If You Only Knew: Going Deeper Devo!

^{IF YOU ONLY KNEW…}

¹⁰ Jesus replied, “If you only knew…¹¹ “But sir, you don’t have a rope or a bucket,” she said, “and this well is very DEEP. Where would you get this living water?

(John 4:10-11; NLT)

Once upon a time there was a woman who did not know Jesus. One day, she went to a well to get some water. When she came to the well, there was a man sitting there, tired from a long day’s journey. The man said to her, “Will you give me a drink of water?” She went on and on about why she could not give him a drink of water. The man said to her, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.”

This is the story about the Samaritan woman at the well told in John 4:1-42. You were right…the man by the well was Jesus! Good job, Bible genius! You knew more than the woman did…of course, you’ve read her story…if you did not know that the man was Jesus, “get with the program bubba and GO read yo’ bible”! Anyway…

…The woman had no idea that Jesus was sitting right there in front of her. Could it be possible that Jesus is right here before us and we don’t even know it? His words to the woman might be His words to you and me: “If you only knew…”

“If you only knew Jesus…” Is it possible, as a Christian, you don’t really know Jesus Christ…really know Him? You go to church…you do the right things…you stay out of trouble, but you don’t really know Jesus…you may think your “well” of problems is TOO DEEP for Him to help you with?

Now, this woman at the well did not know Jesus. She was not a Christian…“yet”; she soon would be…but she was “taught” that the Messiah would come and would explain everything to them (v 25). She was “taught” about Jesus; however, when she came “face-to-face” with Him, she did not recognize Him. I wonder how many of us are “taught” about Jesus, but don’t know Him when we see Him. How can we know Him when we see Him? By letting Him “see” us…to see “deep” inside of us.

Jesus saw “deeply” into this woman…He knew all about her. She realized that once she had an HONEST conversation with Him. When was the last time you had an HONEST conversation with Christ? When was the last time you told Him about all the things going on in the DEEP “well” of your life?

He knows about them already…but He wants to talk to you about them because people who have a relationship have conversations…people in REAL relationships have REAL conversations…HONEST conversations…TALK to Jesus today…be REAL with Him…be HONEST with Him and hear Him say to you, ““I who speak to you am He.” (v26).

She found out that her “well” of problems were NOT TOO DEEP for Him. Why? Because He knew the truth about every aspect of her life. He knew her DEEPEST secrets and her DEEPEST hopes.

Christ wants to have an HONEST conversation with you. He knows the DEEP truth about every aspect of your life too. We will come to find this out when we enter into an HONEST conversation with Christ.

When the woman had a HONEST conversation with her Savior, He helped her to “see and recognize Him” as JESUS, the Messiah! He said to her,.” May you know Jesus so deeply that from now on, you have daily converstations

She was HONEST with Him about her life. He said this to her, “ When He told her to go and get her husband; she said, “I have no husband.” Could it be that your view of Jesus is “shallow”? Christ’s view of you runs “deep”…He knows all about you. He knew all about this woman at the well. He knew that she did not have a husband…He knew that she had five husbands and the man that she was dating at the time was not her husband.

Jesus knows all about us…our thoughts…our dreams…our pains and struggles…our victories. He knows that sometimes we forget that He is GOD ALMIGHTY and that we, like the woman, think our “wells” our TOO DEEP for Him. What does He know about you? Are you joyful that He knows you? Do you want Him to kow One way to recognize if you don’t really know Jesus is this: your problem that you are going through right now seems BIGGER than He is. You don’t think He can do anything about. You’re like the woman at the well who though it was TOO DEEP for Jesus to draw any water…any comfort…any help from. Listen, nothing is TOO DEEP for Jesus. Plus, like an old time preacher named Oswald Chambers says, “Jesus doesn’t bring anything UP from the wells of human nature—He brings them DOWN from above.”

Jesus brings things DOWN from above because He is ALMIGHTY GOD! He is ALMIGHTY GOD and He is the one speaking to you this weekend.The moment we forget that Christ is ALMIGHTY, we SINK into “SHALLOW” Christianity. Today, remember that God’s Son is ALMIGHTY. There may be a limit to what we can do,

Perspective On Work

"View your work as art, rather than obligation."

~ Erwin McManus, from his "Practical Wisdom" Series, Episode titled, "Work."

"Leaving The Shallow: Taught Or Caught"

Summer Retreat ‘08

Sermon #1: “Leaving the Shallow: taught or caught”

Luke 5:1-11

19 Saturday 2008

INTRODUCTION

A. LOVIN’ THE WEEKEND!

IT’S AWESOME TO BE HERE WITH YOU GUYS TONIGHT! I KNOW EVERYONE IS LOOKING FORWARD to this ENTIRE weekend…MY WIFE IS HERE! I’M PUMPED BEYOND BELIEF! We’ve got 2 SESSIONS of White Water Rafting tomorrow, Optional Activities the next day; capture the flag football, 6 Flags; but I’ve got to tell you…for me, the MOST EXCITING PART of the weekend is RIGHT NOW! This is the part where I FEEL MOST ALIVE…PREACHING the WORD of GOD! Let me say this about that: when I preach the Word of God to YOU, God first preaches to ME…I NEED JESUS CHRIST…I NEED the WORD of GOD…I NEED the BREATH of the HOLY SPIRIT just as much as YOU GUYS do…so I don’t stand up here as one who knows it all…I stand up here SHARING the INCREDIBLE LOVE of GOD the FATHER WITH YOU THROUGH THE PREACHED WORD of JESUS…CAN I GET AN “AMEN”!

B. LOVIN’ JESUS CHRIST!

I LOVE JESUS CHRIST. I LOVE HIM! There are so many things to LOVE about CHRIST. One of the things I love about Him MOST is this: He “LOVED” to PREACH the WORD of GOD. In fact, in Luke 4:43, He said “I MUST PREACH”…He goes on to say that PREACHING was “WHY” He was SENT to earth! I pray that some of you WILL be CALLED by GOD to PREACH!

C. LOVIN’ THE PREACHED WORD!

That’s where we FIND JESUS in our SCRIPTURE for tonight…PREACHING the WORD of GOD. And listen, He was TURNING it on…the MAN was “ON FIRE” with the HOLY GHOST! You would have thought it was a HANNA MONTANA CONCERT! HM FANS?? People were CROWDING all around HIM to hear the LIFE GIVING words coming out of His mouth! That’s what I HOPE and PRAY will happen at THIS TIME each NIGHT this WEEKEND! I pray we will CROWD around JESUS to hear His Word! Let me tell you a little about each NIGHT…

• I am going to TALK tonight. (Generally)

• SALLIE is going to talk tomorrow night. (Specifically)

• STEVE will talk Monday night. (Specifically)

THEME & SCRIPTURE INTRODUCTION

Our THEME for this WEEKEND is “DEEPER”. JESUS calls us to go “DEEPER” with Him. He called SIMON to go “DEEPER” with Him in the PASSAGE we will look at. It’s the PASSAGE that our theme is BASED ON! I am going to read LUKE 5:1-11 right now (v4 “key” verse). As I do, I would like to have 15 VOLUNTEERS. I want YOU 15 to ACT out the SCRIPTURE as I read…you don’t have to do anything extravagant…it does not have to be funny, although it can be…it does not have to be perfect…I NEED someone to be (1) JESUS; (2) 5 of ya’ll to be the CROWD; (3) 2 of ya’ll to be the BOATS; (4) 1 person to be SIMON; (5) 1 person to be John; (6) 1 person to be James; (7) 5 of ya’ll to be FISH!---as I read, listen for your PART and SIMPLY ACT IT OUT… --(READ LUKE 5:1-11)—

I. “LEAVING THE SHALLOW”

A. TWO TYPES

TOPIC TONIGHT IS THIS: “LEAVING THE SHALLOW” I WANT to talk about 2 TYPES of CHRISTIANS: (1) “SHALLOW” CHRISTIANS and (2) “DEEP” CHRISTIANS. If you are here tonight and you are NOT a CHRISTIAN…meaning, you have NOT received JESUS CHRIST as your Lord and Savior, this message is for you too…Christ is CALLING YOU TONIGHT/WEEKEND into a RELATIONSHIP with Him You may “START” in the “SHALLOW” but the GOAL is to end up in the “DEEP”! So, “SHALLOW” CHRISTIANS and “DEEP” CHRISTIANS….

