Man in the Mirror

We've never done it this way before---I love saying that because most churches can't or worse, they won't. I led out in this 4-Part Series this morning. Some of our guys: Jared Owens, Andy DeGuire and Pat Butler are going to finish the series which will do a few things. It will free me up to prepare for our Fall focus, but it will be good for these guys to bring the Word before our crowd.
---This morning in "God's Masterpiece" coming from Ephesians 2:10 the listeners were challenged specifically to stop and look in the mirror. At this point in life, are you living up to what God had in mind when He made you? Well, are you? Be honest. Also, be aware that God has some pretty lofty plans FOR you, that are not ABOUT you. That sounds like a bummer, but it's really cool. God had Kingdom of God kind of things in mind for you when He hand-crafted you! So, what are you going to do? I highly recommend you jump on board for the ride of your life. ---Oh, and that stuff in your life that you keep getting hung up on. Get over it, so you can get to where God wants to take you. Peace out.
Come hear Jared next week talk about the "Program."
Can't wait.

$100 Challenge Update

The first of January Living Truth accepted the $100 Challenge. It was simply a challenge from God to be obedient and giving. It is changing our culture. By now we've given over $3000 (a $100+ at a time). Be sure to view the Youtube video below.
Here are the ways we've helped so far:
provided coats and winter clothes for children at East Milton Elementary School
provided needed items, such as socks, for prisoners
provided needed supplies for Santa Rosa Kids House
provided needed supplies for Favor House shelter for abused women
ticket to Sea World for young heart patient, Gracelynn
paid water bill for single mom and elderly woman
survival kits for the homeless at the Ferris Hill Baptist cold weather shelter
financial assistance & leave time for a coworker
gift card for Sacred Heart Children's Hospital
provided needed supplies to Loaves & Fishes soup kitchen
provided needed supplies to Family Promise
helped pregnant high school girl
assisted family met through Godmobile with power bill
helped a single mom with gas money/grocery money
helped a single mom at WalMart with groceries
helped a family at Helping Hands mission with rent
Mother's Day gift bags for moms at Family Promise
and much more since then. See the video (and review JHo's 2 Cents for the story)
http://youtu.be/EL4VSyKax80
Joel's 2 cents:

Our pastor, Norman Sullivan, presented our church with a 52-week mission that he calls "The $100 Challenge". The idea is designed around the premise that Jesus Christ expects his followers to be deliberate in meeting the needs of others and being blessings on this Earth.

So, each week, a different individual in our church gives $100 to the church. Then, in turn, one of our small bible study groups accepts the $100 challenge. The group has one week to carry out their mission with that $100: to bless others within our community and outside the walls of our church in a very practical, real kind of way.

In the Bible, James proclaims "... faith without deeds is DEAD." That's not our kind of faith. Our faith is ALIVE. WE are alive. As believers, we are called to share the love of Jesus with others.

If God is spurring you on to take part in the $100 challenge—either through giving or through serving—we encourage you to put feet to your faith and connect with your small group bible study leader or with Pastor Norm... at www.livingtruthchurch.com.

Prayer and Understanding (a Devo)

For from HIm and through Him and to Him are all things. To HIm be the glory forever! Amen.---Rom.11:26
Thank you God for your incredible mercy. Thank you for forgiveness. Thank you that You are considerate at all of man. Thank you that You wanted us to be a part of this. Help your servant bring you glory in this lifetime.
(Understanding Eph.2:10 )Help me stay on the easel; for I am the canvas; and you are the artist; and You make a masterpiece of men. As people stand in awe of these masterpieces, so shall they bow before the Master Artist!---Understanding who we are in Christ Jesus and that our purpose is to bring glory to the Father, not us; this brings proper perspective to this life.

Finished Questions

Wow! Just finished the Spring series of sermons dealing with often asked questions about the Bible. I hope that all learned to study their Bible...to read things in context and compare Scripture to Scripture. If there is one or two verses that seem different than what the rest of the Bible teaches, then it would be a good idea to dig deeper. Also, just use plain old common sense. God is not trying to be tricky. He is not trying to fool anyone with His Word. Words like anguish and torment mean anguish and torment no matter how that might hurt our feelings. Words like eternal life mean eternal life. Saved by grace through faith means saved by grace through faith. ---Most problems arise because people don't like the answers to the questions. There is a book called "The Difficult Sayings in the Bible." Personally, I think there should be a book called "Easy Sayings in the Bible" because it is a lot easier than some people make it out to be. Study hard...errr...just read the Bible for all it's worth.

