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Contentment: Good or Bad?

June 24, 2021 / / 0 Comments
Blog 24: “CONTENTMENT is the Real HAPPINESS” — Steemit

Contentment is a really good trait but it can also be a very dangerous one. Growing up I was taught to be content with what I had. I wouldn’t have everything everyone else had so I had to be thankful for what I had and not always want more. I was a very blessed child growing up and for that matter still am very blessed. But it’s challenging sometimes to be content. We see something our neighbor has and want one just like it or even bigger. We see the newest release of the iPhone and we line up for hours to get it. There are all sorts of things that are bigger and seemingly better than what we have which makes being content difficult to say the least!

But is there ever a time when being content is a bad thing?

I will go out on a limb and say that yes there are times when contentment is not only not good but actually destructive.

You see contentment can often lead to a slippery slope toward complacency. I’ve seen it more times than I can count in the lives of people around me and in my own life for that matter. We get comfortable in our station or situation so we sit. Then we grow content with how things are. We might see something that could be done better but why fix it if it’s not broken we think. So our comfort has lead to contentment that eventually can breed complacency.

As a leader in a few different areas of life responsible for helping people move forward in commitments and convictions, I will tell you that contentment is a killer for motivation. Until the desire to change becomes greater than the comfort of staying nothing happens. Nothing grows. Nothing has a chance of getting better.

So often the fear of changing provides a breeding ground for a very toxic form of contentment. We fear moving in a new direction afraid of what might be around the corner. We like the whole thing mapped out for us, but what if the journey is more important than the destination.

If we remain content with where we are and let excuses fill our reasons for inaction, then we cannot complain when the problem persists. I have a hard time patiently waiting when there appears to be a clear course of action and the one with the power to decide just drags his/her feet. When we are content to let things stay stagnant for fear of hurting someone or not knowing what’s next, we do a great disservice to those we lead.

You don’t need to have all the answers. You don’t even need to know how it’s fully going to end. But you can’t just sit still. Sitting still to continually mull over new possibilities is just demonstrating your contentment and comfort. You don’t have to cross the pond all in one step but if you don’t make at least one step you will never get across the water.

Lately I’ve been wrestling with a spirit of contentment and a growing sense of what I call holy discontent. It’s that feeling in the pit of my stomach that says We can do more. We should do more. Ok fine I just have to do more. I’m at a point in certain aspects of life where I’m just tired of waiting for that more to fall into my lap. I’ve done the whole God if you want me to move then show me. But I never can really discern if what just happened was God answering or not so I don’t move. We can’t just stand still. More doesn’t happen when we’re sitting on our backsides.

I want to encourage you to start moving. Take a step. Any step really. You don’t have to start running. But one after another take a step. Slowly you’ll see whether the endeavor is going to be worthwhile, fruitful and blessed or if it’s a colossal waist of time. If there is no fruit from your actions then be willing to abandon the forward movement to step in a different direction. If one step naturally leads to another open door, then you just might be onto something. But it all starts with just a little step. A step that ends contentment for adventure, excitement, and possibility.

So the long and short is that contentment is good when it’s kept in its place. Be content with who God made you and with the things you have. But there are areas of our lives that God calls us to live with reckless abandon. Throw caution to the wind. Do something today that could yield dividends tomorrow. Remember it’s not about making an impact on the world. It’s about making an impact on one person and changing their world. And it all starts with a little holy discontent.

You Raise Them To Send Them

June 10, 2021 / / 1 Comment

Parenting is not for the faint of heart. It’s the hardest, yet most rewarding thing we can ever do. Some parent their biological children. Other’s adopted children. Still others will parent their children’s children or will serve as parents to a child who needs someone to look up to. No matter how you parent or who you’re called to parent, your job is the same raise them to send them.

From the time they were first born, I knew this day would come. When they couldn’t feed themselves and all they did was want to be held, I knew today would come but didn’t give it a second thought. I wanted them to be able to do something, anything really. They slept, cried, ate, needed changed and looked cute. Little did I know this day would be here so soon. We were raising them to send them.

