January 2014

Hey everyone!

Man is it cold out there! I hope you’re staying warm. Let’s think of those who have no shelter and ask God to use us to change their situation as we have opportunity.

On Sunday, January 19, we had a message entitled Dig Down Deep. In it, we were challenged to pursue peace in the situations that we find ourselves in our normal flow of life – yes, even with the difficult people. I would say especially with the difficult people. If you weren’t able to be here and hear this message, I would challenge you to listen to it here.

We mentioned that our pursuing peace with difficult people is one of the things that separates us from our culture and world. Our culture and sinful nature will tell us that we should retaliate when we have some wrong done against us. Today, I want to challenge that thought process with the words of Jesus.

Read Luke 6:27-35

I want to highlight some key phrases in this passage as Jesus is challenging His followers to distinguish themselves from the rest of the world by pursuing peace with those who have done wrong against us. We must dig down deep for this to happen. It does not come natural for us which is why Jesus says…

“to those who are willing to listen” – not everyone is…are you?

“love your enemies…do good to those who hate you…bless those who curse you…pray for those who hurt you” – Are you still willing to listen? Some are not, but this is what Jesus says is one of the ways that we can show that Christ is in us.

“If someone slaps you on the cheek, offer the other also” – This is implying that what they do to you is going to hurt. It is not enough to pursue peace with those who have never hurt us. Anyone can do that.

“If someone demands your coat, offer your shirt also” – This is where we are encouraged to shock them with our peace pursuit. We are generous with peace because God was generous in providing a way for peace between us and Him.

“do to others as you would like them to do to you.” – Jesus said this long before your momma!

Then Jesus moves to the punchline…
How does doing good to others who do good to us separate us from what a non-Christ follower would do? We are challenged to dig down deep and go BEYOND what the world would see as normal.

But why? Why would we do such a thing?

“then your reward from heaven will be very great” – Do you prefer to win the battle with the difficult person OR win the blessings that come from choosing God’s radical way?

“and you will be truly acting as children of the Most High, for He is kind to those who are unthankful and wicked (difficult people)” – When we DIG DOWN DEEP and pursue peace rather than digging in and retaliating, we are reflecting the heart of the merciful God and how he has responded to us.

How can we accept that grace and mercy and love and then turn around and not extend it to the people around us – especially the difficult people?

​It’s time to DIG DOWN DEEP and pursue peace.

Romans 12:17 – “Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone.”

Hey Northline!

I hope you were able to go through the email that I sent out earlier this week called Focus UP. In it, we were challenged to develop a focus to grow our relationship with God – not out of obligation, but out of opportunity. There is a song that captures the way in which we can continually focus UP this year…here it is.

Today, I want to move to the 2nd area of focus that I had mentioned which is to Focus IN. By this I mean to set goals/resolutions that will focus on the changes that need to happen in your personal life. This might be in relation to your health, attitudes, job performance, family dynamics, emotions, etc.

Thinking back to Sunday’s message, we must take all of our goals through the process of Philippians 4:13 – personal desire (“I can do everything…”) – divine direction (“through Christ…”), divine dependence (“who gives me strength.”, and personal decision.

Begin this process by reading Psalm 139:23-24. Ok…now read it again. Ok…now in your own words, pray it back to God.

This will put you in a good position to see the areas of your life where you need to Focus IN. After coming up with some areas of change that need to happen IN you, take those things through the process of Philippians 4:13 by asking the following questions…

• Is this something that I really want/need for my life? (“I can if I want” – personal desire)
• Is this something that God desires for my life? (“I can if God wants” – divine direction)
• Will I need to rely on God’s strength to accomplish this? (“I can if I rely on Christ” – divine dependence)
• Will I move now…how? (“I can if I move now” – personal decision)

This is not a scenario where you pick one question or a couple of questions to see if it fits. If I am going to see changes in my life in 2014, then I need to take my goals and resolutions through the lens of all 4 of these questions.

Is it something I want…like really want?

Is it something God wants…does Scripture show God’s heart for this area?

Does it require my dependence on God…or could I do this without His help?

What will I do to move now…what small, simple step will I take today?

We will see that 2014 can be a year of tremendous change in our lives if we will Focus IN.

And remember…you can through Christ!

Hey everyone!

Man I feel worn out and almost thawed out from the craziness that we experienced this week with the weather.

As promised, I wanted to follow up this past Sunday’s message with a series of emails that will help us to take the message into action. If you were unable to be there and would like to listen, you can go here and listen to the message titled “Beyond Wishful Thinking.”

As the first service in 2014, I wanted to spend some time talking about what we can accomplish this year. We looked at Philippians 4:13 and learned the true meaning of this verse. We must remove the word “can’t” from our vocabulary if we are going to have a year of life-changing impact.

We closed the message by challenging us to focus our “I can through Christ” in 3 different directions – up, in, and out. Today, I want to challenge you in this idea of Focus UP.

Read Psalm 42:1-6, Psalm 63: 1-8, John 4:10-14, and John 6:35, 47-51.

In these verses, you will see a theme develop. Do you notice what it is?

It is using the analogy of our relationship UP with God is as necessary as food and drink for our bodies. Have you ever stopped to ask yourself if that is how you view your relationship with God?

What a tremendous opportunity that we have to be in a relationship with God! Yet for many of us, this opportunity feels more like an obligation. Yet, we probably eat and drink and don’t view it as an obligation. “Well I guess I have to eat again. I better force myself to get this drink of water. What a drag!” If you are anything like me, you view eating and drinking as an opportunity – most often it is an opportunity of great joy.

SO when you read these verses of hungering and thirsting after God, read them in light of the opportunity that we have been given to know God and be known by Him. Why would we ever allow this opportunity to be viewed as an obligation?

As you focus UP and make some changes in your commitment and relationship to God, may they be changes that are driven out of opportunity and not out of obligation.

Here are some FOCUS UP questions to keep in front of you for 2014…

• What does God want to do in your life in 2014?
• What areas could you allow God to enter into in 2014?
• What discipline do you have the opportunity to start as a way to connect with God more deeply and passionately?
• Could this be a year where you FOCUS UP and connect with God so intimately that He becomes the most important person in your life?

As you reflect on these questions and FOCUS UP, it is my prayer that you will have an amazing year!

And I know… “you can through Christ”!