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Answer, I don't care. I remember some of my profs at Bible College telling me how some people would get caught up in some of the craziest, pointless conversations about faith.  Yes, there where arguements about how many angels could sit on the head of a pin. Matthew 23:23  “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others." Ever heard the saying, "Keep the main thing the main thing?" or "Don't major on minors?"  Jesus is chewing out these religious eliteists for missing the whole point about their faith.  While they were faithful to give a tenth of the spices they raised in their garden, they ignored how people were treating each other.   So how do you protect yourself from this kind of nonsense? #1 - Follow spiritual leadership that makes ones relationship

What a great time we had at FFWC today.  I was a great success, and I am so glad that we did it.  Someone said that they had never been to a church picnic where everyone got wet. But it does bring me to my point.  How do you have fun?  I know people who think that they only place they can have fun is at Disneyworld.  I know some who believe that if they are not out on the water, they are not having fun.  I know others that think that fun starts when they get drunk. But how do you have fun? Proverbs 15:13   A glad heart makes a cheerful face, but by sorrow of heart the spirit is crushed. #1 - Know the difference between joy and a wonderful experience.  You can have joy for free, an experience will cost you $115 a day (Disneyworld).   #2 - Surround yourself with people you enjoy being with.  They should encourage you and be your friend.  If the people around you do nothing but cut you down and discourage you - get new friends.  #3 - Don't worry about your "ima

Exodus 20:3   You shall have no other gods before me. Yes, this is one of the ten commandments, and most people don't believe that they break it.  God makes it clear to us that He will not tolerate idol worship in our lives. Idol worship is giving to anything else what belongs to God.  Time, money, praise, talents - you get the picture. But what about when you play God.  Are you not worshipping yourself?  When you decide to take control of your life and do God's job for Him, you're displacing Him from His rightful place in your life. A few years ago I was in a particularly tough position in my life.  Nothing immoral or illegal, but tough.  I did everything I could do to fix the situation.  I very successfully and spectrally made everything worse.  In my frustration, I looked up to heaven and said, "Why God why?"  I wasn't really looking for an answer, but I got one.  It was simple and direct.  "When are you going to let me be God in your life.&qu

Ps 46:10 “Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!” One of these days I am going to be watching an infomercial and hear the following. (In a British or radio voice) That's right, for only 27 payments of $99.95 you too can have your every need met.  All you have to do today is call us at 1-800-we got you, and we guarantee that God will meet your every need.  But wait!  There is more!  For the first 100 callers, we will also throw in for free, one get out of sin free card.  That's right if you're planning on doing something bad - then you want to get this free pass right now!!! If you believe any of that I've got some ocean front property in Kansas, I would like to sell you. How can I let God meet my needs? #1 Be still! - If you are running from place to place looking for the, "better" religion you're going to come up empty handed.  You don't have to run to God like that.  He'

This follows up to what I was talking about in yesterdays post .  Why do we go from place to place, job to job or relationship to relationship?  Why can't we be content with what we have? Life is a Highway (apologies to Rascal Flatts for borrowing this title.)  As I was driving to and from Alabama recently, I noted that some people were never content where they were at on the highway. The people in the far right-hand lane didn't look happy. The people in the left lane wanted to drive fast. Then there was the middle lane.  Honestly, I don't think they knew why they were there. I don't know why, but people from Alabama think that they can get their full sized cars into the 3 feet between you and the car in front of you.  I also don't understand why people from Ohio don't get the concept of "slower traffic keeps to the right".  Of course, Florida drives haven't a clue what a turn signal is. So there we were, all of us doing our best i

Ephesians 4:11 - 14 11 And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ,   14 Then we will no longer be immature like children. We won’t be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching. We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth. Tonight I am teaching what is called the Advance Life Group.  It's for individuals who want to learn more about the Bible. We dig deep into theology.  To be honest, I haven't had a class this successful in a long time.  So I really look forward to teaching it.   But I look around and see a common trend among people that is disturbing.  No one sits still long enough to let themselves be properly taugh

Justin Bieber pop star and songwriter just canceled his tour.  According to TMZ, it's because he "rededicated his life to Christ."  This according to Hillsong Church.  TMZ goes on to say this is all due to his new found "religious enlightenment."  FYI - Buddhists and Hindus are "enlightened," followers of Jesus are transformed by the Holy Spirit.  Why does this matter?   Proverbs 22:6 Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it. Justin's mom was abused and became addicted to drugs at a very young age.  She became a Christian after attempting suicide.  It was just a few months after that she gave birth to Justin.  Now her story isn't perfect or pretty.  But I have to believe that her faith was enough to keep him open and searching for hope and truth.   What you share with others does make a difference.  Especially if you're a parent.  You may think that they are not listening or p

