God provides...
31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’
32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.
33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
Matthew 6:31-33 (NIV)
Where does wealth come from? God is the source of wealth.
8 But remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your ancestors, as it is today.
Deuteronomy 8:18 (NIV)

1. Earn money ethically   
   11 Wealth obtained by fraud dwindles, But the one who gathers by labor increases it.
   Proverbs 13:11 (NIV)
   4 A sluggard’s appetite is never filled, but the desires of the diligent are fully satisfied.
   Proverbs 13:4 (NIV)
   
   19 Those who work their land will have abundant food, but those who chase fantasies will have their fill of poverty.
   Proverbs 28:19 (NIV)


2. Spend wisely   
   3 By wisdom a house is built, and through understanding it is established;
   4 through knowledge its rooms are filled with rare and beautiful treasures.
   Proverbs 24:3-4 (NIV)
   22 Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed.
   Proverbs 15:22 (NIV)
   
   1 Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers;
   Psalm 1:1 (ESV)


3. Avoid destructive debt 
   7 ...and the borrower is slave to the lender.
   Proverbs 22:7 (NIV)


4. Save consistently 
   20 The wise store up choice food and olive oil, but fools gulp theirs down.
   Proverbs 21:20 (NIV)
   
   5 Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”
   Hebrews 13:5 (NLT)



5. Give generously and obediently. 
   9 Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops;
   Proverbs 3:9 (NLT)|
   
   23 Bring this tithe to the designated place of worship—the place the Lord your God chooses for his name to be honored—....Doing this will teach you always to fear the Lord your God.
   Deuteronomy 14:23 (NLT)
   
   28 Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need.
   Ephesians 4:28 (NLT)


38 Give, and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full—pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, running over, and poured into your lap. The amount you give will determine the amount you get back.
Luke 6:38 (NLT)

Rest stop or Destination

When the faithful saturate their schedules with Christian events at Christian venues with Christian people, the world has a hard time believing we hold the rest of the world in high esteem.

—Gabe Lyons

Ever stopped at a rest stop on a long trip...those are great and peaceful. There’s snacks and picnic tables. They are great, but I’d never want to live there. Why? Because it’s a rest stop, I have a destination.

Have you ever been to a church where you feel like every minute you turn around, you have another meeting to attend? Maybe you've looked at your schedule, and said "Man, I'm at church every other night this week...sometimes, back to back." I know I have.

The writer of Hebrews tells us in places that getting together as a church is important and should have priority. Whether it’s in a Worship Gathering or a Life Group or two Christians having lunch to share life and encourage each other, no doubt it's important. We encourage and are encouraged. Life's hard and God knew that having someone next to us that is going through the same thing is valuable and He created us to respond to that....but....

The church has a mission and a purpose for being here on Earth. There's a reason that we don’t just follow Jesus straight to Heaven immediately. 

We are left to help others understand who Christ is and to honor God with our lives in doing so. Most people who meet together as a church, are Christ followers, so there aren't that many people who don't know Jesus at church meetings. That creates a tension. 

Should we stay or should we go? We should do both. Families who raise their children without a good balance, don't develop a mature understanding of the mission to share Christ because it must both be done through teaching AND in practice. It’s the place we can’t wait to get back to or the place we can’t wait to leave.

Because of the tension, church gatherings must always be rest stops, never destinations. When you are a faithful Christ follower you must remember that you haven’t arrived, you just started the journey. 

Craig Groeschel, a pastor/author, says that if you want to reach the people that no one is reaching you have to go to the places that no one is going...and you can't do that, if all your free time is spent meeting at church.

Holes need to exist in our church schedules for people to be free to go, to know people who don't know Christ but there has to be a balance. You never follow Christ well without a balance of this tension, and that means that sometimes Christians need to evaluate their church schedule and drop something.

At Bay West, we tell people prioritize the worship service, meeting with a small group and then love Jesus by serving the world.  The extra events...take them on a need/can/want basis, in light of the Mission to change the world.  Does that mean that we don't take these events seriously?  Absolutely not... If we plan something, you can make sure it's not a schedule filler, but its' important enough to take time off the field.  Also, for that reason, we have HIGH expectations for the time that you aren't at church...we expect ALL of your life to be spent in line with the mission of God, changing the entire city of Palm Bay, one person, one influence, one story, one heart at a time.

Is there balance with your outside activities and your church activities? Are you approaching your outside activities in light of your mission? Are you just going into autopilot? Consider the mission your destination.

Remember...enjoy the rest stops, but live for the destination.

To students: The greatest scholastic advice I've ever heard

Students, as you enter the home stretch, getting closer and closer to putting another year of school behind you, I pray that you finish this year strong. As the weather gets warmer and the year seems to have gone on forever, it can be tempting to let up or slow up, and coast on in. Do your best...

In keeping with that tradition, I'm going to give you the greatest piece of scholastic advice that I've ever heard. This piece of advice is one, that if you incorporate it into your life, can make all the difference, not just with your grades, but in your job performance and successes afterwards.

