Regifting Christmas

Are you familiar with the concept of "Regifting"? Webster's Dictionary defines regifting as "To give an unwanted gift to someone else; to give as a gift something one previously received as a gift."

Most people would agree that there's nothing wrong with regifting. According to regiftable.com more than half of Americans surveyed said they had regifted something and it was perfectly acceptable. Especially when the regifting is beneficial for both the giver and the receiver.

But, For every successful "regift" (that extra toaster you got at your wedding that you gave to your cousin at his wedding and they loved it!), there is at least one or two stories of regifting gone wrong. Here's a few examples...

One woman tells this story... "I have an aunt who is a bit of a pack rat. I'm used to getting really tacky gifts from her but don think much of it and just donate them to goodwill. Its the thought that counts. Well one year she gave me a nice two pound box of Sees Candies. I thought wow, finally at least something I can use. Who doesn't like chocolate, right? So I open it up and grab one and take a big bite and immediately spit it out. Something was horribly wrong. It was disgusting! I thought how can you possibly mess up chocolate? I look on the box and found a USE BY date and it was a box from the mid 70's!"

If you like that one, you'll love this...  "This year was my high school graduation, and my family members were more than generous with their overflow of gifts and money. That included my dead beat grandfather that sent me a gift card from Target dated from February for 25 dollars, my graduation was in June let me remind you. I went to Target to pick out a nice 25 dollar item, when I get to the cash register and was told there was only $13.73 left on it. Yes, not only an old, but used gift card. My mother was furious with him.

OK, one more just for fun... My wife had sprung it on me that we were going to my father-in-laws house for my brother-in-laws birthday and we both realized that we didn't have a gift for him and there wasn't enough time to run to the store so I decided to go through my closet in hopes of finding a gift. I opened the closet and started to rummage through my clothes when low and behold, I find the Holy Grail that I'm looking for, a BRAND NEW sweater with the TAGS still attached. My wife quickly wrapped it and we left. After blowing out the candles he begins to open his gift and when he lifts it up for everyone to see with a funny smile on his face. I couldn't tell if he was happy, disappointed, or disgusted. He turns to me and says " So I guess you didn't like the sweater either?" So I said "what do you mean?" all confused. I he replied "My ex-girlfriend gave me this sweater 3 years ago and I didn't care for it so I gave it to you as a Christmas gift a few years ago."

I could read these stories all day! They crack me up...  


But they also get me thinking... We regift Christmas PRESENTS but what if we simply regifted CHRISTMAS? How many times as Christians do we say something like "The greatest gift ever given to mankind was Jesus Christ."? What a great gift it was! After all, because of our sin, we were destined for eternal separation from God if not for this gift. We needed Jesus to come just the way he did so that we might receive the gift that Romans 6:23b tells us about when it says, "but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."

Every year at Christmas, we celebrate the virgin birth of our Lord and Savior as he came into the flesh, dwelt among us and made it possible for us to live eternally with him. We reflect on the awesomeness of the gift and we express our continued thanks for the redemptive work that began in Bethlehem over 2,000 years ago. But have you ever thought about taking the gift of Jesus Christ, that was given to you, and REGIFTING it for Christmas? If it truly was the greatest gift you've ever received, it stands to reason that someone you know could probably use it as well. What better time of year than Christmas to give the gift of Jesus Christ to someone who needs him?

These thoughts have led me to a new series at Vantage Point that will begin on December 12th. It's Called "Regifting Christmas" and will last for 3 weeks. We will look more specifically at the gifts God has given us and we will challenge ourselves to Regift these gifts to the world. Here's the schedule:

December 12th -"Regifting Love"
December 19th- "Regifting Hope"
December 26th- "Regifting Forgiveness"

Please come be with us for this exciting series, during a very exciting time of the year. I know you won't want to miss it. The best part is, when you're "Regifting Christmas" you don't have to remember to change the wrapping paper or the tags on the box!

God Bless!

Important Announcement

 Here is a copy of what has been sent to everyone on the Vantage Point mailing list. I'm just trying to make sure everyone gets the message! 

In case you missed the announcement about our services this Sunday, November 21^st, 2010 I wanted to mail it to you as well. So, here it goes…

 

IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT

Due to a scheduling conflict with the Osage Centre, Vantage Point will NOT be meeting for worship on Sunday November 21^st, 2010. The conflict was accidental on the part of the Osage Centre staff. We will not hold it against them, and we will be meeting at the Osage Centre each week resuming on Sunday November 28^th, 2010 at 11:15 A.M.

Life Groups WILL BE meeting the week of the 21^st. We encourage all of you to participate in a Life Group. If you are not part of a life group and you’d like to be, email me at josh@capevantagepoint.com and I will get you plugged in.