 ILLUSTRATION #1- learning to swim

HOW MANY of you grew up learning to SWIM in the “SHALLOW”??? YEA! The “SHALLOW” is where we would wear those FLOATIES…it made us look like we had HUGE BICEPS at 3 years old!!! The “SHALLOW” is where we were “TAUGHT” to SWIM. (EVERYONE say the word “TAUGHT”…turn to YOUR NEIGHBOR and say “TAUGHT)”. WE’RE gonna have FUN tonight! (That is a “KEY” word for us TONIGHT) We were “TAUGHT” how to KICK and PADDLE and HOLD our BREATH under water! JUST RECENTLY, my TWIN BROTHER, BRAD, and I “TAUGHT” our 5 YEAR OLD NEPHEW to TAKE off his FLOATIES and swim in the “SHALLOW”! He loved it! He was GRABBING the NOODLES and HITTING everyone OVER the HEAD with them! NOW, If you REMEMBER, the “SHALLOW” is where JESUS “TAUGHT” the CROWD—(READ 5:3)-

B. “TAUGHT” N’ DA’ SHALLOW… “CAUGHT”?

The “SHALLOW” was a GOOD PLACE for the crowd to be “TAUGHT”…it was SAFE…it was SECURE. We are “TAUGHT” in “safe” places. The CHURCH is a “SAFE” place… …maybe at FUSION, or POWER SURGE, or the SUMMIT…in “BIG CHURCH” on Sunday mornings…EVEN A PLACE LIKE THIS…maybe we are “TAUGHT” by our FAMILIES at HOME (“SAFE” PLACE…hopefully) that JESUS is LORD and SAVIOR…HERE’S the DEAL…It’s GOOD for our MINDS to be “TAUGHT” all of these things about GOD…but if our HEARTS are NOT “CAUGHT” by GOD; NONE of it will make a BIT of DIFFERENCE in our SOULS. YOU SEE, our MINDS are “TAUGHT”…but our HEARTS are “CAUGHT”. GOING “DEEP” with Jesus is NOT about becoming “MORE INTELLECTUAL”…IT’S ABOUT BECOMING “MORE INTIMATE”!

 ILLUSTRATION #2- Measuring Tape

I have TOLD you guys at FUSION and I think I even mentioned it at Junior High Breakthru last year…the DIFFERENCE of someone being SAVED and NOT SAVED is 16 inches…that’s the AVERAGE length FROM the HEAD to the HEART. I want to say that that is the SAME DISTANCE from the “SHALLOW” END to the “DEEP” END of CHRISTIANITY! “Shallow” Christians are “TAUGHT” ABOUT Jesus. “DEEP” Christians are “CAUGHT” BY Jesus…(Everyone say “CAUGHT”…turn to your neighbor and say “CAUGHT”) “CAUGHT” UP into His life…SWEPT up in His Love…WRAPPED” UP in His Prayers…HIS LIFE is YOUR LIFE…in other words: “DEEP” CHRISTIANS NOT ONLY “*LEARN* about JESUS” on Sundays and Wednesdays…they “*LIVE* like JESUS” 7 days a week! Here are SOME VERY “PRACTICAL” DIFFERENCES between being “TAUGHT” and “CAUGHT”

C. TAUGHT/CAUGHT PRACTICAL

1. We are “taught” to forgive, but if we are not “caught” by the HEART of Jesus, we “DROWN/SINK” in a DEEP SEA of BITTERNESS (that is shallow).

2. We are “taught” to pray, but if we are not “caught up and wrapped up” in the BURDEN CHRIST has for the WORLD/LOST/HURTING, we don’t make praying our LIFE. (that’s shallow)

3. We are “taught” that reading the Bible is a good thing, but if we are not “caught” by the Word become Flesh, it sits on the shelf.

4. We are “taught” to honor our parents, but if we are not “caught”, we don’t listen to them. The LIST GOES ON….

5. We are “taught” to say no to drinking, but if we are not “caught” up in Jesus, we are “caught up” in peer pressure…we drink to look cool…

6. If we are NOT “CAUGHT” up in JESUS, we can get “CAUGHT UP” in computer porn…

7. If we are NOT “CAUGHT UP” in our SAVIOR, we can get “CAUGHT UP” in SIN… making fun of people…gossiping…lying…cheating…we don’t serve our church or our community…

8. We don’t love those who hate us…we don’t make friends with those who have no friends…we don’t care about our teachers…we would rather goof off than help a neighbor

D. TANGLED UP: Caught up in something

HERE’S THE DEAL: We are all “CAUGHT UP” in something. Sometimes we live like we are in a NET and we get “ALL TANGLED UP”! What are you “TANGLED UP…“CAUGHT UP” in tonight…WHITNEY and I are, in a good way, are “CAUGHT UP” in our DAUGHTER, KATE GRAY! I know Junior High and Highschool years you can get ALL “CAUGHT UP” in a CERTAIN BOY or a CERTAIN GIRL…We can get “CAUGHT UP” in FACEBOOK (if you have one)…it’s AN OBSESSION! What are YOU “CAUGHT UP” in??? You know what it is because you can’t stop doing it…you can’t stop thinking about it…ARE YOU “CAUGHT UP” in Jesus?? Hopefully some of us can say, “I can’t STOP thinking about Jesus”…if you can say that you know you are “CAUGHT” by Him…maybe some of us CAN’T say that…Maybe the only time we think of Him is on Sunday morning when we are “TAUGHT” about Him. What are you “CAUGHT UP” in?

• IS it a MATERIAL POSSESSION (me and the iPhone)…

• A quest for POPULARITY…

• JEALOUSY?

• Maybe EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES have you ALL “TANGLED UP”…your “TO-DO” IS LIST IS FULL but YOUR SOUL is EMPTY…

• Maybe MAKING THE TEAM is EVERYTHING to you…MAYBE NOT MAKING the TEAM seems like the “END” of the WORLD…

• Maybe you have “EMOTIONAL” WOUNDS that RUN down “DEEP” within your SOUL…you have been “DEEPLY HURT”…you have “DEEP REGRETS”…ANXIETIES and WORRIES that go “DOWN” to the CORE of YOUR SOUL…

 ILLUSTRATION #3- Journey down

ANYBODY seen “JOURNEY to the CENTER of the EARTH (3 D)”? Remember the scene where they are falling to the very CORE of the earth and they are falling and falling and falling and falling…and the dude says, “We’re still falling!” Some of you may feel like that…you keep falling…maybe you are falling more and more into confusion…into DOUBTS about who GOD is…DOUBTING that GOD EXISTS, or LOVES and CARES about you…falling into FEAR…into INSECURITIES...into FAMILY PROBLEMS…into THOUGHTS that you will NEVER BE GOOD ENOUGH, PRETTY ENOUGH, SMART ENOUGH…YOU WANT “SO BAD” to GO “DEEPER” with JESUS, but you just CAN’T get out of the HOLE you’re FALLING in. Here’s the DEAL YOU and I are ONLY “ONE SMALL” act of OBEDIENCE away from EXPERIENCING A “REAL”; “DEEP”; “INTIMATE” RELATIONSHIP with JESUS CHRIST…THE GOD who DOES EXIST…the GOD does CARE and LOVE for YOU “DEEPLY”!

