The Important Two

The two most important influential things in your life is based off what you read and who you know. This is very true for the most important thing in your life being your walk with God. What you read about Him and the type of people that play a part in your walk with Him. It is also true for every circumstance in your life. The things you read will impact your knowledge and wisdom in an either positive or negative way. The people you know will help or hinder the situations in your life. They will also open up many doors of connections along this thing we call life. God puts people into your path not just for this season but also to help you find the next. It is also important not to necessarily believe everything you read and/or listen to all the advice you hear. This is where discernment is mandatory. This is where your relationship with Jesus comes into play. He will always speak to you, we just have to be in tune with the way He is speaking.

Since 2011 is about to be a wrap, I want to share with you a couple books I've read and some of my personal opinions about them. Some you might want to check out...

Good To Great by Jim Collins - You can apply many of these business truths to biblical aspects of leadership. He challenges the reader to not settle for good things but to remove good things for greater things.
Onward by Howard Schultz - This was one of my personal favorites because I am intrigued by minds like this. Again, he had many concepts of leadership that can and should be applied to ministry.
Sun Stand Still by Steven Furtick - A great challenge of faith to stop living life in mediocrity and not only asking God to move in impossible ways but expecting Him to.
Big God by Britt Merrick - He's not the best writer but what he has experienced in life and how he has applied the truth of God to his life is admirable. A great challenge to live in faith using the examples of faith in Hebrews 11.
Next Generation Leader by Andy Stanley - A great and challenging book for developing leaders in our students. A must read!
Crazy Love by Francis Chan - I liked this book but I would not recommend it for a new believer. This is a book to challenge those who claim to walk in God's love. Are we really doing it right? Do we really love Jesus? I understand and love Chan's heart in this book but it takes 87 pages to first talk about grace. You can't talk about God's love without talking about God's grace.
Dying To Live by Clayton King - This was the best book I read this year about my personal relationship with God. Very challenging and another must read!
Love Wins by Rob Bell - I do not agree with this book but it's important to read books like this because they force you to really see what God actually wrote. Read it for yourself before you form an opinion but then read Erasing Hell by Francis Chan. Erasing Hell was one of the best books I've read about what the Bible actually says about topics such as Heaven and Hell.

2012 to-read list...
Radical by David Platt
A Million Miles In A Thousand Years by Donald Miller
Heaven Is For Real by Todd Burpo
Forgotten God by Francis Chan
The Passion Of Jesus Christ by John Piper
Greater by Steven Furtick
Beautiful Outlaw by John Eldredge
Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson
Torn by Jud Wilhite
Gospel by J.D. Greear

Traditions

It's my favorite time of year and in my family we have a couple traditions around the holidays. Traditions that I hope will continue for the rest of my life. They provide great memories and are a lot of fun. For example, we always get our family Christmas tree the Friday after Thanksgiving. Christmas Eve is always filled with two presents from my mom, new pajama pants and an ornament that reflects a memory of something that happened over the past year. On Christmas morning, she makes her famous french toast which we only have once a year and is my favorite thing ever. I'm sure you have some traditions of your own (Please share some in the comment space below). Traditions are great and we all hate when they are broken, especially because someone forgets or thinks we are too old for them. However, there are some traditions that must be broken and may in fact be hindering your walk with God. Let's take a look at what I mean...

I've grown up and experienced all kinds of churches. All kinds of denominations, old, new, good focus, bad focus, great leadership, poor leadership, etc. Some things that some churches don't realize is that they are being led by traditions instead of being led by the Spirit. Matthew 15 explains it. In verse 6, Jesus says, "Thus you nullify the Word of God for the sake of your tradition." We find ourselves continuing to do things that don't help us grow because no one likes change or doing the same things because no one wants to see something else 'fail'. We don't seek God daily in prayer for direction and we sacrifice relationships for the sake of our traditions or because this is how we started things. We try so hard to be different that we forget to live life and enjoy people. Seek the Lord and live in obedience to Him, then be prepared to do something uncomfortable or risky...

You're Alive

We all go through seasons of life. We all go through ups and downs but I think we often times miss the experiences of life because of our attitude towards a particular situation. Have you ever been frustrated, ticked, or felt disrespected? Have you ever been pushed to want to be angry, emotional, or scared? That's a good sign because it means you're alive! You have the opportunity to live life, don't pass up a moment to have fun because of your mood. Psalm 115:17 says, "It is not the dead who praise the Lord..." Embrace those emotions, embrace those feelings, and then follow in faith. It feels good to be alive...How are you going to make the best of it?

In Season

It's ironic how often we find ourselves in one season of life wishing we were in another. Then we get to another season in life and wish we had our old one or a different one. You have parents with kids that sometimes wish they were able to be alone with each other. Then when they are empty-nesters, they wish they had children at home again. You have students hating to go to classes and wishing they had real jobs but when they are in the real world they wish they could go back to school (lets be honest, college was fun). You have days at work when you wish you had less to do but then you get upset that you don't have better opportunities when your season of work is not pressing. The list goes on...each of you have had times of wishing you were in another season of your life. I wonder how many blessings we miss because we aren't focused on the opportunities that God has placed right in front of us now.

I have found myself pondering these thoughts before and it brings up this question...Are we really content and focused on growing in the season God has placed us in?

Paul said in Philippians 4:10-13 (while in prison) that he has learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. The fact is, the secret to being content is to know that through Christ I have and can do all things. Being content is something that is learned. You have to teach yourself to be content in any and every situation. That doesn't mean it will be easy or something that will just happen overnight. You have to constantly remind yourself about being content with the things that God has blessed you with. The Christian walk is a daily battle. That is why in Luke 9:23 God commands that His followers must pick up their cross daily. That is why in 1 Corinthians and Romans, Paul explains the importance of dying to your selfish and earthly desires daily in order to stay pure. Being content is a battle and until you make your desires submit to the authority of Christ, you will always find yourself in one season, wishing for another, missing out on what God has in store for you now. You'll find yourself always wanting more and missing opportunities to bless others. Hebrews 13:5 says be content with what you have because God said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you." Take some time to meditate on that, and let today be the day you start to train your heart to be content in any and every situation.

Who Cares...

I just had an extremely frustrating day. It is very easy to get discouraged, upset, and off track when life happens. It's also funny how God works. Yesterday, Marc's mom backed into his car. He was rattled and it affected his mood for the night. I gave the typical 'it could have been worse' and the whole how can God be glorified through this talk. Fast-forward 24 hours, I take my car in for an oil change. As they are pulling in the car, the brake hose ruptured. I'm ticked, going to have to spend way more money, and have the inconvenience of spending most the day there. I get dropped off at home by AAA and explain to Marc my crap filled day. His eyes widen as he spits back the "talk" I gave him the night before with a grin on his face (That's just funny). Fact is, no one wants to hear it in the moment but here is a great perspective on God...