We want to assure you, that this kind of conflict will not be the norm. We did consider holding our services in another location, but decided that it would be difficult to inform the community where we would be moving it to under such short notice. Also, to move it and move it back could prove to be a point of confusion for some of our attendees. With these thoughts and much prayer, we have come to realize that this is the best solution for an inconvenient and accidental situation. We trust that you will all be back on the 28^th for another great time of worship.

 We value each of you and are glad you’re a part of the Vantage Point Family. Bring a friend with you on the 28^th for week 3 of our current series “Elijah”.

God Bless,

Pastor Josh

P.S- You are invited for lunch in the family life center of First General Baptist Church on November 28^th. Lunch is free for you and it starts at 12:30 P.M. I’ll be there, and so will many of the familiar faces you see each week at Vantage Point. First General Baptist has a few big lunches like this every year and the members want you to know you are welcome to attend, eat and fellowship any time. See you at Church on the 28^th. (Come Hungry)

Lost

OK, this isn't about the TV show at all... But they have nice pictures! ha

Really, you need to check out this devotional written by Dr. Ed Young...


"Lost things—and lost people—don't always know they're lost. But the one who has lost them knows. Sheep don't know they're lost, but the shepherd does. A lost coin doesn't know it's lost, but its owner does. The prodigal son didn't think he was lost. He thought he was living it up and enjoying the adventure of a lifetime, but if you had asked his father, he would have said, "My son is lost."
Where was the father when his son was lost? Some would argue that he never left home, never went after his boy. But I believe the father was in the far country, too. Not a day or night went by that the father was not with his younger son. Loved ones who are left behind know their own special kind of lost-ness. The wife of a man who fights in a foreign country goes to that country in her thoughts a thousand times a day. The loved one of a hostage is held hostage, too. The parent of a sick child fights disease just a surely as their boy or girl does, and feels every pain.
Day after day, hour after hour, the father of the prodigal was in the far country, too. He was suffering the anguish and emptiness that a life of excess brought to his son. There's not a parent alive who has not experienced the hurt of their child if there is real love there. That's a human picture of the supernatural love of God. He goes where we go. He feels every loss, every disappointment, every pain. And He loves us so much that once, for a moment, He turned His back on His own Son so that we could know that love."

LUKE 15: 13
...the younger son gathered everything together and went on a journey into a distant country...

Where are you? You're not alone...

Feel free to comment below.

Come Get Your Ear Chewed

I'm going to seriously chew your ear.

Well... OK, I'm not talking about "Mike Tyson Style" ear chewing... that's disgusting. I'm talking about giving you a stern talking to about a problem I've got. So here it goes... prepare to get your ear chewed... metaphorically of course.

I have a problem today... my problem is you. I'm taking issue today with how you "measure" yourself. You know what I mean. You're checking yourself out, and making excuses for why you're not doing what you know you need to do. I take even more issue with you about the way you are making excuses or selling yourself short about what you know God is calling you to do.

Listen Buddy... IT'S NOT ABOUT YOU!! Seriously, this thing is so much bigger than you. And you know that. That's why you're making excuses. You're saying "with my lack of education..." "with my limited income..." "with my poor health..." "with all my past mistakes....I don't see how I can succeed."

What you should be doing is realizing that "when you are weak, he is strong." What you should be doing is remembering Ephesians 3:20! It says, "Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us."

God is wanting to do big things in your life, but you keep telling him you can't do it! What he is trying to get through that thick skull of yours' is that HE'S the ONE that CAN!
 
Who determines if you can do this or that? Who determines if you're qualified? Who decides the extent of your blessings? God does! So if he's laid a dream in your heart, stop making excuses. Get to work on it! Do it! Throw away your measuring stick and accept the plan he has for you. You are smart enough, you are capable, you are able! He has put that in you. No more excuses...You can succeed. Did you hear me?

Sorry that I had to get rough with you... but you had it coming. Now come here and give me a hug you rascal...

Ankle Weights

Have you ever tried to run with ankle weights on? You know what I’m talking about, right? Little weights that you strap to your ankle just above your shoe, that are designed to build your leg muscles. They are supposed to tone up the muscles in your leg (especially the ones right around the knee.) 

  Anyway, I don’t like to run simply for the sake of running. Give me a ball and some people who want to play some kind of game and I’ll still run all day. But to run just for the sake of running is absolutely NO FUN for this guy. So, when I see someone running, just for the sake of it, I consider then committed and more disciplined than I. However, when I see someone running with ankle weights on, I don’t think they’re committed… I think they SHOULD BE committed…to a crazy person home… because running is hard enough without all that extra weight!

Seriously, it should be a sin to run with extra weight on your legs!

So, this morning I was reading “The Word for You Today” Daily Devotional. It had a great little write up called “Running the Race”. It said that in Greece, there’s a place tourists seldom visit.  The writer of Hebrews may have had in mind when he wrote, “lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and… run with endurance.”  It’s where the Isthmian games, a forerunner to the Olympics, were held: a place where athletes were hailed as heroes. 

