So let me begin by saying that as much as we may not want to admit it, we all have these great and exciting plans for our children. We may not readily admit it, but we feel we know what path occupationally and relationally we want them to go down in life. Our motives, unfortunately, center more around outward looks, financial security or maybe something we did not achieve rather than inner peace and significance.
God has a vision for our lives -- a purpose, a mission for our life. The difference is that His plan brings us significance and meaning internally. The greatest adventure in life is in knowing that God wants to use you for a significant cause. If for some reason you have not experienced God using your life, I feel sad for you, because the Bible is filled with God’s desire to use you. God says we must be willing and available. Paul penned it beautifully in Romans 6:13: “Give yourselves completely to God so you can be tools in the hands of God to be used for His good purposes.” It comes down to one statement: We must be willing to say “WHATEVER IT TAKES,” and then follow through with it. "Lord, whatever it takes, I am all yours!"
Closing words of encouragement… You don’t have to be a perfect person, just have a pure heart… You don’t have to wish you had more, just use what you have…. You don’t have to do everything for God, just focus and allocate time to one thing… This is the greatest time in all of history to be living, and to know God wants to use you makes it even greater.
WHATEVER IT TAKES GOD, HERE I AM! SEND ME…
Friday, August 28, 2009
Friday, August 21, 2009
A Plan from the Start
I have three beautiful children. When Carol and I were talking about marriage, we also said that one day we wanted to have children. From the start, that was part of the plan. Today, we don’t regret it. Our children are far from perfect. They don’t always do what we say, and we have disagreements. When they do their own things against what we want, they experience the consequences of their decisions. Make no mistake, our love for them is limitless, unconditional, non-performance based, and it has been communicated to them that there is no end to this love.
The entire Bible from beginning to end is about God building a family. It has always been His plan to adopt you into His own family. This place close to God would be accomplished through Jesus Christ. God is so much love; He treasures relationships. This relational love is universal regardless of who you are, where you currently live on this globe, or your lifestyle. From the beginning, God has wanted you in His family. This spiritual relationship is birthed by faith in what Jesus Christ did for you 2000 years ago. Now you are no longer just a creation of God but a child of God and part of God’s global family.
Let this amazing truth sink in: We are part of God’s family because of Jesus Christ, and God is proud of you. Theses words are unmistakable -- Jesus said, “Anyone who does the will of God the father is my family…” Being included in God’s family is the highest honor we will ever receive. Keep that thought in mind, and anytime you feel unloved, insecure, or unimportant, just remember to whose family you belong.
The entire Bible from beginning to end is about God building a family. It has always been His plan to adopt you into His own family. This place close to God would be accomplished through Jesus Christ. God is so much love; He treasures relationships. This relational love is universal regardless of who you are, where you currently live on this globe, or your lifestyle. From the beginning, God has wanted you in His family. This spiritual relationship is birthed by faith in what Jesus Christ did for you 2000 years ago. Now you are no longer just a creation of God but a child of God and part of God’s global family.
Let this amazing truth sink in: We are part of God’s family because of Jesus Christ, and God is proud of you. Theses words are unmistakable -- Jesus said, “Anyone who does the will of God the father is my family…” Being included in God’s family is the highest honor we will ever receive. Keep that thought in mind, and anytime you feel unloved, insecure, or unimportant, just remember to whose family you belong.
Friday, August 14, 2009
Relationships...
On June 6 of this year, my wife and I celebrated 22 years of marriage. I have discovered a parallel between my relationship with my wife and my relationship with Christ and, in fact, with any relationship. Relationships must be maintained. No relationship ever stays the same. We’re either growing closer or we’re drifting apart. It never just stands still. We don’t simply have a relationship with Christ and that’s it. Either our hearts are growing warmer and closer, or they're growing colder and distant.
Think about how many Christ followers you may know who are no longer walking close with the Lord. They’ve fallen away. At one point their heats were warm, energetic, and passionately on fire for God but something happened and they seem to be lost again. We all know the struggles in our own hearts. We face temptations. We face ups and downs, days when we get these crazy thoughts, but if we want a relationship with Christ, we must do our part to maintain it.
This whole blog is about good news. The good news is that God offers a grace to us that restores. When we blow it, when we walk away, when we stumble, when we fumble, God restores. Lamentations 5:21 says, “Restore me, O Lord, and bring me back to you again. Give me back the joys I once had.”
Keep in mind the Bible is filled with leaders who denied, who doubted, who failed, who disobeyed, and when you find yourself in that same boat just remember, GOD RESTORES.
Take a few moments over the next week and go to our website at www.celebratechurch.org and click on the weekly workout. It is all about how God can restore a damaged relationship.
Think about how many Christ followers you may know who are no longer walking close with the Lord. They’ve fallen away. At one point their heats were warm, energetic, and passionately on fire for God but something happened and they seem to be lost again. We all know the struggles in our own hearts. We face temptations. We face ups and downs, days when we get these crazy thoughts, but if we want a relationship with Christ, we must do our part to maintain it.
This whole blog is about good news. The good news is that God offers a grace to us that restores. When we blow it, when we walk away, when we stumble, when we fumble, God restores. Lamentations 5:21 says, “Restore me, O Lord, and bring me back to you again. Give me back the joys I once had.”
Keep in mind the Bible is filled with leaders who denied, who doubted, who failed, who disobeyed, and when you find yourself in that same boat just remember, GOD RESTORES.
Take a few moments over the next week and go to our website at www.celebratechurch.org and click on the weekly workout. It is all about how God can restore a damaged relationship.
Friday, August 7, 2009
YOU...
This week my wife and I, along with my brother-in-law and his wife, attended an alumni gathering of the college we all attended, Central Bible College. It was so good to reconnect with others and hear the stories of their families and ministries. Many are pastors, Bible teachers, missionaries, and hold other ministry positions just doing great things for His cause, which leads me to blog these thoughts:
God’s Word says that even before you were born, God planned what He wanted you to do with your life. It also says that God made us what we are, and God made us to do good works – good works which He planned, in advance, for us to live our lives doing. Even if I had not attended a religious school, God still had a ministry for me to do. My talents, my abilities, my background, and this will sound absurd, but even my hurts are all part of who I am. And when I use who I am to help and serve others, I am ministering. Did you know the same applies to you?
There is no greater thrill in life than to be used by God. There is no feeling, no achievement, and no award that can compare to knowing that God is using you and knowing you're doing what God wants you to do with your life. The biggest barrier to that – Confidence.
GOD WANTS TO USE YOU! God wants to involve you. I hope this gives you confidence and moves you from the stadium seats where you're sitting back and watching to YOU engaging into this exciting game.
God’s Word says that even before you were born, God planned what He wanted you to do with your life. It also says that God made us what we are, and God made us to do good works – good works which He planned, in advance, for us to live our lives doing. Even if I had not attended a religious school, God still had a ministry for me to do. My talents, my abilities, my background, and this will sound absurd, but even my hurts are all part of who I am. And when I use who I am to help and serve others, I am ministering. Did you know the same applies to you?
There is no greater thrill in life than to be used by God. There is no feeling, no achievement, and no award that can compare to knowing that God is using you and knowing you're doing what God wants you to do with your life. The biggest barrier to that – Confidence.
GOD WANTS TO USE YOU! God wants to involve you. I hope this gives you confidence and moves you from the stadium seats where you're sitting back and watching to YOU engaging into this exciting game.
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