The "WHY?"

Paul writes in 1 Tim. 1:5-6

The purpose of my instructions is that all believers would be filled with love that comes from a pure heart, a clear conscience, and genuine faith. 6. But some people have missed this whole point......and spend their time in meaningless discussions.

Why do we do what we do as believers? Why do we lead small groups? Why do we teach children or adults? So that everybody is filled with love.

Love is in such short supply in the world today and the church should have the largest reservoir of love in every community.

Wal-Mart sells everything, hardware stores have building supplies, dealerships sell cars, and the church should be full of love.  Love for the lost, love for the Lord, love for each other.  Not just any kind of love, but the kind that results from these 3 things:

1. A pure heart produces a pure love.  Pure means that it's "unmixed" with anything else.  Too often the love the world sees has a profit motive behind it or some other kind of agenda.  As we live for God with a pure heart then we'll demonstrate a pure love.  Love for the good of the one being loved, no ulterior motive and no agenda.  

2. Love produced by a clear conscience.  A guilty conscience loves in order to feel better about self.  That's not really acting in love at all.  When our conscience is clear before the Lord, then we can love and not really care how it's seen or perceived by others.  We know our hearts and can obey His leading without being overly concerned about what people think.

3. Love that results from a genuine faith.  Genuine faith is our response to the voice of the Master in our hearts.  Love that steps out at His Word, not based on convenient circumstances.  It's a love based on believing what God said rather than what is seen. 

This is the Why?

What you can boldly expect from God!

I was S.O.A.P.ing the other day and had a renewed view of a scripture that continues to encourage and inspire me.


Hebrews 4:16 (NLT)


16 So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.

2 Things we are promised when we go to God boldly:

1. Mercy will be received.

• When I think of mercy, I think of the past because most of us need mercy because of something in our past.  We've sinned, blown it, or messed up and realize that only because of the mercy of God can we be forgiven.
• Mercy is received, which means He gives it to us, it's not something that we earn or deserve.
• Sunday, I talked about the fact that we were once a people who hadn't received mercy but now our identity is that we are a people who have received God's mercy.

2. Grace will be found to help.

• If all we ever did was to fall and get mercy, we are not taking advantage of all the God has promised us from His throne.
• We will find grace to help us when we need it. 
• This helps us not to make the same mistakes over and over again.  You don't have to wander around the same mountain in the wilderness for 40 years.
• Grace is God's gift that helps us out in a supernatural way.  
• There can be a grace to endure, or a grace to change or a grace to believe. 
• What do you need to not fall into the same rut?  Ask for that grace today, and you'll find it.

These 2 things are inseparable and you need one as much as the other.  Together they hold the key to your future in Christ.  The best is yet to come.

Regret #5: I wish I had chosen to be happier

I've been going through the 5 Regrets of the Dying by Bronnie Ware and today we get to #5.

5) I wish that I had let myself be happier.

"This is a surprisingly common one. Many did not realise until the end that happiness is a choice. They had stayed stuck in old patterns and habits. The so-called ‘comfort’ of familiarity overflowed into their emotions, as well as their physical lives. Fear of change had them pretending to others, and to their selves, that they were content. When deep within, they longed to laugh properly and have silliness in their life again. "

Do you want to be happy? I don't know anyone who would answer "no" to that question. However, many don't know that happiness is a choice we make and not an emotion that we feel.  Happiness is not dependent on your circumstances and you can choose to be happy right in the middle of unpleasant things.  I thought she mentioned a few key things:

• Fear of change
• Inability to laugh at self
• Stuck in old patterns

Life is an ever changing, always shifting proposition and if we are unwilling to go with the flow then we'll find it hard to find happiness.

Psalms 86:4

Give me happiness, O Lord, for I give myself to You.

• Happiness is the result of giving: giving yourself to the Lord, giving yourself to friendships, giving yourself to fun, giving yourself to serving, giving your life for a purpose and a cause.

Are you happy today?  If not, maybe you should do what the psalmist did and give yourself to the Lord and let Him give you happiness.

Recap of 5 Regrets and then #4

I'm going to give you a short recap of something that I think will help you to live better and that's the Top 5 Regrets of the Dying by Bronnie Wade.  I know it sounds a little morbid, but people who are dying have no agenda and so they just tell it like it REALLY is supposed to be.

1. I wish I would have had the courage to pursue my dreams.
2. I wish I didn't work so much.
3. I wish I would have had the courage to express my feelings.


It's amazing that God will deal with everyone of these things in our lives as we allow Him to speak to us. Let's go to #4.


4.  I wish I had stayed in touch with my friends. 


"Often they would not truly realise the full benefits of old friends until their dying weeks and it was not always possible to track them down. Many had become so caught up in their own lives that they had let golden friendships slip by over the years. There were many deep regrets about not giving friendships the time and effort that they deserved.  Everyone misses their friends when they are dying.  It is common for anyone in a busy lifestyle to let friendships slip.  But when you are faced with your approaching death, the physical details of life fall away. People do want to get their financial affairs in order if possible. But it is not money or status that holds the true importance for them. They want to get things in order more for the benefit of those they love. Usually though, they are too ill and weary to ever manage this task. It is all comes down to love and relationships in the end. That is all that remains in the final weeks, love and relationships."

