Are you feeling stuck?

Romans 2:1  “You may think you can condemn such people, but you are just as bad, and you have no excuse! When you say they are wicked and should be punished, you are condemning yourself, for you who judge others do these very same things.”

I love this verse because it places each of us on the same plane.  The bottom line and end of story truth is that we are all sinners!  This is the truth… I am a sinner and have no justification towards pointing out the errors of others.

“Wait a minute... I don’t hate-God and I am not unmerciful, and I am trustworthy…”  This is what some would argue.  However… the point isn’t the exactness of your sinful traits compared with others… sin holds an all inclusive list in ways we all miss the mark.  Regardless of where you miss the mark, it is still sin.

This is why in Romans 3:23 it says, “For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.”

Friends like it or not murder and gossip both equally the same thing… sin!  Unforgiveness and immorality… sin!  Prostitution and cheating… sin!  You get the point?  It doesn’t matter what your sinful actions are… we are all guilty of sin.

I have had the privilege of traveling through the years and I have breathed oxygen in Israel, Serbia, Mexico, Nicaragua, Belgium, France and of course the United States.  It didn’t matter which country I was in, it was always and only oxygen.

You can try to make yourself feel better by saying to yourself, “Well I have never committed adultery.”  “I have never killed anyone.”  I have never stolen any money.”  "I have never looked at pornography.”  "I have never lied.” "I have never cheated.” "I have never gossiped.”  "I have never…," and you can fill in your own blank, it doesn’t matter.  It is all sin!

So, we are all on an equal and even playing field.  We are all guilty of one thing sin.  Therefore, stop comparing yourself and stop puffing yourself up.  You, like me, are a sinner.  Though earthly consequence may vary accordingly, the eternal consequence for sin is all the same.

Just as we are all guilty of sin, the remedy for each of us is equally the same.  The only remedy for you and for me is the saving grace of Jesus Christ.  His unconditional act of love on the cross where He took your place and mine is more than sufficient to take care of all of our sin.

1 Peter 3:18 “Christ suffered for our sins once for all time. He never sinned, but he died for sinners to bring you safely home to God. He suffered physical death, but he was raised to life in the Spirit.”

So what can you do to receive this forgiveness and to have your sin taken care of once and for all?

Romans 10:9-10  “If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved. “

There you have it.  This is equally Good News for all of us.  We have all sinned, yet every last one of us can be forgiven of that sin by placing our faith in Christ and confessing Him as our Lord and Savior.

What in the world are you waiting for?

Hebrews 9:27 "It is appointed unto men to die once..." 

I love this verse! To me it is SO freeing. I understand that my earthly fate is death. I will die! 

Since, I am fully aware of this and I accept it... It free's me to DREAM, to RISK, and to TRY. Why not? What do I have to lose? NOTHING! I have nothing to lose! 

Since I have received God's gift of Salvation through Christ Jesus... I am confident in my eternity! So with this TEMPORARY LIFE... I REFUSE to hold back and try to save anything! With my life I want to GIVE IT, LIVE IT, USE IT, and SPEND every second I am given to INFLUENCE, IMPACT, HELP and MAKE A DIFFERENCE!

What If?

What If?

Most people think of "What If..." in the negative. What if I don't have enough money? What if I get seriously ill? What if it just doesn't work out?

I like to look at "What if..." in the positive!

What if today... I did things just a little differently? What if I chose to be just a little bit more intentional with my words and actions? What if I actually took the time to do at least one thing that I have been intending to do? What if I took that action today?

What is the "What If..." you can take action on today that may make today not just a good day but a great day?

Philippians 4:13 " I can do all this through him who gives me strength."

God Does Not Hire Accountants!

God does not hire accountants!  When I stand before God at the end of my life I will not give an account for how much money I have made.  Rather, I will be accountable to how many lives I have influenced with His love and was I faithful to do what He has asked me to do?  This is success of the Eternal Nature!

Thank you Clay Christensen (Harvard Business School Professor) for inspiring this thought for me today!

