Day 91 - Delivering Truth

"From the Word: Paul warned the centurion of the hardship ahead. His warning wasn't received for many reasons. He was not trusted as an apostle by the centurion, the owner of the ship and the helmsman advised otherwise, the majority had something other to say, and where they were wasn't suitable. All odds were stacked against Paul but he turned out to be right."

Much of what a Christian says will not be received by people in the world because they are looking for credibility. It wasn't until Paul's words were proven true that he now had the platform to be heard. After the storm we see how Paul's influence increased when he tell the captain not to let the men get away in the smaller vessels because all will be lost unless they stay. The captain takes Paul's advice this time. 

I see in this passage and thought that we can learn a lesson in dealing with people and delivering the truth to them.  

If we are going to tell people the truth of God's word we must first tell them in love. If we don't tell them they won't ever know. Yes, they will not listen...at first. But later because you had told them the truth they will come back when they realize you were right. If we don't tell them in love then they will hear the truth but despise us and won't come back for another beating. Love never fails. 

Also if we are going to tell people the truth we must do it in a spirit of humility. We must be totally dependent on the Holy Spirit to speak through us. We must also speak in a gentle and meek spirit and not a proud or arrogant spirit. One is received, the other is rejected. It is all about approach. When you rely on the power of God then seeds will be sown into fertile ground. But when you rely on your own wisdom your words will bounce off their hearts like the seed on the wayside. This is where the devil comes and wreaks havoc with the mind and places thoughts of bitterness and scorn for the truth you were trying to give. 

Finally, when we deliver the truth faithfully we need to be ready to receive the people we are speaking to when they come back to us. They will come around and realize what you said was right. When they do and fresh problems arise they know who to go to...you! Be ready with open arms. An "I told you so" attitude will make them think twice about why they came back. Receive them and encourage them. Continue to bear with them in their journey towards what you already know and have. 

How have you delivered truth to people you come in contact with? What other ways can we deliver truth so that it is received rather than rejected? 

Day 90 - The Unseen Character

"The last part of 2 Samuel 11:27 says “But the thing that David had done displeased The Lord.” For the whole narrative of David and Bathsheba we see all of the earthly characters of the story involved; David, Bathsheba, Uriah, Joab, servants. All the while we are down in to the drama unfolding. Lust, adultery, lies, betrayal, murder, and a cover up. It is like most Hollywood movies today. But here at the end there is one character we have forgotten as David did. The Lord is watching everything and now weighs in with His judgement. He is not pleased. David's actions are sinful, unjust, and displeasing. The man after God's own heart has gone and sought his own desires. God is not happy about it. Consider my soul, see the Lord's face looking on your life. His eyes watching your actions, His soul knowing the motives of your heart. Am I pleasing to Him? Do I make Him smile or frown? What is the outcome? What will spring up from the seed which I have sown? May my life be pleasing to Him!"

We know this story all too well. As familiar as we are with stories like David and Bathsheba God always has a fresh revelation for us if we will listen. Here in this story God reveals His heart. Sin is not pleasing to Him. 

We can learn positive lessons in negative situations. For instance; if sin is displeasing to the Lord then we can conclude obedience is pleasing. On the other hand we can learn what not to do when we know what to do. If faith is pleasing to God then we learn that anything outside of faith is sin (see Hebrews 11:6 & Romans 14:23b). 

With these lessons we must ask ourselves the tough questions. After reading this thought from last year I looked inside and asked the questions from the end of my journal entry again. I would encourage you to do the same. Take some time and do some heart searching and ask the tough question; am I pleasing to the Lord? 

If your answer is no then it is time to make some changes. Dive into what it means to obey God and have faith. Talk to your pastor or someone you respect as a mature believer who can help you to make the changes you need to. 

If the answer is yes then continue in those things that your are doing that are pleasing and watch out for the pitfalls David and others have fallen in to. 

May it be said of all of us that our lives are pleasing to Him! 

What are some other ways you see in the Bible that are pleasing to God? How can we avoid the pitfalls that will displease God? 

Day 89 - The Quality of Light

"There were a couple of discouraging events this morning though neither overshadowed the day. Thankfully light shines in the dark."

It is the nature of light to shine. It takes on a greater quality in contrast with dark. If we only had good days we wouldn't appreciate the warmth and character of light as we do in adversity. 

One of my favorite passages in the Bible is the first chapter of John. He opens his gospel with a recount of creation from an eternal perspective on the God side of the story. It is like the Genesis of the New Testament. In this passage he describes light and it's quality. One of the qualities is that the darkness could not comprehend or overcome the light. 