It is wrong and arrogant for me to praise God yesterday when life was good with no conflicts and no worries and to not praise Him today when life is frustrating and filled with chaos and inconvenience. Pastor Steven just finished a series on Favor. Just because God's favor is on our lives does not mean we will go without unfortunate events. It does not mean God will give us 'favors'. God's favor is not for convenience but it's for His purpose, it still comes with trials and difficulties. The issue is we are distracted by things that don't really matter.

That is why God is good. That is why God will still get my praise. That is why I can say who cares, it's just a car. It's just money. It's easy to get in the dumps when you don't have much. It's easy to get frustrated when cars break down and you have to pour money into them. It's easy to question God for the 'bad' things that happen in life. However, Philippians 4:19 is a promise that God will supply all your needs according to His riches. So, I can say it's just a car...I can say it's just money because the car and the money that I do have is not mine anyways. Everything I own belongs to God and until you start to look at your 'possessions' in that way, you will always have a feeling of entitlement and you will never be grateful for the things that God provides.

Generosity

It is the season of thanks and there is nothing better than to give to those who are in need. We all have many things we can be thankful for. Generosity is one of those things that prove it. That has a lot to do with thanksgiving. You can tell how thankful a person is based off how generous they are with their time and money. It's not about a distant act of charity, it's about a personal act of love. Tim Sanders says, "The grow up moment in your life is when you understand the importance of serving."

Many of us are very blessed. But I have found that the more I bless others, the more blessed I am. (Bless To Be Blessed). Luke 12:34 says, "Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." Each day we have an opportunity to see the greatness of God and often times we miss it because we are too busy, distracted, or not looking in the right places. Each day plays a part in the purpose of the life that God wants you to live. Each day you have the opportunity to help others, either with your time or finances. I wonder how many opportunities I miss each day to share the love of Christ?

Choose to be different! Choose to spend your time showing others the love of Christ, even if you're the only one doing it. Choose to be grateful, accountable, and give. Choose to be generous.

Tebow Effect

In college, Tim Tebow was a fantastic player and will go down as one of the best ever. In the pros, as of today, his hard work is putting "W's" up on the board for Denver. There is a lot of talk about Tebow these days but I don't believe it's because of football. I was watching an ESPN analysis rip him apart a couple weeks ago. They spent 20 minutes discussing why Tim will not be a great QB in the NFL. It really was just nonsense but the guy I was watching it with leans over and says, "You know if he was muslim, nobody would be talking about if he was going to be good or not." That was an interesting comment. Fact is, they don't spend 20 minutes talking about Rex Grossman. The reason why Tim Tebow is being discussed I believe, is because of his faith in Jesus Christ. He knows what he believes, he stands on it, and provides one of the best role models for young Christians. We forget that as believers, the world won't like us. John 15:18-19 says, "If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you." Psalm 69:4 says, "Those who hate me without reason outnumber the hairs of my head; many are my enemies without cause, those who seek to destroy me." 1 John 3:13 says, "Do not be surprised, my brothers and sisters, if the world hates you."


Tebow might not be the best QB in the league. He might not amount to anything great on the gridiron. This guy however, is the example of what it means to stand up for what you believe in even when times get tough, you feel alone, and you have critics at your throat non-stop. He is a walking example of giving God the glory for what He's done through him. He doesn't care what anybody says about him, he just keeps working hard. He doesn't allow pressure to become a stumbling block. He plays football and he loves Jesus. Through all the discouragement, He stands firm in the truth of Jesus Christ and His Word. Tebow is quoted saying, "At the end of the day it's in God's hands." Have you been the only one standing up for what you believe? Be encouraged, you're not alone. Christ is with you, it's in His hands. We are all tested in life and pain gives us all the opportunity to look inside ourselves and rely on our foundation, the rock of Christ. I read a powerful verse this morning in Isaiah. Let it encourage, challenge, and motivate you to love God with all your heart and stand firm in His truth... Isaiah 7:9 "If you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all."

Repentance

Sin is tricky. If it wasn't 'fun', many of us would not struggle with it. When we sin, we do the complete opposite of what God wants in our lives. Satan will tell you in the middle of your sin that it's not a big deal, but then after you sin, he tells you it's the biggest deal in the world. Rick Warren puts it simply, "Behind every sin you commit is a lie you've believed."

Many people will tell you that guilt is wrong. It is, but like pain to the body, it tells you that something is wrong and needs to be fixed. God's judgment occurs after the hardening of my own heart that allows me to keep doing the things that push me away from Him. Just read Romans 1. Three times God "hands them over" to their sins. We mistake natural disasters and other catastrophes as God's judgment on the world when actually God's judgment is allowing us to live in the sin that separates us from Him. Since God died on the cross for our sins, we are forgiven, but that does not mean we can and should keep on sinning. Turn from it and sin no more (Romans 6:1)! We need to be sorrowful over our sins and pray for soft hearts.

The most powerful sin is the one we have not confessed. It really doesn't matter if you are effective for God or not if you are disconnected from Him. We repent because we love God, we turn from our sinful ways because we honor Him. The devil wants to keep you in the guilt zone, keep you trapped from pushing through. Do not let your sin keep you from your relationship with God and keep you from doing what He wants to do through you...let it go!

Romans 12:21 says to not be overcome by evil but to overcome evil with good. "Good" happens when we change our mind and direction; when we transform our thoughts to those that honor God. Take a look at Psalm 51. It is David's prayer after he had fallen into sin with Bathsheba. He is repenting and uses some powerful words in the ESV. Verse 7 he uses the word 'purge', verse 10 the word 'create', verse 12 the word 'restore' and verse 14 the word 'deliver'. Those words alone will preach. We must purge ourselves from sin, cleanse ourselves with the blood of Jesus, allow Him to create a pure heart within us, and let God restore the joy we find in Him. Deliverance starts with repentance. We must humble ourselves before the throne of God, thanking God for His forgiveness and grace and seeking Him with our lives.

Do not wait to get caught in sin, repent now because of the convicting truth of God's Word. God's goal in repentance isn't to beat you to death but to raise you in life. Don't fear, just believe...and lay it at the feet of Jesus

Where Is My Mind?

You may think that you have your words under control. You are able to filter your thoughts and encourage people when needed. But just because you don't speak your mind, doesn't mean your heart is in the right place. Matthew 12:34 says the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks but even words that aren't spoken still expose where your heart is to God. Our thought life plays a major role in our walk with God. We as humans have the ability to completely fool people with our words. People will never realize the struggles you may have with your thoughts. Thoughts of slander, hate, envy, perversion, and evil corrupt us in a way that buries us in sin from the inside out. The Bible tells us to take captive every thought and make it obedient to Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5) and to train yourself to be Godly (1 Timothy 4:7). Think about that...It is easier said then done but it is something we all need to be more conscious about. Training your mind is something that needs to be done daily. It is like exercise. The only way to make your muscles grow is to put them to work. The only way to have pure thoughts is to practice and renew your mind daily with God. Here are some Bible verses that talk about the importance of where our mind is...


Isaiah 26:3 "You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you."


Romans 12:2 "Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.