Mark 8:36-37  "For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? 37 Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?"

Grateful

I am so grateful and thankful for today! Why? Because I am alive... I have the opportunity to make today better than yesterday. I have an awesome God, a beautiful, wonderful wife, two exceptional children, a dream job, a home, two cars, dear family and friends, and my health. 

I am also thankful for the trials... yes... on top of ALL those wonderful things I have trials. These trials challenge me... to be better... to draw closer to my God... to cling to God's Word and ALL of His glorious promises. To rise up in faith and believe God and to put His Word to action. If it were not for the trials I may not recognize the blessings.

These trials could defeat me, but they will not. Instead, they send me into a deeper pursuit of Gods love. These trials make me more desperate for His presence. In the end these trials will make me stronger, wiser, and more effective in my lifes purpose.

Everyday is a day to be grateful... Romans 8:28 28 "And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them."

Judgment Will Come... BUT Today Is A Day of Hope and Salvation... Let's SHOUT it OUT!

It is not my job to judge others!  I made this statement in my last post: "If you want to judge the world, you will miss the opportunity to influence it."

HOWEVER, do not be ignorant, there is a judgment.  That judgment is the responsibility of God the Father and He is the only judge!

God, under His New Covenant,  has reserved His judgment for a specific time and place. 

John 12:47-49  "I will not jude those who hear me but don't obey me, for I have come to save the world and not judge it.  48. But all who reject me and my message will be judged on the day of judgment by the truth I have spoken.  49. I don't speak on my own authority.  The Father who sent me has commanded me what to say and how to say it."

I don't need to convince the world of anything.  I simply must be faithful to share the message of hope that we have in Christ Jesus and to live in such a way that it proves that message.

I could not convince anyone of their sin anyway.  It is not my position to do so.  It is the role of the Holy Spirit to "convict the world of it's sin" (John 16:8).

This is exciting to me.  My role is to share GOOD NEWS to the world around me.  My job is to share my testimony and how the blood of Jesus has taken away my sin and that He can do the same for them.

Yes... there is a judgment.  One day God will judge the world.  However, today is the day of Salvation (2 Cor. 6:2).  That's good news!  Let's not be quiet about this.  Judgment is coming, but today is a day of HOPE and SALVATION.  

Shout it out!!!

Position Yourself to Grow Your Ministry

The lifeblood of your ministry is directly related to people.  This would include both the people who are currently in your ministry as well as those who may be at some point in time.  

If you have a healthy, strong, and vibrant ministry, it is because you and your members are actively pursuing lost, hurting and misdirected people.  It is because you are actively sharing your story and the faith you personally have in Jesus Christ.

In order to grow your ministry, you have to do more than open the doors of your church.  You have to actively go out and engage in the community with a willingness to share the love of Christ.

As you meet people each and every day, engage them, talk with them, ask questions and seek to get to know them.  Ask them for their contact information.  Then go home and begin praying for that person.  

Within 48 hours, follow up with them.  Explain that you enjoyed meeting them and would like to have an opportunity to connect with them again.  Your main objective is to continue the dialogue and build relationship through building trust.  Whether it is during this meeting or another time, you are trusting God for an open door to share your story and present the gospel message to them.

Be intentional, but not aggressive!  This is extremely important and there is a difference!  You want to be led by the Spirit and share when God gives the opportunity.  Do not force it!

Never assume that someone is not interested in hearing about your story or the Gospel.   Many times people are very open to engage with you in spiritual dialogue, especially when you have practiced good listening and have shown a genuine interest in them first.  You then will gain their permission to share your story.  Many times in doing so, they will ask a question that will open the door for you to share your faith in Christ.

Four Quick Action Steps for Positioning Yourself to Grow Your Ministry

1. Step Out of you Comfort Zone - It will open tremendous opportunities!

The best ways to meet people is to get out there and spend time where you have opportunities to meet, greet, and get to know others.  This can happen at the local coffee shop, gym, community activities and an exhaustive list of other possibilities.  Your job is to be intentional in identifying the avenues and then getting out there and participating.