Have you ever gone on a trip and had to take a day off just recover from it?  That's us.  1,560 miles later we are exhausted. Ephesians 3:17 (NLT) Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. Where is your home?  My dad lived and died within 15 miles of his birthplace.  I still have family members in Arkansas who can say that.   I know people who have never lived in one place more than 2 years.   But every one of them believed they were always home.  Home for you may have a name like a city or a state.  Home may be where your family or friends are at.  But for followers of Jesus.  Home is where Jesus is.  Our hearts.  Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong.   Putting roots down is very important.  Any farmer will tell you this simple trust.  Whatever you put roots in is what you will reap.  It doesn't matter if you have the best plants or seed.  If you p

Proverbs 27:17 Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another. Tonight we are in Tallahassee.  We had the chance to have dinner with one of our young ladies from church.  Tessa.  Because she is in college now, Anneka doesn't get to see her as much.  So having dinner with her was special. Watching the two of them interact with each other is a sight.  Even though the two of them are 5 years apart, they can have some great conversations.  Both are driven, single minded, strong personalities with sharp, sarcastic senses of humor. While some people would say that they would probably fight all the time, they actually draw strength from each other. That's how God designed us.  To encourage and help one another.  That's why Jesus said that things like gossip, criticism and devaluing each other were wrong.  We were never created to be treated that way. Who can you encourage today?  Who will encourage you?  Take a few minutes to text someone or make a phone call.  Jus

I can now honestly say that it is easier to get a license at the DMV than to check your kid out of a summer intensive.  Exhausting to say the least.  After wards, we went out of dinner, and I actually started to nod off.  That probably explains why I didn't blog yesterday. Proverbs 14:29   Whoever is slow to anger has great understanding, but he who has a hasty temper exalts folly. Boy did I see this on in action yesterday.   We got to the dorms to load Anneka up at 7:30 am.  The only problem was, we couldn't.  Too much going on and she wasn't ready.  So we had to wait until the 12:00 show to see her on stage.  Then we got to see her for about 3 minutes after that.  Wait until 2:10 when the last show was over, and she was finally all ours!  Except we had to go and pack up her dorm room.  Her and 168 other dancers - CHAOS!  Clean the room, inspect the room, hug every person you met for the last three weeks.  (Anneka, not me.) Pictures, pictures, and more pictures!!

Luke 6:31 And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them. While on our trip today we stopped by for lunch.  Because I wanted to keep moving, I picked a restaurant near the Interstate.   There was nothing about the restaurant or the location that gave me any indication of what was about to happen. But it did.   I ordered our food and waited for it to be delivered in its plain brown wrapper.  Someone ordered after me, someone after them, then a small group ordered after them.  This is where it gets interesting.   I noticed that I wasn't the same nationality as the workers in the restaurant.  Nor of customers that I saw when I walked in the door.  The customer that followed me was the same race as I so was the next customer.  But the small group that followed them wasn't.   I waited for what seemed like forever.  I saw my food and the two customers food prepared and prepped to be delivered.  But the employees seemed to have no interest in serving u

Philippians 4:11  Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. As we left the house, Betty thought of something that she left at the office.  So we went to the office.  It wasn't at the office.  So back to the house.  It was at the house.  Hmmm. On the interstate and turnpike, it looked like a high stakes horse race.  Everyone jockeying for one lane or another.   During lunch, I watched one guy torture himself over what he was going to order.  Then after ordering he couldn't decide what he wanted to drink, which ketchup dispenser to use, which table to eat at.  You get the picture.  Once we got to Tallahassee, we stopped for dinner.  A couple of tables over from us a family had a total meltdown.  One member of the family couldn't be happy about anything.  I mean NOT HAPPY!  Being content is a gift from God.  It reduces our stress levels.  It helps our relationships flow smoother.  We make bette

I'm pulling my hair out!!  No, no, no I'm not - I like it too much. We leave to go to Alabama in the morning.  There is so much to do. - Wash the car - Fill it with gas. - Buy supplies. - Write Sunday's life group lessons - Prep Sunday services. - Get marketing ready for Family Fun Day. - Make sure room reservations are confirmed. - Go home and pack. - Print the Sunday morning brochures. And on, and on, and on, and on. How can I do it all?  I don't do it all.  I have a team. The Red Carpet team of greeters and ushers.  The WOW team of worship leaders and the A/V team. Life Group teachers, Voltage Youth, The custodial team, The Children's Ministries Team and more! They are the reason why I can take a Sunday off and go pick up my daughter in Alabama. Who is on your team?   Ecclesiastes 4:9–12 “Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who fa

