12-31-2009
New Years Eve
I cannot believe it’s almost 2010. It feels like yesterday we were all worried about Y2K! In the spirit of the New Year, I would like to encourage all of us to make the time to write out our 2010 goals. While writing these goals, be specific. For instance, don’t just say you want to lose weight. Instead, say, “I will work out 5 days a week and spend at least 30 minutes a day on cardio while doing strength training 4 days a week as well.” Don’t just say you will save money. Instead say, “I will save _____ amount of money each week/month.” Be strategic with your goal setting, and make sure they are realistic goals. Make sure you have an accountability partner in place to aid you in your journey of accomplishing your goals for the year. Let’s face it; setting goals can be a lot easier than carrying them out at times!
Each year most of us have the same types of goals (eating right, working out, saving money, etc.). One of the most important goals that are typically overlooked is our spiritual goals. Do yourself a huge favor and make the time to set your spiritual goals. Maybe you want to read the entire Bible in a year, so set strategic daily goals to help you accomplish the end. For those of you that don’t have a church home, your goal should be to visit as many churches as possible until you find a church home that you can plug into on a weekly basis. Having regular prayer time each day might be a goal you need to set. If so, be specific as to the time and place you are going to pray each day. No matter what your spiritual goals are, every one of us needs to have a goal of reading the Bible on a regular basis. There’s nothing more powerful than feeding your mind the word of God!As we end 2009, I will leave you with a quick meeting that took place this week. I was visiting with the Senior Pastor of a church here in the DFW area that I had known for a long time. At the tail end of our meeting he asked me what some of the keys to my success are. You see, he knew me when I was a college baseball coach and then a youth minister. In other words, he knew me long before I had any money. Being there were many keys to success, one thing I knew attributed to my desire to be and do more was my commitment to personal and spiritual development. When I’m working on being the best I can be, I usually perform to the best of my abilities. When I’m not growing personally and spiritually, I tend to get content where I am in life. That being said, make a commitment to grow both personally and spiritually in 2010 and you will find success faster than you ever imagined!
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Friday, December 25, 2009
Christmas Day
12-25-2009
Christmas Day
The following devotional is from the Wisdom Hunters Resources. Enjoy!
“When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. "Get up," he said, "take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him." So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt.” (Matthew 2:13-14).
The birth of Jesus did not encounter praise and adoration from everyone. There were those who felt intimidated by the attention He received, and they were threatened by His power. Though it was a misplaced fear, because Christ’s motivation was to reign over the human heart not rule over earthly kingdoms. When someone feels threatened by Jesus they attempt to dismiss His claims, discredit His teachings and destroy His influence. Because some people are jealous of Jesus, they will become jealous of you as a believer. Instead of celebrating His blessings in your life and family, they may come to loathe them. Some will even go out of their way to criticize you, your spouse, your children and your work. You may have to protect your family from the unfair attacks of critics by moving on. So be very careful how you display the good fortune of God in your life. Be modest and humble so you do not inflame the insecurities of those outside of the faith. Use your success as a creditable platform to reach out to those stuck in the crazy cycle of cynicism and deception. People trapped in jealousy are driven by anger, so be an example of encouragement and acceptance. Be attractive so they seek to embrace, not reject, Jesus. Be mindful to give your Christmas gifts out of gratitude and thanksgiving, not expecting anything in return. Follow Christ’s model of unconditional love and grace. The pure heart of an infant strikes at the heart of haughty Kings. Therefore, keep the humble and trusting attitude of baby Jesus as the spirit of your service to others. Some will reject, even attack, but many others will, by faith, place homage, worship, praise and gifts at the feet of Jesus. Wise men and women still seek Him, while the proud of heart still reject Him. Pray during this Christmas season that the Holy Spirit will change cynicism to optimism, fear to faith, insecurities to intimacy, rejection to acceptance, anger to forgiveness, hate to love and performance to grace. Indeed, baby Jesus came to replace jealousy with great joy! “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.” (Luke 2:9-11).How can I celebrate with great joy the birthday of baby Jesus? Who can I serve and love unconditionally that may be jealous of my faith, my family or me?
Christmas Day
The following devotional is from the Wisdom Hunters Resources. Enjoy!
“When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. "Get up," he said, "take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him." So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt.” (Matthew 2:13-14).
The birth of Jesus did not encounter praise and adoration from everyone. There were those who felt intimidated by the attention He received, and they were threatened by His power. Though it was a misplaced fear, because Christ’s motivation was to reign over the human heart not rule over earthly kingdoms. When someone feels threatened by Jesus they attempt to dismiss His claims, discredit His teachings and destroy His influence. Because some people are jealous of Jesus, they will become jealous of you as a believer. Instead of celebrating His blessings in your life and family, they may come to loathe them. Some will even go out of their way to criticize you, your spouse, your children and your work. You may have to protect your family from the unfair attacks of critics by moving on. So be very careful how you display the good fortune of God in your life. Be modest and humble so you do not inflame the insecurities of those outside of the faith. Use your success as a creditable platform to reach out to those stuck in the crazy cycle of cynicism and deception. People trapped in jealousy are driven by anger, so be an example of encouragement and acceptance. Be attractive so they seek to embrace, not reject, Jesus. Be mindful to give your Christmas gifts out of gratitude and thanksgiving, not expecting anything in return. Follow Christ’s model of unconditional love and grace. The pure heart of an infant strikes at the heart of haughty Kings. Therefore, keep the humble and trusting attitude of baby Jesus as the spirit of your service to others. Some will reject, even attack, but many others will, by faith, place homage, worship, praise and gifts at the feet of Jesus. Wise men and women still seek Him, while the proud of heart still reject Him. Pray during this Christmas season that the Holy Spirit will change cynicism to optimism, fear to faith, insecurities to intimacy, rejection to acceptance, anger to forgiveness, hate to love and performance to grace. Indeed, baby Jesus came to replace jealousy with great joy! “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.” (Luke 2:9-11).How can I celebrate with great joy the birthday of baby Jesus? Who can I serve and love unconditionally that may be jealous of my faith, my family or me?
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Christmas Eve
12-24-2009
Christmas Eve
As you hurry about doing all you can to prepare for Christmas morning, may you remember the true meaning of Christmas. It’s not about presents, eating, and the like; it’s about the celebration of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
I heard Jim Johnson, pastor at Preston Trail Community Church in Frisco, Texas say, “Don’t put Christmas in a box.” In other words, Christmas isn’t about giving or getting presents. It’s this time of year we are reminded to give, but why don’t we give regularly? As a reminder to give year round, Jim’s suggestion was to leave one Christmas decoration up year round to remind you to give regularly to those in need. We should celebrate Christ every day of our lives, therefore, don’t put your Christmas attitude in a box once the season ends. Let’s keep the right attitude at all times, and maybe we won’t have a lot of the problems we have.
After visiting a homeless shelter recently, I was blown away at the giving that takes place during the Christmas season. The director informed me they are blessed tremendously with volunteers offering to feed the homeless around Christmas time, but no one wants to volunteer during the year. This is a perfect example of putting Christmas in a box. Again, I think it’s great that Christmas reminds us to give and think of others, but we are called to do this all the time! As believers in Christ we have two commandments of most importance, to love God above everything, and to love your neighbor. One of the greatest ways to show love to someone in need is to provide for them.
As this season comes and goes, my prayer for all of us is that we keep the Christmas box open year round. Do something to remind you of this season. Make a commitment to feed the homeless once a month, or provide for someone in need. After all, it’s much better to give than to receive!
Application:
1. Stay focused on Jesus Christ during the celebration of Christmas
2. Take action to help those in need year round
Christmas Eve
As you hurry about doing all you can to prepare for Christmas morning, may you remember the true meaning of Christmas. It’s not about presents, eating, and the like; it’s about the celebration of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
I heard Jim Johnson, pastor at Preston Trail Community Church in Frisco, Texas say, “Don’t put Christmas in a box.” In other words, Christmas isn’t about giving or getting presents. It’s this time of year we are reminded to give, but why don’t we give regularly? As a reminder to give year round, Jim’s suggestion was to leave one Christmas decoration up year round to remind you to give regularly to those in need. We should celebrate Christ every day of our lives, therefore, don’t put your Christmas attitude in a box once the season ends. Let’s keep the right attitude at all times, and maybe we won’t have a lot of the problems we have.
After visiting a homeless shelter recently, I was blown away at the giving that takes place during the Christmas season. The director informed me they are blessed tremendously with volunteers offering to feed the homeless around Christmas time, but no one wants to volunteer during the year. This is a perfect example of putting Christmas in a box. Again, I think it’s great that Christmas reminds us to give and think of others, but we are called to do this all the time! As believers in Christ we have two commandments of most importance, to love God above everything, and to love your neighbor. One of the greatest ways to show love to someone in need is to provide for them.
As this season comes and goes, my prayer for all of us is that we keep the Christmas box open year round. Do something to remind you of this season. Make a commitment to feed the homeless once a month, or provide for someone in need. After all, it’s much better to give than to receive!
Application:
1. Stay focused on Jesus Christ during the celebration of Christmas
2. Take action to help those in need year round
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Is It Worth It?
12-23-2009
Is It Worth It?
The world tempts us to put our faith in the temporal; be it money, power, fame, etc. Matthew 19 is very clear in that nothing temporal leads to eternity in Heaven. In fact, it not only doesn’t lead to eternity in Heaven, but can lead us far from the path God’s called us to follow.
Matthew 19:16-30 says the following:
“16Now a man came up to Jesus and asked, "Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?"
17"Why do you ask me about what is good?" Jesus replied. "There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, obey the commandments."
18"Which ones?" the man inquired.
Jesus replied, " 'Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, 19honor your father and mother,' and 'love your neighbor as yourself.'
20"All these I have kept," the young man said. "What do I still lack?"
21Jesus answered, "If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me."
22When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth.
23Then Jesus said to his disciples, "I tell you the truth, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. 24Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."
25When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and asked, "Who then can be saved?"
26Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."
27Peter answered him, "We have left everything to follow you! What then will there be for us?"
28Jesus said to them, "I tell you the truth, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 29And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life. 30But many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first.”
There’s nothing wrong with having nice things and making a lot of money. The key is to stay focused on making Christ famous and not self. If your focus comes on gaining material wealth and power, you are 100% lost and missing the purpose of life! Christ called us to be selfless givers, not selfish takers. When it’s time to meet your maker, He isn’t going to care how big your bank account is or the size of your home. He wants to see Christ like service and purity. Again, there’s nothing wrong with having nice things, as long as that’s not your focus. If having nice things keeps you tied down, you may want to reconsider just how important those things are. My prayer for you is that God will bless you financially so that you may give abundantly!
A
pplication:
1. Read Matthew 19:16-30
2. Where’s your focus?
Is It Worth It?
The world tempts us to put our faith in the temporal; be it money, power, fame, etc. Matthew 19 is very clear in that nothing temporal leads to eternity in Heaven. In fact, it not only doesn’t lead to eternity in Heaven, but can lead us far from the path God’s called us to follow.
Matthew 19:16-30 says the following:
“16Now a man came up to Jesus and asked, "Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?"
17"Why do you ask me about what is good?" Jesus replied. "There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, obey the commandments."
18"Which ones?" the man inquired.
Jesus replied, " 'Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, 19honor your father and mother,' and 'love your neighbor as yourself.'
20"All these I have kept," the young man said. "What do I still lack?"
21Jesus answered, "If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me."
22When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth.
23Then Jesus said to his disciples, "I tell you the truth, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. 24Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."
25When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and asked, "Who then can be saved?"
26Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."
27Peter answered him, "We have left everything to follow you! What then will there be for us?"
28Jesus said to them, "I tell you the truth, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 29And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life. 30But many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first.”
There’s nothing wrong with having nice things and making a lot of money. The key is to stay focused on making Christ famous and not self. If your focus comes on gaining material wealth and power, you are 100% lost and missing the purpose of life! Christ called us to be selfless givers, not selfish takers. When it’s time to meet your maker, He isn’t going to care how big your bank account is or the size of your home. He wants to see Christ like service and purity. Again, there’s nothing wrong with having nice things, as long as that’s not your focus. If having nice things keeps you tied down, you may want to reconsider just how important those things are. My prayer for you is that God will bless you financially so that you may give abundantly!
A
pplication:
1. Read Matthew 19:16-30
2. Where’s your focus?
Monday, December 21, 2009
Rich Young Man
12-22-2009
Rich Young Man
Our society leads us into the thought process of, “what’s the price?” While many things can be bought, eternal life doesn’t have a temporal price tag. In other words, the only way to an eternal life in heaven is to put your faith in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. As we dive back into the book of Matthew, we read the following in chapter 19:16-22:
“16Now a man came up to Jesus and asked, "Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?"
17"Why do you ask me about what is good?" Jesus replied. "There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, obey the commandments."
18"Which ones?" the man inquired.
Jesus replied, " 'Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, 19honor your father and mother,'[a] and 'love your neighbor as yourself.'[b]"
20"All these I have kept," the young man said. "What do I still lack?"
21Jesus answered, "If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me."
22When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth.”
This man thought if he did the right things, he could earn his way into Heaven. Salvation does not come from good deeds, rather, good deeds are a byproduct of understanding who Christ is, and the price He paid for us! There are 10 commandments, and only six are listed. The six listed are all relational. In other words, all six commandments listed have a relational relevance.
In order to go against one of these six commandments, it involves us wronging another human being. When this wealthy individual was asked to sell everything and give it to the poor, Jesus had hit on the man’s weakness. He was holding onto his wealth. We are reminded that the temporal means nothing. Bottom line we need to be focused on the Kingdom of God and not the Kingdom of ME!
Application:
1. Read Matthew 19:16-22
2. Where’s your focus?
Rich Young Man
Our society leads us into the thought process of, “what’s the price?” While many things can be bought, eternal life doesn’t have a temporal price tag. In other words, the only way to an eternal life in heaven is to put your faith in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. As we dive back into the book of Matthew, we read the following in chapter 19:16-22:
“16Now a man came up to Jesus and asked, "Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?"
17"Why do you ask me about what is good?" Jesus replied. "There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, obey the commandments."
18"Which ones?" the man inquired.
Jesus replied, " 'Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, 19honor your father and mother,'[a] and 'love your neighbor as yourself.'[b]"
20"All these I have kept," the young man said. "What do I still lack?"
21Jesus answered, "If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me."
22When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth.”
This man thought if he did the right things, he could earn his way into Heaven. Salvation does not come from good deeds, rather, good deeds are a byproduct of understanding who Christ is, and the price He paid for us! There are 10 commandments, and only six are listed. The six listed are all relational. In other words, all six commandments listed have a relational relevance.
In order to go against one of these six commandments, it involves us wronging another human being. When this wealthy individual was asked to sell everything and give it to the poor, Jesus had hit on the man’s weakness. He was holding onto his wealth. We are reminded that the temporal means nothing. Bottom line we need to be focused on the Kingdom of God and not the Kingdom of ME!
Application:
1. Read Matthew 19:16-22
2. Where’s your focus?
Sunday, December 20, 2009
Six C's To Success
12-21-2009
Six C’s To Success
I attended one of my cousin’s weddings this weekend, and heard a crazy statistic that I had to share today. A study by Newsweek revealed the average couple only spends four minutes a day talking with each other. FOUR MINUTES! When you think about the pace of life the world throws upon us, you can start to see the validity of the studies report. The minister in the wedding did a great job of outlining some keys to a successful marriage so that we don’t fall into the “average marriage” trap.
One of the first keys to a successful marriage is communication. I’ve always believed one of the number one causes of a problem in any type of relationship is a breakdown in communication. We must make a point to communicate our feelings on a daily basis, especially with the person we love.
We must have consideration for each other. We must consider our spouses views, ideas, and thoughts in the decision making process. For example, we shouldn’t simply buy something of value because we like it. It’s right to speak with your spouse first before making big purchases.
Compromise is a must for any and all successful relationships. Love does not demand its own way. My wife is amazing at compromising. She must be the most servant-hearted individual I’ve ever met. She may be the only person that could put up with a stubborn fool like me and still have a smile!
Commitment gives us the ability to see something to the end. Marriage isn’t something we “try”, it is a lifelong commitment to the person you marry. The divorce rate is over 50% in our country and getting worse. We must stay focused on the commitment we vowed to keep.
Courtship is often forgotten in most marriages. Haley and I have our weekly date night every Friday night. If by chance we have something scheduled on Friday, we make sure to have a date at least once during the week. During the date all phones are off, and we give each other our undivided attention. I can honestly say my wife and I have never stopped dating, thus I love her more and more the older we get. I hear people talk about how their marriage has changed, and “it’s not what it used to be.” I’m going to blame the guys for this, because we tend to stop courting once we’ve captured our prey! Never stop dating your spouse.
Finally, there must be one central truth to a successful marriage and that’s Christ. The Bible is very specific in that where Christ is present, you will find success. If Christ is absent, it’s doomed for failure. We are called to love our spouse just a Christ loved the church and His people. In order for us to love our spouse as Christ loves us, we must understand the nature of Christ. Moreover, we must strive to be Christ like in order to love like Christ. If you don’t have a church home, get plugged in, and surround yourselves with a community of believers that provide accountability.
