I Surrender All

I don't know if you have noticed this or not, but God is always asking for more.

He wants more of our hearts, as many times we allow our hearts to be absorbed with so many things in life that have no eternal value. He wants more of our trust, as so many times we clutch tightly to things and worry about things that He wants to take care of. He wants more of our faith, as often He calls us out to do something amazing but we shrink back because we feel that we lack talent or resources. He wants more of our passion, as so many times He longs for our hearts to be drawn to Him but we draw back due to laziness.

What should we do? We should throw up the white flag of surrender and give all we are, and all we have to the One who breathes out stars, but still holds our whole world together by the power of the cross!

I surrender all to Jesus.
All to Him I freely Give.
I will ever love and trust Him
In His presence freely live.

I surrender all
I surrender all
All to thee my blessed Saviour
I surrender all

May we all live out these amazing words!

The Power of Love

Wow! What a day,tonight I saw over a hundred people walk down to the alter to Give their heart to Jesus. That will never get old and it is my dream to see that at Jubilee in the future. there is a lot of info to digest here so I guess for tonight I will give you this one thought and then I will hit the hay.

God has given us His love to share with the world around us. the same love that compelled Him to die for us is now living in us and should compel us to love others into God's Kingdom.

1Corinthians 13:1-8 What if I could speak all languages of humans and of angels? If I did not love others, I would be nothing more than a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. What if I could prophesy and understand all secrets and all knowledge? And what if I had faith that moved mountains? I would be nothing, unless I loved others. What if I gave away all that I owned and let myself be burned alive? I would gain nothing, unless I loved others. Love is kind and patient, never jealous, boastful, proud, rude. Love isn't selfish or quick tempered. It doesn't keep a record of wrongs that others do. Love rejoices in the truth, but not in evil. Love is always supportive, loyal, hopeful, and trusting. Love never fails! 

We could do all the things that we think are important in our church context, but if it is not birthed in love it will fail. Everything else will fail, BUT Love, the God kind of love, never fails. I believe that if we could see people the way Jesus sees them, and love them the way Jesus loves them, we could see our region come to Christ.

Because you're mine I walk the line.

Psalm 15:1-5 (Message) A David psalm. GOD, who gets invited to dinner at your place? How do we get on your guest list?  "Walk straight, act right, tell the truth. "Don't hurt your friend, don't blame your neighbor; despise the despicable. "Keep your word even when it costs you, make an honest living, never take a bribe. "You'll never get blacklisted if you live like this."

Don't you think it would be cool to sit at dinner with God? wouldn't it be awesome to be that near to Him? Here is the deal, you can be! Pete talked about this bit of scripture at youth last week and it won't leave me alone.

So many times we struggle in how we walk out life with God but it is really quite simple when we read Psalm 15. There is amazing power in the redemptive work of Jesus on the cross, He paid the price for your sins and mine, the work is complete for salvation. If though we want to lead a life that is pleasing to God we need to participate, we need to walk the line with Jesus. Take a while to read this scripture and ask God to speak to you through it and make plans to have an intimate meal with your Father

Live the new life!

2 Corinthians 5:17 Anyone who belongs to Christ is a new person. The past is forgotten, and everything is new.


I think it is amazing that Jesus died on the cross to set me free! Here is the thing Jesus gave us a new life, and He wants us to live it. It is time to let go of your guilt and shame and walk boldly into the new life that God has promised to you. I love this verse in Galatians because it reminds me that I passed away, died, ceased to exist as the person I was and now I exist totally because of and for the work of the cross!
 
Gal 6:14 But I will never brag about anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. Because of his cross, the world is dead as far as I am concerned, and I am dead as far as the world is concerned.


Don't forget it is Mother's Day on Sunday and It is going to be awesome, Kristine and I are going to tag team for the message and we are going to spoil our moms. Don't forget to take some time this week to be bold and share the love of Christ with someone!

Need a Refresh?

If you read this list and honestly evaluate your life, and you feel you are out of sync on any of them, then you need a refresh.

1. If you are focusing on your habits instead of focusing on your heart for God. (Going through the routine)
2. If you are focusing on your goodness instead of your Godliness.
3. If you are focusing on your knowledge of God's word instead of your obedience to it.
4. If you are focusing on your spiritual age instead of your spiritual hunger.

