Do you believe?

2 weeks ago the pastor said do we actually listen to what we're reading. He made the comment about John 3:16, do we really just say  it too fast or do we actually listen to what we say. I want to say the same thing to Philippians 4:13. Do we say that so fast and forget what it means. "I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength." Do we actually believe that or when it doesn't happen the way that we want it to or in the time do we just chalk it up to fate. Or do we only believe only when it is a little trial or little hill that we have to climb. Do we actually believe it what the hill is so tall that we don't think we could get over it or the trial so big that we don't think we can endure it, do we only believe it was EASY to believe it. So next time you read a verse don't just read it to say that you did read it to underatand God's word.

I'm Done!

I am in the middle of my series "The Bait of Satan" and I can't take it anymore. The whole point of my series is not to take offense but I have. To see leaders not at church, to see people not being faithful and people just not showing up. I am done!! I can't take people playing church and playing the Christian card only when it is convienent. With that said... I will no longer be teaching this or any other series .................................................................................................................................................... ..............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
Well I hope I got you going with the start of the blog. Let me first say I am not stopping the series and I just wanted to make this blog to make a point. We all take offense to so many things and we so many times don't understand how our descions affect other people. We don't even now how many times we actually offend other people because odds are they aren't going to tell you.  You may have not even meant anything by what you said or did but guess what... you did. I hope I have made you think a little bit today about how what you do and say affects other people.

Faults

Just like in Bible times we look so far into what everyone else does to find faults. In the sermon today Bill spoke about the adulteress that got caught. The Scriptures are very specific that they caught her red handed. So in their wanting to trap Jesus they made for sure that she was doing something wrong. But I would ask the question... how long did they watch? To make my point so many people will sin and do the wrong thing just to trap other people but to only get trapped themselves in the process.  Just like Bill said today we are all so quick to forget where we started from, how far we have come. Have you forgot where you came from or are to worried about the faults of others instead of how far they came?

Who do you influence?

This everyday life can get us down. We go to work, eat, work some more, go home, deal with kids and go to bed. We forget that everyone we come in contact with we affect. Just one little thing you say can make a huge impact on someone's day!! We all have influence the question is whether yours is bad or good. Do you try and focus on the positive or the negative? We are all taken down with so much negative nowadays so how do you lift someone up? Remember it only takes one thing, one statement, one action to change someone's day. You never know you might just change your outlook on that day also if we all started taking the time to look at the positive instead of the negative all of the time. Oh you don't think you influence anyone... so how about that cashier at Wal-Mart? Looks like she is having a bad day and when you go through the line you say just thank you, or have a blessed day. How about opening or holding the door for someone, it doesn't have to be give someone money. I mean think about it, we all have been there. Having that awful day and someone make the most simple statement and it just lifts us up and what makes it even better is that person doesn't probably even know. So I ask, who are you going to influence today?

Are you prepared?

So many times in our daily lives we get so wrapped up in the daily burn. Picking the kids up from school, getting food on the table and getting that grass cut around the rain!! We go to church thinking that... that's all I need... one day is good enough. I have to tell you that God wants so much more for your life that what you are doing at this very minuet!!! It doesn't matter if you are a pastor, Sunday school teacher, cashier or anything. He has a plan for you and something specific for you to do!! So are you ready? I mean really are you ready? If God needed someone to talk to the person in front of you right now could you do it? Would you know what so say? Do? How to help? A daily walk with him is the only way to fix that. One day a week, not reading your Bible and not praying will not get you where you want to be. We all have been there, really down just needing someone to say the right thing, help in the right way, could you be that person? Right now, could you be that person? If so that is awesome but don't stop but so many people wouldn't be. They remember when they were that low and someone helped them but now they aren't there anymore. God gives us all experiences that can help people and lead people to Christ but not being on a daily walk with him won't let you get that out. We all have good intentions but are we really doing what we need to? Are we on that daily walk so when he needs us we are ready? Are you ready right now? If the next time you are in Wal-Mart and someone asks you to pray can you?

The reasons...

I started doing this blog some time ago and it has progressed quite a bit. I love it because it allows me to get specific views out there and not have them tied to anyone else or a church. Everyone tries to be so Christian correct nowadays and it doesn't go with what the Bible says. Grace is awesome but there are so many other aspects of the Bible that people don't know because that is all they hear. This is my way of getting those views out there. Just like the reason that so many people don't like church... they see one thing in church on Sunday and see something totally different on Monday. Or... even... on Sunday after church. Because I am not a pastor of a church I am not held to the must keep people happy that so many pastors I know are. I hold myself to standards and those standards are the Bible!!!

Are you just a member?