II. “GOING TO THE DEEP”

A. ‘NO’ THANKS

You will notice in VERSE 3, Simon OBEYED one “LITTLE” request of Jesus and it ended up PREPARING him to OBEY even a “LARGER” COMMAND of Christ. Take a LOOK at verses 3-5—(READ v3-5)—STOP at 5a NOW, a “SHALLOW” Christian would STOP at the “END” of this SENTENCE—

• A “SHALLOW” Christian might go on to say, “JESUS…I’ve already been in those “WATERS”…I “CAUGHT” nothing… “I’ve tried PRAYER…I’ve gotten NO answers…I’ve tried READING the BIBLE…it’s BORING…It’s too hard to understand…I’ve tried DGROUPS and BIG CHURCH…I’m not really getting much SPIRITUAL DEPTH out of it…BEEN THERE and DONE THAT Jesus…with NO LUCK…I think I’ll stay put in the “SHALLOW”…Thanks but no thanks!”

• SIMON PETER could have said all that…He could have said, “Jesus, we are NOT going FISHING anymore…ESPECIALLY NOT in the “DEEP”…it’s DAY TIME…YOU don’t FISH in the “DEEP” during “DAYTIME” JESUS…DURRHHH! I THINK I *KNOW* a little bit more about this than you do!”

ILLUSTRATION #1- knowing more than the old folks!

HOW many of you BELIEVE YOU “KNOW” MORE than your PARENTS “KNOW”? A lot of teenagers do…they feel their parents are just a little bit out of touch with reality! Especially when it comes to computers…technology…cell phones! That’s what SIMON might have felt like with JESUS…

B. ‘NOT’ MAKING SENSE…making something out of our lives

You see, JESUS was a “CARPENTER”, SIMON PETER was “THE FISHERMAN”…and here JESUS is telling SIMON “HOW and WHERE” to FISH…IN THOSE DAYS, in the Sea of Galilee (Lake of Gennesaret), you would FISH in the “DEEP” at NIGHT and in the “SHALLOW” during the DAY…Here, it is “DAY” time and JESUS is COMMANDING that SIMON FISH in the “DEEP”…EVEN AFTER he had SPENT “ALL NIGHT” in the DEEP with NO LUCK. IT MADE “NO” SENSE WHAT-SO-EVER to SIMON! … COULD it be, that when things DON’T MAKE SENSE in our lives…that JESUS is about to MAKE SOMETHING of OUR LIVES!

C. ‘NOW’ IT’S MAKING SENSE…5 words

THAT’S WHAT I LOVE ABOUT WHAT HAPPENS NEXT! Earlier we said the difference between a “SHALLOW CHRISTIAN” and a “DEEP CHRISTIAN” is 16 inches (HEAD to HEART). Here we find out it is also, the distance of 5 WORDS’—(READ v 5 AGAIN)—(SAY, “BUT BECAUSE YOU SAY SO” with ME…SAY it AGAIN…SAY it AGAIN…SAY IT AGAIN! I PRAY THOSE 5 WORDS will become YOUR “RESPONSE” to JESUS every TIME He calls you to DO SOMETHING…even when YOU think YOU KNOW BETTER than He does…EVEN when THINGS DON’T MAKE SENSE!!!

D. ‘NEXT’ 5 WORDS

I LOVE the next 5 WORDS AFTER THAT –(READ v6)—ONE SMALL ACT of OBEDIENCE RESULTED ONE LARGE CATCH of FISH! The SMALLEST of things can have the BIGGEST IMPACT.

ILLUSTRATION

In 1960, an MIT weather man named Edward Lorenz discovered that sometimes the “SMALLEST” change has the “BIGGEST EFFECT”. He was trying to develop a computer program that could SIMULATE and FORECAST weather conditions. One day, like a lot of us, he was BUSY and in a HURRY! He was supposed to put in a NUMBER into His computer PROGRAM…it was a NUMBER he used in an earlier TRIAL. Instead of putting in .506127, he rounded to the nearest thousandth and put in .506. Rounding to the nearest thousandth…no big deal right? Well, he left his lab for a while. When he came back, he found a RADICAL CHANGE in the weather conditions. He estimated that the difference between the ORIGINAL NUMBER and the ROUNDED NUMBER was equal to a “PUFF” of wind created by a BUTTERFLY’S WING. He concluded that a MINOR EVENT like the FLAPPING a BUTTERFLY’S WING, FOR EXAMPLE, in New York, could cause a high wind storm in Mississippi. This is known as the “BUTTERFLY” EFFECT.

EXPLANATION

SIMON’S “BUTTERFLY EFFECT” was found in 5 words, “BUT BECAUSE YOU SAY SO”…he went from being a “SHALLOW” CHRISTIAN to being a “DEEP” CHRISTIAN…he went from CATCHING “MINNOWS” and “TILAPIA” to CATCHING “MEN”—(READ v10b)--. In the BOOK of ACTS (chapter 2), he PREACHED a SERMON AND about 3000 people were BAPTIZED and RECEIVED JESUS CHRIST as their LORD and SAVIOR! The BEGINNING of that SERMON really began with those 5 WORDS that day in LUKE 5, “But because you say so.” Those 5 words were his “BUTTERFLY EFFECT.” They ALTERED the COURSE of his life and the life of 3000 others! Think of what ONE SMALL PRAYER could do for your life or someone else’s life. Think how it could “alter” the course of your life or someone else’s!

APPLICATION

Is there ONE SMALL thing YOU and I need to do tonight or this weekend to alter the course of our life with Jesus? One small ACT of OBEDIENCE that can take us from being “TAUGHT” by JESUS to being “CAUGHT” by Him? What is yours? Is it a PRAYER? Is it daily Bible reading? Is it HITTING the “X” button on the computer site you should not be looking at? Is it FORGIVING someone? Maybe it’s CONFESSING JESUS CHRIST as YOUR LORD and SAVIOR for the FIRST TIME and letting HIM “CATCH YOU”!

CONCLUSION

A. CONFESS as LORD

That’s what SIMON did…he “CONFESSED” JESUS as “LORD” when he saw the INCREDIBLE “CATCH” of FISH…everything that was “DEEP” withIN SIMON…all his feelings about himself…all his feelings about Jesus…ALL CAME to the “SURFACE” AND this is what happened—(READ v8)—

B. UNDERSTAND as LORD

Simon may not have completely understood that Jesus was LORD of the earth at this moment in time, but he knew that he was in the PRESENCE of HOLINESS…in the PRESENCE of GREATNESS…and he said, “Go away from me Lord; I am a sinful man.” This verse is NOT SO MUCH about the SINFULNESS of SIMON as it is about the HOLINESS of JESUS CHRIST! I think sometimes we UNDERESTIMATE just how “HOLY” and “AMAZING” Jesus is. SIMON REALIZED IT! All of sudden the “MURKY WATERS of LIFE” became “CLEAR”…he saw himself and Jesus in TRUE LIGHT and although he “ASKED” Jesus to “GO AWAY” from him JESUS DID NOT “GO AWAY”…*(I LOVE THAT about the SON of GOD)*! He didn’t “GO AWAY”…He INVITED SIMON into the “DEEPEST” ADVENTURE LIFE has to OFFER …that’s where I end and Sallie will begin tomorrow night.

