One Prayer Devotion #14: Make Us Passionate for Kids

During the month of June, we did "Buck Nights" every Wed. night after church. People could come down to the gym to hang out and get snacks like nachos, root beer floats, etc. for $1. A couple weeks ago, I spotted a little blonde cutie, sitting by herself with some nachos. I talked to her awhile and she gave me her name and told me how much she loves coming to church. I found out she rides to church with her sister on our van ministry. They both attend Mpact Girls Club.

That same Wed. night our Royal Rangers had all the boys do cards to their Dads for Father's Day. One boy, who attends with some neighbors, made the card below for his Dad. It's hard to read so here is the text:

"Dear Dad I know you haven't been there for us because you are in jail but you love me and I love you. That's the best thing about Father's Day."

We must be passionate for kids! We must serve in areas of children's ministries. We need quality, committed, and willing adults to serve in our nurseries, kids church, and Wed. night activities. I truly believe we have many great and loving people in our church that could be involved with kids in some way. Is it you?

I'm going to get on a soapbox here, but how can our church have such a heart for outreach, yet lack volunteers in our own children's ministries? It's not right.

Don't get me wrong, I love outreach and I think healthy churches have strong outreach. But are we cancelling ourselves out if we don't do our best for our own kids or the neighborhood kids God sends us? Why is it easier to get people to pass out a sack of groceries vs. changing a diaper or reading a story to precious little ones in our own building?

Come on. We can all contribute to the future of a child. Let's get passionate for kids!

One Prayer Devotion #13: 3 Steps To Increase Your Spiritual Passion

Who is responsible for your spiritual passion? You are. You are responsible for putting yourself in the right places, at the right times, and for doing the right things to cultivate spiritual passion.

But have you thought about how we pray concerning our spiritual passion? Most of us, instead of taking personal responsibility, ask God to fuel our passion, or make us more passionate for Him. James 4:8 says, "Come near to God and He will come near to you." In other words, we must take the first step.

Here are 3 steps to increase your spiritual passion:

1. Find a place and a time to pray/praise- Jesus told us to go into our prayer closet when we pray. This short-term isolation provides no distractions or hindrances to connecting with God.

2. Study the Word of God- The Bible is the only book that has ever been written that is alive. Hebrews 4:12 says, "For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart." Our spiritual passion will be very dull without the sharpness of God's Word.

3. Be faithful- Faithfulness is the hallmark of the Christian life. Anyone can be faithful in good times. It's being faithful in the times we don't sense God or see His blessings. Be faithful in the following:

• Spiritual disciplines- Prayer, bible study, fasting


• Service- Stop existing only for yourself and start serving others. Find a need and fill it.
  
• Self growth- Read the Bible, pray, go to a conference, listen to podcasts, read a book, learn from others, etc. When you are faithful to invest in yourself, you are able to pour out to others.


• Sacrificial giving- Give your time, talent, testimony, and treasury to building God's Kingdom. Give an encouraging word or compliment and carry a good attitude.

Hope these help. Have a great day!

One Prayer Devotion #12: Run the Race with Passion

Keeping your passion for anything is hard. And it’s even harder to maintain your enthusiasm for a long period of time. So in life, we tend to go through cycles. It’s the same for our spiritual life. It’s like the old story of the tortoise and the hare. There are many who come to Christ and run a sprint, but then flame out.

One of the keys to maintaining spiritual passion is realizing the ups and the downs and plodding along. In others words, staying faithful and consistent while running the race with passion.

Study Hebrews 12:1-3 today...

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart."

Top 10 Ice Cream Places in KC: Stop #2- Miami Ice

Stop #2 on our summer tour (read about it here) was Miami Ice on 39th St. in KC. I have to say, this topped Foo's.

We're still ticked that Tropical Sno shaved ice didn't open this year at 23rd & Noland in Independence (McDonald's going in). Miami Ice is a drive, but worth it if you're ever in the KU Med area. Dude they even put a scoop of vanilla custard in the bottom of our ices. Sweet.

One Prayer Devotion #10: Power and Passion

We saw two incredible messages yesterday from Jentezen Franklin on power and passion.

In case you missed it, we had a little miscue and ended up showing two separate video messages, one in each service. There's an old saying: "God works in mysterious ways, His wonders to perform." God was working yesterday to get the right message to the right people. They're both outstanding and worth your time. We'll post them to this site soon for you to watch or share.

I believe that the higher your passion for God, the greater your power will be.

Passion can work in your favor or it can work against you. Scripture

teaches that we should learn to control our own bodies in a way that is holy and honorable and not succumb to our passions (1 Thess. 4:3-5).

God’s word also reminds us that we should “never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord” (Rom. 12:11). Why don’t you pray right now that God would awaken your spiritual passion, and help you re-discover His love.

