A Man of God

I had the pleasure of sharing this past Saturday with the Faith Chapel men's group on being "A Man of God". There were about 100 of us who gathered for a great breakfast and fellowship. I love being in front of smaller groups, and get especially charged when speaking to men.

"Man of God" is an expression that continues to amaze me about Godly men in the Bible. They would show up and people would say, "There is the man of God." What a wonderful reminder of how our lives are to reflect the image of our Maker. So when people see us they know and feel that they have been in His presence.

2 Tim. 3:1-5 “But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. 2People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, 4treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— 5having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them.”

We know first hand the perils of living a godless life. The results are all around us. There is something in us that intrinsically knows right from wrong. We have to make living a Godly life a priority.

Priorities of Godly Living

1. God has set apart the Godly for Himself- Ps. 4:3

2. God listens when the Godly pray- John 9:31

3. Godly men mourn when injustice is executed - Acts 8:2

4. Godly sorrow brings repentance- 2 Cor. 7:10,11

5. Godliness provides present and future blessing- 1 Tim. 4:8

6. Godliness produces contentment- 1 Tim. 6:6; 11

Plan for a Godly Life

A Godly life must be pursued

1 Tim 6:11 “But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness.”

Titus 2:11-14 "For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. 12It teaches us to say "No" to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, 13while we wait for the blessed hope—the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, 14who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.”

Godliness is conformity to the character of God, and obedience to His will. How committed are you because of your love for God to becoming a godly person? What areas of your life are needing attention in your pursuit of God?

Five Things a Church can Learn from Opening Day at the Ballpark

Baseball's opening day for most teams is tomorrow, and that got me thinking about the feeling and excitement of the stadium on opening day. I recently did a small teaching with the entire pastoral/support staff here at Faith Chapel using this example.

Opening day is so exciting. There's a spark in the air and anticipation fills the voices of fans. There's a unity in the stadium unlike any other day. Everyone is rooting for the home team to win. Fans can be seen giving "high fives" to people they don't know as a player delivers a big hit or a pitcher strikes out the opposition.

Everything is clean and freshly painted. It's like the entire stadium is inviting you to enter and be a part of the big event. Workers are energized and freshly trained. Even the players are more willing to mingle with fans and accommodate their requests.

This sounds a lot like church. In fact, every day should be "OPENING DAY" at church! We should carry that friendly smile and greet everyone with warmth and acceptance. They should also be willing to accommodate their reasonable requests. The church should be clean and fresh.

The unity produced by sincere community gives way to excitement and celebration. When this is directed to the Lord, the church is filled with a Spirit of anticipation and faith. Why don't we make everyday OPENING DAY?

Here are my five take-a-ways:
1. Unity- everyone on the same team
2. Clean and inviting conditions- you don't get a second chance to make a good first impression
3. Hospitable and friendly customer service- everyone one should feel welcome
4. Excitement gives way to Celebration- it's contagious and we should express ourselves openly with great joy.
5. Staff/Ministry leaders are well trained-

{look up Col. 3:23; 1 Cor. 14:12; 2 Cor. 8:7}

Chase The Lion Series

Over the past few days I have been settling into a new house, new church and a new routine. Along with that is trying to find my way around a new city. I have a GPS system, but turn it off on return trips to see if I can find my way back. So far it's about 50/50.

The house is right beside the church which allows me easy access to work. Without my family being here, it is also tempting for me to work more than I should. There is a lot going on and I feel the need to get a handle on things quickly.

Right now I'm in a series of messages based on the book "In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day" by Mark Batterson. Mark and I went to college together and he was nice enough to send a short promo video for the start of the series (watch it below). Chase The Lion had a great impact at my former church and I felt it would be a great series leading up to Easter at Faith Chapel. You can listen to part 1- "Defying Odds" here.

The book contains a Lion Chaser's Manifesto, and one part says something similar to, "don't let the bad in you keep you from worshiping the good in Him."

I think that's powerful! Far too many people focus on their shortcomings instead of directing their attention to "the author and perfecter of our faith." What would happen if we focused on God's example instead of our failures? How would that change us? How would that change what we attempted for God?

The Power of We

Throughout Scripture, we see multipled power in unity. When God's people come together and work for Kingdom causes (with Kingdom attitudes!), great things take place. This is the power of "we". This past Sunday our topic was, "What if we..."

1. ...Prayed every day?

2. ...Fasted once a week?

3. ...Tithed a tenth of our income?

4. ...Became involved in personal evangelism?

5. ...Attended church every week?

