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BE
The last 6 months have been a spiritual struggle for me. I’ve been dealing with a lot of unmet expectations, discouragement, and disappointment both within ministry and my family. During this season, God has been teaching me only one thing: BE!
Be satisfied…
Be where my feet are…
Be still…
In all the ministry stuff, the question I kept asking myself is, ‘am I satisfied with just Jesus?’ Ironically, I talked a lot about being satisfied in Christ. I wanted to be satisfied but if I was honest, I just wasn’t.
In all the family stuff, the challenge I kept telling myself is, ‘be where your feet are!’ Ironically, I talked a lot about being present with my kids. I wanted to be present but if I was honest, I just wasn’t.
Last week, I attended a sons gathering in Tulsa, Oklahoma with some of my favorite leaders. I really only went to hang out with some amazing people and wasn’t really sure why I was there or what I needed to hear. Then one of my favorite teachers, apostle Tony Fitzgerald, gets up to share and the first thing out of his mouth was, “Why does everything have to go ‘somewhere,’ why can’t we just be? We’re called human beings, not human doers.”
And in a flood of emotions I’m reminded that before I can accomplish all the great things I want to see come to pass with my life, I first have to BE…
Be satisfied…
Be where my feet are…
Be still…
Marriage is amazing!
Today, I celebrate my anniversary with the woman of my dreams. I know everyone says that but it’s actually real for me. I didn’t get married until I was 27. That might seem young to you but I had an expectation of being married right out of college. It was extremely hard for me to wait and be patient but I’m so glad I was! In fact, when I was 24 I made a list. A list that turned into 17 non-negotiable character traits and desires that I had in a future spouse. They were so specific and so detailed that my best friend told me I needed to narrow the list because that kind of woman didn’t exist. In my loneliness and frustration, I thought about narrowing the list often. However, I ended up coming to a conclusion - I would rather be single the rest of my life if it meant settling for someone I’d be frustrated with long term. How would I know I’d be frustrated if I settled? Because I made a list!! It was detailed and thorough. It was nit-picky - I had some real physical expectations. Some might call it shallow, I call it precise. And it’s not wrong to be precise, especially when I hold myself to the same physical expectations. The woman that checked everything off this list is Julia and today we celebrate 5 years of marriage. She is my prize who I cherish and love. I’m thankful for the woman God brought into my life and I still choose her…yesterday, today, and forever!
And here’s why this list is so important…my pastor said it this past week in our staff meeting. He said, “People in our society are together long enough to make babies but not long enough to build a family.” And that’s part of the reason why marriages don’t last…
The other reason why marriages don’t last - the language we use to describe marriage.
For example…
Your spouse is not your better half. Stop saying it! You are a complete person in Christ. Your spouse is a complete person in Christ. They should make you better but they don’t complete you.
Your marriage is not difficult. Yes, you have difficult seasons and experiences but your marriage is not difficult in and of itself. It’s difficult because you keep speaking that over it. Marriage is amazing, it’s fun, it’s worth it. You will have difficult moments but you are a team and together you can handle anything and everything! Your perspective is so important because if you think your wife is a ball-n-chain, that’s what she’ll be. But if your wife is your best friend, partner-in-crime, and confidant, that’s what she’ll be. You tackle the difficult moments head on together, reminding yourself that this is the person you CHOSE to do life with. Fight for them!
End rant…
I know you’re curious about my list. Maybe one day I’ll share it. Maybe not. Maybe if enough people ask. But regardless, If you’re single, make a list. If you’re dating and haven’t made a list, make a list. Then evaluate the person you’re currently dating. Don’t stay together out of convenience and familiarity. This is your life we’re talking about! Keep your standard high. You’re too amazing to give yourself away to just anyone.
10 ways to please God
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1. There’s actually only 1 way to please God and it’s resting in your identity as a son or daughter. It’s believing that your righteousness is given to you by believing it, not performing for it. So rest in your identity knowing that God is already pleased with you and let that flow from your life to others as you empower the people around you.
Train Your Brain
Depression and anxiety are two of the most common topics talked about in our culture today. I actually get asked to write about these topics the most. Ironically, world suicide prevention day happened three days ago and we just experienced the news of another pastor committing suicide in the midst of dealing with mental health. We are in the era of information overload as “the average teenager in America today experiences the same level of anxiety as a psych patient in the 1950’s.” That statistic was said by Andy Stanley in his podcast titled, “Generational Diversity in the Workplace,” and you might want to read it again. It’s shocking, but it addresses the need for this conversation.
I want to say as a pastor that it’s okay to need Jesus and a counselor! It’s okay to need medicine! It’s okay to need help! It’s okay to talk about! In fact, I would argue that the way of the Kingdom is done in community - openly talking about the stuff we struggle and deal with without the fear of being rejected or judged. With all that said, it’s important to recognize what anxiety and depression actually are…
Anxiety is an irrational response to an overwhelming sense that life is out of control. Depression is projecting a negative outcome of your future. The reason you feel anxious and depressed is because you can’t imagine a better you, future, and life.
