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Category: Messages (Page 7 of 41)

How Adaptable Are You?

February 10, 2021 / / 0 Comments

When you’re good at something, it’s a safe bet to just sit on that talent and do as much as you can that rests in your sweet spot. But what happens when you need to step out of that sweet spot and into a little less familiar or comfortable territory? How adaptable are you?

Learning new skills and doing new things is an important part of life and the maturity process. But often it seems the more we know the more we realize we really don’t know.

One of the challenges in life is determining how best to relate to people of different cultural, economic and traditional backgrounds effectively. We need to be willing and able to be flexible and adapt to different scenarios in life in an effort to better reach the people in our circle of influence. To do this we need to take a few key steps to ensure we’re doing this right.

First, we need to know who we are and what we believe. The better foundation you have in life, the more well informed your decisions will be. Having good intentions is one thing. But if our good intentions and adaptability aren’t built on a strong foundation of truth, then we’ll quickly go the wrong direction. So know who you are and what you believe.

The second part is to know who we’re trying to reach. I don’t mean to just know their name, although that’s important for sure! But we need to know who they are, what makes them tick, what are their passions, interests and desires. Don’t assume that just because we know their name we know what they’re thinking or what they want in life. The better we know the person and the stronger the relationship between us, the more we’ll know what they need not just what we think they want.

Finally, we need to ask ourselves what part of me needs to be put aside for the sake of this relationship growing in Christ. The idea is what personal ambition, liberty, desire do I need to sacrifice to better serve this person and help them encounter the love of Christ more fully.

I hope this short summary helps you better serve those around you. For more information on adaptability and becoming better suited to reach people effectively, check out this message.

Character Attacks & More

February 4, 2021 / / 0 Comments

There is a method of arguing known by its latin name ad-hominem. I know it’s not a word we say all the time but we probably use this method of arguing and don’t even know it. The idea behind an ad-hominem is that you can’t win an argument on the basis of the content of the argument so you start slandering your opponent. You move from content discussion to character attacks.

When we are backed into a corner and realize our argument really doesn’t hold water, sometimes it’s tempting to stoop to attacking someone’s character instead. Character attacks are just not cool. Actually a character attack demonstrates how weak our argument really is.

The story of Stephen in the Bible is one that starts with an argument based on content, but it’s soon realized that Stephen’s content is rock solid. Then the attack moves to his character. They make up things about him just to make others think poorly of Stephen. But again he doesn’t budge. Finally, when nothing else works they resort to murderous threats and eventually killing him.

We may not go around stoning people, at least we better not! But we often find ourselves easily backing ourselves into a character attack scenario. When we don’t get our way, we lash out at our opposition. When we don’t hear what we want to hear, we attack the person instead of arguing the merits of our position. When our personal attacks fail to get through, all too often we just drop the person from our lives, delete them from social media, block their number on our phones, act as if they no longer exist.

There must be a better way. Check out last night’s message to see what that better way might be.

Happy Birthday!

January 28, 2021 / / 0 Comments

Birthdays are fun aren’t they? Well, when we’re young and don’t mind another year of experience behind us they’re good. The party. The celebration. The big to do everyone makes of us. All of it is pretty fantastic! So happy birthday! Ok so maybe it’s not your birthday but maybe it’s more a celebration of your birthday than you realize? Hear me out here.

The idea of celebrating is important. If we don’t celebrate we’ll forget where we’ve been and what we’re about. Last night I spoke about the matter of celebrating the start of something massive. It was scary at first but when it really got going it meant so many people’s lives were changed for the better!

You’ve Been Blocked

January 25, 2021 / / 0 Comments
Do you feel You Have Been BLOCKED??? | The Heartbeat of the Queen of Hearts

Have you ever been blocked on someone’s social media or cell phone? A while back an acquaintance and I were chatting by text message and we weren’t exactly seeing things eye to eye. He was in a different place than I was, so I tried to end that part of our conversation and change the topic. Before I could even type a message about changing the conversation, he said that’s it, “I’m blocking your number. I don’t want to talk to you anymore.”

