Top 5 List 08/29/14

Our twelve year old daughter has seven friends joining her at Casa Canote tonight for a birthday sleepover.  I am not that skilled when it comes to math but I am fairly certain that means there will be eight 12 year old girls in my home overnight.... Somehow, I was nominated (by my wife, of course) to help said eight twelve year old girls make matching tie-dye tshirts.  More coffee and bacon, STAT!

Below is my weekly (usually, Friday....usually every week) Top 5 list of my favorite blog entries and posts for the previous week.  If they made my list, they had an impact, made me LOL, challenged me, or stepped on my toes and ultimately stuck with me.

God is good...all the time.  I hope He is blessing your socks off this fine day in your surrender and service to Him!

Enjoy and keep telling THE Story!



TOP 5 LIST - Friday, August 29, 2014

• David Platt @PlattDavid
• Author and pastor of the Church at Brook Hills, David Platt offers up a great challenge and reminder of just what Jesus meant when He said, "Follow me."
• "What Does It Mean to REALLY Follow Jesus?"

• Luke Gilkerson, author of the Covenant Eyes blog provides some great tips and advice at a time when porn is everywhere and difficult to avoid.  It is no longer something you must go dark alley on the wrong side of town to get your hands on.  It shows up unwelcome in every web search and in our email daily.  At every turn, it is shoved in our faces....primetime television, on t-shirts, billboards, bumper stickers, etc.  It absolutely not something, as parents, we can ignore.
• "5 Mistakes Parents Make When Talking About Porn"

• Dr. John Yeats @DrJYeats
• Writer, editor, pastor and Missouri Southern Baptist, writes this article and challenge to pray, published in the August 8, 2014 edition of The Pathway.
• "The Key Component For Making A Difference"

• Joshua Reich @JoshuaReich
• Below are links for Joshua's notes including some excellent highlights and takeaways from Day 1 of the 2014 Global Leadership Summit #GLS14
• Morning:
• "Great Quotes from Day 1 of the Leadership Summit"
• Afternoon:
• "Great Quotes from Day 1 of the Leadership Summit"

• Thom Rainer @ThomRainer
• This is a great leadership podcast and article from Rainer's leadership blog, Rainer On Leadership including a Top 10 list.
• "Why Church Members Don't Invite Others To Church"

See ya in church!

"What's the Good of Prayer?" - Oswald Chambers - 08/28/14

"What's the Good of Prayer"

"My Utmost for His Highest" - Oswald Chambers - August 28

"...Our common ideas regarding prayer are not found in the New Testament. We look upon prayer simply as a means of getting things for ourselves, but the biblical purpose of prayer is that we may get to know God Himself..."

Come As You Are

8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
Ephesians 2:8-10

When our family hosts ministry teams in Mexico with Evident Ministries it is good.  We and our ministry teams are doing our Jesus thing.  We are sweating for Jesus and it is good. Jesus DID say, "Go and make disciples." We ARE going....but.  But, here is what Jesus did NOT say:  "Go and make disciples...1 or 2  weeks per year."  We have a responsibility, as "Ambassadors of Christ", to be on the clock 24/7, 52 weeks per year.  It is just too easy to take our 1 or 2 weeks per year and mark "evangelism" off on our checklist.  Our sinful nature within makes too easy to pridefully think of ourselves as "having arrived" and as better than others because we have that item checked on our checklist...

Can I just tell ya something?  No one is a member of the body of Christ because they deserve to be!  None of us got God’s attention by our perfection.  In fact, none of us EVER even came close. Romans 3:23 says, we ALL fall short of the glory of God.  As Christians, we are sinners saved by the grace of God and I am very grateful for that.

Someone said this, 

"The church is the only organization in the world where the only qualification for membership is to be unqualified.” 

Therefore, what the church is NOT is a place for people who have “arrived” or who are 100% obedient and just soooo spiritual.  The church is actually a place for those who are needy, afraid, confused, and quite sinful.  If you are a Christian and I am correct, I should have just described you:  Needy, afraid, confused, and quite sinful.