We forget that our brain is the most powerful thing in the world because our thoughts dictate our lives. When you learn to control the way you think, every thought gets put into its proper context. You don’t magically decide to overcome depression and anxiety. It’s a process that takes a ton of time and effort. Many people would rather let their thoughts control them because of the hard work it requires to control the way one thinks. We say words like “can’t” and defeat ourselves before we even begin the process.
So here’s my 4-step process to overcome depression and anxiety.
1. CONNECT - you have to reach out and stay connected to supportive people. This includes doctors, professional, safe people, etc. Don’t isolate yourself and make face to face time a priority.
2. ACTION - you have to move…literally. Do things that make you feel good even if you don’t want to. Receiving and overcoming depression and anxiety requires action, but ironically taking action is extremely difficult when you’re depressed and anxious. This will take practice but you have to find a hobby.
3. NUTRITION - this is probably the main issue for every negative side effect we experience. We don’t care about what we put in our bodies and we wonder why we’re miserable. If you’re not going to discipline yourself in regards to lifestyle diet, expect the consequences. Sleep is included in the conversation of proper nutrition because they go hand in hand. Get strict on a regular sleep schedule and you’ll be shocked at the difference it provides for your mind.
4. THINK - you have to challenge negative thoughts. You won’t be able to control all the thoughts you have but you can control the thoughts you hold onto. If you made it this far in the blog, I would encourage you to read Dr. Caroline Leaf’s book titled, “Switch On Your Brain.” If you apply what you read from that book, it really will change your life in regards to dealing with depression and anxiety.
Chicken, Chaos, & Criticism
Guys, Popeyes released their chicken sandwich…and it’s amazing…from what I’m told because I don’t eat chicken! Why? Because animal products are killing Americans and people don’t seem to care…HA! I’m joking…Except I’m not joking, but your diet isn’t what I want to talk about.
If you don’t know, Popeyes is competing with Chick-fil-a for the best chicken sandwich. Long story short, many people think it’s better than Chick-fil-a and have posted vlogs about it. You can watch them on Youtube (Click here to watch our very own Zoay TV version of it) …or not…but regardless, it’s a hot topic. Then the unthinkable happened, chaos broke out as Popeyes ran out of chicken.
The point? I don’t really know why because by the time you’re reading this, the hype has already died down…like completely…and no one really cares…but one major thing took place…
Almost everyone I talked to had an opinion one way or the other. Some had valid arguments. Others argued on loyalty. Still others argued just to argue. We love it…arguing that is. We love to be right. We love to criticize. We love opinions. I love it, but I’m also challenged by it…
Because often times I can criticize others for doing what they love or creating something of value to society. Why criticize? Because it’s easier to criticize than to create yourself. Why does it matter? Because many of the critics have harsh opinions about what other people do instead of pursuing their own dreams. We can easily become a part of the problem because creating is hard freaking work and criticizing is way too easy. Don’t let the criticism of others rob you from creating. Keep being dope even if you’re the only one that thinks it. Keep doing what you love even if you’re the only one that appreciates it. Keep inspiring even if you’re the only one that’s being inspired.
I was listening to an interview Pastor Brian Houston had with Phil Cooke. On the topic of criticism, Phil had a very interesting and provoking thought. He said, "If criticism and boycotts work, why don’t missionaries do it? Why don’t missionaries go to a third world country, surround the village, call them names, and criticize them until they accept Christ? Well because that doesn’t work. To make change happen you have to be in on the inside.” Or in other words, real change comes from real dialogue in real two-way relationships.
There will always be haters. Just don’t let it prevent you from creating. Your creativity could change the world. Your criticism doesn’t do any of that.
Castrated by Christians
Why Christians are leaving the faith…
Recently, there have been some popular names in Christianity renouncing their “faith.” Bestselling author, Joshua Harris, made a shocking announcement after his divorce went public saying, “I am not a Christian.” Then weeks later, Hillsong Worship Leader Marty Sampson, claims to no longer associate with Christianity. I have seen a lot of people write their opinions and responses on blogs and Facebook posts. I also read the response by Skillet’s John Cooper.
It’s heartbreaking to hear all the "denouncing of faith" but personally I understand and can relate. I also understand and agree with a lot of what John Cooper had to say in his response, but I think Mr. Cooper and a lot of American Christians are missing the point. Now I might be wrong, but since this is my blog…here’s my opinions on why many Christians are “falling away.” For the record, falling away is a biblical term but it doesn’t mean what you think it does. Falling away means to turn from grace in Christ back to following the laws of Moses. In other words - replacing new covenant reality found in Jesus with old covenant living according to rules. Paul even had harsh words for those who went back to old covenant living as he tells the church in Galatia they might as well cut off their penis. Don’t believe me? Check out Galatians 5:11-12. It was a common term used among first century Jews. It’s not however, a term for people falling away from church back into sinful lifestyles. In fact, those types of people aren’t even falling away from Jesus. How can you fall away from Jesus? They are most likely falling away from church people telling them to be better and try harder.