In this day and age, it’s super easy to not only socially distance from someone but actually socially delete someone! When someone says something that doesn’t line up with our ideas, values, thoughts, or worldview – we can all too easily just remove them from our lives as if they never existed. We block their phone number, unfriend them on Facebook, hide them on other social platforms. For all intents and purposes they no longer exist.

While social media blocking someone won’t get rid of them completely it’s a form of what Saul was doing in his day. In our lesson on Sunday, we met up with Saul. He was on his way to go “block some people” in his own way. He wanted to change their worldview or eliminate them.

Take a listen to the message below as we discuss the implications of Saul’s actions and a better way to handle the challenges of different opinions.

Where Is God?

January 22, 2021 / / 0 Comments

There are times in all of our lives when we wonder Where did God go! Generally these moments are filled with anxiety, fear and worry. When things don’t go our way, we jump to blaming some higher power for disrupting the flow of our lives. When calamity strikes and panic sets in, we readily jump to the finger wagging and fist pumping toward God. So when bad things happen in our lives, where is God anyway?

This week we take a deeper look into Mark 13. This chapter of the Bible kind of address this where’s God question without actually asking the question. I’d encourage you to read the first portion of Mark 13 then take a listen. If you can’t listen now or that’s just not your thing, then keep reading the next couple of paragraphs.

So where’s God when bad stuff happens? The long and short of it is, this question comes from a misunderstanding of who God is to begin with. God is not some cosmic slot machine. He’s not some ridiculous magic genie who grants us our three wishes. He’s someone who wants to have a relationship with us. He wants to be with us in the good times and in the bad times.

If you’re only looking to blame God when bad stuff happens but not celebrate with him in the good things, then perhaps you have a misinformed view of who God is. If you want to find God in the bad things, then try to see him in the good ones first.

The more easily find God in the everyday moments of life, the more visible he'll be in the rough ones. Share on X

Here’s the message from Wednesday night. I’d love your comments and thoughts.

A Whale Of A Tale!

January 20, 2021 / / 0 Comments
Today's Article - James Bartley - Quizmaster Trivia: Drink While You Think...

We’re about three weeks into a new year and many of you have kept up with your New Year’s Resolutions. Some of you will be the skinnier you. Others will be the more athletic you. Some will be a braver you or a richer you or a more intentional bible reading version of you or just about anything that enhances who you are. How’s that going?

I personally hate New Year’s Resolutions. I can’t stand them. I don’t make them because I know that sometime during the year I’ll grow so comfortable in the way things are going that I’ll forget about them. Then when I actually remember I’ll feel like a failure. But every year I do take time to become more intentional. I become more intentional in the person I am and the things I do.

When we lose our sense of intentionality we end up going through the motions. We just do what we do because it’s what we’ve always done. How terrible to go through life on autopilot!

This week I want to share with you about a man named Jonah. He pretty much was the perfect illustration of a man on autopilot. He was a prophet who’s job was to tell people about God and encourage them to change their ways. The short version of the story he got caught on autopilot and then flat rebelled against what he was supposed to do. He ended up getting swallowed by a whale then spit out on shore.

Lest you think this whole thing is a little too fishy to believe there was a man named James Bartley who was reportedly swallowed by a sperm whale back in the late 1800s. His story is pretty incredible actually.

But the moral here in the book of Jonah is that whether we get stuck on autopilot or flat out rebel against God, he will bring us back. So take some time today to think about the word intentional. Don’t let your life be a tale of sleep walking through life. Make people look at your life and think that you too lived a bit of a whale of a tale kind of life!

We Are Not One

January 12, 2021 / / 0 Comments

It’s the truth isn’t it. We’ve become so divided that it’s hard to even see other people who think differently in a positive light. We pick one another apart and choose to focus on the things that separate us rather than the ones that unite us.