When they hit the school years they were a handful to say the least. They teased and tormented each other and us. They played tricks on teachers because no one knew one from the other. They had their serious moments and their just plain goofy and silly ones. I fear I took too much of that time for granted. I wasn’t patient enough nor loving enough in a way they needed me to be. I overlooked the things that were probably more important to them than I realized.

We did throw the ball and play video games together. I remember letting them help me wash the car and mow the lawn. They were by my side through most of their days at home. Even though they had each other, they both just wanted to be where I was. When they were sick they wanted me to stay home. They wanted me to hold them when they were tired. Even when they were throwing up they wanted me by their side. At the time I didn’t like that much but today I’d honestly do it in a heart beat because today we’ve raised them to send them.

When they hit high school and blazed their own trail, we tried to hold them back a little from making massively stupid mistakes. Don’t worry we all make these mistakes. I wanted to protect them as much and as long as I could. We encouraged them. Challenged them. Reprimanded them. We let them fall then picked them up and set them on the road again. We were there to make sure they didn’t hit bottom too hard because we wanted them to learn from the pain. We were raising them to send them.

The past few weeks have been the best of my life. We’ve spent some great time together. I cherished each of the moments. From the 25 plus hour car ride to throwing the frisbee or talking video games each of these are memories I’ll hold onto forever. The hike to the top of Little Devil’s Tower or the nonstop chatter about politics, guns and knives were all things I will not soon forget. They’ve been the greatest times that I just don’t want to end but we’re raising them to send them.

These days have been the greatest but also the worst days of my life because I know what’s coming. The raising is ending and the sending is beginning. One of them will go far and one will stay closer for now but we’re still sending them both. We’ve done what we could and for good or bad the raising portion is done. It’s now time to send them.

To My Boys:

I couldn’t be more proud of who you are and what you’re going to do in life. You are strong men of God. You have a foundation that I pray will never erode or break down. Build on that foundation.

Lucas, as you make final preparations to head off to be prepared to defend this country, even for those who don’t appreciate your service, remember where you started. Remember your fun-loving side. Make people laugh. Remember your faithful side. Show people Jesus. Stay strong when you are pushed to your limits. Keep your nose clean and your chin up. Stay safe and always watch your six. Stay true to you. Dad couldn’t be more proud of you!

Matthew, as you move to college and fight for us all by defending our technology infrastructure, know you are making a difference. You brother gets recognition for his service and I want you to know yours is equally important. Remember your serious side and how you get the job done. Work hard. Be diligent. Overcome the way you have with every challenge you’ve faced so far. Be focused and confident in who you are because you are enough! Dad couldn’t be more proud of you!

Remember the raising moments we shared. Remember that whatever the next stage of your life brings you always have a place to call home wherever we are. While the raising is ending and the sending begins, you can always come home.

To Parents and Parents to be:

Your goal is clear and yet challenging. You are called to raise them to send them. Some of you will send your children near and others will send them far. Remember this is what you were called to do. Your vocation as a parent is so vital. Be there for your children. Laugh with them. Cry with them. Hold them. Dance with them. Play ball with them. You don’t have to be their friend but you are called to love them and cherish them. Raise them well because one day you’ll send them too. But be sure to send them ready to battle the world around them. Send them to stand for the faith you’ve shared with them. Send them to be men and women who will carry the flag of your family heritage wherever they go. Send them with the assurance that while the raising has ended and sending has begun you are always there to support, encourage and love them.

Go with God and may God go with you.

Gospel Song

June 7, 2021 / / 0 Comments

It’s the start of a new month and with that comes the need to liven things up a little bit. This week’s MusicMonday is a simple reminder of the power of the message of good news. Just like any type of good news can lift your spirits and make you feel better in the moment, there’s a bit of news that’s better than a promotion at work or a new car. This good news is what we, as Christians, call the gospel.

This gospel message isn’t just some kind of good news. It’s news for today and tomorrow. It’s news that lasts and won’t change. Sometimes we kind of act like we forget this basic good news message. So we’re going to reset today. Reset our thinking. Reset our standard for good news.

So sit back. Crank up the volume on whatever you’re using to listen to this. And stack up the good news message that’s going to flood over you.

