Living Water...

In every battle you will need faith as your shield to stop the fiery arrows aimed at you by Satan. Ephesians 6:16

God sends you into battle every day to fight for good and resist evil. Don't take the battle lightly--prepare beforehand. Get straight who you are by knowing whose you are. Take up the shield of faith!

Daily Christian Wisdom

The Christian life is not a constant high. I have my moments of deep discouragement. I have to go to God in prayer with tears in my eyes, and say, 'O God, forgive me,' or 'Help me.'
-Billy Graham

Shadowboxing, Wii, and me…

1 Corinthians 9:24-27
24 Remember that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize. You also must run in such a way that you will win. 25 All athletes practice strict self-control. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize. 26 So I run with purpose in every step. I am not just shadowboxing. 27 I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified.


What are some principles that Paul is trying to emphasize here:

What are some similarities between athletics and the Christian life?
What do you think he meant in v27 …might be disqualified?

At the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City, John Stephen Akhwari, a runner from Tanzania, finished dead last in the marathon. Injured along the way, Akhwari hobbled into the nearly empty stadium an hour after the last runner had crossed the finish line.

The official filmmaker for the games, Bud Greenspan, asked the athlete why he put himself through so much pain to finish the race. Akhwari replied, "My country did not send me 5000 miles to start the race. They sent me to finish it!" (Roper, Out of the Ordinary, Discovery House).


Hebrews 12:1
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily hinders our progress. And let us run with endurance the race that God has set before us.

Living Water...

If you give even a cup of cold water to one of the least of my followers, you will surely be rewarded. Matthew 10:42

Our deeds on earth merit a heavenly reward when they are motivated by love for Christ. Loving the needy around us pleases God, and we learn how much his heart loves those who are hurting.

Daily Christian Wisdom
We are called to play the good Samaritan on life's roadside...True compassion is more than flinging a coin to a beggar.-Martin Luther King, Jr.

The Salt Principles - continued

Matthew 5:13: "You are the salt of the earth. But what good is salt if it has lost its flavor? Can you make it useful again? It will be thrown out and trampled underfoot as worthless.”
Mark 9:49-50: 49"For everyone will be salted with fire. 50 Salt is good; but if salt has lost its saltiness, how can you season it? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another."
Luke 14:34-35: 34 "Salt is good for seasoning. But if it loses its flavor, how do you make it salty again? 35 Flavorless salt is good neither for the soil nor for fertilizer. It is thrown away. Anyone who is willing to hear should listen and understand!"

Why does the human body need salt?



What happens if we don’t have salt?

I Kings 11 (from The Message)

1 King Solomon was obsessed with women… 2 He took them from the surrounding pagan nations of which God had clearly warned Israel, "You must not marry them; they'll seduce you into infatuations with their gods." Solomon fell in love with them anyway, refusing to give them up. 3 He had seven hundred royal wives and three hundred concubines - a thousand women in all! And they did seduce him away from God. 4 As Solomon grew older, his wives beguiled him with their alien gods and he became unfaithful - he didn't stay true to his God as his father David had done. 5 Solomon took up with Ashtoreth, the whore goddess of the Sidonians, and Molech, the horrible god of the Ammonites. 6 Solomon openly defied God; he did not follow in his father David's footsteps. 7 He went on to build a sacred shrine to Chemosh, the horrible god of Moab, and to Molech, the horrible god of the Ammonites, on a hill just east of Jerusalem. 8 He built similar shrines for all his foreign wives, who then polluted the countryside with the smoke and stench of their sacrifices. 9 God was furious with Solomon for abandoning the God of Israel, the God who had twice appeared to him 10 and had so clearly commanded him not to fool around with other gods. Solomon faithlessly disobeyed God's orders. 11 God said to Solomon, "Since this is the way it is with you, that you have no intention of keeping faith with me and doing what I have commanded, I'm going to rip the kingdom from you and hand it over to someone else. 12 But out of respect for your father David I won't do it in your lifetime. It's your son who will pay - I'll rip it right out of his grasp. 13 Even then I won't take it all; I'll leave him one tribe in honor of my servant David and out of respect for my chosen city Jerusalem."