Again, here’s my reasons for why people are “leaving the faith”…
People don’t run from Jesus. They run from people and systems who claim to “know” Jesus. Even in my own conversations with atheists, I have never heard one person disagree with the lifestyle of Jesus. They only despise the judgment from those who claim to live like him.
Christians tend to allow little room for dialogue and doubt. We’ve created an institution where people have to look like and believe like us or they’re out (or called a heretic). We don’t allow people to grow, wrestle, ask difficult questions, disagree, and discover who they are and why they’re here. We don’t allow people the time to process and experience Jesus on their own timeline. We don’t even allow people to struggle or doubt, completely ignoring the reality that one of the greatest ways we can reach people is by walking with them through their struggles and doubts without trying to fix their struggles and doubts. People are not assignments! Stop trying to save the world and just start by loving the next person you run into as if you were running into Jesus.
Christians tend to interpret and cherry-pick the Bible apart from Jesus and use it to bring shame, guilt, and condemnation. Can we please stop elevating the Bible over Jesus? The two aren’t the same. Shockingly, Jesus trumps the Bible. There’s a reason the popular wristbands said, “What would Jesus do?” not “What does the Bible say?” Unfortunately, many Christians worship the Bible instead of the real, authentic, and loving God that is progressively revealed in the Bible and is fully revealed in the person of Jesus. If you don’t understand covenants and which covenant applies to you and which don’t, you will misinterpret and misapply verses to your life. Besides, Jesus is the Word according to John 1. So, we must read Scripture through the lens of Jesus to determine what is God and what is not. You can’t turn to the Hebrew Scriptures to know exactly what God is like. Only Jesus shows us exactly what God is like. For example, God doesn't desire infant killing or genocide. Yet, according to the prophet Samuel in 1 Samuel 15:3, God commands it. I don’t believe God told him to do that because it doesn’t line up to the character of God revealed to us through Jesus. I think Samuel's nationalistic view point of God caused him to operate opposite of the Spirit of God. Why? Because Jesus reveals to us who God is and who He has always been. Either Samuel got it wrong or Jesus did…Or what about the idea from Deuteronomy 28:58-63 that God finds pleasure in destroying the disobedient? Again, when you line this idea up with the character of God revealed to us in Jesus, it’s easy to reject (or put in its proper covenant) for 1 John 4:8 claims God is love. Ezekiel (who didn’t have the full revelation of God) even rejects this idea in Ezekiel 18:32 when he pens, “For (God) takes no pleasure in the death of anyone…” So either Moses (who scholars believe wrote Deuteronomy) got it wrong or John and Ezekiel got it wrong. But both can’t be true. As Keith Giles said in his book, Jesus Unbound, “Jesus even told us: There is no life in the Bible. But the Bible points you to the One who does give us life. That’s Jesus. The Bible never points us to the Bible. The Bible always points us to Christ. Read the Bible. Follow Christ.”
I could show you several other blatant contradictions in the Hebrew Scriptures as the authors were learning about who God was and is. My faith however, isn’t determined on the accuracy of every detail and event in the Hebrew Scriptures. And none of these examples trip up my faith because my faith isn’t found in a book. It’s found in the God who is revealed in the book. My faith is dictated by the compassion and love Jesus had for all people regardless of their lifestyle, gender, or race. My faith is challenged by the grace and forgiveness that Jesus showed to the disciple who betrayed him and the men who murdered him. My faith is inspired by his disciples who went on to never renounce their faith in the midst of being brutally tortured for it (who dies for something unless they’re convinced it’s real?). My faith is solidified in the fact that Jesus got up, conquered death, and brought me life...a life of hope! A life that keeps empowering others...keeps believing...keeps loving. A life that quits focusing on getting to Heaven one day and instead brings Heaven to Earth. Again, people don’t leave Christianity because of Jesus. They leave the Bible thumpers who castrate others in the name of God.
(PS if you made it this far, thank you. Also, I’m excited to remind you that my new book, Stoker, comes out August 25th! If you live in Southern Indiana, we’re having a release party and you’re invited. Hope to see you there!)
Let's Do Life Together
Last week, I announced the official release of my second book, Stoker! We are two weeks away and I am so excited for you to be able to read it! I also finished the recording of the audiobook today for those who would rather listen to my voice bring ear candy to your soul.