Looking at so many churhes nowadays I see so many people that are just members. What I mean by that is they come to church on sundays and that is it. No prayer life, no wednesday night service, no extra help for events. Being a member is more than warming a seat one morning a week. It is about not only actively improving your life but helping the church you belong to reach the unchurched in the world. No you dont have to be at or do everything but how do you expect God to move in you or your churches life if the members are not seeking God or trying to be good disicples? Just a thought....

To see or not to see, that is the question...

So one of the harder things we try to watch out for is what we are watching on TV and movies. This is especially hard when I really want to see Iron man 3 but when I pulled up it in Plugged In I just couldn't do it. When a movie has 10 cuss words and a dozen misuses of Gods name it really annoys me. They could have left all of that out and it wouldn't have changed the movie at all. As Christians we all strive to be Christ like and I personally can't get there listening to that. I mean let's just put it out there... if Jesus was going with you to the movies to see it would it be appropriate? Could you sit down, eat some popcorn and watch it without going.... really they had to get in bed together? What do you think Jesus would say?

The choice is yours!!

Kids have always been really close to my heart and it really gets to me when they stray. Most of us have been there especially as kids and when I did I really wished I had someone there I could talk to. I see so many kids that have given their heart to God and have fell away because of friends that aren't really friends, parents who don't care or adults that think it isn't soo bad... As Christians we sometimes need to be more than friends, more than parents and more than just your average adults. But this also goes for young adults too!! Young people are so quick to hide what they are doing to adults and people that care because they don't want the confrontation but as friends and Christians do you worry about what that person or people in general think or do you do the right thing? Doing the right thing definitely isn't easy especially when it is someone that you know but no one said it would be. So are you willing to stand up for what you believe in or will you just sit back and watch a fellow Christian fall further away from Christ? The choice is yours!!!

Guilt....Does it overcome you?

I have to start off with the feeling that everyone has had in church. The pastor is preaching his heart out and all of the sudden he says something and you look up. How does he know that?? I didn't tell anyone... The wonderful thing is so many times the messages or what people are talking about are go general that it isn't really about you but yes it could apply. We have all done stuff in our lives that we regret, we can take back, say something we don't mean and there is nothing we can do about it but start from this new point and time and move on. So one of the questions is what made you feel that way because something did. Do you know it is wrong for what you were doing? Are you going to change so you don't feel like that anymore? The wonderful thing is we don't have to let us overcome us!!!

Take your joy home!!!

With so many problems and pains in our daily lives, we take them everywhere. To school, to work and to church. The problem is when we have an awesome church service we just leave it there. As soon as we walk out the door all the problems and pains come right back. Instead of talking about the service or how God moved we get right back in the dumps about our problems. How about this we don't let the Holy Spirit even touch us in the service because we can't let go of our problems. What would happen if we would let go of your problems and actually took that same mentality outside of church. Instead of talking about problems talk about what your church did, what happened, how God moved. Take all of the joy that you felt in church to the outside world! Let other people know how God affected your life instead of how the devil gets on you when you walk out the door. If only more people would do this we all would take that awesome feeling of joy home and to everyone that we touch.

The hard choices

As christians we have to strive everyday to be more like Christ. For example...is what you are watching right now acceptable? Is the last movie you watched up to par? Would you be able to watch it with Jesus right beside you? This is only one small example of some of the everyday choices that we make.  If we won't make the right choices for what we believe in then what does that show to non-believers. If it is ok for you to do that then why should they change? If we aren't the example who will be?

Are you still a stranger?

At the Charleston District Revival the speaker told a story of a man who felt like a stranger in a new church he was visiting. The young man was new to town and was feeling out his church, he commented and said praise and worship was great, the preaching was awesome but I was a stranger. I purposely stood in the foyer after church for 15 minuets and no one even said hey. You can go so many different ways after that story but how many of you have been going to the same church for years and you still feel like strangers? You see every one's little clicks and feel like you just don't fit in? I am here to tell you that no matter what you are thinking you are not a stranger to God!!!! He knows every hair on your head!!! Don't be discouraged if you feel like this. You are going to glorify the Lord so don't let the flesh bring you down!!! And if you are one of the people in the clicks (we have all been at one time or another) take the time to make new people feel welcome. Remember you once were new to that church and didn't know anyone. You once were new to Christ before you found his salvation!!! If we are to be Christ-like then the next time someone new walks into your church take the time to make them feel welcome. You never know where it might lead....

So many people....