RESPONSE

Before we close though, I want to ask the QUESTION:

1. “HAVE you been TAUGHT more about GOD than you have been “CAUGHT” by GOD? Think about where YOU WOULD SIT if you were IN THIS STORY TONIGHT…THIS RELATIONSHIP NARRATIVE---

2. Would you have “STAYED” on the SHORE or would you “GO to the DEEP” with JESUS?

3. This MAY seem a bit STRANGE to some of you…IT MAY NOT…some of you may PRAY like this at HOME by YOUR BED…SIMON PETER got on HIS KNEES before JESUS and ASKED HIM TO “GO AWAY”. I want us ALL to GET ON OUR KNEES BEFORE JESUS TONIGHT and “ASK” Him a couple of QUESTIONS…we’ll ALL to do it so NO ONE STANDS out…I WANT US TO GET ON OUR KNEES and PRAY at LEAST 2 PRAYERS: (Let’s get on our knees, close our eyes…Taylor and the Band will play background music for us…

(A) THE FIRST PRAYER: You maybe here TONIGHT and you are NOT A CHRISTIAN…but for SOME REASON, TONIGHT, you may “FEEL” like CHRIST HAS WRAPPED HIS ARMS around You “LIKE A NET” and “CAUGHT” YOU---you can’t EXPLAIN the FEELING in your STOMACH…you’ve GOT CHILLS---if you FEEL like that I want you to pray these WORDS SILENTLY AFTER ME:

“JESUS CHRIST, MASTER and LORD, I CONFESS YOU as LORD and SAVIOR of my LIFE. PLEASE FORGIVE me of my SINS. YOU HAVE GIVEN ME YOUR LIFE…NOW YOU HAVE MINE…TAKE ME DEEPER with YOU, in JESUS NAME, AMEN!”

(B) The SECOND PRAYER is for ANY of YOU who want to be “CAUGHT” by JESUS…you WANT to go “DEEPER” with HIM and STOP LIVING “SHALLOW” CHRISTIANITY…or even if YOU are a “DEEP” CHRISTIAN, you can always go “DEEPER”…this PRAYER is for YOU TOO…PLEASE PRAY this PRAYER SILENTLY AFTER ME if you wish:

“LORD CHRIST, YOU HOLD all the ANSWERS to LIFE even when I think I am the one who knows best. Please forgive me for NOT TRUSTING YOU. I’M READY. PLEASE take me “DEEPER” with you this weekend and for the rest of my life. May I be CAUGHT UP “in” YOU and may I CATCH OTHERS “for” you. In JESUS NAME, AMEN!

Time To Invest:Nothing To Lose, Everything To Gain

In part one of the series, Close To Comfort, Far From God? we talked about how playing it safe and not risking can actually make you feel as though God is far away from you. The truth is, by playing it safe, you are not activating your faith, so in reality, it could be you that is distancing yourself from God.

You must take risks and start setting goals, God-Sized goals that will only become fruitful by God's Intervention. That will activate your faith. These type of goals will draw you near to God, and I promise, God will draw near to you (James 4.8). In a nutshell, like Christian talks about, we have to stop hiding...see "Where Are You" and "Where Are You, Part II"...It's time to risk and make an investment in life that will leave a legacy for those we care about...

Time To Invest

Matthew 25.14-30 tells us the story about Investment. A man going off on a trip calls over his three servants, gives each one a sum of money according to their abilities.

Servant A gets 5 thousand dollars; Servant B gets 2 thousand dollars; Servant C gets 1 thousand dollars. Servants A & B, the ones with the most money, went off and worked and invested it, doubling their master's money. Servant C, the one with the least amount went off and hid the money.

The Risk Takers
The servants who had the most to lose because they had the most money took a risk. They knew an important law: The Law of Perspective. You see they had the most to lose, but instead, they also knew they had the most to gain. They risked and they doubled their money! Listen to what the master says to them upon his return home...

'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!'
Matthew 25.21-23 NIV

You see, if God can trust us with a few things, He will put us in charge of many things. God wants you to share in His happiness! What areas are you playing it safe in right now? Where could you risk an investment that will open up God's trust in you in order to put you in charge of many things?

The Safe Player

The servant with 1 thousand dollars did not understand the Law of Perspective. Instead of focusing on what he could gain, he worried about what he could lose. He played not to lose instead of playing to win....listen to his pathetic statement to his master...

"The servant given one thousand said, 'Master, I know you have high standards and hate careless ways, that you demand the best and make no allowances for error. I was afraid I might disappoint you, so I found a good hiding place and secured your money. Here it is, safe and sound down to the last cent.'
Matthew 25.24-25 MSG

Three Words Can Define You
Afraid...Hiding...Safe....These three words define this servant who received the 1 thousand dollars. He was not willing to risk and invest because he was afraid... Being afraid made him want to hide... He hid the money because he wanted to play it safe.

Like Christian said in his aforementioned post, Adam and Eve were afraid so they hid. Are you hiding from God? Are you hiding from your family? Your Co-Workers? Your responsibilities as a spouse, a parent, a teammate? Are you hiding in security and comfort when you know you should download that application, make that appointment, write that letter. Maybe you should ask them out or perhaps end the relationship. Maybe you should send you resume or give your two-weeks notice. What about signing up for the Mission Trip coming up or volunteering this weekend? I don't know what risk you need to take, but I do know this: I have never been farther from God than when I am playing it safe and I have never been closer to God than when I am living dangerously faithful!

The Response

"The master was furious. 'That's a terrible way to live! It's criminal to live cautiously like that! If you knew I was after the best, why did you do less than the least? The least you could have done would have been to invest the sum with the bankers, where at least I would have gotten a little interest."

"'Take the thousand and give it to the one who risked the most. And get rid of this "play-it-safe" who won't go out on a limb. Throw him out into utter darkness.'

Matthew 25.26-30 MSG

I don't think I need to comment much after that type of response. You get the point. But the interesting connection The Holy Spirit led me to was this similiar yet not as explanatory response that God had with Moses when God gave him the calling to save the Israelites from the Egyptians...

God was telling Moses over and over again that He would be with him and tell him what to do and what to say. Moses was afraid and wanted to hide, he wanted to play it safe. So Moses kept coming up with excuses...take a look at this and let it sink in...

He [Moses] said, "Oh, Master, please! Send somebody else!" God got angry with Moses.
Exodus 4.13-17 MSG, with emphasis

Now as mentioned, this is not as detailed a response as the master gave to his servant, but fill your name in the blank: "God got angry with_____." That is not something I want written about me. God got angry with Moses because God CHOSE Moses but Moses was afraid and was not willing to trust. Here's the thing. Moses finally went into "Beast Mode" and took a risk...He invested his life to answer the call of God...you can read about the 7 C's of Character study on Moses here, Do You See It? Part III and the blog on Exodus 3 & 4 here: "What's Next" Part III.

