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.

5 Things I want to say to HOF

1. The Christmas services were awesome. We set an all time attendance high of >900 for both Christmas services. What a great Christmas win for HOF, it was great to meet your families and friends and share that special night of Hope with them. I also met several couples who were just looking for a Christmas service to attend.

2. Thanks to everyone who brought someone with you. You really get "it". Our Christmas services are designed to bring visitors to and believe for God to touch their hearts. Christmas is a great time to reach out to family and friends as they are more likely to respond. Thanks again to you, many raised their hands to receive prayer for hope.

3. Saved people serve. Thanks to all of you who served it up this Christmas. Ushers, greeting, singers, band, drama, choir, nursery, car parkers, coffee makers, Club Faith workers, tech people, small group leaders who loved those kids. Thank you, thank you, thank you. You are a blessing to my life and many others. Keep that heart to serve, your reward is waiting for you in Heaven.

4. Start praying about your
Participation in the fast. It's coming soon. Jan. 10th and it's going to be a great spiritual time in the life of Our church.

5. I am eagerly awaiting the next series beginning Jan 9. The Blessed Life has the potential to totally revolutionize your life. I am so sure that God is going to do a work in us during this series. We are expecting huge things this year and we are going to need Gods blessing on our lives. I feel compelled to show you how to live the blessed life. God wants to bless you this year. I feel like God has spoken that this year, 2011, God says that, "I'm going to bless those who decide to bless others.". It's going to be awesome.

Hard hearts hinder hearing

Was S.O.A.P.ing in Acts 28 today and came across these thoughts from Paul as he was in Rome to be tried before Caesar.


Acts 28:24 (NLT)
24 Some were persuaded by the things he said, but others did not believe.



Acts 28:27 (NLT)
27 For the hearts of these people are hardened, and their ears cannot hear, and they have closed their eyes— so their eyes cannot see, and their ears cannot hear, and their hearts cannot understand, and they cannot turn to me and let me heal them.’

It's always interesting to me why some people seem to 'get it' while some don't.  I know there are not simple answers but Paul seems to express a great thought here that I was personally challenged by this morning.  Have you ever felt like you were one of those who just didn't get it sometimes? I have.  I don't want to be one of those people who is not persuaded by those that God has put into my life for my good.

Hard hearts keep us from hearing His voice and seeing His hand.

• That tells me that we see and hear with our hearts and not our physical ears and eyes.
• Hearing and seeing God are spiritual senses that operate parrallel to our physical senses.  
• Hardening our hearts actually causes us to lose the ability to hear God and see what He's up to.
• If you are having trouble seeing God's hand or hearing God's voice, perhaps it could be a hard heart issue.

Hard hearted means to have a heart that is not easily moved

• If we don't respond when the Holy Spirit speaks to us, we can get hard hearted.
• If we don't choose to spend time with the Lord, we can get hard hearted.
• If we purposefully disobey and rebel against the Lord, we can get hard hearted.
• Refusing to listen to those people the Lord has put into our lives for our good can cause a heart to be hardened.

Our promise from the Lord is that He will heal us when we turn to Him.

• Something happens when we say, Lord I need you.
• Turning to Him may just mean doing the thing that you know you need to do.
• Today, turn to God, turn away from trying to figure it out alone and He will heal you.
• He is the healer of our lives, whatever is broken, He can heal it.
• He can't heal until we turn towards Him.

The Holy Spirit is always working

This morning I had breakfast with Rob Thomas.  He's serves with "Faith Comes by Hearing" which is a ministry that distributes an audio copy of the Bible however they can.  He was telling me all the great ways that the Bible can get into the lives of people even if they aren't able to read.  We know that reading the Scripture is probably the single most life-impacting thing that  a person can do.  That's why we have made such a big deal out of the S.O.A.P. method of reading the scripture this year, it's been a year long focus.  Well, this next year in 2011, we are going to be hitting it again but with new tools compliments of "Faith Comes By Hearing"(FCBH).
  We'll be rolling them out probably on Wed., Dec. 1 at our Vision Night and Christmas party for HOF at the ACHS gym.  I felt like so many things that I had needed the answers to were answered today at that breakfast.  It feels like vision for the end of the year and beginning of next year came into much clearer focus.  I didn't even schedule this breakfast until Tuesay, but the Holy Spirit already knew what my questions were and had the answers on the way before I even asked.  That's how good God is.  He's already busy bringing the answers to you via some person who is willing to be an answer.  Here's a great question, "Will you be someone's answer today?"  "Will you be a person that God can use to answer meet a need?"