Romans 13:14 "Clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the flesh."


Colossians 3:2 "Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things."


Philippians 3:19 "Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is set on earthly things."


Philippians 4:8 "Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things."


You don't just wake up one morning and decide to become something without training for it. No athlete made it to the show without practice, no musician made it big without preparing, and no marine made it to the elite stage without training. No pastor, missionary, and/or influential spiritual leader ever got to the place they are without spending time with God and and you won't be the first. Renewing your mind takes a lot of work. It takes time, practice, and a daily surrender to the Father who spoke your world into existence. If you want to make a difference in this world for Christ, start by taking captive your thought life.

Life Or Death

In my last blog, I mentioned Proverbs 18:21 which says, "The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit." When you think about life and death, rarely you think about the power our words and conversations have not only on our own life but also on the lives of others. For me, this is my biggest struggle. I often times find myself in a position that could have been avoided had I thought a little longer on what I really wanted to say. I am quick and witty and can turn any joking conversation into jokes with daggers that hurt other people. I speak my mind and I don't filter my thoughts as often as I should. I cross lines and don't realize many times the impact my words have on other people because I'll cover them with the classic line, "I was only joking." In reality, I do joke a lot and I don't really mean a lot of what I say. I just hope people know that I am only joking around. But then God gave me Proverbs 26:18-19, "Like a maniac shooting flaming arrows of death is one who deceives their neighbor and says, "I was only joking!" Wow...there's that word death again. There's one way to joke and then there is a totally different way that is deceiving or disguising the truth. Those who joke in that kind of way might as well just be shooting people with flaming arrows. Our jokes can cut deep into someone without us even realizing it. This is such a convicting thought for me, lets take a good look at what Scripture says about our words...

Proverbs 4:24 "Put away from you a deceitful mouth and put devious speech far from you."

Proverbs 6:12-14 "A worthless person, a wicked man, Is the one who walks with a perverse mouth, who winks with his eyes, who signals with his feet, who points with his fingers; who with perversity in his heart continually devises evil"

Proverbs 8:13 "The fear of the Lord is to hate evil; pride and arrogance and the evil way and the perverted mouth, I hate."

Proverbs 10:9, 31 "He who walks in integrity walks securely, but he who perverts his ways will be found out. The mouth of the righteous flows with wisdom, but the perverted tongue will be cut out"

Proverbs 21:23 "He who guards his mouth and his tongue keeps himself from calamity"

Matthew 12:34, 36 "You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks…But I tell you that every careless word that people speak, they will give an accounting for it in the day of judgment."

Matthew 15:11 "But what proceeds out of the mouth, this defiles the man."

Ephesians 4:29 "Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen."

Ephesians 5:4 "And there must be no filthiness and silly talk, or coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks."

Colossians 4:6 "Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone."

2 Timothy 2:16-17 "But avoid worldly and empty chatter, for it will lead to further ungodliness, and their talk will spread like gangrene. Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus." (…whom I have handed over to Satan, so that they will be taught not to blaspheme – 1 Timothy 1:20)

James 1:26 "If anyone thinks himself to be religious, and yet does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this man’s religion is worthless."

James 3:5-6, 8-10 "Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell. but no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God's likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be."

1 Peter 4:11 "If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God."

There are many more verses in the Bible about our words. They are so important that they can give life or death to a person's day. Proverbs 16:24 says, "Gracious words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the body." You have two options: life or death; how will your words impact others? I hope this has challenged you as much as it has challenged me. Father, let my words be used to speak life rather than death...

Finish The Devil's Sermons

Bluntly speaking, I used to not be the first person to throw out words of encouragement. I struggled with affirming others and I first realized it on a mission trip to Guatemala my Junior year in High School. We had these large cement blocks that each weighed about 300 pounds that we had to remove from a truck and put them in place on this large road we were building. It took about 2-3 guys to unload each block and the heat was killer. I like doing hard manual work, especially when it benefits others but I remember this girl just standing there doing nothing, encouraging us to 'keep it up'.  This particular girl bugged me and didn't do much of anything, even in the labor that didn't require much strength. In that moment, I remember being extremely annoyed by her that I wanted to accidentally drop the block on her foot. From that moment on, I didn't want to be the annoying person just encouraging people while they did all the work. I had a poor attitude toward encouragement that affected me in a negative way all together, so I just stayed away from encouraging people even when it was appropriate and necessary.

Yes, I still find some encouragement annoying. Sometimes, I just do things because I feel like God wants me to do them and I don't want to be encouraged because of it. But in most cases, encouragement is a must. It is apart of the process as a believer. In my personal experience, the devil likes to preach in half-truths. He will twist Scripture out of context, like he did while tempting Jesus in the desert in Matthew 4. The way we counter the devil's sermons is through the power of Jesus Christ given to us through His Word. We must respond in the full truth of Christ. We must never lay down and take a beating of discouragement from the devil. In fact, Pastor Steven explained this concept to our 'Generation' students and it totally changed my perspective on discouragement. He explained that every time the devil discouraged him, he would go and encourage 5 people. "That'll cost you devil," is how he said it. He went on to say that the devil doesn't discourage him as much anymore because he knows it'll cost him 5 encouraging comments to other people. It's such an easy concept yet how often do we think to do that? In this particular moment, I was actually feeling discouraged (it's funny how God works sometimes). I was moping around feeling all bad for myself...like most of us do when we are being bombarded by discouragement. When I got off work that day, I called 5 people just to encourage them. 3 of the 5 guys said it was exactly what they needed to hear and in turn, it ended up encouraging me and getting me out of my funk. Weird how that works...

I wonder what my life would be like if I just encouraged others more. I wonder what this world would be like if we all loved each other more like Christ intended. I wonder how much easier it would be to go through trials if those around us spoke life with their words...rather than death (Proverbs 18:21). I hope the next time you feel discouraged, you pick up the phone and encourage 5 people. 

Waiting - By Reggi Beasley

It’s so important to finish strong. My main focus now must be to finish strong. We have a tendency, at the end of things, to let our passion wane and our commitment decrease. Now I am trying to live out of a biblical principle I’ve known for a while: The way you finish one season is the way you begin another.

Year after year farmers hope for a better crop than the year before. This is because every time they harvest, they take the best seed from the crop to use for the next years sowing. The danger is that we get so focused on this current harvest that we often fail to set ourselves up for the next season- which is always sowing.

Everything that God does, He does through seed, time and harvest. All three seasons have challenges that come along with them. Sowing has hard physical labor; tilling, plowing, fertilizing, watering, But all of this is made tolerable because of the pending satisfaction of the harvest season. Harvest has difficulty as well. Often you have to weed out bad crop. It’s work collecting and managing your yield, but your excitement in the harvest outweighs your frustration from those difficulties.

But, by far, the most frustrating season for a believer, (or farmer), is the season of time. One of the most challenging questions every believer must answer- and it seems to be often for me- is, ‘What do I do with the waiting?’.

