in your life. But I do know this. You can do the same things David did to give him the confidence to face his giants and if you will do these things you will find yourself having a positive, expect-the-best attitude even in the worst of situations.

- Tune in TO GOD every morning.
We talk a lot about this here at COV, and here we go again! First thing. Start your day with God. That will make you a person of faith. This is David’s secret to giant killing faith Psalm 5:3 says, “In the morning, O Lord, You hear my voice. In the morning I lay my request before You and wait in expectation.” Where does David get his spirit of expectation? He spends time with God in the morning. He starts his day with God. Before he talks with anybody else he talks to God.

- Think on GOD’S PROMISES throughout the day –
Psalm 119:95 says, “Though the wicked hide along the way to kill me I will quietly keep my mind upon Your promises.” David was facing the constant threat of assassination. He says I need these promises throughout the day to help me face these threats in my life, these anxieties that can inevitably overwhelm my day.

How are you going think about God's promises throughout the day? The only way to do it is to memorize them, to bank them in your heart, to put them where you can call upon them.

There are over 5,000 promises in this Bible written for you and I to give us confidence and assurance throughout the day so we can make it through. If you’re going to change your heart, if you’re going to change that anxiety you’re going to feel less threatened in life, more hopeful, more expecting the best, start to listen to something different. Listen to God's promises.

Ponder these things today. Stay the course. Stay faithful. Endure!

DAY #1: November 29, 2010

2010-11-29T08:19:00.001-08:00

This week, I'll be following up the message from Sunday on THE AWESOME POWER OF FAITH. Hebrews 11:6 was our key verse - it says, “Without faith it is impossible to please God.” The only way you can get God's approval is by faith in Jesus Christ, His Son. You may be a great person but without faith it’s impossible to please God. You may do all kinds of great things in your life but without faith it’s impossible to please God. Let's build on that...

The Bible tells us that faith comes by hearing the word of God. Roman 10:17says “Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ.” Faith comes from the Bible – and the more you get into this book, God's word, the Bible – the more your faith will develop.

Faith is the key that unlocks the door to heaven. It is very important that you grow, develop, you strengthen your faith. Matthew 9:29 says “According to your faith will it be done to you." What does that mean? God will bless you, give to you according to the faith you display!

The next few days, we are going to talk about expecting the best when it comes to your faith. Here is my definition of what expecting the best means in relation to your faith. Expecting the best is the confident assurance that God is in control of the future and that He plans what is best for my life because He loves me.

That definition is based on Psalm 32:8 - “I will guide you along the best pathways for your life. I'll advise you and I'll watch over you.” God says if you’ll trust Me, (faith) if you’ll get to know Me (faith) then you can expect the best because I will guide you in the path that is best for you.”

Why should I expect the best in life when so many things go wrong? Why should I expect the best when so many heartaches have happened to me already? We learn the answer to that question in a very famous story in the Bible.

It’s the story of David and Goliath. The armies of Israel were fighting the armies of Philistia. The Philistines had a giant of a man. This guy literally was the tallest man ever recorded in history. His name was Goliath. He was nearly nine feet tall. This guy was a giant of a man. Everybody was intimidated by him. He’d come out and stand at the front of the army and say, “I'll take any of you on, one-one-one or one-on-ten.

Everybody was cowering, everybody was intimidated. He was terrorizing the Israeli army except for one little shepherd boy. David says, “I’ll fight him! I'll take him on!” From that story of David fighting Goliath we learn three things about how David expected the best and what it does to us. (1 Samuel 7:1-52)

WHY EXPECT THE BEST? Why is it a big deal?

#1. When you expect the best IT HONORS GOD!

When you expect God to help you it’s the highest compliment that you can pay to God. When you expect the best, it says something about your faith and about God! Listen to what David’s attitude was in 1 Samuel 17 “This day the Lord will hand you over to me and I’ll strike you down and the whole world will know that there is a God.”

Dads, if you overhear one of your kids saying, “My dad can do anything!” how does that make you feel? We have a God who really can do anything. When we expect Him to do those things in our lives it is an incredible honor to Him. William Carey, a missionary, who changed the world in his days because of his faith had a phrase that really governed his life. He used to say, “Expect great things from God, attempt great things for God.” That’s what your faith can do for you. Expect God to work in your life. Expect God to work on your behalf. Expect God to display His power in through you.

I love you guys. Stay faithful. Stay the course. ENDURE!

DAY #7: November 28, 2010

2010-11-28T04:26:00.000-08:00

If you read Hebrews 11, it talks about some really great people of faith, the first guy who gets listed is a man named Abel. Abel gets listed, not because he did something great, because he didn't. He had no great accomplishment. No great achievement to his name. The only thing he did was he gave an offering. And God put him in the Hall of Fame. Why? It wasn't how much he gave, it wasn't what he gave. It was how he gave. Abel gave his first and his finest and he did it with a great attitude.

Cane and Able, they were Adam and Eve’s sons. Cane gave this fruit stuff to God. Able gave his first born, an animal—sacrificed it to God. God accepted Able’s offering. He said no to Cane’s offering. WHY?

“In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the LORD.” Hello! I hope you didn’t miss that one. “In the course of time Cane brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the LORD.”

You know what Cane did? Cane waited until all his crops were in. He was looking around his farmer’s market type stuff, all of his produce and he said, “Oh, man! This has been pretty incredible. I’ve got it all in. Now I’ll take a few items to God and I’ll throw him an apple, an orange his way. I’ll throw God a bone. You know, “Here you go, God.”

Think about that that phrase - “In the process of time” – is that the way to do life? Is that what God desires? Is that God –hearted? Is it generous? Folks, I goitta tell you - that dog will not hunt when we deal with God. The Bible tells me, the Bible tells you that we’re to bring to God our best – our finest – our highest to God. What do we learn from this story?

#1: FIRST THINGS FIRST. (vs.3-4) God wants you’re highest and finest and He wants it first, because it shows that he is first.

Exodus 23:19 (NIV) says, "Bring the best of the firstfruits of your soil to the house of the LORD your God.” This is a them of God’s throughout the Bible. We’ve got one time around – one shot at this life to discover what matters most. God says we should bring our firstfruits, where? Into the house of the Lord—our firstfruits. First things first.

First fruits = TITHING. First 10% of income and gain goes to God. Folks, God makes the rules, and these are His rules.

Deuteronomy 14:23 (LB)says, “…The purpose of tithing is to teach you always to put God first in your lives.” Did you hear that?

Proverbs 3:9 (LB) “Honor the Lord by giving him the first part of all your income..” If we honor the Lord with our wealth, God’s going to honor us. [The verses continue] “With the”—here we go again—“first part of your income….” That’s pretty sweet. “Then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine.”

Honor God, He’s going to honor you. First things first. So the Bible is telling me, it’s communicated to me that the first part of my income, of all of my financial gain should go to the house of God. In the Old Testament, that was the tabernacle/temple. In the New Testament, that’s the local church.

I remember once, I did this in a sermon - I said: Does anybody have a $10 bill? I’ll give you this hundred for a $10 bill. Here, give me the 10 dollars. This guy said, “I’ll give you twenty!” No, it’s got to be 10. Thank you, though. That was good. That was good. (A young lady handed me a $10 bill) All right, young lady, here is $100. Is that a good deal? Yeah, it’s yours.

Let’s say I’m God, just for a second. $100, give me $10. Is that a sweet deal or what? I’m going to bless your life. I’m God. I’m going to take care of you. I’ve given you your abilities and your stuff and man, enjoy that ninety. Enjoy the rest. I’ve got 10—and that’s the worship requirement, the minimum worship requirement—that you just brought to me, which is some stuff that’s already mine. Is that a sweet deal or what? God being God could have said, “Here’s 10. Now give me the hundred. You live on 10.”

Folks please get this truth this morning - God’s a loving God. He wants to bless us. He wants us to live in the sweet spot of his success. And friends, let me tell you this. There is no way you will ever experience the blessing of God unless you’re giving, I’m sorry, bringing 10 percent of your income to the local church.

I know what some of you are thinking – so read Deuteronomy 8:17-18 (NLT) with me. “You may say to yourself, ‘My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me.’ But remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms His covenant, which He swore to your forefathers, as it is today.”

God doesn’t need your money, doesn’t need it. Why does he ask for it? Because money is so powerful. And here’s what happens to us. If we don’t tithe, if we don’t bring it, all of a sudden we segue from being a manager into an owner and we think it’s our stuff.

It’s very easy to tell if Jesus is number one in someone’s life. It’s simple. You know how? Just look at their checkbook. Look at my checkbook. You can tell like that if Jesus is Lord, if He’s number one. And I discovered something a long time ago. You cannot out-give God. God wants to bless your life and mine. If we could see the blessings he has for us, we would not even…. Well, let me let the Bible explain it.

Malachi 3:8(NLT) says, “Will a man rob God? Yet you rob Me. But you ask, ‘How do we rob You?’ In tithes and offerings.” Have you ever thought about this? I have. The local church is the most important thing in God’s economy. The question is, does God want to bless the local church? You better believe it! How is God going to bless the church? Well, He will bless a lot of people in the church so they can bless the church. We’re either clogs or conduits, reservoirs or rivers.

Believe me, God’s blessed a lot of you in a great way. And the sole purpose of God blessing you is to bless this local church. I know a lot of you here are really blessed financially. And believe me, you’re not that smart. You know it’s from God. That was a joke, you know? Come on.

“Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this.” This is God talking. The only place in Scripture where God says, “Test me. Test me in this.”

Here's another thing I said in a message a few years ago: You know what I thought about doing? Now this is crazy. I can’t believe I’m saying this. “Test me,” God says. You know what I thought about doing? I thought about having a money back guarantee at COV. I thought about next weekend starting this deal to say, “Okay, six weeks you tithe. And if God does not bless your life in mighty ways, we’ll give you your money back.” That would be pretty cool, wouldn’t it? Money back? I think we’re going to do that. I’m serious. I love that. That’s how sure I am with this stuff. I know it works. I’m a walking, talking, living, breathing testimony of it.

Malachi goes on to say -“Test me in this and see if I will now throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.” I want to sign up for some of that. I’m telling you man, my life is a testimony to this. I’m blessed financially, yeah. But I am blessed relationally, occupationally, and emotionally much greater than I’m blessed financially. I’m a living testimony to this first. I’ve never met a person who said, “You know what, Mike? I bring the tithe, the first 10% to the local church and my life’s boring, man. I’m not blessed. I’m just not making it. And I’m living the same old, same old life.” I’ve never met that person. Wow, what can happen in our lives if we get hold of this!

Ponder these things today. I love you guys. Stay faithful. Stay the course. Endure.

DAY #6: November 27, 2010

2010-11-27T06:19:00.001-08:00

#2. When will start blessing my life? GOD WILL BLESS MY LIFE WHEN I PUT HIM FIRST. (vs.50)

You see what Bartimaeous did here don’t you? The only earthy possession he had was his cloak. It was his blanket on a cold night. It was hi pillow on warm nights. It was all he owned and yet when Jesus called him to come, he took it off and threw it to the side. Listen to what Jesus says to a group of people who was following him one day -

Luke 14:33 (NIV) says, “In the same way, any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple.”

This means I have to start shedding the things that are holding me back. Look at the prayer corner at the bottom right hand side of your notes this morning. Read Hebrews 12:1 with me will you? What’s holding you back? Friends? Social status? Fear? Give it up. Quit plying it safe. What do you need to throw off this morning?

Finally, #3. When will start blessing my life? GOD WILL BLESS MY LIFE WHEN I FOLLOW HIM CLOSELY.

(vs.52b) Bartimaeous was healed and followed Jesus along the road. History tells us that Bartimaeous spent the rest of his life doing the work of God. Helping the poor. Feeding the hungry, giving shelter to the homeless. Sharing the good news. Folks, When God blesses you, when God does a miracle for you, when God pours out his favor upon you, how will you respond?

I love what Matthew 6:33 (NIV) says, “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” Folks this verse means…..

I have to determine my priorities in life. Alter call. Will you give him your life this morning? Maybe you need to quit playing mickey mouse with God and step out and strip off things that have been holding you back. Would you tell God that this morning and re-dedicate your life to Him anew?

I love you guys. Stay faithful. Stay the course. Endure!

DAY #5: November 26, 2010

2010-11-26T05:29:00.000-08:00

Luke 6:38 (MB)says, “Give away your life; you'll find life given back, but not merely given back—given back with bonus and blessing. Giving, not getting, is the way. Generosity begets generosity.”

I want to ask you a question. What did you want to be when you were a child – growing up? Let’s do this in fact – turn to a person close to you and share with each other your answer.

How many Firemen? How about an astronaut? Scientist? How about secret agent? President of the USA? (that was mine) Let me ask you, what happened to that dream? For many, the dream got squashed. It got de-railed. We left that dream because maybe we were told we could never attain it. Quit trying – quit striving.

Wake up to reality – settle for safe. Be like everybody else. Don’t stand out and don’t stand up. Do you know what I’m talking about? I mean why try? You might fail. You might come up short. What am I saying this morning? Folks, if you want God to bless your life, you have to go after it.

The guy we are going to look at today in Mark 10 wanted God’s blessing. He wanted to go after his dream. Bartimaeus was blind since birth. All of his life he had been dreaming of a day when he might see. I’m pretty sure he had been told this is all you are ever going to accomplish. This is you place in life. This is your lot. Quit dreaming of seeing. Just settle for a beggers life. Let’s read.

“A blind man, Bartimaeus was sitting by the roadside begging…. When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!" … “What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asked him. The blind man said, "Rabbi, I want to see.” “Go," said Jesus, ‘your faith has healed you.’ Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road.”

Great story. Sad tale of a cripple – a handicapped person – a special needs person. Born blind. Relegated to a life of begging just to eek out some semblance of a existence. Then, this blind man meets Jesus and everything changes. He is healed. He can see again. Tear jerker for everyone there that day to be sure.

Folks, this is a story of God’s blessing. This is a story of someone who experienced and lived the blessed life I want to tell you, I read this story and I ask -when will God start blessing my life?. What can we learn from the life of Bartimaeous? Three things… (one tday and a few more tomorrow)

#1.When will start blessing my life? GOD WILL BLESS MY LIFE WHEN I STEP OUT IN FAITH. (vs. 47-49, 51-52a)

Bartimaeous knew his day had come. In his gut, he knew this was it. Heart pounding. Palms sweating. Mind racing . Fear gripping him. With all of the courage he could muster, he began to shout. JESUS – JESUS. SON OF DAVID. HAVE MERCY ON ME.

Many rebuked him though. Shut up. Be quiet. Go away. You smell. You stink. You’re dressed inappropriately. Just go away. But he shouted all the more. Son of David have mercy on me. Heal me. Jesus stopped. Call him, bring him to me. The tenor of the crowd changes. (Hypocrites) Jesus asks the al important question – What do you want me to do for you? I want to see.

What do you want Jesus to do for you? What step of faith are you willing to take? Folks, I know so many people who want the blessing but they don’t want to do their part – they don’t want to step out in faith. They don’t want to risk being mocked, laughed at, ridiculed, rejected. Listen to how important stepping out in faith is to Jesus…

Hebrews 11:6 (NIV) says, “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” (we're going to look at that verse this Sunday morning)

this means I have to start taking some risks. Not risks in the stock market. Not risks with your health. I’m talking risk of faith. Maybe some of you are here and you’ve been playing it safe when it comes to matters of faith. You keeping saying someday I’ll receive Christ. Someday I’ll start living the life of faith. If you want God’s blessing, you have to step out in faith. Receive him, follow him, obey him, live for him. You can’t please him any other way. When’s the last step of faith you took?

I need to say something to you TODAY as your pastor. I see greatness in our church. All around our church I see the seeds for greatness. My plea with you today is this - Don’t play it safe. Step out and step up. See what God can and will do for you.

I love you guys. Stay faithful. Stay the course. ENDURE!

DAY #4: November 25, 2010: THANKSGIVING DAY

2010-11-25T06:54:00.000-08:00

A Better Plan from a Better Planner

It’s almost Thanksgiving. Often on the holidays we become aware that life does not go the way we plan. We think to ourselves:

I was supposed to be married by now.
I was supposed to be promoted by now.
I was supposed to have retired, or to have children, or to have achieved this dream-
Or, I wasn’t supposed to go bankrupt.
I wasn’t supposed to lose my job, or get divorced, or get cancer.

What do you do when life doesn’t turn out the way you planned?
One of the great statements of the Bible reads: “For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the LORD. Plans to prosper you, and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope, and a future."Jeremiah 29:11

We all have plans. But God does not say: “I know the plans YOU have for you…”
In the Bible, God is always interrupting somebody’s plan.

Adam didn’t plan on getting created.
Noah didn’t plan on building an ark.
Abraham didn’t plan on becoming the father of a new nation in his 90’s.
Esther didn’t plan on stopping genocide.
Moses didn’t plan on defying Pharaoh.
Mary didn’t plan on getting pregnant.

Not a single story in the Bible begins: “Then someone had a great plan…”
But God has a plan. Better than our plan.

So even if we have many disappointments, we have something else, something to be grateful for. We are part of somebody else's plan; a better plan, from a Better Planner. His plan is better than we could invent ourselves in a million years.

Gratitude is one of the best parts of the plan. Spend time with our Lord today and thank Him for His plan for your life. Have a blessed Thanksgiving.

I love you guys. Stay faithful. Stay the course. ENDURE!

DAY #3: November 24, 2010

2010-11-24T06:47:00.000-08:00

Finally, how else can I begin to experience the blessed life?
#3. UNDERSTAND THAT YOU’RE NOT AN OWNER - YOU'RE A MANAGER.

One time Jesus told a story in Matthew 25 about a guy that owned a business. And this guy hired several people. And he gave one guy five coins, the other guy two coins, and the other guy one coin. The owner said, “Invest these coins and I’ll be back later to see the results.” When the owner came back, the guy with five coins had parlayed his into ten. The guy with two coins parlayed his into four. The guy with one coin dug a hole and, like, sat on it.

The owner goes, “Man, what are you thinking? I gave you this coin to invest. Get out of my life. You’re fired.” Then Jesus said this in Matthew 25:23 (TEV), “Well done, you good and faithful servant!' said his master. 'You have been faithful in managing small amounts, so I will put you in charge of large amounts. Come on in and share my happiness!'”

It’s the difference between ownership and management. In Genesis 1:28, the first words God ever spoke to Adam and Eve, You know what they were about? Read it. Management. God said, “You’re not owners, you’re managers."

This Thanksgiving, make sure you tell God that you understand who is the owner and who is the manager. Ask Him if there is anyone He would have you bless with the blessing He has entrusted you with.

I love you guys. Stay Faithful. Stay the Course. ENDURE!

DAY #2: November 23, 2010

2010-11-23T06:08:00.000-08:00

How else can I begin to experience the blessed life? 2. UNDERSTAND THE MEANING OF BLESSING?
We throw that term “Blessing” around a lot. You sneeze, “God bless you.” Someone asks, “How are you doing?” and some people will say, “I’m blessed.” Oh really? Watch a comedian. He’ll take the Lord’s name in vain 400 times. He’ll drop the F-bomb 35 times. And then to conclude his show, he’ll say, “God bless you.”

What does it mean to be blessed? Whenever I say the words “bless” or “blessing” or “God bless you,” here’s what I think. I think of the intangibles: peace, contentment, tranquility of the soul, love, joy. That’s what I think about. And that’s part of it. That’s part of blessing. Blessing, though, is deeper than that. You might want to jot this definition down.

