A New Chapter December 10, 2009

God is always working in our lives to prepare us for the next big thing. That thought can be scary at times, especially when we become comfortable in life. I guess I had gotten comfortable in what I do and so the pace is about to change drastically.

The last six months have definitely been a faith roller coaster ride. At the end of the ride I faced a very simple question, are you going to respond to my call or not? In November I was given the priviledge to preach at Asbury and the affirmations from the congregation were incredible. I knew that God was affirming what he had been saying for the last two years. I finally bit the bullet and made an appointment to talk with our District Superintendent about entering the ministry. Of course I had a well thought through neat little package that this would take place in but that was blown up. I knew that God was calling me to more but I had a great excuse for why I just couldn’t “go all the way”. In our meeting I realized that if I was going to trust that God was calling me to this type of ministry, I also had to trust that he would care for all of the details of our family.

I am not sure what the road before me will look like but I know that I am convicted to share the gospel in authentic and relevant ways to this generation. I feel that all too often Pastors want to be socially correct, accepted and liked by everyone but that’s not who Jesus was and is definitely not who he calls us to be. There still is such a thing as absolute truth, black and white, the Bible is full of non-negotiables that must be communicated in graceful and inspiring ways to encourage people to live a life sold out for Christ.

Obviously none of this is possible with out God working through me accomplish his plans for my life. So today, I have taken a step of complete surrender in a journey that I can only pray impacts people for Christ and that I continue to remember that I have done nothing but surrender, he will do the rest!

Marriage November 27, 2009

You know every year around Thanksgiving Michael & I celebrate a mini-Anniversary. A time spent looking back over the last several years and realizing how much has changed and how far we’ve come. We started dating during the week of Thanksgiving and so it’s neat to reflect during that time. We have discussions like, 5 years ago would you have imagined having another baby, moving into our home, visiting Disney twice, changing cars 3 times, etc… but behind all of that stuff, I step back and look at life 5 years ago. I am still thankful for getting married despite our very rocky start. But I realize that I’ve let all the little nuances of life get in the way and at times I have forgotten to appreciate him. With two kids some days I feel like we play tag in who’s home and who’s working and who’s picking them up or dropping them off.

All that busyness can crowd in on the most important thing, your relationship. I’m sure some will say, we’ll it’s only been 5 years, you wait. But I know this, every year I get with Mike is another year full of blessings, I never take them for granted because I never know which one will be the lat. He’s one man in my life that no one can come close to. I really think that due to Michael’s insane spoiling I’ll only ever be married once because it just doesn’t get any better than this. I’m thankful for having a week to remember and cherish the man I married and love. My running joke is that they just don’t make them like that anymore and well, I still believe that’s true.

So today I hope to encourage you to stop, think about life before you met your spouse and how much love, joy, and life they have added to yours. You might just be overwhelmed. He’s still the one and I’m still in love!

3 Steps to a real Thanks-Giving November 23, 2009

The post below is my version of the steps found on the site below. Mark MacDonald is an awesome guy with lots of great information to share not only in the worlds of marketing and technology but a great man to share ministry! Thanks Mark!
http://www.pinpointcreative.com/churchperspective/

Colossians 3:15 says, “And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful”.

This thanksgiving try the three steps below to live a life of gratitude.

1. Make a list of all that you are Thankful for. I remember a time in my life when I felt that the cards were stacked against me. I had just graduated from college, found out I was pregnant and had my boyfriend at the time leave as he no longer wanted anything to do with me or the baby. I was seeking God in trying to find something to bring me out of depression. I was listening to a pastor who was preaching on Thanksgiving and recommended everyone make a list of all that they are thankful for. I started the list and was not able to stop until I had 3 pages of blessings written. Counting your blessings one by one really does work!