No matter how dark it gets we can be sure that the tiniest bit of light will overcome the darkness. Even better than this is that Jesus is the light. If you have him you have the greatest light. In eternity there is no need for the sun and moon in the New Jerusalem for the Lamb will be our light. This same great light is the light that lives in us. We will never walk in darkness. 

What quality do you think of when you think of light? (Warmth, color, contrast, etc.) How can we walk in the light? 

Day 88 - Doing Life Tired

"I finally got back to my bed at 3 am." 

The life of a parent is a tired one. Sleep is a memory. We just do life tired.

I remember arguing with my wife after our second child about who was more tired. We would actually compare how many hours of sleep we got and even a half hour more was reason to win the argument. I don't know how much of a win being more tired was though.

We finally agreed that we wouldn't count what we didn't get and not allow ourselves to argue over silly things like who got more sleep. When we did that it made our days a lot more bearable.

I think we all are guilty at times of allowing hours or needs or numbers to cloud our thinking and drive us to complaining. It is one thing to do life tired. It is quite another to do life tired and complaining.

God has a lot to say about the words of our mouths. We can guide our lives like a ship with a rudder with our tongues. We can also sow good things into our lives with our words. We also have to be careful that we don't speak death or complain about what God has given us as a blessing.

I cherish some of my late night memories of rocking the kids to sleep and yawning on the front row of church after a long night. I wouldn't trade it for a good night's sleep at all.

"How do you do without sleep? What are some ways to watch our tongues and speak the right things?

Day 87 - Why Didn't You Say So?

"Why Didn't You Say So?"

This phrase usually follows me saying so. The times that it doesn't it is usually because it shouldn't be said (whatever 'it' is). Our words can hurt, help and even heal.

I have hurt people with my words before. It always ends up hurting me too. When I intentionally hurt people with my words it hurts me in the end that my heart is in the wrong place. That is where using words to heal is important. Some of the most important words we can ever say are "I am sorry, please forgive me". The same goes for when I unintentionally hurt someone with my words. Even if my intent was pure love covers and apologies help.

I am a preaching pastor so it is my job to use words to help people. My preaching and teaching focus is to help people with their relationship with God and living by what He says in the Bible. God is our best example. He speaks and declares things that aren't as if they were. Jesus spoke encouragement, love, wisdom and life into people. We have that same ability. Let's say so!

How have you helped others with your words? What are some other important words or phrases we should use often?

Day 86 - Running Late

"I got there 15 minutes late and thought everyone would be there laughing that I was late. Much to my surprise I was the first one there all by myself."

I am not a fan of being late. I don't even want to be late for the previews to a movie (until I am sitting through 15 minutes of them). Maybe it is OCD or type A personality or even a pet peeve but I want to be early or on time. 

When I am late I currently have the prime excuse that I have three small children who make me late. I guess I will have to blame my wife when they grow up and move out. 

At home we set all of our clocks a few minutes ahead and we set the cars even further ahead so we will be early. I am not too sure why we set the cars so far ahead because it only makes us run the risk of getting a speeding ticket if we think we are late. For the most part this has worked for us. 

Do you have any tips on being early? How do you feel about being late? 

Day 85 - Leaders Lead

"Leaders have to lead and often that means thinking for others, giving clear direction and then following up to make sure that they do it. Then along the way you have to deal with personalities. It is not easy."

I smile when I read this thought from last year. As a leader this is what I live every day. First, I have to lead myself. I have to know a clear direction and keep after it. I have to be accountable as a leader and also have to know my personality. I have to know when to say when and when to not make a decision because of my own personality conflicts. Leaders aren't perfect. We have to have people in our lives who will tell us the truth and who can tell us things that are hard to hear. My wife is great in this area. 

Once you have yourself in line then you can start getting others to follow. You have to give them clear direction and follow up with them. Don't expect people to read your mind or understand your vision after one conversation. Especially if your vision came from long hours of thought, prayer, study and dreaming. If it took you a long time to get the vision it may take more time for others to get it. 

Then comes the personalities. If you can be tactful and diplomatic when it comes to other people's personalities you can thrive as a leader. Many times conflicts don't come from problems in operation or finance. Most of the time I find that the conflict comes from personalities. Managing personalities takes care and sincere love. People want to know that you are sincere and really care about their problem. 

I finished my thought from last year by saying it is not easy. It really isn't...but it is rewarding. If you can lead yourself and lead others effectively then when the vision is accomplished everyone wins together. The reward is unity and productivity. 

How do you lead yourself? How do you handle others personalities with love?

Day 84 - Productivity

"I didn't do much today but it somehow turned out to be a productive day."