2. Get Involved - Volunteer

One productive way to meet people and benefit your community is to become a volunteer.  This allows you to serve and to meet others as well.  

3. Develop a Contact List

As you get out there and meet people.  Gather their personal information and begin a small data base of names.  By doing so this allows you to have names to pray over.  It also allows for you to be able to follow up with them. 

4. Build a Relationship of Trust

As you meet people, be sure that the conversation is about them, get to know them, find out everything you can about them.  Take the time to develop a relationship.  This may take some time.  Remember, we are called “fishers of men” and fishing takes patience and time.

Signs of the Times?

There are moments in life where things happen that you can't make any sense of whatsoever. As I am writing this 26 families are grieving the loss of loved ones, 20 of them kindergartener's. This being only the most recent of several like catastrophes over the last several years.

Just the other day I was speaking in a high school on being responsible with social media. In the presentation I showed a video where a girl is asked by her boy friend to send him a nude picture of herself. The video then asks the viewers if she should or should not send it. Half to two-thirds of the 200 students present began yelling aloud, "Do it ... do it!" It was hard for me to absorb. I understand that they were teenagers, but even just a few years ago it would not have been so overwhelming gross.

Roger Meyer comments and asks these questions in one of his blogs. "Christ's prophecy on the Mount of Olives includes His statement that lawlessness will abound in the last days. It's part of Jesus Christ's answer to the disciple's question of what would be the sign of His second coming and of the end of the world. Is lawlessness increasing? Are we nearing the end of the world?"

We are in a new season in the history of the world. Things aren't just changing, they have changed. Rapidly we are moving in a direction that seems only familiar as it relates to the prophetic Scriptures of the Bible. Whether you are a believer or not, you can't deny how this period in history is shaping up, paralleled with these Scriptures.

This new world demands that we prepare ourselves. Intellectually, Spiritually, and physically, we must prepare ourselves. These times wait for the rise of great leaders. Men and women not willing to coast in selfishness, but whose motives seek truth, and are willing to both live and die for it.

Standout!

Philippians 2: 14-16 “Do everything without complaining and arguing,15 so that no one can criticize you. Live clean, innocent lives as children of God, shining like bright lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people.16 Hold firmly to the word of life; then, on the day of Christ’s return, I will be proud that I did not run the race in vain and that my work was not useless.”

MLB is upon us! It always seems the beginning and ending to be the most exciting parts of the season, at least in my mind. I was reading an article about the Red Sox infielder Pedro Ciriaco, a 26-year-old with 31 games of Major League experience. There was one line that really caught my attention that I want to share with you.

Here it is: "Ciriaco, who was signed by the Red Sox as a Minor League free agent on Dec. 15, is making it clear this spring that he could be someone the club can count on if the need arises at some point."

I thought to myself, here is a young man that wants a statement so badly. He is doing everything he can to MAKE IT CLEAR that he is someone to be reckoned with. He's a standout so far this spring. People are noticing him!

I want to live my life like that. I want to make it clear to others that I am someone who stands out from the rest. I want to leave a great impression and make a difference. I want others to know that they can count on me!

May we all be inspired in such a way that we live to make it clear that we are above the average. With Christ in us we standout in life! People notice! We do not live our lives like everyone else. We make a statement through our actions of the power of God in us through Jesus Christ!

How do we standout?

We do not complain, argue, or criticize.
We live clean and innocent lives.
We hold firm to God’s Word and all that it teaches.

Hey...I challenge you to make a statement! Be a standout! In so doing… you will bring glory to God and lead others to knowing the hope that live in you!

Strengthen Your Marriage...Have An Affair!

I am so tired of hearing about or reading about various prominent people and their illicit affairs. Why do these guys get all of the attention in the news? Furthermore, my heart has been broken on several occasions as I learned of friends, fellow ministers, or others in the community who were going through a divorce because of an illicit affair. These choices of delusion have completely destroyed families, ruined ministries, and affected the lives of so many people who were connected to the families. It has come to the place, that I just am overwhelmed!