In just a couple of day's Betty and I will be going to Alabama to get Anneka. So yes, we will miss church this Sunday. No, you're not going to miss church this Sunday. A great friend of mine, Fred Sanchez will be here.  I've known Fred for years, you will be blessed. I've used this verse before, but we need to be reminded. Proverbs 13:12 Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a desire fulfilled is a tree of life. All of us have lived in anticipation for something.  A new job, the birth of a new baby or in my case - seeing my daughter again.  But when these events are put off, indefinitely - it can break our hearts.   For 20 years Betty and I couldn't have children.  But God did a miracle and Anneka was introduced into our lives nearly 13 years ago.  I have to tell you, our hearts were sick for most of those 20 years.  Then after trying we experience 3 miscarriages before Anneka.  That felt like it was adding insult to injury.   Then after her a

Years ago before cassette tapes and iTunes, there were records.  Unless you were a music aficionado you probably only had a hand full of albums in your collection.  Well, that was how it was around our house anyway.  But I remember that there was one album in my mom's collection that I would listen to over and over again.  Bridge Over Troubled Water The lyrics and melody were mesmerizing to this 9-year-old boy.  I would play the song over and over again.  I knew that Simon of Simon & Garfunkle wrote the song.  What I didn't know was that Simon was inspired to write this song after hearing an album by a Gospel group.  He even called it a "sweet little hymn." The Israelites have been wandering in the desert for over 40 years.  The day has come for them to enter the promised land.  Except there was a river in their way.  The Jordan was at flood stage.  God tells Joshua to take the Ark of the Covenant and set out to their promise.  That when the priest's fe

Psalm 118:2 This is the day that the Lord has made let us rejoice and be glad in it. There use to be a old chorus whose lyrics was this verse.  You can listen to it here .  But I have to warn you, this was a looooong time ago.  CHOOSE TO HAVE A GREAT DAY!   Right now be greatly for one thing.  Keep it simple.  But be genuinely grateful for it.  BELIEVE YOU WILL HAVE A GREAT DAY! Sure something might happen that will try to discourage you, but don't give up.   ACT LIKE YOU WILL HAVE A GREAT DAY. If you want to have a great day, then act like it.  Do something to makes some else's day.  Buy their coffee.  Pay for their lunch.  Smile! God created this day just for you!  Isn't that amazing?  Now take advantage of this great opportunity.   PRAY: Dear Jesus, I want to have a great day today! AMEN. 

Ever started something, but couldn't finish it?  We've all been there.  Life happens.  We forget.  We lose interest.   But for us, as followers of Jesus, we have to remember to finish well.   2 Timothy 4:6-8 6 For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. 7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8 Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing. Finishing well is a testimony to our faith in God and His faithfulness to us.  It lets others know that you are a person who believes in and trusts God with all of your heart.  Then your life becomes a testimony for others to see.  What do they see?  God keeping His promises.   Whatever you are doing right now - see it through.  Don't give up.  Don't do half of the job.  It is at th

Finally, today is the day.  I have had enough.  My office chair is a piece of junk.  Why did I pay $100 for a chair that only made me feel horrible and fell apart like a used Yugo?  (If you don't know what a Yugo is, click here .) You've got to give up good to have better.  Philippians 1:6  And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. Many times we think that our lives are "good" enough.  We don't pursue change.  We don't think about what is going to happen next.  When that happens, we cut ourselves off from having anything better.  If we are not willing to let go of "good" we will not be able to have "better."  This is more than just good planning.  It is an act of faith. Pursuing God's will is never safe.  He will ask you to leave the safety of your current situation and move out on nothing more than His promise.  He will get you where He wants you to go.

