Tag Archive - life change

To Be Or Not To Be…

April 24, 2012 in tampa church with 1 Comment

I am over in Orlando Florida for a couple of days at a conference for church planters called Exponential.  This is the largest gathering of church planters in the world- over 4000 men and women.  I am teaching with Ron Sylvia the founder of Next Churches and some other pastors.  We are teaching potential planters principles and processes for starting a church.  We share the successes and the misses we have all experienced along the way.  This is always a great place for me- I love being around people who are crazy enough to trust God and start a church.  Church at the Bay was blessed to have 12 other churches invest in us when we launched and we have invested in several church plants since we began.  Each year our students do a mission trip or two to help a church plant.  So, church planting is part of our DNA.

That is the background of why I am here- now to the take home point- pastor Mark Lee made a statement yesterday that I loved and plan to steal.  This statement seems to bring real clarity to the role of a Christ-Follower and how we should live.  This is what he said:

Christ-Followers should be living proof of a loving God.

 So many times we talk with friends and co-workers who ask for proof or evidence that Jesus Christ is alive or active today.  That is it- we are not perfect- and yet we are to be the evidence of a loving God.  In the way we respond to our circumstances and environment.  So the challenging questions for me and you are: Am I proof of a loving God?  Does my life exude the living Christ?  Am I living proof of a loving God?  Those questions help me bring my focus to right now, this morning.  I am praying this prayer today:

Father, I surrender to you right now.  Forgive me for living so much of my life concerned with what I want rather than who you have called me to be.  Holy Spirit would you fill me and help me to live moment by moment aware of your calling for me to be “living proof of a loving God”.  Today I live in Jesus name and for His honor.  Amen. 

Wikipedia: exponential definition: of or relating to an exponent. →

Now God …

April 17, 2012 in Now God with Comments Off

Sunday we looked at a Defining Moment in the life of the prophet Daniel.  This teenager (along with 3 friends) was taken captive into a strange culture (for him anyway).  There he was brain washed/re-educated over a 3 year process.  They changed his

  • Location
  • Proximity to family
  • Name
  • Language
  • Education
  • And yet when they changed his diet- he would not follow.

Daniel 1:8 describes how Daniel had made a pre-decision not to defile himself.  Because of his pre-decision we see his “Now God” moment in verse 9.  It is amazing to me that a teenager would have this kind of conviction.  And because he did- God shows up in his circumstances.  If you read the book of Daniel you will see that “Now God” moments don’t always mean you and I avoid the trial or do not experience harsh consequences:

  • The 3 Hebrew boys with Daniel went through the fiery furnance experience
  • Daniel goes into the lion’s den
  • And they spend their lives in captivity.

“Now God” means that God shows up in the midst of your circumstances!  Sometimes its with the peace of God (Philippians 4:7) or the provision of God (Philippians 4:19) or even the strength of God (Philippians 4:13) and sometimes with deliverance from the problem.  All of those moments happen when we step out in faith- trusting God!

Got any NOW GOD moments?

If you missed the message on Daniel- just watch below

 

No Video?  Click here

You are not qualified!!!

February 28, 2012 in Doubts, tampa church with 2 Comments

As a pastor, one of the highlights of ministry is seeing people take steps of faith.  Sometimes it may be as small as inviting a friend to church or as large as a making career move. Rarely does someone take a step of faith that doesn’t bring about doubts like:

  • I am not smart enough- God you really could find someone better.
  • I have this huge failure in my past- God are you sure?
  • God would never use someone like me- God please make a better choice

The truth is every BIG step of faith I take happens with a cloud of doubt and sometimes fear.  I hear people talk about- yep, “never say never” or “I will do this in Jesus name” and other statements of bravado that made me believe- “Wow, they have so much faith and courage, my faith is nothing like that, God can’t use me”!  After years of reading my Bible and following Christ I now understand hat doubt and fear are the stuff steps of faith grow out of..  I am actually less impressed with the over the top bravado of some Christians because I know better.  This next statement is the key:

Great faith is not without serious doubts and fears-
and yet it chooses to step forward in spite of the circumstances.

It grieves me when I hear people describe great faith as though it insulates us from doubt and fear.  Read your Bible and see the doubts and or fears expressed by these Biblical heroes:

  • Moses when challenged to lead Israel
  • Gideon when challenged to lead Israel into battle
  • Jesus in Gethsemane and on the Cross prayed gut wrenching prayers in His struggle (yet fully God and fully man)
  • All of the disciples after Jesus was crucified
  • Mary and Martha when their brother Lazarus died
  • Esther as she approached the king advocating for her people

Your doubts and fears do not disqualify you to be used by God because when He does use you- people say, “Wow, it must be God – I know Hal”!

This video got up a little late from Sunday…

Click here if you don’t see a video

Learning to DOUBT your Doubts!

February 20, 2012 in Doubts, tampa church with Comments Off

I do not remember the first time I heard this statement- “Instead of believing your doubts and doubting your beliefs… Why not doubt your doubts and believe your beliefs?  I like the idea and yet sometimes it seems I can’t get past my doubts.

Have you been there?  Maybe you have prayed the same prayer for years and they go like this:

  • Father, please bring my child back to you.  They are chasing everything that will destroy them- God please help… And yet nothing has changed.
  • It’s my husband Lord- Father would you help him find Jesus as his savior…and he still is not a Christian
  • Father, we have honored you in our finances and yet our business is not yet viable- would you please bless our business… and the heavens seem to be closed.

Some people say when that happens it is because you do not have enough faith.  That statement always interests me- Jesus said if we had faith the size of a mustard seed we could move a mountain.  Evidently Jesus didn’t think the size of our faith was the issue- rather who our faith was in!  Some say you didn’t pray with the right motives or there was sin in your life.  Those are reasons for unanswered prayer- but were they mine?  Many of your circumstances and experiences may lead you to this conclusion when you pray: “I doubt God will do it for me”.  Have you been there?  Are you there now?  In week 3 of Doubters Anonymous we will consider a guy in the Bible who had some faith- but was it enough?  We will also look at a couple of teenagers who make, what I believe to be, the greatest statement of faith we find in scripture.  Make plans to attend and bring a friend- I bet they will thank you as we explore “Can God really do this for me”?

If you missed last week- you can watch it below.


Don’t see a video- click here

 
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