Thinking about the Live, Laugh Love series

I just happened to be walking by the room where cd's are made and talked to Sheila, who duplicates them for us, and saw that she was busy.  She told me that she had gotten a whole new bunch of requests for the series.  I know that families are hurting now, and knowing Christ and His teachings are the real answers for families.  It's funny how when families get in real binds that they turn to Christ in a crisis.  But truthfully, that's a great time to turn to Him.  I see the church with real answers, a church that's willing to boldly proclaim His message as a church that will be relevant to the family.  One of our core values is family, we believe that we've been called and raised up to offer hope to the families of Asc. Parish and the Baton Rouge area.
    My kids and I have been having this running dialogue about the new Call of Duty video game.  I'm apprehensive because of the violence.  We've quite frankly disagreed, and at times it's been very divisive.  Last night after XG, one of my kids texted me and I know that the Holy Spirit used XG's service to speak to his heart.  I'm so thankful for the family style, family oriented, family of God centered ministry that I get to serve.


19 So now you Gentiles are no longer strangers and foreigners. You are citizens along with all of God’s holy people. You are members of God’s family. 20 Together, we are his house.....
Eph 2:19-20

When God Speaks

Ever wonder what happens in us when God speaks?  Hearing God's voice can be a hot topic, but there is no doubt that God wants to and does speak to us.  Many people struggle over hearing the voice of God without being spooky and getting off track.  Some are convinced they can't but I want to share with you today what happens "When God Speaks"

I'm going to pull these thoughts out of my SOAPing this morning from the book of Daniel.

Daniel 10:10-11, 18-19

10 Just then a hand touched me and lifted me, still trembling, to my hands and knees. 11 And the man said to me, “Daniel, you are very precious to God, so listen carefully to what I have to say to you. Stand up, for I have been sent to you.” When he said this to me, I stood up, still trembling.

18 Then the one who looked like a man touched me again, and I felt my strength returning.  19 “Don’t be afraid,” he said, “for you are very precious to God. Peace! Be encouraged! Be strong!” As he spoke these words to me, I suddenly felt stronger and said to him, “Please speak to me, my lord, for you have strengthened me.”

Here are 4 things that can help you to know the voice of God when, not if, He speaks to you.

1. God's voice is filled with love.

• Notice that twice God spoke to Daniel to remind him that he was precious to God.  The voice of God will always be filled with love, even when He corrects us.  The Bible says that God is love, so His voice can convey nothing else.  
• The voice of God, if it's God, will always cause you to feel loved by Him, always.
• Too many people fall victim to the deceivers taunts that God doesn't love you, but it's not true, talk to Him and find out.

2. God's voice will always be personal.

• God spoke to Daniel that "i have a message for you" , and "I've been sent to you".
• God voice will not be vague or confusing, but He speaks directly into our lives and our situations.  
• You will not wonder about whether He's speaking to you, it's so personal that you know it's for you.
• A personal touch is God's plan to connect with you.

3.  God's voice is encouraging.

• Very few people know how to be encouraging, but God voice always encourages.
• Even in correction, the encouragement is there.
• He spoke peace, strength and encouragement to Daniel at a time when he needed it the most.
• God's voice will build you up like nothing else you can experience. 
• If it's God, you will be encouraged.  

4. God's voice imparts faith.

• Daniel said, "I'm strengthened and now I want to hear what You have to say."
• Faith comes through hearing His voice.  His voice carries with it the spiritual faith to obey whatever He commands us to do.  
• You will believe God after He talks with you, and you will belieive that He can help you to do what He's spoken.  
• Make time to hear His voice today, so that you can be blessed.

Daniel S.O.A.P. The Reason for Your Gift

While S.O.A.P.ing the other morning, I came across this powerful verse that spoke to me and I believe it will do the same for you.

And it is not because I am wiser than anyone else that I know the secret to your dream, but because God wants you to understand what was in your heart.