The seeds of good deeds become a tree of life, a wise person wins friends. Pro. 11:30

I have been blessed to always have good friends in my life, and the quality of my friendships has increased over time.  I think it's because I was raised in church and the scripture places such emphasis on friendships.  David and Jonathan, Paul and Silas, Job and his friends,  and the list goes on and on.  So while I thought I was learning about God and how to live right, in reality I was being taught how to be a friend and how to keep a friend.  It's been said that the only people we ever win to Jesus will be our friends because no one wins a enemy to Christ.  That's our mandate for friendships.  C.S. Lewis said "Friendship is unnecessary, like philosophy, like art... It has no survival value; rather it is one of those things that give value to survival."

Friendship gives value to our lives, and I'm richest when I'm enjoying my friends.  Tomorrow, I'll get to have lunch with a new friend from Birmingham and my life will get richer.  Don't give up friendships for careers or allow technology to isolate you.  Social networks are useful but don't they don't take the place of face to face friendships.  Here are a few truths I've learned:

• To have friends you have to be a friend.  Focus on what friends do and do that.
• Nice people have more friends so BE NICE, to everyone, all the time.
• Not everyone will agree with my opinions even my friends. Get over it.
• As will all relationships, grace and forgiveness keep them going. Do unto others...
  

#3 of the Top 5 Regrets of the Dying by Bronnie Ware

3. I wish I’d had the courage to express my feelings. 

"Many people suppressed their feelings in order to keep peace with others. As a result, they settled for a mediocre existence and never became who they were truly capable of becoming. Many developed illnesses relating to the bitterness and resentment they carried as a result.  We cannot control the reactions of others. However, although people may initially react when you change the way you are by speaking honestly, in the end it raises the relationship to a whole new and healthier level. Either that or it releases the unhealthy relationship from your life. Either way, you win. "

Paul writing said, 

"Oh, dear Corinthian friends!  We have spoken honestly with you, and our hearts are open to you.  There is no lack of love on our part, but you have withheld your love from us.

2 Cor. 6:11-12

• We all need to be able to speak from our hearts those things that we feel,  especially in relationship to others like our spouse or friends.
• Honesty doesn't have to be and shouldn't be mean, but it does have to be honest.
• It's this freedom to share our hearts that deepens and makes relationships much richer.
• There is great value and healing in being apart of a relationship like this and you can find them in small groups at HOF.
• Small groups are such a powerful tool that we all participate in already. Let's use what we already do and make a place for Jesus in it.
• Are you in a place where you can share how you really feel?
• Small groups for the summer are coming, get ready.

#2 of the 5 regrets of the Dying

Yesterday, I started a series of posts entitled "5 Regrets of the Dying"  by Bronnie Ware.  Here's my thoughts behind it.  I think there would be alot to learn from those who have had to face their worst fears, mistakes and eternity.  I think it will help put our lives into perspective and gives us a chance to live our lives without as many regrets.  So here's #2:

2. I wish I didn’t work so hard. 

"This came from every male patient that I nursed. They missed their children’s youth and

their partner’s companionship. Women also spoke of this regret. But as most were from an older generation, many of the female patients had not been breadwinners. All of the men I nursed deeply regretted spending so much of their lives on the treadmill of a work existence.  By simplifying your lifestyle and making conscious choices along the way, it is possible to not need the income that you think you do. And by creating more space in your life, you become happier and more open to new opportunities, ones more suited to

your new lifestyle. "

• I think every man should understand this about life.  Giving the best of your life to some company instead of to Christ and your family will leave you empty later in life.
• Understand, you have to work, I get that.  But who gets your best? Who gets the leftovers?

Mark 8:36-37(NLT)

36 And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul?t 37 Is anything worth more than your soul? 

Ask the Lord to help you redefine what is needed for a happy, fulfilled, joyful life.  I think you will find that it's not what is portrayed to us in the media.  You can have your best life now, with His help and by His grace.  At the end of the day it will be the relationships in your life that will make you a wealthy person.  

5 Most Common Regrets of the Dying by Bronnie Ware

Kaladze Five Regrets of the Dying By Bronnie Ware.  For many years I worked in palliative care. My patients were those who had gone home to die. Some incredibly special times were shared. I was with them for the last three to twelve weeks of their lives.People grow a lot when they are faced with their own morta... more

Five Regrets of the Dying by Bronnie Ware

For many years I worked in palliative care. My patients were those

who had gone home to die. Some incredibly special times were shared. I

was with them for the last three to twelve weeks of their lives.

People grow a lot when they are faced with their own mortality. I

learned never to underestimate someone’s capacity for growth. Some

changes were phenomenal. Each experienced a variety of emotions, such as

denial, fear, anger, remorse, more denial and eventually acceptance.

