Soap for Today: Personal Responsibility

In reading our S.O.A.P. for today, 1 TIm. 5, I'm struck by the theme I see of personal responsibility. Starts out by outlining our responsibility in how to deal with people, young and old, male and female. Then our responsibility towards parents, and the churches responsibility towards widows. Then the people in church's responsibility towards elders(leadership) and finally leadership's responsibility in leading. Then this last couple of verses:

24 Remember, the sins of some people are obvious, leading them to certain judgment. But there are others whose sins will not be revealed until later. 25 In the same way, the good deeds of some people are obvious. And the good deeds done in secret will someday come to light.

1 Ti 5:24-25 NLT

From this I see that I can't judge by what I see, because I can't see everything about the good or the sin in other's lives. What I can do is purpose to handle my responsibilities. I can treat others well, do my part as the church, take care of myself and lead well. If I handle the things that God has given me to do, then it will go well for me. I must live from a perspective of personal responsibility and not what others do or don't do.

Bro. Ed's 79th birthday today

I'm spending time tweeting and blogging about the impact that a father can have because today is my dad's 79th birthday. My dad, known as Bro. Ed, was the founder of our church 35+ years ago and his life is the primary reason I'm serving the Lord today. I had great parents, but it was that authentic Christianity of my father's example that impacted me and still impacts me today. I'm not going to tell you he was perfect, but he was real and by real I mean that he lived what he preached. I saw him in every kind of environment: the pulpit, the home, the fishing camp, and vacation and he was just who he was, Bro. Ed. Nothing flashy, but you could count on him to always be a man of God. In fact, he's still living out what he preached when he was the "pastor". He still comes to church every time we have service unless sick or preaching somewhere. He prays with us, runs with the vision of HOF though maybe different from the way he saw it in his day. Never tries to interfere, being a former leader, nor does he ever stir up dissension, but is always one for peace and unity. When he just sits in one of our seats he's a stabilizing influence for HOF. The scriptures say:

15 For even if you had ten thousand others to teach you about Christ, you have only one spiritual father. For I became your father in Christ Jesus when I preached the Good News to you. 16 So I urge you to imitate me.

(1 Co 4:14-16)NLT

There are thousands who would love to teach you, but respond to the one who wants to be a father to you because they have made the choice to love you. Don't imitate teachers, they often just want to impress you with how much they know. Imitate fathers in the faith, they care about you, spend time with you, consistently live in front of you, and are willing to have the hard talks with you. Many today can't handle a real father figure because of past hurts. When God decides to bless you He puts a father in your life. When I grow up, I want to be just like my dad, Bro. Ed, without the Bro. part.:-)

Faith Academy Cheerleaders Take 1st Place

This is shout out to the FA cheerleaders who took 1st place in the WSA competition this past Saturday at the Alario Center in Westwego, LA. The girls competed at a higher level with more tumbling and they absolutely pegged their routine. Wendy Carter and Devon Brignac do a tremendous job coaching them and I want to thank them for our girls representing the House, the school and Jesus well. Also, I have to say that the parents of all these girls are great to work with and have a real heart to see them excel. Here is a video of their winning performance:

New Look for a new year

Hey check out the redesign of the HOF webpage here and see what's going on at the house. Find links to all the stuff happening and the new mobile access to the S.O.A.P. Bible reading we are talking about this weekend. It's going to be a great New Year and God wants to change your life.

Countdown to Awakening

We are in the final few days before Awakening21. I feel like this could be a really pivotal time for our church. Bottom line is that no matter what our plans are it's the plans of the Lord that are going to be fulfilled.

21 You can make many plans, but the Lord’s purpose will prevail.

Pr 19:21 NLT

This is a time of quieting down and saying, "God, what do You want for me?" It's normal to want God to bless what we are doing, but we need to be doing what God wants. Hearing a clear direction for this year will make all the difference in our lives. It seems like the things that have been most beneficial in my life happened when I've gotten a clear direction from God. Jesus spoke to us that "My sheep hear my voice". God will speak to you and it'll change your life.