Blessing means to be on the receiving end of the tangible and intangible favor of God. We understand the intangible part—the peace, the joy, the tranquility of the soul, love and all that. We understand that blessing is kind of about stuff we cannot taste and touch and smell and feel.

But, there’s more. God wants to also bless you in tangible ways—materially, financially. He blesses his people with stuff. Isn’t that something about God? He wants to pour out His intangible and tangible blessing in our life. God wants to bless your life. But to be blessed, we’ve got to be bless-able.

You might be thinking right about now, Pastor, what do you mean – am I blessable? Philippians 4:19 is one of the 5000+ promises in the bible, and in my opinion it is one of the greatest promises in the Bible.

It’s a promise from God to meet your needs. Listen - "And my God will meet all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus." God says, "I will meet all your needs.I will bless your life" Pretty awesome huh? You ask then - Then why do people have needs? I see a lot of people who have tremendous needs. I see a lot of Christians who have tremendous needs.

Why aren't they being met? Is God a liar? Is His promise not valid? What's the problem? The answer to the question is that this promise is not for everybody. This promise is not for every Christian. SAY WHAT? With every promise there is a premise. There is a condition that God says, "If you do this, I will do that."

People want to take the v. 19 promise and apply it to their lives while avoiding the premise/condition of verses 14-18. You cannot claim v. 19 unless you're doing what v. 18 talks about. The context is Paul is talking to a group of Philippians saying "Thank you. You have given sacrificially. And because you have given sacrificially, God is going to take care of your needs."

To understand this truth more fully, let’s look at a guy lived a long time ago. His name was Abraham. He came from a family of idol worshippers. Yet Abraham was a guy who God poured out His blessing on. Let’s read about his life. Genesis 12:2-3. God says “I’ll make you into a great nation. I’ll bless you. I’ll make your name great, Abraham. And you’re going to be a blessing. I’ll bless those who bless you. Whoever curses you I’ll curse. And all the peoples on earth will be blessed through you.”

Let’s keep going, because Abraham was a man who was truly blessed. In fact, one of his workers said this about him: Genesis 24:35, he said—he’s talking about Abraham here—“The Lord has blessed my master abundantly and he has become wealthy. He has given him sheep and cattle, silver and gold, menservants and maidservants, and camels and donkeys.” Abraham was blessed, if you read about his life, He was blessed occupationally, relationally, and financially. Abraham was a man who knew that everything he had came from God. Why did God bless Abraham?

There are several events in Abraham’s life brought out the blessing of God. I want to talk about one. Abraham was old. God said, “Abraham, you and Sarah are going to have a baby.” He was like, “What?” They became pregnant. They had Isaac, the apple of Abraham’s eye. Those of us who are fathers know about that special relationship we have with our sons. You know what God told Abraham to do?
“Hey Abraham, take the life of your son as a sacrifice to me.”

Now, just put yourself in his sandals for a second. Here’s Abraham and his son Isaac walking up to the mountain for the whole sacrifice thing. His son is probably, I don’t know, 12 or 13 and saying, “Dad, where’s the animal? Dad, where’s the animal? Where is he dad?”

And can’t you imagine the tears and the emotion that Abraham was dealing with? God’s telling him to take the life of his own son. I mean, that just seems weird, crazy. Right before he began to kill his own son, what did God do? God provided a ram, a scapegoat if you will, that Abraham used in place of taking the life of his son. Do you see the giving in Abrahams life? Do you see the sacrifice? This is why God blessed him.

Man, don’t forget it. You’d better download it. Abraham was God-hearted. Abraham was generous with his abilities, and his talents, and his aptitudes, and his money, and his stuff. WHY? Because he knew deep down in his heart that it all came from God. He had blessed to be blessing to others.

Ponder these things today. i love you guys. Stay faithful. Stay the course. ENDURE!

DAY #1: November 22, 2010

2010-11-22T06:55:00.000-08:00

For the next week, we're going to look at what we're supposed to do and how we're supposed to respond to the goodness of God. How we should live and give. We're going to look at how we've been blessed and how we're to turn around and bless others. yes, be thankful and grateful, but also bless others as well. The foundation of this belief is rooted in James 1:17 (NIV), which says - "Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows."

Because this is so huge—and I would venture to say that 99.9% of you have never heard teaching, in-depth teaching, on this topic—because this topic is so monstrous. Know this: that this content, that this stuff is difference-making stuff. It will help you and influence you in every area of your existence. I pray that you find yourself in the spirit of prayer during the next week, that you simply say, “God, I want to open my heart and my life to this teaching.”

Let me start out by saying this: Our God is a God who wants us, who desperately desires us to live by the truths and principles of His word. We, as followers of Christ, need to be God-hearted. We need to reflect and to mirror the majesty of who God is. If we know God personally, we should mirror who he is. We should have the character qualities, we should reflect the stuff that God is about.

Luke 6:38 (MB), sets the tone for this today. It says, “Give away your life; you'll find life given back, but not merely given back—given back with bonus and blessing. Giving, not getting, is the way. Generosity begets generosity.” Don’t you like that? I could preach on this one single verse for a few weeks.

Give away your life. When you do, God will give back to you. God will bless you. God will meet your needs. God will make a way for you. Because giving is the secret to life, not getting. Giving is the key to unlocking the blessings of God. Giving is the key to the abundant Christian life that Jesus promised in John 10:10. And finally, giving is the key to understanding the heart of God.

How can I begin to experience the blessed life?
#1. UNDERSTAND THE ESSENCE OF GOD IS GENEROSITY.
John 3:16, a verse that’s very familiar to all of us here. You even see this watching football games. After the extra point, they lower a sign, John 3:16 - “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son.”

Let me stop right there. If you don’t get anything else I write today, get this: God is for you. God is for me. And a lot of times we have a difficult time accepting that and swallowing that fact. God is for us. He wants us to have a life of excitement, adventure, vitality, and fun. Living the Christian life is the best way to live. God wants that for us. God desires that for us.

Let’s keep going. Romans 8:31-32 says, “If God is for us, who can be against us?” “He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?” Our God is a God who is generous. And because God is generous, we should be God-hearted. We should understand the fact that everything we have comes from God—our gifts, our aptitudes, our abilities, even the material stuff that we have. And because God has given it to us, we should reflect that.

In Mark 8:35, Jesus said -“Only those who give away their lives for My sake and for the sake of the Good News will ever know what it means to really live.” What is the key word in that verse?? GIVE! The word "give" is used over 1500 times in the Bible. Why? Because giving is the essence of God and it is the essence of Christianity is giving.

So, let me ask you - what are you expecting God to do in your life? How much do you want God to bless your life? How much are you expecting God to act on your behalf? If you want the answer to those questions, just look at your giving. Abundant living begins with abundant giving. This Thanksgiving, who do you need to be serving? Where do you need to be giving? Who has a need that you can meet? (See a need - meet a need)

I love you guys. Stay faithful. Stay the course. ENDURE!

DAY #50: November 21, 2010

2010-11-21T05:29:00.000-08:00

OK, this is it. The last day of our devotions through THE ME I WANT TO BE. Tomorrow we begin a new direction with our devotions. We're going to focus on living thankful and grateful lives.

HOW ELSE DO YOU BUILD A SOLID FOUNDATION FOR YOUR LIFE?

#5. MEDITATE ON GOD’S WORD

When you and I hear the word “meditate” we probably think about some guy in a monestary chanting or sitting in some yoga postion saying “Hmmmmmm”. Folks, that is the exact opposite to the Bible’s idea of meditation.

The Bible’s idea of meditation is focusing your mind on a Bible verse so you can see how the truth fits in your life. Look at a Bible verse and think, “How does that truth fit into the way I talk with my kids? How does that truth fit in the way I'm managing my business? How does that truth fit in the kind of attitudes I have today?” That's what meditation on a Bible verse means.

Look at the benefit of doing this. Psalms 1:2-3 says, “They love the Lord’s teachings and they think about those teachings day and night. So they are strong like a tree planted by a river. Everything they do will succeed.” The Bible says when you meditate on His word, it’s like planting yourself in rich soil where true success can come into your life. When you do that the result is Joshua 1:8-“Meditate on the word day and night so you may be careful to do everything that’s written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.” How many of you want to be prosperous and successful?

The final point to building a solid foundation for you life is…
#6. APPLY GOD’S WORD

James 1:22 says, “Do not fool yourselves into just listening to the word. Instead, put it into practice.” You can fool yourself. You can hear a lot of Bible studies or come hear sermons and hear people talk about the Bible and you can fool yourself into thinking that you’re growing spiritually, that great things are happening in your relationship with God when all that’s really happening is you’re listening to other people talk about it. James said don’t fool yourself.

The question is, What will you do with all that you've heard and read and studied and meditated upon and memorized? Matthew 5:19 says “Whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.”

Notice the phrase "practices and teaches". That is the key. If you want a solid foundation in your life, if you don’t want to be continually swayed by the crowds, you have to put the Words of God into practice. What’s the best way to do that? Teach them to others. Small groups, bible studies, discipleship, Sunday school classes! Not only do them myself but help someone else to learn how to do them.

In the early 1500’s William Tyndale decided to translate the Bible for the first time into the English language from the Greek so that everyone would have the chance to read it. For that crime alone he was burned at the stake because people said everybody shouldn’t have a Bible, just a few people could understand the Bible.

You and I get to live in a day we can all hold this book and read it and let it impact our lives. I don't ever want to loose sight of the price it took for me to hold on to this book. I don’t ever want to waste the opportunity that I have to read this book. And I don’t ever want to take that for granted. So the question is, what will you and I do about what this book says?

Would you say to Say to God this morning, “Here is my commitment.” Tell Him as you’re making it. “God, I want to make a commitment to reading Your word. I want to make a commitment to spending time with You.” What better way to get to know Him than making a commitment to read this book that He gave as a gift to us. Some of you have been going to church for a long, long time but you haven’t been reading His word very much. For you, it’s a fresh new commitment to say, “I want to make Your word to me a part of the foundation for my life.” You’ve felt that foundation slipping lately.

Father, as we make these commitments to You, I pray more than anything that we’d make them out of a sense of anticipation and not guilt. Lord, I know a lot of people who feel guilt about the Bible. Guilt about what they haven’t done. I pray today that You give us the gift instead of feeling guilt, we would feel invited by You. We’d feel the opportunity of the future. As we make these commitments to You, we’d feel the joy of the fact that You want to have a relationship with us, that You want to build a foundation in our lives that gets us through the tough times. So, God, we bring these commitments to You with a sense of joy and we say to You, “Help us to live them out. Help us to get to know You better. Help us to find in You the foundation that we really need.” We pray this in Jesus’ name. Amen.

DAY #49: November 20, 2010

2010-11-20T05:40:00.000-08:00

HOW ELSE DO DO YOU ESTABLISH A SOLID FOUNDATION IN YOUR LIFE?

You hear God’s word and you read God’s word…
#3. YOU STUDY GOD’S WORD.

Not just read it but begin to really dig into it and study it. Acts 17:11 says, “They accepted the message eagerly and they studied the Scriptures everyday.” The Bible values this attitude of digging into the Bible and really understanding what it means. What’s the difference between reading the Bible and studying? The difference is you take notes when you study. You write down something. You learn something for your own life from it.

What makes this Bible a Holy Bible? The fact that you use it. Jesus said in John 8:31-32 – “To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, "If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." Underline the word “HOLD”. It means to study, know and firmly grip.

Why study it? Just for better information? NO. God wants to build a foundation for our lives. God wants to set me free from just going along with the crowd – or trying to just fit in.

There’s a fourth way to build a foundation of the word in our lives.
#4. I MEMORIZE GOD’S WORD

Some of you right away are thinking, “That’s the one I'm not doing,” because the last time you memorized something that you can remember was when you were in third grade and you didn’t do very well even then. I’ve talked to many people who say, “I just can’t memorize.”

The truth is we memorize stuff all the time! Phone numbers, passwords, birth dates, anniversaries, statistics. Here is the secret to memorizing. We memorize what’s important to us. The Bible says in Proverbs 7:2-3 “Guard My words as your most precious possession. Write them down and also keep them deep within your heart.” I'm not talking about just a mental exercise of memorizing God’s word. I'm talking about getting it into you life into your heart. When it is there, you will have a foundation that no one will ever be able to shake.

Psalm 119:11 says “I have hidden Your word in my heart that I might not sin against You.” When temptation hits you, where does it hit you? Sometimes it doesn’t come conveniently when you have a Bible and can look up a verse. So if you put a verse in your mind and heart it helps you when temptation comes. The more verses you memorize the more help God can give during tough times, when you’re facing a decision, facing a time of depression or stress. God can pop a verse into our minds to help us to make it through.

That's why all the way through this message series, we have been giving you a weekly memory verse. The fastest way to grow spiritually is to memorize God's word - put it in your heart and mind.

DAY #48: November 19, 2010

2010-11-19T06:27:00.000-08:00

We're on the home stretch of our devotions revolving around our message series THE ME I WANT TO BE. What is God doing in your life? How is God growing you? What dream has He planted in your heart and soul? If God leads you, share some of this on Sunday morning in our ONE worship service @ 10:00am.

Jesus said in Matthew 7:24 “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.” Jesus says, “You want a foundation for life? You want something you can stand on when the tough times come? You want something you can hold on to when your world falls apart or when the crowd is encouraging you to go a different way than the way you should? My encouragement to you – build your life on the words of Jesus – the ROCK - the Bible!

In the next few days, I want to walk through with you a simple outline that has helped me understand the importance of God’s word in my life.

If you want to get a grip on God’s word and build a solid foundation in your life…
#1. YOU’VE GOT TO HEAR GOD’S WORD.

There’s lots of ways to hear God’s word. You can hear it in messages in church. You can hear it on the radio or on CD's in the car. Listen to what happens when you hear God’s word - the Bible says in Romans 10:17 “So then faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God.” Every time you hear God’s word it raises your faith, it enables and empowers your faith. That’s incredibly good news.

But I’ve got some bad news for you too. The problem is, we tend to forget about 95% of what we hear after about 72 hours. That depresses me. To think that after all this work, 20+ hours of study, and after three days you’re going to forget 95% of it! How do you do more than just hear it because hearing it isn’t enough? You’ve experienced this. You hear a message and you think, “I'm going to do something about that.” But before you even get out of the parking lot, the truth slips away.

How do you get a firmer grip on this so it lasts in your life?
#2. YOU’VE GOT TO READ GOD’S WORD.

I need to start to read it for myself, let it make an impact in my life. This book, the Bible, it’s the best seller in human history. It’s filled with stories of larger than life people. People who fought against giants and won, who were swallowed by whales and rose again from the dead. It’s a cornerstone of our entire civilization. This book, the Bible, inspired the art of Michelangelo, the plays of William Shakespeare, the books of John Steinbeck. It still inspires the films of Hollywood today. Across this world there have been incredible numbers of freedom movements inspired by this book and changed the geographical and cultural center of our world.

Yet with all that, the incredible thing is how little we really read this book. Statistics across the U.S., not just people who come to church but everybody in the United States, say that 91% own a Bible. The average home has three Bible. 80% of Ameicans, when they’re surveyed, say that they believe the Bible is the most important book ever written, 58% of Americans say they think everything in the Bible is true. Yet only 7% say they read it regularly. WHY?

Why don’t we read it as much? Why do we struggle to read it? Maybe we don’t understand why God wants us to read it. Revelation 1:3 says “Happy is the one who reads the words of God’s message.” God wants you to read his book because He wants to make you happy. He wants to bring joy to your life, the joy of knowing which direction to go next, the joy of finding a solution where it didn’t seem like there was one possible, the joy of finding hope where there is nowhere else to find hope. That's why He wants you to read this book.

Deuteronomy 17:19 says, "The scripture shall be his constant companion. He must read from it every day." God wants all of us to read from His book on a daily basis. As you start to read the Bible, two suggestions:

Read the Bible systematically and read it from a translation you can understand. In other words, don’t just open it up to wherever each day. Have a plan. Read it from cover to cover. Did you know that if you read about fifteen minutes a day you’ll be able to read through the Bible in about a year. Genesis 1:1 says, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” I have read you the first of the 31,101 verses of the Bible. Now you’re already 1/31,100th of the way through. You’re almost done. Then find a translation that you understand. King Jimmy (the King James Translation) and I don’t get along so well. For others of you, I know you love that translation – the point is read one that you get!

I love you guys. Stay faithful. Stay the course. ENDURE!

DAY #47: November 18, 2010

2010-11-18T06:33:00.000-08:00

WHAT ELSE MUST I DO TO SEE GOD'S DREAM FOR MY LIFE FULFILLED?

#2. REMOVE ALL DISTRACTIONS

I used to have a poster in my office that said, “Obstacles are what you see when you take your eye off the goal.” TRUE? YES!

If I want to finish the race of life I must remove all distractions. Hebrews 12:1 says this “Let us strip off anything that slows us down or holds us back and let us run with patience the particular race that God has set before us.”

Notice the word “particular”. The particular race that God has set before us. What that means is that your race in life is unique. All of us have a unique race to run. You’re not supposed to run somebody else’s. They’re not supposed to run yours. If you don’t run the race that God intended for you, it’s not going to get run.

So, what is it that can distract you from your life mission? What can keep you from being what God wants you to be? Lots of things. But if I could boil it all down to one for many people it would be their past. Past failures, past guilt, past tragedy, past regret. Paul had every reason to be filled with regrets. Prior to becoming a believer, he was a religious terrorist. He admits that he even participated in one man’s murder. Yet he says in Philippians 3:13 “Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I strain to reach the end of the race.”

I’ve got to remove all distractions. I love that verse. If I am going to complete my life mission, the dream that God has for me, I must learn to move ahead, keep on keeping on, and leave the past behind.

The problem? Satan will not let you forget your past – he will keep dragging it up and you must keep battling- keep moving ahead.

#3. RENEW MYSELF DAILY.

To last over the long haul, you have to know how to recharge yourself – spiritually, emotionally, physically, mentally. 2 Corinthians 4:16 says “We do not become discouraged because our spiritual being is renewed day by day.” Notice the phrase “Day by day”. That means every 24-hours – daily. You need to know what renews you and then you need to do it over and over.

This is the importance of a daily QT! Folks, a QT is not simply reading your bible. NO NO, it is much more than that. It is intimacy with God. It is Him talking with us, and us talking with Him. If you are not doing this, you will not only miss God’s dream for your life, you will get distracted, and you will forget your place in the story. If you are not renewing yourself daily, the enemy will take you out.

The Strategic Air Command is our nation’s defense system that flies 24 hours. At any point in the day there are airplanes in the air carrying nuclear warheads to be a shield of protection for our nation. If they’re always in the air, how do they keep them full of gas? In the military, they do what’s called mid-flight refueling. On a long flight, these planes that are flying, staying in the air constantly, another plane actually flies up next to them, docks in and it’s like a gas tank plane and they fill up the Strategic Air Command plane so it can keep going – mid flight refueling.

You need to learn how to do that in your life. Mid-flight refueling. Every time you get tired and discouraged you can’t just hop off to Tahiti. I don’t know if you’ve figured that out yet but you can’t just call up and say, “Boss, I’m not really feeling motivated today. I think I’ll take a couple of weeks off.” No, you have to keep going. You have to know, how do I recharge myself in the middle of this hectic lifestyle, in the middle of this stress, in the middle of life as it really is lived. Because you can’t just go off and be a monk in some monastery every time you get tired. Learn how to recharge yourself during the day.

