How would you feel if you were guaranteed that you would win? How would you act if you were guaranteed a win? Life would be ecstatic and stress free if our victory was guaranteed. Guess what, in Christ, you are guaranteed the victory. Paul teaches in Phi. 1:21 that to live is Christ and to die is gain. We often fear things that are less traumatic than death. As believers in Christ, it is to humanity’s benefit that focused and fruitful Christians live. If we die, we get to be with the Lord.

Prayer Focus:

Prayers for yourself: That you may live in light of your victory in Christ. That you would view your time on earth as an opportunity to make a difference.

Prayers for your church: That your church would equip you and others to live a meaningful and fruitful life in Christ.

Prayer for your community: Pray for the veterans in your community that need jobs.

Ever felt like the things that are happening to you are impeding your progress Ever felt like if the obstacles and enemies were not in your way that you would be more prosperous? Ever had someone to intentionally work against you with the goal of hurting you? Paul teaches in Philippians 1:12-15 that the things that happen to him were not only bruises but bonuses. They were bonuses because the things that happen to him ultimately led to the spread of the Gospel. You can have joy in spite of what happens to you because God is going to use it for the advancement of His Kingdom. Your pain leads to Kingdom Gain! That’s your cue to feel the joy! God bless you today as you process your trials differently in Christ, knowing that what happens to you cannot stop what God does through YOU!

Glory to God! I feel my JOY coming home.

Prayer Focus:

For yourself: Pray that God will allow you to see His hand in the midst of life’s hurts. Pray that you can experience His joy in spite of the challenges in your life at this time.

For your Church: Pray that you are a solution instead of a problem at your church. Pray that your church can be active in encouraging those who are hurting. Pray that you church is focused on both those on the inside and those outside your congregation.

For your Community: Pray that God will reduce the rate of alcoholism in your zip code.

My wife and I often have to drive a small distance to get to our destinations. We have 6 kids so this can be quite a challenge, especially in the late evening or at night when the kids are with us. Normally, the ride is not too bad because we will play a DVD for the kids. By the time we are 10 minutes or so into the journey they normally are fast asleep, with the exception of one of our children. Our one child prides himself on not falling asleep during the ride. Honestly, when everyone else is fast asleep it is comforting to have at least one child to speak with or interact with. It is good to know that at least one of them has not given up on us! How much more comforting is it to know that Christ is like my son, He never falls asleep on you. Paul teaches in Philippians that He who began a good work in YOU will not give up on YOU. He says in Philippians 1:6 that He is convinced of this fact. How encouraging-no matter where we are in the spiritual journey God will not GIVE UP on us as His children. Be confident today because He is not going to give up on YOU.

Can you imagine voluntarily taking a driving trip across the country so that you can take in all the beautiful sites? Can you imagine going to one of the world’s greatest museums for a few days to appreciate the art? Both of these are great experiences but would be diminished it you did them alone. The journey to joy was never intended to be taken alone. It was intended to be enjoyed with others. Paul in his opening comments to the Church at Philippi thanks God for their partnership/fellowship in the Gospel. Life is a journey not a destination, why travel it alone. May I encourage you today with the truth that God blesses believers with the gift of people who partner with us in fulfilling the purpose of God for our lives. Why journey alone when God has provided other believers to enjoy it with you?

Journey well. Joy is facilitated by our fellowship with other believers.

If you thought the previous post was unbelievable, wait until you read this one. Yesterday we said that there was no “magic-bullet that will allow you to accomplish everything on all your lists! We must “come” to Jesus to find true rest and resilience. Today, I would like to give you several ways to find REST in coming to Jesus.

1. Align your desires with His desires and He will give you everything you want (Ps. 37:4)
2. Admit that you cannot achieve anything of Spiritual significance apart from His empowerment (Jn. 15:5)
3. Spend time with Him reading, meditating, confessing, thinking, and abandoning your own thoughts. Take time exchange His strength for your weakness. This is achieved through mediation and abiding in His person (Jn. 15:8 and Ps. 1:4)
4. Study His Word regularly (Jn. 8:31-32, 2 Tim. 3:16-17)
5. Turn Your Sadness into Sabbath

One of the most counter-cultural things that I can suggest to you in this area of pinpointing your priorities is to suggest that you take a weekly Sabbath. How can I suggest that you take a Sabbath day when you cannot get everything achieved in 7 days? Here is the PowerPoint, God can get more accomplished in 6 than we can in 7. The 7th day requires us to trust God’s ability more than our ability. It is a practical way to see how much we trust in His ways above our ways. Admittedly, this has been a HUGE struggle for me. When I take a Sabbath, my life is BETTER and more PRODUCTIVE. Scouts Honor, even though I was never a scout. Seriously, God can accomplish more in 6 than we can in 7. The irony of this principle is that it is not commanded but offered to you as an option. We are not under any type of law but God invites us to dedicate an entire day for His glory. A day set aside to demonstrate how much “weight” God has in your life. Try it, the worse that can happen is that you get a “GOD” day’s rest.

You are at YOUR best when YOU are giving GOD your best!

When we typically think about priorities and stress, we think about our coming and going, task lists, deadlines, errands, and all the like. We believe subconsciously that there is a “magic-bullet” that will enable us to transform our task list into something that is manageable (Manage-Able) if we just had the right system. Let me admit that I longed for this system for many years. I read the Covey, Franklin, Time Management books that I could get my hands on. After a number of years, and too much money I came to the conclusion that there is not “magic-bullet” to resolve our “Priority Pressure.” Priority Pressure is produced when you calculate all that you desire to accomplish and the little time that you have to do it.