It comes from my mother-in-law. (It's also something my mother practiced in our home as well.) Katye has told me several times that in the later years of high school, when school work started to pile up and their church services met on Sunday evenings, there was always a temptation to put off the paper, or the studying until Sunday night, and use that as an excuse to stay home from church, because "school work" is more important...God will always be there.

But that was never an option...Jon and Marie would have none of that. They would always say that an "A" or a "B" might soon be forgotten, but teaching a child who was most important in their home would never go away, and being consistent with that value was important. Marie would refer to 1 Samuel 2:30, where the Lord spoke to man and said "...But I will honor those who honor me, and I will despise those who think lightly of me." That's the Message Version, but you get the point.

If you put your schoolwork ahead of God and think lightly of Him, that will not have Him on your side when the time of the test or the paper comes....and honestly, if I want ANYONE on my side at that point, it's the Lord.

The truth is that most of the time it isn't really schoolwork that nudges God out at all. We prioritize our activities on Friday night, Saturday morning, Saturday afternoon, Saturday night, a couple of hours of sleep and a myriad of other things that we are actually putting ahead of God...we just find it easier to justify in our own minds by saying it's "school work". If you really want to look for the priority, skip the soccer game or the afternoon at the lake, or leave an hour early, and study on the way home. It's VERY easy to find the hour and a half of travel-time and worship that we think is impossible to overcome, when we get real with ourselves and put priorities in order.

Don't forget Proverbs 21:2 which reminds us of our own "endless capacity to justify" our actions, but how God is never fooled for a millisecond by things that we even try to fool ourselves with.

How did that strategy fair? Shouldn't Katye and I have failed out and been last in our class, underachieved and such, because of the 2 hours of Sunday night church (that most people don't even have anymore)...actually we both had full ride academic scholarships to head into college with. I don't trot that out to brag, but to say that it is important to honor the Lord and those lessons are still teaching me long after the grades from Calculus are long gone.

I don't know if that's how it will show up for you, but it will always be more beneficial than establishing any sort of home system that puts God second or third. When your very home system is setup to fail at honoring the Lord, you just preach hypocrisy when you try to sing about how there's no one greater than God in your life to your children...believe you me, their "genuine" meter is on wide open in the teenage years looking for things to challenge, whether they tell you or not. Consistency and integrity on your part is huge, Christian parents. "Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old, he will NOT depart from it" (Proverbs 22:6)...because if there is one thing you do want, it is the Lord in your corner to honor you, because you are honoring Him.

"God bless ________"

"God bless _________"  That's a common phrase in our church culture.  It might come in the form of a prayer asking God to bless the efforts of...the results of... protection of actions...whatever.  A thought here...

When you ask for God's blessing, you should probably take a moment and see you are even asking something that God might do.  Is that program/project/person/organization in line with God, recognizing God's authority and trying to glorify God with all efforts of everyday decisions?

If not...you may have wasted your time asking, because God isn't blessing that.

God blessings come when there is recognition, submission and alignment with His Word and direction, not just because we ask for them.

It's not because He just was amicable today or you "caught Him at a good time".  God tries to tell us this when we are instructed to ask for anything "in My name" and you will have it. 

Sometimes, I wonder if we think asking for God's blessing on something goes like this.  We just do what we want to do, then submit a request to God like a purchase order and cross our fingers hoping that God will benevolently and, in some cases, arbitrarily grant success to whatever we ask Him to get behind, because He likes us and we asked for it.It doesn't work that way.

When God blesses something, it means that God approves of it and the direction of it.   He wants it to move forward because it will bring glory and praise to His name, making disciples who follow Jesus back to Him.   It's not the ask or simply the faith, but why are you asking and what are you asking God to put His "stamp of approval" on.

God's blessing is not always in numerical success.  In fact, sometimes, God will allow temporary success to expose the true purpose of the thing, ultimately leading to its downfall or a clear delineation from His direction to be seen, so that those who follow Him won't be a part of it.  I don't think that it's clearly done to humiliate or to weaken, but to stay on the task of His mission to make disciples and bring glory and praise to Himself.

The next time you feel impressed to ask for God's blessing on some event or organization or person...ask these questions.

Is what I am asking for blessing on, something that God would approve of?

Is what I am asking for blessing on, something that recognizes God in its direction and actions?

Is what I am asking for blessing on, something that is submitting to God's authority or is it trying to act on its own authority?

If the Holy Spirit doesn't move your heart to answer these in the affirmative by giving you peace, then THESE are the very areas that you need to focus your prayer on, BEFORE you pray for God's blessing.

If God would not approve, pray for them to submit to His will.
If they don't recognize God's direction, pray for a change of heart to follow Him.
If they do not submit to God's authority, then pray for them to humble themselves, recognize their position relative to God, begin to ask God for what they should do and to obey the direction.

If people will do that, God's blessing will surely follow. 

I'm kind of ________, it's time for a new church

Every now and then, we get a guest form from someone who is a member of another local church.  I usually email guests, but if someone is a member of another local church, I respond differently.  I thank them for coming and being a guest with us, and wish them well as they return to their church, hoping that we have in some way, been used of God to help them be energized and inspired to carry on their valuable and important place in their church family.