Every single patient found their peace before they departed though,

every one of them.

When questioned about any regrets they had or anything they would do differently, common themes surfaced again and again. Here are the most common five: 

1. I wish I would have had the courage to pursue some of my dreams.

"This was the most common regret of all. When people realise that their

life is almost over and look back clearly on it, it is easy to see how

many dreams have gone unfulfilled. Most people have had not honoured

even a half of their dreams and had to die knowing that it was due to

choices they had made, or not made.  It is very important to try and honour at least some of your dreams along the way. From the moment that you lose your health, it is too late. Health brings a freedom very few realise, until they no longer have it. "

Pro. 13:12  

Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a dream fulfilled is a tree of life.

• What are God's dreams for you?  Do you know? Have you ever asked Him?
• Today you can be working towards God's dream for you and the best life possible.
• Your most important journey will be the journey to discover why God placed you where you are, gifted you how you are, and wired you the way you are.  He did it by design.
• You must believe that God made you by design, discover why. How? Get in the growth track on Sunday, May 29 @ 9:00am at HOF

Live your best life today

While S.O.A.P.ing this morning I thought this might encourage you in your life and walk today.

Psalms 101:2b I will lead a life of integrity in my own house.

This was the desire of King David as he wrote this psalm, and he gives us some key points as to how to do this.  I can't think of a better or more needed place to live a life of integrity than in our homes.  I know that I've been tempted to "slack off" and view my home as a place to get away rather than a place to really live my life well.  When I think about it, the home is the best and most important place to live that life of integrity.  It's where it all starts.  Jesus wants to start working in your home.   Here's what David said:

 First the don'ts

• v. 3 Don't look at wrong images:
  -TV and internet, caution.
  -Images stick in our minds.
  -Say "yes" to God and He'll help you say "no" to the junk.
• Choose friends wisely:
  -You become like them.
  -Don't underestimate the power of this truth.
• v. 4 Reject perverse ideas:
  - Fill your mind w/ God ideas.
  -Read the Bible for God's ideas.
• Don't endure pride and conceit.:
  -It's not about you.
  -Some never get this, you must if you are going to prosper.

Now the Do's

• v. 6 Have faithful people for friends-Get in a small group, asap.
  -These kinds of friends are like gold in your life.
  -These friends have a genuine faith and encourage you in yours.
• v. 8 Work to bring freedom to others in your city.
  -You need to have a cause, and a purpose. 
  -Serve the Lord in your local church.
  -Find it and live it.

You have to be able to say "yes" in order to say "no"

I don't know why, but when I run God seems to give me things.  This morning as I ran, I was thinking about all the pain in the world because it's so hard to say "no" to some things.  Just think if we could say "no" to unhealthy lifestyles, we'd render the healthcare debate moot.  You do realize that most disease is a lifestyle issue and could be avoided by changing your behavior?  What if we could say "no" to impulsive buying, we could totally defeat this whole credit crisis that the world is experiencing.  If we could say "no" to our emotions, we could see real relationships blossom and thrive.                          

This is the thought I had:

  Saying "yes" to God enables you to say "no" to all the wrong stuff.

When an unclean spirit leaves a person, it goes into the desert, seeking rest but finding none. 44 Then it says, "I will return to the person I came from." So it returns and finds its former home empty, swept, and in order.  matt. 12:43-44

An empty house will deteriorate in an unbelievably short amount of time.  That's why empty homes don't sell well, nor do they age well.  Emptiness means they respond to the environment around them.  When it's cold, the house is cold, when it's hot, the house is hot.  Hot and cold means expansion and contraction and will ruin a house.  That's why we keep our homes a constant temperature.
  Saying "yes" to Jesus fills your house with Him.  Continually saying "yes" to Jesus, continually fills your house with Him.  It produces a constant spiritual temp that wards off the unclean looking for someone who's empty.  Note that your house can be swept and in order, but still a destination for something unclean.  Neat and orderly cannot replace being filled.  It's not enough to get your life in order, but you must say "yes" to God's plan for you, then you'll be filled with purpose, direction, passion, and love.  Then it'll be much easier to say "no" to the unclean things that try your life.
     If you are having trouble saying "no" to some unhealthy things in life, why don't you try taking and moment and say "yes" to Jesus.

Jeremiah 7:23 (New International Version, ©2011)

²³ but I gave them this command: Obey me, and I will be your God and you will be my people. Walk in obedience to all I command you, that it may go well with you.

ARC All Access 2011 Almost here

Next Tuesday, April 5 @ 4 p.m. will kick off the annual ARC AllAccess2011 Conference at Healing Place Church in Baton Rouge.  Always a highlight of my year.  With Billy Hornsby's passing, this year will be bittersweet but better than ever.  It's been gatherings like these that have helped to shape me personally and our church for the best.  I always expect the Lord to use those who are speaking to challenge, change, and encourage me and it always happens.  I love catching up with pastor friends from all over the nation and hearing what is going on in their world.  Can't wait, wouldn't miss it, see you there.  Check out this video

How do I deal with pain?