I believe this is one of the best principals the church has going for her.  Not much is more appealing or attractive to the unchurched than to find out there really is a place where they can go and NOT be intimidated by the FALSE notion that the church is full of PERFECT PEOPLE!

As a member of the Body of Christ, you may not realize it but some of your non-Christian friends really do think the church is full of perfect people.  Do you wonder where they got that idea?  If you have ever been around a bunch of spiritually snooty folks then you already know. There is hardly anyone less approachable than a group of Christ followers who have forgotten how they received God's Grace in the first place and how much they needed it when they did. 

On the other hand – hardly anything is more attractive than a bunch of humble sinners, gathered as the family of God, saved by His Grace, sincerely praising Jesus for His love!  “Yeah, sometimes I struggle.”, admitted by a humble Christ follower, is an attractive thing to hear for the unchurched.  It is attractive and it is refreshing.  

Can I just tell ya something? Our Savior is perfect but we are not!  In fact, I can safely say, we as Christians, are all still in the molding process.  We are a work in progress.  In our surrender, He IS MAKING (not has made) us more like Him.  Some of us may have matured in our faith to a place of consistency...by God's Grace.  But, the truth is even the most spiritually mature among us still struggle everyday sin.  We may have reached a point of general success with facing our anxieties and temptations…but we still have them. 

If we every going to be welcoming, not only in our church families, but in our faith circles as well, we must be willing to do what it takes to create a "Come As You Are" culture.

We must be willing to:  MAKE ALLOWANCES
We must follow the pattern set forth by God toward us and show grace.  God allowed us to come to Him in salvation in our imperfect state...while we were yet sinners.  We must be willing allow others into our world in THEIR imperfect state.

We must be willing to:  BE AUTHENTIC
The Bible is crystal clear about this.  We need to be #TellingTHEStory but we have no right to brag or boast about our salvation.  It is absolutely NOT a reward for good behavior.  


We must be willing to:  BE GOD’S MASTERPIECE
We are God's masterpiece.  His Word says so.  Let's live like we know it.  God is crafting a great work of art out of each of us.  We are created anew in Christ Jesus.  Can anyone tell this is true by how we live...or must we tell them?

PRAYER
Father, help us to allow other people to question our faith.  Help us to allow people to wrestle with their faith.  Help us to stay humble, childlike, and authentic.  Help our lives to be "Grace with skin on".  I pray others will see the good deeds and works your Grace is doing in our lives in a light which inspires them to want to experience your Grace as well.  Father put our lives on display for your Glory!  Amen.

Top 5 List 08/16/14

Sometimes, before you know it, Friday turns into Saturday..... Happy Saturday my friends!  Below is my weekly (Friday) Top 5 list of my favorite blog entries and posts for the previous week.  If they made my list, they had an impact, made me LOL, challenged me, or stepped on my toes and ultimately stuck with me.

God is good...all the time.  I hope He is blessing your socks off this fine day in your surrender and service to Him!

Enjoy and keep telling THE Story!



TOP 5 LIST - Saturday, August 16, 2014

• George Sisneros @GeorgeSisneros
• This is a great missions blog entry about life on the field from the Sisneros family, living and serving in Guatemala. 
• "And here's where it turns plain weird!"

• Ann Swindell - @AnnSwindell
• Ann Swindell, teaches writing at Wheaton College  writes about life, marriage, and God's kindness at annswindell.com. 
• Here, in an article published in Relevent Magazine, Swindell breaks down this word: "discipleship" and what Jesus meant by "make disciples of all nations".
• "What Christians Get Wrong About Discipleship"

• Top 40 Christian Songs Playlist
• This is a Top 40 video playlist of contemporary Christian worship music videos on YouTube.

• Hare Translation Journey
• An excellent and challenging missions post for parents from missionary Stacey Hare from her family's mission field of Cameroon, Africa.
• Serving as Bible translators for World Team, you can follow their journey on their blog:  Hare Translation Journey
• "Am I a Horrible Parent for Moving My Kids BACK to Africa?" 