Your life mission cannot be completed by human power alone. Colossians 1:29 says “This is my work and I can do it only because Christ’s mighty energy is at work within me." Folks, what God calls you to do, He equips you to do. He can take a talent, an opportunity, a skill, a hobby and use it as part of your life mission to help other people. But you’ve got to rely on Christ.

Some of you think, “Mike, it’s too late for me. I’d do it the first half of my life but I wasted it. My race is half over and so I’m not even going to try getting back in the race.” The Bible says in Philippians 1:6 “God who began the good work with you will keep right on helping you grow in His grace until His task within you is finally finished.” You are never a failure until you quit. The Christian race is not a competition of who can get to the end first. The Christian race is one of endurance and the issue is how well do you finish.

Ponder these things today. i love you guys. Stay faithful. Stay the course.

DAY #46: November 17, 2010

2010-11-17T06:19:00.000-08:00

In 1968 – the Olympics were held in Mexico City – the last runner to finish the marathon was a guy from Tanzania - John Stephen Akhwari. During the race, he had broken a leg. He’d stumbled, he’d been hurt badly, he was bruised, beaten up, bloodied. And long after everybody else had entered the stadium, in fact the stadium was almost empty. But as he entered to do his last lap and finish the marathon, the crowd rose and gave him a standing ovation. Later he was asked, “Why didn’t you quit when you were hurt and bruised, bloody, discouraged? Why didn’t you quit?” He gave a classic answer. He said… “My country did not send me 7000 miles around the world to start the race. But to finish it.”

The Bible teaches very clearly that life is a race. Unfortunately, most people never finish it. They get waylaid, sidetracked, distracted. They get disqualified. For one reason or another, they die with unfulfilled dreams, with unrealized potential and without ever becoming what God intended their life to become. That is a tragedy.

The Apostle Paul wrote a lot about this – more than anybody else. He said, I don’t want to miss God’s best. In Acts 20:24 he says “I consider my life worth nothing to me if only I may finish the race and complete the task that the Lord Jesus has given me.” Are you going to be able to say that about your life? That you did what God made you to do? That you fulfilled the purpose for which you were put on this earth?

So, what’s the problem? Why is it that so many enter the race, but so few complete it? Listen to what Jesus said in John 10:10 -“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” What’s the problem? We have an enemy who wants to knock us out of the race. We have an enemy who wants to steal our joy. Kill our love for God. Destroy any semblance of spirtual life in us.

So, what are we to do if we are going to lives lives that realize the God-given dream that has been placed in our hearts? How do we finish well the race of life?
That's what i want to look at the next few days.

#1. REMEMBER YOUR PLACE IN THE STORY

I need to wake up each and every day with this truth embedded in my mind and heart. (IN THE MOVIE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN: What God desires is here and here – pointing to the mans head and heart) Whenever I get discouraged, whenever I feel like giving up, I remember two truths;

1. Paul says in 2 Corinthians 4:1 (CEV) “God has been kind enough to trust us with HIS work. That's why we never give up.”

Why am I doing this? Because it’s assigned to me by God. My life mission comes from God. I didn’t just make this thing up. He assigned it to me and He has a life mission for you. He has entrusted this work to me, so I will never give up! He did not give me this work to start, but to finish!

2. I realize I’m going to be rewarded some day. 1 Corinthians 9:25-26 says “To win the contest, you must deny yourselves many things that would keep you from doing your best…” We don’t like that part. What we want to do is do what God wants us to do, plus have everything else the world offers.

God says, No, that’s not possible. If you’re going to win a race, you’re going to have to go through some discipline, some self-denial. He says, “To win the contest, you must deny yourselves many things that would keep you from doing your best.” You don’t have time for everything. If you’re going to do ministry that means there’s going to have to be some things that you’re going to have to cut out of your life. “… but we do it for a heavenly reward that never disappears. So I run straight to the goal with purpose in every step.”

1 Corinthians 6:12 (NIV)says, "Everything is permissible for me"--but not everything is beneficial. "Everything is permissible for me"--but I will not be mastered by anything."

You know what that means? Just because I can do something doesn't mean I should. There will be many "voices" calling out for your attention. May roads in life that will be detours from the road God wants you own. You must discern what is good for you and what is best. Let me ask you today - what are the "acceptable things" that you are you doing at this time in your life, but if you really got serious with yourself and God, you would admit they are not beneficial?

Examine your life today. Practice some self-denial. I love you guys. Stay faithful. Stay the course. ENDURE!

DAY $45: November 16, 2010

2010-11-16T06:20:00.000-08:00

There’s a third question that we need to ask ourselves when we want confirm that God is talking to us is
#3. DOES MY CHURCH FAMILY CONFIRM IT?

First you ask, Does this idea agree with the Bible? Second, Does it make me more like Christ? Then third, Does my church family confirm this idea? You see, we all need the wisdom and counsel and advice of other godly people in your life to help you stay on track. God never meant for you to go through life as a Lone Ranger, on your own.

Ephesians 3:10 says this “God’s intent is that through the church [circle “through the church”] the manifold wisdom of God should be made known.” God shares His wisdom with His body, with His family, with His flock.

So, if God has genuinely spoken to you, mature believers will confirm it. They’ll say, “You’re right. You did hear from God.” If they do not confirm it you have every reason to doubt whether it’s really from God or not.

The Bible says in Proverbs 11:9 “The wisdom of the righteous can save you.” It doesn’t say the wisdom of your best friends, your good ol’ boy buddies because they’re going to kiss up to you and just tell you what you want to hear anyway. They’re not going to tell you the truth. We all need people in our life who will shoot straight with us – who will speak truth into our lives, even if we won’t like it – righteous people - wise people – people who are walking with God!

Proverbs 11:14 says “In the multitude of counselors there is safety.” If you want to make fewer mistakes in life get all the godly mature advice you can get, then follow it.

I’ve been a pastor for many, years. I’ve talked to thousands of people. I have concluded that the two biggest reasons people mess up in life are these. One: They have no spiritually mature friends. Two: They don’t listen to them if they do have them.

People come and say, “Pastor Mike, what do you think I ought to do about this?” And I’ll show them what the Bible says and they don’t like it. They’ll say, “What does the Bible say about living together?” I tell them and they don’t like it so they go to another church. Then they go to that pastor and ask, “What does the Bible say?” And he tells them the same thing. They don’t like that so they go to the next church, then the next church, then the next church. If God is speaking to you, it will line up with what Godly people in the church are saying to you.

There’s a final question that you and I need to ask ourselves when we want confirm that God is talking to us is
#4. DO I SENSE GOD’S PEACE ABOUT IT?

The Bible says in 1 Corinthians 14:33 “God’s not the author of confusion.” He wants to make sense in our lives. He wants us to sense His peace as a part of our everyday lives. What is the opposite of peace? Pressure – anxiety- and worry.

The only time pressure is legitimate for us as believers is when God has told us to do something specifically and we haven’t done it yet.

The Bible talks about the difference between our worries and God’s peace in Philippians 4:6-7 which says, “Don’t worry about anything. Instead pray about everything. Tell God what you need and thank Him for all that He’s done. If you do this you will experience God’s peace which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and your minds as you live in Christ Jesus.” This verse reminds us that worry is never from God. On the other hand, peace always comes from God.

To experience that peace, I have a job to do – two things: 1) Quit worrying and start trusting 2) Pray about everything. When I do that, peace from God will invade my life. The peace of God will overwhelm you. How do I know that? God’s word says it, and I have experience it!

I want to tell you this morning, that one of the clearest signs of that God is talking to you is when all of a sudden you sense peace – God’s peace – in the midst of a storm of difficulty in your life.

I can honestly say to you that every step of the way as I have pastored here at COV -that time has been marked in my soul by a tremendous amount of peace and calm. That doesn’t mean everything has gone smoothly – it hasn’t. I have been criticized, people have complained about my leadership – finances are razor thin many weeks and yet I have a great peace that He is in control. Peace that He is building this church.

When God is speaking to you, no matter the circumstance you find yourself in, you will sense God’s peace in your life.

Proverbs 22:17 says “Listen to this wise advice. Follow it closely for it will do you good. You can pass it on to others.”

Notice the words “listen,” “follow it,” and “pass it on.” Those are the three parts of the Christian life. Which of those are you doing?

God speaks to the people who do all three. They hear, they act on, and they pass on. If you’re not hearing from God, one of the reasons may be that you haven’t acted on and passed on what you already know.

When God finds somebody who is not only open to listening but also to acting on it, to doing what He said and then passing it on to other people, God says, That’s the person I want to talk to. You’ll hear God speaking to you more and more and more.

I love you guys. Stay faithful. Stay the course. ENDURE!

DAY #44: November 15, 2010

2010-11-15T06:12:00.000-08:00

First let me say happy Birthday to my daughter this morning - Kelsey Joy. What a joy she has been and continues to be in my life. She is a life giver. I love you Kelsey.

Today and tomorrow, I want to look at how we recognize God’s voice over all the other voices we hear in life. I want to look at how we can be sure that it is God speaking to us, when we get an idea or thought or impression and not just something I thought up.

1 John 4:1 says “Don’t believe everything you hear just because somebody says it’s a message from God. Test it first to see if it really is.” Notice it says, “test if first.” It’s important to test/confirm what you think you hear God saying.

Jesus said in John 7:17 “Anyone who wants to do God’s will can test this teaching [there’s that word again] and know whether it is from God or whether I’m making it up.” Today, we’re going to look at four ways to confirm or test what you think God is telling you. Four ways to know if an idea that you’ve got in your mind is from God or not.

Let me say this - if it doesn’t line up with all four, it’s not God talking to you. On the other hand, if you get an idea a thought or impression and it passes all four of these tests you can know with absolute certainty and total confidence that you have heard from God. Make sense? I pray so. Let’s roll!

How do you know when it’s God talking to you? Four ways:
#1. DOES IT AGREE WITH THE BIBLE?

That’s the first way you can test/confirm weather your are hearing God speak or not. Does it agree with the Bible? Because God will never contradict what He’s already said in His word.

In Luke 21:33, Jesus said, “Heaven and earth will pass away but My words will never pass away.” In Proverbs 12:19, God says “My Truth stands the test of time.” What does that mean? Simpy this…

Fads change. Therapies change. Trends change. Popular opinion changes. But the truth of God never changes. God would never say something then change His mind later and say, “I changed My mind. We don’t believe that any more.”

So if God says in the Bible, which He does, “Pay your taxes,” for instance, then when April 15th comes and you get the idea, “I could just shave off a little bit here and save some money,” that idea didn’t come from God. Because God would not contradict what He’s already said.

If God says in His word, you should only have sex with somebody you’re committed to in marriage, then He’s not going to tell you go have sex with anybody you want to have sex with. Because He has not changed His mind. The truth is there and it’s there for you to live out.

What am I saying? The words in His book, the Bible, are Holy, because they are God’s very own words to us! If you think God is speaking to you – you have to ask yourself, does it agree with the bible? The Bible is all true – every word of it. In fact, the vast majority of God’s will for your life is right here in this book. All you’re got to do is read it.

You want to know how important this is to God? Listen to Galatians 1:8 (Paul speaking) “Let God’s curse fall on anyone including myself who preaches any other message. [In other words, other than the Bible] Even if an angel comes from heaven and preaches any other message let him be forever cursed.”

There’s a second question that you and I need to ask ourselves when we want confirm that God is talking to us is...
#2. DOES IT MAKE ME MORE LIKE CHRIST?

If I follow through on what I think God is telling me to do, will it make me more like Christ?

Philippians 2:5 says, “In your lives you must think and act like Christ Jesus.” Folks, that is God’s #1 goal for every one of our lives! That is why he gave us the bible, that’s why he want us in church, that is why fellowship with other believers is so important – all of them help make me more like Christ!

So, a great question to ask – WWJD!(what would Jesus do) James 3:14 & 17 is a great checklist for helping us see how Jesus would act. It gives us great understanding into what Jesus would do and what we should do as well.

The verse starts out by saying “If you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition, such wisdom is of the devil.” What is James saying? This way of thinking and living is obviously not from God. So how do you know when what you are thinking is not from God? How can you know when it is NOT God talking to you?

If you harbor – if have any bitter envy or selfish ambition it’s not from God!. If it’s about wanting to retaliate against somebody, getting even with somebody, then that is not from God. If you want to strike back against somebody who has hurt you can be sure that God is not in that. That idea has only one source – one father – Satan himself.

The ideas that come from God are going to be to serve others and make a difference in other people’s lives.

James goes on to say - “The wisdom that comes from God is pure, peace loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy, impartial and sincere.” This is a great checklist

If I think God is speaking to me, I need to ask - is it pure thought or idea? If it’s impure it’s obviously not from God.

Keep on going down through the list. Is it peace loving? God’s going to give you thoughts and ideas that promote harmony and not conflict.

Is it considerate? When God speaks to you, He is concerned about the impact that idea or thought is going to have on somebody else. Is it going to hurt somebody else’s life? He’s not going to give you idea’s or thoughts that mess up other people’s lives.

Is it submissive? That’s not a word that we use very much. It simply means is it humble?

If you’ve really heard from God you’re not going to be afraid to test that idea by sharing it with others and getting their in put on it. It was God’s idea anyway not your idea. On the other hand if you ever meet somebody who is prideful and arrogant and won’t listen to anybody else you can know right away. It’s all about their ideas. It’s not about God’s ideas.

Is it full of mercy? That’s how you know if it’s from God. I’ve met a lot of people who think they have been spoken to by God and yet they’re the most judgmental, condemning, negative people. I’ve met some preachers this way. You know what I’m talking about. Those people haven’t heard from God. They’ve heard from their own prejudices, their own anger. If you really hear from God it makes you full of mercy.

It’s also impartial and sincere. You don’t try to manipulate others and control others.

These seven things – these are all character qualities of Jesus Christ. When I sense/believe or think God is speaking to me, I need to ask – is what He is telling me going to make me more like Jesus.

I love you guys. Stay faithful. Stay the course. ENDURE!

DAY #43: November 14, 2010

2010-11-14T05:03:00.000-08:00

Continuing form yesterday...

If you want to hear God speak to you, you must cultivate an open heart.
STEP #2. ALLOCATE TIME TO LISTEN

I must make time to be quiet and sit still and listen to God. You've got to allocate time if you want to hear God speak. v. 6 "Other seed fell on shallow soil [circle this] with rock beneath. This seed began to grow but soon it withered and died for lack of moisture.”

v. 13 is Jesus' interpretation, "Those on the rock are the ones who receive the Word with joy when they heard it, but they have no root. They believe for a while, but in the time of testing, they fall away.”

Jesus says the shallow soil represents a superficial heart. This is the impulsive person who reacts emotionally when they hear a sermon or a message. They get excited but they never let the word of God sink into their life.

How is it possible for somebody to come to church year after year and never be changed? They just walk out the front door and forget what they heard. You see, if I don't let the message sink into my life I never allow God's word to penetrate the bedrock of my personality. It doesn't sink in.

One of the most successful crops in the United States is alfalfa because alfalfa roots often go down twenty to thirty feet. They can handle the heat. How do you know if you've got roots? You can handle the heat. How do you know if you're a shallow Christian or not? How do you handle the difficulties in life? How do you handle it when things don't go right?

What must you do to develop staying power and perseverance and character in life? You get roots! How do you get roots? By spending time daily with God's word. It just takes time. Allocate daily time in God's word. Then you can handle the heat - you'll be able to handle all the trials that life throws at you.

If you want to hear God speak, cultivate an open heart, allocate time to listen.
STEP # 3. ELIMINATE THE DISTRACTIONS

If you really want to hear God there are some things you're going to have to cut out of your life. The fact is we often miss God's voice when our mind is crowded with other thoughts, other plans, other ideas, other goals, other activities. Our mind gets so full we can't hear God speak.

v. 7 "Other seed fell among thorns which grew up with it and choked the plants."

v. 14 Jesus' interpretation, "The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way, they are choked by life's worries, riches, and pleasures, and they don't mature."

Here Jesus is talking about the seed that gets into the ground but weeds come up and choke the plant. Jesus said that the soil with weeds represents a preoccupied heart and life. I'm just too busy to hear God. I've got so many things going on in my mind I can't hear Him because He's crowded out. The seed sprouts but there is no fruit because it's choked out, suffocated by weeds.

There are so many voices calling out for your attention, clamoring for your focus. As a result, we're not fully committed to anything, because we're partially committed to this, and that, fifteen different things.

Jesus says if you want to hear God speak to you, you've got to eliminate some of those distractions. He talks about three kinds of weeds. First, there are life's worries. Those are the problems, the pressures, anything we try to solve without God's help.

Then, riches can take up all our time. Bills, budgets, investments, careers -- all of those can crowd into our life and we can get so busy making a living we do not have time to make a life. It becomes a weed and chokes out God.

A third thing He says is pleasures. Even good things can become a weed in your life when recreation takes priority over worship. When my hobbies, my cabin, my boat get in front of God then they become a god. Jesus says watch out. He says a weed is anything that robs my time with God. It's a misplaced priority.

If you want God to talk to you -
STEP #4. COOPERATE WITH WHAT GOD SAYS

God speaks to the person who has predetermined in advance to do whatever He tells him.

v. 15, the good soil "The seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it and by persevering produce a crop.” How do you retain the word of God in your life? You memorize it - you live it – you put god's word into practice in your life.

The good soil represents a responsive heart, the heart that says, “Lord, I'm willing to do whatever you want me to do in advance.” When you take that attitude, then you're tuned in. God will start speaking to you! When you take the attitude of “Whatever it takes: I'm willing to eliminate the distractions, allocate the time, cooperate in advance and I've got an open heart,” God speaks!

The result: You bear fruit. You produce a crop. You're productive. Your life is worthwhile. It's significant.

Ponder these things today. I love you guys. Stay faithful. Stay the course. ENDURE!

DAY #42: November 13, 2010

2010-11-13T05:49:00.000-08:00

God's dream for your life. What is it? How do you get it? Some more thoughts today...
Let's look the next few days at the parable of the sower and the seed.

Believe it or not, God wants to speak to you today. He wants to reveal to you Hi plan for your life. His purpose for creating you. He wants to speak to you and me.
(BTW, just so you know, I have never hear God’s audible voice – I have never heard Him say “MIKE, I WANT YOU TO DO THIS OR I WANT YOU TO DO THAT” But, I have heard Him speak to me thousands of time as a Christian – so, how does He do it?)

Primarily, God speaks to us through His word. The Bible is no mere book. This is God's word. The purpose of the Bible is for God to speak to you. That's what it's about. Someone says, "I read my Bible. Why doesn't God ever speak to me?" Maybe it's because you're just not tuned in. The fact is you could go out and buy the finest radio around. A Bose wave radio. But if you don’t tune it in you’re still not going to receive anything. That’s what we want to talk about today and tomorrow – how to tune in to God’s voice, so you can hear from Him.

Look at what Jesus says in Luke 8:8 - "When Jesus said this, he called out, `He who has ears to hear, let him hear!'" Jesus says, If you've got ears, listen!” If you have a heart to hear from me, tune in – dial in - to my voice and message.

In this parable, Jesus explains the four steps of how to hear God speak to you. Luke 8:4 says, "While a large crowd was gathering the people were coming to Jesus from town after town, He told this parable. `A farmer went out to sow seed. As he scattered his seed, some fell along the path and it was trampled on and the birds of the air ate it up. Some fell on the rock. When it came up the plants withered because they had no moisture. Others fell among thorns which grew up with it and choked the plants. Still others fell on good soil and came up and yielded a crop a hundred times more than what was sown.' When He said this He called out, `He who has ears to hear, let him hear!'"