I learned something about pain this morning.  Today is my usual cardio day but when I woke and began to move around my right foot had this dull pain.  My 1st thought was that I'd better not run because I don't want to make it worse, right?  My wife even gave me the same advice, but I decided to try to run because I needed the cardio.  Amazingly, as I began to run the pain began to subside, in fact, the more I ran the better my foot felt.  I thought I'd just do half my normal distance but I felt so good that I ended up doing my normal distance run.  So what? Here's what I learned.
     
 1. You can't stop just because it hurts.


     Think about it, if it hurts when you chew, what are you going to do? Stop chewing? No way, you and I, we like to chew.  The pain let's you know that there is a problem in your mouth. You have no intentions of quitting chewing in this lifetime. You see someone who can fix the issue in your mouth, often involving more pain: shots, drilling, $$$.  
     So what happens when it hurts to love, to commit, to attend, to talk about things in our lives?  Many deal with pain by shutting down and quitting, which is totally opposite to what we should be doing.  I don't like pain any better than the next guy, but I'm learning that pain is the way to healing.  Think about this.


2. Do the thing that hurts, and keep doing it or lose it.


     I've watched my son deal with some minor pains he suffered from the sports he's involved in.  One method of healing is to send them to a physical therapist.  I've never had to see one, but from visiting people who do and hearing their stories I've developed this theory. Physical therapist are descendants of the medieval dungeon masters and have learned the ancient torture techniques.  Not really, but their job is to make you move the stuff that hurts.  Injured a knee playing basketball, have the minor surgery and then see the dungeon master where they make you bend it even though IT HURTS.  See they know if movement is not restored then you may never get it back.  Spiritual therapist do the same thing.  They constantly challenge you to confront the pain in your life knowing that true life exists on the other side of your pain.  Have you ever ask yourself, "Why is so hard to ______? Move on, love again, trust again, forgive, risk again, believe again, you choose what applies to you. It can be painful, but your healing is to go through the pain and do it anyway.  


3. No pain, no gain.



...Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne.
Heb. 12:2


Jesus is our example to help us in our faith.  Why do we endure the pain of re-engaging, because of the joy that's waiting on you.  Jesus could never have taken His seat at the Father's side if He wouldn't have endured the pain of the cross.  Pain is necessary in your life to bring you to the place God has for you.  We are going to endure pain, there is no way around it, but the pain is not the end, it's the pathway to the prize.  Whatever is painful in your life today, it's not the end, but it's a path.  Endure the pain of believing again, of forgiving, of loving, of serving again and know that joy is waiting for you on the other side of your pain.

How do I deal with does pain?

I learned something about pain this morning.  Today is my usual cardio day but when I woke and began to move around my right foot had this dull pain.  My 1st thought was that I'd better not run because I don't want to make it worse, right?  My wife even gave me the same advice, but I decided to try to run because I needed the cardio.  Amazingly, as I began to run the pain began to subside, in fact, the more I ran the better my foot felt.  I thought I'd just do half my normal distance but I felt so good that I ended up doing my normal distance run.  So what? Here's what I learned.
     
 1. You can't stop just because it hurts.


     Think about it, if it hurts when you chew, what are you going to do? Stop chewing? No way, you and I, we like to chew.  The pain let's you know that there is a problem in your mouth. You have no intentions of quitting chewing in this lifetime. You see someone who can fix the issue in your mouth, often involving more pain: shots, drilling, $$$.  
     So what happens when it hurts to love, to commit, to attend, to talk about things in our lives?  Many deal with pain by shutting down and quitting, which is totally opposite to what we should be doing.  I don't like pain any better than the next guy, but I'm learning that pain is the way to healing.  Think about this.


2. Do the thing that hurts, and keep doing it or lose it.


     I've watched my son deal with some minor pains he suffered from the sports he's involved in.  One method of healing is to send them to a physical therapist.  I've never had to see one, but from visiting people who do and hearing their stories I've developed this theory. Physical therapist are descendants of the medieval dungeon masters and have learned the ancient torture techniques.  Not really, but their job is to make you move the stuff that hurts.  Injured a knee playing basketball, have the minor surgery and then see the dungeon master where they make you bend it even though IT HURTS.  See they know if movement is not restored then you may never get it back.  Spiritual therapist do the same thing.  They constantly challenge you to confront the pain in your life knowing that true life exists on the other side of your pain.  Have you ever ask yourself, "Why is so hard to ______? Move on, love again, trust again, forgive, risk again, believe again, you choose what applies to you. It can be painful, but your healing is to go through the pain and do it anyway.  


3. No pain, no gain.



...Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne.
Heb. 12:2


Jesus is our example to help us in our faith.  Why do we endure the pain of re-engaging, because of the joy that's waiting on you.  Jesus could never have taken His seat at the Father's side if He wouldn't have endured the pain of the cross.  Pain is necessary in your life to bring you to the place God has for you.  We are going to endure pain, there is no way around it, but the pain is not the end, it's the pathway to the prize.  Whatever is painful in your life today, it's not the end, but it's a path.  Endure the pain of believing again, of forgiving, of loving, of serving again and know that joy is waiting for you on the other side of your pain.