Yes He Can

May 31, 2021 / / 0 Comments

We often wonder what is God capable of doing. One of hte best ways to see what someone can do it to see what they have already done. This song is a little fun and it reminds us what God has already done to prove what he really can do.

We ask if he can be with us or if he can overcome our giants or if he can conquer evil or if he can do just about anything. But in reality what has he done?

Did He move every mountain?
Did He part every sea?
Yes, He did
So yes, He can
Did He defeat the darkness?
Did He deliver me?
Yes, He did
So yes, He can
Yes, He did
So yes, He can

If he can move the mountains and part the seas, if he can shine light into darkness then he can do just about anything. That’s the gist of the song. So this week’s musical devotion thought is about challenging you to pray bigger. Ask for more. Not more money or fame or anything like that. Legit ask God for what God does. Ask him to part the waters of the hard decision you have to make. Ask him to light the path before you so you know which way to go. Ask him to give you the strength to move through the mountain that’s right in front of you.

The Bible says we have not because we ask not. So ask for goodness sake. Ask big too! I’m tired of praying pathetic prayers. It’s time to pray the big ones. Pray heavenly missiles that split the angels and leave them in awe. Pray things that only God can do then step back and watch as God does what only He can do.

Faithful God

May 24, 2021 / / 0 Comments

After a couple of weeks to wrestle with the reality that my twin sons are graduating high school and are moving in different directions with their futures I’m bringing back the Music Monday posts. This week we’re going to look at a song by the group I Am They. An interesting name for a group but we can discuss that perhaps in a different post. The song is titled Faithful God.

How true is that statement! I mean really, how true is it that God is faithful in every possible way? He not only created a world he knew we’d mess up, but he also sent his Son to save us knowing it would cost his life. You don’t get much more faithful than that.

We often have a hard time seeing his faithfulness because we are clouded by the things we want in life that don’t have. And if we’re totally honest those things are all things we could have if we worked harder or spent less. We settle for prayers and requests that are materialistic and not eternal. God doesn’t promise to be faithful in giving us a new car or a new job. But he is faithful in caring for us in the way that’s best for us.

Today I hope as you start a new week that God shows you his faithfulness. I hope you can see it in the sunrise or sunset. I hope you can see it in the smile on your children’s faces or the laughter of a loved one. I hope you can see it in the roof over your head, even if it’s not the roof you wanted. I hope you can see it by the people who care for you.

God is faithful and all we have to do is look with a little intentionality and we’ll see it.

The Real Lord’s Prayer

May 20, 2021 / / 0 Comments

I’m sure we know what has been come to call the Lord’s Prayer. Many of us know it by heart actually. As a matter of fact I bet several of you started saying it in the quiet space in your mind as soon as you read the title of this post. But what if that’s not really the Lord’s Prayer?

Now don’t go burning me at the stake for saying something heretical! I’m not saying Jesus didn’t pray the words of the Our Father. But the intent of that prayer was to teach us the basics of what prayer could and should look like. But it wasn’t His prayer. It was supposed to be our prayer.

Jesus’ real prayer can be found in John 17 and really opens up his heart. Jesus’ prayer isn’t for bread or health or anything like that. He’s so much bigger than just bread and keep me out of temptation. His prayer was for you and me. He prayed the biggest prayer ever heard. It was a prayer for your future and mine. He prayed for things that we don’t even think of most of the time.

Jesus’ prayer, what I think of as the Lord’s real prayer was all about the Father bringing us together as the body of Christ. It was about us loving one another and looking out for each other. It was about the father keeping us under his wings and protecting us from the world, from evil and from ourselves. The point of Jesus’ real prayer was that what he began in us would be finished by the Father and the Spirit.

I’d strongly recommend you read the words of the Lord’s Prayer of John 17. Pick a version of the Bible that you can understand well. Read it slowly. Think about the words he says and things for which he asks. This is Jesus’ heartfelt prayer and you are the focus of these words.

If you’d like, feel free to check out a message all about this other Lord’s Prayer.

Does Jesus Really Matter

May 18, 2021 / / 0 Comments
Life Church - Evangel Assembly - What difference does faith make for you? How does trusting God change your situation? Share your story... | Facebook

Some will have an answer to this question before even reading this post and some won’t read this because they think they already know the answer. But I believe there is more to believing in Jesus than many of us really think.