• Evident Ministries, Inc. - @evidentmin
• We're so excited about Project Blessing, this may have to stay on the list for a while!  It's another shameless plug for what God is doing Evident Ministries.  We've launched a new ministry project called: Project Blessing.  Named in honor of Blessing Noel Kingery, it is our version of a Christmas Shoebox ministry for children in Acuña, Mexico who might otherwise not receive a single gift for Christmas.  At the same time, they will hear about the greatest gift ever given in the Grace of Jesus Christ and the message of the Cross.
• Evident Ministries, Inc. - "Project Blessing"

See ya in church!

Got purpose?

"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." Philippians 4:8


What is the purpose of this life?  
What is our purpose?  
What are we supposed to be doing here? 
We’ve been given some time on Earth…why?  
What should we be doing with that time?

I believe those are some pretty good questions we ought to be asking ourselves.  Something to ponder.  Unfortunately, a lot of folks never give them a single thought....that is until some tragic comes along.

One place my mind nearly always ends up running through a similar list of questions and ponderings is when I am sitting through a funeral service.  What should I be doing with the time I have been given?  Am I doing it?

In the movie, "Castaway", the character Chuck, played by Tom Hanks, the man in charge of a FedEx office located in some European country, gives his staff a pep talk.  Chuck tells is team, "we live or die by the clock".  If you have seen the movie, you might remember that 26 minutes into the movie, Chuck's plane crashed into the ocean and he ends up spending 4 years stranded alone on a small island.  The movie makes the point that time is valuable and we only get so much of it.  Every second counts.

Hey, can I just tell ya something?  Here's the deal:  When it comes to time, we ALL get the same 24 hours per day, 7 days per week, 52 week per year.  We all get the same.  But, boy oh boy, have you been as "busy" as I have?  It seems like every year is "busier" than the year before!  It seems like there is less TIME to get things done.  There just not enough time!  Yeah...about that.

So let’s consider how it is we use our time.  How are you doing when it comes to time?  Does God have any expectations about how we live our lives and use our time?

It sure seems to me that if God wants us to think about what is admirable then we ought to also DO what is admirable.  Doing what we want instead of what God wants is a sin.  It is rebellion.  Rebellion is simply saying no to God.  Does God have expectations of us and how we spend our time?  Absolutely.

He not only has expectations, He has a plan and purpose for us.  We were created for that purpose.  However, sometimes we rebel against that purpose.  And even though we may try to justify it, rebelling is rebelling is rebelling.  And rebelling against God is a sin.

It is not as though we do not have any examples to guide us.  How did it go for ole Jonah when he rebelled against God's plan for his life?  Jonah had some learning to do.  He WAS given a second chance but God also provided an opportunity for Jonah learn a powerful lesson in the process.  Jonah rebelled.  Rebelling against God is a sin.  There are consequences...learning opportunities...for sin.

And, can I just tell ya something?  The downward progression of rebelling...sin... always starts with a small disobedience.  But, that first small step in rebellion also always has the potential for leading to spiritual disaster.  A little bit here and a little bit there and the next thing you know, it is out of control.  

It can start with something small like blowing off our daily one-on-one time with God.  Move that from daily to every other day...then it is one time per week...then it is one time per month... then it is never.  Move from being a good student of God's Word to cracking open that Bible every other day, to once per week, and so on.  The next thing you know, you are walking that guilty distance from God and you are unable to make eye contact with God.  And you are well beyond  the boundaries and the expectations of your Creator and purpose He has created you.

How are you doing with the time you have been given?  Challenge:  Read Psalm 139.  Then read it again.  Then read it one more time.  Commit yourself to some quality one-on-one time with God.  Ask Him to reveal in your heart how best to use the time you have been given and to give you the courage to live it out.