Full And Complete Lives
What it all comes down to is this: God wants you to live a full and complete life. The enemy is trying to bring you down. Get competitive with the loser. God has already defeated him for us, so our job is actually easy when you think about it. I will let Scripture speak for itself, but make a promise to God and to yourself that you will meditate on these three Scriptures and go live a full and complete life!

I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

(John 10.10 NIV, with emphasis)

But you—you serve your God and he'll bless your food and your water. I'll get rid of the sickness among you; there won't be any miscarriages nor barren women in your land. I'll make sure you live full and complete lives.
(Exodus 23.25-26 MSG, with emphasis)

When you come to him, that fullness comes together for you, too.

His power extends over everything.
(Colossians 2.9-10 MSG with emphasis)

And I ask him that with both feet planted firmly on love, you'll be able to take in with all followers of Jesus the extravagant dimensions of Christ's love. Reach out and experience the breadth! Test its length! Plumb the depths! Rise to the heights! Live full lives,

full in the fullness of God.

(Ephesians 3.14-19 MSG, with emphasis)

Sin Of Omission
In his awesome book, In A Pit With A Lion On A Snowy Day, Mark Batterson talks about the Sin Of Comission and the Sin Of Omission...

Sin Of Comission: Regretting what you did

Sin Of Omission: Regretting what you did not do that you should have done

If you are Afraid, want to hide, and play it safe, then you will never risk, you will never invest your life and you will regret it for eternity. Meditate on the Law of Perspective and instead of thinking about what you might lose, Meditate on all that you could gain. Not only for yourself, but for your family, your community, and the world-at-large. It's the domino effect...What you do will not only impact history but will impact eternity. To paraphrase from the famous line in Mel Gibson's BraveHeart: "What you do in the present will be echoed forever in Eternity!"

I will close with a quote by German author Johann Wolfang von Goethe, whom I learned from in Mark's book that sums up how our greatest regrets will be the God-Ordained risks we didn't take...

"Hell begins the day God grants you the vision to see all that you could have done, should have done, and would have done, but did not do."

Close To Comfort, Far From God?

Have you ever noticed how God always works "themes" into our lives? What a cool way to speak and dialog with God! He is doing it right now with me. I have asked God 2 questions lately.

1. Question of Anticipation: "What's Next?"
2. Question of Internalization: "What work do you want to do within me in order to do a work around me so that you can work through me so that I can live for you?"

The "themes" God has been showing me through these questions are "Risk-Taking" and "Quit Hiding." Kind of cool how both of these go hand in hand; If you take risks then you can't hide!

So once again, Prayers are intense and books keep popping up, blogs keep getting posted and guess what?... they are all about risking and getting out of your comfort zone. So I must respond to Christians latest 2 blog entries, Where are you? Where are you? Part II, which hit this "theme" in my life on the bullseye!!! Believe me, you want to read them so that you will Grab the Fruit from the trees God is giving you instead of hiding behind those trees!

CLOSE TO COMFORT, FAR FROM GOD?
Do you feel like God is far from you? Do you feel that maybe it is God who is the one hiding and not you? Let me offer you a suggestion...Take A Risk!

From my own life, whenever I have been living in the comfort zone, hiding away in my nice and cozy little niche, I have noticed that I have been far from God. Temptations are overpowering, disobedience and lack of discipline become the norm, and the excitement of life is no more than living the status quo. It may feel as though God is far from me, but the truth is, I am far from God because I am too close to comfort...

So how can you feel so close to God that your life goes from living at a snails pace to sprinting like a rabbit? The answer is simple yet challenging, easy yet dangerous, scary yet exciting...You need to take a risk or set some goals that are so freakin' BIG that there is no way they will be accomplished unless God intervenes!!!

I promise you this, if you will leave comfort behind and do something that is BIGGER than you, you will draw so close to God, He will draw so close to you, that the "light bulb" will come on and you will wonder what took you so long. Like Christian says, God is waiting for you to "EAT UP" all of life that He has in store for you, so quit hiding behind the trees and start stepping out on a limb, that is where all the fruit is!

NOTHING TO LOSE, EVERYTHING TO GAIN
To stay brief, let me just say this: Jesus has already won the victory for us, we have nothing to lose and yet everything to gain! We have to recondition our minds away from fear and towards faith...away from self-limitation and towards Christ-like imitation. We must go from a life of comfort to one of reckless abandon...

*We need to meditate & Focus on Blessings instead of zoning in on doubt and worry
*We need to quit listening to culture and their limits they impose on others
*We need to start listening to God and seeking Him through Prayer and Scripture Study.

NO SUBSTITUTES
Here is the thing...God wants you...He does not want a substitute. When David went to fight Goliath, Saul gave David his armor to wear...it did not fit!!! So David threw it aside, telling himself that it is God who has called me to take down this giant for my people, I will fight my way...the rest is history, David went out, gathered his stones, put them in his sling, slung it, down goes Goliath. Jesus did the same thing with our sin and evil. He answered God's call....no substitutes!!!

HIDE AND GO SEEK
You remember the famous game, "Hide and Go Seek." Listen, I am a seeker...I don't want to be the one hiding...

David did not hide. Jesus was exposed on the cross. Noah built in Ark when it was not raining. Peter got out of the boat with all the other disciples watching. Benaiah took down a lion in a pit on a snowy day while every one else was sipping hot chocolate in their safe little cozy rooms...Saul stayed under the tree while Jonathan got up and took action...

What about you? Will you come out from behind your tree? If you want to draw close to God and experience His power in your life then stop hiding and start risking. It's time time to be fruitful.

TIME TO INVEST
I want to talk some more about Nothing To Lose, Everything To Gain and how God will Bless us with much if He can trust us with a little....so sync in to the next post and get ready to "Invest" your life in Risk-Taking ways! Harooh!

Where are you? Part II

Here is part II to "Where are you"? series. See part I here: Where are you?

The first place most of us find ourselves "hiding" is the first "hiding" place recorded in Scripture. Genesis 3:8-10 (NLT) says:

⁸ When the cool evening breezes were blowing, the man^* and his wife heard the Lord God walking about in the garden. So they hid from the Lord God among the trees. ⁹ Then the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?”

¹⁰ He replied, “I heard you walking in the garden, so I hid. I was afraid because I was naked.”

HIDING BEHIND “TREES"
There’s A LOT of PEOPLE “HIDING” TODAY. Some are HIDING BEHIND “TREES”…they “LURK” behind them everyday, wondering if someone else “might” know about their SIN. They have “HIDDEN” SINS…very “DARK” and “SECRET” SINS … they are AFRAID to let their PARENTS know about…even their own D-GROUPS/FRIENDS…they HOPE, somehow, that GOD does NOT know about them either...If someone found out, it would be EMBARRASSING and AWFUL…they “HIDE” in “SHAME” and in “FEAR” everyday instead of the “FREEDOM” and “JOY” God offers.

FREEDOM to EAT from 'TREES"
In GENESIS 2:16, GOD told ADAM – ¹⁶ But the Lord God warned him, “You may freely eat the fruit of every tree in the garden— ¹⁷ except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. If you eat its fruit, you are sure to die.”

ADAM and EVE had “FREEDOM” to EAT from “EVERY” TREE (except for the tree of the knowledge of good and evil), but because of their SIN, they found themselves, not “EATING” from the TREES, but “HIDING BEHIND” them. How many of us are like that? God has "freely" given us so much...straight from His life...and we find ourselves "hiding" instead of "eating".