As Christians we focus on one aspect of being a Jesus follower and kind of, mostly neglect the rest of what it means to follow him. We package Jesus into a nice and tidy box that only impacts the future and really leaves him void of any influence on our lives today.

Now let’s be clear. Did Jesus die and rise to secure our future? Yes he absolute did. The bible is very clear about this. But not just the bible attests to the manhood of Jesus and to the burial place of Jesus. There are also accounts of many who were not Jesus followers who attest to His resurrection appearances after he was buried. So the person and work of Jesus very much has to do with our future. But there’s so much more.

I need to be clear. A Jesus that only impacts me when I’m dead is really not of much use to me now. I mean if we as Christians or even more so as pastors only care about the future lives of the people with whom we interract then we’ve missed a huge part of the life of Jesus. He was very much about the here and now. Jesus wanted to see lives changed now not just in one future day in heaven.

So does Jesus really matter? Yeah for our eternity but also for several other areas of our lives. When we believe in Jesus as more than just a good guy and more than just an heavenly Pez dispenser we can see that so much of who Jesus was and what the Bible promises is about our lives today.

He listens intently to our voice.

Some days it can feel like we’re talking to people who just aren’t listening. And it can be frustrating to say the very least. One thing that we have when we believe in Jesus is an assurance that he’s listening. Now I know it’s not exactly the same as having someone sitting down drinking coffee with you but there is a comfort in knowing that the God of hte universe is listening in on your thoughts and concerns.

He acts too.

Not only does God listen in on your thoughts and concerns, but he also acts. Not just acts in some arbitrary way either. He acts in your best interest. The cool part is that God knows the things you need before you ask them. And he can see a much bigger picture than you’re able to see. We get all wrapped up in turning red lights to green and getting closer parking spots when he knows the accident that’s about to happen and the driver that won’t be watching where she’s going. So just like the assurance that he listens we can be certain that he also answers prayers in the way we most need them answered.

We are just different.

When we gather on Sundays for worship and pray and sit with other believers we realize quickly that we don’t see life the same way the world sees it. We are just not part of what the world would call normal. And that’s ok to be honest. We don’t need to be like everyone else. We are not of this world. We’re of God. It’s a powerful reality when you think about it. We have our identity wrapped up in who God is not how much money we make or how successful we are.

These are just a few of the things that we can claim as people who believe in Jesus. These are just a few of the things we can cling to as men and women walking through life together under the cross. Jesus changed our future but he also cares about our present too. That’s really important to remember.

Dandelions don’t produce apples

May 14, 2021 / / 0 Comments

Ok so that title is a little odd but if you think about it for a second and give me a few paragraphs I’ll hopefully explain.

As a pastor I believe that many people think they can become more like Jesus if they’re close to Jesus people. We can go to church or even memorize a bible verse or two. But we don’t really want to go through any major shift in our way of thinking or living.

There’s a story in the Bible where Jesus says I am the vine, you are the branches. This is pretty powerful. He doesn’t say I am the vine, all you need to do is be close. We are the branches. We need to be connected to the vine. All too often we act like a dandelion planted by an apple tree and expect to be able to produce apples. Dandelions just don’t produce apples!

And if we’re comfortable being near Jesus but not changed by Him, then we will never bear fruit for him either. Jesus says that for us to bear fruit we need to be connected to His word. That means we need to dive into, drink deeply from the message of the Bible. It’s not enough to be comfortable with a little being enough. It’s not ok to think we’ve spent enough time with Jesus or to excuse our time with Jesus because we weren’t feeling into it.

If you’re feeling like a dandelion planted by an apple tree then it’s time to start drinking deeply of the water of life. Fill yourself with the things of God. Read his word. Worship in person if at all possible. Surround yourself with people who bring you peace.

I pray this message is helpful for you as you attempt to connect with the things of God that you might produce the fruits of God to reach the people of God.

It’s Time!