If everyone of us would personalize these five points, I believe we could see the power of God manifest in a powerful way in our church, and in our lives. These simple- but key- disciplines unlock the doorway to knowing God and hearing from Him. And when we know God's voice we can experience not only the joy of knowing Him, but the fruit of the obedient life.

Isn't it time to live God's way? To stay faithful in the small things? To strive towards a Kingdom Unity? It's through our faithfulness in these simple disciplines that we begin to see God's favor multiply our harvest. As we start this new year, let's focus on the Power of We.

A Friend Loves at All Times

This week while I was praying, a familiar passage of Scripture came to mind found in Proverbs 17:17 which says, "A friend loves at all times." It caused me to take a moment to reflect about God's love for me, and His friendship.

First, the simple fact that God would call me friend still blows me away. Words cannot express how unbelievable it is to have the unchanging, sovereign God say, "I'm your friend."

Secondly, He even shows us what true friendship is all about: unselfish love. A love that doesn't think about self first, but rather makes the other person the object of friendship and love.

And lastly, His love is constant. It doesn't fluctuate. We don't find it only when we are doing well and are lovable. No, His love is there even when we are unlovable.

And isn't this the litmus test for our all of our relationships? Do we love selflessly at all times? Or do we allow the down times to pull us away from our friends? I believe the true test of one's character is found in their ability to love people at all times. Even when people are unlovable or have done something that causes us to lose trust in them. For a "friend loves at all times."

Snow Day & Spiritual Endorphins

Two of the greatest words in the English language: "No School"!

We actually got our kids back out of bed last night to come and hear it on the news. No school in Independence today. SNOW DAY! There was fist pumping, jumping, high-fiving, lots of "Wooo baby!", etc.

Wonder if anybody has ever done a study on the amount of endorphins released in children upon hearing the phrase "No School"? I still kinda get pumped up myself! It's a definite euphoria trigger.

I'm very thankful that I can be at home with my boys. We slept in, I made a big breakfast, and we're going to chill out today; maybe catch a movie and wait for church tonight.

You know, I've just had a stirring in my spirit and an excitement about the service tonight. I don't know why; for all intents and purposes it's a normal Wed. night. But God has been saying to me, "Are you excited to enter my presence? I have something for you and I'll meet you there."

Does being in God's presence to wait upon Him, worship Him, and hear His Word excite you? Does it release some spiritual endorphins in you? Does it trigger a joy and a hunger for God in you? It can and it will. Read Psalm 16:11

Elements of a Close Friendship

We are currently going through the Beth Moore DVD bible study series, "A Woman's Heart, God's Dwelling Place" during our women's Connect Class on Sunday mornings. FYI- Connect Class is our attempt at a trendy name for Sunday School! Hey, there's a "cool" name for everything now.

The study has been truly awesome. I look forward to watching Beth teach every week. This week's lesson was out of Exodus 33 and examines the presence of God. As Beth taught, she compared God's presence to a close friendship. I really liked what she had to say, so I'm sharing it here as well.

Elements of a Close Friendship:

1. Secrets- When you have a close friendship, you know personal things that aren't publicly known about that person. On the contrary, when you have to say to someone, "It's none of your business!", what you are saying is 'you and I are not that close'. Our heavenly Father will never say that to us. Read John 15:13-15

2. Small Talk- Close friends are able to talk about the ridiculous stuff. The trivial. (For me, Jennifer, the Twitter-able). There are no awkward moments of silence. We are experiencing the close presence of God when everything we say to Him does not have to be so profound. Just talking to Him. Like the old song says, 'He's as close as the mention of His name'.

There are friendships and then there are close friendships. There is God and then there is the presence of God. We all need friends, but we are sharpened and changed by close friendships. And we surely must try to learn as much as possible about our loving God, but NOTHING is as important as experiencing His presence continually in our lives.

Live Like You Were Dying Series

This week, we began a new message series "Live Like You Were Dying". For the next 30 days, we will focus on spiritual transformation as we are challenged to:

1. Live with a sense of urgency (1 Peter 4:7-8)
2. Live with a sense of eternity (Psalm 90:12)
3. Live with a sense of priority (Ephesians 5:15-17)
4. Give up the frantic pursuit of the “good life” (Matthew 16:25-26)
5. Make more time for relationships (Hebrews 10:24-25)
6. Offer forgiveness (Ephesians 4:32)
7. Celebrate being released from God’s judgment (Romans 8:33-34)
8. Liberate others from your judgment (Romans 14:13)
9. Do the unexpected in love (Matthew 5:39-42)

Daily devotional readings will be posted in the side bar each week. I truly believe you will grow spiritually during this series if you are faithful reading and meditating on God's Word. By the way, our band sounded awesome on the title song this morning !