2. Find new ways to show your thankfulness to others. Saying “thank you” still means so much to a person when you take the time to really genuinely thank them. But going beyond this also means a great deal. Taking the time to send a thank you card, make a phone call just to say thank you or going out of your way to let a manager know that you were treated well. Think about the last time you received a thank you from someone who went the extra mile. It will motivate you to do the same.

3. Make it a priority and live it out. Don’t let a whole year go by before you take the time to reflect and even write down your blessings. And try whenever possible to build thankfulness into your life. That means not only being thankful for all that God has blessed you with but really living out the call of “blessed to be a blessing”. Take the time to bless someone else and show them your gratitude. Most of the time this is the best gift you can give.

Being thankful is always a choice and something if we choose to practice will eventually become the place we rely on when life gets out of control.

The Who, Where, Why & What of Evangelism November 20, 2009

The post below is my reflection on Greg Laurie’s message, “The Who, Where, Why and What of Evangelism”.
To listen to his message check out this link.

The Who? – Us

It is a sad statistic that 95% of Christians have never led another person to Faith in Jesus Christ.

I used to think that leading people to Jesus was just job of the pastor or the church but it’s really the job of every person who claims to be a disciple of Jesus Christ. Everyone of who is living out of their life in Christ can share their faith. You already know more than enough. 9 out of 10 Americans cannot accurately define the Great Commission and 7 out of 10 Americans do not know John 3:16.

“The primary way God has chosen to reach people is through people.” God wants to use you to lead people to Christ. Matthew 28:19 “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,” this passage speaks to everyone. This is the Great Commission not the Great Suggestion, when we accept Jesus Christ as our Savior and choose to lay down our lives to follow him we must be willing to share this new life with others. Sharing is a joy once you get started. But getting started is the hardest part. Remember You have been blessed to be a blessing.

Where do we start? We start in our world, this includes your neighborhood, workplace, friends and family. Sharing the gospel with others can and will revolutionize your Christian life. If you can stop thinking about yourself and start thinking about people in your life who are separated from God and headed for Hell, you will begin see life differently! We need to be going out and doing our best to lead people into a relationship with Jesus Christ.

Why? Because people are desperately looking for someone to show them the way. In Romans 10:14-15 it clearly challenges all of us in this area, “How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?” But, in order to be effective at teaching others we must be living the life of a Christian.

The Bible says live it and preach it. We must be showing the world who Christ is by our actions but also be willing to back up those actions by teaching others the gospel. Not teaching morality or justice but the gospel, clear and simple. The truest form of evangelism.

The Attitude of Christ – Shared November 17, 2009

The post below will actually be a part of our Advent Devotional but it was too powerful not to share early!

Philippians 2: 1-5 (New Century Version) Does your life in Christ give you strength? Does his love comfort you? Do we share together in the spirit? Do you have mercy and kindness? If so, make me very happy by having the same thoughts, sharing the same love, and having one mind and purpose. When you do things, do not let selfishness or pride be your guide. Instead, be humble and give more honor to others than to yourselves. Do not be interested only in your own life, but be interested in the lives of others. In your lives you must think and act like Christ Jesus.

In looking at all the different translations of these verses I like the New Century Version the best because of the direct questions and commands that Paul gives to the church in Philippi. . I never realized just how important this passage of scripture would be in my life. I was blessed to work with Pastor Ron for just one short year and at every opportunity he brought us together, opened his bible and talked with us about this passage of scripture. Maybe I was too blind or hurt or hardened to see it at the time but today I can read those words and clearly see the life and unity he longed for us to experience. The gift of new life that Christ offers us in himself. We have the ability to have the same attitude as Jesus, an attitude of grace, compassion, love, mercy and forgiveness.