Newbie blogger mistakes.... 08/08/14

Boy... definitely just accidentally deleted my 08/01/14 Top 5 post by saving this week's Top 5 over it.  So that happened.  #NewbieAlert

Friday Focus: Top 5 List 08/08/14

TOP 5 LIST - Friday, August 8, 2014

• J.D. Greear - @jdgreear
• This the first of a 6-part blog series "obstacles to obedience", reasons we tell God, "no" found on Greear's blog in his site:  JDGreear.com   The rest of the series is looking great.
• "An honest conversation about telling God, "no"

• Matthew West - @matthew_west
• Mathew West's very excellent "Do Something" video on YouTube.  Great for ministry/missions events.
• "Do Something"

• Nancy Leigh DeMoss - @NancyDeMoss
• A brief albeit impacting missions radio challenge from Nancy DeMoss on the Revive Our Hearts Radio 
• "More Than A Son or Daughter"

• NewWorldSon - @NewWorldSon
• If I could find this to purchase, I would do it in a heartbeat!  This is a delicious cover of "Pass Me Not" on video from NewWorldSon.  Listen to the WHOLE thing.  We heard them live at a Youth Specialties conference several years ago and would gladly drive a long ways to see them live again some day!  Stop what you're doing this instant and go find them on Itunes and download you some NewWorldSon.  You won't regret it!
• "NewWorldSon - Pass Me Not"

• Evident Ministries, Inc. - @evidentmin
• I couldn't resist another shameless plug for what God is doing down at the ole Evident Ministries.  We've launched a new ministry project called: Project Blessing.  Named in honor of Blessing Noel Kingery, it is our version of a Christmas Shoebox ministry for children in Acuña, Mexico who might otherwise not receive a single gift for Christmas.  At the same time, they will hear about the greatest gift ever given in the Grace of Jesus Christ and the message of the Cross.
• Evident Ministries, Inc. - "Project Blessing"

See ya in church!

"The Bewildering Call of God" - Oswald Chambers 08/05/14

My Utmost for His Highest

"The Bewildering Call of God"

Oswald Chambers - 08/05

". . . and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of Man will be accomplished." . . . "But they understood none of these things . . ." ~ Luke 18:31, 34


"God called Jesus Christ to what seemed absolute disaster. And Jesus Christ called His disciples to see Him put to death, leading every one of them to the place where their hearts were broken. His life was an absolute failure from every standpoint except God’s. But what seemed to be failure from man’s standpoint was a triumph from God’s standpoint, because God’s purpose is never the same as man’s purpose..."

"...If we are in fellowship and oneness with God and recognize that He is taking us into His purposes, then we will no longer strive to find out what His purposes are. As we grow in the Christian life, it becomes simpler to us, because we are less inclined to say, “I wonder why God allowed this or that?” And we begin to see that the compelling purpose of God lies behind everything in life, and that God is divinely shaping us into oneness with that purpose. A Christian is someone who trusts in the knowledge and the wisdom of God, not in his own abilities. If we have a purpose of our own, it destroys the simplicity and the calm, relaxed pace which should be characteristic of the children of God."

Telling THE Story of our HOPE, part 3

Part 3 of a 3-part series challenging us as believers to go beyond sharing just our "faith" but also #HOPE as we tell OUR STORY.

 

 

 

 

We have this #HOPE as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure...

Hebrews 6:19

   
But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the HOPE that you have.
1 Peter 3:15

What steps can I take to make sure others not only see my life of faith but ALSO see my HOPE?

(see parts 1 & 2 of this series)

"The first step in effectively sharing our own HOPE with others is LIVING OUT the following of HIS leadership.  We must "set apart Christ as Lord" of OUR lives as a living example of what it means to be a Christ follower.  Christ said we are the Salt.  He did not say we could be or might be.  He said we ARE the salt.  It our choice as to just how salty we will be and it will be based on our level of surrender to Christ...."

Step 2:  Be Prepared
Be prepared.  Many times Christ followers have surrendered their lives to Jesus.  They have made Him Lord and master of their lives.  They have "set apart Christ as Lord" of their hearts.  And the result is others are asking about their hope.  The problem is they don't know how to answer the question.

Someone says, "Why are you up beat all the time?"  

Their response, "Well...I don't know...I just am."  

"Well thanks...that helps."

They’re thinking to themselves:

“I don’t know what to say”

“I’m afraid I’ll mess it up!”