BEAUTIFUL TREE; UGLY HIDING PLACE
I imagine the tree they found themselves "hiding" behind was beautiful. After all, it was in the garden! So many of us "hide" behind "beautiful" trees. We metro-gel our hair up, put on our make-up, tuck our shirts in, iron our pants, make sure our shoes match...answer, "Fine" to the question "how are you doing?" when we are not really "fine". Sometimes, we find ourselves trying to go to bed at night, but we can't because of the thoughts and worries dominating our minds. Some of us are not "fine".

SHARP or SHREDDED?
Some of us put on a great "outer" appearance...just like the beautiful tree Adam and Eve found themselves "hiding" behind. Picture a guy in a tailor made dress shirt...looking "sharp". ZZ Top says, "Every girl goes crazy over a sharp dressed man!"...anyway...underneath his dress shirt is an "undershirt"...it is completely "shredded"..."torn" up..."ripped" up...with a bunch of holes. On the "outside" he looks good...on the "inside" he is "torn-up".

WHAT IS IT FOR YOU?
Are you "sharp" or "shredded"? Is there a sin you are torn up by...you want to stop...you commit to God that you will...you repent...then you do it again...repent...do it again...repent...do it again...cycle sound familiar? You and I need to confess it to God and maybe even to others. If you have ever seen the TV series, "House, M.D.", you know that once the patient finally tells House the truth, the patient is healed! House's famous line is "everyone lies." We lie to God, to others, and to ourselves about our sins...

Maybe you are "hiding" behind a worry...you go to church, Sunday school, small group...on the outside you look like a "God-truster"...people really think you are...you can't let them down and allow them to know that you have some serious doubts, so you "hide" behind the beautiful tree while your insides are getting uglier and uglier with sin. You're naked...you're afraid...so you're "hiding".

PEOPLE who “HIDE” behind TREES are those who HAVE SO MUCH LIFE and FRUIT in CHRIST RIGHT in FRONT of them, “WAITING” to be GRABBED; “WAITING” to be GOBBLED UP; if only they would “REACH” out to the HAND of GOD “WAITING” to PULL THEM ***OUT*** of their “HIDING” place and ***INTO*** His very life.

(Inserted from Brad's amazing post that ripped my face off: Close To Comfort, Far From God
"so quit hiding behind the trees and start stepping out on a limb, that is where all the fruit is!"

HIDE AND GO SEEK (Inserted from Brad's amazing post that ripped my face off:): Close To Comfort, Far From God?

You remember the famous game, "Hide and Go Seek." Listen, I am a seeker...I don't want to be the one hiding...

David did not hide. Jesus was exposed on the cross. Noah built in Ark when it was not raining. Peter got out of the boat with all the other disciples watching. Benaiah took down a lion in a pit on a snowy day while every one else was sipping hot chocolate in their safe little cozy rooms...Saul stayed under the tree while Jonathan got up and took action...

What about you? Will you come out from behind your tree? If you want to draw close to God and experience His power in your life then stop hiding and start risking. It's time time to be fruitful.

HIDING PRAYER
Maybe you do not who to talk to or how to talk about it...reach out to Jesus first and let Him pull you out. Simply say, "Jesus, I am tired of hiding in life...I am ready to eat and gobble up the abundant life you are freely offering me...pull me out from behind the tree. I trust You. I am ready to walk with You in the cool breeze of the garden again! Thank you for Your patience; Your mercy; Your love; Your grace...In Your Garden I walk...in Your Name I pray-JESUS! AMEN!

2nd "hiding" place will be posted soon!

Do You See It? Part III

The Character: Moses

The Context: Exodus 3 & 4

The Calling: "I'm sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people, the People of Israel, out of Egypt." (Exodus 3.10)

The Conversation: These are the excuses Moses brings to God...
1. But Why Me? (Exodus 3.11)
*Moses feels insecure, unqualified, & thinks God picked the wrong leader
2. Who Are You? (Exodus 3.13)
* Moses felt he did not know God well enough in order to tell the people of Israel about Him
3. They won't trust me, they won't listen to me (Exodus 4.1)
* Moses was focusing on the people instead of focusing on God
4. I don't speak well (Exodus 4.10)
* Moses focused on his weaknesses instead of magnifying God's power
5. "Oh, Master, please! Send somebody else!" (Exodus 4.13)
* Moses feels inferior in comparison to others and thinks he does not have what it takes

The Confirmation: Take a look at how God counters the excuses of Moses
1. "I'll be with you," God said. (Exodus 3.12)
* God is telling Moses, "Hey, I chose you. Don't worrying about your weaknesses. You are
strong in me. Stop worrying and start Worshiping!"
2. "I-AM-WHO-I-AM." (Exodus 3.14)
* God is always present and He is every thing and all that we need!
3. "Believe me, they will listen to you." (Exodus 3.18, 4.2-9)
* God is saying, "Moses, I AM WITH, I Promise, they will hear you!
4. "And who do you think made your mouth." (Exodus 4.11-12)
* God is saying, "Moses, I am The Carpenter Of Creation, If I am Calling you I will equip you!"
Oh, and by the way, God reaffirms Moses again that He will be with Moses AND teach him
what to say!!!
5. I am sending you a fellow warrior! (Paraphrased from Exodus 4.14)
* God hears the plea of Moses about not being able to talk, so God calls up his fellow warrior, his brother Aaron who is good with words and speaks very well.
* But God still tells Moses that Aaron may do the speaking, but God is not letting Moses off the hook, it will still be Moses who decides what comes out of Aaron's mouth!
* Oh yea, by the way, God again tells Moses that He will be with Moses and Aaron as they
speak, teaching them step by step!!!
* A little motivation for you: God got angry at Moses when Moses came up with his 5th excuse (see above). Take a look at the beginning of Exodus 4.14 (NIV)...

Then the LORD's anger burned against Moses

Fellow Spartan, My goal is to please God, (Numbers 14.8-9) not to make Him angry. So if He is calling you, take advantage of it, because He wants to take you into the Promise Land as you lead His people there with you!!!

The Culmination: The Resume Of Moses

• Egyptian education; desert training
• Greatest Jewish Leader; Set the exodus in motion
• Moses leads his people from slavery as God Splits The Red Sea!
  
• Prepares the Jews to enter The Promise Land (The Land of Canaan)
  
• Prophet and lawgiver; Recorder of The Ten Commandments
• Author of the Pentateuch
• Unleashed the Ten Plagues against Egypt

The Celebration
Go and Pray through The Song Of Moses in Exodus 15! It's a great way to celebrate! I love how Moses and the children of Israel sang this song to The Lord in response of their great victory of God leading them through The Red Sea!

~ Other Notes and Lessons from the life of Moses include the following ~

Weaknesses and Mistakes

• Failed to enter the promised land because of disobedience to God
• Did not always recognize and use the talents of others

Lessons from his life

• God prepares, then uses. His timetable is LIFE-SIZED!
• God does His greatest work through frail people

Nutshell
God wants to not necessarily change you, but instead He wants to SHAPE you. He may not necessarily give you new abilities or strengths, but will take your characteristics and mold them until they are suited for HIS purposes. He wants to take what He created in the first place and use it for its intended purposes. In other words, He wants to excavate what is DEEP within you and unleash it with reckless abandon!!!

React In A New Way With New Character
When you read and study the life of Moses, you will find He was always reacting. Over the years, God shaped the character of Moses so much, that Moses still reacted, but learned to react correctly! So use what God has given you, but allow Him to shape and mold you in such a way that you use everything He has Blessed you with in the way He has designed you!