So I made a decision, why should I miss out on all the public attention just because I am happily married. Maybe if I plan it right, I'll make the headlines too. So one night, I leaned over to my wife and broke the news to her. I told about how frustrated I was, and that I too wanted in on this affair thing.

The definition of affair is this, "a romantic relationship or episode between lovers." Also, defined "an active enthusiasm for something." I decided that one of the best ways to guard myself against the illicit affair that has ruined and destroyed so many lives, was to plan one of my own. An intentional affair with my wife.

Hmmm? A planned romance with my wife, now that's a thought! My enthusiasm for my wife has never been greater! We'll sneak around the house and find places to have a little kiss. While we watch television, we hold hands, we snuggle on the couch. Sometimes if I am traveling in the area, I'll actually stop by my house and surprise my wife. I'll take a few moments of unplanned time to spend with her before continuing on with my day. We even try to sneak in some weekend get-ways. Some call this dating.

Now I'll be honest with you, this affair is in its early stages, but we plan to let it grow. It's an affair that I want to shout out to the world. I want my kid's to know, my church to know and I hope all my family and friends find out. I am 100% unashamed to come out of the closet on this. By the way, today I have been married for 18 wonderful years! I love you Tina!

If more husbands and wives were to plan these affairs with each other, I wonder if it could help avoid so many of the illicit ones that destroy? Are you married? Give it try. Tell your spouse that you want to have an affair, with them, and that you want the whole world to find out about! -LiveChosen

Agreeing on this: Love! It is the only fruitful way!

"Think of the church at large. What divisions! Think of the different bodies. Take the question of holiness, take the question of the cleansing blood, take the question of the baptism of the Spirit--what differences are caused among dear believers by such questions! That there are differences of opinion does not trouble me. We do not have the same constitution and temperament and mind. But how often hate, bitterness, contempt, separation, unlovingness are caused by the holiest truths of God's Word! Our doctrines, our creeds, have been more important than love. We often think we are valiant for the truth and we forget God's command to speak the truth in love. And it was so in the time of the Reformation between the Lutheran and Calvinistic churches. What bitterness there was than in regard to the Holy Supper, which was meant to be the bond of union among all believers! And so, down the ages, the very dearest truths of God have become mountains that have separated us." - Andrew Murray (1895)

Wow, if this isn't a true statement! As true today as it was over a hundred years ago. It is sad that over the years of time we haven't changed. We are still all trying to prove our doctrinal views of the Scripture as though we think God has given us the only key to Truth.

I do believe there is a correct Truth and I am not speaking of major differences. Usually the views that have completely strayed from Divine Truth we all stand in unity upon. It is the slight differences based on interpretation that normally divide the church.

Many times instead of joining forces and going out together in love to do Kingdom work, energy is wasted on trying to prove who's view is the right view. Many times these debates have been going on for centuries with no resolve, and both sides often have valid Scriptural references to back their opinions.

What ought we to do? Titus 3:9-11 says, "9 But avoid foolish controversies and genealogies and arguments and quarrels about the law, because these are unprofitable and useless. 10 Warn a divisive person once, and then warn him a second time. After that, have nothing to do with him. 11 You may be sure that such a man is warped and sinful; he is self-condemned."

Rather, we should all focus on this Matthew 22:34-40 "34 Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. 35 One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: 36 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” 37 Jesus replied: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

God, help us to focus all our energies on these two commands. To love God and to love others! When it comes down to it, Your will is actually so much more simple than we try to make.

I can't believe what we are seeing in regard to Japan! Unbelievable! We are praying for Japan!

Only ONE God!

Maybe God established the nations and it's leaders to reveal something. When more than ONE tries to be in charge, it only leads to chaos!

There is absolutely no way that there is more than ONE God! How do we know which God is the real one? Just look at the facts (Creation, History, Science), when you don't twist the TRUTH there no comparison!

Jesus Christ... Think about Him!

