Responsibility

August 29, 2008- For the past couple of days I've been pondering the word responsibility. I think one of my many problems in life has been misunderstanding that word. Sure I know what Websters says and many in general definitions but I am coming to the understanding that it is simply, response- ability!!! I have been given the ability to respond in the same manner Christ would have. Every time I choose something other than that, I'm not acting responsibly. If I truly want God to come in and move in my life I must exercise my ability to respond in like manner. When things happen in life(and they will happen) ,then I must choose to remember Jn. 16:33,"I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world"(ESV), and know to exercise my response- ability.

Believing in God

August 28, 2008- Trying to prove the existence of God is very difficult, to say the least. But I would like to place a challenge to anyone that doesn't believe. Take 1 month out of your very busy life to read the Bible. Just set time aside and read every day. You see if you read the Bible you find that the writers didn't try to defend the existence of God. It was just assumed as a fact that He was, is, and will continue to be very real. As Christ followers I don't think we should spend as much time debating the reality of God( though I'm not knocking apologetics, the Bible says we should be prepared to give an answer). I truly believe that if people would just read the Bible their lives would change and they would know for themselves that God is very real.

Vision

August 27, 2008- Getting ready for the Leadership meeting for the Celebrate Recovery team. This is a big step. The thing is, there are 3 stages of catching vision and my prayer is that we will all catch it and run with it.

1. People catch the vision in such a way as,"what can it do for me"? The vision seems great and these people will look for ways to benefit from what's going on.
2. People catch vision to the point of being devoted and giving towards the vision as long as it's comfortable. This is progressive growth but some times we must go beyond our comfort zones with ministry.
3. People catch vision and eagerly give their lives over to it. The New Testament Church acted in this manner. When they caught the vision of what God wanted to do they gave their lives wholly over to it and much was accomplished through them.

My prayer is that our T.E.A.M. catch the vision in such a way that they give their lives over to it and that the work of ministry go forth with God's thumbprint.

Wow!

Baseball officials in New Haven, Conn. are trying to disband this young man from pitching in his baseball league. Jericho Scott is 9 years old and he has a 40mph fast ball. Officials and other parents are saying this might scare away other kids from experiencing this beginner level of baseball.

http://www.ajc.com/sports/content/shared-gen/ap/General_Baseball_News/BBY_Too_Good_To_Pitch.html

Send Me

August 26, 2008- You know it's easy to say that we are doing everything we can for the Gospel, "with what we have to work with". Then when it seems like no difference is being made we blame it on," well God has to do His part". You know all that is true, but I find a portion of scripture that puts alot of the focus on us. In Is. 6:1-8 I think we are shown some principles that are key to evangelism and our walk with God.

1. Upward focus- Our focus on God and our relationship with Him has to come first. If we are going to go to heaven we must know Jesus. Too many people are doing the work of God without a personal relationship with Him just like the scriptures said would happen(Matt. 7:21-23). Isaiah said he saw the Lord within the temple. The description he gives is not religious, it's relational.
2. Inward focus- When we come into intimate relation with the creator of the universe we begin to see our brokenness. We don't seem quite as holy in God's presence. His Glory illuminates our darkness and we must search our hearts for the things that could hinder our effectiveness. The Holy Spirit of God helps us to identify and to remove the things that exalt themselves against God.
3. Outward focus- Only after the first two stages of focus can we truly be used and say to God, "Here I am, Send me". Our outward focus is not about us being on a higher level than the lost. It's about loving God so much as to fear seeing anyone being separated from Him. WE become empty vessels to be used for His Glory.

Mars Moon!!!

This is just simply incredible. On August 27th, Mars will be the closest to earth that we will ever have a chance to see. Comments have been made that earth will appear to have two moons on the night of the 27th(Wednesday night). Isn't that exciting. Anyway, you might want to check it out. It won't happen again for like 279 years. And it will not appear this close to the moon like this for up to 60,000 yrs. Isn't that cool! Here's a link to read up on...http://www.hoax-slayer.com/mars-earth-close.html

Propitiation

August 25, 2008- In 1 Chronicles 21 Satan entices David to number Israel. The reasons for this are primarily that David should have trusted God for numbers. Pride becomes a factor in making sure we have enough to do Gods work. But that isn't what I want to focus on. God gave David 3 choices for the penalty of his sin. To have a new and clean life before the Lord David had to make a choice. 1) Either famine 2) sword 3) or numbers. You see, in being thoughtful, David had to give up the very thing that caused him to be prideful in the beginning. God's smart! And in our everyday lives we have to know that when Jesus came and lived and died in our stead that the work is done. Now we have to trust Him for the numbers and know that to try and work everything out on our own will bring pride, sin, and death. Propitiation is the key to our success!