Here's the reality...

Jesus' church, THE church, doesn't grow by people running from one church to the next.  It grows by people who didn't know Him being introduced to Him by caring friends and neighbors and co-workers who love them enough to live Jesus in front of them.

Another truth is true as well...
His children don't grow by using cosmetic factors to attempt to solve problems that exist within.  Most of the time, blaming external preferences for issues that exist internally, only mask the issue and delay healing.

From time to time, people leave one local church for another local church.  Sometimes, it's a good reason, but a lot of the time, it's not.  When I get that guest form above, could God be sending help to accomplish our mission or bringing someone to the next step in their journey?  Could God give the "holy transfer" to someone from our church to go somewhere else?  Of course...but it needs to be obedience, not avoidance.

If you are thinking about leaving your church, read this article below and if one of these reasons is the reason that you are considering a new place, rethink and examine yourself.  If you don't, you might end up finding the same problems at the new place, because you brought them with you.

5 Really Bad Reasons To Leave Your Church

Verses from the talk on "Words"

At Church at the Park today, we talked about the words we use, their importance in our lives and what the Bible has to say about them.

Facts about words
20,000 words a day spoken for the average woman
7,000 words a day spoken for the average man 

When you think about the words you read , the words you hear, words we think, words we hear, and you realize that words are a huge part of our lives.

Words are powerful.

Good ones are valuable.

A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in a setting of silver.
Proverbs 25:11 ESV

They can start or stop a fight.

A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.
Proverbs 15:1 ESV

They can bring healing or hurt.

There is one whose rash words are like sword thrusts, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.
Proverbs 12:18 ESV

They have the power of death or life.

Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits.
Proverbs 18:21 ESV

Words tell who you are.

But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person.
Matthew 15:18 ESV

God cares about what you say.

He commands what words we are to use.

Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. 
Ephesians? ?4?:?29? (ESV)

He has a standard for our words.

And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
Colossians? ?3?:?17? (ESV)

Every word you say should fit under the umbrella of representing Christ and should be a testament to thanking God for who He is in your life.

God created words for us to use to tell about Him.  Your words are what you are to use to share truth of Christ with others.

He holds us accountable for our words.

I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak,
Matthew 12:36 ESV

It's not just the words that you say, but other words as well.

The words you read...
The words you think...
The words you write...
The words you post...
The words you cheer...

The words you give value to that others say...

What kind of words should we say?

THINK - 5 questions to evaluate the next words I am about to say.

True - Will it be the truth? - Psalm 5:6, Ephesians 4:15, Proverbs 12:19

Helpful - Will it be helpful? - Phil 2:3-4 
Inspiring - Will it inspire them to be better? - Hebrews 10:24-25

Necessary - Will it be worth being said? - Proverbs 10:19
Kind - Will it be kind?  - Ephesians 4:32

Kind is not just smoothing things over and avoiding conflict...it's saying the truth in a kind manner.

If it doesn't pass all of these questions, then don't say it.
If the message is important enough to be said, then find a way to say it that it fits all of these categories.

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.
Psalm 19:14 ESV

Scripture list from "Triumph of the Cross" message last week

Here's the Scripture that I went through on Sunday that you might have missed.

13 When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins,

14 having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross.

15 And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.

Colossians 2:13-15 (NIV)

20 Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin.

Romans 3:20 (NIV)

7 What shall we say, then? Is the law sinful? Certainly not! Nevertheless, I would not have known what sin was had it not been for the law. For I would not have known what coveting really was if the law had not said, "You shall not covet."
Romans 7:7 (NIV)

2 But your iniquities have separated you from your God;
your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear.
Isaiah 59:2 (NIV)

20 For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.
James 1:20 (NIV)

11 For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV)

23 For the wages of sin is death,A)" data-cr="#cen-NIV-28092A">  but the gift of God is eternal lifeB)" data-cr="#cen-NIV-28092B">  ina]">  Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 6:23 (NIV)

9 In their hearts humans plan their course, but the LORD establishes their steps.
Proverbs 16:9 (NIV)

2…For the worshipers would have been cleansed once for all, and would no longer have felt guilty for their sins.

3 But those sacrifices are an annual reminder of sins.

4 It is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.

Hebrews 10:2-4 (NIV)

Jesus as the one sacrifice for all sins...

12  But when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God,
Hebrews 10:12 (NIV)

12  Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people, because all sinned--
Romans 5:12 (NIV)

Who are you bringing?

This time of year is awesome, especially in Florida! Sports leagues are in swing, March Madness watch parties are coming to a head. We are out and about gearing up for all the spring things. This weekend, we'll gather together to celebrate the Triumph of Christ's resurrection. The reality is that EVERYONE wants to experience winning in their life, but most people are still trying to figure out what that really looks like. Success in life is one of the greatest gifts that Jesus gives us.

Eight out of every ten people will accept an invitation to church on Easter. As you are out watching the Final Four or at a school award ceremony or at a company barbecue, remember that people are searching for what Jesus can give them and extend an invitation to them to come with you this weekend to our service at 11am at The Mission.