Jesus is using an illustration of a farmer. This farmer uses the same seed in all four instances but there are four different kinds of soil. The disciples, in verse 9,asked for an explanation. Jesus says that the farmer represents God, the seed represents God's word, and the soil represents my heart.

HOW TO HEAR FROM GOD four steps:
STEP #1: CULTIVATE AN OPEN HEART!

In order to hear God speak, first I've got to want to hear Him speak. I must desire it, be teachable, be receptive, eager and ready to learn, open-minded to God. Many people don't hear God speak because they're close-minded. They don't even consider the possibility that they could hear God speak. They've closed their minds and hardened their hearts. God never gets through.

v. 5 "... some seed fell along the path: it was trampled on, and the birds of the air ate it up."

v. 12 "Those along the path are the ones who hear, and then the devil comes along and takes away the word from their hearts, so they cannot believe and be saved."

In every field there are footpaths that the farmer walks on between the furrows. Over the period of time, through all the trampling and walking, those foot paths become very hard, almost baked like concrete.

As the farmer threw his seed out in the field (they didn't plant them one by one, they just threw them out there) inevitably some would fall on the hard path. Because it was so hard the seed was not allowed to penetrate the ground. It laid on the top and birds came along and ate it. It never got the chance to take root.

Jesus says the hardened path represents a defensive heart. This is the person with a closed mind. He's unwilling to listen to God. God never gets a chance in his life.

What causes us to be defensive? Why is it that sometimes we don't really want to hear God speak? Three possible ideas:

#1. Fear. Fear makes us defensive against God. We're afraid of what He might say. He might alter my lifestyle. He might make some changes in me. I might have to make some restitution. I might have to do something I really don't want to do. Fear causes us to be defensive against God.

#2. Pride. Pride causes us to be defensive. Maybe I don't think I need God's advise. I can make it on my own. I'm doing OK. I'm my own boss. I don't need God. You know what? I've discovered that pride is just a smoke screen for insecurity. I'm so afraid of my weaknesses I don't want to even admit them to myself. So I become defensive.

#3. Bitterness. Life experiences cause pain. We all get hurt. Sometimes in response to hurt we want to withdraw into a shell, build up a wall and put a crust around us so nobody can get close. We don't want to be vulnerable. "I don't want to be hurt anymore. I was hurt too badly." We put up a wall and even God can't get through that wall. We're bitter and become cynical, callous, hardened. "Why did God let that happen?" We become defensive.

Some of you have been hurt very, very badly. You’ve been betrayed. Some of you have been mislead. Some of you have been abused physically or emotionally or verbally. Some of you have been rejected. You’ve been hurt by a former girlfriend or boyfriend or an ex husband or wife. Or even somebody in the name of Christianity said something to you – a so-called Christian hurt you. Those things pile up in our lives, and we become bitter.

First as your pastor, I’m sorry. I’m sorry you hurt. And God is too. God grieves with you and God hurt when you hurt because God hates to see His children hurt. I don’t know why but when we get hurt sometimes we turn away from the only person who could help us – God. I would say, don’t turn from Him. Turn to Him.

I love you guys. Stay the course. Stay faithful. ENDURE!

DAy #41: November 12, 2010

2010-11-12T05:52:00.000-08:00

OK, today we start to look at how to hear from God and start seeing HIS dream for your life. Some practical suggestions on how do you build your dream.

#1. Pray for wisdom. James 1:5 says, "If any man lacks wisdom, let him ask of God." So you say, "Lord, what is Your will, Your plan? What do You want me to do?"

#2. Stretch your imagination.

Ephesians 3:20 says, “With God’s power working in us, He can do much much more than we imagine or think.” I love that verse so much! This verse is a challenge! God is saying, "I dare you to outdream Me. I dare you to have a bigger imagination than I can meet." God's saying, "Let the Holy Spirit expand your vision and force yourself to think in new ways." How do you do that?

Read books, travel, read Christian biographies – hang out with big dreamers! That's a tremendous way to expand your vision. The two hardest tasks in life are thinking bigger than you've ever thought before and getting started. Next week we're going to talk about how to get started. It starts with a vision. Pray for wisdom. Stretch your imagination.

#3. Establish a goal

Philippians 3. The famous passage where Paul says I press toward the mark. I set my goal for the high calling of Christ. I focus my vision. I have a goal. You need to write it down. If it's not written down, it's not a clear goal. It needs to be clear, it needs to be specific. It needs to be written down with a date on it.

#4. Visualize the results.
Hebrews 11:1 says, "Faith is the evidence of things not seen." Visualize the results. Get a picture in your mind, take a photograph, paint a picture, get something that you can imagine and you see it completed and you visualize it in advance. Paint in all the details and imagine it happening and make it as real as possible.

#5. Commit your dream to God's care.

Psalm 37:4-5 says, "Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart. Trust also in Him. He will do it." Commit it to God. You say, "Lord, this is my desire. This is my dream. But I want to give it to You." Let God do a great work in your life.

What's God's dream for your life? Jeremiah 29:11 says, "`I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord. `Plans to prosper you and not harm you. Plans to give you a hope and a future you hope for.'"

I challenge you to see God in a different way. I challenge you to begin to see yourself in a new way. When you see God in a new way and you see yourself in a new way, you're going to start to see your problems in a new way. You're going to start to see your spouse in a new way. You're going to start to see opportunities that have been there all along, but through fatigue or failure or fear or listening to family and friends, you've missed them. The dream you were made to fulfill begins by opening your life up to Jesus Christ as your Lord, as your manager. God wants to do so much in your life, more than you've ever imagined. He sees your potential if you're totally committed to Him.

I invite you to follow me in a prayer today. Say something like this in your heart, "Lord, would You help stretch my imagination? Would You expand my vision? Would You help me to see my potential? Jesus Christ, as much as I know how, I open my life up to You and I ask You to come in and be the manager of my life. Make me the kind of person You want me to be." Maybe you've already prayed that prayer in the past and you'd say, "Lord, I want to recommit myself to you this morning. Help me to find Your dream for my life. Help me not to be afraid. Help me to think in new ways, bigger ways than I've ever thought before." Some of you say, "Jesus Christ, I ask You to forgive me for the sins in my life including small thinking. Thank You for loving me and dying on the cross for me. Make me the kind of person that You want me to be."

DAY #40: November 11, 2010

2010-11-11T06:46:00.000-08:00

#4. Failure can be a dreambuster!

Failure is a dream buster. Joshua 7. There are many examples I could have used but I liked this story. Joshua had led the children of Israel into the promised land. Everywhere they went they were winning battles. They're just knocking the socks off the Canaanites. Then they get a little cocky and somebody had committed some sin in the camp and they go out and try to take over a little village of Ai with about 3000 people. They said, "No problem. We'll just knock them off!" They go out and fall flat on their face.

Joshua comes back and starts crying out to the Lord in chapter 7, "God! What in the world are you doing? You bring us all the way out of Egypt, across the Red Sea, across the desert, into the promised land. We're winning all these battles and then all of a sudden, one little enemy causes us to be a failure."

He falls flat on his face, crying, feeling sorry for himself. God comes to him and says, v. 10, "Stand up! Take this like a man. What are you doing on your face? Get up and go correct the problem." Failure is not final unless you choose it to be.

Was Joshua doing the wrong thing? No, they were doing what God said -- Take over the land. Often in your dream, you'll be doing the right thing but you may be doing it in the wrong way. You don't give up on your dream, you just try a new approach.

Maybe some of you have gotten all excited about a dream, a profession, a business. You've started and fell flat on your face. You bombed out. What do you say, "I'll never work again!" Of course not. You try a new approach. One of the principles that's taught all through the Bible is that we build on our hopes not on our hurts. You build your dreams on the future, not on the past.

#5. Fear can be a dreambuster.

Numbers 13 is the story about the children of Israel going into the promised land for the first time. In v. 1 the Lord had said to Moses, "Send in some men to explore the land." v. 18 He said, "Go and see what the land is like." See what the people are like and find out all you can. They sent these twelve spies into the promised land and the spies came back and gave a report. It was a majority report which was wrong.

The majority is not always right. There was a minority report which was positive. v. 26 says they came back to Moses. They were there at Kadesh in the desert of Paran. There they reported to the whole assembly and showed them the fruit of the land. "Look at this! It really is a tremendous land of abundance. Then they gave Moses this account, "We went into the land where you sent us and it does flow with milk and honey." It's great! Here's the fruit. In v. 28 they said the wrong word, "but the people who live there are powerful and the cities are fortified and very large." What they were saying was, "This is a tremendous opportunity but there are problems."

They made a fatal mistake that will kill more dreams than almost anything. You never confuse the dreaming phase in your life with the problem-solving phase. The lesson is: You don't try to think up creative ideas and evaluate them at the same time. You'll kill your creativity. Many years ago John F. Kennedy got up and announced to the United States, "We're going to put a man on the moon by the end of the 1960's." He made the decision and then he started solving the problems. Can you imagine him saying, "We're going to put a man on the moon by the end of the 1960's but first we're going to discuss and solve all the problems." No. It would have never been announced. He said, "This is what we believe we ought to do." Make the decision and then you go and solve the problems.

If you wait for perfect conditions how many things will get done in life? Every good idea has problems. Never say no to a great idea just because it's got problems with it. Don't confuse the problem-solving with the decision-making or the dreaming because you'll give into fear.

DAY #39: November 10, 2010

2010-11-10T06:30:00.000-08:00

We're going to be looking at how to secure God's dream for your life these next several days. Yesterday, we started looking at potential dream busters. We'll continue that line of thought today.

#2. Friends can be dreambusters.

In Mark 5 we have the story of Jairus, a man who had a sick daughter. He had come to Jesus and said, "Jesus would you heal her?" while Jesus was walking to the house, it says v. 35 "While Jesus was still speaking, some men came from the house of Jairus [they were his friends, they came from his house] and they said, `Your daughter is dead. Why bother the teacher any more?'" They said, "Jairus, we know you've got a dream. We know that your desire is for your daughter to be healed but she's dead. It's hopeless. Why bother?" With friends like that, who needs enemies?

I like what Jairus did, in v. 36, "Ignoring what they said, Jesus told the synagogue ruler, `Don't be afraid just believe.'" Sometimes you have to ignore your friends. They're going to say, Why bother? Why put forth the effort? They can be a dreambuster.

The Bible says, “Watch who your friends are.” They can influence you. "Bad company corrupts good character." It also busts your dreams. It drains you of enthusiasm. You have heard me say this before, and it is so true. Show me your friends and I’ll show you your future!

The fact is, sometimes your family can be a dream buster. Sometimes your friends can be a dream buster. There’s a third potential dream buster!

#3. Fatigue can be a dreambuster!

Sometimes we're just too tired to be creative. We get so busy that we don't have time for long range planning. You get so busy in the now you can't think about what's ten years ahead. You get tired and you lose your interest and your vision starts to shrink and you get burned out and you settle for second best.

1 Kings 19 is the story of Elijah. It's a clear example of this. Elijah had just had a tremendous experience with the Lord in the God contest up on Mt. Carmel. After it's over, he hears that Jezebel is trying to kill him. So he runs across the desert. He's physically drained, emotionally exhausted, and mentally he's a washout. He runs and hides in a cave and has a pity party. "Poor me! I'm the only one left. I'm going to throw in the towel. Take my life. Let's get it over with. I'm tired of living. Let's just settle it now!" I call this the Elijah Syndrome! You get so fatigued, you lose your dream. You focus on the problem instead of the problem solver!

I love God's antidote to fatigue!. 19:5, Elijah had fallen asleep under a tree. "The angel touched him and said, `Get up and eat.'" He looked around and there was a cake of bread baked by some hot coals and he ate and drank and lays back down and goes asleep again. The angel comes a second time and touches him and says, "Get up and eat some more. The journey is too much for you."

God's antidote to Elijah's depression was eat, sleep, eat, sleep. Sometimes it's amazing how much better things look after a good night's rest. Here is great truth that you can build your life on…

Never make a major decision when you're depressed. That is one time when procrastination is legitimate. Put it off. They tell you in seminary, “Never resign on Mondays, after a full day on Sunday.” Never make a major decision when you're depressed. Never decide to quit when you're tired. You'll regret it. Wait until you get a little energy back, you get your perspective back.

DAY #38: November 9, 2010

2010-11-09T06:15:00.000-08:00

Good Morning! As we start this next week of devotions, I want to encourage you to start to see the dream that God has for your life. Not your dream for your life, not your parents dream for your life, not the dream that others have for your life - but God's dream for your life. Folks, if you're going to see God's dream and get God's dream for your life, you must increase your faith.

In Hebrew 11:1 it says, "Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and being certain of what we do not see." The Amplified Version says, "Faith is perceiving as real what is not revealed to the senses."

Faith starts with the way you look at God and His dream for your life. Faith starts with the way you see things, it starts with your imagination and your perception.
Your imagination is a God given ability. Einstein said, "Imagination is more important than knowledge." Napoleon said, "Imagination rules the world." Thomas Edison said “without imagination, all is lost – for it brings hope to the soul.”

Our God-given dreams determine our lives, they define our lives. So, let me ask you - what is God's dream for life? You know what I have found to be true? The older we get, the more we lose our capacity to dream. Kids love to dream, but the older we get, the more we have been beat up by life, the more pain we have experienced, the more disappointments we have encountered, it seems the more cynicism and negativity and lack of dreaming there is.

The next few days we're going to look at some potential dream busters. You have to be aware of these things if you're going to live the life of faith – if you’re going to establish a dream for your life God's dream!

Some examples from the Word of God of things we need to be aware of -- people and events that shrink or bust our dreams.

#1. Your family is a potential dreambuster.

Genesis 37. The example of Joseph. Joseph was really a big thinker. He was number ten of twelve brothers. Yet he said, "I've had this dream. One day you're going to bow down to me and I'm going to rule over everybody." Right! Sure. Joseph was kind of the Rodney Dangerfield of his family. He couldn't get any respect. Sometimes when you've got a dream the best thing to do is just keep quiet about it around those people who aren't going to be a part of helping you realize God's dream for your life.

They're just going to be critics. The brothers come to him and say, "Who do you think you are Joseph? We know you're just a kid in this family!"

Some of you have experienced that reaction with brothers or sisters and mothers and fathers. You've got a great plan, "Mom, Dad. This is what I'm going to do..." And they say, "Oh... sure! Or, that's to big of a dream or that's a nice goal to have." They deflate your dream. You want their approval but the reaction is thumbs down.

Even Jesus had this problem. Mark 6. Even Jesus had problems with unbelief in His own family and people in His own home town. After Jesus had started His ministry, He goes back to Nazareth. (Home town boy makes good!) He comes home and the reaction is less than favorable. Mark 6:1, Jesus left there and went to His home town accompanied by His disciples. He walks in and starts teaching in the synagogue.

v. 2 "`Where did this man get these things?' they asked. `What's the wisdom that's been given to him, he that has done miracles? Isn't this the carpenter? Isn't this Mary's son and the brother of James and Joseph and Judas and Simon and aren't his sisters here with us?" They said, Jesus, who do you think you are? This is just old Joe and Mary's son! And here he comes into town acting like He's God. He was. It says, "They took offense at him."

Whose unbelief has deflated your faith and your dreams? Later on it says, "Jesus said, `Only in his own time, among his relatives and in his own house, is a prophet without honor.' And He could not do any miracles because of their unbelief." He couldn't do any mighty works. Who in your life deflates your dream? Father? Mother? Wife? Husband? Who is it that says, "You could never do that!" Families can be dreambusters.

How should you respond to their unbelief? Keep moving forward. Keep on persevering. Keep on keeping on. AND surround yourselves with people who will come alongside of you to help you realize God's dream for your life.

DAY #37: November 8, 2010

2010-11-08T05:29:00.000-08:00

We start one more new week in our spiritual growth campaign today. This week, we're talking about putting the things God teaches into practice - specifically in our work. Our memory verse this week is Colossians 3:23 (NIV) - "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men."
That's what we want to talk about this week.

The most important thing we know is that God doesn't want you to be afraid. Ephesians 3:12 "In Christ, we can come before God with freedom and without fear... Notice the words "with freedom" and "without fear". ...We can only live a life that honors Christ through faith in Christ." We're going to look at the Foundation for No fear Living. It’s as simple as A-B-C.

A= ACCEPT GOD'S LOVE FOR ME.

1 John 4:18 says, "Where God's love is, there is no fear because God's perfect love drives out fear." The Bible says that Love is the antidote to fear. Not just any love, but the Love of God. When you have His love – when you know His love, it drives out the fear from our lives.

Ophra asked Dr. Phil (there’s a combo – huh?) recently – “Dr. Phil, what is the deepest need of every person?” What is my deepest need? Dr. Phil responded – correctly I might add – “to be loved” Folks, Your deepest need in life is to feel absolutely, totally, unconditionally loved. Completely loved. Not for something you could be, not for something you should be, but loved just as you are. That is your deepest inner need. That's why perfect love casts out fear.

Until this issue is resolved, you're going to be tormented by fears. Only God can love you with as much love as you really need. Only God can do it. God doesn't love you randomly. He loves you consistently. He loves you every second of every minute of every hour of every day of every week of every month of every year. There's never been a time in your life when God didn't love you. That's not true of everybody else. Only God can love you as deeply as you really need to feel loved.

If you want to build a foundation in your life, your family, your marriage – you have to build it on something that can not be taken away. The starting place to building that foundation is to accept God's love because where God's love is there is no fear.

But some of you say, "But you don't know what I've done! I've blown it too much. God can never love me." Wrong. Romans 8:39 says, "Nothing in all creation is able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus." Notice the word "nothing". That means nothing! God has never stopped loving you. That doesn't mean He approves of everything you've done. He doesn't approve of everything you've done. But He's never stopped loving you.

Probably everybody here in this room knows about God's love. It's another thing to accept it. You're never going to feel it until you first accept it.

B= BELIEVE THAT CHRIST DIED AND ROSE FOR ME.

It's one thing to believe about something, it's another thing to believe in something. It's one thing to believe about a person. it's another thing to believe in a person. For instance, I believe about Howard Stern. But I don't believe in Howard Stern.

People say, "I believe there's a God." I say - So what? Big deal! Do you think that puts you in the Book of Life because you believe there's a God? Folks, Christianity is not just believing about God, it's believing in God. Romans 10:9 (NIV) says, “if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”

Having a personal relationship with God involves believing that He came to earth to show you his love. Jesus showed you that love by dying for your sins. (Somebody has to pay the price for your sins) He proved He was God by coming back from death. If you want a personal relationship with God, you have to believe that and confess that.

Some people ask, “If I believe in Jesus what difference will it make?” There are a lot of differences that Jesus will make in your life,, but one of them is if you believe in Jesus and you believe what He says about the future is true, about salvation, then you can stop being afraid, Afraid of death. Afraid of Monday morning. Afraid that your financial security is being ripped away.

Folks, You need Jesus Christ in your life. You need to have a relationship with God, not cause you're going to die tonight, because you're probably not. You might, but you're probably not. You need Christ in your life because you're going to live tomorrow and you are going to die someday.

A third thing you need to if you’re to build a no-fear foundation.
C= COMMIT MY FEARS AND MY LIFE TO CHRIST.