Daniel 2:30(NLT)


The king of Babylon had a dream and wanted to know what it meant.  He asked his wise men, but they couldn't interpret the dream and so he purposed to kill them all.  When Daniel heard about it, he asked God to help him interpret the dream and God did.

Daniel's keen understanding of God's gift at work in his life to interpret dreams is something we could all learn from.

1. Daniel understood that his special ability was from God and so he couldn't think of himself as better than anyone else.

• It's amazing how we sometimes take credit when in reality God has just given us a gift.
• Whatever you are good at, whatever just comes natural to you, whether it's sports, business, speaking, any talent, God gave that to you, so don't think you are better than.
• I Cor. 12 tells us that God gives everyone of us gifts, at least one.  Have you discovered yours?  
• Our nature is to want to be better than the next person, the best worker, the best looking, the highest paid.  Daniel had dealt with that selfish pride and understood that God had a higher purpose for him than merely being better than another.

2. Daniel understood that God gifted him to get through to other people, in this case the king.

• Your gifts are never about you, but about the people that God wants to use you to serve.
• Without this knowledge, you'll waste your life on personal gain but never find purpose.
• Your awesome, god-given gift is not to make you famous but to make Jesus famous.
• Think about how God wants to use your voice, your skills, your organizational ability for His kingdom.
• The body of Christ is an amazing entity, and you are a part, so do what you were designed to do.
• What makes you angry? You may be called to make it right.
• What breaks your heart?  You may be called to be a solution.
• What are you good at without trying?  That's the area in which God wants to use you.

3. Humility is just remembering that any good thing comes from God.  Worship is when we give it back to Him for His glory.

• God has promised to give grace to the humble.
• You've received it as a gift, so give it as a gift.

S.O.A.P. for Today

I love S.O.A.P.ing.  It's given me a fresh take on my times with the Lord in the mornings.  Let me recap for those who don't get the acronym.

S- Read a chapter from the reading guide or however you read and pick out 1 scripture that

    really speaks to you

O- write down any observations from your reading, there will be some about God, sin, the Holy

    Spirit, others, leaders, fools, wise, church, strength, whatever you see.

A- Your scripture verse should be viewed in terms of application. In other words ask yourself

     "How can I live this out today?" or "How can I do this today?"  Christianity is to be lived not

     just understood.

P- Pray and ask God to help you apply what you've seen and heard from Him.  Also, pray about

    any other needs in your life.

My S.O.A.P. verse today was:

6 Love means doing what God has commanded us, and he has commanded us to love one another, just as you heard from the beginning.  2 john 6

• Loving God means obeying Him. LOVE = OBEDIENCE
• God always has something for us to do.
• Obeying God always results in me loving someone else.  Remember, it's all about loving  God and loving people.
• Your obedience will always show love towards people, that's God's heart, His passion, and His focus: people.
• This truth never changes, no matter how long we walk with God or to what level we rise in ministry.  
• I'm loving God by responding to His call on my life to pastor HOF church.  When I obey His voice to lead in a specific direction, I'm loving God.  
• When He prompts me to good works and I obey, I'm loving God.
• I've got to hear His voice in order to follow His command.  That's why I S.O.A.P.

Clean Your Windshield

One of the things I absolutely can't stand is when the windshield on my truck gets dirty with bug guts, dirt, and whatever else.  So when I get gas, I often wash my windshield because I love having clear vision when I drive.  I want to share with you how to have clear vision when you live.  I was at small group last night and this verse really spoke to me.

Romans 1:21 says, "Yes they knew God, but they wouldn't worship him as God or even give him thanks.  And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like.  As a result, their minds became dark and confused."


Wouldn't we all love to clearly see God, because when I can see Him, then it brings the rest of my life into focus: my relationships, things, finances, ministry, etc..  I've talk to some people with a whacked out picture of who God is and now I know why.