We'll be offering free family pics before the service starting at 10:30am and having an Easter Egg hunt for the kids after the service. We'll be sharing what the Triumph of Christ's Resurrection means for us every day...I guarantee you don't want to miss it.

Scripture list from "Becoming" message

I know a lot of the time that I mention Scripture throughout the message and sometimes people remind me that I move fast through some of the auxiliary verses and they would like to know them.  So, I've been trying to catalogue the verses in my blog (when I remember, which isn't every week-- I'll try to do better). 

Here is the complete list of verses that I mentioned in the sermon on Sunday in order of mention.

Don’t you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win! All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize. So I run with purpose in every step. I am not just shadowboxing.
1 Corinthians 9:24-26 NLT

Where there is no message from God, the people don't control themselves. But blessed are those who obey the law.
Proverbs 29:18 NIRV

19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
Matthew 28:19-20

Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.
Psalm 119:105 ESV

12 For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.
Hebrews 4:12 (NIV)

Pray without ceasing.
1 Thess. 5:17

And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord's people.
Ephesians 6:18

do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.
Philippians 4:6 (ESV)

So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.
1 Corinthians 13:13 (ESV)

So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.
Genesis 1:27 (ESV)

Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.
1 John 4:8 ESV

12 My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.
John 15:12 (NIV)

We know what real love is because Jesus gave up his life for us. So we also ought to give up our lives for our brothers and sisters.
1 John 3:16 NLT

Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.
1 John 4:7 NIV

Brothers and sisters, God has shown you his mercy. So I am asking you to offer up your bodies to him while you are still alive. Your bodies are a holy sacrifice that is pleasing to God. When you offer your bodies to God, you are worshiping him.
Romans 12:1 NIRV

25 Let us not give up meeting together. Some are in the habit of doing this. Instead, let us cheer each other up with words of hope. Let us do it all the more as you see the day coming when Christ will return.
Hebrews 10:25 NIRV

For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”
Luke 19:10 NIV

Jesus gave them this answer: "Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does.
John 5:19 NIV

11 So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches?
Luke 16:11 NIV

“But woe to you Pharisees! For   you tithe mint and rue and every herb, and neglect   justice and   the love of God.   These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others.
Luke 11:42 ESV

I have been young, and now am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his children begging for bread.  He is ever lending generously, and his children become a blessing.
Psalm 37:25-26 ESV

"And the King will say, 'I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!'
Matthew 25:40 NIV

I think that's all of them.  I'm doing this on my phone so if there is a typo, let me know, because it wasn't intentional. 

Have a great week and keep on trending!

A few thoughts about prayer

Upon reflecting on a story from the 1 Kings 18, God showed me some lessons about prayer.  You may know the story, it's the story about Elijah and his standoff with the prophets of Baal and Asherah, two gods that the people of Israel were worshiping instead of God.  You can read about it here.

Quick synopsis:  King Ahab and his piece of work Queen Jezebel are leading the people away from God and the people were kind of flip-flopping back and forth between worshiping Baal & Asherah and then worshiping God.  They have persecuted and killed all the prophets of God except Elijah, and Elijah, who is now the last prophet alive, comes out of hiding and just shows up right in the middle of God and everyone in Jerusalem (when he does Ahab calls him the "trouble maker of Israel").  Elijah sets up this showdown on Mount Carmel with the prophets of Baal and Asherah to end the doubt about who should be worshiped.

There's 850 prophets on one side and then there's Elijah on the other.  The contest:  Set up an altar with a sacrifice on it and see which God can bring fire down to burn it up.

The 850 prophets of Baal and Aherah go all day.  They are dancing around, cutting themselves and calling out to their gods.  Elijah starts talking trash to them about noon...love that...nothing happens.  About the time of the evening sacrifice, Elijah goes "that's enough" and he sets up his altar with the bull on it and digs a trench around it.  He has people take 8 giant water jars and dump them on his sacrifice, so that it drenches the altar and fills the trench around the altar with water.

Elijah prays:

...“O Lord, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, prove today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant. Prove that I have done all this at your command. 37 O Lord, answer me! Answer me so these people will know that you, O Lord, are God and that you have brought them back to yourself.”


38 Immediately the fire of the Lord flashed down from heaven and burned up the young bull, the wood, the stones, and the dust. It even licked up all the water in the trench! 39 And when all the people saw it, they fell face down on the ground and cried out, “The Lord—he is God! Yes, the Lord is God!”

Here are some things about prayer that I learned from this passage.

1)  Pray big.  Elijah prayed big, this wasn't small...he really laid himself out there.  A great book that unpacks this idea is The Circle Maker by Mark Batterson.

2)  Pray specific.  Don't pray nebulous prayers.  Make them specific, don't just always pray in a way that is not measurable.

3)  Pray to leave no doubt.  Too often we just pray about things that would happen anyway...that's not bad, but our prayers don't need to be limited to that.  The reason we don't see God do things that only God can do more, is because we don't pray for things to happen that only God could do.  Pray in such a way that you leave no doubt who did it...this was a moment for Elijah, it was God doing it or nobody...leave no doubt.