In the meantime, here’s a section from Chapter 6 titled, “The 5 C’s of Church Growth and Impact.”…
One of the best ways to fight burnout in ministry (or anything really) is to surround yourself with people who care more about you than what you can do for them. The people you do ministry with directly impacts your spiritual health. Life is more about relationships than it is about responsibilities. The people around you are either making you better or worse, so choose wisely. Did you know that birds that fly together use 70% less energy than if they were to fly alone? My point is you need to have a great team around you and great teams don’t develop overnight. Great teams have to be built. I think that is why I love GM’s (General Manager) in sports. It’s their job to draft, trade, or sign free agents that will mesh well with other players – creating the best team, not necessarily creating all-stars. It’s also why we love underdog stories. It’s usually the team that can play like a team that advances. When everyone knows their role and does their “job” with excellence, the organization as a whole succeeds. It’s not about filling roles just to fill them. It’s about getting the right people in the right role and releasing them into their destiny.
The Church needs to be heavily involved in the community. We need to be connecting to people far from God and far from church. We need to actually go and be the church outside of the four walls where we worship on the weekends. Did you know that 39 of the 40 miracles recorded in the book of Acts happened outside the church in the community? Did you know that 122 of the 132 contacts (4 happened in the synagogue and 6 were in the temple) that Jesus had with people recorded in the New Testament were out in the mainstream of life? If your church closed its doors today, would the community be disappointed? Would they even notice? Are you in your community? If not, go talk to some organizations, schools, businesses, etc. and ask them how you can serve them (without expecting anything in return). I promise they’ll be surprised when they find out there are no strings attached. They may even be more open to listen to what you have to say down the road when they witness your love and service first.
What I’m trying to say is we are designed for relationships! We were never meant to do life alone. It’s time to focus on connecting with real human beings and get involved in each others lives.
Stoker Release Party
It’s official!! My new book, Stoker, will be released with a party on Sunday, August 25th from 2pm-4pm! The event will take place at the Hampton House (6400 Loi Rd, Floyds Knobs) with a specialty iced coffee drink, s’mores, and desserts! I’d love for you to be a part of this special day.
In the meantime, here’s a portion from Chapter 5 titled, “The 5 C’s of personal growth and followship.”…
Being a stoker in the Kingdom of God requires continual personal growth in life and in followship. I say followship because we need to learn the art of it. We lead others as we’re being led by Christ but the reality is, none of us are leaders. We’re all followers. Even Paul told the church in Corinth to ‘follow him as he followed Christ.’ Are you listening to Jesus? Are you led by Him? The day you stop learning and growing is the day you stop following and leading. We should be students at all times, learning to be better spouses, employees, friends, leaders, followers and people. The learner must also be active in the process of learning. Remember, John and Judas had the same teacher.
My favorite thing to preach on is confidence. In my opinion, it is the most important leadership quality. It also takes time to develop and it starts by consistently reminding yourself of how God views you. People follow leaders who are confident and competent! Confident leaders are confident followers of Christ. They are attractive, bold, and inspiring. They show what confidence is: a belief in one’s ability. When athletes are confident it shows in their game. The same is true for a lack of confidence. In fact, announcers will say that certain athletes are lacking confidence when they go through their slumps. Confidence has everything to do with one’s beliefs. We can find confidence in our talents, but ultimately confidence comes from knowing our stance before God. When we truly know we are God’s beloved, it shows in the way we carry ourselves. True confidence comes from knowing that we’re sons and daughters of the most high King. This confidence reflects in the way we lead and live.
So be confident today! Your Father in Heaven believes in you. See you at the release party!
Never spend so much time working FOR God that you forget to spend time WITH God
Summers are crazy for me. I was out of town 6 of the last 8 weeks. From camps and retreats, to conference and vacation, my routine was shattered. I’m the kind of guy who thrives in routine and takes a long time to get back into the swing of things. Which is why I’m rambling about it now…because I’m still a bit rattled. Still trying to operate and succeed on my own…still trying to get peace back instead of resting in the peace I already possess. So here’s a portion of my new book, Stoker… (By the way, we postponed the release from July to August and we’ll be throwing a release party that everyone is invited to. Next week I’ll be posting the details and I CAN’T WAIT!!)…
It is extremely easy for me to get so caught up in the planning and programming that I forget to fill up first. So much time is given to writing sermons and developing sermon series that I forget to spend time with God for myself. It is so easy to be distracted by the things I think need to get done that I forget to seek the One who sustains me. Your own relationship with God is your first priority. People are second. You will never be able to minister properly if you aren’t first receiving from Christ. We leaders are like a sponge. We soak up tons of information, knowledge, wisdom, and revelation from God but then we need to share it with others. Like a sponge, we soak up all the good stuff then ring that good stuff out on others. This is a cycle and a continual one at that. However, if we ever stop soaking up the goodness of God, we’ll dry out.
In the first chapter of Mark when Jesus calls his first disciples, it says that James and John were ‘preparing’ their nets. That word prepare or mend means to clean. If the nets weren’t cleaned properly, they would rot and break. Preparing for the catch is more important than the catch itself, for if one doesn’t prepare, holes will prevent the net from catching anything. I’ve heard it at almost every leadership conference I’ve been to but the truth remains, “The day you stop learning (preparing) is the day you stop leading.” And we must first be in step with our Heavenly Father, learning from Him in a personal and intimate way.