Relationships take work, and we must stay focused on the 6 C’s of a successful marriage if we don’t want to be in an “average” marriage. Have a great day and God Bless!
Six C’s To Success
I attended one of my cousin’s weddings this weekend, and heard a crazy statistic that I had to share today. A study by Newsweek revealed the average couple only spends four minutes a day talking with each other. FOUR MINUTES! When you think about the pace of life the world throws upon us, you can start to see the validity of the studies report. The minister in the wedding did a great job of outlining some keys to a successful marriage so that we don’t fall into the “average marriage” trap.
One of the first keys to a successful marriage is communication. I’ve always believed one of the number one causes of a problem in any type of relationship is a breakdown in communication. We must make a point to communicate our feelings on a daily basis, especially with the person we love.
We must have consideration for each other. We must consider our spouses views, ideas, and thoughts in the decision making process. For example, we shouldn’t simply buy something of value because we like it. It’s right to speak with your spouse first before making big purchases.
Compromise is a must for any and all successful relationships. Love does not demand its own way. My wife is amazing at compromising. She must be the most servant-hearted individual I’ve ever met. She may be the only person that could put up with a stubborn fool like me and still have a smile!
Commitment gives us the ability to see something to the end. Marriage isn’t something we “try”, it is a lifelong commitment to the person you marry. The divorce rate is over 50% in our country and getting worse. We must stay focused on the commitment we vowed to keep.
Courtship is often forgotten in most marriages. Haley and I have our weekly date night every Friday night. If by chance we have something scheduled on Friday, we make sure to have a date at least once during the week. During the date all phones are off, and we give each other our undivided attention. I can honestly say my wife and I have never stopped dating, thus I love her more and more the older we get. I hear people talk about how their marriage has changed, and “it’s not what it used to be.” I’m going to blame the guys for this, because we tend to stop courting once we’ve captured our prey! Never stop dating your spouse.
Finally, there must be one central truth to a successful marriage and that’s Christ. The Bible is very specific in that where Christ is present, you will find success. If Christ is absent, it’s doomed for failure. We are called to love our spouse just a Christ loved the church and His people. In order for us to love our spouse as Christ loves us, we must understand the nature of Christ. Moreover, we must strive to be Christ like in order to love like Christ. If you don’t have a church home, get plugged in, and surround yourselves with a community of believers that provide accountability.
Relationships take work, and we must stay focused on the 6 C’s of a successful marriage if we don’t want to be in an “average” marriage. Have a great day and God Bless!
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Faith Like A Child
12-18-2009
Jesus Blesses Little Children
One of my favorite Jars of Clay songs is “Faith Like a Child.” The entire song is powerful, and one of the paragraphs summarizes our faith walk incredibly.
“They say that love can heal the broken
They say that hope can make you see
They say that faith can find a Savior
If you would follow and believe
With Faith Like a Child”
My wife and I took a group of the Dallas Patriots kids to a homeless shelter last night, and though I shed a few tears as I looked at how broken many of the individuals were, I shed tears of joy as I interacted with a few kids at the shelter. Here were kids that had every right to be down and out, as most kids spend time playing with their friends, and these kids were waiting in line to get some food, hoping to find a bathroom in the shelter to use, and waiting for some toothpaste to be delivered, yet they had hope in their eyes. One 8 year old boy was so excited as he was getting to watch the movie Terminator with his dad. Another little girl and I made eye contact, and as I waved she grinned from ear to ear. These kids seemed as happy as could be, when the truth is they had every right to be sad and hurt. If only we could see the world the way a little child does.
Children have an amazing view of life. They haven’t been beaten down by the world. They dream big and find the good in people. A child can have fun in just about any situation if you will allow them. A child will jump into their parent’s arms without hesitation because they know their mom or dad will catch them. The thought of their parents dropping them never enters their mind. When a child sees us in the homeless shelter they embrace us with the love only a child can give!
Matthew 19:13-14 says the following:
“13Then little children were brought to Jesus for him to place his hands on them and pray for them. But the disciples rebuked those who brought them.
14Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these." 15When he had placed his hands on them, he went on from there.”
Children have the right attitude, trust, and humility. They keep things simple and retain pure hearts. As we age we tend to complicate things, worry, and lose faith. Let’s have faith like a child and simply follow and believe!
Application:
1. Read Matthew 19:13-15
2. Listen to the song “Faith Like A Child” by Jars of Clay
Jesus Blesses Little Children
One of my favorite Jars of Clay songs is “Faith Like a Child.” The entire song is powerful, and one of the paragraphs summarizes our faith walk incredibly.
“They say that love can heal the broken
They say that hope can make you see
They say that faith can find a Savior
If you would follow and believe
With Faith Like a Child”
My wife and I took a group of the Dallas Patriots kids to a homeless shelter last night, and though I shed a few tears as I looked at how broken many of the individuals were, I shed tears of joy as I interacted with a few kids at the shelter. Here were kids that had every right to be down and out, as most kids spend time playing with their friends, and these kids were waiting in line to get some food, hoping to find a bathroom in the shelter to use, and waiting for some toothpaste to be delivered, yet they had hope in their eyes. One 8 year old boy was so excited as he was getting to watch the movie Terminator with his dad. Another little girl and I made eye contact, and as I waved she grinned from ear to ear. These kids seemed as happy as could be, when the truth is they had every right to be sad and hurt. If only we could see the world the way a little child does.
Children have an amazing view of life. They haven’t been beaten down by the world. They dream big and find the good in people. A child can have fun in just about any situation if you will allow them. A child will jump into their parent’s arms without hesitation because they know their mom or dad will catch them. The thought of their parents dropping them never enters their mind. When a child sees us in the homeless shelter they embrace us with the love only a child can give!
Matthew 19:13-14 says the following:
“13Then little children were brought to Jesus for him to place his hands on them and pray for them. But the disciples rebuked those who brought them.
14Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these." 15When he had placed his hands on them, he went on from there.”
Children have the right attitude, trust, and humility. They keep things simple and retain pure hearts. As we age we tend to complicate things, worry, and lose faith. Let’s have faith like a child and simply follow and believe!
Application:
1. Read Matthew 19:13-15
2. Listen to the song “Faith Like A Child” by Jars of Clay
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Preparation
12-17-2009
3-18-2009-REPOST
Confidence is an absolute key to being successful, so doesn’t it make sense to study where confidence comes from? The type of confidence I am referring to is an authentic confidence that comes from being comfortable in your own skin. In other words, you aren’t concerned with impressing the world, and you don’t let situations bother you. A real confidence comes from Christ. When you truly know who you are and where you come from, you will be confident because you know you are a child of God made in His image.
In order to further your confidence in a particular task, job, sport, etc. you must understand the importance of preparation. Preparation breeds confidence! When one is prepared for a certain task, you are able to pull up excellence at a moment’s notice. If you aren’t prepared, you will fail more times than not when put in the same exact situation. In 1 Peter 1:13 it says, “prepare your minds for action.” Peter is writing to the Jewish Christians at the time who were experiencing persecution for their faith. The vital purpose of this book is to provide encouragement, and to PREPARE believers for what lies ahead. In other words, just like you may need to prepare for a big game, a presentation at work, or any other significant moment in your life, Peter is telling Christians everywhere to PREPARE so that we may call up excellence at a moment’s notice. We never know when our faith will be called into action, but we had better be ready! There might be someone reading this right now that hasn’t accepted Christ as their personal Lord and Savior, and God might be using you to be the messenger of life. Are you prepared to answer what it means to be a believer? It wasn’t until my junior year in high school that I truly understood what it meant to be a Christ follower. I had gone to church my entire life, but still had no clue what it meant to understand that Christ died for our sins. If you are reading this and you have questions about becoming a believer in Christ, we are here to help answer any questions you may have, so that you may be prepared for life! Once you know who your maker is, you will begin to understand who you are. Once you understand who you are and why you are incredibly significant to this world, you will become confident in your purpose for living!
I’ve always wondered how amazing life would be if we all spent as much time on our spiritual development as we do on so many other activities. For instance, we spend countless hours on our physical development, watching TV, sports, shopping, and any other activity you can think of. Truth is none of them compare to the value of spiritual and personal development. There is nothing wrong with watching a little TV, playing sports, etc. , but challenge yourself to carve out time, even if just a few minutes, everyday to read a daily devotional and other personal development books, so that you will be prepared to be your best when your opportunity comes. God will not give you the success you desire until you are prepared for success. Start to prepare today, and you too will be able to call up excellence at a moment’s notice!
Application:
1. What type of daily personal growth game plan are you committed to?
2. What areas in your life are lacking in self-confidence? Why?
3. For those areas in your life where you are confident, what are you finding your confidence in?
3-18-2009-REPOST
Confidence is an absolute key to being successful, so doesn’t it make sense to study where confidence comes from? The type of confidence I am referring to is an authentic confidence that comes from being comfortable in your own skin. In other words, you aren’t concerned with impressing the world, and you don’t let situations bother you. A real confidence comes from Christ. When you truly know who you are and where you come from, you will be confident because you know you are a child of God made in His image.
In order to further your confidence in a particular task, job, sport, etc. you must understand the importance of preparation. Preparation breeds confidence! When one is prepared for a certain task, you are able to pull up excellence at a moment’s notice. If you aren’t prepared, you will fail more times than not when put in the same exact situation. In 1 Peter 1:13 it says, “prepare your minds for action.” Peter is writing to the Jewish Christians at the time who were experiencing persecution for their faith. The vital purpose of this book is to provide encouragement, and to PREPARE believers for what lies ahead. In other words, just like you may need to prepare for a big game, a presentation at work, or any other significant moment in your life, Peter is telling Christians everywhere to PREPARE so that we may call up excellence at a moment’s notice. We never know when our faith will be called into action, but we had better be ready! There might be someone reading this right now that hasn’t accepted Christ as their personal Lord and Savior, and God might be using you to be the messenger of life. Are you prepared to answer what it means to be a believer? It wasn’t until my junior year in high school that I truly understood what it meant to be a Christ follower. I had gone to church my entire life, but still had no clue what it meant to understand that Christ died for our sins. If you are reading this and you have questions about becoming a believer in Christ, we are here to help answer any questions you may have, so that you may be prepared for life! Once you know who your maker is, you will begin to understand who you are. Once you understand who you are and why you are incredibly significant to this world, you will become confident in your purpose for living!
I’ve always wondered how amazing life would be if we all spent as much time on our spiritual development as we do on so many other activities. For instance, we spend countless hours on our physical development, watching TV, sports, shopping, and any other activity you can think of. Truth is none of them compare to the value of spiritual and personal development. There is nothing wrong with watching a little TV, playing sports, etc. , but challenge yourself to carve out time, even if just a few minutes, everyday to read a daily devotional and other personal development books, so that you will be prepared to be your best when your opportunity comes. God will not give you the success you desire until you are prepared for success. Start to prepare today, and you too will be able to call up excellence at a moment’s notice!
Application:
1. What type of daily personal growth game plan are you committed to?
2. What areas in your life are lacking in self-confidence? Why?
3. For those areas in your life where you are confident, what are you finding your confidence in?
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Strengths
12-16-2009
3-17-2009-REPOST
Yesterday we spoke about the importance of understanding our weaknesses, so today, let’s talk about the fun stuff…our strengths! God created each and every one of us the way we are for a reason. God never says OOPS! He knows what he is doing, and it’s important to remember that we don’t necessarily need to know why He does what He does. Our job is to control what we can control and focus on the process.
It is extremely important that you not only understand you have God given strengths, but also USE THEM. I feel so many of us travel through life with untapped ability. Instead of being normal and dying with potential, go against the grain and do whatever you can to use the gifts God’s blessed you with in a God-honoring way.
In 2 Timothy 1:6-7, Paul is writing to young Timothy to encourage him to use the gifts God’s given him. Timothy was facing opposition and persecution as he carried out his ministry, and Paul was encouraging Timothy to step out BOLDY in his faith and to use the gifts God had given him to preach. Timothy needed the courage to use his God given gift of preaching and teaching.
What gifts do you have that need to be Ignited? Paul’s encouragement to Timothy was a reminder that when you do what you have been called to do, God will bless your efforts. God will give you the power you need to do what He has called you to do.
Application:
1. Write down a list of your strengths
2. What do you feel you are most passionate about?
3. Do you have the courage to follow the path God has set before you?
4. Do you have an idea as to where God wants you? (most do not)
5. Read 2 Timothy 1:1-14
My goal for you throughout our journey together is that you will find EXACTLY where God wants you!
3-17-2009-REPOST
Yesterday we spoke about the importance of understanding our weaknesses, so today, let’s talk about the fun stuff…our strengths! God created each and every one of us the way we are for a reason. God never says OOPS! He knows what he is doing, and it’s important to remember that we don’t necessarily need to know why He does what He does. Our job is to control what we can control and focus on the process.
It is extremely important that you not only understand you have God given strengths, but also USE THEM. I feel so many of us travel through life with untapped ability. Instead of being normal and dying with potential, go against the grain and do whatever you can to use the gifts God’s blessed you with in a God-honoring way.
In 2 Timothy 1:6-7, Paul is writing to young Timothy to encourage him to use the gifts God’s given him. Timothy was facing opposition and persecution as he carried out his ministry, and Paul was encouraging Timothy to step out BOLDY in his faith and to use the gifts God had given him to preach. Timothy needed the courage to use his God given gift of preaching and teaching.
What gifts do you have that need to be Ignited? Paul’s encouragement to Timothy was a reminder that when you do what you have been called to do, God will bless your efforts. God will give you the power you need to do what He has called you to do.
Application:
1. Write down a list of your strengths
2. What do you feel you are most passionate about?
3. Do you have the courage to follow the path God has set before you?
4. Do you have an idea as to where God wants you? (most do not)
5. Read 2 Timothy 1:1-14
My goal for you throughout our journey together is that you will find EXACTLY where God wants you!
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Marriage
12-14-2009
Marriage
Marriage is an amazing union of two individuals whom God has connected to serve as one. I feel extremely blessed to have Haley as my wife as she is literally my teammate in life. As we continue our study of Matthew, the religious leaders question Jesus about marriage and divorce.
Matthew 19 says the following:
“1When Jesus had finished saying these things, he left Galilee and went into the region of Judea to the other side of the Jordan. 2Large crowds followed him, and he healed them there.
3Some Pharisees came to him to test him. They asked, "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any and every reason?"
4"Haven't you read," he replied, "that at the beginning the Creator 'made them male and female,5and said, 'For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh'6So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate."
7"Why then," they asked, "did Moses command that a man give his wife a certificate of divorce and send her away?"
8Jesus replied, "Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because your hearts were hard. But it was not this way from the beginning. 9I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, and marries another woman commits adultery."
10The disciples said to him, "If this is the situation between a husband and wife, it is better not to marry."
11Jesus replied, "Not everyone can accept this word, but only those to whom it has been given. 12For some are eunuchs because they were born that way; others were made that way by men; and others have renounced marriage because of the kingdom of heaven. The one who can accept this should accept it."
To summarize, divorce is permissible when a partner has relations with another individual outside of the marriage. Jesus does an amazing job of focusing on the positive aspects of marriage, despite the fact the religious leader were trying to do the same thing they did to John (which led to John’s death), in that they wanted Jesus to choose which school of thought he believed in. Some at the time believed you could get divorced for any reason, while the other school believed marriage was to be permanent. Instead of being opinionated about the theology of divorce, Jesus focused on the theology of marriage. Jesus even goes so far as to say some probably shouldn’t get married!
No matter where you are in your relationship with others, it’s important we understand the purpose of commitment. It’s easy to focus on the past and the “he said she said”, and we should learn from the past, but we all need to control what we can control and move forward. If you aren’t married, learn from previous relationships, so when you do find your potential spouse you can be the best partner possible. What could you have done better? What were your strengths and weaknesses in the relationship? For those of you that are married, do all you can to be the best spouse possible. Pray that God blesses your marriage, and seek solutions to any potential problems your marriage may/have encounter. Marriage is a wonderful celebration of two individuals becoming one. Stay committed to each other at all times, avoid the “grass is greener” mentality, and live your life to serve your spouse, not be served!
Application:
1. Read Matthew 19:1-12
2. Are you serving your spouse the way they desire to be served?
Marriage
Marriage is an amazing union of two individuals whom God has connected to serve as one. I feel extremely blessed to have Haley as my wife as she is literally my teammate in life. As we continue our study of Matthew, the religious leaders question Jesus about marriage and divorce.
Matthew 19 says the following:
“1When Jesus had finished saying these things, he left Galilee and went into the region of Judea to the other side of the Jordan. 2Large crowds followed him, and he healed them there.
3Some Pharisees came to him to test him. They asked, "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any and every reason?"
4"Haven't you read," he replied, "that at the beginning the Creator 'made them male and female,5and said, 'For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh'6So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate."
7"Why then," they asked, "did Moses command that a man give his wife a certificate of divorce and send her away?"
8Jesus replied, "Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because your hearts were hard. But it was not this way from the beginning. 9I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, and marries another woman commits adultery."