3)  Pray for the glory of God.  That was Elijah's prayer, that God would show Himself to be who He is, that God show His glory, which is the evidence that God is working and is who He says He is.  Do you just pray for things that would make your life easier, get you something cool or do you pray purposefully for ways for God to glorify Himself?  Do you pray for what would be most in line with God's mission or yours?

I tell the story of how Bay West got land all the time, because it's a meaningful story that only God could have done.  Scott and I were looking with Jeff Robison and his co-worker, Brandon...after looking we had lunch at Sonny's BBQ, and when we left, we drove off saying, "Well that's great and all, but we don't have any money to buy it."  We delayed staff meeting because of the task, and when we got there, we told everyone that we had found a place, but we didn't have any money.  Our Minister of Administration pipes up with "Well, you aren't gonna believe this, but..." and he proceeds to tell us that he just finished lunch with a guy who, completely unprompted, asked what we were doing for the Bay West campus to get them land to build and that he wanted to buy us some land, if that was cool.  Zero in here...we weren't telling everyone we were even looking...our Administrator didn't even know we were looking, yet at the exact moment we were looking in faith, God had already prepared the answer.

It gets even better, because the land we were looking at was a great price, but in the process, we got outbid...I was crushed, because I was SURE that was what God had for us, because even the location was right in the middle of a map we'd plotted with the addresses of our attenders...but it wasn't.  I thought the story was over, but what ended up happening was that God's plan was for us to buy the land immediately next door...which was TWICE THE SIZE of the original plot...and THAT story is still being written and it is my hope that parts of the story will be us being the building on Easter 2016 with 800 disciple makers ready on our way with the rest of the body of Christ in Palm Bay to take the city and that it would be known as a "place where God moves" when we are done....every night, that's my prayer...and that this would not be the end of the story.

I say that to say this...Degree of difficulty is irrelevant.  God is not bound by amount of ability or resource, so for God, there is no challenge to the task, whatever it is, there is only purpose for doing it, so pray for His glory...He tends to show up, and most of the time, it's bigger and better than you thought.

4)  Be faithful to tell the story.  

I say this for two reasons...one, because I'm keeping my end of the bargain to point to the immense power of God to get that done and praise Him for it.  

Two, it's an example of a big part of our prayer life that we don't fulfill.  The purpose for Bay West is to ultimately be an example of God working in the world, so if he works, and I don't tell, I'm not doing my job.  Isaiah 43:10, Isaiah tells us that God has called us to be God's "witnesses"...witnesses just tell what they saw.  If they don't tell it, then they aren't doing their part.  A big part of being a Christian is being the person who points out to everyone.."Hey, see what God did there..."  

One time in prayer with my wife's family, her older sister Daphne prayed about God answering what we were praying for, "God, we will be faithful to tell the story."  Be faithful to tell the story.

We put God on the spot, so to speak, not in making Him do something, but in putting the spotlight on what He does, and through doing so, people, like the nation of Israel, hear the story and are shown that "The Lord, He is God...yes, the Lord -- He is God!"

Don't miss out...this is the stuff of legend and adventure (and Bible stories) are made of...if you want to have the story to tell your grandkids, then pray big, pray specific, pray to leave no doubt, pray for God's glory, and be faithful to tell the story.

How did this happen?

Here we go again.  I let myself get fat….again.  I know you’ve never done that.  A few years ago, I lost a lot of weight, got back down to high school weight, ran some 5ks (set personal bests) and all that.   Then, I started to let the workouts slip, and began to eat a little more.  I’d get on the scale the next day and I really didn’t gain anything, so I let it go a little more.  I mean, I worked out all the time, so I should be good, right?  Well, 3 years later, here I am...almost back where I started. How did that happen?  Maybe if my belly had just bulged out when I ate the first Krispy Kreme, I would have stuck it out, but the effects of weight gain aren’t that user friendly...they sneak up on you.

Spiritual consequences are like the effects of weight gain.  God created the physical world to reflect what He’s trying to tell us spiritually.  We fool ourselves into believing that spiritual consequences don't exist.  When we “commit” a sin and the boulder doesn’t drop from the sky or there are no explosions, we think we got away with it or God wasn’t watching or maybe even, all this Christian stuff is a bunch of junk.  It could go on this way for years.  Then, one day, we look at our lives and go, “How did this happen?”  It might even be after we made some good changes in our life.  Sometimes, the greatest collapses in someone’s life happen immediately after a resurgence of good behavior.

Jesus even tells a story about a guy who was possessed by an unclean spirit.  The spirit leaves, and the guy takes the opportunity to sort of “clean up his life”.  Later, the unclean spirit comes back only to find everything all fixed.  The spirit gets 7 of his buddies, all worse than him, and they gang up to wreak havoc on the guy’s life.  Jesus closes the story by saying that “the last state of that person is worse than the first.”

Sometimes, we might think, like that guy, that we can just make some lifestyle changes...start going to church, maybe learn a Bible verse or two, by heart even.  We volunteer at a charity, get clean off the “hard” drugs, and we feel pretty good about ourselves, thinking we’ve done enough.  Then the slide begins and before we know it, we are worse off than we were before.  It’s like we painted the living room of the house to hide the cracks in the walls, but never addressed the foundation problems that caused them to begin with..