1 Peter 3:14-15 (GN) says, "Don't be afraid of anyone and don't worry, but have reverence for Christ in your heart and honor him as Lord." Notice the word "Lord". That's not a word we use a whole lot. We don't have lords and ladies and counts in America. This is a democracy. What does it mean to be Lord? It says honor Christ as Lord. It means let Him be the manager of your life. Let Him be the boss. Let Him call the shots. Let Him be the chairman of the board.

He doesn't want to be resident in your life, He wants to be president in your life. "God, You be number one." That's what it means to be Lord. Let God be God! To honor Christ as Lord means He's the only person you ultimately have to please.

If you really make Christ Lord of your life, then He becomes the only person ultimately you have to please, do you think that might simplify your life? Do you think it might reduce the stress? Do you think it might release the tension? If you weren't try to gain the approval of 50 people, but instead focused on one person, knowing if you do what He says to do, it's always the right thing to do. Doesn't that make sense?

1 Peter 5:7 says, "Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you." Imagine a garbage bag in front of you in which you cast all your worries and fears. Fill up the garbage bag with your worries and fears. Tie it all up and toss it out. The garbage truck comes along and picks it up. This verse tells us to throw your worries and fears on God, because He cares for you.

I wonder how many people in America – throughout the world would like to be able to take all their fears – throw them in a trash bag and let God pick them up and take them out of our lives. Folks, this is why you need God in your life.

As long as you try to be God, you'll be filled with fear. You'll be filled with worry. WHY? You can't handle it all yourself. This week I talked with a guy who said, "My life is overwhelmed with fear and emptiness and frustration. Everything I’ve worked for is gone.” Maybe you feel that way today – maybe you have that fear today. The foundation you’ve built your life upon has been shaken. Give God that fear this morning and let Him build a new foundation that can never be shaken.

Why don't you accept God's love today and come home to Him this morning. 1 Peter 1:2says, "May God bless you richly and grant you increasing freedom from all anxiety and fear." That's my prayer for you this morning, that you will have increasing freedom from all anxiety and fear.

I love you guys.

DAY #36: November 7, 2010

2010-11-07T05:48:00.000-08:00

Relationship Principle #7: THE GREATEST ARE THE SERVANTS.

With this last relationship principle, I want us to look at this verse in our Bibles together to get a sense of what Jesus has to teach us about one of the greatest decisions you and I could ever make to build some of the greatest relationships that you’d ever dream possible. Whether it’s a relationship with a husband or wife or our kids or one of our friends or a Christian that we’re ministering with, somebody we go to school with, this is Jesus’ advice about how to build the greatest relationships.

It came from a couple of His disciples arguing about relationships and being angry about what was, in the disciples’ hearts, a real desire for greatness. They desired to be great and do great things.

Mark 10:42-45 (ESV) says, “And Jesus called them to him and said to them, "You know that those who are considered rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. But it shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Every single day of my life, every single day of your life, we face this simple test of greatness. Exalt yourself. OR Humble yourself. It’s the simplest test of greatness. Jesus said that the way the world thinks about this test of greatness is all turned upside down from the way he wants you to think about this test of greatness. In every relationship of our lives we face this simple test: exalt yourself/humble yourself. What will it be. It can’t be both. Exalt yourself or humble yourself.

This last great relationship principle of Jesus is all about how to be great at being humble. The question is, how can we get great at being humble? This is a huge question. I think a lot of people think they don’t go together. But Jesus lays it out for us in Matthew 23:11-12 (ESV).

Once more the disciples are clamoring about who’s going to be the greatest when they all get to heaven – who’s going to be closest to Jesus when we get to heaven. Jesus says, “The greatest among you shall be your servant. Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.”

Folks, HUMILITY IS A SIGN THAT YOU really know God. Because when you really know God, you don’t need the attention. You don’t need to be the center. You want God to get the glory. You want God’s name to be lifted up. This is so key. Jesus really wants us to get this. So He told His disciples and He tells us…

DON’T be like the Pharisees: In Matthew 23:5-6 (ESV) Jesus say this – “They (the Pharaisees) do all their deeds to be seen by others. For they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long, and they love the place of honor at feasts and the best seats in the synagogues.”

There’s some guys who needed some notice. Everything they did, Jesus said, was for men to see. They’d become people, even religiously who every action of their life was for notice. Then He gave a list of three things they did. They made their phylacteries wide, they loved the places of honor at banquets, and they loved to have men call them rabbi. It’s a pretty good list of the ways that we try to get notice even today.

“Their phylacteries wide”. What is a phylactery? It sounds like one of those dinosaurs in Jurassic Park. A phylactery was a box with scripture in it. They would carry this around with them all the time. The wider you made it meant the more scriptures you were trying to memorize and put into your life. The fact that this exhibited a need for notice is seen in the fact that these phylacteries, you didn’t put them in your pocket, under your prayer robe.

You wore these phylacteries on your forehead so that everybody could see. That’s a need for notice, I think! This is the love of symbols. This is the love of things that people can look at and say, “Wow! They’ve got it together!” We look at these Pharisees and think they wore these phylacteries on their foreheads, how silly!

Yet if you think it through, we try to impress people with some pretty silly symbols, don’t we? Don’t get me wrong. God doesn’t care about the make of car that you drive. Or what logo might be on your clothes. You don’t have to drive a Hyundai to be holy. But God does care about WHY you drive the make if car that you drive. God does care about WHY you wear the kind of clothes that you wear. He does care about why you live where you live and if the whole reason is because you want people to see and be impressed, that’s like being a Pharisee. Jesus said watch out for this attitude in your lives.

“They love the places of honor at banquets”. Not only do they have the love of symbols but they also had a love of recognition. Nothing will destroy relationships more quickly than one in the relationship who has to have all the recognition. He said, “They love to have men call them rabbi”. That’s the love of titles. They loved to have Doctor or Rabbi or whatever after their name. One of the things I like about COV is it’s a church without titles. We don’t have the Holy Right Reverend Mike around here. It’s just Pastor Mike or even just Mike.

Folks, here’s the point - You exalt yourself when you need others’ notice. The alternative is you humble yourself – you notice others’ needs. You’re looking around and you see other people and you see the needs in their life and you begin to take more and more delight in meeting those needs.

Put these relationship principles of Jesus into practice. I love you guys. Stay faithful. Stay the course. ENDURE!

DAY #35: November 6, 2010

2010-11-06T07:22:00.000-07:00

Relationship Principle #6: THINK OF OTHERS AS MORE IMPORTANT THAN YOURSELF.

Let me ask you right out the shoot – is this the way most people usually think? Is that the way even you usually think? It's very difficult not to think of ourselves as the most important human beings in the universe. In fact sometimes we even think of ourselves as being even more important than God.

We struggle with that. Jesus said, Here's this principle of how you can think of others as more important than yourself and it changes everything about your relationships. Let me be very clear from the very beginning. He's not saying to think of yourself as less important. He's saying to think of others as more important. Do you see the difference?

You should see yourself as valuable, incredibly valuable in God's sight. If you see yourself as valuable and you think of others as more important that yourself, then the more valuable you see yourself in God's sight, what does that do to others who you're seeing as more important? It even increases their value. So this isn't about devaluing yourself. It’s about valuing others and what God wants to do through their lives.

How do you think of others as more important? And how do you act to live out this principle? Philippians 2:3-5 is one of those great passages in the Bible where it gives us an insight into the character of Jesus Christ. “Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus.”

Folks, there are in these verses two attitudes that are guaranteed to kill any relationship. You bring these attitudes into any marriage, any father son, father daughter relationship, any relationship a mom has with her kids, any friendship; these two attitudes will kill a relationship.

1. Selfish ambition. That's when you're always asking the question, "What will I get?" What am I going to get out of this relationship? When it's all just "What will I get," it doesn't work. It kills any relationship.

2. Vain conceit. This is not "What will I get?" but "How will I look?" Have you ever known anybody who wears relationships like flashy gold bracelet? A trophy wife or a trophy husband. They have that person that's on their arm and they just want everybody to see who they have. How do I look and how does this person I'm with make me look?

These two attitudes are not the kind of attitudes that Jesus had. He didn't mind who He hung around with. He didn't mind giving to everyone that He met. I was thinking this week, what if the good Samaritan had had these two attitudes? He’s walking down the road and sees the guy who's sick at the side and says, "Well, if I go and help that guy, what am I going to get out of it?

Maybe he's rich. Maybe he'll give me some money back. If I go and help that guy how's it going to make me look?" Did he think, "Maybe it'll get me in the Bible someday if I go and help this guy?" It's a story that Jesus told and in that story he didn't care what he'd get out of it. He didn't care how he would look. He just helped somebody else. He just considered somebody else more important than himself.

Jesus' definition of humility is key here. Jesus' definition of humility is not that you consider yourself as worse than others. But it's to consider others better than yourself. I know many, many people who struggle with that. When it comes to this thing of relationships and what will I get and how will I look, one of the reasons we struggle with it is we haven't discovered what true
humility is.

We've been taught – maybe even in church – or we picked up from somebody, somehow that it is this thing of thinking less of myself. And we think so much less of ourselves that we are constantly concerned with What am I going to get? and How am I going to look? We’ve got to settle this humility thing if we're going to have great relationships.

Humility is not thinking less of myself; it is thinking more of others. Humility is being honest about both my strengths and my weaknesses. Humility is seeing that without Christ, I can do nothing but in Christ I can do all things. We can start to think like others are more important. That gives you the freedom to think as if others are more important.

I love you guys. Stay faithful. Stay the course. ENDURE!

DAY #34: November 5, 2010

2010-11-05T06:13:00.000-07:00

Relationship Priciple #5:COMMUNICATION THAT MAKES A POSITIVE IMPACT IS HONEST.

As I read through the words that Jesus said to people, the way He communicated, if I had to choose one word to describe the communication of Jesus it would be “honest” in the most spiritual sense of the word He was honest. Honest means truthful. Jesus was truthful.

Honesty means you’re able to tell the truth. But it’s more than that. Some people think that’s all it is, just the bear bones truth. But if you look at the way Jesus spoke to people, the gentleness, the compassion, the love you see that it’s more than that. It’s not only truthful, it’s also thoughtful. You think through how to say the truth. Truthful is not always thoughtful.

Some people use the truth like a shotgun. They tell the truth, they tell it like it is and they don’t care who they hurt. They don’t just tell the truth, they aim the truth. For all of us, even if you aren’t one of those kinds of people, we have to think about what we say. Phrases like “You do well for your age,” or “I can’t believe you did such a good job.” We have to think through what we’re saying. We’ve all slipped with those!

The truth sometimes hurts but it doesn’t have to main, kill and destroy. When Jesus spoke to people He looked into their eyes and they knew that He loved them. They knew that He cared. He was truthful but He was also thoughtful. There’s a balance.

When I think about honesty, it’s a lot easier for me to be nice than to be honest. I like people to like me. Sometimes when you’re honest with someone there’s a moment or two there where they’re not really happy with you because you’ve been honest with them. Sometimes it’s easier to be nice than to be honest.

Sometimes we want to be nice to people rather than impact their lives. It’s true in our businesses. Tom Peters wrote that CEOs who lead the corporate revolution are straight shooters; they have a flatout attachment to the truth. Bad news or not, they give it to you straight. He’s just picking up on a Biblical truth.

Ephesians 4:15 says, “Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ.” That’s a struggle for some of us. We would rather be liked than to be honest. We would rather be liked than to impact a life for Christ. For some us, God needs to grow us in this area of life.

Ephesians 4:29 gives the power to do just that. “Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.” Words are the single most important tool given to mankind by God.

Proverbs 18:21 says “Death and life are in the power of the tongue.” So Jesus teaches us to use the right words, to be honest. Communication is an art. Sometimes I think I’m still setting there with crayons, trying to learn to color between the lines. There’s a lot to learn but let’s learn it. Let’s not be satisfied with where we are.

BECAUSE JESUS IS HONEST, HIS WORDS ARE OFTEN SURPRISING.

Jesus is honest and because He is, His words are often very surprising. You read some of the words of Jesus and it doesn’t sound like He’s applying for the United Nations Diplomatic Corp at all. Jesus commends a Gentile that he’s just met for his great faith. Yet Simon Peter who’s followed Him for years He puts him down for his lack of faith. When He did, when He
challenged him for his lack of faith, was when Simon Peter tried to walk on the water.

Jesus is walking on the water, Simon sees Jesus. He gets out of the boat saying, “Command me to walk to You.” He takes two or three steps at least on the water and then he notices the wind and the waves and he begins to sink. If I’d been Jesus in that situation, after all he did take two or three steps on water! It would be natural for Jesus to say, “Great job! None of the other guys got out of the boat.” But because He’s honest and He could see into Peter’s heart and He knew that he could have done more by the power of Christ available, He honestly said to him, “You have a lack of faith in your life.” That’s surprising to me.

He calls the Pharisees snakes and hypocrites but then later says, Father forgive them. They don’t know what they’re doing. He does both. Jesus rebuked His friend sternly but then He loved him sacrificially. That’s the kind of words He
spoke. He didn’t think a rebuke at one time meant He could never speak kindly about that person again. No, He rebuked Peter and said, Satan get behind me. But then He said, “God has love for no one like this: that one lay down his life for his friends. And you are My friends,

[He says talking to His eleven disciples – Judas had left] if you do what I command.” The challenging question behind all this is, Are my words well balanced by honesty? Rather than being a flatterer or a destroyer, am I an encourager telling the truth, using the truth to encourage others rather than to hurt others or lift myself up. Are they balanced by honesty?

I wouldn’t be honest if we didn’t end with looking at the facts. It didn’t always go well for Jesus. There were times when communication didn’t work. He was perfect and He always communicated perfectly but the people He was talking to weren’t perfect. Same as you and I – we’re “perfect” but the people we’re talking to aren’t perfect!!!

No, we’re talking about two imperfect communicators now. There’s going to be problems. Look at how Jesus handled those problems.

When Jesus was criticized, He gave a clear and confident response. The Pharisees said, “You’re boasting! You’re lying!” And Jesus simply said to them when they looked Him in the eye and said, “Where is Your father?” Do you know what
kind of criticism that was?

The Greek language and the historical background reveal a little more. They were actually accusing Jesus of some of the rumors that were circulating at the time, that Mary had become pregnant before she was married so that Jesus was an illegitimate child. That’s what they’re saying here. Jesus looked at them and said, “You don’t know who I am so you don’t know who My Father is. If you knew Me you would know Me too.” That’s a clear and confident response.

When I’m criticized I want to attack rather than clearly and confidently say this is the truth. But He was able to do that. When criticized He gave a clear response.

When doubted Jesus offered proof. Thomas came and said, “I have doubts.” And Jesus said, “Here I am. Put your finger in my hands. That’s the proof. Blessed are those who haven’t seen me but I want to give some proof to you.” Jesus focused not on peoples’ doubt but on their needs. He could have said, “Who do you think you are to challenge Me?”

Jesus enabled people to touch Him and see the reality of who He was. I can’t answer every doubt in somebody’s mind there are some doubts I can’t answer. But those that I can, I should. We also have to be honest about the fact that oftentimes needs arise out of our doubts. And the very reason I have these needs in my life is if I’d just solve the faith problem. Jesus was able to do
that.

And when ridiculed He was silent. Isaiah 53:7 (ESV) says, “HE was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth.”

On the cross He was silent. When they spit at Him and ridiculed Him He didn’t say anything back. At that point it wasn’t a criticism but just pure ridicule. Folks, some comments don’t deserve an answer. Let it go! There’s no way to answer them. It’s just ridicule. There’s no fact behind it. There’s no reason to answer it. So just let it go. You answer criticism sometimes but you don’t answer ridicule.

Prayer:
Jesus, give us words to encourage. Give us words to build up. Give us the power to do relationships different – better than we have in the past.

This is not just an issue of try harder. For some us, yes it is the issue of try. It’s got to be on your radar screen – relationships and communication. But the real issues is bigger. The real issue is having Jesus Christ in your life. In control of your life., At the center of your life. Folks, to do relationships better, you need a relationship with Jesus Christ.

DAY #33: November 4, 2010

2010-11-04T07:32:00.000-07:00

Relationship principle #1 = Jesus placed the highest value on relationships. Love God and love others. So should we.

Relationship principle #2 = Jesus repeatedly told us – act like your feelings are important. Guard your heart. Pay attention to it.

Relationship principle #3 = We are to love others just like Christ loves us. Serve others. Sacrifice for others.

RELATIONSHIP PRINCIPLE #4: Communicate from the HEART. Jesus also taught us that communication is always from the heart.

If you want to understand what it is to talk to each other and why things work sometimes and why they don’t, you have to understand what Jesus taught about communication being from the heart. Matthew 12:34 Jesus said, “For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.” Idon’t like that. I just want to say “It was a slip of the tongue, I didn’t mean to say it.”

Have you ever had one of those moments when something comes out of your mouth and you didn’t mean to say it and you know the results that are going to happen from it and you wish somehow you could reach out there and bring it back in? You want to say it was just a slip of the tongue but for Jesus words were never a slip of the tongue; they were always an overflow of the heart.

He says in Mark 7:15 “Your souls aren’t harmed by what you eat but by what you think and say.” Do you see the vicious circle? Jesus said it’s out of the overflow of the heart that the mouth speaks but then He also says that your souls are harmed by what you say. Out of the overflow of the heart my mouth speaks but what my mouth speaks can hurt my heart. An incredibly vicious circle.

I was reading about a vicious circle this week of a man who was out running laps at a local high school and he saw some football players getting ready for then new year and they were running wind sprints. He said to himself, “Those guys are a lot younger than I am but I can probably run laps – jogging – as long as they’re running wind sprints.” He keeps running and running and they keep running and running. Round and round. Finally he quits. He’s walking off the field worn out and one of the high school kids comes up to him and says, “May, I’m sure glad you stopped. Our coach told us that as long as that old man kept running we had to keep running!” That’s a vicious circle.

That’s what happens in our hearts. You have angry words which result in a wounded soul and a bitter heart which result in angry words and an angry soul and a bitter heart…. And it just goes around and around. Have you ever experienced an escalation of communication? Where is just seems to get worse and worse and you seem powerless to stop it. You’ve experienced what Jesus is talking about.

The power of words in communication. “Shouting? Who’s shouting?” or “Who are you calling a jerk, you idiot?” Those kinds of escalations of communication. Can you see some places in your life where you’re caught up in this circle? Maybe at work.
Maybe at home. Maybe with friends. Maybe it’s a circle caused by a selfish heart or a prideful heart or a greedy heart. Maybe your heart is set on pleasure and that evil that’s within you comes out of you and then it goes back into you again.

Maybe it’s an unforgiving heart. When I look at a pattern like this, my question is, “How do I break the pattern?” The start is in the heart. If I can break the pattern there, then the words become different, the heart isn’t wounded like it was and I begin to grow. How do you change your heart? It’s not enough to just talk it out. Some problems you talk them out again and again but you just keep coming back to them. You can’t get past them. You may have talked for hours/months/years
about this problem. Talking is important. And sometimes it does take a long time to break through a problem. But there is something else that is important.

I have to refocus my heart. Something has to happen inside. And Jesus told us how. Matthew 6:21 Jesus said (again on the Sermon on the Mount) “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

Jesus is clear: If I want to change the direction of my heart I have to change the location of my treasure. If I want to change what’s going on in my heart, I have to change something about what’s important to me. I have to take what’s important to me and put it in God’s hands. You break the pattern by trusting God and obeying what He says. And God says people are important. Treasure them.