Then................
Acts 3:19 "Repent therefore, and turn again, that your sins may be blotted out, so that there may come times of refreshing from the presence of the Lord,

Simple eh?

A few Quotes that I have collected.

These are a few of my favorite quotes and verses. I hope they challenge you as much as they challenge me.

Hope is not dreaming. It is not spinning an illusion or fantasy to protect us from our boredom or our pain....It is imagination put into the harness of faith. CS Lewis


If you've gotten anything at all out of following Christ, if his love has made any difference in your life, if being in a community of the Spirit means anything to you, if you have a heart, if you care-- then do me a favor: Agree with each other, love each other, be deep-spirited friends. Don't push your way to the front; don't sweet-talk your way to the top. Put yourself aside, and help others get ahead. Don't be obsessed with getting your own advantage. Forget yourselves long enough to lend a helping hand. Philippians 2:1-4
(The Message Bible)

Never fear death, only fear a wasted life.

The price of anything is the amount of life you exchange for it.


When I stand before God at the end of my life,I would hope that I would not have a single bit of talent left, and could say "I used everything you gave me".
Unkown

Disturb us Lord When when we are to well pleased with ourselves.When our dreams come true Because we have dreamed to little When we arrived safely Because we sailed to closely to shore.
Sir Francis Drake in 1577


But I will never brag about anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. Because of his cross, the world is dead as far as I am concerned, and I am dead as far as the world is concerned. Galatians 6:14
Contemporary English Version


"We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and lust and ambition when infinite joy is offered to us, like an ignorant child who wants to keep on making mud-pie in the slums because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a vacation at the beach." If I really wanted to be happy, I would seek God. Oh, but God is abstract! It takes effort to reach God. So I settle. I settle for weak amusements that require no effort. What a lazy fool I am!!" - CS Lewis


"Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me--watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you.
Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly."
Matthew 11:28-30 Message Bible

Building Relationships? Part 4

What an amazing call that God has given us, to Build Relationships that Build the Kingdom of God. This is another question that I ask myself on a regular basis, "If everyone was exactly like me and brought the same level of energy to the table about this mission, would that be a good thing or a bad thing?"

I want to be the kind of person that will lead by example so everyday I ask God to help me keep the mission in mind and I purposefully crank up the intensity level, so that I will become that kind of person.

What about you? Are you the kind of person that we should all be like or do you, like me, need to keep the mission in mind and ask God to help you to crank up the intensity so that we all can fulfill this great mission that God has called us to?

In about six weeks we are going to be starting a series called Crank it Up and I am looking forward to seeing God do great things through that! Have a great day!

Building Relationships 3

2Ki 4:5 So she left him and closed the door behind her and her children. The children kept bringing containers to her, and she kept pouring.
2Ki 4:6 When the containers were full, she told her son, "Bring me another container." He told her, "There are no more containers." So the olive oil stopped flowing.

I think that God has given us the call as His people to pour His Spirit into empty vessels. He has called us to the poor and the weak and the spiritually lost and has called us to keep pouring out into their lives continually, as He continually is filling us with His Spirit. The problem is that many times we stop pouring, we stop looking for empty vessels to pour the oil of the presence and the love of God into and when we do the oil stops.

We sometimes find ourselves, as Christ followers, dried up and feeling desperate for God, and there is a good chance that, that is because we stopped pouring, we stopped giving, we stopped being generous. I don't know about you but I need the presence of God in my life, I need His love flowing through me, so I am looking forward to hunting down some empty vessels to pour His Spirit into Today.

It is all about "Building Relationships that Build the Kingdom of God"

Building Relationships? Part deux

I guess I ask myself this question on almost a daily basis, is my heart really committed to the forward progress of the Gospel? What I am really asking myself is, am I intentionally going out into my world to share the love of God, through relationship, to the people that God has brought into my life.

It is so important for us to live with a sense of mission, a sense that there is something more at play here then just what is happening in my life, or your life. There is a grand battle going on for the souls of mankind, a David and Goliath type of confrontation taking place. I think about David, when preparing to take on Goliath, he first of all had to take on his brother and his attitude. to which David responded "Is there not a cause?"