Thoughtful

August 23, 2008- I've been studying in 1Chronicles for some time now and I'm really starting to see very strong leadership principles in the life of David. You know, even though David had times that God was displeased with him because of sin, Davids house is the single most recognized by God. He gave favor to the nation of Israel, because yes they were His chosen people, but God called them the house of David. So, what were some of the principles that David applied to have such an impact on God and on the world?

1. He admitted when he was wrong.
2. He was not afraid to do what God asked.
3. He allowed his leaders to lead.
4. Prayer was his edge.
5. He had vision.

David was the most powerful man in the world, but he was humble. The most important thing to me was that he was thoughtful. Not mushy or sensitive, but thoughtful. He had taken into consideration the person he was talking to and that was factored into his decision. This is something I am trying to initiate into my life as well. Before I make a move, my action needs to really be "full of thought".

Status quo? No!

August 22, 2008- There is a very special kind of person in the world. I don't really know how to describe what it is about them, but unmistakably there is something exceptional. They are the nut cases, the misfits, the rebels, the round pegs in square holes. They seem like rule breakers, but it's not that at all. It's just that they absolutely hate the "status quo"!!! People disagree with them but quote them??? Most are critical of them but apply to their lives the advice received by them.The one thing that is utterly impossible to do is, " ignore them". Why?.... Because they change things. They don't continually do the same things over just because,"it worked before". They hear from God and put into action what He wants to do NOW!!! It is the common thing for humanity to work against them, but we, need to be one of them...

• Ignore the critics.
• Love people.
• Try something new.
• Break barriers.
• Shake things up a little.
• Make the Gospel the core of what you do.

Cheers!

August 21, 2008- Just got back from shooting a video for Celebrate Recovery on campus with Pastor Joe. Had a really good time.

Must say that I am a very blessed man to have so many people in my life that are encouraging and so very helpful.(Meg, your at the top of the list).

Last night was great. We had the kick-off of Life Groups and everyone had a blast. We just spent time getting to know each other and had some give-aways and games. But the best part was the theme song to "Cheers". This truly is a place where troubles are all the same. A place where everybody knows your name. Looking forward to this first semester and many more to come.

Have you ever felt like this? I have. Sometimes after having a conversation I'm left feeling just like this picture. I could never describe in words what it is but this picture says it all. But the kid is cute, Huh?

Prophetic Revelation

August 20, 2008- Usually I think of anything Prophetic as being " a little kooky"(don't get me wrong, I'm very Pentecostal) but I think I've just had the wrong interpretation of the Prophetic.
Today as I was studying I found out that Prophetic means. "The declaration of divine will and purpose." Now there's nothing weird about that. As the matter of fact, it is what we all should desire as followers of Christ. In any area of ministry the most important thing we can do is be in touch with God's divine will and His purpose. I know this probably seems elementary to most but it was an absolute revelation for me that pressed reset on my theological outlook. Thank God we can stay pliable as He shapes and molds us.

Good Work

August 19, 2008- I read an incredible piece written by Shane Duffey about leadership from the 14th http://www.shaneduffey.com/ . Often, because people seem to be giving it their best shot, they think that is good enough. Sometimes it isn't! We will forever sell ourselves short thinking along those lines. God has blessed us with the opportunity of furthering His Gospel and I am learning that the quality of execution has to be held higher than the effort level of performance. I am working on my tendency to say," That will get by" and trying to more say,"Now that has God's thumbprint on it". At the same time I must remember not to get caught up in man-pleasing. That could hinder the work of God tremendously. Our work is our expression of our love for God. Remember to always keep it simple with Col. 3:23.

Team

August 18, 2008- Meg and I had a wonderful weekend. Didn't get to have any birthday cake this year but it's so worth it. Fashion Share was a hit. It is amazing how well everyone at this church works as a team. Pastor Mark is a great leader and it shows throughout the church body here.And speaking of a team, that's what I'll be putting together next week for our Celebrate Recovery ministry. Here are the first positions to be filled....

• T- A training coach that will handle training all group leaders and coordinating the weekly events.
• E- An encouragement coach that will handle all pastoral care as well as hospitality.
• A- An assimilation coach that will handle all service aspects as well as outreach events.
• M- A ministry coach that will oversee the whole process and maintain communication with the church staff.

That is what the leadership team is going to look like here for the program. We are pretty much going to be sticking to the format of the Celebrate Recovery Leadership Guide in all areas, and we are praying that going into the month of September, God will send just the right people for this ministry.

Relational Evangelism

August 15, 2008- How would we react if Michael Phelps came to the starting point of a race wearing a snowsuit and work boots? Would he be dressed appropriately for a race in the water? No, I don't think he would. But today that's about what we look like as a church trying to do Evangelism. We are totally out of our element in lots of cases as we try to reach the lost. I am so happy to be part of a church that realizes what is relevant and acts according. In the world today it is much more effective to do evangelism on a relational level. And here are a few points to apply when doing that out of 1Thessalonians 2:1-13.