Verse 5 says, “In your lives you must think and act like Christ Jesus.” This verse is extremely important to remember and possibly even review daily as we prepare for the Christmas season. If we think and act the way the world does we will miss out on the joy and love God wants to share with us through the celebration of the birth of his son. Let’s face it, Christmas is not about shopping, holiday parties, gifts, or other events. It’s about taking time out of our every day lives to be thankful for the awesome gift of Jesus Christ. If we get wrapped up in the “Holiday Season” we will miss opportunities to love, serve and maybe even disciple the people we meet. But, if we think and act like Jesus, we will see people first and everything else will slowly fade away. This Christmas season, be challenged to think differently, act simply and be in unity with Jesus, acting as a witness for Him.

A Passionate Witness November 16, 2009

This was my second weekend preaching and it was a bit different from the first. I showed up very nervous but knew that God would communicate with his people in spite of me. I didn’t feel as connected with the congregation as I did last week but as long as God connected that’s all that really matters. After worship we had the business meeting of our church conference followed by another short but awesome worship service. Our District Superintendent Mark Webb spoke on our calling to be witnesses. Not the type of witness that happens on a street corner or beats people over the head with  bibles but rather the type of disciple that lives a passionate sold out life for Jesus Christ. A witness that you can follow, and really, a witness that you want to follow. Essentially someone who’s life reflects a passionate love for Jesus and you can see that passion in everything they do and say. Jesus was that kind of witness for God his father. He was a man that people were drawn to because of how he lived and therefore showed them how to live. To live a life of passion!

For so long I felt the church trying to beat the passion out of me. The desire for my passion to be checked at the door before entering a business meeting and if I could just come back to reality everything would be fine. What I have learned over these last three weeks is that giving up the passion Christ has created in me would be the worst decision of my life. He created me to be a passionate person and can use me as a passionate witness for his glory. That is the call I am willing to say YES to, whatever the cost!

 

Go and Show November 13, 2009

Matthew 28:19  says, “Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.”

I have been working on a Certification Project for the National Association of Church Business Administrators (NACBA) and the title is Communicating the Great Commission in the 21st Century. In recent months God has unveiled just what that needs to look like in order for churches to be effective. First, we can no longer go into the world telling people about this wonderful man named Jesus. We must go into the world living out of our relationship with Christ so that people see him through us and desire to have something more in life. Second, we must be willing to take church to where the people are. This does not mean negotiating core values or being inclusive just to be liked. It means meeting people where they are, meeting them in real life but also via Facebook, Twitter, Blogs, Linked In, Friend Feed, etc. We must be willing to go to the fastest growing population of Social Media and bring Christ to where the people are. Both of these are must haves in order to effectively communicate the Great Commission today and in the future!

Building Character November 12, 2009

Romans 5:3-5(New Living Translation) We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.

The stark reality is that we are not challenged to grow when life is going along just fine. It is through problems and trails that our real spiritual growth occurs. Paul is very clear to us in this passage that we are to rejoice when we face problems because they will help us develop endurance, which will develop character, which will ultimately lead to our confident hope of salvation. Our problems will cause us to surrender and ultimately depend on Christ’s leadership over our lives. It is when we face problems that we realize we don’t have all the answers and that we cannot live the life Christ calls us to on our own. It is through problems that we refocus our lives on Jesus. When we are ready to give up and we finally run into the arms of our heavenly father, He embraces us and fills us with the Holy Spirit to guide us through whatever we are facing.

Joseph and Mary grew in their faith the same way over 2000 years ago. They faced a huge problem when they were told they would be the parents of the Jesus Christ. They were not yet married, their families could be torn apart and each of them publicly disgraced. Joseph and Mary really had no idea what this message would mean for their lives. But, their absolute dependence on God and faith in his word grew through this experience. In Luke 1:38 Mary responded, “I am the Lord’s servant, and I am willing to accept whatever he wants. May everything you said come true.” The ability for Mary and Joseph to endure all that would come as Jesus grew up was strengthened through what they faced in those first months. Their character was developed during that time in order to withstand the tests this world would throw at their family, especially their son. God was preparing them for the road ahead.