Prayer Mode
Go into Prayer, intense deep conversation with God, and instead of asking him, "What should I change into?" ask Him, "How do you want me to use the strengths and the abilities you have blessed me with to do your will?"

Do You See It?
Are you a next generation leader? Will your life be written down as the next "Spartan?" Will you leave a legacy? Are you the Moses in the lives around you? Seek God, answer His Call, and live for His Glory! Harooh!

Do You See It? Part II

Excitement
Here we go! Man I am pumped, a study on The Champions Of The Bible, or in one word, "Spartans!" In Part one of the series, Do You See It? I mentioned how we were going to do this study and how these Spartans received The Calling of God and how they responded. This is going to rock and I Pray that God will use this study to develop you in your life and your calling in the same or even greater manner as He used these "Champions!"

The Power Of ONE
From now on, when you hear God's Call in your life, I want you to no longer say, "I am only one person, what good am I going to do?" Here is why, and it is what this study of The Bible Champs is going to teach us...

When God wanted Seas Split, People Delivered, Ark’s built, Giants Defeated, Lion's Chased, The World Saved,...He called on ONE person!

So Gear up for Day one, because in the next post, the "Spartan" we will study is going to be one of the greatest leaders of all time...Moses!

Do You See It?

I read Jeff's post yesterday on "Whata-GreatDay" and he shared Genesis 16.13 that talks about the GOD-WHO-SEES-US! Awesome post Christian!

My question to you is do you see God? When it comes to finding your purpose in life, you HAVE GOT TO SEE GOD if you want to live out the purpose He has designed for you.

Will you survive and work and play etc without God? Maybe, but it will not be the optimal, risk-taking, full of experiences, world changing, dangerously faithful, recklessly abandoned life that God designed you for.

It's like eating and exercise. You can live off of fast food and be sedentary your whole life. But think about if you ate and exercised the way God intended, your health and life would take on a whole new meaning! You must be disciplined, you must be purposeful, you must be intentional...sound like work! Yep! *Newsflash for you, God designed us this way!

Don't take my word for it, look at Proverbs 6:6

[ A Lesson from the Ant ] You lazy fool, look at an ant. Watch it closely; let it teach you a thing or two. Nobody has to tell it what to do. All summer it stores up food; at harvest it stockpiles provisions. So how long are you going to laze around doing nothing? How long before you get out of bed? A nap here, a nap there, a day off here, a day off there, sit back, take it easy—do you know what comes next? Just this: You can look forward to a dirt-poor life, poverty your permanent houseguest!

You Can't Miss It!
So you may be wondering, how will I know God's Plans? Well if you are seeking Him, (Jer 29.12-14) God will make His Plan known to you so clearly that You Can't Miss It!

Also about seeking God, check out Christian's post, Man...I don't know what I would do without...

The Better Question?
The better question than "How will I know God's Plan?" would be to ask your self "Do I trust God?" Is God bigger than your challenges, your fear, your insecurity? One of the biggest questions you will ever ask your self is "How BIG is my God?" A quick assessment of that question is easily answered by how you are living your life...take inventory of your life right now...How BIG is He in your life? Are you taking risks, are you chasing your lions, are you stepping out of you boat and walking on water towards Jesus?

Join in the conversation for part II of this series to find out if we can argue with God once He has revealed His plans to us and for an Amazing list of the people He has used and their response to His calling in their lives!

Lion Chaser Inspiration

"Lion Chasers are risk takers. They have learned that playing it safe is risky." (Pg 104)

"The genealogy of blessing always traces back to God-ordained risks." (Pg 104)

"[God], What do you want to do with my life?" (Pg 105)

"Good is often the enemy of great." (Pg 106)

Lion Chasers: "The fear of missing out is greater than the fear of messing up." (Pg 108)

"Righteousness is using our God-given gifts to their God-given potential." (Pg 109)

* The above quotes are excerpts from Mark Batterson's Book:

"In A Pit With A Lion On A Snowy Day."

"What's Next" Part III

Here are some bullet points from what we learned in part I of this series:

• God tells Moses that He is sending Moses to free his people out of Egypt (Exodus 3.9-10)
• Moses keeps saying essentially, "What If...," "But why me?" (Exodus 3.11, 13; 4.1, 10)

Contrasts
So here are some contrasts and some things I want you to meditate on in order to recalibrate your mindset to become a "Moses" in the lives of those around you, in essence, to answer The Calling of God in your life!"

• Moses says "But why me?" God says "I-AM-WHO-I-AM." (Ex 3.14)
• Moses says, and I paraphrase, "What makes you think I can go and deliver your people?" God says, "I'll be with you." (see vs 3.12,18, 4.11-12,14-17

Now Be On Your Way
God sends you, says He is going to be with you. Once you know this, you must "Be on your way." It race time, time to enter into "Race Mode!" So when you ask God, "What's Next?" instead of "What If?" He will show you and then say "Now be on your way!"

Reassurance
Every time Moses objects to God and says, "What If," God continues to reassure Moses.
(see vs 3.12,18, 4.11-12,14-17)

Is God Angry?
After all the times God tells Moses that He is with him and will be right next to him teaching him what to say, Moses still pleads with God. Look at verse 4.13...

He said, "Oh, Master, please! Send somebody else!"

God's response: God got angry with Moses. Friends, God wants YOU! Don't belittle God thinking that He has made the wrong choice in choosing you. Don't allow God to be angry with you...

God Chooses YOU!
Here is the point I want to make sure we all do not miss: GOD CHOOSES YOU!!!

Exodus 3.9-10 has The Words of God Almighty saying to Moses, "I'm sending YOU to Pharaoh to bring my people, the people of Israel, out of Egypt?"

Has God spoken that to you? Has He said, "I am sending you, (your name here)!!!

Have confidence in this and go "Chase Your Lions" because when God chooses us, He always follows it with, "I will be with you"...

God always provides
God chooses Aaron. Aaron was the brother of Moses whom God tells us speaks very well. (4.14-17). Even with Aaron being a good speaker, God still tells them that He will be right there with them as they speak, teaching them step by step.

So who is God sending or using in your life to accomplish His mission? I can almost say with 100% certainty that if God is calling you to do something, then you already know the answer to this question. It could be a family member, a teacher, a mentor, a colleague. It could even be someone you have never met, but one email to this person can start the "snowball" effect that will get the process rolling! If you don't know the answer quite yet, have patience my friend, because God will show you in due time, so Pray with Expectation!!! (Ps 5.3 NIV)

God Doing His Work Through You. Be Prepared!
God said to Moses, "When you get back to Egypt, be prepared: All the wonders that I will do through you, you'll do before Pharaoh. (Exodus 4.21-23 MSG).

Allow God to work through you. Always be Prepared for How He wants to use you (Ps 105.1-6 MSG)

Domino Effect
IN his book, "In A Pit With A Lion On A Snowy Day," Mark Batterson talks about taking risks and how every decision we make and every risk we are willing to take creates a "domino effect." By answering God's call in your life and asking Him, "What's Next?" instead of "What If?" you will push over that first domino that will impact the lives of generations to come! As Mark says, "You could not only change the course of history, but you could change the course of Eternity!"

What's Next?

Extreme Generosity!

Dinno Rizzo, http://www.dinorizzo.com/, talked a few weeks back on "One Prayer" about Extreme Generosity. His "One Prayer" for the church is, "Lord, make us Extremely Generous!"

I love how he talked about the power of two words coming together. Instead of saying, "Lord, make us Generous," he added the word "Extremely" to describe how generous we should be...