So as the title says, “Never spend so much time working FOR God that you forget to spend time WITH God.”
Synergy Conference 2019
We just finished hosting Synergy Conference 2019 at Cornerstone Church with Dr. Lynn Hiles. He had some great one-liners and thoughts that I want to share to encourage you with…
Being a Christian should be irresistible! The best things in life are attracted, not pursued.
Your biggest test isn’t in your failure but in your success. Everything that happens TO you happens FOR you.
Jesus only carried his cross for a day, how long are you gonna carry yours?
We must kill the thought that we aren’t good enough. If you don’t think you’re irresistible, you won’t be irresistible.
If you were at the conference, you received the first copies of my new book, Stoker. I am excited to announce that we will be having a release party in August and I can’t wait to tell you all about it! Stay tuned for details…
God Doesn’t Want To Use You
My new book, Stoker, will be releasing later this month! In fact, if you’re going to Synergy Conference this year, you’ll be receiving a free copy before anyone else. Below is an excerpt from chapter 3 titled, “God doesn’t want to use you.” Check it out…
Christians say this kind of stuff all the time, “I just want to be used by God.” It’s a great thought or idea, but God doesn’t want to use you. In fact, in every other aspect of life we don’t want to be used by anyone. We don’t want to be used by our spouse, employers, friends, or anybody else for that matter. Being used feels awful. God doesn’t want to use you; He wants to know you! No! Seriously! God wants to know you. He enjoys you. He likes who you are, even if you’re not the person or leader you want to be yet. He desires to know you in an intimate and real way. He’s passionate about you! He loves you and He wants to empower you! Knowing God is so much more important than serving Him. And if we’re not careful, we tend to be people in ministry that know a lot about God but don’t really know God intimately or seek Him personally. Serving God becomes a bi-product of knowing God in a very real and raw way. Again, God doesn’t want to use you. He wants to know you and He invites you to be a part of what He’s already doing in this world.
What is a Stoker?
My new book titled, Stoker, will be released in July and I’m so excited to share it with you! Over the next month, I’ll be posting parts of the book with you right here on saints not sinners. If you don’t know what a stoker is or are curious as to why I titled my book this, check out this portion from the first chapter…
According to Webster, “A stoker is one who is employed to tend a furnace and supply it with fuel.” In other words, they’re the person who shovels coal. These stokers most often work on a steam ship or locomotive. This job is extremely important, yet it is often overlooked and underappreciated. (Ministry jobs am I right? I just blew the punch line but I wanted you to be sure you knew where I am going with this.) This job is highly skilled, comes with difficult work, and carries a heavy responsibility. The stoker is required to show up to work to get the furnace ready long before the steam ship or locomotive is scheduled to leave. If the furnace is not hot enough, the transportation will cease. If the furnace is too hot, the engines will overheat and could possibly explode. Can you imagine the stress this must cause the stoker?
When I started to study the life of stokers, I came across the crazy reality of what happened on the coal fed ocean liner RMS Titanic. The Titanic had approximately 176 stokers on board. During the sinking of the ship, these men disregarded their own safety and stayed below deck to keep the steam driven electric generators running for the telegraph, lighting, and water pumps. Only 48 of them survived. Wow. What an example of sacrifice.
When I think about people in ministry, specifically in youth ministry, I believe the title Stoker can best describe our “jobs”. As leaders, we are required to have skill, sacrificial attitudes, and servant hearts. Stokers exist to help keep the fire alive; to help keep things moving and moving in the right direction; to do the things that most people don’t want to do; to do the behind the scenes work without much recognition or appreciation. Our job as ministry stokers is to help keep the passion alive; to help keep the message of Jesus moving from generation to generation, to walk through tough, sticky, and painful experiences with people; to do the behind the scenes work knowing that we’re sons and daughters of the living King whether we are recognized and appreciated – or not. So why Stoker?
To empower you to be the leader God has called you to be.
To encourage you to run your race and be a pacesetter.
To equip you for how God is leading you in your own environment, in your own world, and in your own ways.
When Rest Isn't Restful
I’m on vacation to get some rest and the reality is, it hasn’t been restful. Let’s just be real, vacations are no longer stress free with a 2 and 4 year old. We also haven’t had great weather. Nothing like getting away to my favorite places on Earth only to be rained out 6 of the 7 days. On top of that, I’ve been getting bad news from some of my closest friends within their jobs, marriages, and life. Why is it every time I go on vacation that everyones do-do butter tends to explode in the fan?
Speaking of do-do butter, you know Paul uses the English equivalent to “shit” in the Bible? The Greek word is Skubalon and he uses it in Philippians 3:7-9. Paul was saying that everything he’s accomplished in life, the ‘things’ of the world, is Skubalon compared to knowing Christ and he was serious!