Here's my response to that:  Remember that woman at the well?  She had a "chance encounter" with Jesus which changed her life for eternity.  And what did she do?  She ran all over town NOT ONLY #TellingTHEStory like it was her job!  She ALSO brought everyone in town back to meet this Jesus for themselves!

Can I just tell ya something?
She had no seminary degree.  She had no formal Bible training.   She was one of the least likely candidates on the planet for a ministry leadership position.  By the way, the disciples had gone on in to town to get some lunch.  They apparently did not tell a living soul about Jesus OR bring anybody back to meet Him!  So… that happened.

Can I just tell ya something else?
The beauty of sharing YOUR HOPE….Is that it is YOUR HOPE!  It is what YOU have experienced.  It is what you have seen and heard.  You don’t have to have any fancy pants theological answers.  

But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the HOPE that you have.
1 Peter 3:15

Why do YOU have hope in Christ?  What is YOUR story?  Are you telling your story?

Telling the Story of our HOPE, part 2

 

Part 2 of a 3-part series challenging us as believers to go beyond sharing just our "faith" but also #HOPE as we tell OUR STORY.

 

 

 

 

We have this #HOPE as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure...

Hebrews 6:19

  But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the HOPE that you have.
1 Peter 3:15

What steps can I take to make sure others not only see my life of faith but ALSO see my HOPE?  And how can I help them to find their own HOPE?

Our first step in chasing after any part of God's best plan for our lives is always to "set apart Christ as Lord." Literally here "Lord" means master.  That is the one who is in charge.  That is the one who calls the shots.  That is the one who is the boss.  

We simply must move from a place where WE decide what is best to a place where we trust our Father in Heaven for what is best and where we follow HIS leadership.  We must let go of the world's best plans.  We must let go of whatever "common sense" we may think we have. We must really, for real trust in His leadership.  We must live it.  Reading it, singing it, and wearing t-shirts about it are considerably different than LIVING it.  

The first step in effectively sharing our own HOPE with others is LIVING OUT the following of HIS leadership.  We must "set apart Christ as Lord" of OUR lives as a living example of what it means to be a Christ follower.  Christ said we are the Salt.  He did not say we could be or might be.  He said we ARE the salt.  It our choice as to just how salty we will be and it will be based on our level of surrender to Christ.  

S.A.L.T.Save A Life TodayShare A Living Testimony

Chances are very good the people in your own life who have had the greatest influence in your Christian walk and whose character and qualities have been the most contagious in your life, are people have a humble spirit, a vulnerability, a lack of pretense and who are sold out to Jesus.  In other words, they have set apart Christ as Lord of their lives.  Those who influence our Christian walk in a positive light, encouraging spiritual growth, challenging us to a deeper faith are never those who are dead in their faith, stagnant in their own walk, or stuck in their growth as a believer.

When we set apart Christ as Lord of our lives - FOR REAL - we are more likely to love like He loves with a depth of real concern and without judgment.  We are more likely to sympathize and empathize with kindness and generosity.  We can become the positive influence in someone else's life.

Can I just ask you a question?  If all we do is point out how the lost are falling short and focus on how BAD they and their SIN are, how are they going to find out about our HOPE?

Can I just tell ya something?  We can absolutely go against the grain of society and still stand for something WITHOUT being a hater!  We need to "set apart Christ as Lord."  He hates the sin, not the sinner.

I believe setting apart Christ as Lord in our hearts is absolutely pivotal.  We simply MUST get this as Christ followers.  I believe it is the first step in sharing our HOPE!  Christ must rule in our hearts.  We cannot rule.  Pleasure cannot rule.  The world cannot rule.  Even the religion of the church cannot rule.  Your pastor cannot rule.  Christ must rule.  Jesus must be king, Lord, master.

Does it mean we are perfect.  Absolutely not. Does it mean we give Him priority.  Yes it does.  And it means that even though sometimes we blow it, in our hearts, we know His way is the best.  In our hearts, we know it is always best when He is in charge.  I believe that is what attracts others to our HOPE!  It is when they see Jesus in us.  I hope you know that Jesus is attractive to people who are looking for HOPE.  