Do you live life everyday with the realization that there is a cause that you live for and that God has invited you into? If not then I encourage you to really latch on to the Heart of God for a lost and dying world and ask Him to allow you to see what He sees.

It's Your Fire!

I can't get that phrase out of my head! It's your fire and it is your responsibility to keep it burning! Here is the thing, we have the priveledge to have a relationship[ with God and many times we take that for granted, but when we do we rob ourselves of all that God has for us. He wants us to love Him with all of our soul with all of our might and with all of our strength. All, all , all, no mediocre, no half way, with all that we are.

Her is the truth though I can't do it for you, and you can't do it for me, it is our own priveledge and responsibility. So........What are you doing to keep the fire for God burning bright in your heart?

Don't forget to bring a friend on Sunday, have a great night.

Faithful?

God has really been giving my heart and mind a makeover over the past while and is continuing to challenge me in huge ways. I love that, I love when He is working out something in me. So here is something I have been brewing on lately.

Luke 16:10 He who is faithful in the least is also faithful in much. And he who is unjust in the least is also unjust in much.

What does it mean to be faithful in the least? Well Paul Dejong, pastor of Life Church in Auckland New Zealand asks this question. What is it that is no big deal to you. Is it being on time? Do you wonder why people are so uptight about being somewhere on time, do you think that it is not really a problem if you show up a few minutes late. Well that might be "the least" for you, maybe God is telling you to step it up and be early instead.

Maybe yours is neatness, cleanliness, relationships or whatever, but whatever the least is to you, God is saying step it up. Have a great day!

Don't forget to bring someone to church this Sunday we are kicking off a brand new series.

Do what you can!

We as Christians often think that if we just pray then everything will work out, and it is true that prayer is powerful. Here is the thing, if God didn't need us, or at least want us to do our part then why are we still on this planet?

In Exodus 17:8-16 we find the story of the famous battle between Israel and the Amalekites in which when Moses kept his staff raised the Israelites would prevail and as his arms grew tired and came down they were being beaten. While Moses led the prayer ministry, Joshua was on the ground doing battle. it took the prayer ministry and the soldiers to win the battle that day, as it does in our lives also.

Paul Cho, the Pastor of the world's largest church said it best when he said "Pray like Moses, fight like Joshua". For some of us today we may need to take some time and pray and seek God, for others we may need to get off of our knees and get into the battle. Have a great one!

A few Blog Treasures

I am excited about what God is doing in me, and what He is doing in us as a church. I believe that are best days are ahead and that we are going to rock this region with the Gospel. I wouldn't trade this life for any other life because I feel I am in the sweet spot of God's will for my life right now. That does not mean that I am not going through any struggles or wrestling with any issues right now, because I am. I am doing a message on the tongue this week and it is rocking my world.

Any way here are a few great Blog posts to set you up for the weekend.

This one is from Mark Batterson He always challenges me to live beyond average

Here is a great one about the church from Larry Osborne Even though he is talking about the American Church I think it applies.

I love this one from Perry Noble .

This one by Steven Furtick will challenge you.

Remember that it is Mothers Day this Sunday and we have some great things planned for them, so invite your mom, your friends mom, or any other mom you know, Hey invite anyone you can think of. Try not to come alone. Have a great one!

Life Principles (Part 3)

The third principle that I live by and work hard at passing down to my children is found in James 4:6 where it says, God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble. I don't know about you but pride is a huge struggle for me. I have to carefully and strategically work at keeping pride out of my life and staying humble.

Have you ever had moments in your life when you felt a separation from God and wondered why? For me most of the time when that happens it is because I have allowed pride to separate me form God, I have taken something on with a, don't worry about me God, I have got this covered, attitude. As long as I stay reliant on Jesus and the work He is doing in me I can keep humble. So I try to stay really close.

Tomorrow is Sunday so try to bring someone with you and don't forget to pray that God will do something great as we gather together.

Life Principles (Part 2)

The second principle I live by is found in Romans 12:15 and it says to Rejoice with those who rejoice. Weep with those who weep. I think it is so important for us to truly care for each other and feel each others gains or losses.