10The disciples said to him, "If this is the situation between a husband and wife, it is better not to marry."
11Jesus replied, "Not everyone can accept this word, but only those to whom it has been given. 12For some are eunuchs because they were born that way; others were made that way by men; and others have renounced marriage because of the kingdom of heaven. The one who can accept this should accept it."
To summarize, divorce is permissible when a partner has relations with another individual outside of the marriage. Jesus does an amazing job of focusing on the positive aspects of marriage, despite the fact the religious leader were trying to do the same thing they did to John (which led to John’s death), in that they wanted Jesus to choose which school of thought he believed in. Some at the time believed you could get divorced for any reason, while the other school believed marriage was to be permanent. Instead of being opinionated about the theology of divorce, Jesus focused on the theology of marriage. Jesus even goes so far as to say some probably shouldn’t get married!
No matter where you are in your relationship with others, it’s important we understand the purpose of commitment. It’s easy to focus on the past and the “he said she said”, and we should learn from the past, but we all need to control what we can control and move forward. If you aren’t married, learn from previous relationships, so when you do find your potential spouse you can be the best partner possible. What could you have done better? What were your strengths and weaknesses in the relationship? For those of you that are married, do all you can to be the best spouse possible. Pray that God blesses your marriage, and seek solutions to any potential problems your marriage may/have encounter. Marriage is a wonderful celebration of two individuals becoming one. Stay committed to each other at all times, avoid the “grass is greener” mentality, and live your life to serve your spouse, not be served!
Application:
1. Read Matthew 19:1-12
2. Are you serving your spouse the way they desire to be served?
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Parable of The Unforgiving Debtor
12-11-2009
Parable of the Unforgiving Debtor
In the first part of Matthew 18 we discussed the proper way to handle a dispute with another believer in Christ. The last part of Matthew 18 is the parable of the unforgiving debtor.
“21Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, "Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?"
22Jesus answered, "I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.[a]
23"Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. 24As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand talents[b] was brought to him. 25Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt.
26"The servant fell on his knees before him. 'Be patient with me,' he begged, 'and I will pay back everything.' 27The servant's master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go.
28"But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii.[c] He grabbed him and began to choke him. 'Pay back what you owe me!' he demanded.
29"His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, 'Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.'
30"But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. 31When the other servants saw what had happened, they were greatly distressed and went and told their master everything that had happened.
32"Then the master called the servant in. 'You wicked servant,' he said, 'I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. 33Shouldn't you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?' 34In anger his master turned him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed.
35"This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart."
Forgiving those that wrong us isn’t the easiest thing to do, however we are called to do so every time someone truly repents. When we stop and consider not only the forgiveness Christ shows us, but also the price he paid for us, we should freely forgive those that wrong us. Just imagine if Christ didn’t forgive us of our sins! We are all in desperate need of Christ’s forgiveness; therefore we should focus on loving people, and not judging people. It’s easy to find fault in just about everything, but the Christ-like thing to do is to forgive others with the love of Christ!
Application:
1. Read Matthew 18:21-35
2. Forgive just as Christ forgave
Parable of the Unforgiving Debtor
In the first part of Matthew 18 we discussed the proper way to handle a dispute with another believer in Christ. The last part of Matthew 18 is the parable of the unforgiving debtor.
“21Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, "Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?"
22Jesus answered, "I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.[a]
23"Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. 24As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand talents[b] was brought to him. 25Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt.
26"The servant fell on his knees before him. 'Be patient with me,' he begged, 'and I will pay back everything.' 27The servant's master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go.
28"But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii.[c] He grabbed him and began to choke him. 'Pay back what you owe me!' he demanded.
29"His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, 'Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.'
30"But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. 31When the other servants saw what had happened, they were greatly distressed and went and told their master everything that had happened.
32"Then the master called the servant in. 'You wicked servant,' he said, 'I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. 33Shouldn't you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?' 34In anger his master turned him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed.
35"This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart."
Forgiving those that wrong us isn’t the easiest thing to do, however we are called to do so every time someone truly repents. When we stop and consider not only the forgiveness Christ shows us, but also the price he paid for us, we should freely forgive those that wrong us. Just imagine if Christ didn’t forgive us of our sins! We are all in desperate need of Christ’s forgiveness; therefore we should focus on loving people, and not judging people. It’s easy to find fault in just about everything, but the Christ-like thing to do is to forgive others with the love of Christ!
Application:
1. Read Matthew 18:21-35
2. Forgive just as Christ forgave
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
How To Treat A Believer Who Sins
12-10-2009
How To Treat A Believer Who Sins
This passage of scripture is not the most positive topic to discuss, but it certainly provides great instruction to believers everywhere in dealing with conflict.
Matthew 18:15-20 says the following:
15"If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over. 16But if he will not listen, take one or two others along, so that 'every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.'17If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, treat him as you would a pagan or a tax collector.
18"I tell you the truth, whatever you bind on earth will bebound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will beloosed in heaven.
19"Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. 20For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them."
It’s important to take this advice in context. This is advice for believers in Christ, and this doesn’t mean we should go around confronting everyone when they sin. Moreover, this is advice for how we should respond when someone sins against us. In other words, take this advice if someone were to sin against you.
We’ve all had moments in our lives where we’ve been wronged, or at least felt that way. It’s important during these moments to use those opportunities to show God’s love. It’s easy to get upset and go down a destructive path. The hard thing to do is take the high road. As we reflect on the life of Jesus, he suffered punishment after punishment, yet never sinned. He was “wronged” on a regular basis, yet he continued to show God’s love. May we carry the cross of spreading God’s love in every circumstance!
Application:
1. Read Matthew 18:15-20
2. Show God’s love in the most difficult of circumstances
How To Treat A Believer Who Sins
This passage of scripture is not the most positive topic to discuss, but it certainly provides great instruction to believers everywhere in dealing with conflict.
Matthew 18:15-20 says the following:
15"If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over. 16But if he will not listen, take one or two others along, so that 'every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.'17If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, treat him as you would a pagan or a tax collector.
18"I tell you the truth, whatever you bind on earth will bebound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will beloosed in heaven.
19"Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. 20For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them."
It’s important to take this advice in context. This is advice for believers in Christ, and this doesn’t mean we should go around confronting everyone when they sin. Moreover, this is advice for how we should respond when someone sins against us. In other words, take this advice if someone were to sin against you.
We’ve all had moments in our lives where we’ve been wronged, or at least felt that way. It’s important during these moments to use those opportunities to show God’s love. It’s easy to get upset and go down a destructive path. The hard thing to do is take the high road. As we reflect on the life of Jesus, he suffered punishment after punishment, yet never sinned. He was “wronged” on a regular basis, yet he continued to show God’s love. May we carry the cross of spreading God’s love in every circumstance!
Application:
1. Read Matthew 18:15-20
2. Show God’s love in the most difficult of circumstances
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Parable of The Lost Sheep
12-9-2009
Parable of The Lost Sheep
Matthew 18:10-14 says the following:
10"See that you do not look down on one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven.
12"What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off? 13And if he finds it, I tell you the truth, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off. 14In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should be lost.”
The parable of the lost sheep can be paralleled with so many situations in our lives. We put so much emphasis on the power of one. For instance, someone could give you a million compliments, and if they say one negative thing about you, that’s what you will remember. If an athlete has a great game for all but one second, it’s that one bad second of the game everyone remembers. You could be the best driver in the world, but if you have one little accident it could cause infinite damage on earth. In this same breath, God values the power of one, and he doesn’t want one single person to be lost.
God desires for everyone to know him intimately no matter what the past looks like. Regardless of your sins or way of life, God is calling everyone to turn to him, and our responsibility is to spread the good news to everyone we can. This doesn’t mean we should beat people over the head with the Bible. The greatest way we can spread the love of Jesus is through our actions and way of life. When people see something different in you, the Holy Spirit will take over. Begin to pray regularly that if anyone you know or come in contact with doesn’t know who Christ is, you may have the opportunity to make them aware.
Application:
1. Read Matthew 18:10-14
2. Leave no one behind!
Parable of The Lost Sheep
Matthew 18:10-14 says the following:
10"See that you do not look down on one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven.
12"What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off? 13And if he finds it, I tell you the truth, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off. 14In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should be lost.”
The parable of the lost sheep can be paralleled with so many situations in our lives. We put so much emphasis on the power of one. For instance, someone could give you a million compliments, and if they say one negative thing about you, that’s what you will remember. If an athlete has a great game for all but one second, it’s that one bad second of the game everyone remembers. You could be the best driver in the world, but if you have one little accident it could cause infinite damage on earth. In this same breath, God values the power of one, and he doesn’t want one single person to be lost.
God desires for everyone to know him intimately no matter what the past looks like. Regardless of your sins or way of life, God is calling everyone to turn to him, and our responsibility is to spread the good news to everyone we can. This doesn’t mean we should beat people over the head with the Bible. The greatest way we can spread the love of Jesus is through our actions and way of life. When people see something different in you, the Holy Spirit will take over. Begin to pray regularly that if anyone you know or come in contact with doesn’t know who Christ is, you may have the opportunity to make them aware.
Application:
1. Read Matthew 18:10-14
2. Leave no one behind!
Monday, December 7, 2009
Guidance
12-8-2009
Guidance
From time to time I like to share an email I receive with everyone, as I feel they may bring a very simple yet powerful message. Here’s an email I received this week…ENJOY!
Dancing With God When I meditated on the word Guidance, I kept seeing "dance" at the end of the word. I remember reading that doing God's will is a lot like dancing. When two people try to lead, nothing feels right. The movement doesn't flow with the music, and everything is quite uncomfortable and jerky. When one person realizes that, and lets the other lead, both bodies begin to flow with the music. One gives gentle cues, perhaps with a nudge to the back or by pressing lightly in one direction or another. It's as if two become one body, moving beautifully. The dance takes surrender, willingness and attentiveness from one person and gentle guidance and skill from the other. My eyes drew back to the word Guidance. When I saw "G" I thought of God, followed by "u" and "i". "God, "u" and "i" dance." God, you, and I dance. As I lowered my head, I became willing to trust that I would get guidance about my life. Once again, I became willing to let God lead. My prayer for you today is that God's blessings and mercies are upon you on this day and everyday. May you abide in God, as God abides in you. Dance together with God, trusting God to lead and to guide you through each season of your life.
Guidance
From time to time I like to share an email I receive with everyone, as I feel they may bring a very simple yet powerful message. Here’s an email I received this week…ENJOY!
Dancing With God When I meditated on the word Guidance, I kept seeing "dance" at the end of the word. I remember reading that doing God's will is a lot like dancing. When two people try to lead, nothing feels right. The movement doesn't flow with the music, and everything is quite uncomfortable and jerky. When one person realizes that, and lets the other lead, both bodies begin to flow with the music. One gives gentle cues, perhaps with a nudge to the back or by pressing lightly in one direction or another. It's as if two become one body, moving beautifully. The dance takes surrender, willingness and attentiveness from one person and gentle guidance and skill from the other. My eyes drew back to the word Guidance. When I saw "G" I thought of God, followed by "u" and "i". "God, "u" and "i" dance." God, you, and I dance. As I lowered my head, I became willing to trust that I would get guidance about my life. Once again, I became willing to let God lead. My prayer for you today is that God's blessings and mercies are upon you on this day and everyday. May you abide in God, as God abides in you. Dance together with God, trusting God to lead and to guide you through each season of your life.
Sunday, December 6, 2009
Cut It Out
12-7-2009
Cut It Out
Matthew 18:1-9 says the following:
“1At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, "Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?"
2He called a little child and had him stand among them. 3And he said: "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 4Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
5"And whoever welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me. 6But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.
7"Woe to the world because of the things that cause people to sin! Such things must come, but woe to the man through whom they come! 8If your hand or your foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life maimed or crippled than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into eternal fire. 9And if your eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell.”
When we first read the verses 7-9 it can be a bit dramatic. The point we should take from this illustration is to eliminate the things in our lives that cause us to sin. If we have bad habits, we need to replace them with good habits. What we surround ourselves with can lead to our downfall or our elevation to new heights.
Chapter 18 correlates the importance of cutting out sin in our lives with that of a child. For those of us that have an opportunity to make a positive impact in a child’s life, we need to remember what we do and say will ultimately influence whey they do and say. We must always be a positive example in a kid’s life. Not only should we be a positive example in a child’s life, but God calls us to be child like with our very being. Notice he doesn’t say we should be childish!
I have the fortunate opportunity to work with kids on a daily basis, and it’s amazing how kids’ act and speak like their parents. Unfortunately, this can be a good and a bad thing! When kids see their dad’s staring at other women, the kid learns from an early age to stare, and when parent’s use bad language, it’s no wonder their kids do as well. On the other hand, when parents involve their kids in acts of service, it makes sense that the kids grow up with a servant heart. Families that teach their children to pray, have kids that will teach their children to pray. Bottom line is we all have a much bigger impact in people’s lives than we realize, thus it’s our job to be the example Christ has called us to be. A big part of us being the example for others means we must cut things out of our lives that cause us to sin. This won’t be easy, but Christ boldly proclaims its importance. Let’s revert back to childlike ways when we had a pure innocence about us, and live for others. If there’s something keeping you from living a pure and innocent life, CUT IT OUT!
Application:
1. Read Matthew 18:1-9
2. Be the example for others!
Cut It Out
Matthew 18:1-9 says the following:
“1At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, "Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?"
2He called a little child and had him stand among them. 3And he said: "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 4Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
5"And whoever welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me. 6But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.
7"Woe to the world because of the things that cause people to sin! Such things must come, but woe to the man through whom they come! 8If your hand or your foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life maimed or crippled than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into eternal fire. 9And if your eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell.”
When we first read the verses 7-9 it can be a bit dramatic. The point we should take from this illustration is to eliminate the things in our lives that cause us to sin. If we have bad habits, we need to replace them with good habits. What we surround ourselves with can lead to our downfall or our elevation to new heights.
Chapter 18 correlates the importance of cutting out sin in our lives with that of a child. For those of us that have an opportunity to make a positive impact in a child’s life, we need to remember what we do and say will ultimately influence whey they do and say. We must always be a positive example in a kid’s life. Not only should we be a positive example in a child’s life, but God calls us to be child like with our very being. Notice he doesn’t say we should be childish!
I have the fortunate opportunity to work with kids on a daily basis, and it’s amazing how kids’ act and speak like their parents. Unfortunately, this can be a good and a bad thing! When kids see their dad’s staring at other women, the kid learns from an early age to stare, and when parent’s use bad language, it’s no wonder their kids do as well. On the other hand, when parents involve their kids in acts of service, it makes sense that the kids grow up with a servant heart. Families that teach their children to pray, have kids that will teach their children to pray. Bottom line is we all have a much bigger impact in people’s lives than we realize, thus it’s our job to be the example Christ has called us to be. A big part of us being the example for others means we must cut things out of our lives that cause us to sin. This won’t be easy, but Christ boldly proclaims its importance. Let’s revert back to childlike ways when we had a pure innocence about us, and live for others. If there’s something keeping you from living a pure and innocent life, CUT IT OUT!
Application:
1. Read Matthew 18:1-9
2. Be the example for others!
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Habits
12-4-2009
Habits
For those of you that missed the devotional from yesterday, we all had a little homework assignment to test the “humans are all habitual” hypothesis. The assignment was geared for those that have a spouse they share a bed with. We were to get on “their” side of the bed to see what they would say about sleeping on “our” side of the bed. Therefore, I got on her side of the bed before she came in the room. When she walked into the room she just looked at me. She knew something was strange when I beat her to bed. I’m usually up working on the computer or reading. She then walked over to “her” side of the bed to put her phone on the charger, and said “are you going to sleep on “MY” side of the bed tonight?” I then said, “Maybe”, and with sort of an annoyed smirk she said, “Okay…whatever.” I couldn’t help myself, so I just started laughing. I then told her what I was doing, and that I feel like the majority of what we do is based on the habits we instill in ourselves, and by making her feel as if I was going to sleep on “her” side of the bed would prove my point. We shared a long laugh about this situation, and she finally admitted that my point was valid. It was strange for both of us to be on the opposite side of the bed, so we immediately switched back to our respective sides.
The exercise was funny, but very truthful. There’s no telling how many habits we need to break, and how many habits we need to instill in our lives. I can’t wait to read all of your responses to this exercise. Humans are habitual, and the silly exercise proves this point. If you missed the devotional for yesterday you may want to go to my blog to catch up before reading the rest of this devotional.
Along with creating habits that will aid our Christian journey, we must make sure we aren’t simply doing “religious acts.” God wants us to be pure with our actions and motives. To read the Bible for the sake of reading the Bible misses the entire point of the exercise. We should read the Bible to grow in our relationship with Christ. While it’s important to form great habits, we need to make sure we never lose sight of why we set out to form certain habits in the first place. If you are in church every Sunday, are you truly there to worship Christ, or are you going because you are supposed to go? Christ calls us to have pure hearts, so let’s create great habits and never lose sight of why we started them in the first place.