If there is a contradiction between what I want and what He wants, I must yield to what He wants. 

If I want to gossip about somebody on account of how they have hurt me....and I want to get them back...  But He wants me to keep my big, fat mouth shut...

Then I need to keep my mouth shut on account of how He's Lord and I am NOT Lord.

Can I just tell ya something?  When that is our response, others cannot help but see Jesus in us and the HOPE which is in Him!

Friday Focus: Top 5 List 07/25/14

Happy Friday ladies and gentleman!  Below is my weekly Top 5 list of my favorite blog entries and posts for the previous week.  If they made my list, they had an impact, made me LOL, challenged me, or stepped on my toes and ultimately stuck with me.

I hope God is blessing your socks off this fine day in your surrender and service to Him!

Enjoy and keep telling THE Story!


TOP 5 LIST - Friday, July 25, 2014

• Dr. Joe McKeever - @drjoemckeever
• "Ten Deadly Preaching Mistakes..."
• Alan Rudnick - @alanrudnick
• "The Beards of Ministry"
• Brandon A. Cox - @brandonacox 
• "You've Been Called Out"
• Brian Davis - @tbriandavis 
• "You Don't Know It All"
• Jonathan Pearson - @jonathanpearson 
• "Use What You've Got"

Telling the Story of our HOPE, part 1

Part 1 of a 3-part series challenging us as believers to go beyond sharing just our "faith" but also #HOPE as we tell OUR STORY.

 

 

 

 

We have this #HOPE as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure...

Hebrews 6:19

 
But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the HOPE that you have.
1 Peter 3:15

The Apostle Peter had some things to say to the Christ followers of the 1st century who were under persecution for their faith.  As a missionary, I have spent a few years with a lot to say about sharing our faith with others.

Our theme this year at Evident Ministries is:  #TellingTHEStory.  Telling the story like it's our job.   We've challenged ourselves and others to "Tell THE Story"... not just any story... THE Story. 

But, THE story we are telling is not only about our faith.  It is also about our HOPE.

We spend a lot of time as Christ followers talking about sharing our faith.  But what about our sharing our HOPE?  I do believe there is a difference.

Are you ready for this?  Because here it comes...  The difference is this:  When we share our faith without talking about our HOPE, we are looking back.  

When we share our faith without talking about our HOPE:

• We are looking back to the cross of Jesus where He DID die for our sins.
• We are looking back to the resurrection where Jesus absolutely proved there IS life after this life and it is eternal life.
• Maybe we are even looking back as far as the old testament prophecies Christ fulfilled.
• Or maybe other times we are just looking back to what we used to be before we gave our lives over to Jesus...and what He has done for us.

But, can I just tell ya something?  When Jesus died on that cross, He said something important.  He said, "It is finished!"  Listen, when we share the HOPE we absolutely have in Christ Jesus, hey, we are looking ahead!  We are saying to folks who don't yet know Jesus:

“Hey, listen up!  Here’s why I’m confident about the future!”

“Here’s why I’m optimistic when everybody else is pessimistic!” 

When we share our hope we are looking forward!  When someone says to us:

"Why are you always so optimistic?”

“Why do U have joy even when bad stuff happens?”

“Hey, where does that hope come from?”

The Bible says, “Always be ready with an answer.”

Now, I don’t about you.  I don’t know your life.  I don’t know about your mountains or about your valleys.  But, here’s what I know about mine:

“Life is hard, but God is good!”

Can I just ask you a question?  Do you believe that or not?  I mean, God IS good…right?  Yes, sir He is!  AND, it is because of God’s goodness that we, His people, can have HOPE!  We have ourselves HOPE for today.  And we have ourselves tomorrow.

Now I don’t know how a person could truly believe that and somehow NOT have a burden to be #TellingTHEStory like it's their job!

Can I just tell ya something?  Church... we need to get after it church and really, for real, be about HIS business, making a ruckus in Jesus name every where we go!