The reason that this question is so hard is that this difficulty was never meant for humans to deal with. We were never meant to deal with waiting. We understand collecting and harvesting- the bible say to ‘be fruitful’. We understand work- the bible say ‘multiply.’ But the waiting was never part of our original intent.

Imagine in the Garden of Eden- a perfect world removed of the dimension of time. As soon as you plucked a grape from a vine, another one immediately grew in it’s place. There was no process of wondering whether provisions would be made for you. There was only trust.

Now that we live in a fallen world, the longing for each believer is to get back to our original intent. Even though we now have to play by the rules or human condition- with all it’s limitations- we can live totally out of the spirit. We can live in faith-expectation that God is wholly good, and that He is our sole source of satisfaction.

What if we were fully convinced that provision would always be there? What faith steps would you be taking if you were persuaded that if you stepped out of the boat, you could walk on water? What mountains in your life would be removed if only you believed?

I said it before: The way you end one season is the way you begin another. What if we begin and end every season in faith? And then, even more, what if we endured every season in faith?

Now, faith is being sure of what you hope for…

Deliverance vs. Development

I heard something from our Creative Pastor, Larry Hubatka that I just wanted to share and elaborate on. I think it is something that most of us have gone through during some point in our lives. It is this concept of Deliverance vs. Development. Often times we find ourselves going through some kind of struggle, time of discipline, uncertainty, abandonment, and/or anxiety. It becomes difficult to have a positive attitude and you just don't understand the purpose of what you are going through. We start to pray to God that He will remove the thing that we call a "burden" but in reality this burden is a blessing in disguise. What we want God to deliver us from God wants to use to develop us. Hosea 2:14-15 says, "Therefore I am now going to allure her; I will lead her into the wilderness and speak tenderly to her. There I will give her back her vineyards, and will make the Valley of Achor a door of hope. There she will respond as in the days of her youth, as in the day she came up out of Egypt." God will take you out into the wilderness...out into the desert but he will speak tenderly to us. He will take us through the Valley of "Trouble" with a door of hope. God must develop us in order to use us. Graham Cook says "The desert is about discovery." God will take us through the desert over and over again until we figure it out. We never go through something that God is not going to use for His purpose and plan. Romans 8:28 says that all things work together for good for those who love Him. Be encouraged because the very thing that you are going through right now is by design from your Maker. He doesn't want us to miss the purpose of His development process. 

Is Jesus Enough?

I was reading a little John Piper a couple days ago and he said something that made me drop the book immediately and re-evaluate my life and love for Christ. He said, "If you could have heaven, with no sickness, and with all the friends you ever had on earth, and all the food you ever liked, and all the leisure activities you ever enjoyed, and all the natural beauties you ever saw, all the physical pleasures you ever tasted, and no human conflict or any natural disasters, could you be satisfied with heaven, if Christ was not there?" Wow. Do I really love Jesus the way I claim too? Is my life a reflection of what He has done in and through me? When people look at me, do they see Jesus? Is my goal to make my name great or to make Jesus famous? Pastor Judah Smith closed the Newspring Leadership Conference last month with this one question..."When did Jesus become not enough?"

Often times I find myself thinking things like, well if I had his gifts or if I had that opportunity...but why don't I just pick up Jesus more? Pastor Steven says, "Somebody could win with the hand that you've been dealt." Meaning, use what God has given you because God has given you everything you need to be successful. I lack no good thing for everything I need comes from the Father. Philippians 4:19 says that God will give you all your needs according to His riches. Then you have 2 Timothy 4:16-18 where Paul explains that everyone has deserted him. But then he says something that many of us today seem to just read over and not really take literally. Verse 17, "But the Lord stood at my side and gave me strength." Paul had nobody, literally. He was in prison and yet he can write Philippians 4:4, "Rejoice in the Lord always, again I say rejoice!" He writes this and leaves his life as an example of one sold out for Christ because Jesus was all he needed. The great thing about God is we get to have a loving relationship with Him. Even in all my troubles, struggles, hardships, and persecutions I get God and that is enough. Are you trying to find joy, purpose, and meaning in things other than seeking to be with God? Now is a good time to evaluate. Now is a good time to fall in love with Jesus because He is all you need. Is He enough for you?

Idols?

What do you think of when you think of idols? There are many examples of idols all throughout Scripture such as the 450 prophets of baal and their idols, the golden calf, and the many examples of sacrifices made to idols, etc. However, we rarely think about things in our lives that we have made into idols. The Scriptures are clear about loving God. The greatest commandment is to love God with all your heart, mind, strength, and soul (Matthew 22:37-39). If you love God, you'll obey His commands (John 14:15). Do we mistakenly make things in our lives idols?

Timothy Keller says, "We think idols are bad things, but that is almost never the case. The greater the good, the more likely we are to expect that it can satisfy our deepest needs and hopes. Anything can serve as a counterfeit god, especially the very best things in life." Did you catch that last sentence...anything?? Idols are anything that are more important to you than God; anything that you seek to satisfy the needs that only God can meet. Idols are rarely bad things. They are usually good things in our lives but we have replaced our love for God with them. You see, God doesn't just want half your heart. He also though, doesn't want you to be miserable. He gives us many things that are enjoyable and make life more pleasurable, but when those things take over and we focus more on them, we remove God from the equation. God blesses us with many relationships, but do those relationships drive you and are you more focused on pleasing the other person than you are in pleasing God? God blesses us with success, but does success drive you to want more of it that your focus then turns from God to power? God blesses us with money, but does the love of money cause you to turn your focus from giving God the first portion of every blessing you receive?

In reality, many of us have idols in our lives right now that we are not aware of. They remove our focus from God and from seeking Him in all we do. Hebrews 12:1-3 tells us to throw off everything that hinders us from growing more in love with God and honoring Him. Romans 1:25 says, "They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen." We must remove all idols from our lives. The longer they stay, the harder it is to remove them. The longer they stay, the harder it is to continue to walk faithfully with God...Pastor Steven Furtick says, "Who cares if you learn a new principle if the old ones you’re still living by contradict it?"

Haiti

I have had the privilege of being on multiple mission trips throughout my life from inner city Detroit, Mississippi, and Florida to Guatemala, Africa, and Russia. The more I am exposed, the more I am blessed. There is something about seeing poverty like that first hand and being able to love on children who do not get that kind of attention. Missions for me puts life into perspective of how blessed we are to live in the States.