Application:
1. Email me your exercise story…I promise to leave out any names.
2. Stay pure in your motives, and make sure you habits are being done for the right reasons.
Habits
For those of you that missed the devotional from yesterday, we all had a little homework assignment to test the “humans are all habitual” hypothesis. The assignment was geared for those that have a spouse they share a bed with. We were to get on “their” side of the bed to see what they would say about sleeping on “our” side of the bed. Therefore, I got on her side of the bed before she came in the room. When she walked into the room she just looked at me. She knew something was strange when I beat her to bed. I’m usually up working on the computer or reading. She then walked over to “her” side of the bed to put her phone on the charger, and said “are you going to sleep on “MY” side of the bed tonight?” I then said, “Maybe”, and with sort of an annoyed smirk she said, “Okay…whatever.” I couldn’t help myself, so I just started laughing. I then told her what I was doing, and that I feel like the majority of what we do is based on the habits we instill in ourselves, and by making her feel as if I was going to sleep on “her” side of the bed would prove my point. We shared a long laugh about this situation, and she finally admitted that my point was valid. It was strange for both of us to be on the opposite side of the bed, so we immediately switched back to our respective sides.
The exercise was funny, but very truthful. There’s no telling how many habits we need to break, and how many habits we need to instill in our lives. I can’t wait to read all of your responses to this exercise. Humans are habitual, and the silly exercise proves this point. If you missed the devotional for yesterday you may want to go to my blog to catch up before reading the rest of this devotional.
Along with creating habits that will aid our Christian journey, we must make sure we aren’t simply doing “religious acts.” God wants us to be pure with our actions and motives. To read the Bible for the sake of reading the Bible misses the entire point of the exercise. We should read the Bible to grow in our relationship with Christ. While it’s important to form great habits, we need to make sure we never lose sight of why we set out to form certain habits in the first place. If you are in church every Sunday, are you truly there to worship Christ, or are you going because you are supposed to go? Christ calls us to have pure hearts, so let’s create great habits and never lose sight of why we started them in the first place.
Application:
1. Email me your exercise story…I promise to leave out any names.
2. Stay pure in your motives, and make sure you habits are being done for the right reasons.
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Exercise Faith
12-3-2009
Exercise Faith
When we have a genuine faith in something, we trust whatever or whomever no matter what the outcome or consequence is. We are called to have this same type of faith in Jesus. Faith in Christ should be during the great, good, and bad times, yet we often have a faith of convenience.
When speaking with individuals that believe in God, but don’t go to church, there are usually a few reasons for not going. Many times the individual is lazy. They simply don’t have the discipline to go. Another reason tends to lie in a bad experience that occurred in their past, thereby creating a negative feeling toward the church experience. Some individuals feel they have fallen so far they don’t feel worthy to go to church. It would be awkward to go. Regardless of the reason, God calls us to exercise our faith on our own, and with community (going to church).
There are a couple keys to understanding human behavior as it relates to faith. First, humans are habitual. Chances are you sleep on the same side of the bed every night. When you wake up, you probably have a routine you go through. When you come home from work, you will do the same thing today as you did the day before, and of course you have the same routine at night. Humans are habitual. For those of you that are married, get into bed before your spouse does, but this time lie on “their” side of the bed. Leave “your” side of the bed available. I would love to hear some of your responses from your spouse’s! Seriously, email us the response of your spouse at info@loganstout.com. I will join in on the fun, and report back as to what my wife does.
The second thing to understand is our faith must be exercised. When we exercise our faith on a regular basis it becomes a habit. Once it becomes a habit, it will become a part of your day. Now, this takes time, but imagine if you were to read the Bible just a little bit every day. Take five minutes a day away from watching the television, and instead wipe the dust off the Bible. It’s hard at first, because it’s not a habit. Eventually, you will get to the point where you don’t feel like your day is complete until you’ve read scripture. It’s like working out at the gym. I can’t go more than two days without working out because working out every morning is now a part of my routine. If I don’t work out I feel miserable. Remember, we must exercise our faith in order to make it a part of our routine.
In all times, have faith. For those that have strayed, let’s form a new habit of exercising our faith!
Application:
1. Read Matthew 17
2. Get in bed before your spouse and see what happens when they find you on “their” side.
Exercise Faith
When we have a genuine faith in something, we trust whatever or whomever no matter what the outcome or consequence is. We are called to have this same type of faith in Jesus. Faith in Christ should be during the great, good, and bad times, yet we often have a faith of convenience.
When speaking with individuals that believe in God, but don’t go to church, there are usually a few reasons for not going. Many times the individual is lazy. They simply don’t have the discipline to go. Another reason tends to lie in a bad experience that occurred in their past, thereby creating a negative feeling toward the church experience. Some individuals feel they have fallen so far they don’t feel worthy to go to church. It would be awkward to go. Regardless of the reason, God calls us to exercise our faith on our own, and with community (going to church).
There are a couple keys to understanding human behavior as it relates to faith. First, humans are habitual. Chances are you sleep on the same side of the bed every night. When you wake up, you probably have a routine you go through. When you come home from work, you will do the same thing today as you did the day before, and of course you have the same routine at night. Humans are habitual. For those of you that are married, get into bed before your spouse does, but this time lie on “their” side of the bed. Leave “your” side of the bed available. I would love to hear some of your responses from your spouse’s! Seriously, email us the response of your spouse at info@loganstout.com. I will join in on the fun, and report back as to what my wife does.
The second thing to understand is our faith must be exercised. When we exercise our faith on a regular basis it becomes a habit. Once it becomes a habit, it will become a part of your day. Now, this takes time, but imagine if you were to read the Bible just a little bit every day. Take five minutes a day away from watching the television, and instead wipe the dust off the Bible. It’s hard at first, because it’s not a habit. Eventually, you will get to the point where you don’t feel like your day is complete until you’ve read scripture. It’s like working out at the gym. I can’t go more than two days without working out because working out every morning is now a part of my routine. If I don’t work out I feel miserable. Remember, we must exercise our faith in order to make it a part of our routine.
In all times, have faith. For those that have strayed, let’s form a new habit of exercising our faith!
Application:
1. Read Matthew 17
2. Get in bed before your spouse and see what happens when they find you on “their” side.
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
12-2-2009
Jesus Predicts His Death
Matthew 17:22-23 says the following:
“22When they came together in Galilee, he said to them, "The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of men. 23They will kill him, and on the third day he will be raised to life." And the disciples were filled with grief.”
This marks the second time Jesus predicts his death, the first time being in Matthew 16:21. In both cases, Jesus explains his death and the resurrection. Let’s think about those two predictions. Jesus literally informs his disciples that he will be killed and he will be resurrected! This is amazing. If you were sitting there listening to Jesus explain what’s to come, you would probably start to wonder if he was a little crazy. Heck, it would be hard not to tell him to avoid Jerusalem at all cost so if his predictions were right, he could avoid death. This was the same way Jesus’ follower thought, and it reminds us of our temporal ways of thinking. Jesus never took his eyes off the mission at hand. He knew what was going to happen, he informed his followers of what would happen, and it happened! After hearing Jesus predict his death and resurrection, and then seeing it come to fruition exactly how he described the event would occur, how in the world could you not believe!
A great lesson to learn from this passage in scripture is doubt does occur. The disciples walked with Jesus, watched everything he said would happen occur, and they still had some moments of hesitation. We don’t physically see and walk with Jesus today, so it makes sense we too may have some hesitations. Just remember, the resurrection DID OCCUR, just as described, and anytime you start to stray, remind yourself of this truth. Use your moments of doubt as a challenge to dive into God’s word to increase your faith and understanding of who Christ is, and you will become transformed into his likeness!
Application:
1. Read Matthew 17:22-23 and Matthew 16
2. How strong would your faith in Jesus be if you had witnessed what the disciples did?
Jesus Predicts His Death
Matthew 17:22-23 says the following:
“22When they came together in Galilee, he said to them, "The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of men. 23They will kill him, and on the third day he will be raised to life." And the disciples were filled with grief.”
This marks the second time Jesus predicts his death, the first time being in Matthew 16:21. In both cases, Jesus explains his death and the resurrection. Let’s think about those two predictions. Jesus literally informs his disciples that he will be killed and he will be resurrected! This is amazing. If you were sitting there listening to Jesus explain what’s to come, you would probably start to wonder if he was a little crazy. Heck, it would be hard not to tell him to avoid Jerusalem at all cost so if his predictions were right, he could avoid death. This was the same way Jesus’ follower thought, and it reminds us of our temporal ways of thinking. Jesus never took his eyes off the mission at hand. He knew what was going to happen, he informed his followers of what would happen, and it happened! After hearing Jesus predict his death and resurrection, and then seeing it come to fruition exactly how he described the event would occur, how in the world could you not believe!
A great lesson to learn from this passage in scripture is doubt does occur. The disciples walked with Jesus, watched everything he said would happen occur, and they still had some moments of hesitation. We don’t physically see and walk with Jesus today, so it makes sense we too may have some hesitations. Just remember, the resurrection DID OCCUR, just as described, and anytime you start to stray, remind yourself of this truth. Use your moments of doubt as a challenge to dive into God’s word to increase your faith and understanding of who Christ is, and you will become transformed into his likeness!
Application:
1. Read Matthew 17:22-23 and Matthew 16
2. How strong would your faith in Jesus be if you had witnessed what the disciples did?
Mustard Seed Faith
12-1-2009
Mustard Seed Faith
Matthew 17:14-20 says the following:
“14When they came to the crowd, a man approached Jesus and knelt before him. 15"Lord, have mercy on my son," he said. "He has seizures and is suffering greatly. He often falls into the fire or into the water. 16I brought him to your disciples, but they could not heal him."
17"O unbelieving and perverse generation," Jesus replied, "how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy here to me." 18Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of the boy, and he was healed from that moment.
19Then the disciples came to Jesus in private and asked, "Why couldn't we drive it out?"
20He replied, "Because you have so little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you."
Life is full of peaks and valleys, and it’s the valley’s that enable us to really appreciate the peaks. It’s during the valley’s we learn what we need to so we are able to reach the next peak which in turn is higher than the previous. For most individuals, the valley is where faith is lost, and potential remains untapped.
In order to truly reach your God given potential during both the peaks and the valleys, it’s important to stay focused on your faith in the project on hand, and not only on the project itself. I know I find myself so entrenched in a project, that I forget where the only source of life, energy, and ultimately success comes from. As you strive for that next peak, remember it’s through faith we have been saved, and it’s through faith you will climb the mountain tops of the world!
Application:
1. Read Matthew 17
2. Keep your faith strong and the project or task at hand will stay in perspective.
Mustard Seed Faith
Matthew 17:14-20 says the following:
“14When they came to the crowd, a man approached Jesus and knelt before him. 15"Lord, have mercy on my son," he said. "He has seizures and is suffering greatly. He often falls into the fire or into the water. 16I brought him to your disciples, but they could not heal him."
17"O unbelieving and perverse generation," Jesus replied, "how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy here to me." 18Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of the boy, and he was healed from that moment.
19Then the disciples came to Jesus in private and asked, "Why couldn't we drive it out?"
20He replied, "Because you have so little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you."
Life is full of peaks and valleys, and it’s the valley’s that enable us to really appreciate the peaks. It’s during the valley’s we learn what we need to so we are able to reach the next peak which in turn is higher than the previous. For most individuals, the valley is where faith is lost, and potential remains untapped.
In order to truly reach your God given potential during both the peaks and the valleys, it’s important to stay focused on your faith in the project on hand, and not only on the project itself. I know I find myself so entrenched in a project, that I forget where the only source of life, energy, and ultimately success comes from. As you strive for that next peak, remember it’s through faith we have been saved, and it’s through faith you will climb the mountain tops of the world!
Application:
1. Read Matthew 17
2. Keep your faith strong and the project or task at hand will stay in perspective.
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Thanksgiving
11-30-2009
Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving has become a regular time for my family to vacate to the beach each year. We tried the big dinner at my house ONCE, and then offered to take everyone to a wonderful place where Haley (my wife) doesn’t have to prepare or wash anything. We literally landed just a couple of hours ago from the trip, and I couldn’t help but count our blessings. It’s very easy for all of us to find things to complain about, after all, there’s a lot of “bad” in the world. However, there’s a lot more to be thankful for than to complain about.
The most important thanks we should all recognize and do our best to understand is the love, grace, mercy, and forgiveness our Heavenly Father blesses us with. Very few people truly appreciate what Jesus did for us on the cross, and none of us can comprehend the Savior of the world, but we should all live a life of faith.
Haley and I love to reflect while on vacation. We spend an hour every night together talking about how grateful we are and how much we have to look forward to. We KNOW God has plans for us, and we are so excited to live in His will for our lives. We could talk for hours and hours about the will of God, and how His plan could take us in any number of different directions. Our philosophy is to Let God Be God, because we have absolute faith that He will put us where he wants us. Here’s a little story you may be able to relate to with your faith journey.
Three men were sitting around the breakfast table one morning trying to figure out how they were going to survive the severe drought they were experiencing. All three of them lived on a farm, and relied upon the rain to keep their crops healthy. Finally the three men decide to pray to God for rain. “God, we have absolute faith that you are going to bring rain for our crops. We know you will let it pour TODAY. That’s the kind of faith we have in you, God!”As the three men dressed and prepared for Church, they peeked outside and noticed it hadn’t starting raining yet, so they started to pray again. “God we never doubt you, and we trust with all the Faith in the world you will bring rain today. We are putting our Sunday best on and heading to church, and we know you will have it rain before Church is out.” The three men went to church, and as they were walking out of the service, they couldn’t help but notice there wasn’t even a cloud in the sky, so they decided to pray again, but just when they started to pray, the voice of God thundered down from Heaven saying, “If you fellas have so much faith in me, why didn’t any of you carry and umbrella?”
What kind of faith do you have? Do you pray with a thankful heart? Do you pray that you will walk in God’s will, or do you pray selfish prayers and use God like a wish list? When you pray, do you pray expectantly? When we pray, we should pray with all the faith in the world.
Application:
1. Read Matthew 17:1-13
2. Be thankful and have faith!
Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving has become a regular time for my family to vacate to the beach each year. We tried the big dinner at my house ONCE, and then offered to take everyone to a wonderful place where Haley (my wife) doesn’t have to prepare or wash anything. We literally landed just a couple of hours ago from the trip, and I couldn’t help but count our blessings. It’s very easy for all of us to find things to complain about, after all, there’s a lot of “bad” in the world. However, there’s a lot more to be thankful for than to complain about.
The most important thanks we should all recognize and do our best to understand is the love, grace, mercy, and forgiveness our Heavenly Father blesses us with. Very few people truly appreciate what Jesus did for us on the cross, and none of us can comprehend the Savior of the world, but we should all live a life of faith.
Haley and I love to reflect while on vacation. We spend an hour every night together talking about how grateful we are and how much we have to look forward to. We KNOW God has plans for us, and we are so excited to live in His will for our lives. We could talk for hours and hours about the will of God, and how His plan could take us in any number of different directions. Our philosophy is to Let God Be God, because we have absolute faith that He will put us where he wants us. Here’s a little story you may be able to relate to with your faith journey.
Three men were sitting around the breakfast table one morning trying to figure out how they were going to survive the severe drought they were experiencing. All three of them lived on a farm, and relied upon the rain to keep their crops healthy. Finally the three men decide to pray to God for rain. “God, we have absolute faith that you are going to bring rain for our crops. We know you will let it pour TODAY. That’s the kind of faith we have in you, God!”As the three men dressed and prepared for Church, they peeked outside and noticed it hadn’t starting raining yet, so they started to pray again. “God we never doubt you, and we trust with all the Faith in the world you will bring rain today. We are putting our Sunday best on and heading to church, and we know you will have it rain before Church is out.” The three men went to church, and as they were walking out of the service, they couldn’t help but notice there wasn’t even a cloud in the sky, so they decided to pray again, but just when they started to pray, the voice of God thundered down from Heaven saying, “If you fellas have so much faith in me, why didn’t any of you carry and umbrella?”
What kind of faith do you have? Do you pray with a thankful heart? Do you pray that you will walk in God’s will, or do you pray selfish prayers and use God like a wish list? When you pray, do you pray expectantly? When we pray, we should pray with all the faith in the world.
Application:
1. Read Matthew 17:1-13
2. Be thankful and have faith!
Thursday, November 19, 2009
You Can't Put A Stop Watch On God
11-20-2009
You Can’t Put A Stop Watch On God
We should all learn to let God be God. He knows what’s he’s doing, and our job is to control what we can control. We’ve probably all been guilty of trying to time God, and ask God to do things when we want things done, but at the end of the day, God’s the man!
Our job is to follow him every second of our life. We have the choice to do right or do wrong, and we will and do face the consequences for our actions. There will even be times where you do right, yet the wrong result seems to take place. It’s in these moments we must remind ourselves to allow God to be God. We will see the outcome God has for us in HIS time. We must remain focused on service and love towards others, and not simply on the good and bad of life. It’s easy to throw pity parties, but its right to stay focused on the eternal. When things don’t go exactly how you want them to go, remember God knows what He’s doing. As long as your focus is on his will in your life, you can rest assured he has plans to prosper you. Jeremiah 29:11 says, “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 hope and a future.”