In fact, I write about this very thing in my new book titled Stoker, releasing this Summer. Here’s an excerpt from Chapter 4 titled Skubalon Happens…
At the time I wrote this part of the book, I had just celebrated 6 years at Cornerstone Church – a place that will forever be a part of my life. The things I’ve learned here have shaped nearly every aspect of my belief system; some beliefs I held that I thought would never be different have drastically changed since I started. I have seen God do miracles in the lives of many people in our church and I have also experienced seasons where it felt like God was quiet. I’ve seen the number of kids in our ministry triple and then decrease again. I’ve had a week in the summer where only one student showed up. I’ve had many frustrations, heartbreaks, and hard life issues I’ve had to walk through with people. But I’ve also seen joy, breakthroughs, and family curses broken. I’ve seen God do some incredible things and I’ve been able to play a small part in the process. I say all this to encourage you that God is still writing your story. There are still plenty of ups and downs in your future and if you continue to be involved in the lives of people, you will deal with some major crap. But if you stick around long enough with the people you do life with, you’ll be able to see the Spirit of God move like never before. Some of God’s greatest testimonies happen in some of the largest piles of Skubalon.
Transitioned
Our leadership team just took our church through a 4-week sermon series titled “Transitioned.” It’s a conversation around understanding the covenant relationship that God has with different people and nations. If you don’t understand the 5 major covenants recorded in the Bible, you will misread and misapply Scriptures to your life. If you’ve ever been confused about how to read your Bible, uncertain about how God feels towards you, or not able to understand difficult texts written about God in the Old Testament, then I would encourage you to spend time listening and soaking in the messages below.
If you’d rather have the cliff notes, here’s a brief review…
The 5 major covenants in Scripture are with Noah, Abraham, Moses, David, and Jesus. The only covenant that is based on behavior is the covenant God made with Moses and the Israelites. It’s based on the 10 commandments and the 603 laws the Israelites added (613 laws). This was a covenant God never wanted to have with the Israelites because this covenant misrepresented the heart of God. Instead of everyone having relationship with God as a royal priesthood (like it is today), they chose to operate in a system with only one man who could have a relationship with God (the priest). Instead of knowing God as a Father, the Israelites knew God as a judge. According to Deuteronomy 27 & 28, they received blessings for obedience and curses for disobedience. This unfortunately, is how a lot of Christians still operate today.
But it’s not our covenant…
Jesus transitioned everything. We’re no longer defined by our behavior but rather, by our belief. This is why David can commit adultery and murder, and still be known as a man after God’s own heart. This is why Abraham can lie to Pharaoh and Pharaoh gets cursed. Just so we’re clear - God does not honor sin. He does however, honor people in spite of their sin because honor speaks more of Him than it does of us. Again, your behavior doesn’t dictate your position in the Kingdom of God, but it does dictate how much of the Kingdom flows through you today! This is why we obey: not to receive blessings or out of fear of punishment but because the Kingdom is alive and it represents righteousness, peace, and joy! Three things you can have today because you are already as blessed as you’ll ever be.
The bottom line is we’re not bound to the law given in the Old Testament, we belong to Jesus…and if you think those two are similar, you’ve missed the point of Jesus. This is not about picking and choosing which verses you like and don’t like. It’s about understanding which verses belong to which covenant. Jesus fulfills the law…it’s no longer relevant. We now operate under the royal law or the law of love. As Jesus says in John 13:34, “Love as I have loved you.” When we operate like that, it changes everything.
We are the new heavens and the new earth. Jesus reigns, the Kingdom is here, and it’s our responsibility to expand the Kingdom with hope and love now. We actually become ineffective when we’re watching and waiting for God to come back. We have God in us now! Because of Jesus we have a better High Priest and we are a better temple!
You can watch the series below…Or you can find us on the podcast app!
Week 1 - Click Here
Week 2 - Click Here
Week 3 - Click Here
Week 4 - Click Here
When sinkholes change lives
Something crazy happened this week in Southern Indiana. A sinkhole on I-265 caused traffic to backup for miles and hundreds of people were late for work. I know it caused a lot of people frustration as this event caused an inconvenience, but one family was devastated more than anyone else. The sinkhole created a ripple effect that ended up causing a terrible accident resulting in the death of two parents…parents of 4 children…4 children that will never see their mom and dad again. As a spiritual leader in this community, I think it’s important for us to get involved. One way could be financial (click here)… It’s times like these that our love for God is proven by our love for others.
It was no ones fault that the sinkhole happened but it’s our responsibility to control how we react to something. The way one of these drivers reacted created the devastating ripple effect. The same is true in our lives. Some of the things we deal with are because of stupid choices we’ve made. Other things we deal with are from circumstances we couldn’t control. However, the way we respond to life can create a ripple effect that effects everyone around us.