The reality is we can’t clean our lives up on our own...only God can do that.  Without turning our lives over to Him once and for all, we don’t begin to really see the long-lasting results we dream of and we just gain “the weight” all back.  It might show in different places, but the reality is when we get on the scale, we’ll see that it’s worse than when we started.  Then we are just left to look around and wonder “How did this happen?”

Scriptures from this morning's service on the Word

Here you go...as promised, the Scriptures from the sermon this morning.

Remember the challenge...read Psalm 119 and see what God's Word is meant to be for you...what are you not USING it for and how is that hurting you?

9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.
10 That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
2 Corinthians 12:9-10 (NIV)
_______________
“Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation,”
1 Peter 2:2 (NIV)
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11 We have much to say about this, but it is hard to make it clear to you because you no longer try to understand.
12 In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food!
13 Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness.
14 But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.
Hebrews 5:11-14 (NIV)
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Direction
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1 Blessed are those whose ways are blameless, who walk according to the law of the Lord.
2 Blessed are those who keep his statutes and seek him with all their heart—
3 they do no wrong but follow his ways.
Psalm 119:1-3 (NIV)
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9 He shows how to distinguish right from wrong, how to find the right decision every time.
Proverbs 2:9 (TLB)
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91 Your laws endure to this day, for all things serve you.
Psalm 119:91 (NIV)
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65 You have dealt well with your servant, O Lord, according to your word.
Psalm 119:65 (ESV)
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35 Direct me in the path of your commands, for there I find delight.
36 Turn my heart toward your statutes and not toward selfish gain.
37 Turn my eyes from looking at worthless things; and give me life in your ways.
Psalm 119:35-37 (NIV)
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11 I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.
Psalm 119:11 (ESV)
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15 I will meditate on your precepts and fix my eyes on your ways.
16 I will delight in your statutes; I will not forget your word.
Psalm 119:15-16 (ESV)
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42 then shall I have an answer for him who taunts me, for I trust in your word.
Psalm 119:42 (ESV)
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Protection
_____________
92 If your law had not been my delight, I would have perished in my affliction.
93 I will never forget your precepts, for by them you have preserved my life.
Psalm 119:92-93 (ESV)
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97 Oh, how I love your law!  I meditate on it all day long.
98 Your commands are always with me and make me wiser than my enemies.
99 I have more insight than all my teachers, for I meditate on your statutes.
100 I have more understanding than the elders, for I obey your precepts.
Psalm 119:97-100 (NIV)
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22 Take away from me scorn and contempt, for I have kept your testimonies.
Psalm 119:22 (ESV)
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50 This is my comfort in my affliction, that your promise gives me life.
Psalm 119:50 (ESV)
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Salvation
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25 My soul clings to the dust; give me life according to your word!
Psalm 119: 25 (ESV)
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43 And take not the word of truth utterly out of my mouth, for my hope is in your rules.
Psalm 119:43 (ESV)
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74 Those who fear you shall see me and rejoice, because I have hoped in your word.
Psalm 119:74 (ESV)

Scripture references from the sermon this morning...

Here's the Scripture I used in the service this morning.  My daughter told me that I blew past some of the references, so I thought I'd just post a blog with all the Scripture and references I used if anyone missed anything. 

67 And his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied, saying,
68 “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel,
   for he has visited and redeemed his people
69 and has raised up a horn of salvation for us
   in the house of his servant David,
70 as he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets from of old,
71 that we should be saved from our enemies
   and from the hand of all who hate us;
72 to show the mercy promised to our fathers
   and to remember his holy covenant,
73 the oath that he swore to our father Abraham, to grant us
74     that we, being delivered from the hand of our enemies,
might serve him without fear,
75     in holiness and righteousness before him all our days.

Luke 1:67-75 (ESV)
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18 There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. 1 John 4:18 (NIV)
__________________

10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,
and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.
Proverbs 9:10 (NIV)____________________

8 I keep the Lord in mind always.  Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.
9 Therefore my heart is glad and my spirit rejoices; my body also rests securely.

Psalm 16:8-9 (HCSB)
____________________

31 but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength;
they shall mount up with wings like eagles;
they shall run and not be weary;
they shall walk and not faint.
Isaiah 40:31 (ESV)____________________

The story of Jesus (and Peter) walking on the water
22 Immediately he made the disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds.
23 And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone,
24 but the boat by this time was a long way from the land,beaten by the waves, for the wind was against them.
25 And in the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea.
26 But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, “It is a ghost!” and they cried out in fear.
27 But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.”
28 And Peter answered him, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.”
29 He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus.
30 But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me.”
31 Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”
32 And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased.
33 And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”
Matthew 14:22-33 (ESV)
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19 Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger;
20 for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God.
James 1:19-20 (NIV)

_______________________

29 Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.
Ephesians 4:29 (NIV)