There used to be an old hymn that said, "Count your blessings, name them one by one."  There was another one where we would sing, "Bring in the sheaves, bringing in the sheaves,"  I had no idea what a sheave was. Sheaves are bundles of wheat. People used to gather wheat by tying them into bundles called sheaves. So the term "bringing in the sheaves" means gathering in the harvest.  Now I thought I understo od what count your blessings was supposed to mean. But no w I'm not so sure.   As I sit here in my office I can say I have had a good day.  But I am overwhelmed with everything that I need to address.  Family, Pastoring, Presbyter, Personal Life and Development, Marriage and more!  I caught myself being a little frustrated and resentful of all of this pressure.  But then it dawned on me.  These are blessings in my life.  These blessings are growing and changing.  Some are downright challenging, but nonetheless, they are a blessing.  I wouldn&

Anneka is half way through her dance intensive at the University of Alabama with the American Ballet Theater. She is really enjoying herself, and I am glad that she is there.  But for the last few days, people have been asking me, "What's it like without her ?"  It's quite, methodical and predictable.  You've got it - BORING! “Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other.” —Romans 12:10 Love each other with genuine affection, like you would for a brother, a sister or a daughter.  Then try to outdo each other with honor.  Treat people better than you would treat yourself.   - So far Anneka's dancing has improved. - She has been showing great leadership skills. - She had to switch dorms due to the discovery of mold in the building. - The boy's from the Soccer camp, which is going on this week, have been asking for her phone number and cat calling her through the cafeteria.  (Dad is NOT happy.)  She told them t

We live in a time when bullying and rudeness rule the day. I can remember a time that if I had said half the things I hear now in front of my mom, I wouldn't be here now. 2 Corinthians 12:10 For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong. I hear parents and adults say all the time.  The bullying has to stop!  I agree!  But it first will start with you.  Grown-ups get bullied just as much as kids do.  The use of one's personality to oppress others is a manipulative trick as old as time.  For some reason though, it's in vogue right now. God made you unique.  He did not create you for the purpose of being abused by others.  He made you with a purpose, and it is a great one!  You've got to remember that God made you and that when you live your life according to His purpose - you will be enriched by it. So what do you do? #1 - Don't be the bully.  That doesn't m

Over the years I've been criticized.  You have been too.  Some of it was good and profitable.  Some of it was bad and profitable.  You read that right.  Sometimes negative criticism tells the truth. One such event I remember was particularly painful.  This person "cleaned my clock" because I wouldn't make him a "pastor" (like I could).  He said I was a lousy preacher, a terrible friend, and a horrible leader.  I thought about it, and he was right.  I told him, "You're right, I've been a terrible friend."  The look on his face was priceless.  He thought he had me.  But I continued on.  "But I must be your Pastor before I can be your friend."  That did not go well. "Faithful are the wounds of a friend, but deceitful are the kisses of an enemy" (Proverbs 27:6). Jesus criticized people, especially the Pharisees.  But Jesus was always truthful, honest and it was done with love.   If you are being criticized.   - Lis

Matthew 15:14 Let them alone; they are blind guides. And if the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a pit.” To put this into context Jesus is speaking to His disciples and He is talking about the religious leaders of that day.  They were so heavenly minded they were of no earthly good. I remember as a kid hearing people in church quote that statement over and over again.  One day I tried to look it up in the Bible and discovered that it wasn't there. What I did find was the exact opposite.  People endeavoring to get as close to God as possible.  However, Jesus was making a good point. These religious leaders were so wrapped up in their own religion that they had abandoned the real faith that God wanted them to express with their lives.  They were blind to the truth that was right in front of them. Your charge today is simple.  Look beyond the religion of this world and express the faith that Jesus has placed in your heart.  Don't be blind, look around you

I'm not a huge fan of The Who, but I like this song.  Here are some of the lyrics. Well, who are you? (who are you? who, who, who, who?) I really wanna know (who are you? who, who, who, who?) Tell me, who are you? (who are you? who, who, who, who?) 'Cause I really wanna know (who are you? who, who, who, who?) Can people tell who you are by what you do?  Matthew 5:16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. I AM someone who praises and worships God with my life every day.  I AM someone who causes others to praise God for what He is doing in my life.  I AM someone who honors God with my talents, skills, and giftings.  I AM someone who loves others unconditionally.  Now it is true that: I AM someone who struggles to get it right.  I AM someone who sometimes has to apologize for doing some pretty dumb things.   But at the end of the day, I know who I am, and

Losing hope is a terrible thing.  When you've lost hope it threatens your very existence.  When you perceive that threat, real or not, your brain goes into overdrive to protect itself.  This also applies to things and people who you consider to be close and/or important to you.  Unless something derails your brain, you're doomed to disaster. The marriage, you did everything that you could to save it - but it failed. That start-up business, you did everything right - but it didn't work. Your kids, you raised them right - but they didn't turn out the way you hoped. What happened? I've quoted this verse before. Proverbs 13:12 Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a desire fulfilled is a tree of life. If there is no hope, or if you have to wait too long for it, you will want to give up.  Depression will set in and discouragement will gnaw at your bones.  What do you do? Find hope.   Hope isn't some kind of fairy dust you find at Disneyworld.  I