Cardinals/Royals Game

the view from our bleacher seats

14 of us traveled to St. Louis to watch the Cardinals vs. the Royals. Yes, the Royals swept 'em. The weather was great, the group was great, the stadium is fantastic and the only problem was the right team didn't win.

No really, the best was spending time with the men and boys who

went on the trip. We've got to get the men together more often. When it was over, someone suggested that we do it again. I agree. It was an awesome time, with one exception, the Cardinals didn't win. We will see what happens when they come to Kansas City with Albert Pujols back in the line-up.

Coach, Ryan, & Mike enjoying the game

Kobe, Brock, Preston, & Braeden getting autographs

One Prayer Devotion #10: A Little Patience Goes a Long Way

This week we have been dealing with obedience. It's obvious to everyone that this discipline must be developed in our lives in order to follow Christ. But what about patience?

That's right, the little thing that no ones wants to talk about. As we learn to obey God in every area of our life, patience will be required. We need patience in the good and abundant times so we don't become full of pride. And we need patience in the not so good and trying times of life so we capture the possibilities of what God may be teaching us. Psalm 40:1 says, "I waited patiently for the LORD; he turned to me and heard my cry."

We have all heard the expression, "patience is a virtue." Well it's actually more than a virtue. It's part of the fruit of the Spirit (see Gal. 5:22). And since God provided it for us through the Spirit, we must need it. And if we are honest, we need it bad. People seem to be "wound tight" these days.

So here's my prayer for all of us... Col 1:10-12:

"And we (I) pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light."

Try to be patient while being obedient!

Top 10 Ice Cream Places in KC: Stop #1 - Foo's Fabulous Frozen Custard

This summer the Ross family is going on tour. An ice cream tour! We love ice cream and so we thought it would be cool to visit 10 top ice cream places in Kansas City. Our fall tour will then be workout places. Anyhoo...



Stop #1 was Foo's Fabulous Frozen Custard in Brookside. We've never been there before. It's actually just off 63rd St., not far from the Zoo/Starlight. An artsy feel in a quaint setting. Terrific custard. It'll be hard to beat.

We've kind of got a loose list compiled, but if anybody is just dying to share their favorite (non-chain) ice cream place, then feel free to lay it on us.

One Prayer Devotion #9: The Sheep Whisperer

Remember the Robert Redford movie from a few years back called, "The Horse Whisperer"? Redford's character trains a traumatized and rebellious horse, not through dramatic displays of power and control, but through whispering. It is truly amazing.

The key to obeying God is hearing His voice. The problem is that we want God to write our instructions on the wall, speak to us through personal prophecy, or shout with a loud voice from heaven. The reason? It's the easy way.

Elijah was a man that was greatly used by God. God revealed His power to Elijah through an earthquake, wind, and fire, (the original Earth, Wind & Fire!), but He communicated to Elijah in a gentle whisper (Read 1 Kings 19:8-14). God's not usually in the dramatic, but in the small voice.

Take John chapter 10, where Jesus is giving the Parable of the Sheep. Read it. Verse 27 says , "My sheep recognize my voice. I know them, and they follow me."

We are His sheep. We must take time to listen to Him and obey His voice today.

One Prayer Devotion #8: The Boston Celtics

In a self-promoting world where being seen, getting credit, and being #1 are coveted assets, it's rare to see someone in the spotlight who takes the back seat. As I sit here and watch the Lakers get completely thrashed by my Boston Celtics, the commentators are talking about Paul Pierce.

When the Celtics acquired superstars Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett, there was understandably a great deal of attention given to them. Paul Pierce, a superstar in his own right (and 1 of 2 Jayhawks on the Celtics roster!), never brought the spotlight his way. When Kevin Garnett received the Defensive Player of the Year, Pierce only supported his teammate. It is this unselfish, hard playing, defensive minded Celtic team that caused the greats from the past, such as Havlicek, Russell, Cousy and Bird to talk about this team.

The Celtics have a lot of talent, but that doesn't guarantee success. Most championship teams share one thing: selfless humility. Paul Pierce taking a back seat and humbling himself not only led to a Championship, but also an MVP trophy.

Philippians 2:8 (MSG) says about Jesus' death, "It was an incredibly humbling process. He didn't claim special privileges. Instead, he lived a selfless, obedient life and then died a selfless, obedient death—and the worst kind of death at that—a crucifixion."

In order to live an obedient life toward God, it appears that two qualities are necessary: humility and selflessness. In other words, it is hard to be obedient while being proud and selfish. Think about it.

One Prayer Devotion #7: The Colors of Rebellion

Our One Prayer message this week was on obedience. The opposite of obedience is rebellion. I was thinking about the different looks of rebellion and thought I would illustrate it through colors:

Red- You know you're doing wrong, you continue to do wrong, you enjoy doing wrong. You are in red hot rebellion, blazing a trail of disobedience. The alarm is going off. You are living in sin.

