Get in the Game

What are you doing for the Kingdom of Heaven? Are you serving your family? Your church? Your community? Are you reaching lost souls for Christ? Are you giving generously to Kingdom ministries so that your money, which God blessed you with, is now blessing others as He designed?

I always feel like we're not doing enough. Chances are, because it's true. I want to do everything, at all times, to do God's work. To be His hands and feet. To BE the Body of Christ.

But, in this world - where we're becoming more and more separated from others, where the internet is rapidly replacing real social interaction, where we've become so busy with the business of living that our communities are dying - it's harder than ever to do those things that honor God relationally.

Matthew 22:36-39 "Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'

Thankfully, we can use those very things that separate us from one another to do His work, in spite of their shortfalls. And by doing so, we're loving God and our neighbors, just as Jesus commanded us to.

While sitting by myself in my office, isolated from humanity, I can still write stories that spread the message of injustice, opening readers' eyes to the larger world around them. As such, I've gone to great lengths to include Kingdom ministries in my works. No matter what you do for a living, if you ask God for the wisdom to show you how to help, He'll answer. Guaranteed.

In doing my work, I've become familiar with a great many organizations we can all give offerings to that will take the money God blessed us with and use it for His glory. While we may not all have the opportunity to go on a Missions Trip, or serve locally on a regular basis, anyone who has the ability to read this post can give to these organizations and let God's light shine on.

Here's a few to give you an idea of what's out there. These are all good organizations, doing God's will with donations from good people such as yourself. Give to them generously and God will bless you for it.

Malachi 3:10 "Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.

It's easy to find an organization that's doing something that aligns with your passions, too.

Want to feed the hungry? Then choose Feed My Starving Children.

Want to save kids? Then help Invisible Children or
Falling Whistles.

Interested in being a better Father or Mother and/or helping those with that goal? Then support All Pro Dad and iMom.

Does human trafficking push your buttons? Partner with the A21 Campaign to help stop it.

Want to be a hero and fight injustice? Help Unearthed.

If none of these are up your alley, pick your passion, Google it along with the word "Christian" and see what comes back. Perform some due diligence before helping, but help any way you can. And, don't let money be an obstacle. If all you have are two mites to give, God will honor that and bless you, knowing you need more to give more.

One-for-One Day Eight - Honor

How are you honoring others and God?

For day eight of the one-for-one challenge, Angie and I watched the first two messages in LifeChurch’s Forgotten Virtues series, Honor and Purity.

When Pastor Craig started talking about honor and how the United States lacks it I agreed with him in a vague way, but as he unpacked it, he did a great job showing how nearly 95% of this country either has no honor or utterly fails to show honor to others, which has a direct “cause and effect” impact on why our country is in decline.

For a mini-challenge, I’d like to encourage everyone to find ways to honor those you encounter today. You honor people by showing them respect, by using uplifting words to illustrate how you value them and by serving them. When someone speaks respectfully to us, uplifts us with their words and serves us honorably, it elevates our ability to perform for God. So, imagine all the people you encounter who need that. Each of them do. Every single one.

So don’t pick & choose. It’s not up to us to decide if people “deserve” to be honored. God commands us to honor everyone. Don’t disobey the Lord. Honor everyone you encounter today and watch as that honor elevates them.

To use the cliché, it really is the gift that keeps on giving.

DD from Bayless Conley

Protecting The Children

Matthew 18:1-6 is our reading for today,

At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, "Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?" Then Jesus called a little child to Him, set him in the midst of them, and said, "Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Whoever receives one little child like this in My name receives Me. But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were drowned in the depth of the sea."

This is a powerful truth God desires you and me to understand. He takes very seriously the protection and nurture of children.

First, it is important to understand that the word sin in this verse means to entrap. It means to set a snare for someone. Jesus was talking about someone who purposely entices an innocent child to do wrong.

Second, the millstone He refers to was about five feet across and would take an ox or a donkey to turn it. Get the picture?! Better for that millstone to be tied around a person's neck and to drown in the depths of the deepest sea than to entice a child to do wrong.

The exploitation or abuse of children is not overlooked or taken lightly by God. We read in Scripture that some sins incur a worse judgment from the Almighty. Causing children to sin is one of the worst. Never take their exploitation lightly.

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Charles Finney: Discover the POWER of the Holy Spirit.