When I look back on last year I see that there were days I did a lot and got nothing done. There were also days like this one from last year that even though I didn't do a lot it was productive. 

It really comes down to defining what is important. If there is one thing that is important on your list of things to do in any certain day and you get so busy you never get to that one thing then you have been unproductive. But if you only got to that one thing and everything else was left undone then you have been very productive. Activity and busyness don't always equate to productivity. 

I remember when I first became a pastor and would be getting ready for a church service I would feel guilty for taking time to pray and study. Now I look at that and wish I could shout back in time from more than ten years later and speak some sense into myself. The number one thing a pastor should be doing when it comes to a church service is connect with and hear from God what His desire is for the service. Then from that place the study and the preparations for the service can be made. But I realize now that I didn't understand that these essential elements of my job weren't unproductive just because they weren't busy with activity. 

If you want to be more productive then focus on what you really want to get done give your effort and energy to that. You will be happy you did!

How do you stay focused on the priorities of the day? How else can we be more productive?

Day 83 - Sincere Love

"They were sincere and genuine in their love and care for us."

We know fake. We have been fake. That is why we know when someone else is being fake. It is like a plastic donut. You wouldn't take a bite no matter how good it looks. 

Love was never meant to be faked. It is meant to be lived. The Bible tells us that God is love. That means that if God lives in us then we have the most powerful force in the universe at our disposal. Love as the ability to break down walls, empower the believer for service, open the door to forgiveness, cover multitudes of sins and so much more. 

The problem is that we get messed up with how we have been trained when it comes to love. The popular stories we see in movies and television and read of in books give the impression that love is not a choice. It is as if you love because the impersonal force of attraction is so strong you have no other choice or ability. Similarly, if you 'fall out of love' you no longer have the capacity to be around or rekindle the relationship that once was motivated by love. 

Real love is different. Real love is sincere. Real love overlooks offenses and forgives quickly. Real love is attractive, compelling and desirable. 

Let's make sure we are never fake. That doesn't mean hurt people because we don't feel like loving them. That means we make the choice to love. 

(1 Corinthians chapter 13 is a wonderful description of what this looks like.)

How do you stay away from being fake when it comes to love? What is a good way to express genuine love?

Day 82 - Our Inheritance

"It really is a revelation that Jesus didn't only die for our sins but also because He died his testament (new covenant) goes in to effect giving us life, restored privilege and position in His kingdom and blessings. Our inheritance is Him! How far we go to get a worldly inheritance and yet Christians stop at Jesus died for my sins alone and never move on to take hold of Him as their inheritance. May we travel and fight and go great lengths to find Him and His wealth of love."

I think of the prodigal son who asked for his inheritance from his father and got it. Yes he squandered it but he got it nonetheless. Did you also know his brother who wouldn't come in the the party had an inheritance. He was bellyaching that he never had a little goat for him and his friends when his dad came and set him straight. Do you remember what the Father said to the older son? He said "All that I have is yours." 

That is a pretty amazing thought. Everything that is God's is ours. He is our Father and anything that is His is also ours. That means we can go get in God's fridge and eat the food we find. We can drive God's car and swim in the pool. 

All that He has is ours. He didn't even withhold His Son Jesus so why would He withhold any other good thing from us? Go on, ask God in prayer for what you need. He will give it freely. It is yours because He gave it all at the cross. 

How does knowing you have an inheritance from God change your life? How have you taken part in your inheritance from God?

Day 81 - With God's Help

"We all have obtained help from God. Nothing would be possible and we would do nothing unless He helped us. To this day and every day by the help of God we stand. Without His help we would surely fall and fail."

Today as I stood in front of our church a year after I wrote the words above I can say that God helped me. As we were singing I felt the prompting of the Holy Spirit. He was telling me to give the altar call right after praise and worship. So I stepped out in faith and invited people to give their hearts to Jesus. It wasn't a long exhortation. It was simple and direct. God did the rest. People just started walking the aisle to give their heart and life to the Lord. I take no credit. God did the work. 

It is no different for you. Whatever God is whispering in your ear to do He will help you with. And by help I mean mostly that you are along for the ride. Step out in faith and trust God for great things because He can do no less. He is God! He is supernatural! He will help you! 

What is God whispering in your ear? How has God helped you in times past or recently?

Day 80 - Prayers That Get Answered

"David's prayer after The Lord promises to establish David's house is so deeply moving. In response to the revelation of God's will David prays the Word of The Lord back to Him. If we want to pray in the will of God there is no better way than to repeat or rehearse what God has stated. For the same reasons David lists (his Word is true, He said He would do it, He has the ability, power and desire to do it) we should pray the Word back to God."