Have you ever compared the life of Jonah to that of Paul? Both dudes experience something similar but for two completely different reasons. They both get on a boat. They both experience a crazy storm. They both experience shipwreck. Yet, one man paid money to run away from God while the other paid with his freedom as a prisoner for God. One man effected everyone else on the boat in a negative way. The other man encouraged everyone else and helped them all to safety. The reality is, we’re all on a boat called life. This boat represents our families, relationships, schools, jobs, etc. And we all have the opportunity to impact people in either a negative way or positive way. If you’re a believer in Jesus, every boat you’re on is supposed to be better off because you’re on board. So, do you make the boat better?
The Holy Misconception
Do you ever wish Jesus was physically present with you at all times? I think it would totally help prevent us from sinning if Jesus in human form was walking with us everywhere we went! Yet, understanding the role of the Spirit in our daily lives, reminding ourselves of His presence within us is actually what will help prevent us from sinning. We have greater power living within us in the Spirit than we would if Jesus was physically standing with us. In fact, we need to catch the revelation that Christ in us is greater than Jesus standing next to us.
Many believers think it’s the job of the Holy Spirit to convict people. In John 16, we see Jesus telling His disciples He had to go so the Holy Spirit could come and dwell within us. According to John 16, the Holy Spirit is our counselor, helper, comforter, and advocate. He guides us into all truth (John 16:13). He prays on our behalf (Romans 8:26). He testifies to us concerning our identity as children of the living God (Romans 8:16). Yet, He does not convict us like many people think He does. Why would the Holy Spirit be convicting believers of sin if sin was taken care of on the cross? Did you know there is only one place in Scripture where the word convict is used in the same sentence as the Holy Spirit? In John 16:8, most translations use the word ‘prove’ or ‘convict’ to talk about the Holy Spirit’s job, but the word used in the original Greek translates the word ‘prove’ to ‘convince’! Using the word convince here is very important in understanding the job of the Holy Spirit in our lives because the Holy Spirit is not here to convict us of sin. The job of the Holy Spirit in the life of believers is to convince us of our righteousness in Christ. When we are tempted with sin, the Holy Spirit within us is there to convince us that we are better than sin because we have Jesus. We don’t need moments of pleasure to satisfy us because we are satisfied in Christ. In the life of non-believers, the Holy Spirit is there to convince them they need Jesus. That life in Christ is actually free and fun. It’s time to listen to the voice of the Spirit, for He is here to convince us of our permanent reality - righteous kids already seated at the King’s table!
Maximum Security
What do you think about when you hear the title of this blog? Before this past weekend, we’d probably all think about some type of maximum security prison. I say before this weekend because of what happened in the city I live in. I’m talking about ‘The Ville’, home of the Kentucky Derby! If you know what happened during the derby, you know history was made as we saw the first disqualification in the history of the event. It took 145 derby races to see a horse get disqualified for breaking the rules and people went bananas. Over 9 million dollars was lost in the sports betting world and it was the talk of town. If you ask someone who actually watches horse racing regularly, they’d inform you that this disqualification happens all the time in weekly horse races all across our country. It just never occurred during the event dubbed “The most exciting 2 minutes in sports.”
Did the jockey and horse make a mistake? Yup
Did they reap the consequence of that mistake? Yup
Does it suck? If you care…
The tie in? The beautiful thing about the Kingdom of God is that even your mistakes don’t disqualify you from His love and anointing.
Cheesy? Maybe
But the truth remains. You can’t disqualify yourself from sitting at the table with the King. You might have made some poor choices, but your mistakes don’t define you. You might have to suffer the natural consequences of your decisions, but God’s anointing and power has never left your life. You are qualified, anointed, empowered, and equipped to continue to expand the love of Jesus wherever you are. So lift your head, focus on Jesus, remember your position as a child of God, and continue to run your race!
You're predestined for greatness
Have you ever been rejected? In my opinion, not feeling wanted is one of the worst kinds of feelings we can experience. Many of us can think of a relationship that didn’t work out the way we had hoped it to. And yet, even as you read this, flashbacks or current realities might cause your stomach to churn and depression to set in. It might not seem significant in your season of loneliness but the comforting reality of Jesus is that we’re wanted, pursued, chosen, and predestined! God desires us more than we may know…
This week, my goal is to help build up your confidence in believing you matter… to believe that you are wanted… to believe that you are predestined for greatness!
Fact is, God chose you from the beginning of time (Ephesians 1:4-5). He predestined all of us to be conformed to His image. However, we need to address the issue of predestination that a lot of well meaning Christians misunderstand. The word ‘predestined’ is used only 4 times throughout Scripture (twice in Romans and twice in Ephesians). Understanding the context of these passages will help you understand what predestination means. Romans and Ephesians are books written to Gentiles. Why is that important? Because this thought was super controversial at the time. What Paul was trying to communicate is that it was always a part of God’s plan to include Gentiles into the family of God! (Notice how you won’t find the word written in any books written to Jews: Hebrews, James, 1+2 Peter, 1+2+3 John). Predestination is about God’s choice to predestine all people (Jew and Gentile, male and female…) for sonship through Jesus. It’s our choice to remain as an orphan or live as a child in the Royal family! It has nothing to do with God predestining people for a certain afterlife experience. It has everything to do with you understanding your greatness now…because a great God lives in you and has empowered you to do incredible things today!