Why do leaves change colors?


Matthew 5:13-14; 16

13"Let me tell you why you are here. You're here to be salt that brings out the God-flavors of this earth. 14 You're here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept.
16 Now that I've put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand - shine! Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you'll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven.


Catch on fire with enthusiasm and people will come for miles to watch you burn.
-Charles Wesley

Part 3 – U2, More Zombies, and the Beatitudes

What is your favorite song, lyric, or music video? From the 80’s? from the 90’s? from today?



mine (at least today is) U2– "Stuck in a moment you cant get out of"


How to become un-zombiefied?

Matthew 28:20 - ... And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.
Matthew 6:34 - So don't worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today's trouble is enough for today.
Matthew 5:3 - 16
3 "God blesses those who realize their need for him, for the Kingdom of Heaven is given to them.
4 God blesses those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
5 God blesses those who are gentle and lowly, for the whole earth will belong to them.
6 God blesses those who are hungry and thirsty for justice, for they will receive it in full.
7 God blesses those who are merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
8 God blesses those whose hearts are pure, for they will see God.
9 God blesses those who work for peace, for they will be called the children of God.
10 God blesses those who are persecuted because they live for God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.
11 "God blesses you when you are mocked and persecuted and lied about because you are my followers. 12 Be happy about it! Be very glad! For a great reward awaits you in heaven. And remember, the ancient prophets were persecuted, too.
13 "You are the salt of the earth. But what good is salt if it has lost its flavor? Can you make it useful again? It will be thrown out and trampled underfoot as worthless. 14 You are the light of the world ? like a city on a mountain, glowing in the night for all to see. 15 Don't hide your light under a basket! Instead, put it on a stand and let it shine for all.
16 In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.

We have to ask ourselves…

Am I…
destitute for Jesus?
willing to weep?
humble?
hungry for righteousness?
merciful?
pure in my desire?
a seeker of peace?
willing to suffer for righteousness?
willing to be the salt? The light?
WILLING TO SERVE others?
If not then why?


What excuses do we make for not serving others?
I don’t have the skills and abilities to serve others.
What can I do? I don’t have anything to offer.


Weekly verse
Zechariah 4:10
Do not despise these small beginnings, for the LORD rejoices to see the work begin…


My faith demands--this is not optional--my faith demands that I do whatever I can, wherever I am, whenever I can, for as long as I can with whatever I have to try to make a difference.

- Jimmy Carter

Do all the good you can, By all the means you can, In all the ways you can, In all the places you can, At all the times you can, To all the people you can, As long as ever you can.
- John Wesley

More - Cheese Puffs, the Borg, and Salt

Part 2 – What Idols/excuses in your life do you need to CUT loose???

I can’t come to church with you – my habits are just not what they need to be. I don’t think God would want me there right now.

I am not the type of person that goes to church. Once people found out who I was and what I have done, well let’s just say, I wouldn’t be welcomed.

I have a lot of work to do on myself before I am ready to come to church. Thanks for the invite though.

Ever heard any of these? Ever made any of these? We think (or have thought) that we have to be perfect or in a better place than where we are right now for God to love us and to work through us. WRONG!

We cannot clean up our act on our own!!! Only God can truly clean us up.

What thoughts, habits, or activities are making you feel dirty or not clean enough to enter God’s presence? Right now…take time to thank God that he loves you just the way you are…and that he loves you too much to let you stay there.

Use a pencil for the next part.

Write down several thoughts, excuses, actions, habits, behaviors, etc. that you feel God would not approve of or that are keeping you where you are:




Now take the eraser and erase them…one at a time. Each time thanking him for cleaning you with Jesus.

Romans 8:26-30:

26 And the Holy Spirit helps us in our distress. For we don't even know what we should pray for, nor how we should pray. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. 27 And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God's own will. 28 And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. 29 For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn, with many brothers and sisters. 30 And having chosen them, he called them to come to him. And he gave them right standing with himself, and he promised them his glory. 31 What can we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us?