To develop muscle they trained with weights strapped to their legs, but on the day of the race they stripped off anything that wasn’t essential. There’s a lesson here.  We think what we're clinging to is important. If we didn’t, letting go wouldn’t be a struggle; we’d simply set it down.  

The Christian life is a race that starts the day you accepted Christ and ends when you meet him face to face.  In order to cross the finish line as a winner you must eliminate:

1.  Anything that slows you down. In other words, set down anything that hinders your spiritual progress. In and of itself it may not be wrong, but it becomes a weight when it stops you from living for God to the fullest.

2.  Anything that causes you to stumble short of the finish line.  You must constantly monitor the level of your commitment to Christ, the growth of your faith, your home life, your relationships, your integrity, your work ethic, your thought life and your habits.  Make up your mind to stay focused on the prize.  Great athletes who won received a garland that eventually withered, but you will “receive the crown of Glory that will never fade” (1 Peter 5:4 NIV).  Isn’t that worth running the race for?

I would say that it is! And I’m also glad to know that the writer of Hebrews in on my side about the whole ankle weight thing… 

What weight is hindering you? Post a comment below and I’ll be praying for you!

Take a bath...

OK, It's bible bath time... Let's look at the story of Ruth. Bath time happens in Ruth 3:3.


Here's the context; Naomi tells Ruth it's time to plan for her future. She needs to go find Boaz and get the ball rolling on making him her husband. As verse 3 begins, Naomi gives Ruth a "to-do" list before she can go get on with her life. The first thing she tells her to do is to "take a bath".


That got me thinking... what exactly was she washing off? Sure she had plenty of dirt on her from being out in the field but, like most of us, she had some things from her past she needed to clean up as well.


Think about it... according to the story, Ruth had lost her father-in-law, her brother-in-law, and her own husband. Just two short chapters ago she was a hurting woman saying these words to her mother-in-law, "Don't urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the LORD deal with me, be it ever so severely, if anything but death separates you and me." The story tells us that when Naomi heard how serious Ruth was about this, she allowed her to come with her. But, as we read we learn that Naomi never stopped considering Ruth's future.


When they get to Bethlehem, Ruth feels compelled to provide for Naomi. She tries to take hold of the situation. She heads out to try to pick up scraps in a field behind the workers so they can eat. Can you imagine what that must have been like for Ruth? She was owning all the pressure of feeding and providing for herself AND Naomi.


Ruth's life was pretty much a mess. But Naomi was still looking forward toward Ruth's future while Ruth was scrambling around trying to survive one day at a time. Then Naomi goes to work to clean up this young girl's life. She says,"My daughter, should I not try to find a home for you, where you will be well provided for?  Is not Boaz, with whose servant girls you have been, a kinsman of ours? Tonight he will be winnowing barley on the threshing floor." (Ruth 3:1-2)


Naomi pretty much says, "Hey Ruth... seriously, you're a wonderful young woman. I won't be around forever. It's time I help you move on with you life. Boaz is your future. God has provided him for you and he is right around the corner. It's time let God give you a fresh start." Then she says, "Now go take a bath...".


I think many of us are just like Ruth. We've had some rough times in our past. Things have not gone our way. And right now, maybe you are clinging to anything familiar that will allow you to hang on to whatever you had. But, as you do that, you are also clinging on to the pain, the hurt, all the bad memories, and every other fear that you associate with that time of your life. You need to move on. I challenge you today to listen to good old Naomi, and "Take a bath." Let Jesus Christ clean up all the pain or regret from your past and look forward to a Christ centered future. Let him wash off all of the dirt from the work you've been trying to do to provide for yourself and you just accept what God has put in front of you. Your new life is waiting for you.


Isaiah 43:18-19 says, "Forget the former things... I am doing a new thing... I am making a way."


That's God's promise for you. Place your hope in him. Go jump in the tub, clean up, and start fresh...


But seriously, don't take all day in there... your sister needs to blow dry her hair!

"Fighting Naked"

Have you ever wondered what you would do if someone tried to mug you or pick a fight with you in a street or a parking lot? I have. I've thought about it. I've actually got a fool proof plan to ensure my safety.

I'm getting naked.

You see, I'm betting that the mugger or assailant really wouldn't want to wrestle or grapple with a naked dude because I know that I would never want to wrestle or grapple with a naked dude. Seriously, it's gross. Even if I won, I'd feel like a loser. So, my #1 rule in a fight is to get naked. You may think It's crazy, or weird, but that's my plan.

Well, that is... if it's a physical fight. If it's a spiritual fight, I have to do something else entirely.

Today I began working on a new message series called, "I Am Sin". The plan is to personify sin, understand the enemy, and deal with it as we are taught in Ephesians 6. So, I was re-reading Ephesians 6 and came to verse 13 where it says, "Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm." That got me thinking...

This is a linear statement, right? It says, "Then".