So speak confidence into your soul! You are unique and God created you to be you. God gave you influence to love the people around you well. God gave you purpose and when He thinks about you, His smile can’t be contained. You are His beloved and He is proud of you! Don’t be consumed with trying to change THE world…be consumed with trying to change YOUR world today!
Tic-Tac?
Over the last 7 weeks we’ve been going on an adventure of understanding our identity as saints not sinners. If you haven’t read the last 7 blogs, I encourage you to start with reading how you’re victorious in Christ, permanently forgiven, fully righteous, and unconditionally loved, yet not loved equally. How you’re a perfect 10 and already crowned as a royal priesthood in the Kingdom of God. These truths are so important for you to understand because proper humility is not thinking less of yourself, just of yourself less. Meaning, you should have a high view of yourself because Jesus has a high view of you! You are His most prized possession. All I have written over these past 7 weeks can be summed up with my life message: to help you believe you matter because you have an area of influence to impact.
This is why I even started this blog: to help equip, empower, and encourage you to not wait for ‘one day when’. To help you recognize the power and freedom you already possess because of Jesus. This power and freedom however, requires responsibility. Why is it important to recognize your responsibility? Because with power, you have the ability to either overpower or empower others. With freedom, you have the ability to either abuse it or flourish in it. The choice is yours so choose wisely!
In 2 Corinthians 2:15, Christians get labeled a ‘sweet aroma’ to God. It might be a weird word picture unless you do a cross reference of that word. The Greek word for ‘sweet aroma’ comes from a similar Hebrew word ‘bad odor’ used in Exodus 5:21 and Genesis 34:30. Follow me here…the word ‘bad odor’ gets translated in the Scriptures as ‘obnoxious.’ In these stories in Genesis and Exodus, the Israelites were complaining to Moses about how Pharaoh was working them like dogs because Moses kept trying to free them. The literal bad odor coming from their bodies were making them repulsive to be around. What Paul was trying to communicate to the church in Corinth by telling them they were a ‘sweet aroma’ to God was actually a challenge - He was saying don’t be a stench. Don’t be an obnoxious Christian. Don’t be the type of person who’s rude and dishonest. As Christians, we have two options: 1) we can either be so concerned with fighting for things that don’t matter that we don’t even recognize the wake of devastation we’re leaving behind us as non-Christians ask themselves why they would want the Jesus we serve (the obnoxious/’bad odor’ Christian) OR 2) we can live to empower others with love and mercy as our fragrance leaves a pleasant scent in the nose of people who don’t know Jesus (the ‘sweet aroma’). So the question remains: do you smell like Christ or do you need a tic-tac?
King Me!
Remember that one time some dude claimed to be the King of the Jews and then was brutally murdered by a bunch of religious, seminary-educated, church going, and blood thirsty zealots? That event doesn’t happen in two days...that event happened 2,000 years ago. And because that event happened in our past, we don’t need to wait until Easter to celebrate our current, permanent reality. You don’t have to get right before you walk into a church service this weekend. What Christ did 2,000 years ago already made you right. Therefore, you can walk into any church service this weekend with confidence and your head held high to celebrate what Christ did on your behalf. Why? Because you’re already a part of the royal family. You just may need to wake up to your royal reality.
How are we royal? 1 Peter 2:9 claims we’re a royal priesthood. Do you understand what that means? Not only are we royalty, but we’re a part of the priesthood! In 70 A.D. the Temple in Jerusalem was completely destroyed. The destruction fulfilled many prophecies but one of the most significant things that occurred was the complete destruction of the Levitical line of priests. Why is this important? Because God never wanted to have one man be the only person to represent the relationship God had with mankind. What Jesus did brings direct relationship to every human! No more priests needed because you are one!
So you’re a priest but you’re also a part of the royal family. How so? In Revelation 3:21 Jesus says, “To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I was victorious and sat down with my Father on his throne.” In other Scriptures they mention that Jesus sits at the “right hand of God.” This doesn’t mean Jesus sits on a different throne next to God. It means He’s seated with God. In other words, on Abba’s lap! So where are we? We’re seated with Jesus on Abba’s lap. You’re sitting on the throne, not as God but with God.
Have you ever thought about the fact that you’re currently walking in your spiritual inheritance? If you’re not aware, someone has to die before you gain an inheritance... well Jesus died and He left us an inheritance - that is proper Kingdom living that’s full of hope, life, love, and peace. An inheritance of royal priesthood. He’s crowned us, not just with righteousness, but with responsibility to love people well and expand the Kingdom of God here on Earth. To live as if the good news of Jesus is actually good news.
Regardless of what any preacher may say or how you feel about your own performance, you belong because Jesus already crowned you...forever.