Prayer time – God, help me! I don’t know what to pray for. Thank you Holy Spirit for taking my wordless sighs, my groanings, my aches and shaping them into the perfect prayer. Help me get out of this rut.

Cheese Puffs, the Borg (aka zombies), and Salt

Which one of these would you rather be? (yes, this is a trick question)


Hurry Up! Get it done! Make it happen! Increase your production! About those Tps Reports…

What do you here most frequently at your work or school?

What do all of these have in common? Most of us approach every day with these words in our heads. We probably hear them a few times each week or even every day. We are all busy rushing through life so we don’t go stale…like the cheese puff…

We need to learn to use words like “Listen, Ask, Seek, Knock, Wait, Trust”.

Genesis 24
Remember the story of how Isaac met his wife, Rebekah?



Prayer:
Teach me to slow down this week. To listen for your voice and to hear you when you talk to me. Keep me from rushing through life only to life selfishly only living for myself. Teach me to ask for your guidance, trust your path, and to get out of the way so that you can work in my life. Give me an eternal perspective, not just the here and now. Teach me to be your servant.

What’s the Point?

Deuteronomy 31:12

Call them all together -- men, women, children, and the foreigners living in your towns, so they may listen and learn to fear the LORD your God and carefully obey all the terms of this law.


What does this verse (if anything) have to do with Sunday School?
Can you see some points, some truths about Sunday School?
Can you see how Sunday School can lead us to be obedient to His command in this verse?

4 Points


Ø THE COMMAND: Assemble the people. Gather them together. All of them. All ages. Not just the members. Invite those who are from out of town along with the members. Invite people who are "my kind of people" and those who are different.

Ø "Compel them to come in, that my house may be filled" (Lk 14:23). Help them to see how vital Sunday School is. Sunday School is an effective reaching arm for the church. Age-graded Sunday School/small groups is organized to reach out and care for everyone in the church and community. Preschool, children, and youth leaders invite individuals in their age groups and their parents. Young, middle, and senior adult leaders invite adults in their assigned age groups. People like to be invited. People are waiting to be invited.

Ø FIRST RESULT: So they can listen. Through hearing His Word, they meet God. They learn about Him, and more importantly they experience Him. They see how he has moved in history, in people's lives. They learn of God's ways and His attributes. They hear His truth. They learn of His expectations--for them. When they are assembled, they can listen together. Together is better. In fact, Sunday School and small groups are great communities for listening. Teachers prayerfully prepare to meet the specific needs of that age group and of those specific people who have gathered. There members and guests can debrief what they are hearing. They can ask questions. They can be led to apply His truth. They can hear how God is alive today and moving in people's lives.

Ø SECOND RESULT: So they can learn to fear the LORD. When we assemble them, the hearing of His Word leads to conviction. They realize how awesome He is. They come to understand His expectations. They try to deal with the fear on their own but realize their own inability to respond adequately to Him. They admit that sin has a price they cannot pay. They recognize their need for Him, for a relationship with Him, and for His help. "How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching [teaching] to them?" (Romans 10:14, NIV). In Sunday School/small groups, people come to realize their need to accept what God has done in Jesus Christ for their sins. Andy Anderson said people are more than 100 times more likely to accept a relationship with Jesus in twelve months of attending Sunday School than by attending worship only. Community in Sunday School and small groups encourages faith steps to be taken.

Ø THIRD RESULT: So they can follow carefully all the words of this law. When we assemble them, they get to know God and His Word. They realize His expectations. They are taught to understand and apply His truth. They are expected and led to takes steps toward becoming obedient. They are held accountable to practice what is taught. They are encouraged to live it out daily at home, work, school, and play. Jesus commanded us to "teach them to obey everything I have commanded" (Matthew 28:20a). It i s not simply about knowledge of God's Word. Sunday School/small groups can be a great community for helping persons of all age understand, apply, and obey His truth. They realize people care about them. They are encouraged to try again when they have failed. They see real life in Christ modeled. They want to please God. They want to obey. The ongoing personal nature of relationships in Sunday School/small groups nurtures obedience.