We just completed our Fall push the last couple of weekends getting students and adults signed up into eGroups (Small Groups at Elevation). We saw over 1,300 students and adults get plugged in. It was amazing, but with that many people signing up comes a lot of computer work and organizing, making sure people are where they are supposed to be. So on Tuesday, I entered work like I have been the last couple weeks knowing that I had a lot of stuff to do. As I was leaving the office at 5:45, I just so happened to catch a conversation with 2 ladies who were talking about Haiti and how Sean (the lead photographer at Elevation) needed someone to go along to help carry equipment. Long and crazy story short, I was told that I may be going to Haiti and to stand-by. At 8:30 PM I got a message saying that it probably wasn't going to happen because they couldn't find a flight home for me. At 10:30 PM I got a call saying that I was going to Haiti, flight was booked, and to meet at the church at 3 AM to head to the airport. Over the next 3 days I would be in Miami helping Sean with a Pastor wives dinner event and then on my way to Haiti with 7 Pastor wives from all over the country including our very own Holly Furtick. We got to visit three orphanages (including the one that Elevation sponsors) and drive around Haiti looking at the destruction that happened because of the Earthquake in 2010. Haiti, being a third world country already, left 600,000 plus people living in tents wherever they could set up. That is 900,000 people less than the original number of people that were left stranded because of the earthquake. It's tough to come to terms with the damage that was done. The Palace was completely destroyed and the famous Cathedral in Porte Au Prince was left with pretty much just the structure. That however, was not the heartbreaking part...

The orphans were thrilled to see us. The women had the opportunity to feed and serve the children at each orphanage but it was at the orphanage that Elevation sponsors where my heart was completely left in ruins. Here, while the women were serving most of the children inside, I was able to play some soccer with some of the older kids. We had a lot of fun and I love to be able to interact with kids that way. Towards the end of that visit I was standing next to a boy named Peterson who looked very sad. He was 3 years old and was wearing shoes that were 2 sizes too small. I picked him up and sat him on my lap and he shared with me his bouncy ball. Holly came over and noticed that he had a large hernia sticking out of his stomach. An easy surgery that he probably will never get to have. I'm sure that was the reason for his sad look. He was probably miserable and in constant pain. As we were leaving, I put him down and started to walk to our vehicle. I turned around to wave goodbye and there was Peterson running my way with his arms up wanting me to pick him back up. This was when my heart sank. I picked him back up for a short while, hugged him tight, and put him back down on the ground. As soon as his feet hit the ground he grabbed hold of my pants. It was in that moment that I had to fight back tears. I had to call over one of the orphan leaders to pick him up so we could leave. That picture will stay with me forever.

I love being able to witness stuff like this first hand. I think of James 1:27 - "Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world." I think everyone should help out with missions in one way or another and yes I believe that giving is great and a must but there is something that is worth much more than money...that is time. These kids don't get loved on. They don't get quality time. They don't get physical touch. I think the best times for children in areas of poverty are those days when they are loved...actually I think that is the case for every single human being. We all want to be loved and Jesus was the perfect example of it. I encourage all of you if you have not already to go on a missions trip to a third world country. It will put life into perspective for you and will help you understand what it means to be grateful. You will also be blessed far more than you'll ever think was possible. In fact, when going on missions, my mindset has usually been, I can't wait to serve and bless these people. But every time I leave, I end up being blessed much more by those I serve because they are far more grateful than I am and they have far less...

Photos and video by Sean Lyon...

Picture with Peterson

The Cathedral

The Palace

Timing Matters - by Larry Hubatka

This blog was written by Larry Hubatka. He is one of the Campus Pastor's here at Elevation and this is a great reminder about timing. Let it encourage you to always be obedient to what God is telling you to do... 


One of the best lessons I’ve learned from my Pastor is timing matters.

Short version…read Numbers 13-14. 12 spies went out to take a look at the land God promised Israel, and only 2 were feelin’ it. 2 wanted to take what God said was theirs. 2 said the obstacles were real, but not too big for God.

But 10 said, “no”. 10 couldn’t believe it was possible to overtake the natives. 10 decided they weren’t interested…at least not yet.

So they all passed.

Until enough time passed and they decided, “maybe it’s time to go back and take what’s ours”.

But by that time, the window had closed. The opportunity had passed. The door was shut. Whatever the cliche, it was no longer an option. Because timing matters.

Moses wanted to lead Israel into the Promised Land, finally. The land the 2 wanted to enter into long ago. The 2, Joshua and Caleb, had good intentions, but it wasn’t enough to swing everyone over to their side. And consequently, everyone was shut out of the Promised Land, because they didn’t go the first time around when they were directed to–regardless of the circumstances.

Timing matters.

Don’t miss the opportunity, because you talk yourself out of it when the circumstances look too daunting.

You never lose God’s love. But you can lose out on opportunities when you don’t go when you’re supposed to go.

Danger: Being vs. Doing

Satan is powerful and can make you feel like you're living in hell, but he can't stop you from being saved. Larry Brey told us a powerful story of a guy named Sam last month during our "Follow" series. Sam found himself in the darkest moment of his life. In fact, the story takes place with him in the bagel shop just a mile down the road from Elevation. He was planning to take the life of his father and then to take his own life when a man walked up to him and took him to Elevation for church that morning. Sam got saved and God totally changed his story. Sam was the first person to be baptized at our brand new University Campus. Praise God. But how do you stay in a place of joy? How to you stay away from going into autopilot in your faith?

God has given us all strengths and weaknesses. No matter how strong a strength is or how weak a weakness may seem, we must lay it down at the feet of Jesus and bring Him the glory in all we do...daily. We all must find our identity in Christ. I wrote a blog earlier on our identity (you can read it here...Identity).  The danger in ministry is becoming the gift that God gave you. For me personally, I am called to work with and lead students to a growing relationship with Christ, but who I am is crucified with Christ (Galatians 2:20). What I do is not who I am. My confidence and identity needs to be in Christ and not what I do for Him. Am I too busy working for God or am I filled with a relationship with Him? Am I trying to be a quotable person or am I living a life that is well pleasing to God?

Acts 1:8 says "you will be my witnesses." The difference between being and doing is simple but drastic. Doing is all about self and what I can do with my hands and my life to make a difference. Being is what God does through you...it is what you have become. Brey says, "We must be careful to never reduce the will of God to just doing." The question to ask yourself is what do you want to become? God did not create you to do something, He created you to be someone! The greatest contentment in life is when your identity is found in God and you become the person He intended you to be, not just doing the work He wants you to complete.

Called To Carry

I love the different translations of the Word of God; sometimes a look at multiple versions helps explain a passage. Galatians 6:2 is one of those verses. In the NIV, God calls us to carry the burdens of others. NLT says to share each other's burdens. The NASB and ESV say to bear one another's burdens. The Greek word for bear is bastazo and its literal translation means 'to take up'. It is the same word that is used in Luke 14:27 when God says that whoever does not 'take up' their own cross and come after me is not my disciple.  The word is used as a command. We are to take up our own cross; we are also to take up the burdens of others, helping bear, carry, or share the load. Sometimes the best thing you can do while people are in their darkest moments is do things to take their mind off their problems. How many of you would have loved it if someone had just gotten you out of the house for a weekend or a night? Don't shy away from doing simple things for others. Jesus constantly showed His love to others, some were through miracles, others through compassion, and still others through serving. A kind gesture goes a long way for someone who desperately needs it.