"THEN after the battle you will be standing firm". It sure sounds like to me that the full armor of God is a prerequisite to being able to stand. Now, I realize that this may seem a little elementary to some of you reading this, but I want to make sure we understand exactly what the implication of this scripture really is to Christians today.

This scripture implies that if you're not standing, you've been knocked down. It implies that if you've been knocked down, you didn't have the armor on. It implies that if you didn't have the armor on, it's a YOU problem.

"Therefore, put on EVERY PIECE of God's armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. THEN after the battle you will be STANDING firm."

Why does it seem that the devil is beating up on you all the time? Why does it seem like you never quite get to where God wants you to be? Why do you feel like you keep getting knocked down? Could it be because we can't follow instructions? We aren't wearing every piece of God's armor are we? WE ARE FIGHTING NAKED!

Fighting naked doesn't work when the enemy is shooting fiery arrows! (Eph 6:16)

So let's get you clothed. Let's put the armor on. Here's the whole list:

"Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God."

Find the part(s) of the armor that your life has been missing. Put it on. Put on EVERY PIECE. THEN you will stand. God has given you everything you need. Just follow the directions and stop fighting naked...

Seriously, stop it... it's a little weird.

"I Think therefore I am ... Lazy"

When Rene Descartes penned the words, "Je pense donc je suis" (translated to English: "I think therefore I am.) in 1637, he was making a philosophical statement. Almost 400 years later, I'd like to try to use his famous line to describe the average American Christian. Here it goes...

"I think therefore I am... lazy."

I'm not trying to be mean. I'm as guilty as the next guy. Just follow me here and see if you might agree.

I think "good ideas" may be the biggest detriment to Christianity in America. I know that's a pretty bold statement, but let me explain my line of reasoning for a second...

As America has moved away from the "blue collar", work with our hands, get dirty to get the job done culture, to a "white collar", work with our heads, work smarter not harder kind of work ethic; we have neglected the potential impact that cultural shift would have on our spiritual lives. What I mean is this, today many Americans will go to work, sit in some meeting and be rewarded (possibly given a raise or promoted) for a really good... IDEA. Not just any idea, but an idea that someone else will actually have to implement and do. An idea in which their hands will never actually get dirty, they will not sweat a drop, and they will receive no other internal gratification other than the bragging rights to the "idea".

I spent the first 8 years of my adult life in sales and sales management. I was an "idea guy". I was pretty good at it. My ability to think of ways to better how we do things allowed my family to earn a nice income for several years. But the truth is, all that brain work made me soft. I thought of things and other people tried them. I never had to commit so much to anything that I'd have to actually think about, and choose to make it happen all on my own. That leads me back to my opening statement. good ideas may be the biggest detriment to Christianity in America.

Dr. Howard Hendrix writes, "Anybody can come up with a grandiose scheme for change. One person may say he wants to reach the world for Christ. Somebody else wants to deeply study each book of the bible over the next five years. Someone else plans to memorize 100 bible verses. Somebody else is going to become a Christ-like spouse. WONDERFUL! When are you going to begin? Because until you answer that, all you have is good intentions."

I believe it's hard to be a Christian in a culture that rewards you for intending to do something. Or even worse, for simply coming up with a good idea that we should all probably be doing to grow in our faith. It didn't work that way for those in the early church. Look at James 1:22 for a minute...

^"But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves."

It doesn't say, "I've got an idea, let's think about doing what God's word says..." or, "I think we all should intend to do what the bible says." Is it at least possible that the value we have placed on thinking has allowed us to justify good ideas as an end instead of a beginning? The world says, "It's the thought that counts..." But is it really? 

I'm doing my best to let this scripture help shape me. After all Romans 12:2 tells us to "not conform to the ways of the world." and James ends chapter 1 with the phrase "keep yourself from being polluted by the world". I don't want to be about good intentions. I want to be about good work. I don't want to be about ideas, I want to be about action.

God richly blessed me with the chance of a lifetime. I got to move to Cape Girardeau, MO to partner with great people that love God to start Vantage Point Church. The process changed my life. What started out as a good idea, became reality because of a whole lot of action by a whole lot of people.

So what about you? Do you have a "good idea" that you think God has placed on your heart? Have you been intending to do something for him for some time? If so I've got an IDEA for you...

Start doing!

Water, Candy, Gasoline, and Gorilla Suits...

Ok... I know how to change the world... we're going to need some supplies. Here we go:
 

*1,000 bottles of water
* a ton of candy bars
* about 6-8 gas pumps
*2-4 Gorilla suits

I know you may think that sounds like I'm making fun of MacGyver or something, but I can make a pretty good case that those ingredients can add up to world change. You see, over the last month we've been vamping up to the launch of Vantage Point Church at the Osage Center in Cape Girardeau, MO. God called the fine folks at First General Baptist Church to fund and execute this mission a few years back, and here we are today about to launch this ministry THIS SUNDAY (Sept. 12, 2010).