A Brand New Year

I don't know about you but I feel a lot less stress about New Year's than Christmas. I guess it's because we do the Christmas Eve services, of which clips are posted here "Christmas Little Drummer Boy" and CAROL OF THE BELLS here. This week is a time to relax and watch some football, work some and spend time with friends and family. Looking forward to a new year, it's like a blank sheet of paper, empty but full of potential. Looking forward to all that God wants to accomplish this year. See you on Sunday, ready to go.l

Gift Card from God

Slow around the church this week between Christmas and New Years. Still thinking about God's gift cards we talked about Sunday. Those are promises that we have the ability to turn into realities in 2010. That's what Awakening is all about, getting ourselves in the place of faith to believe God's Word. Looking forward to the new series that accompanies the times of prayer and fasting. We will have the handout this Sunday and look forward to spending some time with our church family praying for direction, grace, and strength for this next year. I'm already giving some thought as to what I feel like God wants to do in me and in HOF. This verse sums up our theme for 2010 which will be "Grow in Love"

17 And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face him with confidence because we live like Jesus here in this world.

1 John 4:17 (NLT)

Christmas Eve

I'm sitting here before we do the last Christmas Eve service just amazed at what a great church we have here at HOF. I'm not one to brag, but we have an incredible team. Michael has done a great job with the music and just everyone has a real heart to serve. We seen so many visit during these services and it's a joy to share the life changing message of the Good News. I want to wish all of you a very Merry Christmas this year. We are right on the doorstep of a new decade and I'm convinced that the best is yet to come. I pray that all of your families are blessed and that God will draw you even closer together at this time of the year. I want you all to know that you belong in God's family and at HOF. I guess tonight we'll open gifts with my family and then tomorrow they all come to my house.

Awakening21

The new year is right around the corner and Awakening is going to be huge this year. Each year we begin our year with 21 days of fasting and prayer called Awakening. You definitely will want to awaken your spirit to what God has for you in this next year. Check out the website

Excited about Christmas Eve Services

I just wanted to remind all of you that we are going to be doing 3 Christmas Eve services this year in order to serve you best. We are going to have a great time celebrating the birth of our King, Jesus Christ. I can't think of a better way to say, "I'm remembering what this time of the year is all about" than by spending some time worshipping with our church family. We will have one service on Wed., Dec. 23 at 7 pm and two services on Thursday, Dec. 24 at 5 pm and 6:30 pm. We've got some special things planned and as always, this is a great time to bring family and friends so that they might hear about God's love for them. Don't miss this opportunity to be a light this Christmas.

How do you decide?

One of the things we have to be sure we get right is knowing what is just us or what is God. Have you ever had a thought and then had to decide, was that a God thought or a me thought? Same with ideas and with emotions too. I've often had ideas that turned out to not be as great as I thought they were, and then there are our emotions. That anger, is it the righteous anger of the Lord or am I just ticked off because I didn't get my way. Then there are the decisions that we must make, do I make the decision that seems right to me or does God have a better plan or is what I'm thinking God's plan or my plan? So much would be clearer if we had a way to be able to tell God's ideas, emotions, plans from mine. Well we do.

Hebrews 4:12 (NLT)

12 For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires.

God's word cuts between the soul and the spirit. In other words it lets us know what's earthly and what's eternal. What's me and what's Him. What's good and what's God. In my soul is where my emotions, my will, and my thoughts are housed. But in my spirit is where I'm alive in Christ. By spending time in His Word, I'm able to know what's me and what's Him. A few verses before this one, the scripture says, Today when you hear his voice, don't harden your hearts. I know this, when I hear His voice and respond to it then my life takes on new meaning. When I've listened to my own, not so much. The key to life is knowing His voice and believing what He says. Have a great day.