In Pastor Steven Furtick's book "Sun Stand Still" he says, "Faith is contagious. You will be empowered when you surround yourself with people who will help to bear the burden of your Sun Stand Still prayer. They'll help you keep the vision in sight when there's nothing to see. They'll remind you of God's faithfulness when your own faith is faltering. They'll increase the effectiveness of your prayer exponentially by joining their faith with yours." In the same way, just as prayer gets stronger with more people, you get stronger through your struggles with a team. Matthew 18:20 talks about the presence and power of God when two or three are gathered in His name. There is power in numbers...there is power when we join together in Christ. How can you carry the burdens of others? How can you bless someone today?

Struggles

Every Christian goes through struggles of some sort. I wrote a blog earlier on Romans 12:12...joyful in hope, patient in afflictions, and faithful in prayer (you can read it here 12:12). We can know through our struggles in life that no matter what we are going through, God is with us and led us there. He is trying to teach us something. We must never take for granted or complain in our lowest of valleys because they are always tests of faith. God wants to know if you are going to cling to Him, even when things don't go our way or when circumstances seem hopeless or unfair. God is good and always faithful. Romans 8:28 says that all things work together for good for those who love Him...so we have this assurance and promise that good things are ahead, if we would only continue to trust in God. It may not make any sense why your life may seem to be falling apart but God is in control. 2 Corinthians 1:5 says, "For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows." Another encouraging verse is found in 1 Corinthians 10:13...God will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. He will provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.

Sometimes though, it's tough. Honestly speaking, the trials some of us go through just seem flat out ridiculous. They seem ridiculous to us, because we don't understand. Again, my only answer for this is for you to know more Scripture. I was reading the controversial book "Love Wins" by Rob Bell and was getting very frustrated. He has some absurd questions he brings up in his book. Although, he has some good points about the love of God, he misses the sovereignty of Him altogether. I was convicted while watching a video post by Francis Chan. He brings up two passages of Scripture. Isaiah 55 talks about our thoughts are not God's thoughts and our ways are not God's ways. This is why some things do not make sense and why we don't have answers to some questions. He goes on to explain Romans 9 where it talks about the potter and the clay. The clay cannot tell the potter what to do can he? So then why are we questioning God when He allows things to happen in our lives? That right there will hit some of you hard.

When it comes to faith, even in our darkest moments, Pastor Britt Merrick is the guy to listen from. In his book "Big God" he explains the horrible experience his family went through when doctors found a cancerous tumor the size of a nerf football in his 5 year old daughter. He had an opportunity to ask 'why' and question God but he didn't. He says, "Having been fortified by the Word of God, we never had to ask why. We simply always said, 'we trust you, God'...It didn't require any great faith because we had read our Bibles and knew that our God was a big God whom we could trust, no matter what. That is what gave us a foundation, a solid footing when it seemed as if the world crumbled around us."

You see, if we just knew what the Bible said, I think we would be in a lot better shape when struggles come. God doesn't promise us understanding. He promises us peace beyond understanding (Philippians 4:7). Psalm 119: 71 - "It was good for me to be afflicted so that I might learn your decrees." Psalm 119:28 - "My soul is weary with sorrow, strengthen me according to your word." Psalm 119:50 - "My comfort in my suffering is this: Your promise preserves my life." Psalm 62:5-8 - "Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from Him. He alone is my rock and my salvation; He is my fortress, I will not be shaken. My salvation and my honor depend on God; He is my mighty rock, my refuge. Trust in Him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts to Him, for God is our refuge."

Finally, I'll close with this...Psalm 46:10 - "Be still and know that He is God." The best thing we can do in the midst of our worst circumstances is just repeat Scripture, knowing that God has already dealt with our issue. God wins!

The Sin Of Silence

A lot of us commit the sin of silence, or the lack of sharing our faith. Evangelism is not just something that we should do, but something that we must do. It is a command. Matthew 28:19-20 tells us to 'go and make disciples'. It is a primary responsibility as a Christian.

The debate between Calvinism and Armenianism has its differences. Often times, it's not necessarily an argument over evangelism but has a lot to do with it. The problem here is that we over complicate evangelism instead of over emphasize it. Clayton King says something convicting that some people, "waste their entire lives debating the meaning of the Scriptures, never placing their lives in subjection to its authority." Everyone has their opinions but when it comes to Scripture there are just some things that we need to be doing. We need to be an example at all times, through our words and deeds. From this stand point, many people will say that Christians are hypocrites...and unfortunately, it's often times true. The problem is, we need to stop comparing ourselves to others and start comparing ourselves to Christ. He is the standard. No one is perfect, even the greatest Christian leaders have their flaws. Everyone is hypocritical at some point and we all fail...daily. Johnnie Moore says, "It's ok to be a hypocrite in transition, it's not ok to be a hypocrite and not care or not be aware of it." We must let God change us and use us for His glory.


We have many excuses as to why we don't share our faith more often but here is a convicting thought. We are supposed to resemble Christ and He set a very good example. Out of the 132 contacts that Jesus had with people recorded in the New Testament, 10 were in the temple or synagogue, and 122 were out in the mainstream of life. 92% of the time, Jesus was witnessing to people out on the street and in public.

Matthew 9:37-38 says, "Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.” The fact is, it's not about you, it never was. It's all about Christ. The opportunities to share the Gospel are around you every day, you just have to tune your eyes and thoughts to be more aware of it. It must be a thought that is constantly on your mind. Most people are extremely fearful to share their faith but here is something encouraging. People are never rejecting you, they are rejecting Christ. Our only job is to be obedient to Him and obedience happens when we obey His commands. Matthew 10:22 says that all men will hate you because of the Lord's name, but those that stand firm till the end will be saved. It is better to be obedient and stand alone than to follow the crowd. I find it interesting how many College students would rather follow their friends to 'failure' than walk on their own to 'success'. When you stand before God, none of your friends, family members, or anybody else are going to be standing with you...just you and God and this question is going to be asked: "What did you do with what I gave you?" Are you making the most of your opportunities to share the love of Christ?

For The Joy

Since the topic of Stauros is still fresh, there is another important aspect to get out of it that I didn't touch before. Hebrews 12:1-3 says, "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw down everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith. Who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart."


I want to focus on three words found in verse 2. The words, "for the joy" are used. That verse talks nothing about happiness, but all about joyfulness. There is a difference between joy and happiness as I have said before. Happiness is based off circumstances. Joyfulness is based off your identity in Christ. Once again, Jesus didn't have to go to the cross. He willfully went on our behalf so that we could be joined with Him in eternity. In fact, He went joyfully. Think about that. He knew exactly what was before Him. He knew it was going to be incredibly painful. This was going to be the worst experience on earth and His attitude was joyful. Not because of the pain, but because of God's faithfulness. He knew that no matter how brutal it was going to be, in the end He was going to be raised from the grave and defeat evil. He knew that because of the cross, we would get to experience salvation. He knew the outcome and therefore was joyful. That is an attitude many of us need to adopt. 