Long story short, we felt like God was telling us to let the area know we were here by serving them. So to promote our first message series "Guerrilla Love" we dressed up in gorilla costumes (It's a pun... funny right...) and bought $1,200.00 worth of gas for random unsuspecting patrons of the local AMERIMARKET gas station. The reaction was incredible. People could not believe that their gas was totally FREE! They were even more shocked when we asked for nothing in return.

Many of them asked why we would buy them a free tank of gas. Our standard reply was something like, "Well back in the day, Jesus showed his love for people by meeting their needs. We want to be like him, and it looks like you need some gas!" The best part is, it truly made these people's days. They left happier than when they pulled in. They experienced the Love of Jesus Christ at the gas pump. Many people told us they could get on board with a church that would take people's needs seriously and do this kind of thing. A few people even told us they'd be at church for our grand opening. But, everybody told us thank you... and they meant it.

We got pretty pumped up! So we took the gorilla suits on down to Southeast Missouri State University and handed out candy bars and bottles of water to students who were hurrying to class for 2 days. They students loved the candy, were refreshed by the water, and asked questions about our church. A few even entered into deep theological talks about Jesus and decided to come check out our grand opening. Most importantly though, those students got what they needed that day... a little taste of God's love for them.

I can't help but wonder what would happen if we all decided to go out tomorrow and help some complete stranger with something they need in the name of Jesus Christ. Isn't that what we are called to do anyway?

Matthew 25:34-40 says:

 ³⁴"Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. ³⁵For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, ³⁶I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'
 ³⁷"Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? ³⁸When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? ³⁹When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?'
 ⁴⁰"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'

I'm a little bit embarrassed that I've not taken that passage as personally as I should have. After all, in our modern, media driven culture, we see people in need everyday. I don't know about you, but I've walked past or driven by plenty of needs that I probably could have met. Mostly because I was in a hurry, or wasn't paying attention. I don't think that's a very good excuse though. It's time for more from me... I know better. Come to think of it, you probably do too. Is it safe to say that you've not done very much to share the Love of Christ with the world?

You see, I think we've called ourselves Christians for years without really striving to live up to the word. I say we change that. Let's dare to show the love of Christ to our friends, our family, and even complete strangers. Let's ambush our towns with surprise attacks of love. Let's unleash Guerrilla Love on a lost and dying generation. Let's see lives changed... let's see the world changed! Are you with me?

Good!

You bring the candy bars... I've got the gorilla suits.

"To Prove or Not To Prove"

There was a little boy named Johnny who used to hang out at the local corner market. The owner didn't know what Johnny's problem was, but the boys would constantly tease him.They would always comment that he was two bricks shy of a load, or few fries short of a happy meal or something like that. To prove it, sometimes they would offer Johnny his choice between a nickel (5 cents) and a dime(10 cents) and Johnny would always take the nickel - they said, because it was bigger.

 One day after Johnny grabbed the nickel, the store owner took him aside and said, "Johnny, those boys are making fun of you. They think you don't know the dime is worth more than the nickel. Are you grabbing the nickel because it is bigger, or what? 

Slowly, Johnny turned toward the store owner and a big grin appeared on his face and he said,"Well, if I took the dime, they'd stop doing it, and so far I have saved $20.00!

Johnny is my kind of kid! He didn't have to prove anything... What about the rest of us?

I believe our modern culture has taught us to be defensive. We always feel like we have something to prove. Most of us, unlike little Johnny, lack the capacity to take harsh words from critics. The trouble is, we listen to critics, and begin to get distracted by wondering if what they are saying is right, or by attempting to "put them in their place" when we know they're wrong. That's what WE do... but how did Jesus handle critics?

At the cross, skeptics said, "If you're the son of God, come down from the cross." (Matt 27:14) His reaction? He refused to let their comments intimidate him or to change his plans. He didn't need their approval, he already had his father's approval! "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased" (Matt 3:17) 

Jesus didn't waste time answering His critics. "Jesus made no reply, not even a single charge - to the great amazement of the governor" (Matt 27:14). Jesus didn't respond to critics. Do you know what he did respond to? He responded to hunger. You may know the story. When the crowd had been with him all day he fed them... ALL 5,000 of them (plus women and children)! He responded to needs, he responded to seekers, he responded to the little children, but never to the critics. 

Jesus didn't focus on the past, he focused on the future. Think about it... his mother was pregnant with him before she was married. Only a few people knew the truth! Jesus grew up with this, but he didn't feel the need to explain his past to everyone.

Neither should you... Stop complaining about growing up poor, or limited education, or business failures, or about people who've let you down. Stop advertising your pain and meditating on your flaws. All of us are challenged in some way. "Remember you are not the former things, don't even consider your past. Behold, I will do a New Thing." (Isa 43:18-19) 

You don't have to prove a thing. God knows you and loves you. So keep taking the nickels and build up the life that God has planned for you.