Make an intentional decision to redistribute some treasure in your life. Put it in His hands rather than your hands. And it not only brings joy to your life but it betters all the relationships in your life. Because it changes your heart.

I love you guys. Stay faithful. Stay the course. ENDURE!

DAY #32: November 3, 2010

2010-11-03T06:27:00.000-07:00

The next relationship principle of Jesus was ....

Relationship Principle #3: Love One Another like Christ loves us.

John 15:12 (LB) says, “This is My commandment: that you love each other as much as I love you.” Why is this so important? Some relationships have degraded into just habit. They need a new personal relationship action of love toward one another.

Instead of a list of rules or habits, I need a living example and my family needs a living example. How much of what you call love in your life has become merely a habit? You just do it because you did it yesterday, whether it’s bathing your kids when they’re little or whether it’s going to work to support your family or whether it’s giving to the How much of what you call love is sort of a habit?

Remember the expression of love that was in your first meal as a couple? Remember the first time you changed your baby’s diaper? There’s always the expression of love when you change a baby’s diaper. Remember the love that was there are the beginning. Go back to that. Start to do those same things that have become a habit in your life but inject love into them again.

Rediscover the attitude of love in everyday habits of your life. Say to yourself, “I’m doing this because I love him/her/you.” Try that for a week and see what happens. Why is it so important? Because a lot of life is routine. If you don’t allow love to become a part of the routine of life you’re going to miss an incredible amount of joy in your life.

How do you improve your loveability? How do you make yourself by God’s power and strength, allow Him to make you, the kind of person who can carry out these kinds of actions? Four things.

1. We’ve got to get a better example. Do it “as I have loved you.” With relationships, we all tend to follow the example that’s been set for us. We tend to raise our children as we’ve been raised. We tend to have the kind of marriage that our parents had. We tend to model our fellowship with believers after the example we were given as a new believer.

The question is: what if you’ve been given some bad examples to follow? How do you create a good kind of love in your life? What if your parents didn’t have a great relationship? No parent had a perfect relationship. We follow Jesus’ example. Listen to

1 Corinthians 11:1. The Apostle Paul says, “And you should follow my example, just as I follow Christ’s.” That’s why we’re doing this message series, so each of us will follow the example Christ gave us. My prayer is that when we see how Christ lived, we’ll develop Christ like thinking and Christ like living and Christ like character.

2. We’ve got to get a stronger foundation. If I’m going to love like God calls me to love, I need a stronger foundation. I can’t give unconditional love unless I’ve received unconditional love. You can’t do what we’re talking about without receiving the unconditional love of Jesus Christ. God’s love, the agape love that He loves us with, is unconditional love.

Jesus laid His life down for me. That’s the foundation for love. Jesus loves you. He gave His life for you. When He died on the cross, He died for the world, but He also died personally for you. Nothing that you did today can keep Him from loving you.

Nothing that you do tomorrow can keep Him from loving you. You may not feel like it but Jesus loves you. Say in your heart, “Thank You, Jesus, for Your love for me.” 1 Corinthians 3:11 (ESV) says, “For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.”

3. We’ve got to have a higher purpose. In most love songs, most movies today, love is the highest purpose. If I’ve found love, I’ve found everything. If you find one great love in your life, that’s the best in life. But Jesus said in John 13:35 says, “… by this all the world will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” (our memory verse this week)

This may be the most important thing I’m going to say this morning: Love must have a purpose higher than itself. If the highest purpose is to love better, it’s not enough. It won’t draw me to the kind of love that God wants in my life.

The purpose that Jesus challenged here is let the world see whose you are. Let the world see that you’re Mine. When you let that be the purpose of love in your life then you’re empowered to a new kind of love. Would to God that the world would see how you love your spouse and you kids and your neighbors and co-workers and be drawn to Christ because of that love. That is the higher purpose we all need.

4. We’ve got to tap into a stronger power. 1 John 4:19 (ESV) talks about the kind of power we need. It says, “We love, because He first loved us.” The power to love and forgive and sacrifice – it doesn’t come from your will power – your strength. It comes from God. You tap into that power when you receive Jesus Christ into your life.

When you step off the throne of your life and allow Jesus to assume His rightful position in your life. Stay faithful. Stay the course. ENDURE!

DAY #31: November 2, 2010

2010-11-02T05:17:00.000-07:00

Make sure you vote today. Vote for the candidates who will honor God, stand up for those who have no voice, men and women who are honest, trustworthy and folks of integrity. I know it probably sound sappy, but none the less it is very true- blood has been spilled, lives have been sacrificed for our right to vote. Don't waste it.

Yesterday, we began to look at the way Jesus did relationships. We said the relationship principle #1 was this. Jesus placed the highest value on relationships.

Relationship Principle #2: Act Like Your Feelings Are IMPORTANT.

Most of us feel like our feelings are important but I’ve got to learn to act like my feelings are important. In relationships, the heart is as important as the action. That’s what Jesus teaches us. It’s not just what you see on the outside. It’s what’s happening on the inside that’s important. If you read Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, the greatest sermon ever preached, the first part of this entire sermon is about the difference between what you see on the outside and what you see on the inside.

Jesus sat down with His disciples to teach and He began to go through this list of how important it is to look at the heart. He talked about anger. He said in Matthew 5:21-22, “You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not murder… but I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment.”

That’s the outside action. Don’t do that. but He said, “I tell you that anyone who says ‘You fool!’ to his brother or is angry with his brother that one is subject to judgement too.” Jesus is saying it’s the heart. I think many times we think, “So what about my heart? As long as people don’t see it, as long as people don’t know it, so what about what’s going on in my heart? So what if I absolutely hate the people in my office? No just dislike them or I’m irritated by them but I hate them.

So what if I feel trapped in my marriage? So what if I look at my kids and feel this incredible disappointment toward them and I can’t love them like I should? So what?” Jesus says this phrase we use, “What they don’t know won’t hurt them,” isn’t true. Why? Because your heart always, always leaks out into your actions. So to pretend like what I’m feeling is not impacting my relationships is just a lie.

The encouragement here is do something about your heart. If we think we can hide within our heart, it’s impossible. It’s eventually going to leak out. It’s like saying, “I’ve got this radioactive container and it has a very small pinhole leak –a tiny, tiny leak. Would you be concerned about that? Would you want to take it home?” No matter how tiny the leak you’re going to be incredibly concerned because it’s going to leak out.

Do you notice how quickly husbands and wives pick up on this, the idea of the heart and the actions? They have this way of seeing how the heart leaks out. It may just be you’re looking a little too sweet in your face or it’s the way your nose twitches and they say, “What’s wrong?” and you say “Nothing’s wrong!” when you know in your heart that something’s wrong. And they know it too. The heart always leaks out.

A lot of us deal with this by bottling up some of the problems and struggles we’re facing in our lives. Like a balloon. We have things build up within us. As those things begin to build up they’re going to leak out one way or the other. Sometimes it’s a slow leak. Others of us let it keep building up. Then just the smallest statement, just the smallest irritation comes in and everything goes wacky all of a sudden.

Most of feel like our actions are important. But too few of us act like our feelings are important. Jesus teaches us as He teaches about relationships, here’s how to act like your feelings are important. Here’s how to act like what’s going on inside is important.

#1. Give your heart priority. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said, if you’ve got something against somebody and you go to church to worship and you realize there is something not right in a relationship He says “First, go and be reconciled to your brother and then come and offer your gift.” Circle “first”. It’s about priorities. Jesus says you’re sitting there ready to give an offering and you realize something’s not right in a relationship – first, go and be reconciled to them.

Notice it says very clear, then come back and give your offering. Don’t miss that part of it. (I almost feel like us closing our eyes for thirty seconds now so some of you could sneak out of the room if you needed to.) That’s literally what Jesus is saying here. If there’s really a relationship going wrong, give it priority in your life. There’s really nothing more important.

#2. Take your heart seriously. As Jesus goes through this Sermon on the Mount, He gets more and more serious about our heart. In v. 30 He says “If your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away.” How many think Jesus is literally talking about our right hand there? Because obviously if you cut off your right hand and you really wanted to sin, you could sin with your left hand just as well. He’s talking about our heart, about the serious business of taking what’s happening with me to an extent where I’m willing to say, “I’m willing to do anything to have my heart in the right place.”

What you allow into your heart is serious business, Jesus is saying. It effects every relationship in your life. So, He says, when you recognize something in your heart that’s messing up a relationship, some unforgiveness, some bitterness that’s messing up a relationship don’t try to just taper off, cut it out. Cut it out as immediately as possible because what’s happening in you heart is impacting a relationship one hundred percent – guaranteed!

You may think that the temptation towards adultery that you have in your right now isn’t effecting your marriage because it’s just a temptation at this point. It’s a temptation that you’ve nursed. It’s the kind of temptation where you walk by that person’s desk as often as possible, or you make sure you’re at that person’s house whenever you can be. It’s a temptation that you’re nursing but you’re thinking, “I haven’t done anything about it so how can it be affecting my relationships?” Jesus is saying it is affecting your relationships.

You may think that the anger that you’re nursing inside that you haven’t told anyone about yet – maybe anger toward a spouse, one of your children, a coworker, a friend – you can’t bring yourself to talk about it and you think maybe it will just go away. You think it’s not affecting your relationships. Jesus said, yes, it is. It’s serious business what happens in our hearts.

You may think that the self pity that you heap on yourself every day isn’t affecting your relationship in your life but it is.I think all of us would have to honestly look at ourselves when Jesus says cut it out.

Ponder these things today. I love you guys. Stay faithful. Stay the course. ENDURE!

DAY #30: November 1, 2010

2010-11-01T06:39:00.000-07:00

We start a new section of the book - "THE ME I WANT TO BE" - today. We also have a new memory verse for this week - John 13:35 (NLT) “Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.”

This week, we'll be looking at how to deepen our relationships with others. We'll be looking at how we need others in our lives. We'll be looking at the importance of investing in other people.

What if you wanted to decorate a house, who would you have come into your home to assist you? How about remolding your home? What if you wanted the world’s greatest expert on relationships to help you navigate and build your relationships - who would you turn to? Jesus Christ. He’s an expert at relationships. He knows what relationships are all about.

When it comes to how to relate to other people, Jesus has some things to teach every one of us. Jesus can improve every one of our relationships. But, to do that, let’s admit something from the very beginning. I think it will help. Let’s admit that when it comes to relationships, we’re different. We relate differently. We communicate differently. We’re just different – all of us.

Because we’re different, we ask some of these questions: Why won’t my husband talk more? Why can’t my wife think more like I do? Why won’t my parents listen to me? Why is it that children have to be told an average of 235 times to take the garbage out before they do? How can I find a friend who really understands?

We all live with this huge gap when it comes to relationships. When it comes to relationships we have to ask ourselves how we bridge this incredible gap? There have been some terribly hurtful things take place in your relationships – things like…

“You’ll never amount to anything.” - “I’m sorry I ever married you.” - “I’ll never forgive what she said about me.” “I want a divorce.” - “Why can’t we be in the same room without fighting?” - “He’s an idiot.”

Some of you are today and you’re at the end of your rope when it comes to relationships. You wonder how you’re going to bridge that gap. What I want you to get today is this - Jesus is the bridge. Jesus Christ has the power to take us from where we are to where in our hearts we want to be when it comes to relationships.

As I was preparing for this message series, studying THE LIFE OF CHRIST, it became more apparent to me than ever before that Jesus did relationships different than I did. The reason that this stood out so much is that God has been working on me about this issue of relationships. He didn’t have a trail of broken relationships behind him like I do.

Let me say right upfront, as we look at how to deepen our relationships – I am probably one of the least qualified to talk about it. But, God is teaching me. God is growing me. God is changing me.

Before we go any further, let’s stop and think for a moment and ask - What relationship is there in my life that needs some working on that I’d like to see God improve. It doesn’t take long to think of one does it? Write that persons name down. Then I want you to close your eyes and listen to this verse: Matthew 6:21 – “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Folks, God wants us to treasure people. God wants us to value people. That’s where building great relationships begins.

Relationship Principle #1: JESUS PLACED THE HIGHEST VALUE ON RELATIONSHIPS.

One day Jesus was walking through the street. The crowds were around Him and a teacher of the law – a scribe - walks up to him and asks him a question – Listen from Mark 12: "And one of the scribes came up and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that He answered them well, asked Him, “Which commandment is the most important of all?”

Jesus didn’t have to wait a second before He answered. He looked at the man and first said this, "The most important is, 'Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30 And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.”

That’s all about relationships – our relationship to God. To Love God is number one. No relationship is more important. No love is more important. Valuing your relationship with God above all else. Above everyone else. Above everything else.
If your relationship with God is broken or out of whack - well, I would submit to you that every other relationship you have will be out of whack.

Is there anything you need to make right with God today? Any sin to confess? Any wrong that needs to be made right?

I love you guys. Stay faithful. Stay the course. ENDURE!

DAY #29: October 31, 2010

2010-10-31T05:04:00.000-07:00

Let's conclude the story of Hosea and Gomer today.

Then God does a second thing to show us His love...
#2. He Removes our Resources.

God ruthlessly knocks the props out of our lives to get our attention. Gomer was in serious trouble –again! The money and groceries that God extended her did not turn her attention back to him. She blew right through that blessing. She was in serious debt – serious trouble. She was unfaithful and unrepentant. So, God took her stuff away. Hosea 2:9 says “Therefore I will take back my grain at harvest time and my new wine in its season. I will also take away my wool and my flax given to cover her nakedness.”

During the briar stage, God made sure her essentials were met. But during this stage, during the resource removal stage, her necessities were nil. They were gone. The Bible says she was suffering, broke, busted and disgusted. That is the life of Gomer.

We see this theme throughout Scripture. God barricades us with briars and if we don’t respond, then he ruthlessly removes our resources.

That is where our girlfriend, Gomer, found herself. Gomer had it so bad; do you know what she did? She sold herself into slavery. Gomer, this Biblical babe, this beautiful wife of Hosea, this high-priced call girl, became a slave. There is an avalanche of material about what a slave auction was all about. It was a horrible thing. You had to strip naked and stand there in front of all the crowd, show off your strength, and people would bid for you.

So you might be thinking, “Okay, Mike, you were talking about several things God does when we run from him. You said that God builds these walls of briars. You said that God removes the resources. I know what God is going to do now, Mike. He’s going to take this big old heavenly baseball bat and just whack Gomer upside the head. He is going to rain fire and brimstone down from heaven. I know that is what God will do, because I have heard sermons like this before.”No, God is not going to do that.

You know what God is going to do next? Here is the third thing that God does.
#3. HE grips us, with his amazing and irrational grace!

That’s what God does. God gives and grants Gomer his grace. Hosea 3:1, “Then the Lord said to me, (This is the Lord talking to Hosea) ‘Go and get your wife again.’” Hosea says, “Wait a minute. This girl doesn’t even want to come back to me. This girl has not repented. She still loves adultery.” God then tells Hosea, “Bring her back to you and love her.” Even though she loves adultery. I’m sure Hosea is going, “God, this is asking way too much. Here my wife has been with every man under the sun. She is standing naked before the community and you are telling me, a man of God, to buy her back.” But Hosea obeyed.

Maybe Hosea stood at the back of the crowd when the auctioneer started the bidding. The auctioneer, I can just hear him saying, “What’s the bid for this lady, Gomer?” Maybe someone said, “Five.” Hosea said, “Seven.” Someone else said, “Eight.” Hosea said, “Ten.” Somebody else said, “Twelve.” It was silent for a while and then Hosea said, “Fourteen.” Then the gavel fell and the auctioneer said, “Sold to the man in the back.” I’m sure Gomer was thinking, “Oh no.”

Because she knew that she was now just a piece of property. She could be killed or tortured—you name it. Then what do you think she thought when she saw Hosea walking toward her? He was a little bit older and probably a little bit grayer. What do you think she thought when she felt Hosea cover her nakedness? What do you think she thought when Hosea welcomed her back as his wife? She thought about God’s grace. She thought about irrational and supernatural love.

We have all “Gone Gomer.” We have all been on the auction block. We have all sold ourselves into slavery, haven’t we? These voices have bid for us: the voice of greed, the voice of sexual addiction, the voice of rebellion—all these voices have bid. But there is a nail-pierced hand that goes up in the back that says, “I paid for you. I did the work for that one. I spilled my blood on the cross.” The auctioneer’s gavel falls and says, “Sold to the man in the back.” Then we have our Savior walking forward.

We don’t deserve it. We have been unfaithful. We have committed spiritual adultery. We don’t deserve it. After our best day, we don’t deserve it. Yet, Jesus, with his irrational and supernatural love, clothes us in forgiveness and righteousness. If we turn to him, he fills us up with his love and his grace. That is what true love is all about. It comes from the inside out. It’s a God thing.

When I read this unbelievable story of Hosea and Gomer, I think of two verses in particular that grip me and move me. The first is Romans 5:8 (NLT) it says ”But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.”

What does that mean? He didn’t wait to die for us till we were good enough or beautiful enough or clean enough – he died for us while we were still in our sin. Irrational, unconditional love.

The second verse is 1 John 3:1. It says “How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!” How great is that irrational, unconditional love. He embraces us and calls us His children – for that is what we are when we choose to receive him as our Lord and Savior.

My question to you this morning is very simple. Have you responded to that love? Just between me and you, have you responded to that irrational, supernatural, and one-of-a-kind love?

If you want to know him personally, just say these words to yourself. Just say, “God, I admit to you that I am a slave to my desires—to my sin—and that I have gone my own way. Now, God, I turn to you. I believe that you sent Jesus Christ to die on the cross for my sins and to pay the price to free me from my slavery. Right now, I turn from sins and ask you, Christ, to infiltrate my life. I respond to your irrational one of a kind love. Take control of me. I give you everything I am and everything I ever will be.”

I love you guys. Stay faithful. Stay the course. ENDURE!

DAY #28: October 30, 2010

2010-10-30T06:01:00.000-07:00

How does God love us? (from the life of Hosea) First of all…
#1. HE Barricades us with Briars.

God barricades people who matter to him with briars. If we don’t respond to God, then he puts up this giant wall of briars to stop us – to hedge us in. When we run from God and fail to respond to him, he puts us in the barricade of briars.

As we go back to Hosea, and we think again about Gomer running, look at Hosea 2:6-8: “Therefore, behold, I will hedge up her way with thorns. I will build a wall against her so that she cannot find her paths.” I’ll say it once again: God loves us enough to make it tough when we run from him. Verse 7, “She will pursue her lovers, but she will not overtake them. She will seek them, but will not find them.”

God says “OK Gomer, you want to run, I’m going to make it tough to run and do your own thing. Gomer’s out there prostituting herself, sleeping with other men for money. She has spit in the face of her husband and God. And in spite of that God pursues her. He makes it hard for her to keep running. What’s he do? I don’t know exactly what it looked like, but God made it hard for her to find men who would pay her for sex.

Maybe new laws were passed, maybe there was a drought and money was short for everybody. Whatever the case, money was running out because God had barricade her in with Briars. Just like he did with Jonah, Just like he did with the prodicgal son, just like he does with all of His children who want to go their own way, he make it hard for them to run. So, the money has dried up what now?

Then, the plot thickens. God tells Hosea to do something strange. God says, “Hosea, I want you to find Gomer and I want you to give her lover a money and groceries. I know she is kind of destitute right now, and I want you to do that. It will show her that you love her unconditionally and irrationally.” So Hosea, being a prophet of God, said, “I’ll do it.”

