Tag: Love

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A Moment Like This

Have you ever experienced one of those moments where you knew from that point on your life would be changed forever? Sometimes the realization comes hours maybe days later after the moment has passed, but then there are those times that in the present moment, it hits you!

One of my moments came when Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast. Sure, its been several years since the hurricane devastated the Gulf Coast, but it was in that moment I saw things differently, and it affects me even today, it changed me then and the change has never subsided. I am sure the same would be said by those who survived the events of that summer and by those who spent months recovering bodies and doing the best they could to restore communities and cities and homes.

It was a Wednesday night that 6 of us embarked on a journey that transformed my life and the way I look at the blessings of God and the power that He possesses. I got to the office and was glued to the internet checking out the devastation that had wiped out much of the area. All of the staff pastors, two teenage guys, and another leader in our church decided to do something, so we rallied water and a few groceries and headed out after our midweek service, our plans were to make the 12+ hour trip throughout the night, hand out supplies and drive immediately back. Our destination was Biloxi, Mississippi. We didn’t get too far down the road and we experienced some significant problems with the RV, but we were not deterred from our goal. Fortunately we loaded up on gasoline at the last station that had it within driving distance, a couple hundred miles, we also carried numerous 5 gallon gas cans for backup. When we got to Biloxi, we were some of the first relief efforts in the area. The National Guard was there, but they were mostly scoping things out. All we had was a RV loaded with some groceries pulling a trailer full of bottled water. What was to take place was AMAZING! Continue reading “A Moment Like This”

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Chasing Daylight Chapter 4 Thoughts (Part 1)

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Here are the first quotes that have stood out to me so far from Chapter 4 of Chasing Daylight from Erwin McManus. The chapter is titles “Influence.”

  • Manipulation is the use of influence to control others for personal gain. It is the dark side of influence. Manipulation could be described as a relational lie. It is not merely deception in language, but the corruption of trust.
  • While manipulation is inherently evil, influence is the best way to lead and move others toward what is good.
  • A life touched by God always ends in touching others.
  • We have lost confidence in the power of influence, and because of that, we have lost the beauty of its art. The problem with potential power is that while it may control the actions of another human being, it does not capture the heart.

Just being straight up…this chapter has stood out to me so far because I have been in a church environment where the pastor was a master manipulator. I have seen where his manipulation has severely wounded and damaged people, some to the point of no return. I see a pattern in scripture where God was disgusted and angered by the priest in the Old Testament and the Pharisees and Sadducees in the New Testament because they led people away from the love of God versus towards it. Jesus said in Matthew 23 that the Pharisees would travel land and sea to make one convert, only to turn them into twice the sons of hell as they were.

I saw this pastor use his influence to manipulate the sale of a church and its property that people invested years of their life and in some cases “hundreds” of thousands of dollars to see a deceptive vision come to pass. All for nothing, there was no reason for anything that took place. I’ve forgiven this man, but it does not diminish the damage and the hurt caused by the power of manipulation. Erwin is correct…it is the “Dark Side” of influence. My only prayer is that God extends the same amount of mercy and grace in my life as I need it as he has this man. My true prayer is that I live for God in such a way that I never need that much.

Nicki and I were talking the other day about men who have used their influence in the same manner. I told Nicki that if I had as much influence as these people had, I would truly use it to change the world, not to meet a personal agenda. That is my honest desire. I believe the key is when Erwin said, “A life touched by God always ends in touching others!” What do you want to use your influence to do?

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2008 Orange Conference Session 1

The 2008 Orange Conference

Opening video…Wow!!! Makes you proud to be a part of the “Church”

Steve Fee – Loved the new song!

Sue Miller

  • After last year’s conference she was challenged in a new way, she was told she had cancer.
  • After arguing with God, she was compelled that God asked her, “Who’s driving?”
  • Challenge to ask God to show us what investment/impact we’ve made.
  • God started to reveal to her how he had used her. – God told her she did exactly what He told her to do.
  • Challenge to realize that you do not need a cancer diagnosis to give your all to God.
  • A note to volunteers…Sue usually hears people say things like, “I just hold babies” “I just lead a small group” “I just greet people”
  • Don’t ever say I just anymore.
  • You get to be Jesus with Skin on to people who are walking through the doors of the church, who needs someone to hug them, to relate to them.
  • This is a very important responsibility!

Reggie Joyner – “Uncensored” Reaching a Prodigal Generation

  • There is one thing that is important in our ministries.
  • Its not truth or message – It’s not family – It’s not leadership.
  • Without this one thing, you do not have a basis for genuine community.
  • Going through a paraphrase of the Prodigal Son
  • This is definitely the Message version of the Prodigal son!
  • Only two people were unhappy about the younger son returning, Older and the fatted calf.
  • What if the older brother got to the prodigal son before the loving father? How would the story be different?
  • Reggie grew up in an “older brother” church! (Me Too!) – This produced a mindset that it took time to unravel.
  • Luke 15:1-2 – “But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.” – Jesus hears them and tells them 3 stories; the final story was the Prodigal. He showed them 2 different perspectives to the Prodigal.
  • There are 2 different approaches to sinners: 1. The Pharisee way (The older brother) or 2. Jesus’ way (The loving father)
  • Challenge: Treat every prodigal in the way a loving father would treat his own son! Continue reading “2008 Orange Conference Session 1”
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A Long Day, But Worth It…

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Yesterday about 10:00 a.m. I checked my email and saw that Shane’s granddad is sick in the hospital. If you are a prayer, please pray for him and Shane’s family…even though you may not know them. This is a difficult and trying time for them.

I had less than 8 hours to prepare a message for the teenagers, because Shane was scheduled to speak. I also had a full days worth of work at the office. I had nothing to speak on except what was on my heart and mind. As I have been posting on here, I have been reading “Chasing Daylight.” I am still in chapter 2 and did not get a chance to read any further yesterday, but I ran with a story from the Bible that Erwin referenced in the book. Rahab.

I called the message, Choose to Live, because that is what Rahab did. She chose to live. She had made many bad choices in her life, she was a practicing prostitute at the time God sent an opportunity for her to choose. She could have chosen to do nothing, because after all, what kind of life did she have to salvage? She could have chosen to live as she had always lived, but she didn’t…she chose to do good and to take a new path, a path pleasing to God. As a result…she chose life…she created a whole new future…things were different!

Well, things are different in 2 students lives today. I challenged all of the students to do 1 of 2 things:
#1 if they were a Christ Follower, but were living their life walking backwards into their future being paralyzed by the choices they have made in their past, to turn around walk head first into their future and choose the way of life when God brings them the next opportunity. (I revealed to them that they cannot see opportunities from God if they are walking backwards!)
#2 I challenged those who were not Christ Followers to choose life, the life of Christ. I told them just like Rahab, it did not matter where they were in their life or even what “wrong” choices they made that day, Jesus wanted to love them and to forgive them…Well 2 students made a choice for life, and they asked Jesus to be the Lord of their life.

Please pray for Shane and his family, as well as these 2 students who are starting a new journey to be a Christ follower.