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Wise people have a financial budget. But, how many of us have a spiritual budget? I can't say that I really do, but after watching this message tonight, you can rest assured I will soon.

My family background comes from the Methodist side of things, but admittedly, I never knew much about the history of the Methodist Church until tonight. It's too bad the Methodist Church seems to have lost the fire that it's founder had for saving lost souls.

If you're curious about what I'm talking about, click here to watch a great LifeChurch message called World Changers: John Wesley.

I want to be one of ten. How about you?

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Just to make sure no one thinks I'm bailing on my own challenge, I thought I'd let you know what I've been watching.

Yesterday, I thought I should begin at the beginning, so I went to the website of Palm Valley Church, where Angie and I were baptized and really embraced our faith, and dug through the online messages. For some reason, I felt led to watch the first Parenthood message, and so I did. If you're a parent, grandparent or parent-to-be, I highly recommend you watch that series.

Today was a new day, however. I found out this afternoon that I won't be getting the Elementary Pastor job I'd been hoping to land for the last several months. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't disappointed when I first found out, however, the more I think about it, the happier I am that I didn't get it. God has a better plan.

Over the last few weeks, I've felt led to do something much bigger for God. I'm talking about something huge. So, while I've not quite put my finger on what that is, I thought I'd dig around on the Mars Hill and LifeChurch websites to see if God would lead me to a message that might bring clarity to the situation.

While I'm okay with not landing the job, I did really want it and I had an incredible time teaching the eight services I was given the honor of teaching for Eagle Brook. From that comes a few flesh hooks, where the enemy can dig into the sinful nature inside me and tell me things like:
"You didn't get that job because you're not good enough" and
"who are you kidding? No one would ever hire a loser like you to be a pastor" and
"you're worthless, how idiotic of you to even think they'd ever consider giving you a job like that?" and
"It's too late. You're too old to do anything for God now. Give it up."

And on and on...

But, you know what? That's garbage. That's the evil one trying to take me out of the game. In fact, it actually makes me happy that such things run through my head. Sounds nuts, doesn't it? Well, if I wasn't on to something, why would the enemy bother to try and derail me? No one who understands warfare fires on a non-threatening target. So, why waste ammo on a "not good enough, old, idiotic loser"?

Why? Because he fears any son of God with a heart to advance the Kingdom.

So, while I was digging around on LifeChurch's site, I found a message called "Whispers".

Knowing that God has whispered to me a time or five, I watched the message. And, lo and behold, it was by a guest speaker. None other than the "Pastor of Pastors" Bill Hybels. He talked about heeding the whispers from God. Even when things might seem contrary to those whispers. Even when it seems hopeless to do so.

So, I'm heeding the first whisper God ever spoke into my heart. "Patience".

That something "big" isn't in my cross-hairs yet, but I know from subsequent whispers it's coming. I just need to have patience.

One for One Challenge: I Double Dog Dare You!

Last spring, Angie and I realized we were losing our spiritual edge. So we turned away from our normal means of nightly entertainment (TV or video games) and started watching online messages, or messages on GodTV (a channel on DirecTv that runs all sorts of Christian conferences, sermons, shows, etc) instead. What we found was after one month, our spiritual sword was sharpened once more and we were back to being on fire for God.

Sadly, we got away from that after we moved, but thankfully, we’ve gotten back into it recently.

So, here’s the challenge.

Every weekday for the next month, I dare you to give up one hour of secular entertainment and replace it with one hour of “feeding yourself” with Christian messages.

For those who have no idea where to find such things, you can either tune into GodTV and record some in advance, or simply point your internet browser to one of the following links for a plethora of choices.

Mars Hill: Sermons & Classes by Mark Driscoll, one of our generation's greatest teachers

LifeChurch.tv World's Largest Online Church featuring our favorite teacher, Craig Groeschel

Palm Valley Church - Our original church home, led by Pastor Greg Rohlinger

Eagle Brook Church - our current church home featuring three wonderful teaching pastors.

Lake Hills Church - Great Willow Creek Church in Austin, TX

North Point Church - led by Andy Stanley, another fantastic teaching Pastor.

Willow Creek - the Mother of all bible-based Churches, led by the amazing Bill Hybels.

So, starting today I DOUBLE DOG DARE YOU to jump into the One for One Challenge.


P.s. If you know of somewhere that has lots of great messages and classes online, please pass the link along.