Worship and Thanks

Something powerful happens when we worship, yes that 20-30 minutes before the preaching is included as well as our own private worship time.  By worshipping, God reveals Himself to us, and we begin to see Him as He really is, not a legend, or a fairy tale, or some man's opinion, but God Almightly.
 Thanksgiving is the beginning of worship and it's a great starting place.  If you don't know how to worship always start by giving Him thanks for all the good things in your life.  Just thank Him for the normal, the routine, the incredible and the familiar.  Breath, life, air, sun, spouse, kids, job, you're getting the idea.  Giving thanks is starter worship.  As you thank Him, then you will begin to gain an understanding of how much more He wants to be to you and do for you, and then the worship kicks in.  When you can get a picture of who God is: Savior, Redeemer, Comforter, Friend, Father, it's will clarify how He desires to work in our lives.  He doesn't just want to save you from sin, but give you life and purpose and walk with you through this life as a friend that sticks closer than a brother.
 In reality, some of our ideas about who God is and how He deals with us are just foolish.  You'll never know until you worship and thank Him for what He's done and doing.

How to Handle Your Anger

My S.O.A.P. time was great today and thought I'd share some thoughts from Proverbs.

   Fools vent their anger, but the wise quietly hold it back.  Proverbs 29:11


This is some pretty strong language about how we handle things that frustrate and anger us.  We all have to deal with this issue.  Jesus tells us to be angry but don't sin, so we know that having anger is a valid, normal emotion.  Dealing with our anger is where our challenge to live lies.

Fools vent....

Venting is becoming a modern day pastime, road rage, telling people off, a good cussing.  We foolishly buy into the fact that if we could just vent the anger we feel inside that it will make the situation better.  Truth is that venting is one of the more destructive behaviors that you can engage in.  Venting ruins relationships and all of our life is built around relationships.   I've known people who vented at work and had to find another job, vented at home and damaged parent/child relationships, vented in public and had to answer for it legally.  The lie is that venting will make you feel better.  Venting just gets all those unhealthy, mostly wrong ideas into the open for everyone to see how out of touch with reality we are.

The wise quietly hold them back


The wise man is allowing the Spirit of God to develop the fruit of self-control in his life.  The wise man understands that just because you are feeling something doesn't mean that's the way it really is going.  There is something strong about a woman who can keep quiet in times when you feel like venting.  There is something powerful about a woman who can hold back her feelings and instead trust God with every situation.  Wise people keep their marriages, keep their kids, keep their jobs, keep their friends because they don't give in to the urge to blurt out everything they are feeling in the moment.

What to do?

When you are experiencing overwhelming emotions of anger you need to understand that God still expects you to be in control of your life and your tongue.  If you can, get to a quiet place where you can pour out your heart to God.  It's much better to tell God in prayer than to tell people in the heat of the moment.  I love that the psalms is full of real people pouring out real emotion to the Lord.  Let God deal with people, and if necessary, let Him deal with you.  Chances are that He is working in you to perform His will and plan for your life.  Remember, what you feel is not necessarily real.  What is real is God's word.  I have often found that my emotions have betrayed me as I believed things that I later found out were not true.  Stand on His Word, control your anger and watch God bless your life.

It Was My Turn, So I Did It

Yesterday was my day off and I had a busy day.  I got up and S.O.A.P.ed then I went to the gym to get a workout, then Vanessa and I took her dad to lunch at the Kemper Williams Golf Course in Patterson, LA.  After getting home about the time the kids got out of school, I decided to cut the grass at the entrance to my subdivision.  It was my turn.  See, we have no schedule, no committee to oversee this, we just take turns.  It's subdivision property and no one owns it.  It was my turn.  The last few times it's been cut, I didn't do it because I'd cut the grass my fair share of times.  But yesterday, I felt like it was my turn.  So I did it because it was my turn.  What needs attention in your life, house, work, or subdivision that is your turn.  No one is going to make you, but it just needs to be done.  What if everyone just took their turn think of how much stuff would get done and it wouldn't be a burden to just a few people.  Is it your turn to make coffee? bring the donuts? pick up the tab for lunch? wash the dishes? pick up the clothes? whatever it is, take your turn.  You will encourage someone today and will make a difference in someone's life at work, home or play.  Take your turn, don't have to be asked, don't have to be told, just see what needs to be done and do it.  I believe one of the best leadership practices is just to take your turn and do something that needs doing.  It's your turn now.

Top 10 Ways to Avoid Influencing people for Jesus

1. Ignore Jesus command to take a long hard look at the “fields” from John 4:35. 

• ·      Just stop, listen and look at what is happening in the lives of people today.
• ·      Brokenness, sickness, dysfunction, depression.
• ·      You have to look to really get His Book.