Capitalizing in the Red Zone

The red zone on the football field is the area between the 20 yard line and the end-zone at both ends of the field. How well a team plays in this area of the field often determines the outcome of the game. To win, teams must offensively and defensively play well in the red zone.

A few weeks back the Missouri Tigers upset the Oklahoma Sooner’s. During the game, the Sooner’s were in the red zone one time with seven points to show for it. The Tigers on the other hand were in the red zone three times with thirteen points to show for it. The greater the performance in the red zone, the better the chance for success on the score board!

As men we all have certain marked boundaries in our lives. These boundaries and how we play life in these areas are crucial to whether or not we experience victory or defeat. What are the marked red zone area's in our lives? For me, it is the beginning and the ending of each day.

When I spend quality time with Jesus at both ends of the day, the red zone, I win! Spending time with Jesus changes me! When I begin my day with Him, He fuels me. When I end my day with Him, He calms me and gives me peace. So for me, playing strong in the red zone of my life is equal to spending quality time with Jesus. To break it down, when I spend time with Jesus, that means I am reading the Word (Bible), and spending time in prayer. When I capitalize in these disciplines at both ends of the day, I am confident that I will be at the top of my game.

Are you having a tough day? Is life right now a struggle? Is there a lack of peace, confidence, and faith? Do you seem to have little to no direction? If this is you, let me ask the question. How are you playing in the red zone?

Likewise, if things are going well and you feel like you’re winning in life, DO NOT neglect your red zone performance. If you do, sooner or later, it will come back to bite you!

To win, you must play well in the red zone! -LiveChosen

Many spend hours planning a vacation & never think about death or eternity. We're all going to die! There is one way to Heaven, and that is through Jesus Christ.

John 14:6 "Jesus answered, 'I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.'"

Time…Use It or Lose It

For those of us working with students, we know that we only have them in our ministries for a very short period of time. How we make use of that time is vital. Do we just entertain them or do we disciple them? Time is such a sensitive issue. Hopefully, we strive to be intentional with our time, which allows us to be as effective as possible.

Effectively living, really isn't about tomorrow, it is about today. None of us know for sure if we'll be around tomorrow; but I am confident that I am today. For this very reason, we must spend the bulk of our time and energy on living today with excellence. This is why procrastination is so dangerous and setting priorities is so vital.

Everyone at some point and time is asked, "What would you do today if you knew you'd be gone tomorrow?” When that question is answered, we should be able to establish what our priorities are. Some things may not seem quite so important if we only had one day left to live. For example, cleaning out the garage may be a priority, however, if we knew we'd be departing this life tomorrow, there is a pretty good chance that the garage would no longer be a priority.

So, my questions to you is, are you making the most of your time? Are you being intentional and setting priorities within your family and ministries? Do you know how you plan to use the time you have been given today for building God’s Kingdom?

In my opinion, this is one of the issues many youth pastors and leaders struggle with. Many youth pastors and leaders have vision and know what they believe God wants to accomplish in their ministries, yet there is a struggle to put it into play. Often times the struggle can be addressed by developing an intentional mindset and learning to manage time effectively.

Want to up your effectiveness everyday?

Be intentional with your bottom-line priorities!

Live Chosen!

No need to beg, just receive! God is Faithful!

A week or so ago, my family and I were in Detroit on a business trip. We had just eaten lunch downtown at a well-known pizza joint. It was very good!

We ordered two small pizza’s to feed the four of us hoping it would be enough. When the pizza’s arrived needless to say we could have just ordered one.

After enjoying the pizza and our time together, we had the leftovers boxed and decided to head back towards the hotel. It was mid afternoon and it was really hot and humid. We were only about five blocks from our hotel and were looking forward to the walk back.

As in many bigger cities, they seemed to be quite a few homeless around. We had been in town for nearly a week, and although we had seen many around, we had not been approached for anything the whole week.

On the way back to our hotel, I noticed across the street a man who was going through the garbage cans. He would look into each garbage can and then slam the lids down. They must had just been emptied. You could tell the man was becoming very upset.