Right now I am sitting here waiting on a prescription to be filled watching everyone walk in and out of this grocery store. There are so many different types of people here but one question keeps coming to mind... are they saved? So many times we are focused on do they go to church? Will they come to my church? Instead of thinking of that big question of are they saved? Have they even heard of Jesus? We need to get out of that mindset of bodies in a building to bodies of Christ!! You know that old saying... " if you build it they will come". Well if Jesus gets into their lives then they will start going to church but if they don't know him the question is almost no. So that bears the question... are you more concerned with four walls of a building or building the body of Christ?

What shall I do?

This is going to be a first in this blog but I am going to ask for some feedback. I need a cool way to raise some more money for production in my church. As most of you know production does a lot but one thing that it doesn't do is bring in revenue. It is really good at spending money just not the bringing in part. I just see yard sale and other stuff as fun but not really an efficient way of bringing in money. To bring it into perspective a new computer and camera is kinda the starting point. I just want to be able to efficiently do everything that a production dept. has to do and have it look good and not take overly long to put together because of slow equipment.  So what would be your way of bringing in some income? Now keep in mind that most sound/ production like working  in the shadows and not out and about. Just throwing that out there.

So much to do

You know working in the church I have found adds so much to your plate but it is worth it. It is hard for all of us to juggle everything that we have going on in our lives especially with children. Trying to find more time to help other churches has got me reevaluating where I spend my time. Do you really spend your days as efficient as possible. You know everyday won't be but all of us can definitely do better. Finding something that you want to do always helps. Tonight for instance I am going to sit down with another pastor and help him get his sound and video up to par so he can execute what vision the Lord has given him.  Helping is something that I have always loved to do so devoting time isn't that hard. I mean really, do we all really have to watch that much TV or stay updated on Facebook or twitter like the world is going to end if we don't see who posted something? So I challenge you to prioritize your day to make it more efficient for the Lord and you never know what you might accomplish!

Are You Secure?

I would like to give an excerpt from a book that I just finished reading.
    
     "The majority of people in the world prefer to be "secure," which means keeping their own little "worlds" stable with little change. Because of this characteristic of human nature, we easily can get "tunnel vision" and miss the prompting of the Holy Spirit to make a change in our churches or in our lives."  (God's armor bearer book 2 by Terry Nance)
 
      So I am now to ask, is this you? Have you felt like God has called you to do something else but it comes up in your mind.... God, the church we are going to is only 5 min up the road and the one you are calling us for is an hour; are you sure?  Or are you content with the size of your church not wanting allot of change because it will break up the normal Sunday routine? Or how about this, you get mad when God is telling you to change something but it doesn't fit into your daily schedule? Are we so lax with our prayer and talking to God that we would rather stay secure than do the will of God? Do you look at conveniences rather than do what the Lord has told you to do?
    
     We all have done this at one time or another. You might be doing it right now but didn't really think of it like that. Especially with church workers we need to not get "tunnel vision" during our daily tasks for the church. A change that God is calling you to make may offend you at first but that is not the purpose. If you are done with the task that he assigned he is going to send someone to take it from you so don't get mad. If the pastor changes something don't get mad because is messes up your routine. Thank God for calling that person to take over and thank God for the opportunity for that task while you had it and how he is going to keep providing. I mean really, we are so quick to question pastors but we need to always remember we are serving Jesus!!! Think of it this way....

"If Jesus asked you to clean the church bathrooms, how clean would they be?
If Jesus asked you to drive a bus on the church bus route, would you be on time?
If Jesus asked you to pray for your Church hand leadership, how fervently would you pray?
If Jesus asked you to get involved in your local church, how quickly would you respond?"
(God's armor bearer book 2 by Terry Nance)

     I brought up pastors because they have been given the vision for the church. For a majority of the time the changes that will be made that will unhinge your "secure" feeling will come from the pastor but what you have to remember that it is actually God. So, do you want to be "secure" or do you want to follow the Holy Spirit? And if you did have a question about a change would you still ask it if Jesus was asking you to do it?

Can you handle the truth?

Sitting up late working on the lesson for Wed. night and I couldn't fit this in so what a better way to get it out there than a blog post. Can you handle the truth? I mean really handle it. If your pastor, mentor, father, mother or coworker really came up to you with all sincerity and told you something how would you take it? Would you do like Jesus? Probably not, you would probably start yelling, storm off or something like that.  There are always going to be things that we need to change and we all know what they are but why is it when someone else brings them up we get so mad?  What we should be doing is being happy that someone would even have the guts to even talk to us about it and embrace that person even more for doing it. Have you ever had that moment where it felt like God just smacked you in the back of the head for not doing what he said or still doing what he told you not to do? He is not scared to tell you when you are doing something wrong so why do we think of it differently when he does it and someone else does? How about this, God told that person to talk to you......... Oops, would you have really said that to him/her if you thought that first? So can you handle the truth or not?