2. Focus on the same things that everyone else is focusing on.

• ·      Bigger car, house, 401K, job promotion.

3. Marry someone who only cares about himself or herself.

• ·      They think the Great Commission is your % after a big sale.
• ·      Have the perfect family, chase the perfect dream.

4. Stay away from really authentic Christians who are influential.

• ·      Their stories will distract you from chasing the American dream.

5. Focus on the “impossible” people who don’t want to hear

    about Jesus, you know, the vocal 2-5% who wouldn’t

     listen to Jesus Himself.

• ·      Forget about the multitude that will respond to love and an authentic life.

 6. Spend all your empty time obsessing over your faults and all the wrong things you’ve even done.

• ·      You know that everyone in the Bible was perfect, right?

7. Put “real” Christians on a pedestal, believing that they possess some magic gene that you just don’t have.

• ·      God could never use “ordinary people”. Could He?

8. Let people tell you that you are “indispensable” right where you are now.

• ·      We could never make it without you doing what you are doing right now.

9.  Worry about what you will say or do when the moment comes.

• ·      God could never give you a dynamic thought, could He?

10.  Go do life by yourself and without any training.

•      You will flame out and be home in time to catch the 6 pm news.

·      I knew it wouldn’t work.

3 THings That God wants for YOU

Colossians 2:1-4 (NLT)

I read these verses yesterday and really saw the heart of God speaking through Paul in Colossians.  Paul laid out a simple list of things that are God's heart for you.  You see it's not enough just to get people but God's desire is to grow people.  Here is the list and I think you will recognize the process, yes it's ours.

1. I want them to be encouraged and knit together by strong ties of love.

• BELONG
• Nothing says ,"you belong", like love.
• From belonging you get encouragement and develop a support system, a family

2.I want them to have complete confidence that they understand God's mysterious plan, which is Christ himself.

• BELIEVE
• God's wants YOU to confidently understand His plan.
• You'll never get it and be confidant until you read His Word.
• S.O.A.P. 
• When you are convinced of God's will for you, then you become convincing to others.

3. And I rejoice that you are living as you should and that your faith in Christ is strong.

• BECOME
• You are doing it without me, Paul says.
• The goal is to grow up into someone that doesn't need a mentor, but begins to mentor others.
• Become someone who can be an influencer for Jesus.

What are you planning?

Pro. 16:1-3 is a great read about making plans for our lives.  So many don't think of planning, they just prefer to live life and watch what happens.  I don't think that is wise.

There are 6.5 billion people on the earth, and they all have some kind of a plan if it's just what they are going to do today.

When we make plans together, the number of plans could swell to 20-25 billion plans in a 24 hr. period. We plan with our friends, spouses, kids, etc..

God has an answer to every plan.  The proverb says that God weighs our motives, even though we think our motive is fine.

When we commit our actions to the Lord and then our plans will succeed.  I know that I want my plans to succeed and so do you.

Paint a picture of the kingdom

The kingdom of Heaven can be illustrated by......Matt. 25:14

I love how even in Jesus seemingly connecting words there is a message.  The Kingdom CAN be illustrated.   So much emphasis is put on the fact that God can't be seen, but the truth is that God's kingdom CAN be illustrated so that we can see it.  3 pictures are painted in Matt 25 that give us great insight into what the kingdom looks like and how it operates, and who it encompasses from the 3 parables of the chapter.

1. The kingdom can be illustrated by those who are ready and have enough oil.

• Those who look to Jesus as the source instead of men.  
• The kingdom is illustrated by those who keep their eyes on the King.

2. the kingdom can be illustrated by the servants who invest and increase what they are given.

• Using our God given gifts by investing in people and seeing them increase the kingdom for God.
• It's never about how much you have, but what you do with what you have.
• Those who do much will have more. That's the way of the kingdom.

3. The kingdom can be illustrated by those serving the least of these, the naked, the poor, the imprisoned.

• Jesus identifies w/ the broken and hurting.
• We serve Jesus when we serve the "lonely"

God sets the lonely in families, sets the prisoners free, and gives them great joy....Ps. 68:6