Life has a way of draining the hope out of you.  People, situations, and circumstances challenge you again and again.  Sometimes you get the bear and sometimes the bear gets you.  It is this daily struggle that will define you every day. If your perception of your world is negative or positive, then that is all you will be able to see.  Then your attitude and your actions will follow suit. But Pastor, you don't know what this person did.  You don't understand what I am going through.  Maybe not.  But I can guarantee that your attitude towards these things will define the kind of person that you are. Ask yourself this question.  Are you going to define who you are or are your circumstances going to define you. Paul said, while sitting in a prison cell in Rome, Philippians 1:27  Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind strivin

I've been yelled at more times than I can remember.  I've been insulted, devalued, marginalized and profiled.  None of it was fun, and sometimes it made me mad. Rejection just doesn't feel good.  I get it.  You want to be loved and accepted by all.  But reality kicks in, and it all goes south.  I once had a successful business man tell me if only 25% of the people were mad at me, then I should be having a good day.  I don't know if that's true, but I do know that when that number goes high, I'm having a bad day. LOVE John 13:34-35 34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. 35 By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” If you don't to be offended, choose to love people before you get angry with them.  That doesn't mean that you will never get angry, it means that you will choose to value your relationship with someone

If you haven't been keeping up, I've been driving for the last few days.  1,420 miles to be exact. So what did I see? I saw beautiful, majestic mountains.  Calm and warm sands of the sea shore.  I saw capital buildings and real log cabins.  I met people who were friendly and some who were downright rude.  Others who cared about me and some who were wondering why I was there.  I saw huge peanut farms and fields of corn.  Big rivers with paddle boats and more trucks and truck driver than I will remember.  The weather changed, some complained about how hot it was.  I knew they had never been to Florida.  The altitude changed my ears popped, I had forgotten how that felt after living at sea level for so long.  I saw the worst and the best, the good and the bad, the impressive and depressing. Psalm 33:12 Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people whom he has chosen as his heritage! In a few moments, my wife and I are going to meet with some friends and watch

Driving from Tuscaloosa to Tallahassee was fun today.  Because it's a long weekend, traffic is light.  But there was something about the drive that caught my attention.  There are a lot of churches and Dairy Queens up here.  I mean A LOT!. Matthew 28:18-20 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Jesus commanded us to reach the world with His good news.  All the churches that I saw today: big ones, really big ones, small ones - even one that couldn't be more than 3 hundred square feet.  They all had one thing in mind, to reach the world.   Then there is the Dairy Queens.  Reaching the world with ice cream.  I looked at everyone and saw that they were all busy.  Well, it is th

We dropped Anneka off at the University of Alabama for the next 20 days.  So far no one has cried. According to The American Ballet Theater, Anneka is one of 150+ dancers who were chosen from thousands of participants .  Now the point of this isn't so I can brag.  Ok, maybe a little.  The point is this. I would have never thought that this would be the path that God has chosen for her. 2 Corinthians 5:7 for we walk by faith, not by sight. Pray like everything depends on God and work like everything depends on you.  Mark Batterson Know all you can know so you can do all you can do.  Russ Jones Ok, that last one doesn't sound so spiritual, but you get the point.  Trusting God to lead you as a parent, employer, spouse or friend requires you to have faith.  That means that your lifestyle will reflect His will in your life.   Or let me put it another way.  If you find yourself driving to Tuscaloosa, Alabama because God gave your daughter the talent and gift of

A 5-hour drive to Tallahassee turned into a 10-hour nightmare.  4th of July traffic was horrible.  So when I got up this morning, I vowed not to do that again.  Somewhere in Dothan AL., Betty's GPS said, "Take a right turn."  What?  You're leading me into the middle of nowhere.  A right turn here, left turn there.  I finally had it.  I pulled up the original route and saw that there were more delays and accidents than I wanted to deal with.   We were going into the woods.   For the next 90 miles, we saw some of the most beautiful mountain landscapes you've ever seen.  Gorgeous homes nestled in the woods.  Cattle ranches and horse farms and so much more.  Proverbs 16:9 The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps. It was worth the trip, and we arrived at our room with time to spare.   You never know what direction God is going to lead you in.  While you are headed to the right destination that doesn't mean you're