"Seven Times"

In 1 Kings 18, Elijah the prophet told King Ahab that the drought in the land was over and the rains were coming.

"Then Elijah told his servant, 'Go up now, look toward the sea.' So he went and looked and said, 'There is nothing.' And seven times he said, 'Go again.' Then it came to pass the seventh time that he said, 'There is a cloud, as small as a man's hand, rising out of the sea!' So he said, 'Go up, say to Ahab, Prepare your chariot and go down before the rain stops you'... In the meantime... the sky became black...and there was heavy rain." (v.43-45)

Can you imagine what it must have been like to be Elijah's servant on this day? What would our attitude have been?

1st time..."Servant, Go up and look toward the sea"... "Sure Elijah! No Problem, anything for you!"

3rd time... "Get up and go again."... "Come on dude, I just sat down... oh alright."

5th time... "Get up and go again" ... (thinks... He's losing it. I've already told him there's nothing. And SERIOUSLY! We've been in a drought for ages!)

The 6th time some of us may have even had a few choice words for Elijah under our breath. Then the seventh time... Would you have seen it? Would you have seen that tiny little cloud?

What amazes me about the servant is that after he had looked so many times before, he was still searching hard enough that he was able to find "a cloud, as small as a man's hand". By the seventh time, most of us would've quickly scanned the sky and headed back with our same old report.

The persistence of the servant is a lesson we should all learn. He looked for God's promise, to the best of his ability, every time. Because of this, he saw a tiny little "hand-sized" blessing that was on the way. As it turned out, what looked like a tiny little "hand-sized" blessing ended up being heavy rain! I believe we should all be looking every day for the little miracles, that God sends our way. If we can't recognize them, we may miss the big ones that have an opporitunity to change our lives.

If you've been waiting on God to show up in your life, and to bring with him something you desperately need, then I challenge you to "Get up and go again." You're cloud my be forming right now...

Your Work Matters to God (Part 2)

The Human Resources Director was taken aback when he heard what the job applicant asked to be paid. "you certainly expect to be compensated well for a beginner." The applicant replied, "Well sure, work is a lot harder when you don't know what you're doing."


I can appreciate the honesty there, but the reality is that many of us feel like we don't always know what we're doing! Have you ever felt that way? I know I have. Even right now, as we start Vantage Point and begin holding church services at the Osage Center every Sunday (starting Sept. 12th), I struggle with all of the moving parts. One day, I feel like I have it all together and everything is coming along perfectly. The next day, I feel completely overwhelmed by the grand responsibility. I'm sure most of you can relate.


How often do you let your work overwhelm you? How often do you bite off more than you can chew? What gets you through those times? For me, it's the reminder that my work matters to God. I can be committed to my work when I know I am working for my Lord and King. I want to draw closer to Jesus. I want to be more like him.

When his work weighed heavy on him he said, "My Father never stops working, and so I keep working too." (John 5:17)


Jesus was committed to his work. Are you?


Abraham Lincoln said, "Commitment is what transforms a promise into a reality... it's the daily triumph of integrity over skepticism." I don't know about you, but I think it's easy to forget that our commitment to our work is a commitment to God. Doing your work to the best of your ability is not an issue of courtesy, it's an issue of character.


When an admirer approached the world renowned pianist Van Cliburn after one of his concerts and said, "I'd give my life to be able to play like you", Cliburn simply replied, "I did!"


Jesus was committed to giving his life to his work. We should be too. After all, it matters to God.

Your Work Matters to God (Part 1)

A salesman stopped to visit a client and was amazed to find a big dog emptying wastebaskets. "All part of the job!" the dog said cheerfully. "Does your boss know how fortunate he is to have a talking dog?!?" the salesman asked. "No," replied the dog, "and don't tell him or he'll have me answering the phones next!"

Aren't we like that dog sometimes? We hide our talents so that we can just skate through our day, doing as little as possible, then go home. Heaven forbid our employers find out all of our skills... they might make us do more work! The irony is that God never intended for work to be such a drag. God desires for your work to bring you joy and Him Glory.

The bible says in Ecclesiastes 2:24, "There is nothing better than to... find satisfaction in work... these pleasures are from God." (NLT)

Have you ever thought about your work as something that glorifies God? The truth is, we need you. Every job is important. Cities need plumbers, electricians and pest control guys. Nations need soldiers, senators, and I.R.S auditors. Stop lights break, bones break, kids need teachers and care takers, our judicial system needs judges, lawyers, security guards, paralegals, assistants, janitors (to keep that courthouse looking clean!) and clerks. In every walk of life, there are countless jobs to be done. Each job is a chance to serve God in a unique way. When you think about how much we depend on one another getting our jobs done, it's not hard to see how God could use us to make big impacts on our world through our work.