In 1 John 5 we are given the formula to prayers that get answered. He says that if we ask anything according to the Will of God then we know God hears our prayers. Then he states that if God hears us then we know that we have whatever we have asked of the Lord. 

So if this is the case then how do we know what the will of God is so that we can ask for it and get it? Simple, pray what God has spoken back to Him. If you can find a scripture or a verse that deals with your situation then you have something to pray. 

I have a daily set of scriptures that I pray and confess over my life. As I have prayed these over the years they have become a part of me, changed me and bore fruit. If you want answered prayers then pray God's own words back to Him. He wants it for your life. 

What scriptures do you pray? What answers to prayers from God's word have you seen? 

Day 79 - It Just Works

"We laid hands on her, prayed and anointed her with oil."

We see in the scriptures ways of doing things. There is a way of God for every way of man. Before we ever made a way God made a way. Marriage was God's idea and He designed a way for marriage. Economy was designed by God and He speaks much about business, economics and finances in His word. 

The great this is we don't have to go at it alone. I couldn't do what I do without the Bible and the Holy Spirit. Gos not only tells us what to do but then empowers us to do it. 

Now, to my thought from last year. The woman we prayed for went to the doctor and had a miraculous report. The point is that when we do things the way God wants them done we get the results God designed for us to get. The laying on of hands and anointing with oil is prescribed in the book of James with fervent prayers of the righteous. We are told that these types of prayers are answered. The testimony of this woman last year confirms it. 

What have you done God's way and had God's results? What areas, if any, can I help you find God's way in the scripture? 

Da 78 - It Just Makes Sense

"Spurgeon has such a way of thinking that just brings things together that make sense but also make you say, “Why didn't I think of that?” Like when he is talking about King Jesus and says “In the Red Sea of his own blood, our Redeemer has drowned the Pharaoh of our sins: shall he not be King in Jeshurun?” I thought to myself “Of coarse the Red Sea and blood of Jesus are a type and shadow.” It just makes sense."

The teaching gift is both necessary and appreciated. Combined with the tenacity and passion of a preacher there are those who would instruct and move the heart of the hearer with a motivation to do what is being taught. Charles Spurgeon, who I quoted above, is one of those who when you read his work, well, it just makes sense. 

A good lesson, speech, or sermon must instruct the mind, challenge the intellect, touch the heart and be easily understood and applied. It is no easy task. Many hours of preparation go into crafting such a message. 

We must never leave the Holy Spirit out of our studies though. Truly He is the Teacher of the church. If the preacher, teacher, speaker has done their job well then the Holy Spirit will do His perfectly (for He can do no less!). All that is left is for the heart of the hearer to be open to receive. Listen, believe, do...blessed. 

Who are the speakers, teachers and preachers that move you when you hear them speak? Why is it important for speaker, hearer and Holy Spirit to all be engaged in the process?

Day 77 - A Good Laugh

"While we drove Jess was quizzing our nephew for his spelling test and tried to get him to say the definition for 'frigid' by talking about her arm. She said “I can't move my arm it is stiff and straight.” Our son chimed in and said “Mom, just move it. You can move it.” When she started to laugh and waved her hand he said “See I saw it move!” We had a good laugh about it."

A year later I read this story and still smile. It is good to remember good things and smile. There are so many things in every day that can bring us a frown. Just watch the news and the frown will come naturally. Life will give plenty of reason to be down. 

I have read that smiling releases endorphins that help you feel better and can actually change your mood. It just confirms what Will Ferrel says in the movie The Elf "I just like smiling, smiling is my favorite!" 

God has given us reasons to smile. Beauty, humor, redemption, eternity, family, friends, church and love to name a few. If we can focus our attention on what is good and remember to smile our days will be brighter. 

What makes you smile? Do you have a moment that you can't think about without a smile?

Day 76 - Working Towards the Extraordinary

"I got up early this morning and headed out to the beach to photograph the moon setting on the ocean."

Traffic was tough that morning. I got a few shots of the moon before the sun came up and the marine layer mixed with some smog clouded the view of the moon. 

If you are going to find extraordinary things like watching the full moon set over the ocean you have to research and plan. You also have to lose sleep and brave the early morning commute traffic. (Assuming you live close enough to the ocean to do something like this.) 

The point is that a lot of people want more from life. They want extraordinary without the work. Miracles are great and God is glorified when they happen but there is a job to do after the miracle. When Jesus raised the little girl from the dead they had to feed her afterward. When the man was delivered from the legion of demons that possessed him he had to go and do the work of an evangelist. 