The Salt Principles

Matthew 5:13: "You are the salt of the earth. But what good is salt if it has lost its flavor? Can you make it useful again? It will be thrown out and trampled underfoot as worthless.”
Mark 9:49-50: 49"For everyone will be salted with fire. 50 Salt is good; but if salt has lost its saltiness, how can you season it? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another."
Luke 14:34-35: 34 "Salt is good for seasoning. But if it loses its flavor, how do you make it salty again? 35 Flavorless salt is good neither for the soil nor for fertilizer. It is thrown away. Anyone who is willing to hear should listen and understand!"
Colossians 4:6: Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.


It’s not just enough to look like the salt of the earth. We can look like the salt of the earth, or we can pretend to be “salty”. We can appear to speak with grace seasoned with salt, but if we have lost our saltiness we are good for nothing. No matter how good we may appear, we sometimes lose the fundamentals that make the us alive (and not zombies), then we are only sand and will be thrown out.

It is easy to look like a Christian. We may go to Church every Sunday. We may talk about our church and how much it means to us. We may do all this and still be only sand (zombies). Salt, like Christianity is no good unless it is used. Christianity, like salt, preserves what is good and prevents its decay. Would you consider using salt only on Sunday?

How can we use Salt to develop relationships?
Salt makes people thirsty –
our goal is to create a thirst for conversation so that we can learn about others needs

Acts 17:6
When they could not find them, they dragged Jason and some believers before the city authorities, shouting, "These people who have been turning the world upside down have come here also,…

The Replacements

A great movie. If you haven't seen it, see it. At one point, the coach Gene Hackman says to Keanu Reeves ..."you've got miles and miles of heart" or something like that. That got me to thinking...what is this heart that I always remember people talking about? "You've got to put your heart into it". "You guys are playing like you got no heart".

What’s a person to do? Like Luther (AKA, “Brother Martin”), start each day with a heart attack – uh, make that, you allow God’s truth to adjust your heart. His version of it was “God forgive me for the best deeds I’m about to commit.” There is no help we have to offer God or his purposes. As we, in a sense, throw in the towel freshly each day, when it comes to our ability to attain the standards of God, we realize our best deeds are the “filthy rags” Isaiah referred to in Isaiah 64:6.

Once we understand that we cannot add to what God is doing – nothing but pull the “yes” trigger – yes to being available – then we flow with the change God is ushering in. When he does something great, we are the most surprised.


William Wallace's father:
Your heart is free. Have the courage to follow it.

Trust is a Must

Trust – has many definitions. Here are some of them:
Implies instinctive unquestioning belief in and reliance upon something: to have trust in one's parents.
Firm reliance on the integrity, ability, or character of a person or thing.
§ One in which confidence is placed.
Reliance on something in the future; hope.
To have or place reliance; depend: Trust in the Lord. Trust to destiny.
To be confident; hope.
To have or place confidence in; depend on.
To expect with assurance; assume: I trust that you will be on time.
To believe: I trust what you say.
To place in the care of another; entrust.
To grant discretion to confidently: Can I trust them with the boat?
To extend credit to.
Synonyms - certainty, belief, faith, assurance, confidence; Confidence implies conscious trust because of good reasons, definite evidence, or past experience: to have confidence in the outcome of events. Assurance implies absolute confidence and certainty: to feel an assurance of victory.


Who (what) are some people, things, etc. that you trust? Why?

Who (what) are some people, things, etc. that you DO NOT trust? Why?

What character in the Bible or Bible verse shines as a strengthening example as you strive to place your trust in God?

Psalms 9:10
Those who know your name trust in you, for you, O LORD, have never abandoned anyone who searches for you.

Why is it important to trust God?


Proverbs 3:5-6
Trust God from the bottom of your heart; don't try to figure out everything on your own. Listen for God's voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; he's the one who will keep you on track.


You cannot go on being a good egg forever. You must either hatch or rot.