If you think about it, you'll notice that your career consumes half of your life! Shouldn't it showcase God and his work in you? Don't those 40-60 hours a week belong to God too?

Jesus said, "My Father never stops working... so I keep working too." (John 5:17 NCV)

I know that your job can be tough. Sometimes, you just don't want to do it anymore. In times like this, remember that God wants to use you to make a difference in your chosen field. Be the best you can be. "Our Father never stops working..." Neither should we. Remember today how much God loves you, and how much your work matters to Him.

Carbon Copy

Those who say they live in God should live their lives as Jesus did.

1 John 2:6 NLT

  A short while back, Lifechurch.tv put out a great little sermon series on living like Jesus. The idea behind the series is that we have to be Christ-like in public, but also in private. The series was called "Carbon Copy". It was based on 1 John 2:6. The series started by posing this question...

 WHAT IF WE ARE MAKING IT HARDER THAN IT IS?

That's a great question, isn't it... When you think about what Jesus said in Mathew 11:29-30, you'd have to say Jesus isn't the one making it hard. Check out what he says: 

"Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."

His yoke is easy and his burden is light!?! Then why is it so hard to live like Jesus in the world today? Why do we all struggle with doing what's right all the time? Why doesn't the world see us and say, "I want what they've got! That Jesus thing looks GREAT!"?

Truth be told, I think it's because most of us are not "Christ-like" in the truest form of the word. The way we act out our Christianity, we tend to pick and choose when we are going to display the attributes of Christ. That isn't really Christ like though, is it? Jesus didn't flip some "Messiah switch" on his back every time he was supposed to "do good". He was ALWAYS the same. It didn't matter what time it was, or who was watching. 

That should remind us of one very important part of the "Christ-like Equation"...

LIVING LIKE JESUS PUBLICLY STARTS WITH LIVING LIKE HIM PRIVATELY.

 So what do we know about Jesus' private life? We know enough to have a good place to start! Check out these verses...

"But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed". Luke 5:16

"Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed." Mark 1:35

  You can be like Jesus right now. Withdraw to a quiet place and pray. Spend time alone with God. It's what Jesus would do. It's the first step to being Christ-like.

"Attitude"

There once was a woman who woke up one morning, looked in the mirror, and saw that she had only three hairs on her head. “Great,” she said, “I think I’ll braid my hair today.”
So she did, and had a wonderful day.
The next day she woke up, looked in the mirror and saw that she had only two hairs on her head. “Hmm,” she said, “I guess I’ll part my hair down the middle.”
So she did, and had a wonderful day.
The next day she woke up, looked in the mirror and saw that she had only one hair left on her head.
“Wow,” she said, “today I get to wear my hair in a pony tail.” So she did, and had a wonderful, wonderful day.
The next day she woke up, looked in the mirror and saw that there wasn’t a single hair on her head.
“Thank God!” she exclaimed. “I was running out of things to do with my hair!”

 I guess ATTITUDE really is everything! In Psalm 34 David expressed this same attitude when he said, "I will bless the LORD at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth." (Psalm 34:1) 


The funny thing is that even as I write this, I'm struggling with my attitude. My kids are all over the place tonight, Danielle is trying to tell me a story but she can't between trying to cook dinner and HER children (they are always her's when they are being bad) interrupting her every few seconds. And, truth be told, it's hard to concentrate on writing a blog when your 4 year old daughter is yelling she needs more toilet paper and your son is deleting apps on your iphone! But... "I will bless the Lord" even now. haha!

As you read this, I hope you can take a moment to evaluate your attitude. In Philippians 4 the apostle Paul talks about learning "to be content whatever the circumstances." Do you consider yourself "content today?

I guess it's a question of attitude.

"To Stop Doing"

I had the privilege of attending the Global Leadership Summit (put on by the Willow Creek Association) today. Let me tell you, it was pretty amazing. I was there all day, so I can't begin to tell you everything I learned, so I thought I would throw on you one little nugget of greatness.

This idea comes from Jim Collins. In case you're unfamiliar with him, here is a little introduction.

Jim Collins, nationally acclaimed business thinker, serves as a teacher to leaders throughout the corporate and social sectors. Author of the best-selling books Good to Great and Built to Last.

Now that you know a little about Jim, let me tell you what he said.

"Raise your hand if you have a "to-do" list... Now raise your hand if you have a "TO STOP DOING" list."

What a profound idea! I literally had to pull my chin back up off the floor when I heard those words. Think about the implication here. How many days in your life have you laid out plans to get things done, only for your own bad habits to get in your way? How many of us have things in our life we'd like to stop doing, but we don't really take it seriously enough to make it a written goal to stop? How often do we let our shortcomings impact the way we feel about ourselves, or the way others see us?

WE ALL NEED A STOP DOING LIST! The bible gives us plenty of "stops". One of those is found in Isaiah 1:16...

Isaiah 1:16
wash and make yourselves clean. Take your evil deeds out of my sight! Stop doing wrong...

