Escape!

"For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice." James 3:16

Have you heard of a “gateway drug”? The idea is that some drugs lead to other, more harmful and deadly drugs. Before the person knows it, the drug they started with opens them up to a whole new world of drugs they never thought they would do.

James is warning us that envy and selfish ambition are gateway behaviors to much worse things. We might think being envious is no big deal and selfishness is a personal problem, that it only affects our lives and that we can control it. But eventually, our envy will reach out and begin to affect the lives of those around us. When we become consumed with our own desires, we elevate our wants above the needs of others. And ultimately, you’ll no longer care if you hurt others, as long as you get what you want.

Don’t be fooled into thinking that a little envy or selfish ambition is good motivation for advancing your career or financial status. Those thoughts will always lead to disorder and open the gateway to even more destructive behaviors. Instead of being consumed by your own desires, ask God to show you how to help meet the needs of others rather than doing whatever it takes to meet your own.

Escape the Ordinary!

God of This City!

Check out this video and tell me what you think!

Impossible Is Nothing

"Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit." Galatians 5:25

If you are a Christian, there was a time before your relationship with Christ that you thought you called the shots. And most of your decisions were based on what the world said you should desire.

Then came your encounter with Christ. And the selfish, destructive nature that once controlled you was replaced by the righteous freedom that Christ offers. Because of that, the foundation for making decisions has been redesigned. But that doesn’t mean you are perfect.

As you strive to keep in step with Christ, you will face obstacles and sometimes turmoil. Why? To keep in step with Christ is to step where He has stepped and to follow His lead. These steps sometimes lead us up a road that is wonderful with nothing but happiness and everything goes as planned. And sometimes these footprints lead us down a lonely road filled with hardship and pain. Neither road is very long, but they both serve the same purpose - to draw us closer to Christ!

Impossible is nothing!

Spiritual Proclamation

What does it mean to be a Christ-Follower?

Majorities of young people in America describe modern-day Christianity as judgmental, hypocritical and anti-gay. What's more, many Christians don't even want to call themselves "Christian" because of the baggage that accompanies the label. The findings were based on surveys of a sample of 867 young people between the ages of 16-29 by the Barna Research Group.

One in four non-Christians said that modern-day Christianity was no longer like Jesus.

Dr. Rick Warren, pastor of Saddleback Church and author of The Purpose Driven Life recently said, "For some time now, the hands and feet of the body of Christ have been amputated, and we've been pretty much reduced to a big mouth."

Something is really, really wrong with popular American Christianity.

How do we change the tide? How do we reach those between the ages of 16-29 that feel a disconnect with the church? How can we reveal to them the genuine love of God?

38 Things!

I am 38 years old and there are 38 things that I wish people would have told me when I was 18. Someone probably did tell me, but I wasn’t paying attention. Re:Imagine what life would be like if we learned from the mistakes of others. We won't live long enough to make them all ourselves...

Here is the list of 38 things:

1. Life is short. Make every day count for God’s glory.
2. Life is short. Don’t take it too seriously.
3. Ministry is a marathon, not a sprint.
4. Jesus cares more about the church than you do.
5. You can’t please everyone…so why try?
6. People will criticize you. Quit whining. Get used to it.
7. Three months from now, you won’t even remember most of the things that are bothering you today.
8. You can’t do it all. Stop trying.
9. God called you because He is good, not because you are.
10. If you blame yourself for the bad results in life or ministry, you’ll likely also take credit for the good results.
11. Your kids will be grown before you know it. Don’t sacrifice them on the altar of ministry.
12. Your ministry isn’t your god. God is your God!
13. You know how to give and how to minister to others. If you don’t learn how to receive, you’ll burn out and/or die.
14. Studying for sermons doesn’t replace your personal time with God and in His word.
15. Err on the side of generosity.
16. Believe in people that others overlook.
17. If you’re going to reach people that others aren’t, you’ll have to do things that others won’t.
18. Your integrity matters more than you can imagine.
19. Hire staff members that you like.
20. When you have a tough decision to make, but you know it’s right, make it immediately. (Like pulling off a Band-Aid: do it fast, and all at once.)
21. Hire slowly. Fire quickly.
22. You can’t change people. Only God can.
23. Don’t criticize others’ ministries. Yours isn’t nearly as perfect as you think it is.
24. Take care of yourself. Eat right. Rest. Exercise. Take time off. No one else can do that for you.
25. If you don’t take much time off, it’s because you’re proud, and you think you’re more necessary than you really are.
26. Don’t just delegate responsibility. Delegate authority.
27. Laugh frequently.
28. People will leave your church. People you love and trust will leave your church. Don’t take it personally.
29. When you suffer and hurt because of ministry, worship Jesus all the more.
30. Talk about Jesus every time you preach.
31. Be careful what you say. You’re being watched.
32. Don’t return emails when you’re angry.
33. Double-Check to make sure your microphone is turned off before you use the bathroom.
34. Double-Check to make sure your zipper is zipped every time before you preach.
35. Love your wife more than you love the church. The church is Jesus’ bride, not yours.
36. Always be caught speaking well of others.
37. Compliment, encourage, and build up your staff and volunteers.
38. Smile and look people in the eyes when you talk to them.

Re:Imagine and start now...

Do any of these apply to you as well? Do you resonate with many of the thoughts? What do you think?

break free

"A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones."
Proverbs 14:30

You know it’s not right, but you feel powerless to stop it. Thoughts creep into your mind and take over. You try to rationalize your feelings, but can’t shake the effect they have. As you stand admiring the blessings of others, that aching sensation deep within you grows stronger. It is the dangerous game of envy.

“Why doesn’t something like that ever happen to me?”

“They don’t deserve that as much as I do!”

The torment of these thoughts can cause you to lose sleep, lose focus and lose your sense of contentment. And the worst part is that it can cause you to lose your trust in God and disregard the awsome stuff He is doing in your life.

Don’t let envy become an uncontrollable force in your life. Instead, rely on God to give you the strength to overcome it. Every time you feel envy start to well up inside of you, identify it for what it is. Rather than focusing on what you don’t have, take a moment to thank God for what you do have.

Then you will discover what it means to truly break free and experience the peace that only God can provide!

"Do not use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them." Ephesians 4:29 NLT

With only a few words, we can give someone a smile that could last for days, or a broken heart that could last them a lifetime. Words have the power to heal or harm, mend or destroy. Words can be our worst enemy, or our best friend. Yet it's so easy for us to forget the power of a spoken word.

God knew when he created us that we would be impulsive creatures. He knew that we would need some direction with how to use our ability to speak. And he tells us that we should only communicate those words that will benefit others.

Because words are so powerful, we must monitor everything that comes out of our mouths. Not only to our spouse and children, but also to everyone we come in contact with throughout our day.

Before any harsh and impulsive words have a chance to leave your mouth, take some time to consider others. Remember the power that your words possess. And develop the habit of only using words that are helpful for building others up.

Leave a comment and tell me what you think...oh, and be nice about it--:o)