-C.S. Lewis

Cut Bait – letting go of the stuff

We hold on to on to many things. We have boxes and boxes of stuff that we call “memories” or souvenirs. Think you have too much stuff? Well if you want to find out for sure, there is one thing that you can do…move. You will find out just how much those memories really mean to you. Many of us we hold on the good stuff and every now and then, we go back to it and reminisce.

Some of us hold on to the painful stuff too. These can serve as reminders of who we use to be and how far we have come. Most of the time, they are just painful reminders of sorrow, failures, disappointments or our sins .

It’s not possible to change the past, so we must work on changing the future.

One of the biggest obstacles in our lives is FEAR.

Fear is a choice. It has no strength on it’s own…only what we choose to give it. Many times, I have been able to describe my life the way Paul describes his in 2 Corinthians:

When we arrived in Macedonia, there was not rest for us. We faced conflict from every direction, with battles on the outside and fear on the inside.

2 Corinthians 7:5

Fear may always be a part of our lives, but its just that, a part. It does not have to control us and should not keep us from doing what God has called us to do. God has given us everything that we need to face our fears. He called Joshua to be strong and courageous as his was facing the most challenging time of his life.

“I command you – be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the LORD your God is with you wherever you go."
Joshua 1:9

Paul tells us that God did not give us a spirit of fear, but rather one of power, love, and self-discipline (2 Timothy 1:7). It’s up to us to release that power and love.

When we face our fears, we look straight into the eyes of opportunity and the courage we often need to engage our greatest challenge can be found only in the midst of engaging that challenge and in facing our fears.

Erwin McManus from Chasing Daylight

My Prayer for today...

Lord, you know how scared we are sometimes, even when we hide it from everyone around us. Please take our fears and use them for your Glory. Lord, sometimes fear is all we have to give to you. Our fears don't seem like much of an offering, but here they are. We are putting our fears into your hands. Amen

Fear knocked at the door. Faith answered. And lo, no one was there. – Inscription on an ancient mantelpiece in Hind’s Head Hotel, Bray England

Cut Bait, Fish, Get out of the Boat…and I don’t mean swim

Where it began…
God knows your name and wants you to listen to Him. God often speaks to us in different methods. The first method if the Bible. We have all opened the Bible up and “found” a verse that applied to our life and situation, or received an email with just the right words from God. God second method of communicating with us is through our life’s circumstances. God presents us with situations, choices, and decisions that are designed to bring us closer to him and to depend on Him more and more. Another method of God speaking to us is through the Holy Spirit. We may have thoughts, feelings, or even dreams that we know come from God. Another method that God chooses to speak to us, comes from other people. We are all surrounded and influenced by other people, whether we want to be or not. Many times God uses these people and their influence to talk to us.
This last method, through other people is where this lesson came from. I was in a crowded room where several meetings were taking place. These meetings had been going on most of the day when I heard someone say the following: “cut bait or Fish”. Now this saying by itself is not that special, but the fact that I heard it in a crowded room and from across the room, is special. There would have been no way or reason for me to be listening to the other meeting that was going on, but at that moment…that is what and all that I heard…”cut bait or fish”. Now God had spoken to me before, but usually it was through a Sermon or a spiritual influence in my life. The individual that made this statement was one of the “roughest” individuals that I had been around in some time. He said what he thought and wasn’t afraid to use several choice 4 letter words to fully describe it. For some reason, God chose this person, this situation, and this saying to speak to me.
Later, that evening I was lying in bed preparing to sleep, when the saying echoed in my head again…only this time, it was my voice saying it. Cut bait, fish, get out of the boat. Now this was not too surprising to me, since God often chooses those times when I am unconscious or close to it to talk to me. That is one of the times that I am most still and am “listening”. This did make me think, what is it that I am supposed to get out of this? And that is the topic of a recent Sunday School lesson.
Its important to note, that what God shared with me was not cut bait or fish, or get out of the boat. He was not telling me to just make a decision as is the normal way that this expression is used. This statement was cut bait AND fish AND get out of the boat. A few weeks later after discovering some of what Gad was sharing with me…He added and “I don’t mean swim” to His call for me to get out of the boat.