We have convinced ourselves that we really can do it if we just had the right system, ate properly, worked out, slept enough, and everyone else cooperated including traffic. The reality is that all those things are subject to Murphy’s Law, if something can go wrong-It will. So what’s the cure. It’s simple.

The simple and most important truth is that when you “Come” to Jesus, He will give you rest. Somehow, we have been conditioned to look for something more conventional, contemporary, or clever. I know, I‘ve been there as well. Coming to Jesus means that we relinquish control over our lives and allow Him to control our lives. Here is how it looks, take your problem, take His Word, identify the difference, and make a V-line to His way. When we do it His way, He ensures that we experience His results. If that was not enough to stretch your “practicality” threshold, join us tomorrow for one that may stretch it even further.

You are at YOUR best when YOU are giving GOD your best!

Many of us recall the words of Nell Carter’s show that spoke to the hearts of many. Actually, I do not recall the exact content of the show but the mere notion of the show brings a smile to my face. Those words express the sentiments of so many of us in our busy-super-sized worlds. Have you ever been at the point of wanting to throw in the towel? Take a vacation? Check out for a moment? Place the world on hold and hit resume later? We all have been there if we are actively engaged in living. Over the next few posts I am going to discuss this issue of priorities and how you can alleviate MUCH of the pressure that stems from our priorities.

Biblically, this discussion often starts at Mt. 6:33, “Seek ye first, the Kingdom of God and all these other things will be added to you.” Great passage, misunderstood passage. The second step in finding the relief that you so much desire is to put God in His proper place. God has so designed things that we will not find fulfillment and peace apart from making Him our priority. Please note that I did not say, “Make God our TOP priority, but our priority.” God does not want at the TOP of your list, He wants to be at the core of everything you do. Rest is found by viewing all of our priorities through the lenses of God. Our central priority should be God. When we make God the PRIORITY of our lives relief will come.

Let’s make God the PRIORITY of our lives rather than a priority in our lives. I look forward to sharing with you in the next post first step in finding relief.

You are at YOUR best when YOU are giving GOD your best!

Questions to Ponder:
What is occupying first place in your life at this time?
What changes would God prefer you make to be in full alignment with Him?
How would it practically look for you to make God THE PRIORITY of your life?

It is not uncommon to watch your cell phones vacillate up and down while on a phone call or in one place in your home. We account it to the nature of cell phone coverage. What happens when this is indicative of the status of your communication in your relationship? We know that we can accomplish much when we are unified in our communication. In most relationships, we do not have a problem communicating but connecting is an entirely different issue. We have got to raise the “connection” bar in our relationships to ensure relational satisfaction and kingdom impact. Join us on this Sunday to move from merely “Communicating to Connecting.”

Inclement weather can cause one to be stuck inside but it does not have to. Being “stuck” is a matter of internal mindset. You don’t have to be stuck when you are facing a rough relational season.

Both Singles and Married people alike often feel stuck. Singles feel stuck because they cannot seem to attract the right type of person. Couples often feel stuck married to the wrong mate. They often wonder if they married the wrong person, if it was a mistake, did God have someone else in store for them. Either way, you do not have to be stuck mentally by your external realities. Why not?

• Your Connection to Christ: Believers are not defined by their relationship with man but with Christ.
• Spiritual Outlet: Thankful prayer will result in unexplainable peace instead of worry (Phi. 4:4-8)
• Your Status in Christ: You are fearfully and wonderfully made as a believer in Christ-period.
• Christ in You: Greater is the God that is in you than the devil who is trying to bring you down.
• Emotional Mastery: You can master your emotions instead of your emotions mastering you!

You don’t have to be stuck inside just because the weather is bad on the outside.

For more information on finding contentment in the midst of rough situations listen to the teaching series “Stuck.”

How have you learned about being free internally when you are stuck relationally?

A decision to marry is one of the biggest decisions of your life. If you make the wrong selection it can negatively impact your upward mobility. How do you maximize the probability of choosing well?

When I met my wife I was not “looking” to be married but thank God he opened my eyes. Our first conversation was about the Lord, where she was going, and where I thought God was taking me. We had not heard anything about courting so we did what most couples did, we went on a date. On our first date I knew that I wanted to marry her and spend the rest of my life with her. Here are a few things to look for in a future mate:

1. Saved: Ensure the person truly has a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. It needs to go beyond believing in God, it needs to be a vital relationship with Jesus as their Lord and personal Savior.
2. Serving: Observe them in their Christian environment. Are they like a fish in water or a fish out of water?
3. Spirit-Filled: To fill your biblical role as a mate you need super-natural dependence by both parties. Does the potential demonstrate that God is in control of their life?
4. Singular Focus: Before you get to dear you may want to ensure that they are clear on their life vision and commitment to following Christ in every area of their life. No one is perfect but you don’t want someone who misses the mark by a mile either. Does your potential mate have a resolve to serve God? Do they know what God has placed them on the planet to do?
5. Single: I know, of course they are single. Are they single from God’s perspective?

These are just a few thoughts to get you started. What would you add or delete to finalize the list?