Hosea tracks Gomer down. He gives all this stuff to her lover. I can just see him standing at a distance watching this take place. Her lover, in turn, gives Gomer all this stuff. Now Gomer thinks her lover is giving it to her. Her lover is thinking, “This Hosea guy, what an ignoramus. You think I am going to tell Gomer that he gave it to me? No, no!”

What’s the correlation? We are blessed. We receive things. We get promotions. Things happen for us. Too often, we give credit to everybody and everything else except God. God, like Hosea, stands at a distance. We credit luck, we credit networking, we credit our education, or we credit our athletic ability. Yet, God is shaking his head like Hosea did and saying, “Can’t you see, I’m the source of your blessing. I’m the one who made it happen for you.’

Often, in our running, God irrationally blesses us, He irrationally showers His love down us – and we ignore the source. I’ve seen this happen so often with people. They are hurting, they need help, they need prayer – then boom, God blesses them. God takes care of them, God blesses the business, God makes it so the deal goes through. Our needs have been met, but we forget the source of the blessing. That’s what Gomer does.

Look at Verse 8, “For she does not know that it was I who gave her the grain, the new wine, and the oil, and lavished on her silver and gold.” When something great happens to you, who do you give credit to?

Hosea pursued Gomer. Gomer didn’t turn. She kept going. She kept running. When God pursues people who run from him, what does he do? Does God give up? Does God say, “Well, boys will be boys and girls will be girls. Just go on ahead.” No. God does not say that. God does not do that. Here is what God does—maybe you are running from him right now—first, God barricades us with Briars.

What's the bottm line? Stop running FROM God and turn to Him. He loves you.
Stay faithful. Stay the course. ENDURE!

DAY #27: October 29, 2010

2010-10-29T04:46:00.000-07:00

I'm praying for you. I'm praying that God will grow your faith and grow your passion and make you aware of how short time is. I'm praying you'll put in the time and work to memorize the verses through through out the spiritual growth campaign. I'm praying you'll build some consistency with your QT, devotions, time in the Word. I'm praying you'll get connected in a small group and start building relationships with others.

Our memory verse this week - Ephesians 5:15-17 (NCV) - "So be very careful how you live. Do not live like those who are not wise, nut live wisely. Use every chance you have for doing good, because these are evil times." (From memory BTW)

For the next few days, I want to look at another biblical character who spent his time well. He was wise in how he chose to live. That character is Hosea.

His head was spinning. His heart felt like it was going to beat out of his chest. His worst nightmare had become a reality. His wife, the love of his life, had run off. He tried the best he could to comfort the kids and to answer their poignant and powerful questions like, “When is Mommy coming back?” But he didn’t know what to say. Yes, he had heard the rumors. He had heard that she had been seen around town with other men, but he didn’t believe it. He couldn’t believe it until now.

That evening, he tried his best to cook. He tried his best to help his kids with their homework and to put them to bed. Finally, as they went to sleep, he walked into his room and he noticed the empty closet. He could still smell the faint scent of his wife’s perfume. He asked, “Why me, God? Why me? What have I done to deserve this?”

Sound like one of those romance novels? Well, so goes the story—the love story—of a man named Hosea and his unfaithful wife, Gomer. As we delve into this unique story, we see a double drama.

The first drama being played out is the story of love—love between a man and a woman. Not the superficial, and shallow stuff like cards and candy. I’m talking about real love - irrational and unconditional.

The second part of the drama is what the love story represents. It represents God’s love and God’s dealing with His people. During the time of the writing, it represented God’s love for the Israelites. Today, it represents God’s love for his people, those of us who know him personally.

As we look up close and personal at Hosea’s life, we are going to see someone who understood what it meant to truly love someone. Some of you may be asking – “is love really a character quality?” Well, yes it is. Because love is a choice, love is an action. Love is commitment and sacrifice and serving.

And you know what? Love is all important to God. You could have endurance, obedience, vision, discipline, humility, faithfulness and even courage – but if you don’t have love, you don’t have anything. Listen to our first key verse this morning;

1 Corinthians 13:1 out of the English version says -“I may be able to speak the languages of human beings and even of angels, but if I have no love, my speech is no more than a noisy gong or a clanging bell.” It’s all about Love!

Now, put yourself in Hosea’s sandals. Hosea was married to one of the most beautiful people in the land. The girl had to be gorgeous. With a name like Gomer, she had to be. Suddenly, and without warning, Gomer spins on her heels and she leaves. She runs out on her husband – the love of her life.

The Bible describes what is going on in Gomer’s life right before she left. Hosea 2:5, says “For she said (this is Gomer talking), ‘I will go after my lovers who give me my bread and my water, my wool and my flax, my oil and my drink.’”

What is she saying? I want to split – go my own way, do my own thing. Be with other men. Run away from the one who really loves me. This is really a picture of us and our relationship with God. It is a story that illustrates His love for us.

Over the next few days, I want to look at how much God loves us by seeing how much Hosea loved Gomer.I love you guys. Stay faithful. Stay the course. ENDURE!

DAY #26: October 28, 2010

2010-10-28T06:32:00.000-07:00

After the test comes the final step.
#4. STEP FOUR: GIDEON'S TRANSFORMATION: God will empower me! (6:34)

That's where Gideon receives God's power in his life. v. 34 "Then the Spirit of the Lord came upon Gideon." Now he's ready for service, ready to be a leader.

The secret of Gideon's life is that now God is working through him. "The Spirit came upon Gideon" Folks, here is a huge truth you need to understand: God works in the world but he does it through people that are usable.

What’s The Lesson?: Power in the Christian life always comes after testing not before. If I asked, "How many of you would like to have more power in your life?" Most of you would. Power to break bad habits, power to be a stronger Christian. The path to power is through a test. We want the end product with out the process!

In Judges 6 and 7 we have the conclusion of the story. Gideon was now ready. He was transformed into a leader. He goes out, blows a trumpet and says, "Everybody rally around!" and thousands of people rallied around him -- a man, who a few weeks before, was in the bottom of a wine press hiding out. He cries out, "Who wants to follow the Lord into battle?" and 32,000 people showed up.

God says, "Gideon, that's too many people. I want you to thin the ranks." That doesn't make sense. Thirty-two thousand is still grossly under rated compared to 135,000 in a battle. God said, "That's too many because I don't want the people to get the credit for it. I'll take the credit. It's going to be a miracle. So, Gideon, you tell every one of those 32,000 people who are afraid to go home." So 22,000 went home.

God said, "That's still too many, so after a test, he sent another 9,700 home. That left 300 men. God not only often uses unlikely people, he uses an unlikely strategy. Three hundred men against 135,000 that's odds of about 450 to one. Those aren't very good odds. Then God says, "Here are the tools you're going to take into battle. Number one, give every one of those 300 men a clay pot, a horn and a torch. Can you hear Gideon?

So in the middle of the night, Gideon takes his little band of 300 men and circle around the valley and spread out into a complete circle. Each man with his torch lit but the clay pot over it so that the light would not shine out. God says to Gideon, "When I say `Go!' you tell the men to blow the trumpets, to shout `For the Lord and for Gideon!' and to break the clay pots. [That will make a noise which the enemy won't know what it is; it will scare them.] The light will shine out and just a few men will look like thousands. In their panic the enemy will begin to fight each other."

That is exactly what happened - the Midianites woke up, began running around in their tents with their pajamas on, pulling out their swords and began to fight each other. The Bible says that over a hundred thousand soldiers were killed that day while the Israelites stood there and watched!

Gideon became a national hero, because he was useable. He was useable because he was humble. That's how God works in our lives.

Some of you are at Stage One today. You just need encouragement. You need someone to say, God believes in you! Most of the time we talk at church about how we need to believe in God. That's very true. But God believes in you. Get that this morning!

Some of you are at Stage Two. You are ready to meet God personally. Maybe you've had a religion but you've never had a relationship. God says, "I want you to know Me. Will you do that today? HOW? Humble yourself and give your life to Christ!

Some of you are at Stage Three. You're in a test. It may be a test at work. It may be a test at home. It may be a test at school. What's going to have first place in your life? Status? Career? Money? Things? What's going to have first place in your life? Anything that is not God that's in first place becomes an idol. Maybe you need to do a little spiritual housecleaning. Say, "Lord, what is the Baal in my backyard? What is it that competes for my time and energy, that really replaces You?"

Some of you are in Stage Four. You've been trying to fight God's battles in your power and you're tired. You came here this morning thinking "I'm wasted, I'm really fatigued. God, do something today, please! It's been a tough week." You need God's Spirit in your life. If you're a Christian, He's in your life. Now you need His power. Make it your prayer this morning that God would give you power to live HIS life! A lot of times we get tired running our race. Ask God to give you power to run HIS race!

Time is short. Start today.

DAY #25: October 27, 2010

2010-10-27T06:01:00.000-07:00

Then there's the third stage God takes us through when He wants to use us:
#3. STEP THREE: GIDEON'S CONFRONTATION: God will test me! (6:25-32)

Before God will ever use you in a significant way He will test you. A test of whether you're really going to trust God and obey him. This is what happened in Gideon's life.

The background of the story is that during this time of oppression and depression in Israel, they had decided to worship false gods. They were compromising their faith. God said, "Gideon, I have a task for you to do. Before you do anything else, I want you to go and tear down the idol that your dad built -- the false god that's in your little village."

v. 25 "That same night the Lord said to him, `Take the second bull from your father's herd, one of seven years old and tear down your father's altar to Baal and cut down the Asherah [which was another god. Baal was a fertility god. It was a sexual cult] Then build the proper kind of altar to the Lord, your God, on the top of this bluff and using the wood of the Asherah, that you cut down, offer the second bull as an offering.So Gideon took ten of his servants and he did as the Lord told him."

Gideon passed the test! He tore down the idol in his life. Let me ask you, what's the idol in your life? What is the Baal in your backyard? This incident shows us the three ways that God may test you before he uses you.

1. God may test you spiritually. This is a test of Who's going to be God in your life. Exodus 20:3 the very first commandment, "Thou shalt have no other gods before me." God says I want complete allegiance. I want total obedience. I don't want any compromise. I want to be number one in your life." A spiritual test is "What is number one in your life?

2. God may test you emotionally. Notice who's altar it was. It was his father's altar. It says he went and tore it down at night because he was afraid of his family. We're talking about a confrontation with tradition. We're talking about a breakdown from the past. He's saying, "My whole family has been worshipping this for years. I'm going to break with tradition." That's an emotional test. Family ties. The point is, service for the Lord always begins at home. In your own backyard. He said, "Gideon, before you can go out and take on the world let's clean up your act right here in your own family. Service for the Lord starts at home.

3. God may test you physically. There may be a physical test in your life that God will use to see how willing you are to follow directions and instructions. When you think about this, this was a risky move -- In fact, it could have cost him his life. When you read the next few verses, you'll find that when they woke up the next morning the town formed a lynch mob and came after Gideon because he had done this.

v. 28 "In the morning when the men of the town got up, there was Baal's altar demolished and the Asherah beside it cut down and the second bull sacrificed on the altar. They asked each other, `Who did this?' When they carefully investigate they were told Gideon, son of Joash did it.' So the men of the town demanded of Joash his dad, "Bring out your son. He must die because he has broken down Baal's altar and cut down the Asherah beside it." This is a physical test. He could literally lose his life.

What’s The Lesson?: If you really get serious about serving God expect fireworks. You may cause a riot. You may upset a few traditions or something. 2 Timothy 3:12 (CEV) says “Anyone who belongs to Christ Jesus and wants to live right will have trouble from others.” Anytime you make a stand for God, someone will give you trouble – count on it!

I love you guys. Stay faithful. Stay the course. ENDURE!

DAY #24: October 26, 2010

2010-10-26T06:48:00.000-07:00

The next section from the book - "The ME I want to be" - is redeeming my time. That's why the memory verse this week is so key. I urge you to memorize it. "So be very careful how you live. Do not live like those who are not wise, but live wisely. Use every chance you have for doing good, because these are evil times."

This week, I want t o look at a few Biblical characters and how God used them. They made the most of their time. I am praying these devotions this week will encourage you and motivate you to do the same.

Today and tomorrow, we're going to look briefly at a man named Gideon. Who was he? (The guy that wrote the Bible in the motel?) Actually he did a little more than that! He was a classic example of an ordinary person that God uses. He was a farm boy who became a national hero. Against incredible odds, he saved his nation.

Some background: Israel was at one of their lowest points in history. They were spiritually, emotionally, physically, mentally, economically bankrupt. An enemy nation called the Midianites had come in like a swarm of locusts 135,000 strong and forced all the people who lived in Israel to move into caves. They were living in caves and eking out survival. We find Gideon initially down in the bottom of a wine press threshing grain instead of out in the open where the wind could get the chafe out. He was hiding. If he was seen they'd kill him and take his wheat.

When things get bad, God looks for a person to use. God often uses the most unlikely person. Some of you are thinking, "God could never use me." Don't bet on it! God often uses the most unlikely people. God specializes in turning nobodies into somebodies.

In Judges 6:11 we find Gideon hiding out. "The angel of the Lord came and sat down under the oak tree in Ophrah that belonged to Joash [who was his dad] his son Gideon was threshing wheat in a wine press to keep it from the Midianites.]

Gideon had climbed down into the wine press and he is threshing grain to eke out a little bit of wheat to make some bread for his family that's living in a cave in these dark desperate times when everybody's lost hope. They're helpless. They're driven to despair. And an angel of the Lord comes to Gideon and says this (v. 12) "The angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon and he said, `The Lord is with you mighty warrior.'"

That brings us to Judges 6:15 – it says "But Lord," Gideon asked, "how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family."

In that one verse we see the key to God using a life – Humility. A definition for true humility: admitting that I don't have it all together, that I haven't arrived, that I haven't learned it all, that I'm a long way from perfection, and you know what else humility is? It’s admitting that I'm not God!

I ran across an article talking about St. Francis of Assisi. He had an unusual method of maintaining humility. In his memoirs, he said any time someone praised him, in order to stay humble; he would have a fellow monk sit down and tell him all his faults. (Of course, the reason he had to ask a fellow monk was because he never married!)

Twelve different times in Scriptures we are told to “humble ourselves.” Get this: humility is a choice – to think of others instead of yourself to bow your will to God’s. Gideon understood humility and as a result God was ready to use him! When we humble ourselves, God will be ready to use us as well.

Anytime God uses a life, he takes us through a four step process.

#1. STEP ONE: GOD”S AFFIRMATION: He will ENCOURAGE me! (6:11-16)

God always starts in your life with a word of encouragement. He will encourage you. He sees your potential and He wants you to see it. When God starts to work in your life, first He wants you to get a new view of you. He wants you to get a glimpse of your potential.

I love Proverbs 29:18 in the KJV. It says, "Without a vision people perish" - What is that verse saying? People need a vision for what their lives can be as they follow God. God affirmed Gideon – God gave him a vision for his life. He said, "You're a mighty warrior!" Anyone could see that Gideon was no courageous leader. But God saw behind the surface. God does that with us as well.

WHAT”S THE LESSON? Many people miss God's plan for their life because they just can't see God using them. They just can't see themselves as a dynamic Christian. They can't see themselves as a leader. They can't seen themselves as being an influential person spiritually. Why? They have not been encouraged property – they have not been given a vision for their life. If you don’t get anything else from today’s message, get this. Walk out of here committed to being an encourager of people – someone who plants a vision within another – a builder of people souls and lives and futures!

Hebrews 3:13 (GW) says “Encourage each other every day while you have the opportunity. If you do this, none of you will be deceived by sin and become stubborn.” Put this verse into practice!

#2. STEP TWO: GOD'S REVELATION: He will meet me! (6:17-24)

Gideon had a personal experience with God. The fact of the matter is, when God wants to change me, first He encourages me and second, He meets me. He gets to know me. Life becomes more than a religion but a relationship.

This is what happened with Gideon. v. 17, "If I've now found favor in your eyes, give me a sign that it's really you talking to me. Please don't go away until I come back and bring an offering and set it before you.' And the Lord said, `I'll wait for you to return.'" God waits for us. God was ready to use Gideon right there. But Gideon said, "I'm not ready yet." Gideon went back home and prepared a meal at great expense and he brought it back to God and offered this mean to this angel of the Lord and it was supernaturally consumed. He realized then that he was talking to God.

v. 22 "When Gideon realizes that it was the angel of the Lord he exclaimed, `Ah, sovereign Lord! I have seen the angel of the Lord face to face.' …So Gideon built an altar. And he called it `The Lord is peace' and it stands there to this day." Gideon had a personal experience with God and it says he made an altar. He piled up some stones.

What does an altar represent? In the Old Testament, an altar always represents a personal commitment to God. It was a reminder. Gideon was saying, "I don't ever want to forget this so I'm going to put some stones up here and make an altar so that every time I pass by here I'll remember that I encountered God personally, face to face here. I had an experience with God." This represents where God meets man.

What's the lesson? Before you are ready to fight external battles you must have internal peace. Before you are ready to face the tough times you're facing at work or at home or out there in the world, you've got to have an internal peace inside, capable to handle the battles. Where do you get that? You come to the point that Gideon did. A face to face encounter with God. Have you met God? Have you come into a personal relationship with Him through His Son Jesus Christ?

Today, ponder these points. God wants to use you. There are needs all around you. I love you guys. Stay faithful. Stay the course. ENDURE!

DAY #23: October 25, 2010

2010-10-25T06:59:00.000-07:00

The memory verse for this week is Ephesians 5:15-17 from the New Century Version. It says, "So be very careful how you live. Do not live like those who are not wise, but live wisely. Use every chance you have for doing good, because these are evil times."

Be wise. Use every chance you have for doing good. What does that look like? That's what we want to look at this week. Let me start by talking about responsibility. What's your responsibility as a follower of Christ and a member at COV?

Ephesians 4:14-16 (NIV) gives us insight into this.
14 Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming.
15 Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ.
16 From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.

#1. GROW UP AND MATURE SPIRITUALLY. (Ephesians 4:14a)
Then we will no longer be infants

#2. DON”T BE TOSSED & BLOWN BY FALSE TEACHING . (Ephesians 4:14b)
tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching

#3. DON’T BE IMPROPERLY INFLUENCED. (Ephesians 4:14c)
and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming.

#4. EVERY DAY, BECOME MORE & MORE LIKE JESUS CHRIST. (Ephesians 4:15)
Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ.

#5. FULFILL THE MISSION GOD HAS FOR YOU. (Ephesians 4:16)
From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.

How are you doing in regard to the five areas above? What time and resources are you giving/dedicating to these areas of your life?

It's my Job job here at COV to equip you for your ministry. The Bible teaches this very clearly. One day you're going to stand before God and He's going to ask you two questions. First He's going to say, "What did you do with my Son, Jesus Christ?" And I hope you already know the answer to that one. "I've given my life to Him. I've made Him my Lord and Master. I've committed my life to Christ. I've accepted Him for salvation."

Then He's going to say, number two, "What did you do with what I gave you?" You have some natural talents. You have some abilities. You have some spiritual gifts. Where do you think you got those interests? God put them in your life. He didn't give you that talent and ability just to use on yourself. He meant for you to use it to help other people and to serve other people. When you use your talent, your ability, your interest to help other people that's called ministry. Our job as pastors and teachers is to help equip you for your ministry.

Ponder these things today. I love you guys. Stay faithful. Stay the course. ENDURE!

