Tag Archive - growth
19

‘Therefore’ Is Where the Action Happens

The word “therefore” has to be the most ignored word in the Bible.

You see, the word “therefore” is often used to transition from a teaching to an action.

After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage one another with these words. – 1 Thessalonians 4:17-18

Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, – Matthew 28:18-19

But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. – Matthew 6:33-34

What we often do is read the teaching, go on to the command, and forget that it’s something that WE have to do.

And so we read, teach, hear, and learn the same principles time and time again but never put them into practice. The teaching is important, but the “therefore” is the key. It’s where our behavior happens.

The world is changed in the “therefore.”

  • People’s eternities are changed in the “therefore.”
  • Hope is restored in the “therefore.”
  • Families are healed in the “therefore.”
  • Joy regardless of circumstance is found in the “therefore.”

So, let’s ask ourselves this question….

How’s my “therefore”?
That’s what I’m thinkin about today.

turn the world UPSIDE down.


Written by on March 31, 2011 and categorized under Blog, Devotional Thought, Life

32

Which Came First? Chicken or Egg?

The common question is what came first, the chicken or the egg.
I lean toward the chicken since God created it, but that’s not the point of this post.

The point? As Christians we have to know what comes first… Jesus or getting our actions right.

A lot of Christians want the egg before they have the chicken.

They want to change their behavior before they allow God to change their heart.
This leads to nothing but frustration and often quitting because it’s impossible to get right.

A lot of Christians want others to do the same… To become perfect before they will “accept” them.

It will NEVER happen.

The key to our Christian life isn’t trying to clean up and become a trophy to sit on the shelf.
A life truly lived for Christ seeks Him first and leaves the behaviors up to him.
A life truly lived for Christ is about fighting to become more about Him and less about self.

You see, I’ve noticed something during my short life…
When I seek Jesus, I become more like Him.

It’s the natural result.

If your frustrated with your actions and are on the verge of giving up or giving in, return to the Father and be changed from the inside out.

Spend time getting to know Him, beg Him to change your heart, and gain a better appreciation for His love and grace.

Don’t try to find the eggs before you have the chicken.

PS: I’m in no way calling Jesus an actual chicken. It’s just a metaphor. :-)


Written by on March 3, 2011 and categorized under Blog, Church Ministry, Life

11

3 Elements to Turn the World UPSIDE Down

If you missed yesterday’s post and would like to catch it, you can read it here.

If we’re going to be people that actually turn the world upside down and make a significant impact, we MUST be willing to do these 3 things…

1. Be with Him.

We must be willing to spend time with God. When I first met my wife, I knew there was something about her that I liked. I didn’t know everything about her, but I certainly wanted to. So, I made consistent and desperate (really desperate sometimes) attempts to spend time with her. The more time I spent, the better I got to know her. I know her better everyday we’re together. If we truly see God for WHO He is, we’ll want to know Him. Only then will people begin to see Him IN us.

2. Listen to Him.

When my wife and I first exchanged phone numbers shortly after meeting, it took me a while to be sure it was her I was talking to when I called her. Even though I knew her, I didn’t know her voice that well. The more we talked, the easier it was to recognize her voice. Many of us can’t hear from God because we haven’t taken the time to learn His voice. We don’t know if it’s really Him calling us to take that step, or the shrimp we ate for dinner. We must spend time with Him and listen to Him. When God speaks, we have to listen.

3. Sell out for Him.

It’s not enough for us to listen to God, we have to obey Him. It blows me away that we can believe that God is God and that Jesus is who He claims to be and not sell out on a daily basis to His kingdom. Regardless of the risks. Regardless of the cost. Regardless of the outcome. We need to be sold out for Him. That’s exactly what it’s going to take for us to reach the world for Christ. We must be different and we must be obedient. Only then will we be people that…

turn the world UPSIDE down.


Written by on January 4, 2011 and categorized under Blog, Church Ministry, Leadership, Life

23

Frustrated with God

Sometimes, I get frustrated with God.

Well, not really with God, more like frustrated with myself and the way I treat God.

I get down because I know I’m not where I need to be.
I’m not where I want to be.

I get mad because my life is still so much about me and so little about Him.
There’s more me in me than I’d like.

I get frustrated because it seems like no matter how hard I try, I can’t seem to get it right.
I continue to do the same stupid stuff again and again.