What is the next step for you to go from ordinary to extraordinary? What are some things you could add to my requirements of finding extraordinary things in life?

Day 75 - Seashell Art

"I sat with my daughter and we made art with seashells. I am glad she shares the propensity for artistic expression that I do."

I love my children. Spending time with them is an absolute joy. They are a real gift from God to me and have taught me so much about God, life and myself. 

On this day last year we made little artistic crafts with shells. My daughter is a craft princess who will probably have a Pinterest page that goes worldwide some day. The girl is already sewing pillows, fixing broken toys and making clothes for her dolls. 

What was great about this whole moment was that we didn't plan it or force it. We just spent some time at the table having fun. It didn't take any money or and elaborate plan, it was just connecting on a Sunday afternoon. 

Don't let moments pass you by. As a parent, spouse, single person, employee, witness or whatever, take advantage of the moments you have. Life is a vapor that is here for a moment and then gone. Why not live it and enjoy every moment you can?

What Sunday afternoon stories do you have? How do you take advantage of little moments like these?

Day 74 - Two Days, Two Battles

"This morning I read the story of how the Philistines came against David after he was anointed King over Israel. David's former friend has become his foe once again. What impresses me is how David inquires of The Lord before making a move. Two days, two inquiries, two battles, two approaches, two wins. We shouldn't box up God in yesterday. He has a fresh Word and plan for today. The plan for one battle may work that day but tomorrow you need the now Word. Even if it is the same foe in the same field! Listen for God on the move."

Never was better advice given than to follow the Spirit's lead. If you know the will of God and do it you can't lose. 

Often when facing battles we turn to friends and family for advice. I know that I personally have had experiences that I talked over with everyone I could before taking it to prayer. When I finally prayed God spoke to my heart and said "Are you finally going to talk to me about it?" Oh forgive me Lord! 

God is not only our first refuge but our only refuge. I will not look to my own strength or to the wisdom of man. When facing the trials and pressures of the world I need the One that is greater on my side. 

Let's learn the lesson of David. Ask God first. Listen. Then carry out the plan. Stay connected and listen for new marching orders when God speaks. 

Has God ever given you unusual directions that you carried out and saw supernatural results? How can we develop our hearts to hear God's voice better?

Day 73 - Passing Blame

"I am glad I wasn't in the meeting even though it seems we got blamed in the end."

One of my favorite movies is the Fugitive. Not only did the remake have some outstanding actors and lots of action they really told the story well. If you don't know the story it is of a man whose wife is killed and then he is framed for her murder. All he has to go on is that a one armed man killed his wife. So while he runs from the law he also unravels the case and in the end is set free. 

On a less dramatic scale I think that leaders get blamed for lots of things they didn't do. As a leader though you don't get to run from blame or point all the evidence to the real culprit. What will happen is that you end up looking like the bad guy. 

Now if someone is bringing a false accusation or is discrediting your integrity you don't have to take it. The response of a leader in this instance should be that of Nehemiah when the enemies brought accusations against him. He simply denied the accusations and took the matter to prayer. 

Most of the time the blame that is laid on a leader is not false accusations or intrigue. It is things like "You hurt my feelings," "You were harsh," and the like. In instances like these the response should be the same but softer. Instead of a denial like in extreme cases an answer that includes an apology works much better. 

For example; you can cover the issue and mend the relationship by saying, "I am so sorry, it was never my intent to hurt you but I can see that I did. Will you forgive me?" That is what is most important. Don't lose your ability to lead and speak into their lives over being too prideful to apologize. I have apologized for plenty of things that I didn't do but was perceived as doing. You take it on the chin and keep going. God will uphold your cause and love will cover the multitude of sins. 

What other qualities do see in Nehemiah that we can learn from as leaders? What other scriptures or examples do you use when dealing with blame? 

Day 72 - Real and Active

Today's thought from last year comes from two words in my journal entry for that day; real and active.

I was talking about our church when I used these words. I had given a tour to a lady that visited who was a pastor's kid. She knew church backward and forward. When she saw the campus she remarked about the beauty of our courtyard and the functionality of the layout etc. Then we came to our Food Distribution center. She was amazed. Her remark afterward was "Wow! You guys had an event!" It's true. Every Tuesday and Thursday morning when we give food to those in need it is an event with hundreds of (if not thousands of) people.

We are a real church that is active with the gospel. You can see what we believe by what we do. It should be no different in a person's life. What we believe should not only form our thoughts and words but it should move us into actions. If we believe in the democratic system we should vote. If we believe in the value of education we should be life long learners, teachers and mentors. If we believe in stewardship then our bank statements will prove our values.