 Mary says, “I am willing to accept whatever he wants.” Each of us are called to yield our lives to Christ in this same way. To be obedient without reservation and regardless of the personal cost. If we want to be devoted servants and desire for God to develop his character in us, then we need to be willing to be molded and shaped through difficult times. God’s plan for each of us includes character development. He uses these circumstances to bring us back to Him, grow us in our faith, and  develop us into the disciples he longs for us to be. If life were always easy we would have no reason to look to Him. What this world offers would be enough. And we would miss out on becoming the people we were created to be.

When problems come your way, know that Jesus is waiting for you. He may be trying to get your attention. Christ has an awesome plan for your life; but in order for that plan to come true, it will require you to grow. To be willing to face problems in this life and go before him asking, how do you want me to respond, how can I learn from the situation before me,  and most of all how can I become more like you Jesus?

Called? November 9, 2009

Driving home from WFX as I have said in so many posts, I longed to change the world. I have been struggling for several years with God’s call on my life. There have been times when I have felt him calling me into a different ministry, one that until today, scared me to death. I felt him calling me to teach and preach the good news. I heard him  saying I have created you with passion for a reason, use it to bring me glory!

 I remember the first time I told a  pastor about this call and I got the awkward look, as if to say, are you sure? I finally told my husband on our last day of the conference as I knew God had used events of that week to make this even more evident in my life. That day  we commited to pray for discernment. On the drive home that night while talking with God I knew that I would eventually have to stand up and preach before I could ever affirm His call on my life But, I never realized how quickly it all would happen. By Tuesday of this past week I was asked to preach this weekend. This morning was the first time I ever stood in front of a congregation and shared a message that God laid on my heart. The reactions to this message were indescribable. I have never looked into so many faces before, faces of genuine thanks and faces that long to hear God’s word taught with conviction. I spoke with more people today about how God is moving in their lives and it was phenominal.  I saw more tears than I have in a long time, tears of longing for Christ and realizing that we will never make it on our own. I realized by the end of the  last service that I could not remember what I said just 10 minutes ago. I had been completely surrendered to God and He used my words and actions to bring his message. Things came out in me that I did not even know existed.

Walking into church this morning, there were a  couple people I longed for reactions from but I never imagined how God would use me to reach so many.  God is soooo good. To be willing to use someone like me to bring his message. I don’t know if I’ll ever feel ready to say yes to this calling but I know that God is opening doors for a reason and that as long as I stay surrendered and obedient to him, he will tell me when the time is right. Speaking this morning surrendered to the holy spirit was one of the best experiences of my life! I am grateful to have had this opportunity. It was life changing!

If you teach on these things, you will be tested in them. November 7, 2009

What a test of faith! It’s one thing to come home and share about an amazing experience, but quiet another to be willing to get up and witness to the difference Christ is having in your life. God has been deliberately shining his flashlight into areas of my heart to help me see where I am not measuring up. These areas include the 3 main points of my message this weekend – love, service and discipleship. Yesterday after running through my sermon for the first time I scrapped half of it and decided to share where I am at in these three areas. Michael says it’s so much more effective than reading scripture but it’s also VERY humbling and requires a level of transparency that I am not completely comfortable with. But, that being said God is using people to affirm that this is a message he wants delivered to his people. I follow Rick Warren on Twitter and this is one of his tweets from yesterday – “Size doesn’t attract.Love does.People shun cold churches & flock to where they’re loved.” WOW – how many worship at Saddleback on any given weekend? Why? I would now stand corrected that it is not because of the constant earthquakes in California but rather the authentic love they receive from the church. I have been struggling to stay focused this weekend but I know that God is using real life experiences to help me develop the message he wants to deliver. I want to completely surrender, I am willing to be hated, and to give up life as I know it to live a life totally sold out for  Jesus Christ! We have one chance, one life, will we live each day as if we will meet God that night? How will we answer the questions – what have you done with the gifts I have given you? Have you lived a life sold out for me? Standing before God, I want to have better answers than I do today!