Why are some sins so hard to break?

     I guess I’ll just go ahead and say it, some sins are hard to break because we love them.  There, I said it.  I spoke yesterday about those things God delivered me from when I decided to live for Him.  I hated those sins, tried to stop on my own and was powerless to change myself even though I knew those things were taking me down a bad road.  Then Jesus delivered me.  Instant freedom. 

     What if freedom doesn’t come instantly?  You know I’ve dealt with my fair share of those issues too.  Here is what I’m feeling:

God’s answer to sins we love is sanctification. 

   Don’t get bent out of shape over that really long churchy word: sanctification.  It just means the process by which God makes us holy or different. Several things to help you through this:

1. Admit there may be sins that you love.

Proverbs 17:19 (NLT)

 19 Anyone who loves to quarrel loves sin; …

Psalm 66:18 (NIV)

 18 If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened;

Is it possible to love sins?  Yes, but it’s because we love something else, ourselves.  When you love something it’s very difficult to change. If you love eating ice cream, it’s tough to eat a healthy alternative even if you know you need to do it.  Sins we love are sins that make our flesh happy.  Maybe unforgiveness has become your defense in a bad relationship.  Or maybe abusing alcohol or drugs has become your way of dealing with the stress in your life, you know it’s wrong but are powerless to change it.  It meets a need that you have, but brings a negative consequence emotionally and spiritually.  God has an answer and it’s to be sanctified.

2. Get into His process oriented growth track.

Sanctification is the PROCESS of God working in us to make us like Jesus: holy, purposeful, life-giving, powerful, fun, alive.  Process is just step-by-step, one foot in front of the other stuff.  If you can’t get used to the whole idea of process, then you’ll never understand how God is going to renew your mind to transform you.  Most of the miracles Jesus did were of the deliverance variety, for those with issues they hated.  Jesus called 12 men to journey with Him so that they might be more like Him through that process of discipleship or walking with Him so they could be like Him.  Those 12 had their fair share of issues too: selfish, faithless, petty, elitist.  When it comes to the sins we love, we don’t change overnight. We are changed by being sanctified, by the whole process of being part of a local church.  Sanctification doesn’t happen only in solitude, but also in community. God uses it all: personal devotions, preaching, friends, small group, serving, reading, prayer, worship, correction, failure, success, all of it. 

Romans 12:2 (NLT)

 2 Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.

 If God ever changes the way you think about “unforgiveness” so that you see it the way He sees it, you will make the choice in faith to forgive. He may use a sermon or a friendship to help you see.  You will be transformed.  You will be more like Jesus. 

3. Connect with people and watch the healing begin.

Too often, we just won’t get into the process so that the sins we love can be challenged.  Consider that God made our physical bodies to heal themselves when we are damaged.  The body of Christ has great value to bring healing to you just because you are a part of it.  

James 5:16 (NLT)

16 Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.

Don’t let anyone tell you that you are somehow less of a believer because of where you are in your walk with Christ.  We are all in the process of becoming more like Jesus.  You want to grow? You want to change? You want to see freedom at a new level?  Get into the life of your church.  Take a new step of faith to serve, attend, worship, join a small group, get in the growth track and watch how God works in your life.

      Remember the man that was delivered from demons in Mark 5?  After Jesus set him free, the man begged to go with Jesus but Jesus told him "No".  Jesus told him to go back and tell his family what God had done in his life.  I think there was probably some family issues there, I mean who gets a legion of demons without a bad home life?  Father issues, friend issues, emotional issues, community issues, he probably had them all.  I mean those people chained him up in a cemetery.  Yet Jesus knew he needed to stay and deal with the people and the issues in his life rather than run away to people who didn't know his story.  He was free from the demons(delivered) now he needed to be free from all the other stuff and so do we.  See you in church, the best healing venue in the world.

This is why some sins are so easy to break.

     In thinking about my own experience in finding Christ, I want to share some thoughts about how we get where we are and how we get where we want to go.  When I came to Christ in Sept. 1985, I was in a very bad place while attending LSU.  All the things I was involved in were starting to weigh me down and in addition to running from the call of God on my life contributed to the fact that I was living with no peace of mind, heart or soul.  I needed God.
     When I responded to that  call given by Peggy Richards that night, it was like a huge weight had been lifted from my back.  The call was actually for those who felt destined for ministry and that had been the thing that I had run from.  Instantly, several sins that had dominated my life fell off of me that night.  I didn't realize it that night but I just never went back to them.  I never drank alcohol or smoked marijuana again after responding to God's call on my life.  It was so easy, I didn't struggle, I didn't have to battle, I was just free.  It was awesome, and I thought everything in my life was going to be just that easy.  I found out that it wasn't and so my journey began.  My journey to understand me, to understand why, and to understand how I was going to be what God had called me to be.
     I had tried often to stop smoking weed and drinking.  In fact, it had gotten to the point where I hated those things in my life and what they were doing to me.  I knew the weed was robbing me of ambition and drive and I just hated the taste of alcohol, but drank for the buzz.  What had begun as something fun was now my prison.  I hated them but couldn't stop.  That's when God delivered me from them.  We need deliverance from those things we feel imprisoned by.  No matter how they begin at some point they grab us and won't let us go.