The great thing about the Bible is we are told the end story. We already know who wins the war. That means no matter what we go through, we can do it with a joyful attitude knowing that God is in control. His past faithfulness is proof for your current situation that Christ is going to bring you victory. His current situation was way worse than any of ours. He was facing death and the most humbling form of it. They beat Him beyond recognition...then nailed Him to a cross...where He slowly suffocated. He had no reason to be happy, but through it all He was joyful because of the end result. Some of us need to refocus our thinking and look more at the end result knowing that Christ has a perfect plan. That is how Paul endured so much persecution and prison with such a positive attitude because He knows who has the final say. That is why we can rejoice in everything (Philippians 4:4). 

Scars

There isn't a 'religion' in the world that is based around love except those who place their faith in Christ. 1 John 3:16 tells us exactly how to know what love is and it is exactly what Jesus did for us on the cross.  Our Savior is incredible and for that fact alone we should worship Him. When you understand the importance of the cross and how loving our Heavenly Father really is, it's impossible not to worship Him and be thankful, even in our roughest moments.

I was at a Hillsong concert a couple weeks ago and was totally blown away by their ministry but I wanted to share something that hit me hard during one of their songs. I couldn't help but think about it in depth. They have a song titled Take Heart and in that song they sing, "He (Jesus) wears the scars of my freedom." Not only is it a powerful song but many things were pressed hard on my heart when they sang that lyric. Troubles will always come but we are to take heart because God has already overcome them...in fact, He has already overcome the world (John 16:33).

The title of my blog is "The Gift Of Stauros" but you don't know what it really means. Stauros is the Greek word for cross but it paints a much more vivid picture. That word alone carries so much meaning. To be crucified meant to be shamed. It was feared. It was the most disgraceful, low, and humbling way to die. Families would shun another family member if they were to die through crucifixion. Stauros was a word so serious that people would refrain from saying it altogether. It carried so much weight to its meaning because it meant far more than just being crucified. It carried the weight of those nails piercing flesh, the spitting and cursing, the flesh ripping beatings, the mocking, the struggle, the entire grueling, tiring, and painful experience that our innocent Savior willfully went through so that we could join in His marvelous glory. Christ did not have to go through it but because He loves us so much, He took our penalty upon Himself. He wears the scars that belong to us so that we could be free. Are you willing to receive scars for Him? Are you willing to lose friends for Him? Are you willing to stand alone for Him? Have you thanked God today for not only the countless blessings we have received but also that we did not have to endure the beating of the cross? 


"The cross is not simply a crutch for defeat; it’s a trophy of victory." 

A Wasted Life

No one really wants to make a poor choice. The choices we make have consequences...some more severe than others. We can sometimes find ourselves laughing at the poor choices of others...often times I'll hear these words, "What was he/she thinking??" However, sometimes it may seem impossible to see the outcome of our actions. I'm convinced though, that no one really wants to ruin their life, but many of us waste it.

There's a difference between ruining your life and wasting it. What does it mean as a Believer to waste your life? This is a question we find that Paul raised in 1 Corinthians 15 and after studying the passage, the emotion and passion involved are seriously convicting and mind boggling. He claims that his life would be a complete waste if Jesus was not raised from the grave. He lived in such a way that people thought he was 'wasting' his life for the cause of Christ and he was even pitied. They did not understand why he risked his life for the spreading of the Gospel or why he spent most of his adult life in prison because of the Gospel. People thought Paul was crazy.


The question and reality is, if the Gospel was proved false, would our day to day lives change? Besides the church services or Bible studies you attend, time you spend reading, praying, and fasting, or the occasional mission trips/service projects you do, would your life be any different from someone who has nothing to do with Christ? Think about that for a minute. For Paul, if the Gospel was false, his life would have been wasted trying to reach people with the good news. His life in prison would have meant nothing and his missionary journeys would have been useless. BUT because the grave is empty, our lives should reflect what we believe. We should be living in such a way that our life should not make any sense to people who do not believe in Jesus Christ. They should look on us with pity. After all, that might be the greatest compliment. Christine Caine says, "Our willingness to be misunderstood is what determines whether we actually end up fulfilling the purpose God has for our lives."

The cost of not risking your life for Jesus is greater than the cost it takes to follow Him.

Every Day

Every day is a new beginning. Pastor Steven uses an illustration of the shot clock in the NBA. If the offensive team gets the rebound after a shot, they get a new 24 or a new shot clock. Like a new 24 shot clock, every day we get a new 24. Our certain circumstances might not change, but we get a new day, a new attitude to look at our obstacles. You have limitless possibilities in your life when Christ is at the center.

Sin is something that we all struggle with on a daily basis. It is something that we must become more aware of in order to honor God better through our words and actions. Paul said in 1 Corinthians 15:31 that he must die every day to his sin. In Romans 6:11 he says we must count ourselves as dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Again in Romans 13:14 he says clothe yourselves in Christ and do not think about how to gratify the desires of your sinful nature.

How do we do this? How do I clothe myself in Christ? How do I die every day?

Fortunately, it's a lot easier than we as Christians make it out to be. It's about reading the Word more but not just reading it...memorizing it. Understanding the importance of every word written and applying it to your daily life. I must not think about how to gain pleasures in this world that do not honor God, and when temptation comes, remember Romans 13:14. It is easy to refuse sin when you can quote Scripture that deals with that specific temptation. That is why it is important to know what the Bible says. My man Reggi puts it this way, "If Christianity were difficult, it would be difficult; but because it is impossible, it's easy." Think about it...a lot of things do not make sense and we make loving people and serving them a lot more difficult than it needs to be. Christ took all our sin upon Himself on the Cross and He calls us to love Him with all our hearts...and then to love others, serving them, and putting their needs before your own. The cross is the perfect example of selflessness. It is impossible to do anything on our own strength, but with God we are capable of doing the impossible (Philippians 4:13). The question is...are you willing to give up your own 'rights' and desires for God?

The truth is, it's a battle...a daily battle. A battle that starts from the minute you wake. The good thing is you have a choice, regardless of your circumstances. You can choose to be joyful or you can choose to be in a bad mood. Happiness is based off circumstances. Joyfulness is based off your identity in Christ.  It is difficult to always make the right choices but it starts in your heart. It's a renewing of your mind (Romans 12:2) and leading by example. It's about removing people in your life that always bring you down. 1 Corinthians 15:33 says, "Bad company corrupts good character." You will always fall to the mercies of your surroundings unless you plant your foot in Christ and remove the stumbling blocks. Clayton King says it perfectly, "We find life by losing our rights, our cravings, our wants, and our obsessions. We find meaning and purpose when we live for something bigger and greater than us...We have gained life from His death, and now we participate daily in living out that life by continually dying to all things that would exalt self and sin and pride. Dying to live is not trendy, sexy, or cool. But it's the only way to gain life, the only way to know Jesus, the only way to be free from the trap of living for yourself and dying hopeless." What is it today that is keeping you from dying to yourself and sin?

You'd Be Surprised - By Jamie Wright

Jamie is a missionary in Costa Rica. She is hilarious and is not scared to be openly honest about everything. I read this on her blog the other day and had to share it with you because it's convicting and I couldn't write it better...