Let’s put the stop watch down, and let God be God. Our goal is to make disciples of all nations regardless of our personal problems. To much is given, much is required, and for those of us that have excepted God’s grace, and have committed our lives to him, we have been given much, therefore, much is required!
Application:
1. Do you try to control God’s timing?
2. Do you allow the pressures and stresses of this world to impact your mission on earth to serve God?
You Can’t Put A Stop Watch On God
We should all learn to let God be God. He knows what’s he’s doing, and our job is to control what we can control. We’ve probably all been guilty of trying to time God, and ask God to do things when we want things done, but at the end of the day, God’s the man!
Our job is to follow him every second of our life. We have the choice to do right or do wrong, and we will and do face the consequences for our actions. There will even be times where you do right, yet the wrong result seems to take place. It’s in these moments we must remind ourselves to allow God to be God. We will see the outcome God has for us in HIS time. We must remain focused on service and love towards others, and not simply on the good and bad of life. It’s easy to throw pity parties, but its right to stay focused on the eternal. When things don’t go exactly how you want them to go, remember God knows what He’s doing. As long as your focus is on his will in your life, you can rest assured he has plans to prosper you. Jeremiah 29:11 says, “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 hope and a future.”
Let’s put the stop watch down, and let God be God. Our goal is to make disciples of all nations regardless of our personal problems. To much is given, much is required, and for those of us that have excepted God’s grace, and have committed our lives to him, we have been given much, therefore, much is required!
Application:
1. Do you try to control God’s timing?
2. Do you allow the pressures and stresses of this world to impact your mission on earth to serve God?
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Life Is Short
11-19-2009
Life Is Short
Matthew 16:24-28 says the following:
“24Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 25For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it. 26What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul? 27For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father's glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what he has done. 28I tell you the truth, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom."
For those that truly believe in Christ, they understand what it means to lose their life for Christ so they may find life. In other words, Jesus is the center of everything they do. Before any business decision is made, the first question and last question asked is, “Will Jesus be glorified?” Before any spousal relationship is even thought of, Jesus must be the priority in the relationship. In other words, Christ is the focus in all they do.
For those that don’t truly KNOW Christ, choices are made based on worldly/temporal satisfactions. The things of this world are of the most importance and all their focus is messed up. These are the folks that do everything they can to bring themselves glory.
You fall in one of the two categories above. You are either living for Christ, or you are living for self. The choice is yours, so remember life is short, eternity is forever……you choose what’s most important!
Application:
1. Read Matthew 16:24-28
2. Have you denied yourself and taken up the cross?
Life Is Short
Matthew 16:24-28 says the following:
“24Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 25For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it. 26What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul? 27For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father's glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what he has done. 28I tell you the truth, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom."
For those that truly believe in Christ, they understand what it means to lose their life for Christ so they may find life. In other words, Jesus is the center of everything they do. Before any business decision is made, the first question and last question asked is, “Will Jesus be glorified?” Before any spousal relationship is even thought of, Jesus must be the priority in the relationship. In other words, Christ is the focus in all they do.
For those that don’t truly KNOW Christ, choices are made based on worldly/temporal satisfactions. The things of this world are of the most importance and all their focus is messed up. These are the folks that do everything they can to bring themselves glory.
You fall in one of the two categories above. You are either living for Christ, or you are living for self. The choice is yours, so remember life is short, eternity is forever……you choose what’s most important!
Application:
1. Read Matthew 16:24-28
2. Have you denied yourself and taken up the cross?
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Jesus Predicts His Death For The First Time
11-18-2009
Jesus Predicts His Death For The First Time
Can you imagine being Peter in this situation? First you confess that Jesus is Lord, and then you hear him say he will be killed. As we read the following passage from Matthew 16:21-23, it’s
pretty easy to understand why Peter would say what he does.
“21From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.
22Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. "Never, Lord!" he said. "This shall never happen to you!"
23Jesus turned and said to Peter, "Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men."
Jesus’ words to Peter seem pretty harsh, but Jesus was simply telling Peter he knows what he’s doing. Peter tried to talk Jesus out of this prediction, but Jesus wouldn’t have anything to do with it because Jesus knew the resurrection would be the reason we are saved to this day. Jesus’ death on the cross and resurrection are the fundamental truths that Christians understand and believe.
It’s hard to understand how people don’t believe in Jesus as Lord when documented evidence shows he predicted his death and resurrection. If someone told you they were going to be crucified, die, and then rise again, and you witnessed all of this happen, how in the world could you not believe!
Application:
1. Read Matthew 16:21-23
2. Do you understand the prophecy that took place?
Jesus Predicts His Death For The First Time
Can you imagine being Peter in this situation? First you confess that Jesus is Lord, and then you hear him say he will be killed. As we read the following passage from Matthew 16:21-23, it’s
pretty easy to understand why Peter would say what he does.
“21From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.
22Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. "Never, Lord!" he said. "This shall never happen to you!"
23Jesus turned and said to Peter, "Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men."
Jesus’ words to Peter seem pretty harsh, but Jesus was simply telling Peter he knows what he’s doing. Peter tried to talk Jesus out of this prediction, but Jesus wouldn’t have anything to do with it because Jesus knew the resurrection would be the reason we are saved to this day. Jesus’ death on the cross and resurrection are the fundamental truths that Christians understand and believe.
It’s hard to understand how people don’t believe in Jesus as Lord when documented evidence shows he predicted his death and resurrection. If someone told you they were going to be crucified, die, and then rise again, and you witnessed all of this happen, how in the world could you not believe!
Application:
1. Read Matthew 16:21-23
2. Do you understand the prophecy that took place?
Monday, November 16, 2009
Peter Says Jesus Is Lord
11-17-2009
Peter says Jesus is the Lord
Matthew 16:13-20 says the following:
“13When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, "Who do people say the Son of Man is?"
14They replied, "Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets."
15"But what about you?" he asked. "Who do you say I am?"
16Simon Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."
17Jesus replied, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven. 18And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. 19I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will bebound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven." 20Then he warned his disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Christ.”
This section of Matthew is loaded with talking points. Peter’s confession to Jesus, Jesus’ calling to Peter, and the often debated subject matter in verse 19 where Jesus gives Peter the keys of the kingdom are all topics we could spend hours researching. For today’s lesson, I couldn’t help but notice the last sentence which states, “Then he warned his disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Christ.”
Have you ever had such great news you wanted to tell everyone? Imagine seeing Jesus Christ face to face, and then being told you can’t tell anyone! When first reading this, I couldn’t help but ask why not? One of the greatest characteristics is patience, and Jesus knew the disciples weren’t prepared to speak of Jesus as the Christ until they fully understood who he was and why he was with them. To relate this to our world, it’s like getting a new job, and not understanding how to do the job. If you aren’t trained on what to do and what your job entails, you are going to do a lousy job. Let’s say it’s a sales position. You might be so anxious to get the first sale underway so you can hit your mark and put food on the table, but if you rush to sell before you know your product, chances are you may misrepresent the company and/or the product, thus causing a potential problem.
Jesus knew the time would come to spread the word the King has come, but not yet. Imagine if our decision making process was so refined we knew exactly what to do and when to do it? The great news is Christ can and does bless us with clarity when we call on him. Just as Peter had the clarity to confess Christ as Lord, we too can have the clarity to do what God calls us to do if we will simply seek his will in our lives.
Application:
1. Read Matthew 16:13-20
2. Study the dialogue between Jesus and Peter
Peter says Jesus is the Lord
Matthew 16:13-20 says the following:
“13When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, "Who do people say the Son of Man is?"
14They replied, "Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets."
15"But what about you?" he asked. "Who do you say I am?"
16Simon Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."
17Jesus replied, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven. 18And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. 19I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will bebound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven." 20Then he warned his disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Christ.”
This section of Matthew is loaded with talking points. Peter’s confession to Jesus, Jesus’ calling to Peter, and the often debated subject matter in verse 19 where Jesus gives Peter the keys of the kingdom are all topics we could spend hours researching. For today’s lesson, I couldn’t help but notice the last sentence which states, “Then he warned his disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Christ.”
Have you ever had such great news you wanted to tell everyone? Imagine seeing Jesus Christ face to face, and then being told you can’t tell anyone! When first reading this, I couldn’t help but ask why not? One of the greatest characteristics is patience, and Jesus knew the disciples weren’t prepared to speak of Jesus as the Christ until they fully understood who he was and why he was with them. To relate this to our world, it’s like getting a new job, and not understanding how to do the job. If you aren’t trained on what to do and what your job entails, you are going to do a lousy job. Let’s say it’s a sales position. You might be so anxious to get the first sale underway so you can hit your mark and put food on the table, but if you rush to sell before you know your product, chances are you may misrepresent the company and/or the product, thus causing a potential problem.
Jesus knew the time would come to spread the word the King has come, but not yet. Imagine if our decision making process was so refined we knew exactly what to do and when to do it? The great news is Christ can and does bless us with clarity when we call on him. Just as Peter had the clarity to confess Christ as Lord, we too can have the clarity to do what God calls us to do if we will simply seek his will in our lives.
Application:
1. Read Matthew 16:13-20
2. Study the dialogue between Jesus and Peter
Sunday, November 15, 2009
TOB
11-16-2009
TOB
It’s easy to find fault in others, especially when it takes the blame away from the individual that actually made the mistake or was in the wrong. We have an excuse filled society that I like to call TOB. My wife and I joke around anytime someone wants to transfer blame from themselves to someone else. We call this TOB for transfer of blame.
TOB occurs with kids on a regular basis, yet where do you think they learn it? Why do we have such a difficult time facing the music? If you make a mistake, admit it, make it right, and move forward. Don’t look for others to blame. At the end of the day, you are the decision maker for what you do and don’t do, say and don’t say. If you fail to do something that needs to be done, avoid transferring the blame. We ought to look for reasons as to why it was our fault before we look for reasons why it wasn’t. We are teaching our kids the evil lessons of TOB.
While sitting in church this morning at Preston Trails community church in Frisco, Texas, Senior Pastor Jim Johnson preached a great sermon about Surviving Death. In the sermon, he quoted another minister whose twenty four year old son had been killed. To summarize, someone approached the grieving minister and said, “It was God’s will that your son died.” The minister, enraged, said, “No it was not.” The point the minister was making is God hurts just like we do. Death is the enemy as it steals everything from us. God’s heart brakes when death occurs. It’s not his will that we die, it’s our own doing. We shouldn’t cast off bad things as if God willed it to happen. Instead, we should understand we will have consequences for our actions. If we don’t care for ourselves, we will probably have a shorter life span. If we drive and text message at the same time, there’s a good chance we are going to get in a wreck, which could possibly cost someone a life. It’s time we face the music and understand we are being held accountable for our actions. Therefore, don’t blame God, people, or anything else for misfortunes. Instead, find a way to fix the problem, and understand God is for us, not against us. Can God heal anything? YES! He can do whatever he wants, but we still pay the price for poor decisions, so let’s make good decisions.
I truly believe we all know right from wrong, but very few people have the discipline to do the right thing on a consistent basis. When we live a life the right way, we may still have misfortunes, but whatever we do, let’s face those misfortunes head on. Let’s refrain from looking for someone to blame. Instead, show love to others, and focus on being all you can be regardless of the situation.
Application:
1. Read John 11:1-44
2. Do you wear the TOB title?
TOB
It’s easy to find fault in others, especially when it takes the blame away from the individual that actually made the mistake or was in the wrong. We have an excuse filled society that I like to call TOB. My wife and I joke around anytime someone wants to transfer blame from themselves to someone else. We call this TOB for transfer of blame.
TOB occurs with kids on a regular basis, yet where do you think they learn it? Why do we have such a difficult time facing the music? If you make a mistake, admit it, make it right, and move forward. Don’t look for others to blame. At the end of the day, you are the decision maker for what you do and don’t do, say and don’t say. If you fail to do something that needs to be done, avoid transferring the blame. We ought to look for reasons as to why it was our fault before we look for reasons why it wasn’t. We are teaching our kids the evil lessons of TOB.
While sitting in church this morning at Preston Trails community church in Frisco, Texas, Senior Pastor Jim Johnson preached a great sermon about Surviving Death. In the sermon, he quoted another minister whose twenty four year old son had been killed. To summarize, someone approached the grieving minister and said, “It was God’s will that your son died.” The minister, enraged, said, “No it was not.” The point the minister was making is God hurts just like we do. Death is the enemy as it steals everything from us. God’s heart brakes when death occurs. It’s not his will that we die, it’s our own doing. We shouldn’t cast off bad things as if God willed it to happen. Instead, we should understand we will have consequences for our actions. If we don’t care for ourselves, we will probably have a shorter life span. If we drive and text message at the same time, there’s a good chance we are going to get in a wreck, which could possibly cost someone a life. It’s time we face the music and understand we are being held accountable for our actions. Therefore, don’t blame God, people, or anything else for misfortunes. Instead, find a way to fix the problem, and understand God is for us, not against us. Can God heal anything? YES! He can do whatever he wants, but we still pay the price for poor decisions, so let’s make good decisions.
I truly believe we all know right from wrong, but very few people have the discipline to do the right thing on a consistent basis. When we live a life the right way, we may still have misfortunes, but whatever we do, let’s face those misfortunes head on. Let’s refrain from looking for someone to blame. Instead, show love to others, and focus on being all you can be regardless of the situation.
Application:
1. Read John 11:1-44
2. Do you wear the TOB title?
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Just A Little
11-13-2009
Just A Little
Just a little of anything can create a whole lot of bad. One wrong ingredient and the entire batch of cookies can be ruined. I knew an individual that found a piece of toe nail in their burrito. It was just a small piece of nail, but I can assure you, he didn’t eat the rest of the burrito. I coach youth baseball teams, and one bad parent, can ruin the experience for the rest of the families. Again, just a little can cause disastrous results.
Matthew 16:5-12 says the following:
“5When they went across the lake, the disciples forgot to take bread. 6"Be careful," Jesus said to them. "Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees."
7They discussed this among themselves and said, "It is because we didn't bring any bread."
8Aware of their discussion, Jesus asked, "You of little faith, why are you talking among yourselves about having no bread? 9Do you still not understand? Don't you remember the five loaves for the five thousand, and how many basketfuls you gathered? 10Or the seven loaves for the four thousand, and how many basketfuls you gathered? 11How is it you don't understand that I was not talking to you about bread? But be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees." 12Then they understood that he was not telling them to guard against the yeast used in bread, but against the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”
There are many false teachers in today’s world. It might be someone that uses manipulation to get their way, or someone that uses the art of persuasion as a means to an end. As we speak, we must make sure the words we say are used to glorify God, and serve others. Let’s not be overcome with selfish motives like the Pharisees and Sadducees. Remember, you can say 99.99% truth when you speak, but that one little .01% could cause ruin to you and to others. Avoid exaggeration. Refuse to leave out things of importance that need to be said. Speak and teach truth at all times and God will bless your endeavors!
Application:
1. Read Matthew 16:5-12
2. Do you speak truth at all times?
Just A Little
Just a little of anything can create a whole lot of bad. One wrong ingredient and the entire batch of cookies can be ruined. I knew an individual that found a piece of toe nail in their burrito. It was just a small piece of nail, but I can assure you, he didn’t eat the rest of the burrito. I coach youth baseball teams, and one bad parent, can ruin the experience for the rest of the families. Again, just a little can cause disastrous results.
Matthew 16:5-12 says the following:
“5When they went across the lake, the disciples forgot to take bread. 6"Be careful," Jesus said to them. "Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees."
7They discussed this among themselves and said, "It is because we didn't bring any bread."
8Aware of their discussion, Jesus asked, "You of little faith, why are you talking among yourselves about having no bread? 9Do you still not understand? Don't you remember the five loaves for the five thousand, and how many basketfuls you gathered? 10Or the seven loaves for the four thousand, and how many basketfuls you gathered? 11How is it you don't understand that I was not talking to you about bread? But be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees." 12Then they understood that he was not telling them to guard against the yeast used in bread, but against the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”
There are many false teachers in today’s world. It might be someone that uses manipulation to get their way, or someone that uses the art of persuasion as a means to an end. As we speak, we must make sure the words we say are used to glorify God, and serve others. Let’s not be overcome with selfish motives like the Pharisees and Sadducees. Remember, you can say 99.99% truth when you speak, but that one little .01% could cause ruin to you and to others. Avoid exaggeration. Refuse to leave out things of importance that need to be said. Speak and teach truth at all times and God will bless your endeavors!
Application:
1. Read Matthew 16:5-12
2. Do you speak truth at all times?
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Looking For A Sign
11-12-2009
Looking For A Sign
Matthew 16:1-4 says the following:
1The Pharisees and Sadducees came to Jesus and tested him by asking him to show them a sign from heaven.
2He replied, "When evening comes, you say, 'It will be fair weather, for the sky is red,' 3and in the morning, 'Today it will be stormy, for the sky is red and overcast.' You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times. 4A wicked and adulterous generation looks for a miraculous sign, but none will be given it except the sign of Jonah." Jesus then left them and went away.”