It is often very easy to weep with those who weep, because we can be caught up in the emotion with them, but rejoicing with those who rejoice is a bit more difficult. When others do well and we are not doing well it can seem unfair and often we ask God when it will be our turn to rejoice. Here is the truth, whether or not someone else is blessed has no bearing on God's ability to bless you, He is able to bless all and never run out, but the way we respond to the blessing of others is very telling about who we are on the inside.

So next time you feel uptight when you see God bless others, do a heart check and give thanks for all that God has done for you. When you see someone going through a hard time, help to carry them through. I believe that if we do that it will be great for God's Kingdom.

Life Principles (Part 1)

I think that it is so important that each of us have some clearly defined principles by which we live our life. Principles that are non-negotiable, and guide our lives to a great degree. I have a few that I live by and I will share them with you to give you an idea of what I mean.

The first principle I live by is "I am a steward, not an owner". I gave my heart and life to Jesus many years ago and have through the process of time submitted to Him as the Lord of my life. I have made Him the supreme ruler of my universe and I try to do what He says do, and go where He says go. This affects every part of my life, because this principle applies to my wealth, my health, my children, Kristine, and to everything else in my life.

I am a manager and I spend my life trying to use what God has given to me to advance His Kingdom, and bring honour to Him. At times I forget that I don't own the stuff, but because I have ingrained this principle into my mind and my heart I don't stray for long.

What about you, are you still an owner or have you given all to Jesus as your Lord?

With Everything?

Man, God is really challenging me lately. I was spending some time in prayer and worship this morning, I was singing "With Everything" by Hillsong, and I really sensed that God was asking me, "Really, do you love me with everything"? Here is the thing, we often say things with out thinking, or we think but not really.

God is calling us to an authentic walk with Him. He's asking us to give Him everything, and He wants us to say yes to Him. He wants us to know Him and be known by Him, which seems like a dumb thing to say, because He already knows all. The thing is though He wants us to realize that He knows all, so we stop hiding. He wants us to invite Him into all the areas of our lives, the parts we are proud of and the parts we are not so proud of. To know Him and be known by Him.

So I challenge you today to get honest with God and really love Him with everything.

Is it Real? (Part two)

Do you really believe that what you believe is really real? I hope this question is really bugging you. If you really believe then it will affect how you look at the gift of life each day, it will affect how you spend each precious day, every hour, every minute of the time you have been allotted.

Here is the deal, hell is a real place and so many people that I know and people that you know are going there. If we really believe that what we believe is really real then that reality should be driving us forward each day, it should be....

Who do you know that doesn't yet know Jesus? How are you strategizing to reach them? How much does the fact that they are heading to hell keep you awake at night? Please, I am begging you, realize that this is really real and, to the best of your ability, try to lead that person to Christ.

Is it Real?

Yesterday I asked the question "Do you believe that what you believe is really real?" in the hopes that it would get you all thinking about what you think is real. I think as Christ followers some times we give lip service to the fact that the Bible is true, that it is the inspired word of God, but do we really believe it?

Here is the thing, God's word says that He loves you and will provide for you, if we believe that this is really real then we need to learn to relax and trust in God even through the hard times. God's word says that by His stripes we are healed, and if we believe that is really real then we need to learn to trust in God's word and have confidence that He will take care of us.

The only way that we will ever grow in trust and belief in God though, is when we actually get to know the one we are trusting and believing in. No matter what we do we cannot bypass relationship with God, if we do it becomes a series of rules and dead religion.

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year! I am pretty stoked about this new year of 2009! I know that the media is saying that it is going to be a bad year and everything but truthfully I believe that God is up to something and He wants us to get involved! So what should we do to get involved? Here are a few things that I believe will help.

1. Get into a steady and solid set of devotions right from the get go. Wayne Cordeiro has a great system that you can find by clicking on the link.
2. Choose a few people that you know that don't have a relationship with Jesus and pray for them.
3. Invite people out to church or Life Groups with you.
4. Talk to people and be in the moment, be real, and be normal. Show God's love through your life not just what you say.

Have a great day!