I think there are a few problems that we face when it comes to being real and active. First of those problems is that we can be divided and not really anything when it comes to what we believe. We have been so polarized and in the name of political correctness we have backed off our convictions. I think people want Christians to be real. Even if they don't like what you're saying they will respect that you stand for what you believe. Hypocrisy is distasteful to everyone!

The second problem is that of doing. I think fear grips us. Either that or we are downright lazy. Lazy is easy to overcome. Kick yourself in the rear end and get going. You will find grace to do on the way of obedience. Fear is quite another thing. All the 'what if's' start playing with our imagination. It takes a confrontation with the enemy in spiritual warfare prayer and then the stepping out in faith to overcome fear. Often I find that when I am afraid of doing something new that once I have started doing it I am fine.

Let it be said of us that we are real and active, genuine people working from the heart!

How would you define someone who is real? What ways have you been active with what you believe?

Day 71 - Long Waits

"My illustrator got me the first proof of Sarah's Silly Sock Day. Seeing it all together makes it so much more real. We have some changes but should be sending the completed book to West Bow Press soon. It is exciting!"

As some of you may or may not know I wrote a children's picture book "Sarah's Silly Sock Day". The book was recently released on Thomas Nelson's indie publishing company West Bow Press. It is doing amazingly well with very little marketing. I am humbled and amazed at the support of my family and friends and church through this process. 

I wrote the words above in quotes a year ago today when my first proof was completed. From that time to my actual submission was a month or so. From the time of my submission to my first printed proof was many more months. I ended up having to resubmit and that process took about a month or so. 

We all can handle setbacks and obstacles. We can even put up with a year of delays. Can I share something with you though? I wrote the book four years ago. Four years. Have you heard the phrase 'hurry up and wait'? That is what it felt like for most of the process. It wasn't easy or cheap and it wasn't always fun. 

If you are going to start doing something like we discussed in yesterday's post then get ready for opposition. Joshua took the promised land with a sword in his hand. There were supernaturally long days and miraculous victories. There were also problems and sin issues he had to deal with. 

I have had plans and prayers that have taken years and even decades. Yet I know that God is working. I am too. 

Don't get discouraged. It is all a part of the process. Anything worth doing is worth the investment of time, pain, waiting and even suffering if that is what it takes. 

Have you had to wait years for dreams, prayers or plans to come through? What help you to endure?

By the way, If you are interested in Sarah's Silly Sock Day you can get it here. 

Day 70 - Inexperience

"I was reading tonight that David was 30 when he began to reign. It is a scary thought for him and Josiah because of their age when they became king. I couldn't imagine the pressures that were on both of them."

Inexperience is as bad as ignorance in most cases. It is one thing to know everything about driving a car and quite another to drive one. The good thing is that inexperience can be remedied. Just as learning cures ignorance so does doing cure inexperience. 

It can be scary to venture out and try new things. Especially when the trial and error could possibly hurt and organization or an individual. 

In my own case I became a pastor at age 24. I became an executive pastor at age 30. I made a lot of mistakes early on (still do from time to time). Thankfully the Lord is gracious and patient with us while we learn. Thank God for the Holy Spirit and for people with lots of experience who mentored me and spoke words of encouragement as well as correction to me. 

I love that Paul told Timothy not to let people despise his youth. God is not so concerned with age and experience as He is the heart and the will to do. Don't let age (young or old) or experience (too little or too much) stop you from doing. What you are called to do. 

Have you been letting age or experience be a road block to your calling? How can we overcome the pressures that keep us from new experiences?

Day 69 - Really Good People

Today's thought from last year is so simple I almost missed it. I was writing about some friends of ours and said:

"They are really good people."

What made these people good in my opinion was their hearts. They are genuine. Real givers. Sincerely interested in others. Prayer warriors. Truthful. I could go on but you get the point. 

We all should not only find people like this to hang around but also endeavor to emulate their best qualities. The Bible tells us that bad company corrupts good morals. It is so important to choose people who are more than their outward appearance. If we only were around the popular and the pretty we might become someone we hate. But if we get around sincere people we will become sincere ourselves. There is a Proverb that says those who walk with the wise will become wise. 

I have very few friends, true friends, who I can really open up to and trust to speak into my life. But I am okay with not having a bunch of shallow relationships. I would much rather have a few deep ones.

What are qualities you look for in a friend? How can we be a better friend? 

Day 68 - Daylight Savings

Daylight Savings - Taken last year on March 9th at around 6:00 a.m.