If there’s one thing to learn from this passage it’s don’t test God! The Pharisees and Saducees weren’t going to believe Jesus was the Messiah even if he had performed the miracles they were asking of him. They wanted to see a sign from heaven proving Jesus was who he said he was. They attributed all of the miracles Jesus had done as some sort of magic, thus they were out to try to prove he wasn’t the real deal. John 20:29 says, “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” If you truly want to see and witness the miracles of God, simply have faith. Pray expectantly, and never doubt the power of God. He can do all for all if you simply have faith!
Application:
1. Read Matthew 16:1-4
2. How strong is your faith? Can you believe in what you cannot see?
Looking For A Sign
Matthew 16:1-4 says the following:
1The Pharisees and Sadducees came to Jesus and tested him by asking him to show them a sign from heaven.
2He replied, "When evening comes, you say, 'It will be fair weather, for the sky is red,' 3and in the morning, 'Today it will be stormy, for the sky is red and overcast.' You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times. 4A wicked and adulterous generation looks for a miraculous sign, but none will be given it except the sign of Jonah." Jesus then left them and went away.”
If there’s one thing to learn from this passage it’s don’t test God! The Pharisees and Saducees weren’t going to believe Jesus was the Messiah even if he had performed the miracles they were asking of him. They wanted to see a sign from heaven proving Jesus was who he said he was. They attributed all of the miracles Jesus had done as some sort of magic, thus they were out to try to prove he wasn’t the real deal. John 20:29 says, “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” If you truly want to see and witness the miracles of God, simply have faith. Pray expectantly, and never doubt the power of God. He can do all for all if you simply have faith!
Application:
1. Read Matthew 16:1-4
2. How strong is your faith? Can you believe in what you cannot see?
Monday, November 9, 2009
Let God Be God!
11-10-2009
Let God Be God
We often have times in our lives where we put limitations on God’s power. In other words, we find ourselves in situations where we may not see an end, yet most often, these are the times where God reveals himself!
As we continue our study on the book of Matthew we read the following in chapter 15:32-39:
32Jesus called his disciples to him and said, "I have compassion for these people; they have already been with me three days and have nothing to eat. I do not want to send them away hungry, or they may collapse on the way."
33His disciples answered, "Where could we get enough bread in this remote place to feed such a crowd?"
34"How many loaves do you have?" Jesus asked. "Seven," they replied, "and a few small fish."
35He told the crowd to sit down on the ground. 36Then he took the seven loaves and the fish, and when he had given thanks, he broke them and gave them to the disciples, and they in turn to the people. 37They all ate and were satisfied. Afterward the disciples picked up seven basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. 38The number of those who ate was four thousand, besides women and children. 39After Jesus had sent the crowd away, he got into the boat and went to the vicinity of Magadan.”
When life seems to hit you upside the head, and you want to call mercy, just remember, God cares and is there to bring you out of any and all situations when you truly trust in him. In order for God to be God, we must keep all human emotions in check, especially our pride. There’s no use in being prideful, as it often causes the downfall of many. Embrace humility and understand God is the sole source of everything!
Application:
1. Read Matthew 15
2. Do you forget the power of God? What do you allow to stand in the way of his power?
Let God Be God
We often have times in our lives where we put limitations on God’s power. In other words, we find ourselves in situations where we may not see an end, yet most often, these are the times where God reveals himself!
As we continue our study on the book of Matthew we read the following in chapter 15:32-39:
32Jesus called his disciples to him and said, "I have compassion for these people; they have already been with me three days and have nothing to eat. I do not want to send them away hungry, or they may collapse on the way."
33His disciples answered, "Where could we get enough bread in this remote place to feed such a crowd?"
34"How many loaves do you have?" Jesus asked. "Seven," they replied, "and a few small fish."
35He told the crowd to sit down on the ground. 36Then he took the seven loaves and the fish, and when he had given thanks, he broke them and gave them to the disciples, and they in turn to the people. 37They all ate and were satisfied. Afterward the disciples picked up seven basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. 38The number of those who ate was four thousand, besides women and children. 39After Jesus had sent the crowd away, he got into the boat and went to the vicinity of Magadan.”
When life seems to hit you upside the head, and you want to call mercy, just remember, God cares and is there to bring you out of any and all situations when you truly trust in him. In order for God to be God, we must keep all human emotions in check, especially our pride. There’s no use in being prideful, as it often causes the downfall of many. Embrace humility and understand God is the sole source of everything!
Application:
1. Read Matthew 15
2. Do you forget the power of God? What do you allow to stand in the way of his power?
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Practice Creates Desire
11-9-2009
Practice Creates Desire
The past week or so has been nothing short of busy. We purchased a new home, moved out of our old home, went to Mexico with our staff of the Dallas Patriots for our annual trip, and then returned to continue our move. Needless to say, I didn’t have any spare time, thus many things were sacrificed over the course of the week. This morning my wife and I had the fortunate opportunity to get back to our normal routine which begins each day with a trip to the gym for a good workout. This was the first time in years that I had taken a week off from working out, and I don’t plan on ever doing so again! This was the hardest workout I’ve ever had. I just couldn’t get motivated to go to the gym, and once I began my workout, I was lethargic. I wasn’t able to perform at my normal ability, and simply wanted to stop all together. It was at this point that I realized practice creates desire. When I am on a good workout routine, I desire to workout regularly, and I can’t stand going a day without a workout. My workouts are progressively better, and I feel great. After this week of not working out, I was able to understand why people don’t workout on a regular basis; they don’t have the desire because they don’t make it a part of their routine. They have the same feeling I had today, and simply STOP and don’t return to the gym. They don’t practice enough to instill a desire to continue.
While pressing through the workout, I paralleled this same concept to spiritual and personal development. When we don’t practice regularly, we become complacent, and eventually we stop reading the Bible and going to church all together. We need to understand the importance of overcoming the “I can’t do this anymore” the “I don’t want to do this anymore”, and the “I don’t see the benefit of doing this, I’m not getting anywhere” attitude. Once you create a habit of doing what you need to do, you will do what needs to be done, so you can be and have all you want in life! Remember, the hardest part is often the simple act of getting started.
Application:
1. Read the Bible daily, even if it’s a small verse or two.
2. Understand what needs to be done so you can be all God desires for you to be.
3. The hardest part with just about anything is getting started!
Practice Creates Desire
The past week or so has been nothing short of busy. We purchased a new home, moved out of our old home, went to Mexico with our staff of the Dallas Patriots for our annual trip, and then returned to continue our move. Needless to say, I didn’t have any spare time, thus many things were sacrificed over the course of the week. This morning my wife and I had the fortunate opportunity to get back to our normal routine which begins each day with a trip to the gym for a good workout. This was the first time in years that I had taken a week off from working out, and I don’t plan on ever doing so again! This was the hardest workout I’ve ever had. I just couldn’t get motivated to go to the gym, and once I began my workout, I was lethargic. I wasn’t able to perform at my normal ability, and simply wanted to stop all together. It was at this point that I realized practice creates desire. When I am on a good workout routine, I desire to workout regularly, and I can’t stand going a day without a workout. My workouts are progressively better, and I feel great. After this week of not working out, I was able to understand why people don’t workout on a regular basis; they don’t have the desire because they don’t make it a part of their routine. They have the same feeling I had today, and simply STOP and don’t return to the gym. They don’t practice enough to instill a desire to continue.
While pressing through the workout, I paralleled this same concept to spiritual and personal development. When we don’t practice regularly, we become complacent, and eventually we stop reading the Bible and going to church all together. We need to understand the importance of overcoming the “I can’t do this anymore” the “I don’t want to do this anymore”, and the “I don’t see the benefit of doing this, I’m not getting anywhere” attitude. Once you create a habit of doing what you need to do, you will do what needs to be done, so you can be and have all you want in life! Remember, the hardest part is often the simple act of getting started.
Application:
1. Read the Bible daily, even if it’s a small verse or two.
2. Understand what needs to be done so you can be all God desires for you to be.
3. The hardest part with just about anything is getting started!
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Salesman-REPOST
11-5-2009-REPOST
Salesman
4-20-2009I’ve heard the words, “I am not a sales person” many times. Truth is we are all a sales person, but many of us haven’t come to grips with this reality. Every time you engage in a conversation with someone, you are selling yourself. If you are consistent in conduct and conversation, you won’t have a hard time selling you. If you aren’t doing things the right way for the right reasons, you will do a horrible job of selling you.I speak at various business training events, and the most popular question I’m asked is, “if you could tell me one secret to success, what is it?” I used to laugh and think about it depending on the audience and what that particular person was trying to sell. Now, there isn’t any hesitation when I’m asked the question because the answer is the same no matter who is asking it and no matter what they do for a living. The key to success is YOU! You can have the greatest pick up lines, sales pitches, game plan, etcetera, but if your audience isn’t bought into you, then everything you say will fall on deaf ears due to a lack of credibility. On the flip side, you can have a bad “pick-up” line and change the world. Do any of these sound familiar:“Come, follow me” (Matthew 4:19)“Let’s go over to the other side of the lake” (Luke 8:22)“My child, get up!” (Luke 8:54)Jesus Christ wasn’t some fancy wordsmith, yet He is the most influential person to ever walk the earth. He is proof it isn’t what is said that’s most important, it’s who is saying it. If you are the person God has called you to be, you too will be able to accomplish your dreams, but God will not give you the success you desire if you aren’t prepared for it. Therefore, doesn’t it make sense to schedule time for personal development? The fact that you are reading this devotional speaks volumes as very few are willing to take the time to do this simple act. Humans would rather read insignificant emails, gossip, watch television, or some other form of time waster and income reducer than focus on personal development. If you want to be successful, it starts with YOU!Application:1. Read Matthew 4:18-222. Make time to grow daily3. Make sure you have some form of accountability (discuss what you read each day with a friend, so you both can hold each other accountable)
Salesman
4-20-2009I’ve heard the words, “I am not a sales person” many times. Truth is we are all a sales person, but many of us haven’t come to grips with this reality. Every time you engage in a conversation with someone, you are selling yourself. If you are consistent in conduct and conversation, you won’t have a hard time selling you. If you aren’t doing things the right way for the right reasons, you will do a horrible job of selling you.I speak at various business training events, and the most popular question I’m asked is, “if you could tell me one secret to success, what is it?” I used to laugh and think about it depending on the audience and what that particular person was trying to sell. Now, there isn’t any hesitation when I’m asked the question because the answer is the same no matter who is asking it and no matter what they do for a living. The key to success is YOU! You can have the greatest pick up lines, sales pitches, game plan, etcetera, but if your audience isn’t bought into you, then everything you say will fall on deaf ears due to a lack of credibility. On the flip side, you can have a bad “pick-up” line and change the world. Do any of these sound familiar:“Come, follow me” (Matthew 4:19)“Let’s go over to the other side of the lake” (Luke 8:22)“My child, get up!” (Luke 8:54)Jesus Christ wasn’t some fancy wordsmith, yet He is the most influential person to ever walk the earth. He is proof it isn’t what is said that’s most important, it’s who is saying it. If you are the person God has called you to be, you too will be able to accomplish your dreams, but God will not give you the success you desire if you aren’t prepared for it. Therefore, doesn’t it make sense to schedule time for personal development? The fact that you are reading this devotional speaks volumes as very few are willing to take the time to do this simple act. Humans would rather read insignificant emails, gossip, watch television, or some other form of time waster and income reducer than focus on personal development. If you want to be successful, it starts with YOU!Application:1. Read Matthew 4:18-222. Make time to grow daily3. Make sure you have some form of accountability (discuss what you read each day with a friend, so you both can hold each other accountable)
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
James Dobson
11-4-2009
James Dobson
I’m in the process of moving as I write this devotional, and let’s just say I can’t wait to complete the task! A great friend of mine emailed me a quote by James Dobson that says the following:
"I have concluded that the accumulation of wealth, even if I could achieve it, is an insufficient reason for living.
When I reach the end of my days... a moment or two from now, I must look backward on something more meaningful than the pursuit of houses and land and machines and stocks and bonds. Nor is fame of any lasting benefit.
I will consider my earthly existence to have been wasted unless I can recall a loving family, a consistent investment in the lives of people, and an earnest attempt to serve the God who made me.
Nothing else makes much sense.”
Through this entire moving experience, it can be very easy to get wrapped up in the grind of buy this, pay for that, move this, etcetera. At the end of the day, I pray God will bless every home, and may they be used to glorify our maker in every way possible!
God Bless!
James Dobson
I’m in the process of moving as I write this devotional, and let’s just say I can’t wait to complete the task! A great friend of mine emailed me a quote by James Dobson that says the following:
"I have concluded that the accumulation of wealth, even if I could achieve it, is an insufficient reason for living.
When I reach the end of my days... a moment or two from now, I must look backward on something more meaningful than the pursuit of houses and land and machines and stocks and bonds. Nor is fame of any lasting benefit.
I will consider my earthly existence to have been wasted unless I can recall a loving family, a consistent investment in the lives of people, and an earnest attempt to serve the God who made me.
Nothing else makes much sense.”
Through this entire moving experience, it can be very easy to get wrapped up in the grind of buy this, pay for that, move this, etcetera. At the end of the day, I pray God will bless every home, and may they be used to glorify our maker in every way possible!
God Bless!
Monday, November 2, 2009
Money
12-15-2009
7-16-2009-REPOST
Money
Money can be a very controversial issue when dealing with the Christian faith. It’s extremely important to read the Bible in context so you can understand each verse for what it means. As we continue to study the book of Matthew, Jesus speaks about the role of money and the Christian faith.
19"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
We find a common theme when discussing the temporal (things of the world). We shouldn’t put our faith in anything of this world. Money comes and goes, and your material possessions mean NOTHING in the big picture. Our treasure needs to rest in the eternal where we will never be let down. Everything of this world will vanish eventually. The eternal is forever. Our time on this earth is just a blip on the radar screen, so make sure your focus is on the kingdom of God, and not on the size of your bank account.
God will bless certain individuals with financial success, but that doesn’t make you happy. Those that understand the role of money deal with financial success properly. Though Christ followers may have a lot of money, they do not put their hope, faith, or focus on money, but instead use the money they have to further the kingdom of God. Before you judge people for having nice things, remember, a person of wealth may donate 90% of what they make and only keep 10% for themselves. There are a lot of people that have a lot of money, and they are miserable. Money is important, as we have to have it in order to live, but it shouldn’t be a factor in what you do on this earth. In other words, follow your heart. If you make business decisions purely on financial gain, you will be miserable. When you follow your heart you will find peace and fulfillment. You will be excited about life. For example, if you want to be a coach, then be a coach. It may not pay a lot of money, but do what you feel God wants you to do. You won’t be able to have some of the material possessions others have, but you will live a life of fulfillment and happiness because you did what you were called to do.
The world needs generous people, and God wants generous people. If you have plenty of money, yet don’t support your church, then you don’t understand what God has called us to do. It’s not your money! Giving 10% SHOULDN’T BE AN OPTION. Blessing those in need shouldn’t be an option. God will bless you financially if you give abundantly.
Application:
1. Read Matthew 6:19-21
2. How do you view money? Are you giving as Christ has called you to give?
7-16-2009-REPOST
Money
Money can be a very controversial issue when dealing with the Christian faith. It’s extremely important to read the Bible in context so you can understand each verse for what it means. As we continue to study the book of Matthew, Jesus speaks about the role of money and the Christian faith.
19"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
We find a common theme when discussing the temporal (things of the world). We shouldn’t put our faith in anything of this world. Money comes and goes, and your material possessions mean NOTHING in the big picture. Our treasure needs to rest in the eternal where we will never be let down. Everything of this world will vanish eventually. The eternal is forever. Our time on this earth is just a blip on the radar screen, so make sure your focus is on the kingdom of God, and not on the size of your bank account.
God will bless certain individuals with financial success, but that doesn’t make you happy. Those that understand the role of money deal with financial success properly. Though Christ followers may have a lot of money, they do not put their hope, faith, or focus on money, but instead use the money they have to further the kingdom of God. Before you judge people for having nice things, remember, a person of wealth may donate 90% of what they make and only keep 10% for themselves. There are a lot of people that have a lot of money, and they are miserable. Money is important, as we have to have it in order to live, but it shouldn’t be a factor in what you do on this earth. In other words, follow your heart. If you make business decisions purely on financial gain, you will be miserable. When you follow your heart you will find peace and fulfillment. You will be excited about life. For example, if you want to be a coach, then be a coach. It may not pay a lot of money, but do what you feel God wants you to do. You won’t be able to have some of the material possessions others have, but you will live a life of fulfillment and happiness because you did what you were called to do.
The world needs generous people, and God wants generous people. If you have plenty of money, yet don’t support your church, then you don’t understand what God has called us to do. It’s not your money! Giving 10% SHOULDN’T BE AN OPTION. Blessing those in need shouldn’t be an option. God will bless you financially if you give abundantly.
Application:
1. Read Matthew 6:19-21
2. How do you view money? Are you giving as Christ has called you to give?
Clay Ball
11-2-2009
Clay Ball
This email was forwarded to me, and I feel it’s worth the read!