So what do we do about it? How do we come together when we’re so far apart?

This week in our message we focus on the reality of division in the world but also in the church. The message may be hard to hear. It wasn’t easy to preach. The intent of the message below isn’t to condemn anyone. Rather the intent is that of self reflection on the part I play in the troubles around me.

Perhaps you have the same thoughts? Perhaps you can some of the same struggles in how you see the world and how you react to those around you?

Give the message a listen and then honestly look at what is God calling you to do differently as a means to unify His church?

Old vs. New

January 5, 2021 / / 0 Comments

A New Year typically brings time for a reset. We start a year with goals and ideas and images of the new you that you’d like to see in the new year. But this new year I imagine is a little different. We all made plans for 2020 and most of them really didn’t pan out the way we had planned!

As we kick off 2021, we’re slowing down a bit here at Living Word and looking back to see forward. Our series in church as we kick off the new year is all about getting a fresh reset. Sometimes we reset because there’s a problem. Sometimes we reset because we just feel the need for a fresh perspective. Whatever the reason, doing a little reset is a very good way to start a brand new year.

The first stop in the reset series is to compare old verses new. There’s nothing wrong with the old. And you don’t want to move onto something new just because you are easily bored. But evaluating the benefits and drawbacks of where you’ve been will better prepare you for what adjustments you need to make moving forward.

Jesus did something similar in Mark 12. He took the people of his day back to the Old Testament so they could better see why he was there and what he was going to accomplish. Our first message in this series looks at the rules of the Old Testament then gives them a fresh perspective. Perhaps this was the original intent to start with and we missed the point all along? Perhaps the reset was needed to help bring deeper meaning to the truths they had known since long ago?

Whatever the reason, Jesus brought a hard reset to the way the first century followers of God saw life. And I think we’re due for that same reset today!

Be The Moon?

December 10, 2020 / / 0 Comments

Throughout my childhood I loved the stars and all things space. It’s probably no wonder why I enjoyed the original Star Wars trilogy growing up. Space was and still is truly fascinating! One thing about space that always has thrilled me was the concept that the moon has no light of its own to shine but merely reflects everything the sun gives it.

I’m no scientist or studier of the stars but if this really is true, then we need to be like the moon. The moon is held in orbit by the gravitational forces imposed on it and it only reflects the light that is shined on it. If we were like the moon, then we’d stay in proper orbit around the Son of God and we’d reflect His light into the world in which we live.

There you have it. We’ve been called sheep in the bible and numbered like the stars in the sky and grains of sand on the shore, but now we are also supposed to be like the moon! Reflect away my friends.

Prepare With Prayer

December 8, 2020 / / 0 Comments

As we make our way toward Christmas, we spend lots of time getting things ready. From the lights to the tree to the Christmas meal and all the trimmings of the season there is a lot to do to prepare for Christmas. And that doesn’t have anything to do with the presents that need purchased and boxed and wrapped!

In the same way we have to prepare for Christmas externally with all of the to-do list items needing done, we also need to make sure we’re in the right place spiritually and emotionally for Christmas. This kind of preparation might seem unimportant but honestly getting our heart and mind ready for Christmas is the most important thing we can do.

Whether we’re planning a large family gathering like we have in years past or a smaller more intimate setting in light of the current situation, there will be things that need done to prepare our heart and mind for Christmas. Last week we looked at getting ready by pondering the message of Christmas. Reading the Christmas story or doing your Christmas devotion is a great way to do this.

But moving beyond just reading and thinking about it, this week we focus on praying for the things God promises. The more we know the story, the more we’ll know what it’s all about and why we celebrate to begin with. As we move through this week of Christmas preparation, we spend time in prayer.

What do you need to ask God for? What do you need from him? Take time this season to pray and then watch what God will do in your life.

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