Yellow- You know you're doing wrong, you continue to do wrong, you do not enjoy it--but you are gutless to stop it. You refuse to act. You are a yellow coward.

Pink- You think you're doing wrong. You refuse to examine your spirit and ask yourself the tough questions. You are weak. You are a spiritual wimp. Your spirit is pastel ="pale in color".

Green- You are in rebellion due to your pride and envy. You are full of jealousy, thus refusing to submit. You are selfish with your time and resources--it's all about you, baby. You have to be the center of attention, the leader, the dude. You are not a team player. You covertly try to lure others to join the rebellion. You are critical. You don't agree with leadership, so you've checked out.

Purple- You have been bruised. Your rebellion is that you quit God after being hurt. You nurture your rebellion by feeling sorry for yourself. You can't bring yourself to come back to God or the church. You just live all beat up, denying The Healer access.


What's your color?

A Few Firsts

Childhood is filled with firsts. First tooth, first words, first steps, first day of school, first birthday, first time on a bike, first time fishing, first time at the beach, etc. etc. It's sweet.

Here are a few of Braeden's recent firsts:

First teeth cleaning

First time in the dryer

First basketball game

• John 1:1 "The Word was first..."
• I John 4:19 "...He loved us first."
• Rev. 1:17 "Don't fear: I am first, I am last..."
• Rev. 22:12 "I am A to Z, the first and the final..."

One Prayer Devotional #6

Yesterday we had the privilege of welcoming a great video message, "Lord, Make Us Obedient" from Pastor Greg Surratt of Seacoast Church. Today's devotion will continue this theme.

If you have children, you can relate to a child who continues to be disobedient. We've all shared in that feeling. You get tired of explaining yourself and answering all their questions. And besides, there are moments, such as an oncoming car, that require complete, unquestioned, and immediate obedience.

A few weeks ago, Braeden and I were together for nearly the entire day. And for some reason, everything I asked him to do, he did it. He not only did it, but he had the right attitude and usually said, "Yes, sir." It was a great (and rare) day for sure. As a parent, I can't tell you how that made me feel.

I wonder how God feels when we simply trust Him and obey. Without hesitation, we simply say, "Yes, sir." Once we come to the understanding that God desires good things for His children and wants to bless us, we can rest in His omniscience and simply say, "Yes, sir."

Jesus said it this way, "Blessed are those who hear the word of God and obey it."

What are you reading in God's word right now that you need to act upon?

What has He spoken to heart in prayer about that you need to put into action?

Remember, His blessing always follow our obedience.

I've Got Friends In Low Places

Royals in last place again. I still love 'em.

One Prayer Devotion - #5

The Art of the Nag:

When my kids want something really badly (to get a new Indiana Jones whip, to get a new bat, etc.) they have a tendency to nag. It's cute at first but then it starts driving me crazy. They are very persistent in their wants and desires. They think they have to have something so badly.

This is looked upon as a sign of immaturity, because children are not able to delay gratification. In fact, Dr. James Dobson says to "...teach and practice the habit of delayed gratification. Don’t over identify with the child’s pain. If you give in to their every wish you will develop weak kids that don’t understand delayed gratification (which is one of the keys to success in this life)."

God wants us to be strong, not weak; successful, not failures. This is why He sometimes practices delayed gratification on us. But a delay is not always a denial. Braeden got the new whip and Joe got a new bat. It's all in The Art of the Nag.

In Luke 18:1-8 we have the Parable of the Persistent Widow (read it as part of your devotion). She nagged and nagged until she got what she wanted. She had nagging down to a science.

What have you stopped asking God for that you really felt like was His will? Read James 5:16.

Stop for a quick moment today to take that request back to the Lord. Just like the widow, the real "art" of nagging will be found in your persistence.

Eastpoint Blog

Eastpoint Family Church has entered the World of Blog.

Check 'em out at Eastpoint Now.

One Prayer Devotion #4

Today we are asking people in our church to fast and pray from sun up to 3:00 p.m. Fast = water only. Pray= take your breakfast, lunch, break time, etc. to seek God. Join us so we can unleash the power of God in our church and our community.

Scripture says, "I desire therefore that men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting" (1 Tim. 2:8).

This scripture gives us three areas in our life to consider while we pray...

1. "Lifting up holy hands"- if there is anything in your life that you need to repent of, stop and take a moment to ask the Lord to forgive you. While we pray, His desire is for us to "lift up HOLY hands." We truly are called to holiness in our lives.

2. "Without wrath"- This really speaks to the unity of One Prayer. Jesus said “Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift" (Matthew 5:23,24). Being in unity with your brothers and sisters is a big deal to God!