You will bloom

I read this verse in the Psalms yesterday and can't get it out of my spirit. "Our days on earth are like grass, like wildflowers we bloom and die." Psalms 103:15 I felt like God spoke to me through this verse to focus on the bloom part. A flower is just another green plant until it blooms, then the flower distinctly signals it's species. In fact, plants are known by the descriptive name of their flower, the rose, the lily of the valley, the honeysuckle. There is an account in the scripture of Aaron's rod, which was a pretty typical accessory for every man in those times. It was a walking stick, a symbol of success, a reminder of the past, a means of defense, a tool of his trade. One day God told Moses to get the "stick" from the leader of each of the 12 tribes of Israel and put them before the Lord in the Tabernacle. Aaron's 'stick' blossomed and bloomed. In fact the inside of the most sacred room of the Tabernacle was decorated with "open flowers". I believe this verse contains a promise, that while we have but a temporary time to serve an eternal God, His promise to us is that we will bloom before we die. I don't feel like i've bloomed yet, what about you? I'm holding on to God's promise that if I live for Him, by His grace and power that I'll bloom and blossom into something that others can see and appreciate. We are in the middle of series about the family called HomeWork, and we'll be talking about how God wants our families and our lives to bloom as a tribute to His power. That word bloom can mean to grow in number but also to grow in maturity. It can mean to grow in size, or to grow together. It can also mean to grow up. God's desire is for every expression of growth in your life. The amazing truth is that Aaron's rod was just a dead stick, but in the presence of the Lord, the dead stick was made to bloom. We are just dead in our sins until we believe in Christ. Then His power makes dead things grow, it's miraculous. A favorite song of mine by Desperation Band goes like this: It's the miracle of Christ in me, a mystery that sets me free, I"m nothing like I used to be, just open up your eyes you'll see. Let's bloom.

Getting Along with People

One of the best skills that can be learned is the skill of getting along with people. In fact, so much so that a name has been given to it, EQ, or emotional quotient. EQ is a way to measure a person's emotional intelligence. As a college and bible school graduate, I'm thankful for all that I have been taught, but the one thing I don't remember anyone formally teaching is how to get along with people. Of course my parents tried as I grew up, but in a formal sense, no one really talked about the most important skill that you can learn. Paul sums it up in one verse to his protege' in the faith, Timothy. Timothy had been left in Colosse to pastor that church after Paul's departure.

1 Timothy 5:1-2 (NLT)

5 Never speak harshly to an older man,* but appeal to him respectfully as you would to your own father. Talk to younger men as you would to your own brothers. 2 Treat older women as you would your mother, and treat younger women with all purity as you would your own sisters.

• Always appeal to those older than you rather than telling them. It shows respect for elders, which God commands, when we choose to appeal or ask rather than to tell.
• Treat younger men as brothers. I never had a brother, but I have sons and to watch them interact is hilarious. They punch, fight, play, kid, share and laugh together. I always wanted a brother because of the special bond that brothers share. You can be yourself with your brother.
• Treat the older women like you would your own mother. Moms have a special place in our hearts as they should. That lady who's older than you is probably someone's mother and should be afforded that level of respect and courtesy.
• Treat the younger women as a sister. Living by this one verse takes all the tension out of dealing with those of the opposite sex. If we treated women as our sisters in Christ then we always see them in the right way and not in unhealthy ways that demean women.

Simply put, we live like we are related, I know that I enjoy my family so much because we live this out naturally, but I also enjoy my awesome church family because I choose to view them as my family in Christ.

Hearing Incredible Stories of God's Grace

I was talking with Vanessa this morning about last night's Girls Beautiful event, and she told me a great story about how God is moving in one lady's life. We are looking for those kinds of stories to use during our upcoming the Power of Hope sermon series. Hope is such a necessity for our lives and there are things that can diminish our hope. If you have a story of God giving you hope in your life, I'd like to hear it. email me at the address found on the website, www.hofchurch.com

Fan into flame

Paul tells Timothy to "fan into flames" the gift that God deposited into his life. Evidently Timothy was dealing with fear because the next verse states, "God hasn't given us a spirit of fear....". Paul is telling Timothy that the answer to problems and difficulties is to turn up the spiritual heat in our lives. After Hurricane Katrina left us a mess in the backyard, we worked hard to clean up. Most stuff was easy to deal with but I had 2 massive stumps that I couldn't deal with. Life can be just like that with storms that leave things we are unable to deal with like the unforgiveness from a bad relationship, fear from some failure, or insecurity because of a lack of love. We often try so hard to deal with the leftovers of a storm but Paul teaches us that it's better to fan the flames of our relationship with Christ. The hotter you are as a believer, then the less the things of this life affect our lives. Are you dealing with some stuff from a storm? Are you wondering how you'll move the immovable out of your life? Forget about the stumps and focus on getting on fire for Christ. How? Give yourself to those things that fan the flame: time in the Word, prayer, and fellowship with other believers. Trust me, this weekend I burned up the stumps and all I had to do was get the fire started and let the fire do the rest. So fan into flames the gift of God that's in you.