For a greater glimpse into the series, here's the promo video:

Think On These Things

A few weeks ago, I was traveling home in my car late at night. I had the stereo tuned to my favorite talk radio station. And as I drove, my mind wondered between the events of the day and the political debate on the radio. I came to a complete stop at a red light (I know it's hard to believe), then proceeded to drive through the intersection with the light still red by accident, treating it as a stop sign.

Almost all of you have done that, don't lie! But it bothered me that I could be so distracted. Two weeks ago I heard a former drivers ed. instructor ask if anyone had done exactly what I explained. He said he knew why, so I listened in. He explained that since we were sixteen years old, the traffic light has been referred to as a stop light. And when it's red, we sometimes stop, look both ways, and proceed.

He said that if we thought about the light as a traffic light we would never run it. Because the trigger would be stop, WAIT FOR A GREEN LIGHT, then proceed. He suggested that simple adjustment in thinking would cause us to stop and wait for the green.

Proverbs tells us that "For as he thinks in his heart, so is he" (Pro. 23:7 NKJV). It's amazing how our patterns of thinking effect our lives, even in the small situations such as traffic lights. This passage is saying we can control, to a certain extent, our lives by learning to direct our thoughts.

That's why Scripture admonishes us to direct our thoughts to "whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things" (Phil. 4:8 NIV). So, what have you been thinking about today?

Leadership Development

Each Monday morning I meet with someone for a time of mentoring on the subject of leadership. Recently we have been going through John Maxwell's, "Developing the Leader within You." I have probably read the book or watched the curriculum at least a half a dozen times. And every time I do, I learn something new.

This is most likely because each time I'm at a different place in my life and ministry. Today I was struck with one simple thought, "in leadership you must love people." I know that not everyone who loves people is naturally a good leader. However, I also don't any good leaders who don't sincerely love people.

I'm definitely not saying that I'm a good leader, but I do love being around people. When things aren't going so well, the natural tendency for many people is to run away and hide. I call for a party, the more the better. I draw strength from people and love the interaction .

People are what makes leading fun... and sometimes frustrating. But without people, you aren't really leading. So the more you value and love people, the greater your leadership will be.

Two Roads

Have you noticed that sometimes life is complicated? We want answers to such questions as: "Who should I marry?," "Where should I go to school?", "What house or car should I buy?", "What career path should I take?" And these are important questions that require serious thought and prayerful reflection. However, life really only offers two roads.

The first road is where you get to make all the decisions. And many people are talented, skilled and educated enough to make good decisions that lead to a fruitful and productive life. This isn't always the case for those on this road. Many find they simply can't make quality choices and never experience God's best.

The second road is traveled by those who understand that God is in control of their lives. They allow Him to make the decisions because He knows best. They have learned to trust Him and even when things don't seem to make sense, they follow Him anyway. This path is filled with excitement and joy. This journey is fulfilling, because God is working and doing great things through obedience. It's challenging to keep pace with what God is doing--but very rewarding. That's why Paul reminds us in Galatians to "keep in step with the Spirit" (Gal. 5:25).

Which road are you currently walking? If you are making most of the decisions in your life, why not take some time today to ask God to help you surrender your life to His plan. And if you have been trusting God for awhile now, ask Him to help you be more sensitive to His voice in your daily life.

Hold Firm

I was recently reading in 2 Samuel 23 about David's three mighty men: Josheb-Basshebeth, Shammah, and Eleazar, and was struck by some great truths in Eleazar's life.

Eleazar was with David and 300 other troops as they battled the Philistines. The troops retreated in fear, but Eleazar "stood his ground and struck down the Philistines till his hand grew tired and froze to the sword". Every leader, like David, needs great men around them that will hold firm in a battle and continue to fight with them when everyone else seemingly abandons them.

Eleazar also fought with passion and determination. So much so that "his hand grew tired and froze to the sword." I would love for a doctor to explain what happens in an individual's body that causes such a reaction. They literally had to pry the sword from his hand. Throughout Scripture, the sword is often times a metaphor for the Word of God. And this passage challenged me to ask myself, "How long has it been since you have held onto the Word of God in the face of adversity until God brought the victory?" I mean the enemy can't even get the sword out of your hand.

Regardless of what doctors, accountants, family or friends say, you hold firm to God's word and His promises. When everyone around retreats, you stay in the fight.

In 2 Samuel 23: 10(b) it says, "The Lord brought about a great victory that day." I believe that if you will hold firmly to God's Word, store it in your heart, meditate on it, and profess it; God will bring about a great victory for you too.