3. "Without doubting"- When we pray through this month of June, let's ask God to do some amazing things. Let's believe! Let's have the faith that God is going to do it! Hebrews tells us, "without faith it is impossible to please God."

May all of us come together to pray. Amen.

8 Reasons Why Prayers May Not Be Answered

A few months ago, I came across this blog post on unanswered prayer. I saved it because I had never seen the reasons listed out like this before. And I love lists. I think maybe it fits right in with our current One Prayer theme.

The author is Barry Shepherd, who happens to be a VIP in my life. Barry was my youth pastor. He was there when I became a Christian at age 14. You know what impacted me the most about Barry? He wasn't just my youth pastor, preaching and teaching at me and driving me around in the church van. He was my friend. He spent time with me. We hung out.

Here is something to think about when it seems our prayers are not answered:

1. We may have a wrong motive in prayer – James 4:3.

2. There may be a cherished sin in our heart – Psalm 66:18.

3. Lack of love in action may keep us from answers to prayer – 1 John 3:20-22.

4. Any unforgiveness hinders prayers – Mark 11:25.

5. Lack of consideration & respect between husband & wife hinders prayer – 1 Peter 3:1-7.

6. Lack of generosity with God and His people will hinder prayers – Luke 6:38; Phil. 4:19.

7. Lack of belief or trust in God hinders answers to prayer – James 1:5-7; Psalm 37:5-7.

8. The resistance of the enemy may keep your prayers unanswered (temporarily) – Daniel 10:12-13.

One Prayer Devotion #3

Jesus' prayer for all believers was to make us one, as he and the Father are one. This concept of unity got me thinking. We are wired to be a part of a family, the Family of God. That's why God's Word tells us, "Now you who are not Jewish are not foreigners or strangers any longer, but are citizens together with God’s holy people. You belong to God’s family" (Eph. 2:19, NCV).

Each and everyone of us were uniquely formed and fashioned by God, Himself. And part of our spiritual DNA hungers to be a part of a larger family, the family of God. The simple truth is, we need one another. And the enemy knows it.

Satan, the roaring lion looking to whom he may devour, knows how important our unity is to the body of Christ. He understands that we have been created to be apart of something far greater than ourselves. So he unleashes everything he can to disrupt our "oneness."

Unity is incredibly important. Because when we "reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ" the church is unstoppable!

So my prayer for you today is Paul's prayer in Romans 15:5, "May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God."

One Prayer Devotion, #2

There is incredible power when we pray.

Jesus shows us the importance of prayer by "forever making intercession for us" (Romans 8:34). Scripture tells us that the "prayer of a person living right with God is something to be reckoned with" (James 5:16).

Prayer is an essential part of the believers life. It is a life-line that releases spiritual power into our lives, and equips us for service. One of the biggest reasons we pray is to be changed; not just to receive answers to our prayers-- although God desires to do so. But to be changed by the Truth.

However, this "One Prayer" movement was established, in part, by asking one question. If you knew that God would answer one prayer, what would you pray? It's a great question! So let me hear from you.

Complete this prayer: "Lord make us....

One Prayer Devotion, Monday June 9

Yesterday, Craig Groeschel, pastor of LifeChurch.tv, kicked off our One Prayer series by praying, “Lord, Make us ONE.” This is the prayer of Jesus in John 17. This understanding of “oneness” is important for all believers in the Body of Christ.

The key to this occurring is understanding our personal responsibility in being one. Ephesians 4:2-6 uses the word "one" eight different times, placing emphasis and importance upon being truly “one.”

However, the verse begins by saying, “Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.” This is saying you have a part to play. A personal role in making sure there is unity among the body.

So today, why don’t you ask God to show you any way in which you have been outside of the marks of unity and oneness. As we begin this journey to “keep the unity of the Spirit,” let’s recognize that it only happens when we do our part.

One Prayer

I am so excited as I sit here tonight waiting for One Prayer to begin. In this unprecedented display of unity, thousands of churches are coming together around the world and from different denominations for one cause. Our one prayer, is to be the answer to Jesus' prayer almost two thousand years ago.

It is my prayer that all of us become the fulfillment of Jesus' request. When we are ONE, God moves mountains and blesses His Church. Prepare your hearts for this series, and let's see God move in our lives.

Craig Groeschel, Pastor of LifeChurch.tv, and founder of the One Prayer event, has this to say:

Laminin

This past Sunday, Pastor Brian preached the sermon, "The Body Revealed." Ps 139:14 A closer look into the human body reveals how the Body of Christ portrays the unity, diversity, worth, and gifts of each one of the members. Sometimes there may be parasites or cancerous cells in the body, but God never places "spare parts" into the Body of Christ. We are all held together by Christ in order to carry out His purposes! Though our bodies have many different parts, there is a tiny protein molecule that holds our physical body together. Check out the video below to to hear Louie Giglio speak about the very thing that holds our body together.