1. Don't be afraid. Don't let people tell you that you are ashamed of Christ when you don't share Him. Sometimes we're just afraid. But He hasn't given us a spirit of fear, so don't be afraid. Share Christ as the Holy Spirit gives you guidance.
2. Be kind. You never know when a casual conversation we have becomes part of our testimony.
3. Make friends. The random acts of kindness that we show are huge statements of the love of God in us.
4. Live like Christ. God is not the only one watching. Others are watching our every move, just hoping to see us act like Jesus so they can too.
5. Be thankful for those you have a chance to lead to Christ. They are a special gift from God and they are to be cherished.

We have a big job to spread the Gospel Message. But we can only be effective in doing that if we follow these suggestions and remember to just be real!

Megs here!

August 14, 2008- My wonderful fiance is in town, finally!!!! I am looking forward to at least a half day of rest and relaxation with her. Oh yeah, tomorrow is my 37th birthday! Saturday is Fashion Share here at the church. This event will reach the lives of over 100 women by pampering them, and showing them a wonderful day here at Victory. Today my fiance set me up on Facebook. I had absolutely refused to be on myspace, so this was a good compromise.
Looking forward to a wonderful weekend. Things have been really productive here so far and the events planned are falling into place perfectly. But what should we expect....Ps. 37:23 say,"the steps of a man are established by the Lord, when he delights in His way".

Hope Restored

August 13- I know alot of people that read a Proverb a day. I would suggest it, but I fall short myself. Today though I read the Proverb for the thirteenth. In chapter 13:12 it says, "Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but when the desire comes, it is the tree of life". There are three things that defer our hope...

• people
• places
• things

It's so easy to get in a rut about everyday things, but God has given us His word to run to. And when your heart is sick from deferred hope, get ready, He is about to bring forth the desire. You know in this scripture the desire is called the tree of life. Our salvation(our tree of life)restores lost or wavering hope and we are assured of eternal life. In everything we go through there is a lesson to be learned. The very things you desire are in the promise of salvation. That is Hope restored.

Most special Moment

August 12, 2008- This is going to be a very busy week. With the normal business of ministry and a Huge outreach event that will touch the lives of 105 women, sometimes the very most important things seem to not receive their due attention. Well, I recognize that in advance and would really like to share a link about a moment with the most incredible person in the world. And I just want this wonderful person to know that even though I stay constantly busy, I never want you to forget what you mean to me Meg...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-FUvzIzW-2g

God will not be moved!

August 11, 2008- I am absolutely blown away at the areas of the world that the gospel is reaching. Sure China, Korea, Brazil, and other places abroad. But the Washington Post? God is very methodical about his Word reaching out. Here is a link from the Washington Post that will allow local pastors the platform in an article called ,http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/story/2008/08/09/ST2008080900178.html This weeks Word. Man it's so exciting. People say that this country is taking God out of everything. I would to these people that God only gets taken out of what he wants to. We serve a big God and if He wants to be heard, He will be heard.

Walk on the Water

August 10, 2008- In Matt.14:22-29 I find something very insightful. After feeding the 5000 Jesus told His disciples to get into a boat and go across the water to the other side. He himself went to a mountain to pray. The water got turbulant and the disciples grew uneasy. During the night they looked out and saw Jesus walking on the water. At first they were afraid of him but when he told them who He was, Peter said," Lord if it is you, let me come to you by walking on the water." That seems crazy but check out what happens. Jesus said,"Come". The barriers of intellect and common sense keep us from our greatest blessings. When is the last time you really let your gaurd down and asked Jesus to do something that seemed absolutely impossible? I know Peter was surprised with Jesus's response, you might be as well.

Principle 8

August 8, 2008- Principle 8 in Celebrate Recovery says, " Yield myself to God to be used to bring this Good News to others, both by my example and by my words". It is a hard thing to do but it has great benefits. The Bible says in John 15:13 (paraphrase) there is no greater love than one that lays down his life for his friends. Every day we should do that easily. What I mean is the way we can lay down our lives is to put the need of others ahead of our need. The world is a hurting place and it needs people who have submitted to God to meet the needs of society. We do this through not only what we say but what we do as well.(Col. 3:17& 2Thess. 2:17). Allow God to use you and remember to always put your neighbor first. A special thanks to Rick Warren and John Baker for this tremendous ministry of Celebrate Recovery. God Bless.