DAY #22: October 24, 2010

2010-10-24T05:48:00.000-07:00

Today starts week #4 of our spirtual growth campaign here at Church of the Valley. Let me ask you point blank - are you growing? Are you seeing God move in your life? If so, would you shoot me an email to let me know what God is doing? pastormike@covsanramon.org

I want to finish some final thoughts on pride and how to remove it from your life, so it won't be an obstacle to the work God wants to do in you heart and mind. Take two steps.

STEP #1. Admit my sins honestly.

That’s the starting point. First I admit my sins honestly. The Bible says this. “A man who refuses to admit his mistakes can never be successful. [You want to be successful? A man who refuses to admit his mistakes can never be successful.] But if he confesses and forsakes them, he gets another chance.” I like second chances. I believe of the God of the second chance. God says I like to give you a second chance, a third chance, a fourth chance, a twentieth chance. That’s called grace. But if you’re full of pride you get no chance. God says I give second chances to the humble. But if you’re prideful and won’t even admit it you don’t get a second chance.

Romans 3:23 (NIV) says “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” Can you admit that this morning? Romans 6:23 (NIV) says “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

STEP #2. Accept Jesus humbly .

Prideful people say, I don’t need God in my life. In contrast Jesus promises great blessings if we live with humility. “True humility and fear of the Lord [that means respect for God.] lead to riches, honor and long life.” How many of you would like to have that? Riches, honor and long life. He says there – humility. That’s the key.

Let me say it again. Pride is the sin that got Satan kicked out of heaven. It can keep you out of heaven too. Many of you, you’ve heard about Jesus Christ What has kept you from stepping across the line is your pride and your pride will keep you out of heaven.

John 1:12 (NIV) Says, “Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.” You can’t get to heaven on your own – only through accepting Jesus Christ into your life.

Many of you are extremely successful people – men and women. You have made your success the old fashioned way. You’ve earned it. But you can’t earn your way into heaven. It’s just a gift. The Bible says it is by grace you are saved, not by anything you do. Not of works. Ephesians 2:8-9 says, “It is by grace you are saved through faith not of works so no man can boast.” So nobody can brag about it. So nobody can be proud of it.

Would you pray this prayer? Dear God, all my life I’ve been taught to depend on myself. God, I realize that a lot of times I’ve done things I’ve wanted to do and I’ve been my own God. There’s been times I didn’t want You in my life or think I needed You in my life. I’m sorry. Today, I humble myself before You. I humbly say You are God and I’m not. You sent Jesus to be my savior. That means I need one. So I’m asking You today to save me, Jesus Christ. Not by my works or because I deserve it. But just because of Your greatness and goodness and love. Today, I’m saying Jesus Christ I’m humbling myself to follow You from this day forward. To be the person You want me to be. I humbly ask You to accept me into heaven. In Your name I pray. Amen.

DAY #21: October 23, 2010

2010-10-23T04:42:00.000-07:00

#2. Pride not only causes conflict, the second thing it does is it prevents growth. (Spiritual growth)

You can’t grow with pride in your heart. Pride makes you unteachable. If the only person you can learn from is you, you’re not going to learn very much. I’d rather not know it all and admit it and learn than pretend that I know it all and be ignorant.

The moment my head starts swelling my mind stops growing. Pride is what keeps me growing. Listen folks, you can learn from anybody. The person sitting next to you could teach you. I learn from my friends I learn from my enemies, I learn from critics, I learn from people I don’t like, I learn from people who don’t like me, I learn from people I don’t even agree with. You can learn from anybody if you’re willing to be humble and teachable. Pride prevents personal growth.

I remember years ago when Mohammad Ali was in his prime. The champion! The superman! He got on an airplane. The stewardess came back, “Mr. Ali you need to buckle up.” He said, “Superman don’t need a seat belt!” She looked at him and said, “Superman don’t need an airplane.” You’re not as hot as you think you are.

Proverbs 10:17 says, “Anyone willing to be corrected is on the pathway to life. But anyone refusing has lost his chance.” How willing are you to be corrected? Are you teachable? I have seen this a thousand times. It is pride that keeps us stuck in a rut. It is pride that keeps us from getting help on our marriage. It is pride that keeps us from getting help in our finances. It is pride that keeps us from getting into recovery from an addiction. From a difficulty. It is pride that keeps us from getting help in any area of life. At work – parenting – whatever.

#3. Pride angers God.

God hates pride. He doesn’t just put up with it. He hates it. Pride is the sin that got Satan kicked out of heaven. It can keep you out of heaven. God hates pride. It’s basically saying, “I’m god. I’m going to do my own thing. I’m going to be my own god. I’m going to run my own life.”

James 4:6 (NIV) says, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” The English version says, God comes against the proud. Folks, that is a position you do not want to be in. It is not a position I want to be in. When it comes to selfish, stubborn pride, I must go the other way. And you know what the other way is? HUMILITY.

Friends, if I could learn just one Christ-like quality in my life and get it down it would be the quality of humility. More than anything else I want that quality in my life. More than any other quality. It’s the one I have to struggle with the most. It’s the one I want the most in my life.

Why? Because humility is the hallmark of emotional maturity. The more emotionally mature you are the more humble you are. The more emotionally insecure you are the more prideful you are. Pride is an evidence of insecurity. The more insecure you’re feeling on the inside the more you try to puff yourself up.

But the more secure you are and the more stable you are in your love for God and His love for you, the more humble you are. It is the hallmark of emotional stability. Humility is the secret of God’s power in your life. And I want God’s power in my life more than anything else.

How do you humble yourself before the Lord? By expressing your dependence to Him. Pray. Bow your head and say, “God, I humble myself before You. I humble myself before you!” There’s a song that used to go “Humble myself in the sight of the Lord..” I’ve memorized that and it’s a regular part of my prayer life.

How can I learn to live more humbly and get that stubborn ego out of the way that causes so much problem in my life?“ James 4:10 (NIV) says, “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.” You have to take the step…

Will you do that today? Humble yourself before the Lord? I love you guys. Stay faithful. Stay the course. ENDURE!

DAY #20: October 22, 2010

2010-10-22T05:26:00.000-07:00

What's the number one barrier to God doing a new work in our hearts and lives? What stops the process of God transforming our lives? PRIDE. This morning and over the next few days, I want to talk about rooting out the pride in our lives.

The more you mature in life, the more you realize you are your own biggest problem. I cause myself far more problems than anybody else does. And you do too. The more you grow and the more you develop and the more you mature you realize that you have an “I” problem. The middle letter of “sin” is “I”. The middle letter of “pride” is “I.” When I want what I want and I want it regardless of what God says it causes all kinds of problems.

The Bible talks about two kinds of pride. There’s good pride and there’s bad pride. There’s godly pride, which is a good thing. And there is ungodly pride. Before we get into this I want to distinguish the difference.

But then there’s the negative that we’re all too acquainted with. The selfish pride. The stubborn pride that won’t admit it when we’re wrong. That holds on to a grudge. That gossips. That causes all kinds of conflict. The kind of pride that judges other people and puts them down and thinks we’re better than others. It’s conceit. It’s egotism. It’s arrogance. God says that is damaging and destructive.

Do you want to know what God thinks about our pride? Proverbs 6:16-17 (AMP) says, “These six things the Lord hates, indeed, seven are an abomination to Him: The first is a proud look [the spirit that makes one overestimate himself and underestimate others]…”

Maybe you’ve never thought about how destructive pride is in your life. But it is the root of every other sin in your life. Do you want to know what the worst sin is? It’s pride. It is not murder. It is not adultery. It is pride. Pride says, “I want to be God… I want to choose my own way…” is at the root of everything else.

Over the next few days, I want us to do two things. First I want to look at how pride damages our lives. Then how do we root it out? How do we break free from that bad kind of pride so that we can live the kind of lives of happiness and success and fulfillment and the purpose and plan of God for us?

First let’s look at the damage pride does.
#1. The first thing pride does is pride causes conflict. Pride is at the root of every single human conflict. Pride. The Bible says in Proverbs 13:10 “Pride only breeds quarrels”

Pride causes conflict because of so many different implications of it. As I said, it’s the root of all other sins. For instance, pride causes us to put pressure on other people. I wonder how many kids are being pressured by their parents to take ballet class when they don’t care about ballet. Or take martial arts class, or little league when they don’t really care about it. But the parents want them to take it. You need to ask yourself, do my kids really want this or is this something because of my own pride? Am I forcing them to do it because of my own pride? So I can put a bumper sticker on my car that says, “My kid was student of the month at “this” school.” (I saw one the other day, “My kid was inmate of the month at San Quentin. That’s going a little too far!)

But how many times do we pressure other people to act in a certain way because it will make us look good. Not them. That causes conflict.

Pride is what causes you to hold on to grudges and to keep score in your marriage. Do you do that? “You did this!” Yeah but you did that. There’s a word for that. You are being a prideful person at that moment. Pride won’t let go. Pride won’t forgive. Pride holds on to hurt. Pride keeps us keeping score. Are you keeping score in your marriage? If you are, you’re killing it. You just need to understand: you are the one killing your marriage. By keeping score. You’ve got to let it go.

Pride is what causes us to gossip. The reason we gossip is it makes us feel better about ourselves by saying dirt about other people. Any time you gossip you are acting like a prideful person. The Bible says this in Proverbs 28:25 “He that is of a proud heart, stirs up strife.” And nothing stirs up strife more than gossip.

Pride makes us rude. When we think we are better than somebody else we become obnoxious. We become arrogant. We take people who are serving us for granted. You’ve seen it. You’ve seen it in airports when people are rude to the ticket people or rude to clerks at the grocery store. Things don’t go the way they think and they think that the entire world should serve them at that moment. That’s pride.

Pride makes us judgmental. When I think I’m better than you, I look down on you. When you stumble it makes me less willing to forgive. It makes me unmerciful.

The number one thing pride does in causing conflict is it causes us to refuse to admit our mistakes. I can guarantee you that the family you are in right now or the family you grew up in has some conflicts that were never ever resolved. I guarantee you that. There were some issues in the family you grew up in or the one you’re in now that were never ever resolved. The reason is stubborn pride.

One last thing I would share this morning. Pride causes us to fall. "Pride comes before destruction, and an arrogant spirit before a fall." Proverbs 16:18 (HCSB)
Stay humble or you'll stumble. Today, is there any pride in your life you need to confess, so it won't be the barrier that stops you from transforming into the person God desires?

I love you guys. Stay humble. Stay the course. ENDURE!

DAY #19: October 21, 2010

2010-10-21T06:48:00.000-07:00

When else does God renew our mind?

#4. When we Obey Him continually!

Life is not a 50-yard dash. It’s a marathon. God doesn’t want you to just love Him some of the time – spasmodically. He doesn’t want you to obey Him for just a season of your life, but for all of your life. Psalm 119:112 says “I am determined to obey You until I die.” I love that verse, because it makes a declaration. It says Lord I am your until I stop breathing – until I am no more. Have you made that choice? I have made the choice that I am determined to obey God until I die. I pray you will as well.

Psalm 119:33 says “Just tell me what to do and I'll do it, Lord. As long as I live I'll wholeheartedly obey.” Just tell me what to do and I’ll do it – would you make that your prayer today?

Some of you are saying, “Why doesn’t God tell me what to do? I’ve been praying what to do in this situation.” I'll tell you why He hasn’t told you. Because you’re not already doing what He’s already told you to do. Why is He going to give you further revelation if you have not acted on the truth He’s already told you?

Philippians 3;16 says “We must be sure to obey the truth we have learned already.” The last three weeks in this spiritual growth campaign - THE ME I WANT TO ME, becoming God's best version of you - I’ve been giving you a lot of truth about faith. Have you acted on it? Have you done anything about it?

It's a head scratcher for me that I or anybody could sit through an entire message on obedience,faith, living for God - whatever and walk out and do nothing about it. But I know all of us are tempted to do just that.

So, as we close this devotional for today, let me ask you a couple of questions. What does your obedience to God reveal about your faith and love? Is your obedience to God immediate or delayed? Is it complete or is it partial? Is it joyful or is it reluctant? Is it continual or is it spasmodic? What do you know is the right thing to do but you’ve been putting it off? Where has your obedience been incomplete?

Why don’t you pray this prayer in your heart? “Father, there are many areas in my life where I know what You want me to do. I just haven’t done it. And I’m sorry. Please forgive me for my disobedience. I now realize that it was a lack of faith. I wasn’t trusting that You knew best. I ask You, Jesus Christ, to give me the strength to follow Your directions immediately, completely, joyfully and continually for the rest of my life from this day forward. I am going to trust You to fulfill all of these promises in my life. In Your name I pray. Amen.”

James 4:17 (MSG)
17 In fact, if you know the right thing to do and don't do it, that, for you, is evil.

DAY 18: October 20, 2010

2010-10-20T06:33:00.000-07:00

What else triggers God's Holy Spirit to do a new work in your life? When does God renew our mind and restore our strength and ignite our passion?

#3. When we obey God joyfully!

Psalm 100:2 says “Obey Him gladly.” Psalm 119:16 says “I enjoy obeying Your commands.” Psalm 119:47 “I find pleasure in obeying Your commands.” How was it enjoyable to do what God tells you to do?

It’s enjoyable because I love God. I know what He’s done for me so I love Him and I want to obey Him. In marriage, the longer you live together, the more you know what offends and grieves your partner – your husband or wife. Am I right? The longer you’re married the more you figure out what will offend that person. Like blowing your nose at the dinner table or passing gas on the couch or leaving the seat up. You learn what offends your partner. But if you love that person, the longer you’re married the less you do those things because you don’t want to offend them or hurt them. You love them.

When you walk with the Lord through many years the more you realize what God has done for you, how good He’s been to you, the less you want to offend God. You enjoy doing the right thing. You enjoy keeping His commands. You do it because you love God.

Do you know how God measures your love? Not by what you say. (“I love You! I praise You!”) God measures your love by your obedience. By how well you follow directions. Jesus said, “If you love Me, keep My commandments.” That’s how we prove our love. If you want the blessings of God in your life you obey Him immediately, completely, joyfully and...

Examine your heart and life this morning - is there genuine joy in your life when you obey the Lord? Do you serve with a heart of gratitude? I pray so.

Stay faithful. Stay the course.

DAY #17: October 19, 2010

2010-10-19T06:17:00.000-07:00

If you want God to do a new work in your life, renew your mind, restore your passion and revive your soul - if you want all the blessings of God in your life, you must also ...

#2. Obey Him completely!

Not just immediately but completely. You don’t say, “I’ll obey this command and not that one... I like this command but I don’t like that one... I’m going to follow this one but I’m not going to follow that one.” You need to not be partially obedient, but totally obedient. Psalm 119:4 says, “Lord, You gave Your orders to be obeyed completely.” In order to do this, to obey God completely, you need to understand two very important truths.

1. God’s standard of right and wrong has never changed. It never has. It never will. If something was wrong 6000 years ago it’s still wrong today. If it was right 10,000 years ago, it’s still right today. Lying was wrong in the Ten Commandments. It’s still wrong today. Truth doesn’t change. Culture changes, popular opinion changes. Lots of things change but truth does not change. It is eternal forever. And what’s right is right and what’s wrong is wrong. Regardless of what the popular opinion polls say.

2. God has a bigger perspective than you. He sees things you can’t see. You trying to see from God's perspective would be like an ant trying to see from your perspective. It isn’t going to happen. You’re not capable of seeing it all like God sees it all. You need to trust Him. James 4:11 says “Your job is not to decide whether God's law is right or wrong, but to obey it.”

In 2 Kings, there is a story about a guy named Naaman. Naaman had leprosy. He went to Elisha and said, “I’m a very famous man but I’ve got leprosy. What do I do?” and Elisha said, “I’ll tell you what. Just to show your faith, God wants you to go down to the Jordan River and dunk yourself under it seven times.” Naaman says, “You’ve got to be kidding. It’s humiliating.” Elijah says, “Yes, it’s humbling yourself before God.” On the last time he comes up and he was cured of his leprosy. Was there special power in the water? Absolutely not. It was because he was obedient to God. He had faith. And he obeyed God completely.

Several years ago, a pastor friend of mine got this fax from one of his members. “Dear Pastor, in 1995 I opened up a video store as a side business. I decided to carry adult videos since they make up 35% of all rental revenues. But a couple years ago I began attending church. One day I told my wife, “How can I ask God to help our store if I don’t do what He wants. I’ve got to get rid of those adult videos.” My business partner said, “Are you crazy? We depend on that income.” But I knew we couldn’t expect God's blessing unless I obeyed Him so we got rid of them – all of them. The first weekend without the adult videos, something strange happened. I was flooded with new customers. And I didn’t now why. Then people told me that you told everybody to come in and rent a video just to support our decision. Boy, did they come. I had to call all of our employees in just to handle the crowds. I eventually closed that store but I haven’t forgotten that lesson about obeying God even when it doesn’t make sense. My life changed and I committed to doing whatever God wants.

Obey God immediately and completely. When we obey God's word like that, God knows we mean business. He sees we're serious about serving Him and following Him and His Spirit begins a new work in our heart. Will you decide today to obey God like this?
I pray so.

I love you guys. Stay faithful. Stay the course. ENDURE.

"But Samuel replied: 'Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the voice of the LORD? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams.'" 1 Samuel 15:22 (NIV)

DAY #16: October 18, 2010

2010-10-18T06:03:00.000-07:00

The Bible is very clear. If you want a new mind, you do four things.

#1. Obey God Immediately!

Don’t delay. Don’t wait. Don’t procrastinate. Don’t put it off. Don’t make excuses. Don’t drag your feet. Just do it. You do it now. Don’t do it later. You do it now.

Psalm 119:32 says “I will quickly obey Your commands. ... Without delay I hurry to obey Your commands.” If there’s any time in life you really ought to hurry it’s when God tells you to do something. Don’t delay on that. You hurry. You obey God immediately whether you feel like it or not. Whether you understand it or not. Just do it immediately.

Can I say something that is so key here - You don’t have to understand something to benefit from it. You may say, what do you mean by that?
I don’t understand how heavy planes fly in the air but I fly all the time. I don’t understand how computers work but I sure like e-mail. I don’t understand internal combustion but I’ve driven a car for years. You don’t have to understand something to enjoy it, to benefit from it. And you don’t have to understand God's commands in order to obey them and benefit from them.

Every parent knows that you’ll tell a kid something sometimes and they’ll say, “Why should I do that?” and you say, “Because I said so.” Behind those five words you’re actually saying, “Because your little pea brain isn’t big enough to understand it and one day you’ll understand real reality but right now trust me. I know better than you. I’m doing this for your own good so you do it.” All of that is behind, “Because I say so.”

And God sometimes tells you to do something and you say, “Why?” and He says, “Because I say so. Because I know more than you. I don’t owe you an explanation. One day you’re going to understand. But now, just do it.” It is pretty audacious to question the creator of the universe, “Are You sure, God?” Some of you say, “What if I don’t have a good attitude?” Listen, you still obey. “You’re telling me to obey God with a bad attitude?” Absolutely. That’s far better than disobedience.

You parents, if you say, “Kids, I want you all to clean your room but you don’t have to do it until you have an enthusiastic attitude.” They’re never going to do it. You do it in spite of.

Question: What if God responded to your needs at the same speed in which you obey Him? When we get in trouble, we want God's help immediately. “God, I need You help now! I need it fast!” and God would say, “I’ll think about it. I'll get around to it one of these days. But right now I’m a little busy. I intend to help you but it will be awhile.”

If you want the blessings of God, all the ones I just read, if you want those in your life, you must obey God immediately. If you really want God to chnage the way you think and renew your mind and heart I must obey His word immediately.