Thinking about Life and the Lord!

Have you ever tried to outrun or hide from your past? A lot of people are like the driver of the 18 wheeler speeding down I-40 in Arkansas. The trooper pulled behind the truck, turned on his lights, and the trucker did not stop. The trooper got right on the truck’s bumper, but the trucker kept right on going. The trooper turned on his siren, but the trucker only sped up. Finally, the truck ran out of gas and rolled to the side of the road. By now the trooper was beside himself in anger. He marched up to the trucker and yelled, “Sir, did you not see my lights?” “Yes sir, I did!” replied the trucker. “Did you not see me on your bumper for miles?” demanded the trooper. “Yes sir, I did!” the trucker said calmly. “Did you not hear my siren blaring?” the trooper asked. “Well, yes sir I did!” the trucker replied. In exhaustion the trooper finally said, “Then please explain to me why in this world you did not stop this truck?” The trucker actually looked relieved and replied, “Well you see abo...

A new year with new possibilities requires courage Each New Year brings new possibilities – opportunities for growth. These are exciting times to be alive. As we begin a New Year and a new decade, I’m sure that God wants to do great things in your life- but it won't happen automatically. You've got to step out in faith. There's always an element of risk. Hosea 10:12 says, "Plow new ground for yourselves, plant righteousness, and reap the blessing your devotion to me will produce!” What are you planning to harvest in your life in 2010? Three hundred sixty five days from today, how will you be any different? If you want to be different, you've got to start cultivating some new habits, activities, and relationships now! Success doesn't just happen. It takes effort. What do you want to be different in your family.... your finances...or your walk with Christ? Whatever you sow you'll reap. If you don't sow anything, you won't reap anything. I dare you to ...

"This moment contains all moments." - C.S. Lewis At this moment in history, we see more churches in decline than ever before. Sadly, many do not realize that decline is the only possible outcome for a church that doesn't pursue the right kind of change. The reason... change is necessary to have a healthy church. In the past 8 years that I have been pastor at FBC, we have experienced many changes together. Why? Because it is a proven fact that no church, big or small, new or old, can remain vital without it. Yet, few churches attempt to embrace, understand or know how to effectively engage it. But, for the sake of the church, we need to deal with change on a regular basis. We need to figure out the difference between positive and negative change, become aware of the areas that do and don't need change, learn the right and wrong ways to move people through change, and make the choice to begin leading our churches through the right kind of change. When I travel around th...

Which kind of person are you? Are you the kind of person who thinks, “Serve me first!” or are you the kind of person whose attitude is “Let me be the first to serve!”? Sadly, we live in a society where most people are “Serve me first” people. The thought of putting another person ahead of ourselves truly never crosses our minds, yet this is the one of the greatest ways to find fulfillment and meaning for your life. In the book of Matthew 20:26 & 28, Jesus talked about having a life of significance and meaning when He said this: “…whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant…just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many (NIV).” Paul would later say, “Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus (Phil. 2:5, NIV).” When we spend our lives focused only on ourselves, we miss a great deal of blessings, joy, and benefits that are found only as we serve others. So what are some characteristics of s...

I read an interesting story the other day that I thought I would share with you since you just got to pay your taxes this past April. Apparently little Johnny wanted $100 badly and prayed to God for two weeks, but nothing happened. Then he decided to write a letter to God requesting the $100. When the postal authorities received the letter addressed to God, USA, they decided to send it to former President George Bush. The President was so impressed, touched, and amused that he instructed his secretary to send Johnny a $5.00 bill, as this would appear to be a lot of money to a little boy. Johnny was delighted with the $5.00, and sat down to write a thank-you note to God. It said: “Dear God, Thank you very much for sending me the money. However, I noticed that for some reason you had to send it through Washington, DC and as usual, those jerks deducted $95.” All of us have experienced this, haven’t we? With all the talk about the economy, stimulus packages, and bail outs, I thought it wou...

During Napoleon's Austrian campaign his army advanced to within six miles of Feldkirch. It looked as though Bonaparte's men would take Feldkirch without resistance. But as Napoleon's army advanced toward their objective in the night, the Christian's of Feldkirch gathered in a little church to pray. It was Easter Eve. The next morning at sunrise the bells of the village pealed out across the countryside. Napoleon's army, not realizing it was Easter Sunday, thought that in the night the Austrian army had moved into Feldkirch and that the bells were ringing in jubilation. Napoleon ordered a retreat, and the battle at Feldkirch never took place. The Easter bells caused the enemy to retreat, and peace reigned in the Austrian countryside. Easter 2009 is a time when many of you are surrounded by enemies which threaten to storm the walls of your life. Don't forget that the victorious Easter bells are ringing with the good news that "HE is ALIVE!! Today if you will ...

Pastor Steve Cole of Flagstaff Christian Fellowship in Flagstaff, AZ wrote about a time back in 1980 when he and his family were evacuated from their home as a result of the nearby Panorama fire. They were given less than three hours to gather whatever they could of their belongings and get out of their home. He says, "We were out of our home for three days. Thankfully, the fire did not reach our house. But the experience was an unforgettable lesson in clarifying what is really important in terms of material possessions. What really matters and what could we live without ?" The present economic situation in America is a firestorm that should wake us up as the people of God. The truth that has been revealed is that over the last few years we have ceased to own our possessions because our possessions now own us. We identify ourselves, our value, and our self-worth by our things. In today's world we have learned that earthly investments are fragile, our possessions and jobs ...