As we continued to walk he took a course to cross the street. It was very evident that our courses would soon meet. As he entered onto the sidewalk from the street he look me right in the eyes and began to speak. I stopped him, as I knew what he was about to ask.

I asked the man, “Are you hungry?”

“Yes,” the man answered.

“Would you like the rest of our pizza? It is almost a full one!” I said.

He said yes and proceeded to ask if we could afford some money to buy him a drink as well. We gave him some money and prayed with him and he was on his way.

What stood out to me the most from this interaction was the look on his face when I stopped him from having to ask us for food. He didn’t need to ask, we could clearly see his need. It seemed to be such a relief to him that we recognized his need and that he did not need to beg.

I thought about Jesus and His faithfulness to meet our needs so faithfully. Although, we are encouraged to ask for our needs, it is a fact that they are often met before we ever get to the place of asking. God is such an awesome God. He see’s our needs and meets them every time.

Like Darnell, what a relief to know that God sees and know our needs. It is such a relief to know that God does not want his children to be beggars, but rather just receivers. God loves to give!

I will never forget the relief and gratitude on Darnell’s face that day. That day he did not have to beg, just receive. He was thankful. Are we thankful for God’s faithfulness to meet our needs? I know I have taken it for granted too many times.

Take a moment today and thank God for His faithful giving. Think about the many times that you did not need to beg but only receive from the goodness of our Great God!

God is Awesome...Camp Is Off The Charts!

We are in the middle of our camp season and finishing up Sr. High camp. First off numbers were up for us this year, we had a full camp! Praise God! Spiritually, God has rocked these kids in every service. Their hunger and passion for God has blown me away! Last night we showed the movie "To Save A Life" an incredible movie I highly recommend! It has a very powerful message and is extremely well done!

After the movie we had a 100% response from the students to take a stand for Christ, in their schools and communities. Then worship broke loose, several students were baptised in the Holy Spirit with no prompting, it just happened. The worship band Pneuma (incredible!), starting singing "Let It Rain." After singing it through several times, the team stopped playing and for the next half hour the students would not stop singing "Let It Rain."

This morning we challenged the kids to follow through on their stand from the previous evening and to become Campus Missionaries. We had 90 our of 185 students commit to becoming CM's in the SNED! I praise God for all He is doing in all of our camps. It definitely feels like something is about to break! I have junior high camp next week and can't wait to see what God has planned!

We also broke off in the morning with myself and our speaker taking the guys, and Tina and a few of our female ladies taking the girls. We addressed gender related issues. Wow, these students opened up and laid it all out there. It was such an awesome time of cleansing, challenge and building accountability. Our speaker did a challenge to the guys this morning called "Man UP" that was off the charts!

Day One Monday Evening - Sr. High Camp 2010

In the first evening service, we experienced some technical difficulties with the camps video projector setting keeping us outside the chapel. That didn't throw off our students who were more than ready to kick off the first service.

We ended up having an outdoor prayer rally. Many of the students lead out in prayer and Angela Miller lead the whole group in a worship song. When the doors finally opened, the students charged in and never looked back.

Worship was off the charts. Students praising, singing, jumping, and with hands raised, expressing their love towards God.

Pastor Paul Conway, confronted the image crises that so many Christians seem to face. We live in a world that tries to mold us into its own image, when we know the Word of God declares that we have been made in the image of God!

Students are especially vulnerable to image or identity deception because they are still in the process of discovering who they are. Therefore, it is vitally important that we, as Christians, have a solid understanding that our identity is in Christ and nothing less!

During the altar times, the majority of the students came forward to seek the Lord and to draw closer to Him. The spiritual tenor at this point was explosive, as we ended the service by breaking out in a few more songs of praise and adoration.

Ending our evening we had a time of connecting with friends at the snack shack. I never have seen so many students down so much junk food so quickly. OK...maybe I have on a few occasions!

Right before sending them off to nightie-night, we went to Night Craze. This was an outdoor, under the lights team game time. I will say nothing more than it was shear pandemonium.

And so ended DAY ONE! LiveChosen