"Oh how good it feels when I close my eyes. Daylight savings time in the spring is messed up. I can tolerate it in the fall even though I don't like it then either. I am just happy that my alarm worked because I miscalculated the timer in case the alarm failed. The good thing is I made it to church just fine. I was happy to have been up early because the sun rise was painting oranges and reds and pinks across the clouds in the sky. It was a quick moment and then it was gone. I always appreciate those glimpses of glory. What will heaven be like?!? ... It was hard to study for tonight's message because my head wanted to go back to bed. I suppose it is like jet lag. You have to push through and discipline yourself to go lay down and get up when you don't want to. ... Even as I type I am having a hard time focusing. Need to sleep."

This morning in our prayer time Dr. Becker, one of the pastors on our staff and a great man of God who has often spoken wisdom into my life, was praying and said, "God, men try to play with time but you made the sun to rise when it should regardless of what we try to do." I smiled because it is so true. 

I understand why we do daylight savings time but really the thought that I get from this entry last year is that of moments. Time is passing so quickly that we need to be attentive. We have a vapor at best according to the book of James. We need to redeem the time and make the most of every opportunity. 

Go ahead, start that business or that project you have been wanting to do. Tell your family and friends about Jesus. Be the dad, mom, friend, worker, person, etc., you have always wanted to be. Get after it because time is short, Heaven and Hell are real and life matters. 

How do you feel about daylight savings time? How can we make the most out of every opportunity?

Day 67 - Dads and Daughters

Last year our family went to a birthday party at a roller skating rink and later I wrote about this humorous experience: 

"It was funny because The dad of the girl whose birthday it was saw his daughter on the rink and suddenly said 'I gotta go stop something' and skated right in between his daughter and a boy who was trying to talk to her. He came back and said 'I smelled those pheromones'."

We dads of daughters have a protective sense that goes off like Spiderman's Spidey sense when it comes to our girls. I don't care how old or how young the boy we are watching. The reason for our concern is that we were once that boy. We know what that boy is thinking about and we do not approve. 

I grew up in a house full of men. My poor mom was the only female in the house that wasn't a cat or a parakeet. Because of this fact most of what I know about raising a girl has come from my wife telling me what worked for her with her dad. 

Thank God He gave us the Holy Spirit as well. As much as we are watching He is watching all the more. He cares more for our children than we do and His love is greater as well. I trust the Holy Spirit with my children. 

Do you have any funny experiences like this either with your dad or as a parent? How has the Holy Spirit helped you in situations like this? (Whether with children, business, relationships etc.?)

Day 66 - Agreement of the Heart

"We are not communicating on the heart level. In many ways we are responding to situations that arise and can't seem to make a plan and work it out. After a lot of arguing about the way we felt we were being treated we finally were able to express some things on the heart level and get in agreement about our direction."

It is so important to get past the surface and flesh levels and get to the heart level. If you can connect with someone on a heart level you can get a real involvement and agreement. Marriage, business, and anything else we do that involves others, and that is most of our lives, will go farther and better if we are connected at the heart level. 

It is difficult to connect because it takes vulnerability to open your heart. We know the pain of bearing our soul and having someone mistreat or hurt us. The need is still there and I believe that if we can press through the pain and pressure of vulnerability we will have stronger bonds and better outcomes. 

Communication, love and trust all play their part in this connection as well. It takes work to speak the truth in love and express what is on your heart. It takes overlooked offenses, faith and forgiveness to walk in love. Finally, it takes time and testing build trust. The great thing is that with this powerful trio of communication, love and trust you can open your heart and safely connect with someone else. That is when agreement happens and the power comes! The place of unity is a place of power!

Is there another trait you would add to my power trio in order to connect on the heart level? How has this principle helped you with relationships, marriage, business, etc.?  

Day 65 - How Holy is Holy?

"If we get the fear of The Lord and stay holy He will do the miraculous and bring revival. Will we be faithful, stay together, love one another, be holy, forgive quickly and walk in the Spirit?" 

This thought came out of a staff meeting where we were discussing a billboard. Our church has been known for being 'in your face' with the messages and our approach. We had a billboard that said 'No Bull, Only the Truth at The Rock Church'. We all loved it and even had T-shirts made that some of our members wear to this day. 

For Easter we had an image of the bull wearing bunny ears and buck teeth and it said 'No Bunny, Celebrate Easter at The Rock'. Our Sr. Pastors didn't like the design and made the statement that Easter is holy and shouldn't be a joke; not even on a billboard to get people to Easter services at church. 

Then the question was asked 'How holy is holy?' We lingered here. I would encourage you to stop and ask yourself that question. How holy is holy? When God asks us to be holy as He is holy what does that mean? What does that look like? How holy is that? 