Psalm 144:11 Rescue me, save me from the power of my enemies.....

• God will deliver you from those things in life that have become your enemies.
• Those are the sins that you hate because you hate what they do to you even though you may feel powerless to break them but you hate them.
• God delivered Lot from destruction, and we know Lot disagreed with the lifestyle he saw there. 
• David often prayed for deliverance.

The demoniac of Gadera was delivered instantly of being possessed. You know he had to have had some bitterness to deal with because of they way he was treated in that city. In fact, Jesus told him to stay there when he wanted to travel with Jesus. I'm sure he wasn't totally discipled even though he was set free.  I can imagine that he had to work through some father issues, some people issues, some emotional issues because of being "that guy".

Paul said this: "Romans 7:24 (NLT)
24 Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death?

      Deliverance is God's answer to the sins that bind us, those sins we've grown to hate because of what they do to us.  I really believe that God will deliver you just like He did for me when you come to Him humbly and ask for help.  You could do that right where you are right now.   Tomorrow I'll talk about those sins that don't fall off immediately.  I think it's because those sins are the ones we love.

Stumps become seeds

Today I woke up and was troubled and feeling anxious.  I got up very early and would normally maybe turn on Sports Center to divert me from my thoughts till my normal time to wake up.  Today I opened my Bible and read in Isaiah this verse:

Is. 6:13


..but as a terebinth or oak tree leaves a stump when it is cut down, so Israel's stump will be a seed.


     What is a stump?  It's what's left when a tree gets cut down.  I began to think about the things in my life that I have felt like were cut down.  Do you have anything in your life that resembles a stump?  A marriage cut short, a job where you were terminated prematurely, a relationship that was ended before you were ready?
     Stumps can become the seeds of what God wants to do in our lives.  Just because you've had a "cutting down" in an area of life doesn't mean that there is ho hope.  God sees your stumps as seeds.  Where we tend to see what was, He sees what can be again.  Virtually everyone I know has a stump somewhere in our lives.  The greatness of our God is that a stump is not the end, but can be the beginning of something new, better and part of God's plan for our lives.
     I travelled to Israel around 2000, and in the Garden of Gethsemane there was an olive orchard.  One particular place had a stump of an old tree that had been cut down, but out of the side of it was a new growth.  Samuel Doctorian, our guide, said that was a picture of me becoming pastor after my dad.  God can make new life sprout out of a cut off stump.  Be encouraged today.  See your stumps as seeds, that's what God sees.  I'm believing with you for new life.  The best is yet to come.

The Passion Cries Out

I really felt good about the feedback on the EQ series.  So many told of how God had spoken to them about their own lives.  It brings us to our next series which will take us into our Easter Services at the end of April.  We are going to look at the 7 sayings of Jesus while He was hanging on the cross and what He's saying to us today.  I want you to begin to think about who God wants you to invite to Easter this year.   What a great time of the year when we celebrate our RISEN Savior.  We are going to let the life of Jesus give life to us this Easter season.  We'll be needing everyone to do their parts this year as we open our hearts and our church up to our community for Easter 2011.  This Sunday will kick off Part 1 where Jesus says, "Father, forgive them for they don't know what they do."   Do you know anyone who needs forgiveness, anyone who doesn't understand what they are doing to themselves or their families?  Ask them to come to church with you this weekend and let Jesus' words give them life.

All Access Conference

I'm so excited about ARC's All Access Conference coming up on April 5-7 at Healing Place Church in Baton Rouge.  This conference more than any other has spoken to my life especially about what kind of church HOF needs to be.  It all begins with the leader.  What I really like is how God uses All Access to speak to me.  This year 33 members of our team will be there, and I know it's going to make a huge impact in HOF as we run the race God has given us to run.  I cannot overestimate the value of bringing staff to hear what you hear, see what you see, and feel what you feel as a leader.  That shared experience allows you to process as a team how you can go forward to be God's church in your area.  This years lineup of speakers is going to be powerful. Check it out here

EQ vs. IQ

We crank up a new series that is going to help you be what God has destined for you to be.  We are going to explore one of the most important skills that you can develop in your walk with the Lord, "managing your emotions'. This topic is huge, I'm pumped about bringing it and you need to bring anyone and everyone you know who has ever: been divorced, gotten fired from a job, is currently unemployed, dropped out of school, had trouble with the law, can't seem to get it together in life.  This series is for you and for them.  It's the #1 predictor of success in high schoolers lives.  I'd have every teenager that I could fit in a a van here this Sunday.  This will change your life if you open your heart to what God is saying.  You can live the life you dream, you just have to change through the grace of God.