A man was exploring caves by the Seashore. In one of the caves he found a canvas bag with a bunch of hardened clay balls. It was like someone had rolled clay balls and left them out in the sun to bake. They didn't look like much, but they intrigued the man, so he took the bag out of the cave with him. As he strolled along the beach, he would throw the clay balls one at a time out into the ocean as far as he could.
He thought little about it, until he dropped one of the clay balls and it cracked open on a rock . Inside was a beautiful, precious stone!
Excited, the man started breaking open the remaining clay balls. Each contained a similar treasure. He found thousands of dollars worth of jewels in the 20 or so clay balls he had left.
Then it struck him. He had been on the beach a long time. He had thrown maybe 50 or 60 of the clay balls with their hidden treasure into the ocean waves. Instead of thousands of dollars in treasure, he could have taken home tens of thousands, but he had just thrown it away!
It's like that with people. We look at someone, maybe even ourselves, and we see the external clay vessel. It doesn't look like much from the outside. It isn't always beautiful or sparkling, so we discount it.
We see that person as less important than someone more beautiful or stylish or well known or wealthy. But we have not taken the time to find the treasure hidden inside that person...
There is a treasure in each and every one of us. If we take the time to get to know that person, and if we ask God to show us that person the way He sees them, then the clay begins to peel away and the brilliant gem begins to shine forth. May we not come to the end of our lives and find out that we have thrown away a fortune in friendships because the gems were hidden in bits of clay. May we see the people in our world as God sees them. I am so blessed by the gems of friendship we share. Thank you for looking beyond my clay vessel. APPRECIATE EVERY
SINGLE THING YOU HAVE, ESPECIALLY YOUR FRIENDS! LIFE IS TOO SHORT AND FRIENDS ARE TOO FEW!
Clay Ball
This email was forwarded to me, and I feel it’s worth the read!
A man was exploring caves by the Seashore. In one of the caves he found a canvas bag with a bunch of hardened clay balls. It was like someone had rolled clay balls and left them out in the sun to bake. They didn't look like much, but they intrigued the man, so he took the bag out of the cave with him. As he strolled along the beach, he would throw the clay balls one at a time out into the ocean as far as he could.
He thought little about it, until he dropped one of the clay balls and it cracked open on a rock . Inside was a beautiful, precious stone!
Excited, the man started breaking open the remaining clay balls. Each contained a similar treasure. He found thousands of dollars worth of jewels in the 20 or so clay balls he had left.
Then it struck him. He had been on the beach a long time. He had thrown maybe 50 or 60 of the clay balls with their hidden treasure into the ocean waves. Instead of thousands of dollars in treasure, he could have taken home tens of thousands, but he had just thrown it away!
It's like that with people. We look at someone, maybe even ourselves, and we see the external clay vessel. It doesn't look like much from the outside. It isn't always beautiful or sparkling, so we discount it.
We see that person as less important than someone more beautiful or stylish or well known or wealthy. But we have not taken the time to find the treasure hidden inside that person...
There is a treasure in each and every one of us. If we take the time to get to know that person, and if we ask God to show us that person the way He sees them, then the clay begins to peel away and the brilliant gem begins to shine forth. May we not come to the end of our lives and find out that we have thrown away a fortune in friendships because the gems were hidden in bits of clay. May we see the people in our world as God sees them. I am so blessed by the gems of friendship we share. Thank you for looking beyond my clay vessel. APPRECIATE EVERY
SINGLE THING YOU HAVE, ESPECIALLY YOUR FRIENDS! LIFE IS TOO SHORT AND FRIENDS ARE TOO FEW!
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Jesus Heals All
10-30-2009
Jesus Heals All
We are all born into this world broken, and with a sinful nature. It’s through grace, mercy, and salvation that only Christ offers which enables us to die to self and live a new life in Him. We all experience the ups and downs of life, and at times many feel broken. Just as Christ literally healed the lame, cured the blind, and allowed the mute to speak, he can carry you through the ups and downs of life.
Matthew 15:21-31 says the following:
21Leaving that place, Jesus withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon. 22A Canaanite woman from that vicinity came to him, crying out, "Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is suffering terribly from demon-possession."
23Jesus did not answer a word. So his disciples came to him and urged him, "Send her away, for she keeps crying out after us."
24He answered, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel."
25The woman came and knelt before him. "Lord, help me!" she said.
26He replied, "It is not right to take the children's bread and toss it to their dogs."
27"Yes, Lord," she said, "but even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters' table."
28Then Jesus answered, "Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted." And her daughter was healed from that very hour.
29Jesus left there and went along the Sea of Galilee. Then he went up on a mountainside and sat down. 30Great crowds came to him, bringing the lame, the blind, the crippled, the mute and many others, and laid them at his feet; and he healed them. 31The people were amazed when they saw the mute speaking, the crippled made well, the lame walking and the blind seeing. And they praised the God of Israel.”
Allow this story to encourage everyone that Christ can and does heal those that are faithful. He doesn’t care about your background, economic status, your past, gender, and etcetera. We simply need to remain faithful and allow God to be God! I love Philippians 4:13 which says, “I can do everything through him who gives me strength.” No matter how faithful you have or haven’t been, Jesus is calling you today. Jesus isn’t concerned whether you’ve lived a sin filled life or a sinless life. He’s focused on where your faith stands today. If you’ve been faithful, GREAT, stick with it and keep growing. If you’ve strayed off the path, no problem, hop back on God’s path, as that is the only path to pure joy and freedom. God Bless!
Jesus Heals All
We are all born into this world broken, and with a sinful nature. It’s through grace, mercy, and salvation that only Christ offers which enables us to die to self and live a new life in Him. We all experience the ups and downs of life, and at times many feel broken. Just as Christ literally healed the lame, cured the blind, and allowed the mute to speak, he can carry you through the ups and downs of life.
Matthew 15:21-31 says the following:
21Leaving that place, Jesus withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon. 22A Canaanite woman from that vicinity came to him, crying out, "Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is suffering terribly from demon-possession."
23Jesus did not answer a word. So his disciples came to him and urged him, "Send her away, for she keeps crying out after us."
24He answered, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel."
25The woman came and knelt before him. "Lord, help me!" she said.
26He replied, "It is not right to take the children's bread and toss it to their dogs."
27"Yes, Lord," she said, "but even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters' table."
28Then Jesus answered, "Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted." And her daughter was healed from that very hour.
29Jesus left there and went along the Sea of Galilee. Then he went up on a mountainside and sat down. 30Great crowds came to him, bringing the lame, the blind, the crippled, the mute and many others, and laid them at his feet; and he healed them. 31The people were amazed when they saw the mute speaking, the crippled made well, the lame walking and the blind seeing. And they praised the God of Israel.”
Allow this story to encourage everyone that Christ can and does heal those that are faithful. He doesn’t care about your background, economic status, your past, gender, and etcetera. We simply need to remain faithful and allow God to be God! I love Philippians 4:13 which says, “I can do everything through him who gives me strength.” No matter how faithful you have or haven’t been, Jesus is calling you today. Jesus isn’t concerned whether you’ve lived a sin filled life or a sinless life. He’s focused on where your faith stands today. If you’ve been faithful, GREAT, stick with it and keep growing. If you’ve strayed off the path, no problem, hop back on God’s path, as that is the only path to pure joy and freedom. God Bless!
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Inner Purity
10-29-2009
Inner Purity
God desires for us to be made pure. Baptism in symbolic of the cleansing of our sins, thus making us pure. When we accept Christ as our Lord and Savior, the Bible says, out with the old and in with the new, as we are a new creation. If we truly live for Christ we should live a life of purity. That doesn’t mean we are going to be perfect, but what it should mean is we strive for sanctification (to be Christ like), and when we make mistakes we genuinely ask for forgiveness. Everything we do and say should have pure intentions. Jesus desires for us to have inner purity.
Matthew 15:1-20 says the following:
Clean and Unclean
1Then some Pharisees and teachers of the law came to Jesus from Jerusalem and asked, 2"Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? They don't wash their hands before they eat!"
3Jesus replied, "And why do you break the command of God for the sake of your tradition? 4For God said, 'Honor your father and mother’ and 'Anyone who curses his father or mother must be put to death.'5But you say that if a man says to his father or mother, 'Whatever help you might otherwise have received from me is a gift devoted to God,' 6he is not to 'honor his father' with it. Thus you nullify the word of God for the sake of your tradition. 7You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you: 8" 'These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. 9They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men.'"
10Jesus called the crowd to him and said, "Listen and understand. 11What goes into a man's mouth does not make him 'unclean,' but what comes out of his mouth, that is what makes him 'unclean.' "
12Then the disciples came to him and asked, "Do you know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this?"
13He replied, "Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be pulled up by the roots. 14Leave them; they are blind guides. If a blind man leads a blind man, both will fall into a pit."
15Peter said, "Explain the parable to us."
16"Are you still so dull?" Jesus asked them. 17"Don't you see that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and then out of the body? 18But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and these make a man 'unclean.' 19For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. 20These are what make a man 'unclean'; but eating with unwashed hands does not make him 'unclean.' "
When our hearts are in the right place, our worship is meaningful, but to simply do religious traditions is meaningless. Showing up to church doesn’t make you a Christian, just like showing up to Burger King doesn’t make me a Burger! It’s about the condition of our heart and our motives. Do we act and think with purity. The devil knows a lot of God and the Bible, but he doesn’t KNOW God. Anyone can memorize scripture and sit at church with Bibles in hand on Sundays. God wants a commitment from us. Check your spiritual growth and purity, and make sure your heart is in the right place. Pray that you will find self assurance in what God thinks of you, and not what man thinks of you. God knows all and sees all, so let’s give him our all!
Application:
1. Read Matthew 15:1-20
2. Check your purity
Inner Purity
God desires for us to be made pure. Baptism in symbolic of the cleansing of our sins, thus making us pure. When we accept Christ as our Lord and Savior, the Bible says, out with the old and in with the new, as we are a new creation. If we truly live for Christ we should live a life of purity. That doesn’t mean we are going to be perfect, but what it should mean is we strive for sanctification (to be Christ like), and when we make mistakes we genuinely ask for forgiveness. Everything we do and say should have pure intentions. Jesus desires for us to have inner purity.
Matthew 15:1-20 says the following:
Clean and Unclean
1Then some Pharisees and teachers of the law came to Jesus from Jerusalem and asked, 2"Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? They don't wash their hands before they eat!"
3Jesus replied, "And why do you break the command of God for the sake of your tradition? 4For God said, 'Honor your father and mother’ and 'Anyone who curses his father or mother must be put to death.'5But you say that if a man says to his father or mother, 'Whatever help you might otherwise have received from me is a gift devoted to God,' 6he is not to 'honor his father' with it. Thus you nullify the word of God for the sake of your tradition. 7You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you: 8" 'These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. 9They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men.'"
10Jesus called the crowd to him and said, "Listen and understand. 11What goes into a man's mouth does not make him 'unclean,' but what comes out of his mouth, that is what makes him 'unclean.' "
12Then the disciples came to him and asked, "Do you know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this?"
13He replied, "Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be pulled up by the roots. 14Leave them; they are blind guides. If a blind man leads a blind man, both will fall into a pit."
15Peter said, "Explain the parable to us."
16"Are you still so dull?" Jesus asked them. 17"Don't you see that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and then out of the body? 18But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and these make a man 'unclean.' 19For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. 20These are what make a man 'unclean'; but eating with unwashed hands does not make him 'unclean.' "
When our hearts are in the right place, our worship is meaningful, but to simply do religious traditions is meaningless. Showing up to church doesn’t make you a Christian, just like showing up to Burger King doesn’t make me a Burger! It’s about the condition of our heart and our motives. Do we act and think with purity. The devil knows a lot of God and the Bible, but he doesn’t KNOW God. Anyone can memorize scripture and sit at church with Bibles in hand on Sundays. God wants a commitment from us. Check your spiritual growth and purity, and make sure your heart is in the right place. Pray that you will find self assurance in what God thinks of you, and not what man thinks of you. God knows all and sees all, so let’s give him our all!
Application:
1. Read Matthew 15:1-20
2. Check your purity
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Meaningless Traditions
10-28-2009
Meaningless Traditions
Though I’m not Methodist, I have worked at Methodist churches while in youth ministry. As with a lot of churches, traditions are practiced regularly. It might be the clothes the minister wears, the number of times the bell rings before or after a service, the types of flowers in the sanctuary, or even the times of worship. Some churches serve communion and some don’t. Amongst the churches that serve communion, some use grape juice while others use wine. There are many traditions practiced throughout the churches of our world, and they can certainly enrich the worship experience, but have little to do with the true significance of worship.
Matthew 15:1-2 says the following:
“1Then some Pharisees and teachers of the law came to Jesus from Jerusalem and asked, 2"Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? They don't wash their hands before they eat!"
Jesus was being scrutinized for not following the traditions of the church. The Pharisees and teachers of the law put the same emphasis on their traditions as they did the law. Traditions should help us to understand God’s law, but not become law.
As we grow in our understanding of who Christ is and who he wants us to be, it’s important to refrain from putting your focus on the legalities of traditions. Traditions can be respected, but they should never be viewed as an equal to God’s law. At the end of the day, we are called to do two things above everything: love God and love people. Let’s stay focused on what Christ called us to do, and refrain from spending too much time on the things that really aren’t that important. Make a point to remind yourself and others about the true meaning of Christianity.
Application:
1. Read Matthew 15:1-2
2. Have you allowed certain traditions to overpower God’s greatest commandments of love?
Meaningless Traditions
Though I’m not Methodist, I have worked at Methodist churches while in youth ministry. As with a lot of churches, traditions are practiced regularly. It might be the clothes the minister wears, the number of times the bell rings before or after a service, the types of flowers in the sanctuary, or even the times of worship. Some churches serve communion and some don’t. Amongst the churches that serve communion, some use grape juice while others use wine. There are many traditions practiced throughout the churches of our world, and they can certainly enrich the worship experience, but have little to do with the true significance of worship.
Matthew 15:1-2 says the following:
“1Then some Pharisees and teachers of the law came to Jesus from Jerusalem and asked, 2"Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? They don't wash their hands before they eat!"
Jesus was being scrutinized for not following the traditions of the church. The Pharisees and teachers of the law put the same emphasis on their traditions as they did the law. Traditions should help us to understand God’s law, but not become law.
As we grow in our understanding of who Christ is and who he wants us to be, it’s important to refrain from putting your focus on the legalities of traditions. Traditions can be respected, but they should never be viewed as an equal to God’s law. At the end of the day, we are called to do two things above everything: love God and love people. Let’s stay focused on what Christ called us to do, and refrain from spending too much time on the things that really aren’t that important. Make a point to remind yourself and others about the true meaning of Christianity.
Application:
1. Read Matthew 15:1-2
2. Have you allowed certain traditions to overpower God’s greatest commandments of love?
Monday, October 26, 2009
Give/Get Mindset
10-27-2009
Give/Get Mindset
Have you ever been around someone that always wants something out of you? For example, when you see their name on the caller ID, you know they are calling because they want something. As we study the example of Jesus, we see the exact opposite. He serves, gives, and heals. Are you a giver or a taker? It’s not the amount that you give, or what you give that’s important. It’s the fact that you give. Find ways to provide for people. It might be serving, financial gifts, etc. Regardless of how you give, make a point to be one that provides for others versus the type that always takes from everyone. Don’t be the type that always asks for a pay raise; work so hard your superior can’t wait to give you a bonus!
For many of you it may be a mindset where you don’t feel you are getting what you deserve to get. There’s only one way to change that problem, and that’s by changing the way you think. Don’t expect a bonus or a raise. Instead, be grateful for what you have, and do everything in your power to show your gratitude. Don’t see what you can get out of the world; instead see what you can put into the world.
Matthew 14:34-36 says the following:
34When they had crossed over, they landed at Gennesaret. 35And when the men of that place recognized Jesus, they sent word to all the surrounding country. People brought all their sick to him 36and begged him to let the sick just touch the edge of his cloak, and all who touched him were healed.”
T
hink of all the miracles Jesus performed, yet when push came to shove so many denied ever knowing him. They ran to him when they wanted something, and were done with him when he no longer provided something they needed. These people never understood who Jesus was. People came to Jesus for their physical well being, yet he has the power to give them eternal healing! Let’s change our outlook on life. Live to serve and provide, and you will be blessed abundantly. As long as we live to get, we will never get enough, and we will always be left wanting.
Application:
1. Read Matthew 14:34-36
2. What’s your give/get mindset?
Give/Get Mindset
Have you ever been around someone that always wants something out of you? For example, when you see their name on the caller ID, you know they are calling because they want something. As we study the example of Jesus, we see the exact opposite. He serves, gives, and heals. Are you a giver or a taker? It’s not the amount that you give, or what you give that’s important. It’s the fact that you give. Find ways to provide for people. It might be serving, financial gifts, etc. Regardless of how you give, make a point to be one that provides for others versus the type that always takes from everyone. Don’t be the type that always asks for a pay raise; work so hard your superior can’t wait to give you a bonus!
For many of you it may be a mindset where you don’t feel you are getting what you deserve to get. There’s only one way to change that problem, and that’s by changing the way you think. Don’t expect a bonus or a raise. Instead, be grateful for what you have, and do everything in your power to show your gratitude. Don’t see what you can get out of the world; instead see what you can put into the world.