What's your message?

In Galations Paul states that his message wasn't taught to him, but revealed by the Holy Spirit. I began thinking, "what is my message?" I'm not talking about my message from the past Sunday but what is the core message of my life. If we were confident in our message then we'd always know what to say, maybe just find new applications of it for the different situations in which we are asked to share. Our message is that truth that God has called us to spread with our words, our lives, and our actions. Paul's message seemed to inspire a tremendous confidence in his life. There is something to be said for knowing what your life's message is and spending you life creatively finding ways and avenues in which to spread that message. What's your message? What is the truth that you didn't learn from a sermon, but in one of those memorable life altering times with God, He spoke it into your soul? Obviously there is much we can and should learn from those God has placed in our lives as mentors, teachers, pastors and such, but our core message can only be revealed by the Holy Spirit. Think about your life with Christ and ask yourself, What is my message? I know mine, do you know yours. I'm pumped about making it known.

A Team

I was privileged to participate in a leadership meeting with a great team for ARC. So many great young leaders in the ARC and so much passion for church planting, pastors and the local church. As alway, Billy Hornsby's leadership is critical in ARC being such a player in the world today where church planting is concerned. Florida was well represented with 3 or 4 pastors. It was good to spend some time again with P. Van Ducote who started in ministry here at HOF under my father. Big things are happening in the ARC and I'm blessed to have a part. I have such a heart for pastors and feel supremely blessed because my father in ministry is my father. Also have had valuable connections with some incredible leaders and that continues. I love the DNA of ARC, life-giving, real, and connecting. It was great to meet Ron Sylvia, who leads a coaching network for pastors and i'm so excited to be a part of getting some coaching and also, being a coach for someone. That's what leading is all about. You are always in the middle, being led and leading others.

Back in the Saddle

I'm back in the office today and slowly getting into the swing. I'm really excited to hear all the great stuff that happened while I was away on vacation. I hear that P. Greg really did a great job on Sunday, never doubted that. P. Wade and others come through and painted the EA Teacher's Lounge to help out a local school that's doing a good job. Celebrate Recovery just keeps loving people. I'm getting excited about part 2 of the series on Show Your Love. This week we will jump even deeper into what I believe is the essence of what it means to be the church. Love to see you this weekend at HOF. Also, a reminder that Rock the River is happening this weekend, come on out to the levee lots at LSU and be a part of local church history.

On Vacation

On vacation for some much needed rest and relaxation. In Florida having a blast just hanging out with the kids and with friends. Today we went in the boat around the Destin bridge area, it was spectacular. Water was clear and people everywhere. We anchored the boat on a sand bar and played in the water for several hours. Nice people and a lot of fun. Rest is such an essential part of our lives. We are gearing up for the busiest times of the year from the start of school till Christmas. It seems like much gets done in the church world during that time. Rest is much more important especially when you work hard. Getting into God's rhythm of 6 days work and 1 of rest is a key component also. I'll be back soon.

Second Half part 3

This is the 3rd part of what I felt God spoke to us during the Awakening time of prayer and fasting at the first of the year. The third thing was that God was going to take away our reproach. God spoke to a childless woman in the OT and told her that HE would take away her reproach. I really believe that this is going to be a very fruitful time for the kingdom. As we embrace this new wine skin of LOVE and that new grace from God is on our lives, then we are going to see more fruitfulness in our lives than at any time before. God’s desire for all of us is for us to be fruitful. A fruitful person is a happy person, a blessed person, a fulfilled person. It reminds me of our life with our children, in that we have much fulfillment in seeing our children and them grow and have success. Whatever has been your reproach, your burden, the thing that has weighed heavy on your mind I know that God desires to take it away and free you to be what He’s destined you to be. The Psalmist wrote that God has a glorious destiny for me and I believe it for you , for me, and for HOF.