A few other illustrations he talked about when two words come together are....

Hot Donuts, Half-Price, Bold Love, High Grace, Fast Cars...

God Shaped Life
I want to share with you three verses from Proverbs 11 (A God Shaped Life) that talk about the importance of being Extremely Generous...

23 The desires of good people lead straight to the best,
but wicked ambition ends in angry frustration.

24 The world of the generous gets larger and larger;
the world of the stingy gets smaller and smaller.

25 The one who blesses others is abundantly blessed;
those who help others are helped.

Desire the good, be generous, bless others. When tempted to criticize; praise or compliment. When tempted to gossip; Worship. When tempted to turn your back; extend your hand instead. Be Extremely Generous and watch the world grow around you!

Seize Your Divine Moments*

In Erwin McManus' book, "Chasing Daylight," he talks about what he calls the "Jonathan Factor."

Israel was at war with the Philistines (1 Samuel 13/14) and we find a contrast between two characters, Saul and Jonathan. The battle looks hopeless, so Saul rests beneath a tree and ends up living a life of apathy and missed opportunity... Jonathan, on the other hand, seizes his divine moment, and impacts the future of Israel!

Jonathan goes on to living a life of purpose and adventure.

Saul or Jonathan...which one are you?

Don't sit under the tree...Go seize your divine moments today and live with purpose and adventure!

*Blog title credited to Erwin McManus, "Chasing Daylight: Seizing Your Divine Moments."

"And Then Some"

From "One Prayer" series created by LifeChurch.tv...

This weeks Prayer, given by Jentezen Franklin, Senior Pastor of Free Chapel: "Lord Make Us Passionate"

The 'hook' of the message is to be an "And then some" person; to go above and beyond the call of duty. Like the popular phrase, "You are all that and a bag of chips!"

Key Verse: Ecclesiastes 9:10 says, "Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might, for in the grave, where you are going, there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom" (Emphasis added).

Thoughts
As followers of Jesus Christ, we are called to be different. To shine on a hill and to be generous by opening up our lives to others so others can open their lives up to God. (Matthew 5:13-15)

Do people see you differently? Do you stand out from the norm? Are you shining on the hill God has put you on in order to make His name famous? If God can trust you with a few things, He will grant you with abundance! (Luke 16:10) ...Mark Batterson, www.evotional.com says it like this...

"If you are faithful in one place God will often bless you in another place. Or simply put: faithful here = blessing there!

Allow Christ to shape your character because as a Christ Follower, we don't just follow the job description or do what is expected...we are "And then some" followers of Christ, We have a High Calling in Christ...

I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 3:14 (King James Version) , emphasis added.

What are the small things you can do in your high calling? How can you be an "And then some" person in the place God has you? Can people see your good deeds and Praise Your Father In Heaven? (Matthew 5:16)

Jesus, The "And Then Some" Savior
Hey, Hey, listen to this....Jesus is an "And Then Some" Savior. You talk about going the extra mile for you and for me! Wow! Our Brother and Friend was falsely accused, ridiculed, beaten to the point of being unrecognizable, then He carried a tree on His back as He walked up the hill to Golgotha...Any one who has every done squats immediately after lunges can appreciate this, and Jesus had already been brutally tortured...He was then Nailed, Crucified to a Cross...I think that qualifies, but if that is not enough, He went much farther...Jesus was Raised from The Dead and now lives at The Right Hand of God The Father Almighty interceding for you and for me! Whoo! Harooh Spartan Style! That is going the extra mile! Praise God! Amen!

"And Then Some" + Your "Highlight Reel"
In the previous blog, Highlight Reel & Master Card Moments, I talked about adding "MasterCard Moments" to your "High Light Reel." Being an "And then some" Follower of Jesus Christ today is a great way to spark some highlights! Go be an "And Then Some" Champion the way Jesus is an "And Then Some" Champion for you! Harooh!

Highlight Reel & Master Card Moments

Football season is right around the corner, and man, do I love watching ESPN's College Football Game Day! I love it so much because they show Highlights of all the amazing plays and intense action! But the reality is, that during any one game, their is also strategy, responsibility of each individual coming together as a team, and a process that comes together to create the BIG plays....

It's the same way with life. We live life in a process of learning and creating. We all get caught up in the responsibilities of life, and that is ok, in fact, it is great. Responsibilities can shape us and set up a foundation for improving our character. But what about dreams and excitment? What about creating a Highlight Reel for our lives?

Here is what you need to do...

Activate Your Faith
Do something that activates your Faith. Go on a Mission trip, hang out with kids at a Children's Hospital, start exercising, create a new project, feed the hungry, go play checkers with the elderly at a retirement home, write a book, sponsor a child, learn to play an instrument, take up a foreign language, chase a lion....the point is to do something that is bigger than your self that causes you to lean on God and to trust Him more that ever....

From Mark Batterson's "Lion Chaser Manifesto," you need to set a goal that is destined to fail with out God's Intervention...that my friends will activate your faith!

Ephesians 5 tells us to "Wake Up From Our Sleep." Verses 5.8-10 from The MSG paraphrase says it like this...

You groped your way through that murk once, but no longer. You're out in the open now. The bright light of Christ makes your way plain. So no more stumbling around. Get on with it! The good, the right, the true—these are the actions appropriate for daylight hours. Figure out what will please Christ, and then do it.

Bored? Or Are You Boring?

Erwin McManus has a 'philosophical' statement:

"There is no such thing as boredom, only boring people."

That is a challenging statement to us all. It's very true though because life is what we make of it. If you say, "I am bored," well that is frankly no one's fault but your own. You have created that boredom. It's time for you to go create something to add to your "Highlight Reel!"

MasterCard Moments
We have all seen the commercials, no need to go into detail, but what I love about them is that they are moments of Highlights. We went on a Mission trip to Peru in 2006, and Christian used this idea for our motivation to serve during the week. He made it a point for us to focus on creating and looking for "MasterCard Moments." We even made personalized 'credit cards' for everyone so that this idea would enter in to their Reticular Activating System in order to creat a mental category for these moments! It was so awesome to gather back together at night and listen to everyone give their "MasterCard Moments" from the day!

The Plan
I want you to create what is known in the athletic world as Micro and Macro Cycles. A Micro Cycle is a day, a week, a month etc that makes up a Macro Cycle, which can be monthly, quarterly, or half a year, a year, etc...Create these cycles and set goals and develop projects, trips, learning, etc to establish your "MasterCard Moments" for your "Highlight Reel."

Start small and build your way up. Set a goal to create a moment once-a-month, then move up to once-a-week, then once-a-day. Review your "Highlight Reel" every week or month depending on your goals and Celebrate! You could even "Tithe" your time. Tithe one Sunday a month to go volunteer or serve! Eventually build up so many moments that your yearly "Highlight Reel" blows you away!

Generosity
Focus your moments on others as well as your self. Personal goals are amazing, but ask yourself how they can be fit into benefiting others. The Book of Proverbs, Chapter 11 has three amazing Scriptures that show us how important Generosity is...

23 The desires of good people lead straight to the best,
but wicked ambition ends in angry frustration.

24 The world of the generous gets larger and larger;
the world of the stingy gets smaller and smaller.

25 The one who blesses others is abundantly blessed;
those who help others are helped.

So live it up today! Please post your "Highlights" and "MasterCard" moments as a comment to this blog, we would love to hear about them!

I will close with the ending Scripture from Ephesians 5.11-16...

Make the most of every chance you get.