We have a society that asks how close can they get to the edge before falling off. They get angry at boundaries and then shame people who fail. The double standard is hypocritical and unjust. God hates an unjust scale by the way. So then how holy is holy? 

Holiness has been mocked and downplayed but holy living is where every Christian should endeavor to live. To be holy means that we are exclusively God's. He has our full attention and obedience. We need to put away the evil things from our lives. We cannot compromise and live worldly any longer. We should be marked and separate. People should think we are weird or radical because we shun evil; even the appearance of it. 

We ended up making the billboard say 'Easter is Holy at The Rock Church'. We were probably the only ones who knew what that meant but God used it to speak to the Inland Empire as they passed the sign on the 10 Freeway that month. He is also using it today, a year later, to remind us to ask ourselves how holy is holy. 

What are some practical ways to be holy in everyday life? What does the statement 'how holy is holy' say to you? 

Day 64 - The Appeal

Today's thought comes straight from the Bible. I read this short statement and it sparked the thoughts that follow.

Acts 25:12b “You have appealed to Caesar? To Caesar you shall go!” 

"Have you brought your claim here on the earth and found no rest? Have you heard 'no' at every turn where it should be 'yes'? Do you know who you are? Do you know to what kingdom you belong? Don't mess with the plotting of this world. While you waste time with empty accusations they will try to kill you on the road. Appeal to the Most High and to Him you will go! You will be given entrance to the King's chambers and He will be your Judge with Jesus as your advocate. The Holy Spirit speaking on your behalf. How can you lose? You are more than a conquerer!"

Have you felt like you have been spinning your wheels in an area of your life? How is your prayer life? 

Day 63 - The Feeling

"I could feel the presence of God."

We aren't led by feelings.I know when I go to church that God is there. It is after all His house. God promises to inhabit the praises of His people and wherever two or more are gathered in His name there He is in our midst. I don't need feelings to know God is in church with me but it is nice to have feelings accompany what I know. 

I believe that God enjoys giving us those feelings of happiness and excitement to partner with the fruit of faith and joy. It is in these moments that our cup runs over. We would have been satisfied with the fact or the faith but God gives the feelings as an overflow. 

How sad love would be without emotion? How cold and impersonal relationships, family and life in general would be. Live by faith, make wise decisions but don't miss out on the icing on the cake.

How do you balance fact, faith and feelings? Have you ever felt the presence of God and it confirmed your faith or blessed you? 

Day 62 - Procrastination (Convenience)

Today's thought from last year came after reading Acts chapter 24. You may want to read that chapter before reading my thought so that you understand fully what I am referring to. Once you have read it, read on and enjoy!

"Felix listened to Paul until he reasoned about eternal judgement and got afraid. Rather than face he future by asking Paul what he should do to be saved he sends Paul away saying that he will call for him at a more convenient time. Many people don't want to be inconvenienced by the truth. I also noticed that Felix put off decisions. 'When Lysias comes down…' 'At a convenient time…' And when he leaves office he leaves Paul and still doesn't make a decision because he wants to do the Jews a favor. He should have had Paul do him a favor and find out how to be saved! But he didn't. He put it off and we never hear of him again."

Procrastination is a nasty word. Jokes abound when it comes to the subject but if I could be frank, we will end up being the joke if we let procrastination take over. If you wait long enough life will make your decisions for you.

Don't be like those who float down the river of life going wherever the current takes you. Especially when it comes to important matters like salvation. Felix put it off and we don't know if he ever found that convenient time to look into the things of God again. The Bible tells us that today is the day of salvation.

If you wait to look into family, finances, business, marriage, children, (insert your important matter here...) you will miss out.

I found the cure for procrastination in my own life. It sounds a lot like the old Nike slogan. Do it. Lose the just, do it now. Do it right. Spend the time and the money. Give it the attention it deserves.

How do you combat procrastination? What would you insert in my list of important matters?

Day 61 - Think About What You're Thinking About

"It was good to see salvations and what a great church we have."

I am not bragging by posting this thought. What I am doing is showing that we can direct where our attention goes. We can dwell on negative thoughts or positive thoughts. This day I preached three times and could have thought afterward how tired I was or about comments or prayer requests that came my way. Instead I was looking at the salvations and the good things that make our church great.

The Bible says a lot about our thoughts. Paul told the Philippian church to think about things that are good, things that are lovely, things that are of a good report, things that are praiseworthy or admirable. We are supposed to set our minds on things above where Christ is seated. We choose where our thoughts go. Go positive. Go Godly. Go to the Word and believe the best!

What good things have you been thinking about lately? How can we keep focused on good things in our thought life?