5 Emotions You Need to Manage Part III of a series

Today I want to talk about the 5 emotions that every person has to manage. I say 5 because research has shown that all the emotions that we label can be boiled down to these 5.

1. Happiness

• You might not think that you needed to manage happiness but check this verse.

Luke 10:20 (NLT)

20 But don’t rejoice because evil spirits obey you; rejoice because your names are registered in heaven.”

• Jesus told the disciples they were happy about the 'wrong' things.  Wow.
• Notice that happiness based on "you" is to be avoided.
• Happiness based on what Jesus has done for you is to be encouraged.
• Much sin is entered into because someone is not able to manage a "happy" moment in their lives and so they feel entitled to do whatever.
• I wonder how many people woke up Monday and regretted their actions of Sunday night just because their team, the Packers, won the Super Bowl. 
• Managing happiness is being sure to be happy about the right kind of things.

2. Sadness

Luke 18:23-24 (NLT)

23 But when the man heard this he became very sad, for he was very rich. 24 When Jesus saw how sad the man was, he said, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the Kingdom of God!

• Jesus saw his sadness.  It obviously wasn't about the money.
• Disappointments, discouragement, unmet expectations all can send us into a state of depression.
• Sadness unmanaged leads to depression.
• Depression is the #1 reason why people miss work. 
• Huge $$$ is spent medicating those who can't manage this emotion of sadness.
• You can overcome sadness by being thankful and giving praise.

3. Anger

Ephesians 4:26 (NLT)

26 And “don’t sin by letting anger control you.” Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry,

• It's all about who's in control, you or the emotion.
• Don't let anger control you.
• Probably more jobs have been lost, relationships broken, bridges have been burned because of outburst of anger. 
• Anger is an inner pressure that builds up because things do go like you want them to go.  It has to be released.
• If it comes out in words/actions then damage is almost always done or you can release it by forgiving. 
• You can choose to manage you anger by choosing to forgive.  Remember that forgiveness is choice you make in faith not a feeling.

4. Fear

Psalm 55:4-6 (NLT)

4 My heart pounds in my chest. The terror of death assaults me. 5 Fear and trembling overwhelm me, and I can’t stop shaking. 6 Oh, that I had wings like a dove; then I would fly away and rest!

• Fear is another emotion that needs to be managed.  
• Fear is left unmanaged cause us to run away from issues that we need to face.
• Most times when God interacted with people He said to them, "Fear not". 
• It's the anxiety that we feel as if something bad will happen, when there is no real reason for it.
• Fear not dealt with causes us to stay in places God never intended for us to stay.
• The only solution is to obey the Lord even if you are afraid.  
• Fear will disappear when you obey anyway and realize that it was only the emotion of fear trying to keep you from being obedient.

5. Shame

1 John 3:20 (NLT)

20 Even if we feel guilty, God is greater than our feelings, and he knows everything.

• All of us have said or done something that causes us to feel shame afterwards. 
• How do we handle it?  Many quit attending rather than deal with the shame of past mistakes.
• God is greater than our feelings.  What a great verse!  Knowing and believing what God says about you should trump your feelings every day.
• Jesus broke the power of guilt on the cross.  You don't have to live with those feelings anymore.
• God's word has greater significance than our feelings.  

It's only natural for us to be controlled by our emotions, I mean they feel so real.  When we are born again, we begin a life of faith.  I was born emotional, but I'm born again faithful.  Ask the Holy Spirit to help you manage those emotions that are keeping you from living your dream.

No. 1 Predictor of Success Part 2

Yesterday, I started a blog series about a topic that I believe could be a reason for much of what we struggle through in life.  We all want success, but really only a few ever find true biblical success.  The No. 1 predictor of success for your christian walk,  your child after high school, or your life relationally is how well you can manage your emotions.


TalentSmart@ conducted a survey and found that ONLY 36% of those tested were able to identify their emotions as they happened.  Are you kidding me?  How can you manage something that you can't even recognize?  Let me ask you a question, "How well can you identify the emotions that you are going through?"  So that means that roughly 2/3 of people aren't fully in tune with themselves to be able to know their own emotions.  Now we know why so many never experience success in relationships or in life.  Helps explain the divorce rate, the high school drop out rates, and church drop out rates.  I want to outline 4 parts to this important concept of EQ or emotional quotient so that you can begin to ask God to help you grow in each one.

Categories of EQ


1. Self Awareness:


Psalm 139:23-24 (NLT)
23 Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. 24 Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life.

• The most important discover in your life after Christ will be self discovery.
• You have got to become aware of what's going on in you.
• Not a given, so many live in denial about their true feelings.
• Have you ever been angry, but denied it to your spouse?  

2. Self management

Psalm 4:4 (NLT)

4 Don’t sin by letting anger control you. Think about it overnight and remain silent.

• Can we manage our emotions? Who's in control? You or your emotion?
• Ever had a time when you knew you should have kept quiet, but you just had to say "it"?
• Too often we spend our energy trying to control others, instead of managing ourselves.