Gold to Bronze

2 Chronicles 12 After King Rehoboam had established himself and all was going well in Judah, he and all Israel abandoned the law of the LORD. This is basic 101 in human life. When all is going well people tend to turn inward and away from God. They forget how well things were going while they were faithfully serving God. FYI: worshiping and serving God is practically the same thing. And if we think serving someone or something is harsh or abusive, then take time to realize we all worship or serve someone or something. Sometimes we worship ourselves! From this passage one should garner that it is a better life when we worship/serve God. We were meant to do so, and the world flows better when we do so. ---Back to our story: the people had abandoned the LORD, so God abandoned them. Fair enough. It happens. Expect it. But KIng Rehoboam and the leaders (after hearing from a prophet who heard from God: you see God was still trying to help the rebellious people.) humbled themselves before the LORD and the LORD stopped King Shishak of Egypt from totally destroying them. Instead they would pay taxes instead of blood (to put it bluntly). v.8 "They will be subject to him (Shishak) SO THEY MAY LEARN THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SERVING ME AND SERVING THE KINGS OF OTHER LANDS." --so was the message God passed on through the prophet. Another one of the crazy cycles amongst men: God blesses his faithful servants, then his servants take those blessings and worship or absorb them; and stop serving the ONE who got them there. They cry out. Humble themselves. God hears them. Receives them back. But they've paid a price. ---*Most people don't like the idea of serving somebody, but we all serve somebody; whether it is God, self, or some other god of this world. At Israel's peak of serving God, they were also at the peak of strength and wealth in the world. Unfortunately, when there's not a war to fight men become unfocused on the ONE who got them to peace. That is where everyday faithfulness comes in. How faithful in service/worship to God are you when everything is going great? ---When comparing serving God to abandoning God, this passages gives a vivid illustration. In vv.9-11: King Shishak didn't wipe Judah out, but stole all the treasures from the temple and palace. The beautiful gold shields that Solomon had made were taken, and Rehoboam replaced them with bronze shields. When we serve someone other than the true God we can expect delays, destruction and downgrades. Gold to bronze. When you are serving God faithfully you are serving the true Master and Creator of the entire Universe who loves you and wants what is best for you. He is constantly upgrading his faithful servants. Don't grow weary in well doing. Stay focused. Worship the LORD your God only. Give seconds and scraps of time, money and talent to the other things in this world.

Made my heart melt

So I had no official duties tonight and no meetings. After a full day of studying and preparing for some stuff and watching computer tutorials practicing with a new program, I was mentally pooped. A night off would be great. Instead I decided to go be around some of our peeps. I went to the cpr group known as the "misfits" (their name of choice). I figured there would be ten to twelve people there. So, I drive up (fashionably late) and there are cars all over the place. Something was going on! I get inside and there is every aged person represented, and it was like a party atmosphere. They were eating and eating good! My heart melted. They were doing life together... kids and all! When the Bible study started, it didn't seem to faze anyone when a small child might walk by, or if someone talked maybe a little too long. They listened respectfully and moved on. ---It was good to be in the house of the Lord. These folks had church. There must have been 30 plus people up in that house! I'm glad I got out. * Perhaps this is a note for all of us, when we think we've had a rough day and deserve a break; it's always refreshing to be in the presence of those that know the Lord. Fellowship, food, friends, Bible, prayer...sweet. My heart melted. ---the key to all groups being like this: know you're a misfit, then everyone fits in. Peace out. Kudos to Pat Butler and his group. Thanks for letting me be your pastor.