May 13, 2021 / / 0 Comments
Get Together Complex Like A Puzzle - Pictured As Word Get Together On A Puzzle Pieces To Show That Get Together Can Be Difficult Stock Illustration - Illustration of abstract, integrate: 164221061

Well I don’t know what things are like where you live but in our neck of the woods we were just told that things will return to a more open feeling the first part of June. What an amazing relief that will be for so many! Many are starting to dabble in life as some form of normal but they’re just hesitant with any restrictions still in place.

Many pastors and church leaders have been struggling to see how they can gather their people, serve their communities and establish a sense of rhythm and community with their neighbors. But the question is where do we start?

I by no means am an expert in this matter but I do spend a lot of time reading trends and studying demographics and having conversations with neighbors and community members. I’ve compiled a list of things that could be simple starts to get you and your friends/neighbors reengaging as a community again. Take any, all or none of it. And even for those of you who are not believers in Jesus, you can still do many of these in the context of your relationships too!

  • Walk to get the mail and say hello to your neighbors.
  • Walk your pet at the same time of day to meet neighbors regularly.
  • Sit on your front porch while your child plays outside.
  • Have a cookout on the patio.
  • If invited, attend!
  • Gather neighbors for a fire in the fire pit.
  • Do an open meal night with a few neighbors.
  • Gather to watch sports together.
  • Have a _____ cook-off around your block.
  • If you like your neighbor’s landscaping, tell them.
  • Go for walks or runs with your neighbors.
  • Coach a child’s sports team.

The point of each of these is simple – find space and time to gather with and reconnect with those around you. Pick one or two or come up with your own. This summer in the church I serve as pastor we’re going to bring back our summer parties. We just need to get people back together and celebrate our life lived in fellowship and love for one another. Share what you do. Share your new ideas or creative thoughts. I’d love to hear from you!

Three Directions That Matter

May 12, 2021 / / 0 Comments

I’ve been spending a lot of time considering relationships lately. There are so many key relationships that we need to tend in our lives. We need to maintain healthy relationships in so many areas of life. From family to friends to co-works to neighbors balancing all of them and figuring out how to keep all these relationships going can be challenging. But what if we can categorize things into groupings that allow us to see our relationships from a different light.

I’ve been considering my relationships as focusing on three different areas or in three different directions. These directions are up, in and out.

Up

The relationship that fits in this category is the relationship we have with God. This is a super important relationship. We need to spend intentional time focusing on and growing in our relationship with God. It’s done through time in worship, Bible study and prayer to name just a few. This relationship is critical to say the very least. It’s important because it sets up how we view the other relationships in our lives. If this relationship is not in focus, then the other two categories will not be in focus either.

In

There’s a distinction in our world between people who are in and those who are out. This generally means that one group, the in group, believes what you believe and see life how you see life. While the out group is not seeing life how you see life and does not believe what and how you believe. We’ll use this category the same way. Those who fall in our in group are those who see, think, believe and even act like we do. They generally are people who are believers as well. They have an up relationship with God. They talk about that relationship and share very similar values that you share. Growing relationships in this category is critical.

This is like building your family. You are surrounding yourself with people who are of a similar mindset. It’s the whole strength in numbers or brotherhood in suffering mentality. When you’re surrounded by men and women who see life through a similar set of lenses as you see life, you’ll find comfort in rough times and power in good times.

Out

The final category of relationships are those who don’t see life the same way. And to be totally honest this set of relationships is extremely important just like the other two. Think of it as a triangle. You need all three sides and all three angles to make a proper triangle. Well to have a balanced and healthy lifestyle, you need all three types of relationships. The people who find their way into this category are those who don’t see life the same way you see life. But just because you don’t agree on the best color of carpet or the best sports team, doesn’t mean you can’t still engage in dialogue and have a healthy relationship. These are neighbors and coworkers, teammates and classmates.

We don’t share everything with these people but we do share some overlap in our interests and hobbies and extracurriculars. These people are everywhere and we need to invest some healthy time in these kinds of friendships and relationships.

The key for all of this is to balance the three. If we are too heavy on any one side of this triangle the whole thing gets wonky. We’ll spend some time over the next few weeks looking at lopsided relational triangles. But for now, here’s a little more explanation of the three sides and how we live them out.

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