I think we'd all agree with Isaiah that we should stop "doing wrong". But Jesus took things one step further. He began to get more specific for us.

John 6:43 "Stop grumbling among yourselves" Jesus answered.


John 7:24 "Stop judging by mere appearances, and make a right judgment."


John 20:27b "Stop doubting and believe!"

The apostle Paul even got into the act in Romans 14 when he tells us to "stop passing judgement on each other", and then again in 1 Corinthians 14 when he says to "stop thinking like children!"


The bottom line is that we all have things in our lives that we'd like to STOP DOING. So, let's stop! Take a moment right now and make a "To Stop Doing List". You'll be free from those bad habits in no time!

Disappointed...

A man was just waking up from anesthesia after surgery, and his wife was sitting by his side. His eyes fluttered open and he said, "You're beautiful." Then he fell asleep again.

His wife had never heard him say that before, so she stayed by his side. A few minutes later his eyes fluttered open and he said, "You're cute. "
The wife was disappointed because instead of "beautiful," it was now "cute."
She asked, "What happened to beautiful?"
The man replied, "The drugs are wearing off."

Life can be disappointing at times. Sometimes, it's the big things that get us. The bills pile up, work isn't going so well, we get sick, a loved one dies, or something else that is just a big deal. Other times, it's the little things. I got disappointed the other day because we were out of bread and I was "jones'n" for a peanut butter sandwich! You know what I'm talking about... you do it too. We all let the little things get us down every once in a while. 

I've come to realize that so much of life is about expectation. When we fall short of our expectations, it's easy for disappointment to creep in. We expect to be debt free in 3 years, but 3 1/2 years later we've barely made a dent in it. We expect a happy marriage, but we live a pretty long time in the "for worse" part of the deal. We expect to have a relaxing night, but one of the kids gets sick. We expect to hang out with our friends, but we get a load of extra homework. WE EXPECT A DELICIOUS PEANUT BUTTER AND STRAWBERRY JELLY SANDWICH, BUT WE'RE OUT OF BREAD!!!!!....(sorry about that, I tend to take peanut butter pretty seriously...)

Disappointment is caused by unmet expectations, but it's cured by revamped expectations.We live in a fallen world. We fall, the people around us fall. As long as we keep expecting the plans of un-perfect people to work out perfectly we will continue to be disappointed. But when we revamp our expectations, and begin to expect great things from God, he will bring us out of our disappointment. David wrote about this is Psalm 42. Check it out...

Psalm 42:5 says, "Why are you down in the dumps, dear soul? Why are you crying the blues? Fix my eyes on God— soon I'll be praising again. He puts a smile on my face. He's my God." (The Message)

Whatever disappointments you're dealing with today, let them go. Fix your eyes on God... soon you'll be praising again. He wants put a smile on your face. He's your God. 

If you want to shake off disappointment, let your expectations rest on the God who can take your greatest troubles, and make them your greatest triumphs! 

For Daddy...

My wife, Danielle, sent me a text earlier today. It was a picture of my son standing next to a 1 1/2 foot tall Lego tower he made "for daddy". He had worked hard to stack up blocks as high as he could, as a present for me.

On my bookshelf behind my desk, I've got some pictures that my daughter made me. She tried her best to color in the lines and "make it pretty". I even have a couple of homemade picture frames and a fake plant that the kiddos have tossed my way at one time or another. They try so hard to show love and make me proud. I don't know if I enjoy doing anything as much as they enjoy giving stuff to me!

It's funny, when they give me something, all I want to do is give something back to them! I want to out give them! I'm Dad... I know how to do it. So I give them big "Dad-Sized" hugs and I buy them a new movie or let them have special snack. I do whatever I can to bless them back as much as they bless me!

I think we could learn something from my kids. They do those things because they love me, not because they think they have to.Their motives are pure, their purpose is clear. They want to express their love the best way they know how. And in return, it invokes in me the desire to give all my love to them in return.

The Bible says that's how it works with us and our Heavenly Daddy...

Psalm 37:4 says, "Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart."

When we allow ourselves to be so full of love for Jesus that we think we'll burst if we don't show it, so we give of ourselves whatever we have to give, he feels our love. Then he does what most Dad's do... he outperforms us. He out gives us. He shows his love for us like only he can. 

When was the last time you gave a special gift to your heavenly Father? Nothing big, just a little something that you gave him... just because you love him.

Peyton's gift to me today was special because he loved me enough to make it for ME... and when I get home, I plan to make his night special. I'm going to return that love in a "Dad-Sized" way!

What little gift can you give to show how much you love your heavenly Dad?

A New Day... A New Blog

Welcome to my blog. I'm kind of excited to get stuff out here. I will do my best to post often. I hope to inspire you, entertain you, and maybe, I might make you think once in a while. I'm embarking on this journey, and I'm looking forward to see who all comes with me. This should be fun...