_______________________

Examples of Israel forgetting God and it leading them into sin...
7 The Israelites did evil in the eyes of the LORD; they forgot the LORD their God and served the Baals and the Asherahs.
Judges 3:7 (NIV)

33 No sooner had Gideon died than the Israelites again prostituted themselves to the Baals. They set up Baal-Berith as their god
34 and did not remember the LORD their God, who had rescued them from the hands of all their enemies on every side.
Judges 8:33-34 (NIV)

14 Israel has forgotten their Maker and built palaces; Judah has fortified many towns. But I will send fire on their cities that will consume their fortresses."
Hosea 8:14 (NIV)

__________________________

23 23 Then you will walk safely in your way,
And your foot will not stumble.
24 When you lie down, you will not be afraid;
Yes, you will lie down and your sleep will be sweet.
25 Do not be afraid of sudden terror,
Nor of trouble from the wicked when it comes;
26 For the Lord will be your confidence,
And will keep your foot from being caught.
Proverbs 3:23-26 (NIV)

Hope that helps and I apologize if I blew past some of that too quickly.

The Unused Potential of Receiving Gifts

I happened across an amazing stat the other day that is pretty relevant for this time of year.  Ten billion of gift card money goes unused every year...$10,000,000,000 unused every year...wow.  I think there’s a lot of things I could get done with $10 billion every year, if no one really wants that.  We think that’s kind of crazy to just leave money laying there, but the reality is as Christians, we do this all the time.

All the time, God is giving us gifts of blessings.  Maybe, we’ve been praying for something to happen in our career or a situation to be resolved in a relationship or a financial situation, and then God comes through.  Sometimes, it’s more behind the scenes, and we just pass by it almost obliviously because we thought we got lucky or fortunate and don’t even consider that God did it at all.  Even at the times we completely realize the gift that God has given us at the moment, we can leave a big part of the gift unclaimed.  How?  In taking the time to reflect on it and give thanks to Him for it.

When we take time to thank God for things, it causes us to analyze all that it took to make that particular thing happen.  It reminds us that God can do things in situations that we can’t do and although, we are not in control, He is and is Someone that we can go through.  As Christians, it increases our faith in multiple ways.  Since God came through all those barriers, we can trust Him to come through on bigger things.  It increases our “faith stamina” to wait on God next time, when the answer seems longer than usual.  

So many times, the reason that we give up on God is because we’ve left millions of “gift card” dollars in blessings unrealized is because we haven’t thanked God and created a mental history list of all the things He has done.  1 Thessalonians 5:18 says “in all things, give thanks” and that’s not just to recognize God, but God has made it so that it builds us up in doing so.  When you have that history, it reinforces you in tough times, when the answers take longer to come, and it keeps your mind at ease, because you know, that God has a plan...just like He had a plan since the beginning of time to send His Son as His gift to the world and that’s why we are giving each other gifts at this time of year.

The next time you get a blessing from God, or a gift card, make sure you take the time to get all the dollars out of that “gift” and don’t let your blessing be a crazy statistic that goes unclaimed and unused.

A Sabbatical

Next week, many of you have heard and I've talked with you about my taking a sabbatical during the month of June.  I just wanted to explain a few things, so you can know what's up.

What is a sabbatical?
If you aren't familiar with the concept of a sabbatical, usually it's termed most often in the case of a professor or teacher in college for them to take time to have some professional development, to write or do intensive study and recharge.  It's a time of improving themselves to come back as a better teacher.

While it's known in the US more in those secular circles, it is actually derived from the Biblical term "sabbath", which is a time of "religious observance, abstaining from work".  We are to practice this weekly habit of spending devoted time centering on Christ away from our work.  

Why do you need a sabbatical?
If we look a the life of Christ, there were times when he withdrew for extended periods to recharge and be ready for the next season of his ministry.  This is a practice I try to repeat regularly in short stints, because, as you may know or not know, as a pastor, I'm really never off the job.

How long is a sabbatical and when do you take it?
In many churches and religious organizations, they have started giving their ministers and leaders sabbaticals after certain periods of service in current roles.  It can range from a month to 3 months to 6 months or in some extreme cases, a year.

At First Baptist, after every 7 years of service, you are given a month of paid sabbatical leave, usually encouraged to be taken all at once, to recharge, develop, learn and rest.  This year is my 7th year and next week, I'll be taking one month off of my duties as campus pastor at Bay West Church.  

Will you be attending Bay West while you are on sabbatical?
No.  During that time, I won't be attending Bay West Church, but I will be attending and worshiping elsewhere (I don't a break from following Christ.)  I will be observing other churches, meeting with other church staffs, and if I was at Bay West, I couldn't be off anyway.

Do you just vacation or hang out at your house?
No, but I have presented a plan to our Personnel Team and they have approved my itinerary and plan to make the best of this time away.

Over this time, I will be unavailable.  I'll be spending some concentrated time with my family.  I'll be seeking wisdom from concentrated time alone with God most of all.  I'll learning from other staff members/pastors from some different churches, conducting interviews on the subject of church growth, multisite work and other leadership subjects trying to better myself as a leader as we look to the future of Bay West.  I have been working on writing a book, as well, and will be devoting some time to that, as well as some time to reading and learning myself.