Can't ain't a word

Don't tell me why we can't do something, let's figure out how together.---Can't ain't a word. I don't know why spellcheck is underlining "ain't" with a red squiggly line. Oh well. ---At Living Truth Church, we're trying to do something around here. Many say or think it can't be done. However, as best I understand it Jesus Christ has given us a command...a mandate... to go and tell the world. We're committed to doing whatever it takes to reach this community and the world beyond for Jesus Christ...because He said so!---So when we try to step up and do something at the next level for His glory, and somebody tells me why we can't do that...I'm just telling you right now...I take issue with that. It is not "can we do it?", but "we must do it." I don't like slackers and I don't like whiny people that tell me why we can't do something. Especially when I look around the corner or across town or across the country and somebody else is doing it. ---Point and case, recently (vagueness to hide identities) I wanted something done at church (we meet in a school. some would see this as an excuse. we view it as a blessing. some would not consider that a real church, because it's not our building. as a church without a building we've led over a thousand people to Christ. so if we're a real church or not well. Let Christ be the judge.) Whoops I digressed! So I wanted something done at church that would have taken some creativity and some work. Right away someone told me why we couldn't pull that off. I ignored that person and found a "can-do" person and walked away. i went about my business and returned to check the progress of the "un-doable thing", and before I could say rumplestiltskin, voila! My thing that couldn't be done was done! All of our churches need people that help us figure out how to do whatever needs doing, not those that tell us why we can't. ---Next time you think about telling your Pastor why you or the church can't do something, think again. A Pastor worth his salt will bypass you and seek out those that can next go around. LTC is going somewhere. We're going with or without you. ---My prayer is that all Great Commission churches do likewise. God bless.

Was Satan in the Garden?

Yes, we hear the serpent readily called Satan in the Garden of Eden story. Why is that done? How do we get away with that? I was reading a CNN article where a guy was busting off on preachers saying Satan was in the Garden. Funny, the author of that article didn't pursue the evidence (oh that would be close to real journalism). Not to be too hard on the guy, he was listing often misquoted verses...those things people credit to the Bible that might be close to a real verse while others aren't even close. The story about Satan/serpent was his hook to get people to read the article. I agree with all the other verses he talked about(I shared most of them in a recent "How to Study the Bible" seminar), but it is a shame he fell short; because he could have just left this out. ---Since we "long-winded" preachers have to edit somewhere an often "given" or assumption is that people understand the serpent as being used by Satan from the remainder of Scriptures. So, here you go concerning Genesis3 : The text here does not, by itself alone, clearly identify the serpent as Satan, but the rest of the Bible makes it clear this is Satan appearing as a serpent.In Ezekiel 28:13-19 tells us that Satan was in Eden. Many other passages associate a serpent or a snake-like creature with Satan (such as Job 26:13 and Isaiah 51:9). Revelation 12:9 and 20:2 speak of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan.---Scriptures clearly identify Satan as the culprit infiltrating the serpent in Eden. Need some more, in the passage known as the ProtoEvangelium (Gen.3:15) it refers to the serpent being crushed by the heel of the seed of the woman (Christ). Newsflash! That happened at the cross! CNN dude stick to the unreal news and leave the Good News to us.

Go ahead make______day

So many of us get frustrated at things that we totally have no control over. People get down and out, even fall into depression because they can't control things in life. NewsFlash! Life is always going to be throwing stuff at you and I that we cannot control. At best we learn to navigate through them. Sometimes we spend a lifetime trying to figure them out. It can be an endless cycle if you get sucked into that Blackhole. ---How about trying something different? Do what you can to make the environment around you better. Pour good stuff into those around you, and sooner than later you will see good stuff coming out. It's easy to get frustrated, because there is always something or someone around the corner getting into "your" business. Instead of getting sucked in and falling into the old trap of blaming others for your problems, be proactive. Take charge. Do the best you can with what you've got. For your first baby step today, do one thing for one person today to make their day. Then start taking more steps. Soon you won't have time to be frustrated. Go ahead, make someone's day!

The Shipwreck that Wasn't a Shipwreck

In Acts 28:1-10 (read preceding chapter)God's purpose is noticeably served through trials and suffering. Sailors, soldiers and prisoners were on a wild two-week ride battling a storm of hurricane magnitude. It was a physical, emotional and yes, even a spiritual battle. Every anxiety associated with being enclosed or on the open waters came to be. And then as the reality of being shipwrecked began to set in, orders came to start throwing things overboard starting with least importance. They were totally committed when the last of the food was tossed over board.---Fast-forward to the ship wreck and landing on shore (well swimming or riding a plankboard).Once they arrived safely on shore (no one hurt, no loss of life, no loss of prisoners, everyone accounted for---All God Thing)they found the island had a name and the people were hospitable. It just reminds me of those places that seem out of the way, just a dot on a map, and God knows they are there and the people have a name. The islanders prepare a fire to warm the island crashers up. In the middle of serving (helping with the fire) Paul is bitten by a venomous snake. It literally latches on to him. Immediately, the islanders believe that Paul must have been a murderer because why else would someone survive a shipwreck only to be attacked by a poisonous snake(bad theology-karma). But Paul was not hurt at all. So, then they think he is a god, so Paul and company get the real hospitality and are led to the home of the chief official of the island. The man's father was severely sick, and Paul heals him. Party is on, healing party that is! They bring all the sick on the island to Paul and he heals them. You know Paul preached some Jesus! So God used this shipwreck to get Paul to these "forgotten" people. He used the snake bite to get Paul the platform to speak and teach. I don't know who was running this boating excursion, but in a matter of a couple of weeks I can tell you that Paul was now the head man. How could that have happened so quickly? A great spiritual awakening took place on the island of Malta...not a ship wreck. They were there three months. Next time you get derailed...off course...shipwrecked...ask "What is God up to?" The purpose in all this: so the people of Malta (a forgotten, unknown people group) would come to know Christ. The God of the universe cared enough to send some wind at the right place, at the right time, with the right man, with the right attitude on the ship.