Matthew 14:34-36 says the following:
34When they had crossed over, they landed at Gennesaret. 35And when the men of that place recognized Jesus, they sent word to all the surrounding country. People brought all their sick to him 36and begged him to let the sick just touch the edge of his cloak, and all who touched him were healed.”
T
hink of all the miracles Jesus performed, yet when push came to shove so many denied ever knowing him. They ran to him when they wanted something, and were done with him when he no longer provided something they needed. These people never understood who Jesus was. People came to Jesus for their physical well being, yet he has the power to give them eternal healing! Let’s change our outlook on life. Live to serve and provide, and you will be blessed abundantly. As long as we live to get, we will never get enough, and we will always be left wanting.
Application:
1. Read Matthew 14:34-36
2. What’s your give/get mindset?
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Jesus Walks On Water
10-26-2009
Jesus Walks On Water
We all have moments in our lives where we lose focus on Jesus, and get wrapped up in self. Very rarely do we have these moments in our lives where things don’t start to turn south in a hurry. The only way to keep from drowning during these moments is by fixing your eyes on Jesus, thus enabling us to handle our issues with the proper perspective. When we lose faith, we are pretty much guaranteeing ourselves a drowning situation just as Peter experienced. Matthew 14:22-32 says the following:
Jesus Walks on the Water
“22Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. 23After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, 24but the boat was already a considerable distance[a] from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it.
25During the fourth watch of the night Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. 26When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. "It's a ghost," they said, and cried out in fear.
27But Jesus immediately said to them: "Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid."
28"Lord, if it's you," Peter replied, "tell me to come to you on the water."
29"Come," he said.
Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. 30But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, "Lord, save me!"
31Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. "You of little faith," he said, "why did you doubt?"
32And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down.”
We’ve all had Peter moments! We step out in this great thing called life, and just when we feel we have things going the way we want them, adversity strikes. Soon fear takes over, and we start to doubt our very existence, we lose faith, and we start to sink. It’s during these sinking moments we begin to lose self confidence and self worth. Everything we do is like walking on egg shells, as doubt and fear dominate your every thought. The best way out of this victim mentality is to focus on what to do and how to do it, and most importantly who you must allow to carry you along the journey. Remember, you are who you are because God made you the way you are. You are where God wants you to be and will be where God wants you to be as long as you focus on your Savior. God will put you where he wants you. Your job is to remain obedient to his word, and to stay focused on his will in your life. Instead of thinking about your inadequacies, focus on the power of God!
We all have tough times in our lives when we lose faith, and we need to do exactly as Peter does by saying, “Lord, save me!” Don’t allow the peaks and valleys of your life to control your outlook, because no matter how fast you feel like your sinking, God is one simple shout away from getting you right back in the boat of life! Life is amazing when you allow Jesus to carry you every day of your life.
Application:
1. Read Matthew 14:22-32
2. When you have doubts, just send out a shout to Jesus!
Jesus Walks On Water
We all have moments in our lives where we lose focus on Jesus, and get wrapped up in self. Very rarely do we have these moments in our lives where things don’t start to turn south in a hurry. The only way to keep from drowning during these moments is by fixing your eyes on Jesus, thus enabling us to handle our issues with the proper perspective. When we lose faith, we are pretty much guaranteeing ourselves a drowning situation just as Peter experienced. Matthew 14:22-32 says the following:
Jesus Walks on the Water
“22Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. 23After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, 24but the boat was already a considerable distance[a] from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it.
25During the fourth watch of the night Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. 26When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. "It's a ghost," they said, and cried out in fear.
27But Jesus immediately said to them: "Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid."
28"Lord, if it's you," Peter replied, "tell me to come to you on the water."
29"Come," he said.
Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. 30But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, "Lord, save me!"
31Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. "You of little faith," he said, "why did you doubt?"
32And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down.”
We’ve all had Peter moments! We step out in this great thing called life, and just when we feel we have things going the way we want them, adversity strikes. Soon fear takes over, and we start to doubt our very existence, we lose faith, and we start to sink. It’s during these sinking moments we begin to lose self confidence and self worth. Everything we do is like walking on egg shells, as doubt and fear dominate your every thought. The best way out of this victim mentality is to focus on what to do and how to do it, and most importantly who you must allow to carry you along the journey. Remember, you are who you are because God made you the way you are. You are where God wants you to be and will be where God wants you to be as long as you focus on your Savior. God will put you where he wants you. Your job is to remain obedient to his word, and to stay focused on his will in your life. Instead of thinking about your inadequacies, focus on the power of God!
We all have tough times in our lives when we lose faith, and we need to do exactly as Peter does by saying, “Lord, save me!” Don’t allow the peaks and valleys of your life to control your outlook, because no matter how fast you feel like your sinking, God is one simple shout away from getting you right back in the boat of life! Life is amazing when you allow Jesus to carry you every day of your life.
Application:
1. Read Matthew 14:22-32
2. When you have doubts, just send out a shout to Jesus!
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Jesus Feeds Five Thousand
10-23-2009
Jesus Feeds Five Thousand
I had a lunch meeting with an old friend/mentor of mine, Brian Summerall, which I hadn’t seen in a while. This is the man God used to lead me to Christ. He was the head of Young Life in Richardson, Texas at the time, and he had invited me for well over a year to attend a Young Life event. They occurred every Monday night at 7:29, and I always had an excuse as to why I couldn’t go. Young Life is geared for high school aged kids where all are welcome. On any given night they will sing songs, have talent shows, slam dunk competitions, you name it, and for about five to 10 minutes they will speak about Christ. It’s an amazing outreach program that doesn’t feel at all like church, yet delivers amazing messages week after week about life and where Christ fits in to the entire scenario. Needless to say, I went once, and never missed another Young Life again. For those of you that have kids, I want to encourage you to get your kids plugged into their local Young Life club as it changed my life and ultimately led me to accepting Christ as my Lord and Savior.
Matthew 14:13-21 says the following:
13When Jesus heard what had happened, he withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place. Hearing of this, the crowds followed him on foot from the towns. 14When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick.
15As evening approached, the disciples came to him and said, "This is a remote place, and it's already getting late. Send the crowds away, so they can go to the villages and buy themselves some food."
16Jesus replied, "They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat."
17"We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish," they answered.
18"Bring them here to me," he said. 19And he directed the people to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people. 20They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. 21The number of those who ate was about five thousand men, besides women and children.”
Jesus used five loaves of bread and two fish to feed five thousand people. How often do we feel our efforts are insignificant? Do we truly understand how God can multiply our efforts into everlasting and eternal results?
Brian Summerall and Young Life were the platform God used to lead me to my eternal destination. As a result, we have a Christ centered baseball organization (www.dallaspatriots.com), I went into youth ministry, etc. The moral of this story is God uses us in ways we can’t even fathom. After sitting down with Brian, I don’t think he even understood the impact he had in my life. When we feel our contribution in this world is minimal, just remember that Jesus can multiply our efforts and does!
Application:
1. Read Matthew 14:13-21
2. Stay focused on making an impact, and allow God to multiply your efforts!
Jesus Feeds Five Thousand
I had a lunch meeting with an old friend/mentor of mine, Brian Summerall, which I hadn’t seen in a while. This is the man God used to lead me to Christ. He was the head of Young Life in Richardson, Texas at the time, and he had invited me for well over a year to attend a Young Life event. They occurred every Monday night at 7:29, and I always had an excuse as to why I couldn’t go. Young Life is geared for high school aged kids where all are welcome. On any given night they will sing songs, have talent shows, slam dunk competitions, you name it, and for about five to 10 minutes they will speak about Christ. It’s an amazing outreach program that doesn’t feel at all like church, yet delivers amazing messages week after week about life and where Christ fits in to the entire scenario. Needless to say, I went once, and never missed another Young Life again. For those of you that have kids, I want to encourage you to get your kids plugged into their local Young Life club as it changed my life and ultimately led me to accepting Christ as my Lord and Savior.
Matthew 14:13-21 says the following:
13When Jesus heard what had happened, he withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place. Hearing of this, the crowds followed him on foot from the towns. 14When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick.
15As evening approached, the disciples came to him and said, "This is a remote place, and it's already getting late. Send the crowds away, so they can go to the villages and buy themselves some food."
16Jesus replied, "They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat."
17"We have here only five loaves of bread and two fish," they answered.
18"Bring them here to me," he said. 19And he directed the people to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people. 20They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. 21The number of those who ate was about five thousand men, besides women and children.”
Jesus used five loaves of bread and two fish to feed five thousand people. How often do we feel our efforts are insignificant? Do we truly understand how God can multiply our efforts into everlasting and eternal results?
Brian Summerall and Young Life were the platform God used to lead me to my eternal destination. As a result, we have a Christ centered baseball organization (www.dallaspatriots.com), I went into youth ministry, etc. The moral of this story is God uses us in ways we can’t even fathom. After sitting down with Brian, I don’t think he even understood the impact he had in my life. When we feel our contribution in this world is minimal, just remember that Jesus can multiply our efforts and does!
Application:
1. Read Matthew 14:13-21
2. Stay focused on making an impact, and allow God to multiply your efforts!
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Solitude
10-22-2009
Solitude
I have a good friend of mine that literally disappears for about a month or so during the fall of each year. I’ve learned to stop calling him, as he’s not going to answer, and he certainly isn’t going to return a phone call…until a month later. It’s hilarious; out of the blue he will literally call me back a month or so later as if I never called him. My first response is something along the lines of, “Are you okay? Where have you been? I was worried about you.” His response goes something along the lines of, “Hey man what’s up? Things are great here!” After a back and forth conversation about how he hadn’t called me back for a while, he mentioned to me the importance of vacating and escaping the world. He feels it’s important to get away from everything and reflect on his life. Therefore, I no longer worry about his disappearing act, as I know exactly what he’s doing. About January, I know I will hear from him again. I’ve learned a lot from my buddies approach, and I’ve learned to adopt a version of this in my life. I won’t leave for months, but I do go on vacations with my wife on a frequent basis. This allows me to focus on both my wife, and to reflect on what I’m doing and where I want to go with respect to business, relationships, etc. I’m amazed at the impact a vacation does on my mental, spiritual, and emotional well being. I come home from vacations ready to rock and roll!
As we read Matthew chapter 14:13, we understand Jesus’ perspective on vacating:
“When Jesus heard what had happened, he withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place.”
Once Jesus heard that John the Baptist was beheaded by King Herod’s orders, he vacated to reflect on the situation. If Jesus feels it’s important to have alone time shouldn’t we? Of course! We all need time in our lives to turn the cell phones and computers off, and to allow ourselves to seek peace and clarity. In order to have clear thought, peace, and undistracted thoughts, we need to vacate. Life moves so quickly, thus we need to MAKE time to slow down and gather our thoughts. Make time for solitude or you will wish you had.
Application:
1. Read Matthew 14:13-14
2. Make time for solitude.
Solitude
I have a good friend of mine that literally disappears for about a month or so during the fall of each year. I’ve learned to stop calling him, as he’s not going to answer, and he certainly isn’t going to return a phone call…until a month later. It’s hilarious; out of the blue he will literally call me back a month or so later as if I never called him. My first response is something along the lines of, “Are you okay? Where have you been? I was worried about you.” His response goes something along the lines of, “Hey man what’s up? Things are great here!” After a back and forth conversation about how he hadn’t called me back for a while, he mentioned to me the importance of vacating and escaping the world. He feels it’s important to get away from everything and reflect on his life. Therefore, I no longer worry about his disappearing act, as I know exactly what he’s doing. About January, I know I will hear from him again. I’ve learned a lot from my buddies approach, and I’ve learned to adopt a version of this in my life. I won’t leave for months, but I do go on vacations with my wife on a frequent basis. This allows me to focus on both my wife, and to reflect on what I’m doing and where I want to go with respect to business, relationships, etc. I’m amazed at the impact a vacation does on my mental, spiritual, and emotional well being. I come home from vacations ready to rock and roll!
As we read Matthew chapter 14:13, we understand Jesus’ perspective on vacating:
“When Jesus heard what had happened, he withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place.”
Once Jesus heard that John the Baptist was beheaded by King Herod’s orders, he vacated to reflect on the situation. If Jesus feels it’s important to have alone time shouldn’t we? Of course! We all need time in our lives to turn the cell phones and computers off, and to allow ourselves to seek peace and clarity. In order to have clear thought, peace, and undistracted thoughts, we need to vacate. Life moves so quickly, thus we need to MAKE time to slow down and gather our thoughts. Make time for solitude or you will wish you had.
Application:
1. Read Matthew 14:13-14
2. Make time for solitude.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Right Thing For The Right Reasons
10-21-2009
Right Thing For The Right Reasons
We all make mistakes in life, but one saying I stress is to “do the right thing for the right reasons all the time.” Make sure to keep pride where pride belongs. When mistakes are made, admit it, make things right, and move forward. Moreover, don’t bite off more than you can chew, and when you do, make sure to do the right thing for the right reasons even if it’s going to make you look bad. If only King Herod had done so!
Matthew 14:1-12 says the following:
John the Baptist Beheaded
“ 1At that time Herod the tetrarch heard the reports about Jesus, 2and he said to his attendants, "This is John the Baptist; he has risen from the dead! That is why miraculous powers are at work in him."
3Now Herod had arrested John and bound him and put him in prison because of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife, 4for John had been saying to him: "It is not lawful for you to have her." 5Herod wanted to kill John, but he was afraid of the people, because they considered him a prophet.
6On Herod's birthday the daughter of Herodias danced for them and pleased Herod so much 7that he promised with an oath to give her whatever she asked. 8Prompted by her mother, she said, "Give me here on a platter the head of John the Baptist." 9The king was distressed, but because of his oaths and his dinner guests, he ordered that her request be granted 10and had John beheaded in the prison. 11His head was brought in on a platter and given to the girl, who carried it to her mother. 12John's disciples came and took his body and buried it. Then they went and told Jesus.”
What a crazy thing to do! King Herod didn’t want to kill John the Baptist, but due to the fact that he didn’t want to look bad in front of his guests, he had John the Baptist beheaded. We all have moments in our lives where the opportunity to compromise what’s right for temporary gain meet head on. In the end, always do what’s right, even if it means back tracking and cleaning up a mess you’ve made. It’s never too late to do the right thing. If you’ve done someone wrong, confess, make it right if at all possible, and pray for forgiveness. Do not allow the sinful natures (greed, envy, pride, jealousy, etc.) of the world to allow you to compromise what’s right. Maybe you’re on the other side of this situation. Maybe you are the one that was taken advantage of or cheated. Do as Christ commands us to do and forgive the person. Do not hold a grudge as it only eats at your soul. Whether you’ve done wrong or have been done wrong remember to o the right things for the right reasons all the time!
Application:
1. Read Matthew 14:1-12
2. What messes in your life do you need to clean up?
Right Thing For The Right Reasons
We all make mistakes in life, but one saying I stress is to “do the right thing for the right reasons all the time.” Make sure to keep pride where pride belongs. When mistakes are made, admit it, make things right, and move forward. Moreover, don’t bite off more than you can chew, and when you do, make sure to do the right thing for the right reasons even if it’s going to make you look bad. If only King Herod had done so!
Matthew 14:1-12 says the following:
John the Baptist Beheaded
“ 1At that time Herod the tetrarch heard the reports about Jesus, 2and he said to his attendants, "This is John the Baptist; he has risen from the dead! That is why miraculous powers are at work in him."
3Now Herod had arrested John and bound him and put him in prison because of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife, 4for John had been saying to him: "It is not lawful for you to have her." 5Herod wanted to kill John, but he was afraid of the people, because they considered him a prophet.
6On Herod's birthday the daughter of Herodias danced for them and pleased Herod so much 7that he promised with an oath to give her whatever she asked. 8Prompted by her mother, she said, "Give me here on a platter the head of John the Baptist." 9The king was distressed, but because of his oaths and his dinner guests, he ordered that her request be granted 10and had John beheaded in the prison. 11His head was brought in on a platter and given to the girl, who carried it to her mother. 12John's disciples came and took his body and buried it. Then they went and told Jesus.”
What a crazy thing to do! King Herod didn’t want to kill John the Baptist, but due to the fact that he didn’t want to look bad in front of his guests, he had John the Baptist beheaded. We all have moments in our lives where the opportunity to compromise what’s right for temporary gain meet head on. In the end, always do what’s right, even if it means back tracking and cleaning up a mess you’ve made. It’s never too late to do the right thing. If you’ve done someone wrong, confess, make it right if at all possible, and pray for forgiveness. Do not allow the sinful natures (greed, envy, pride, jealousy, etc.) of the world to allow you to compromise what’s right. Maybe you’re on the other side of this situation. Maybe you are the one that was taken advantage of or cheated. Do as Christ commands us to do and forgive the person. Do not hold a grudge as it only eats at your soul. Whether you’ve done wrong or have been done wrong remember to o the right things for the right reasons all the time!
Application:
1. Read Matthew 14:1-12
2. What messes in your life do you need to clean up?
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