The setting sun cast an orangey-pink glow against the dirt-bag SurfWind motel. A couple of hookers and a drunk lingered by the corner of the building and a guy leaned against the flag pole with a cigarette.

Enjoying a happy ending smoke, I suppose.

I joked, “If herpes was a color, it’d be that orangey-pink.”  But my friend stayed quiet in the drivers seat. Stupidly, I kept talking, sharing my disgust for the scene outside my window, “You’ve gotta be some kind of desperate to pay for sex. Who does that, anyway? What kind of guy uses a hooker?!”

“You’d be surprised…” is all he said.

And I assumed he was talking about the mayor of San Francisco…or Kevin Bacon, or something.

But that moment in front of the SurfWind motel came back in a flood of understanding a year later, when my friend said he needed to talk and I found him lying on the floor, just a pile of tears and snot, and I heard his confession through his sobs. As it turns out, he was that guy, the kind that uses hookers.

He was married, he was a pastor, and he was right – I was surprised.

Later, I sat talking with a group of women while we sipped coffee and nibbled the ends of crispy cookies like emaciated wannabe super-models. One of the women started a little rant against abortion, and the other ladies clucked and nodded in approval. “Who does that?” she raged, “What kind of person murders an unborn child?”

I glanced from one face to the next, hopeful for signs of Grace and Mercy, when I finally settled on the president of the PTA sitting across from me, her brown eyes rimmed with tears. Very quietly, as if whispering a secret to her steaming latte, she answered, “You’d be surprised.” But the chatter of the soccer moms had already moved on to important things, like who saw the last episode of “The Bachelor”.

I sat in that circle of women, buzzing from the caffeine high and thinking on my own dark secrets; the guys I’d slept with, the drugs I’d played with, the teen pregnancy. I was thinking about how, even now, as a grown woman, a married mother of 3, I was still broken, still doing awful things that I was ashamed of. And then I ate the rest of my cookie, plus two more, because I knew that as soon as I got home I would stick my finger down my throat and barf them up.

As I reached for a fourth, one of the ladies leaned over and put her hand on my knee, saying, “Jamie, how is the whole missionary thing going? That’s just so exciting! I mean, who does that?!Who moves halfway across the world to serve Jesus?!”

And I had to smile. “Oh, you’d be surprised…”

Do you really want to know who does “that?” Because, honestly, you’d be surprised.

We are the People of the Second Chance.  We are anorexic missionaries, pastors with porn habits, and PTA Mom’s with shady pasts. We are “that guy”. Wholly broken and fully redeemed, we no longer wonder “Who does that?!” because we already know the answer.

That kind of person…. needs a Second Chance.

I need a second chance.

And maybe you do, too.

2,158

It has been an amazing experience at Elevation the past two weeks. The series has been called "Follow" and Pastor Steven tied in a great parallel to the life of a Christian. He used the illustration Twitter. There are many people that we may 'follow' on Twitter...some are our heros, some are random, some are famous, and some are people that we may or may not agree with in different stances of faith or morals. The point is, some of us are following Jesus like we may 'follow' some people on Twitter. We agree with Him or believe certain parts of the Bible but we aren't fully on board. We don't live a life separate from the world. His challenge and illustration was deep and convicting. It was a great way to call people into baptism and to boldly proclaim faith in God. Baptism is not about salvation in Christ, it is about identifying yourself with Him. The Bible calls everyone who believes in God to be baptized and it was a great experience to be apart of. I will remember what happened this weekend for the rest of my life.

The first weekend we had 1,426 people baptized. To top that off, 732 more people stepped forward in baptism the very next weekend. That's a total of 2,158 people being baptized through Elevation Church in two weekends. Do you understand how amazing that is? Just read Acts 2! There were so many amazing stories but I want to share one with you that had a personal impact on my life. Last month, we took nearly 600 students and staff on our Summer Trip at Crossroads. I had a group of seven middle school guys who were a lot of fun. They were all talking about how on fire they were for Christ and how much fun they were having throughout the week. One of the guys, named Garrett, kept telling me late at night that He understood the Gospel but just wasn't yet ready to accept Jesus as His personal Savior. We talked a couple more times but I just committed to praying for him. Three weeks later, we are standing in one of the baptism lines talking to another kid from our group who was about to be baptized. I pulled Garrett aside and asked him what was up. He said that he still wasn't ready. I responded why and what are you waiting for? He paused for about 25 seconds. I could see the spiritual battle going on right in front of me before he looked me square in the eyes and said, "You know what, you're right. I need to do this. I need to give my life to Christ right now and I need to get baptized." I watched Garrett come up out of the water, he came right over to me and gave me a hug...dripping wet. I had to hold it together because guys don't cry right? For me, there is not a lot of things better in this life then to see students accept Jesus and then to witness them publicly profess Christ through baptism. In fact, four of my students got baptized and I watched them all. Over the weekend, we had hundreds of students step up through baptism and it is incredible to see God change the lives of so many young people. That is why I am involved in student ministry. Praise God!

Click on this link to watch the incredible video that our Video Team put together after the first weekend...inspiring!
http://vimeo.com/27442072

Here are a couple photo's taken off of Pastor Steven Furtick's blog...

DNA

Paul says in Ephesians 3:16-19, "I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God." 
Paul says a similar thing in Colossians 2:6-7, "So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness."


Paul uses this word "rooted" that has a pretty significant meaning. To be rooted in Christ means to be rooted back to the origins of Christ...the foundation of Him. It means to be established, firm, and fixed in Christ. In order for the roots to be firm and established, the plant must be nourished. Just like a muscle needs to be worked out in order to grow. The same goes for our faith; we must feed ourselves the Word daily and work out our faith in order to grow spiritually. 


When we are born again and believe in Christ, we share in His DNA. My man Reggi talks about this illustration of a lamb that I found very interesting. Sometimes, a sheep will die while giving birth. In order for the lamb to survive it must first feed from the mother sheep. But a sheep will know if the lamb is hers or not based off the smell and will not feed a lamb unless it is her own. The farmer will then shave some of the hair off the mother sheep and tie the necklace of fur around the lamb that is not hers. When the lamb comes to feed, the mother allows the lamb because she can not tell the difference that it was not hers. Eventually after time, the lamb drinks from her long enough to have the DNA in her and the neckless of fur is removed. The sheep can not tell the difference and takes the lamb in as her own. When we are born again and believe in the true Gospel of Jesus Christ we create a new bond. Our dependence on the Father creates DNA so strong that He can no longer distinguish us from His own Son. We are co-heirs with Christ (Romans 8:17, Galatians 4). We are children of God who have the same access to our Father. We have the same power that every person in the Old Testament carried. We have the same rights. Unfortunately, we don't believe in the same way. We don't seek our Father the same way. We don't ask for miracles the same way. We don't act in a matter that reflects Christ in our day to day lives. We need to just go back to the roots, plant our feet in the Word of God, and live a life that honors our Father in Heaven.