3. Social Awareness

Romans 14:13 (NLT)

13 So let’s stop condemning each other. Decide instead to live in such a way that you will not cause another believer to stumble and fall.

• I've become aware of how much emphasis the Holy Spirit placed on "others" when having the New Testament written by Paul and friends.
• 225 times Paul and the writers of the other epistles mention others.
• You need to always be aware of the others you are around and consider their emotions.
• I'm amazed at the things I hear people say in public. 
• We all just roll eyes, and talk about it back in our cars or homes, but we have to consider who's listening, all the time.
• I talk differently when I'm with my staff vs. when I'm in the pulpit.  It's not hypocrisy it's wisdom.  Different when I'm with lost vs. believers, denominational vs. us.
• You always have to be aware of who's around you.

4. Relationship management

Matthew 26:50 (NLT)

50 Jesus said, “My friend, go ahead and do what you have come for.” Then the others grabbed Jesus and arrested him.

• Jesus told this to Judas as he was about to betray Him. 
• Jesus had to manage His emotions to call Judas , "friend".
• You will lose valuable relationships without the ability to manage your emotions.
• One of the reasons for high divorce rates.

No 1 Predictor of Success

I've recently read some studies that I find fascinating because they just confirm that God's Word is true.  A study was done which revealed that when people with hi IQ's outperformed those with average IQ's only 20% of the time where the average IQ people did better 70% of the time.  One would think hi IQ people would outperform average IQ individuals the majority of the time because of their higher intelligence.  This strange finding yielded research that finally explained the importance of EQ or emotional intelligence.

EQ is your ability to recognize and understand emotions in yourself and others, as well as the ability to use this awareness to manage your behavior and relationships.


It turns out that a person's emotional intelligence(EQ) is the No. 1 predictor of a person's success in their lives no matter what their educational background.  The ability to identify, manage your emotions and those of others has more to do with your success than your measured intelligence.  How wrong we've gotten it in our message to young people.  We harp on education, and I'm all for it, but we often neglect the most meaningful skills.  You can't do much about your IQ but you can develop your EQ.  I think about how this applies to church life and what my dad has told me from his 50+ years in ministry.  My dad said, "The #1 reason people leave churches is because of offense".  That's just a failure to manage one or more of their emotions.

Your EQ is comprised of 4 Catagories:

1. Self-Awareness
2. Self-Management
3. Social awareness
4. Relational management

I'll talk more about these tomorrow and the 5 emotions that you have to manage in your life.
    

Paving The Way

Just like in football, churches need to move the ball down the field and score.  The Israelites were commanded to take the land, in other words to take ground.  Move the ball down the field.  Our Sundays and Wednesdays are the bread and butter plays.  They help us take ground one step at a time but every good team has to stretch the field, go long, go for the touchdown in one play.  That's what Paving The Way(PTW) is for Household of Faith.  Every week we run the ball: meet in homes, meet at the church, love, serve.  There is alot of biblical precedence for going long.  When David had expanded the nation of Isreal and secured it's safety, it was time to build God a house, the Temple.  They went long and his son Solomon scored a huge touchdown.  When Nehemiah saw the land in disrepair and the walls broken down, they went long and built the wall in just a few days.  When Jesus encountered sin and sickness beyond human help, He went long and healed the sick or raised the dead.  There are times when the routine just is not going to be enough.  This is one of those times.  The time is short and we feel like this is our opportunity to go long.  PTW is a 4 part strategic plan:

      1.  Missions: 10% of all that is given will go to missions.
      2.  TV: we can reach 1000's of homes w/ the Good News over and over again.

      3.  Church plant:  Helping Wade and Cynthia fulfill their call to pastor in Tallahassee.  Church planting is the most effective way to reach the lost.

      4.  Repave the parking lot: After years of constant traffic, our lot needs to be repaved to welcome those who will be invited to HOF. 

You know, it takes everyone doing their part to go long for Jesus.  Won't you pray and ask the Lord how He would have you play your part in seeing the Kingdom of God advanced in 2011 more than ever before.  We've done the routine, now it's time to pray and believe God for the miraculous.

The Blessed Life

I'm pumped about what God is doing at "The House" during this Blessed Life series.  These truths are absolutely essential to us being able to "be" the church instead of just having church.  Money is such an integral part of our lives, we use it every day practically, but God uses it as a test of our hearts.  Paving the Way will be an opportunity for you and I to put into practice what God is putting into our hearts.  Sunday is going to be incredible, I already know it.  We'll talk more about PTW(Paving the Way) as well as break down more scripture of Jesus teaching us about generosity.  Here's the question that you'll be able to answer after Sunday, "Am I generous?"  Would you like to know that about yourself?  Gonna unveil a video of Wade and Cynthia that is going to melt your heart.  Soft hearts are good hearts.  Bring a tissue.  Fact.