Proud of People

It is such a wonderful thing to watch lives transform before your very eyes. God has an incredible purpose for each and every human being, yet only a few realize or actualize that purpose. It is great to see people serve with excellence the way God made them. They can do things the rest of us can't do or can't do as well. Monday morning, I reflected on all the things different people did the last week and on Sunday morning at church. Many of these people didn't know Christ as Savior that long. But as they have grown in their relationship with Christ, the skill-set God had prepared in them from the beginning has begun to shine. Thank you Jesus for people that step up,step out and step in. For Your church to reflect you very well, it will take a bunch of people being that very poem you had in mind at creation. Thank you for people.

Amazed That People

I'm amazed that people can spend no time or little time in God's Word, praying, hearing God's Word at church; and then wonder why they aren't growing. None of us expect to know another person better by spending no time with them. If we want to get to know someone better, we have lunch with them or something like that. We ask questions...we talk and listen. But when it comes to God, people will drain down to nothing spiritually and wonder why. There is a reason we meet together at least once a week. WE NEED IT. Haven't you heard, the "spirit is willing but the flesh is weak"? You have to feed the spirit nature or the flesh will take over. We don't just "do" church. We are the church, and the church needs to kindle one another like kindling wood to a fire. If you are so desperate for God and that warm feeling you get when you are really close to God, then SPEND some TIME with GOD. ---And don't give me that I spend time alone with God. That's bologna, because if you spend time with God, He will send you out to the crowd. Read all the "one anothers'" in the Bible.

Why the Growth in the Summer?

Why the Growth in the Summer?

A strange phenomenon is taking place right now. It’s summer and our church is growing. That doesn’t happen, normally. I don’t know for sure. Maybe every church is growing right now. I have some ideas. I think more people are serious and committed about their faith and the unity of the church has never been greater than it is right now at LTC. But I also know that more prayer is taking place than ever. I know personally I have been praying in “crisis mode” for our growth, because “if you ain’t growing you’re dying.” Dying would be a crisis to me. So, I’m praying like that and hope that you will adopt that prayer for Living Truth.
We’ve had a number of new people that have come into Living Truth and fallen in love right away. They are experiencing true worship and have observed authentic community. Those are code words that every church wants to hear. But you have to live it for it to really mean something. Pockets of our church are really living it. My encouragement to the rest of you is to jump on the bandwagon. There’s room! Invite people into your circle. Intentionally look for people that seem to be in search mode (even if they don’t look like you) and invite them in. Be consistent in a CPR Group. The greatest stories that I am hearing are coming from the people that are in love with their CPR Group. People are genuinely doing life together. Finally, be a proponent of unity within the church. Let’s go and bring the lost in and make disciples.

Don't stop what got you there

It's been incredible thus far watching God fight for me on the 4C's(the 4 things that I am praying for in "crisis mode"). Today is kind of a holiday, and the temptation is to take the time off from my routine (that routine that has blessed me). So the temptation is to stop (even if it is for just a day)doing what got me to a better place. However, I am reminded Satan takes NO days off. I've got to be faster and stronger spiritually. Stick to the plan. So, I pray in crisis and be still and watch God fight for me (Ex.14:14).Meanwhile, I thank the God of heaven for His great mercy and intercession and deliverance and on I could go.

Cool Change

What are you known for? Being a whiner...someone people can't count on...the person that's always late...the person that always makes excuses...the person that blames others...the person that always cancels at the last minute...the person that is too busy for friends or church... the person that's always needy...sketchy...always changing your mind...non-committal---Who is someone you admire? What are the qualities about them that you like?
Maybe it's time for a cool change.
Be the person God created you to be. Be the best at that.