Is there something wrong?
Nope.  We do things like this as a preventative measure, so everything stays right.

Who will be preaching?
Bob Lorenzo, who has taught us several times before, and who you hear indirectly through me a lot because of his influence in my life, will be preaching.  The rest of the staff will be operating as normal.

Will things fall apart?
No.  I've tried very hard to make Bay West not about my presence on a Sunday, but the presence of God and in doing so, you are surrounded every week/Sunday with capable leadership and a sound structure, so things should run like a top.

Can I still be baptized in our services?
Absolutely, but the process is the same.  You'll need to call our offices, we'll schedule a time to meet with one of our ministers to make sure you are ready spiritually, and then we will coordinate the baptism in our services.

What if I have an emergency and/or need a pastor?
Please contact Mandy at  our offices at (321) 723-0561 and Nate, Randy or Raul will help you or if they are unavailable, one of the pastors from the Melbourne Campus will contact you. 

Can I just call you and chat?
Normally, I'm up for that, but since I'm trying to spend time away, that probably wouldn't be best. I'll be back to see you soon.

How long will you be gone?
I'll be back in services at Bay West Church on Sunday, July 6th.

I would like to thank you all for allowing me to do this and it is my hope that I will return as a better Christ follower, husband, father and pastor as we continue together into the future.

Please be faithful, come prepared to worship and learn because as I am listening to the Lord during this time, I expect him to be faithfully teaching you special things through the normal activity at Bay West, that if you were to take a break from, you would miss, so please continue attending, serving, loving, worshiping, giving, cultivating, giving, communicating and being the church.  I'll be there this Sunday, then I'll see you in July.

In Christ,
Jim

Quick recap of Sunday's sermon Week 2 of SIGNS - Yield

Bad news...no podcast this week, because we had some difficulty last Sunday.  Put down some rough thoughts from my sermon notes..

Yielding to God is essential to following God.

The concept of yielding in driving is giving someone else the right of way, letting them go first before you.  The concept of yielding to God is similar, it's giving someone else the priority or the right of way in your life...setting aside your schedule or goals in deference to theirs.

How do we do that?  Enter Jonah...specifically Jonah 2, his prayer in the belly of the fish.

4 stops in the process of yielding.
1)  Understand reality.  Jonah 2:1-6

• God is in control of and owns everything.  All kinds of "your" language in these verses.  It is clear that Jonah is coming to grips with the fact that all this is God's and he'd better get with the program of reality.
  We operate in our own little fake reality so often, where we are in control and God is living to serve us...untrue and just like simply denying that a brick wall is there and trying to run head first through it is painful, damaging and impossible...so is not grasping that all this, including me, was created for God, not the other way around.
• We are hopeless and helpless without God.
  We can't even see what God has given us without Him
  12 What we have received is not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us.
  1 Corinthians 2:12 (NIV)

There are 4 sources of authority in everyone’s life and everyone's decisions are made under one of these authority structures. 1)  Scripture  2)  Experience 3)  Tradition 4)  Reason -

At some point, if you are going to follow Christ, Scripture has to become the authority structure that trumps everything.

2) A recognition of our personal situation. Jonah 2:7

• Jonah realized that his life was ebbing away...he had forgotten God, he had not prayed to God (only guy on the ship that DIDN'T pray, fyi), and he had turned away from God's presence (the Holy Temple is symbolic of God's presence in Scripture).
• BUT here's the biggest recognition personally for him...vs. 8

“Those who cling to worthless idols turn away from God’s love for them."

He was clinging to an idol of his standards and prejudices against the Ninevites for their reputation in cruelty...He was clinging to his own idols instead of God.

3)  Jonah’s response to his situation Jonah 2:9

But I, with shouts of grateful praise, will sacrifice to you.
What I have vowed I will make good.  I will say, ‘Salvation comes from the Lord.’”

• Praise right where he is...don't wait to get out of the fish.
• Sacrifice his standards to God's...God first
• Act on his commitment to God.  In the dark, act on what God has told you in the light.
• Become a verbal and life example of God's salvation.

4)  God's restoration of Jonah.  Jonah 2:10

God spoke to the fish (still in control of his fish) and it spit Jonah out.

Couple of things:

1)  When you come out of the storm of life or the belly of your fish, you won't be where you were when you came in...no going back to what it used to be.

2)  You'll be prepared for what God has for you next.  Some say that even Jonah's "bleached" appearance from the gastric juices inside the fish, may have "augmented" his appearance to make his message to Nineveh more noticeable when he got there.

While many say that Jonah 2 is a prayer of repentance, and inside the fish IS where Jonah turned it around with hints of repentance in vs.7 and 9, the overall theme isn't repentance...it's a prayer of thanksgiving.  The fish saved him physically from drowning in the storm and it also saved him emotionally by forcing him to realize where he was and to respond.

Imagine the worst thing, the most traumatic thing in your life, at some point, God having healed that to such a degree that you thank Him for it...in all things give thanks...28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
Romans 8:28 (NIV)