I get worried because I don’t seem to have those “God experiences” as often as I think I should.
I struggle at times to even spend time with Him.

I get anxious because I know that there is so much more for me to learn, so much more that God wants me to experience, so much more that I want to be doing.
I want to grow up much faster in my faith.

And then I read things like this from Paul…

Philippians 3:12 Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.

I realize that I’m not alone.

I’m always a work in progress.
So are you.
So are your children.
So are your friends.
So is your spouse.
So is your Pastor.

No matter how far you feel like you are from where you need to be….
Or how frustrated you get with others because they don’t seem to be where they need to be….

Press On.

Desperately seek Him.
He will fill you.

More and More.


Written by on November 4, 2010 and categorized under Blog, Devotional Thought, Encouragement, Featured

15

The Secret’s In the Cushion: A word on sin

When I was a kid, I loved to eat.
Even more than I do now.

My parents had no problem with me eating (I was a big boy), but they didn’t like me eating at certain times.

One of those “no eat” times was before dinner.

Starting about an hour before dinner, I wasn’t supposed to eat anything.

Every now and then, I’d still try to sneak something out of the kitchen to eat while I was sitting on the couch.

When Mom or Dad would walk into the room, I’d stick whatever I had between the seat cushions.
The wrappers from whatever I was eating would go down there too.

I knew I was doing something wrong, so I tried my best to hide it.
I did a great job, for a little while.

Until the remote or something would get under the couch and my Dad would have to lean the couch over to get it.
Or until the food and the wrappers began to stink enough to become noticeable.

My point…

Some people are still sticking stuff in the couch cushions.

You have that secret,
that thing that know one knows,
that thing that would change others’ opinion of you if they found out.

You have that thing that you’re hiding from everyone:
Your kids, your parents, your spouse, your family, your friends.

You’ve tucked it down in the cushion for so long, sometimes you even forget that it’s down there.
You’ve been doing it so long, it doesn’t even feel that wrong any more…but you still hide it.

The only way that you’re ever going to quit or get out is with the help of someone that loves you.

So…

Lean the couch over.

Confess your sin to God.
Confess your sin to someone you trust that can help you work through it.

Because…

As I learned as a child, only so much can be stuffed in the cushions before it starts becoming noticeable.

Let God clean up the mess.


Written by on May 25, 2010 and categorized under Blog, Encouragement, Featured, Life

3

4 Calls Jesus Has On His Disciples

Matthew 10:5-8 “These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: “Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans. Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel. As you go, preach this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven is near.’ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received, freely give.”

Jesus gives some pretty clear directions to His disciples before sending them out.
Jesus is calling us do do the same.

4 things Jesus tells His disciples to do…

1. Go out!
It really is that simple. We can’t be effective spending all our time in our church, in our family, or in our clique (why are churches so cliquish?) We must be willing to leave our place of comfort for a place of greater potential.

2.Go to the lost!
Jesus has a heart for those that don’t know Him. If we have a real relationship with Him, we do also. We have to go to the people that haven’t heard or accepted yet. Jesus loves them too much and they are too valuable to Him for us to stay put.

3.Preach Jesus!
Jesus said to preach that the Kingdom of Heaven is near. This doesn’t mean that we try to not offend people. This means that we love people enough to tell them the truth! There’s a Savior, He loves everyone, and He’s coming back.

4.Give.
Ultimately, talk is cheap. Jesus has given each of us so much (salvation alone would be enough), we have to be willing to serve and give to others. When is the last time we gave something away knowing that we didn’t have a replacement? Jesus modeled this giving behavior over and over in the New Testament. We must follow His model in order to be a true disciple.

So, maybe discipleship isn’t so much about us transforming non-Christians into clones of ourselves.
Maybe being a disciple is about being radically changed by a forgiving God and being bold in our living out of His commands.

What else has God called you, His disciple, to do?

Please share….


Written by on May 19, 2010 and categorized under Blog, Church Ministry, Featured, Life

8

Struggle with Them

Struggles…

Everyone has them.

Some people deny them.
Some people accept them.
Some people battle them.

Some people never lose them.
Some people overcome them.

Some people are open about them.
Some people are private with them.

No matter what category you fall under, you struggle with them.

The only way to overcome them is to…

Admit them.
Pray about them.
Fight them.
Learn from them.

What do you struggle with?
What are you doing with them?


Written by on April 22, 2010 and categorized under Blog, Encouragement, Featured