Principle 7

August 7, 2008- Principle 7 in Celebrate Recovery says,"Reserve a daily time with God for self examination, Bible readings and prayer in order to know God and his will for my life and to gain the power to follow His will". Sounds like a plan. Look to get to know someone, it takes getting together and talking. If you and I agree to meet every day at a coffee shop(any coffee shop will do), but we agree to meet at 9:00a.m. and you show up some days and others I just sit and wait, and wait, then eventually what do you think my opinion of how you view our friendship would be? Often, we do that with our prayer life. We show up when we're in trouble, or when time allows, but other times it's a no call, no show, situation. Prayer is where we get to know God intimately. It's not just a place to give Him our grocery list of worries and problems, but our place to get close to Him. That's where the power comes from, that's where the life change happens. And the thing is, we don't have to be showy with it either. The Lord says in Matt. 6:5-15 that we should be intimate, focal, and sincere, then he will reward openly for what's done in secret. So remember our daily coffee shop moments with the Lord and our lives will line up with His will.

Principle 6

August 6, 2008- Principle 6 of Celebrate Recovery states,"Evaluate all my relationships; Offer forgiveness to those who have hurt me and make ammends for harm I've done to others exept when to do so would harm them or others". I don't like the thought of dragging up all the mess I've done and that I've had done to me, any more than you do. But Jesus is really plain when He says in Matt. chapter 5(the sremon on the mount) that if we're at the altar and remember our brother has ought against us, then we should leave our offering and go set things straight with our brother. Celebrate Recovery gives us an out. Jesus never said exept when it would harm them or others? Just a thought!

Principles 4&5

August 5, 2008- When I read the 4th principle of Celebrate Recovery I start to get a little uncomfortable. "Openly examine and confess my faults to God, to myself, and to someone I trust. " What? Look I don't have a problem with the examine part, but the confessing part sounds a bit personal. I can even see telling God about my faults, but others?
Pride has to go for this to be an authentic change. When we first acknowledge, then confess our faults, we take pride out of the equation and God can do what He needs to in our lives. That is where true growth and development start.
Priciple 5 goes one step further. "Voluntarily submit to every change God wants to make in my life and humbly ask Him to remove my character defects". God has made us new right? Then why all this need for Him to remove defects, shouldn't that happen when I came into relation with Him? Yes and no. He has made us new and we are to walk in that newness, but let me put it this way. The old me is the same as some of our old friends. You don't see him alot but every time you do he wants to go out to eat and think back on the good old days. The only problem is this guy isn't going anywhere, never was. And we always get stuck with the bill. You see we're stuck with the check from that old self. But we are new, and this new person should happily move through life closing old accounts, because we had some bad accounts and someone came and joyfully hung on a cross and paid them. And by the way, I'm not just writing general commintary on these principles. They are at work in my life as we speak.

Principles 2&3

August 4, 2008- It is plain throughout scripture that God is revealed to all through His creation. But, principle 2 says," Earnestly believe that God exists, that I matter to him, and that He has the power to help me recover". When I cried unto the Lord and he filled me with his peace, I can honestly say, from that moment on, that I earnestly believe He exists. I also knew that He was the only one that could fix what was wrong with me. You see He loves me, and He loves you, and he wants to fix the things in our lives that have drawn us far from him. Now comes the hard part. Principle 3 says," Consciously choose to commit my life and will to Christ's care and control."
Oops, did he say control? Control is one of the biggest stumbling blocks we have. We refuse to relinquish control. We just need to be in charge, of me if nothing else. But if we know that He loves us and cares for our best interest, then our trust in him starts to allow us to allow Him to have His way in our lives. So far, we've talked about things that involve the internal process of recovery, but next I'll talk about the areas of recovery that cover the external process as well. And that can get a little sticky.

Principle 1

August 3, 2008- Reading Romans chapter 7 I see that I'm not unique in that I want to do right but constantly wrestle with wanting to do wrong. Paul shared these feelings so it's hard to imagine me being any different. The first principle of Celebrate Recovery says,"I realize that I'm not God. I admit that I'm powerless to control my tendency to do the wrong thing and my life is unmanageable". I have always known that to be true, but I still hold to the notion that I can manage. But the truth is I want more than just going around the same mountain, doing the same things. I know God can do a much better job at managing my life. Control comes through submission to his will. And if I want to live a productive life, then I need to admit my shortcomings and seek after God to change my mind, will, and emotions. Doing this I begin to see my life taking on new meaning and being much more enjoyable.

Principles

August 1, 2008- We are not God! Oh, I know we say we're not but we act like we are. If someone does something other than the way we think it should be done, we judge them. If somebody listens to music that we don't think is acceptable, we judge them. If they don't react to a difficult situation the same as we do, yep, we judge them. Judgement is for the Lord, not us. It was quoted once, "If God doesn't judge a man until after he dies, then why do we?" Anyway, I said all that to say this. We are not God. For the next few weeks I'll be discussing the 8 principles of Celebrate Recovery. First things first, We are not God!