How many times do you suppose people have not attempted something because they wrote it off by saying, “It can’t be done.” I have found that most   of the time when people claim, “it can’t be done”, they are really saying, “It’s too much work.”

Think about this:

- What if spouses stopped saying “it can’t be done” and made the commitment  to work out their issues?

- What if Christians stopped saying “it can’t be done” and began leveraging everything they have to make a Kingdom impact?

- What if church leaders would be open to possibilities and rally their congregations to reach people far from God?

- What if you really lived your life like you could do all things through Christ who strengthens you?

You and I could do so much more for the cause of Christ if we removed “it can’t be done” from our vocabulary and our minds. Thomas Edison once said, “Opportunity is missed by most people because it comes dressed in overalls and looks like work.” Let’s stop making excuses, stop complaining, and stop limiting what God can do in us and through us. Nobody ever said serving God would be easy. Nobody ever said starting that business, ministry, savings, degree, would be easy.

Anything of great significance and meaning will require hard work. You can’t expect to make a big difference with little effort. I am so thankful that Jesus didn’t hold anything back when he was paying the price for my sin. My prayer is that I can pour everything I am and have into something that is worth the sacrifice He made for me. And I am so thankful that I have the privilege to pastor a local church with people who understand this. Let’s do something great for God!

My Wife Had A Bad Experience At Chick-Fil-A! November 23, 2011

I love Chick-Fil-A!  (AND love Tim Hawkins song about it…you should watch it here!)

We eat there at least two or three times a week (not kidding…we’ve actually pushed that number up to 6-7 a few times.)

The food is ALWAYS good, they get the order right nearly every time and their customer service is second to none.  It is always clean and no matter how long the line seems to be people are always served as quickly and efficiently as possible.

So, imagine my surprise when my wife came home the other day and, as we were catching each other up on the things that had taken place while we had been apart all morning and afternoon she told me about a bad experience she had at Chick-Fil-A.

I was immediately frustrated!  (Any husband would be!)  AND…before I knew it I had literally told myself in my mind, “Well, if that’s the way things are going to be then I guess we just won’t be going to Chick-Fil-A anymore, they’ve lost my business.”

TIME OUT!!!  How stupid was THAT thought?  Seriously, let’s review…

• #1 – They ALWAYS deliver great food!
• #2 – They ALWAYS have friendly people!
• #3 – They ALWAYS have a clean environment!
• #4 – What my wife had experienced was not in line with what normally happens.

(AND…I want to be completely fair to Lucretia, she was NOT saying she would not go back, nor was she angry…she was just telling me about her day and I am the one who became irrational!)  :-)

I lost my mind!  I was literally going to allow one bad experience with one employee ruin a reputation of excellence that had been consistent for years!  (AND…no one knows what was going on in that employees life…she could have had one of the worst days of her life and was trying her best to just hold it together until she could clock out!)

Before you agree with me too quickly…I think there are people who have done the same thing to the church!

It has become quite popular, even in some “Christian” circles, to bash the church for all of the dumb things that she has done.

I have met people since being in ministry for over 20 years that have the same attitude with the church that I almost had with Chick-Fil-A!  They will attend, serve, be devoted to a local church for months or even years…and then, all of a sudden…

• Someone didn’t call them when they were out for two weeks.
• Someone said something hurtful to or about them.
• They didn’t like what the preacher said.
• They didn’t like what the youth group was doing.

I could go on and on…but you get the point.  There are times when people will allow one thing in the church to trump the decades of ministry and impact that have taken place through that body of believers, and that’s a bit insane.

• Yes, if you stay in a church long enough I promise you that you will see hypocrisy.
• Someone will say something to you or about you that will hurt you.
• Decisions will be made that you do not like.
• There are going to be sermons that make you mad.

When that happens the enemy is going to try his best to convince you to just walk away…because he knows that the first step away from God is usually getting people to step away from the people of God.

Yes, the church, EVERY church, has made some unwise decisions and, in the process have hurt or disappointed people along the way…but let’s not throw the baby out with the bathwater…

• She’s STILL being built by Jesus–that makes her important!
• She’s STILL reaching out to the broken, the forgotten and the poor.
• She’s STILL making a difference that’s going to be seen for eternity.
• She’s STILL GOD’S PLAN for reaching the world.
• She’s STILL necessary for believers!  (If church is not necessary then why did Jesus say He would build it, died for it, will one day redeem it and spends so much time in the NT talking to it and about it?”

No, the church is NOT perfect…but neither are you (or me!)  So, when we’re tempted to walk away because of the one thing that seems to hurt us or trip us up we should simply ask, “is this consistant with this churches character?”

Stay in a church long enough and you will have a bad experience…but let that push you closer to Jesus as you recognize that HE uses imperfect people in His plan, which means sometimes they get it wrong, and then beg the Lord to teach both them and yourself how to best deal with the situation…because, she’s STILL the church and STILL His bride.

Now…anyone want to go to Chick-Fil-A with me?  :-)

I know we’re friends, and you go to church, but I know talking about your faith makes you uncomfortable. At least, that’s the sense I get. We talk about a lot of stuff, but whenever church or God comes up, you get – I don’t know, tense. I’ve never understood why – it doesn’t weird me out as much as it does you – but I’m happy to relieve you of what is obviously something that makes you awkward.

Besides, what would I be missing?

It’s not like I’m an atheist – I’m not. I believe in God. I’m spiritual. And I want to do better; I’d like to understand the Bible, be a better parent, have a closer marriage, maybe even volunteer for something that would help others. But last time I went to church, that isn’t exactly what was offered.

Besides, we both know I’m not exactly a poster-child for Christianity. I’ve got baggage. I’ve got questions. I don’t think church is exactly the kind of place for someone like me.

And I don’t want to have to dress up.

I don’t want to be hit on for money.

I don’t like organ music.

And on top of all that, I don’t really believe in hell, so I’m not even that worried about what happens after I die. I’m sure that whatever life there is after death, it will turn out fine.

As far as my kids go, I think I want to just give them the freedom to choose whatever religion they want, if any religion at all. Church was boring for me when I had to go as a kid, so the last thing I want to do is drag them to one every week. It turned me off to church, and I’m sure it would just do the same for them. So it’s probably better if they just don’t go at all.

So don’t worry about trying to invite me to church.

It makes you awkward;

It won’t have anything to offer my life;

I couldn’t exactly come as I am;

I like wearing shorts;

I gave at the office;

I listen to Coldplay;

Hell is kind of a joke these days;

And my kids won’t like it.

Right?

But if, by chance, you think I have this all wrong, then for God’s sake, INVITE ME!

When Jesus’ disciples asked Him to teach them to pray, He told them a story about a guy who had unexpected company drop by but didn’t have any food to offer them. As you would expect in most small, close-nit communities, the guy goes to a friend’s house and asks to borrow some food. This was very common in the culture and each person Jesus was speaking to had probably experienced something similar – either asking or being asked. But as Jesus continues to tell the story, He says the friend refused to help because it was inconvenient. At this point, the crowd listening would have thought, “What a jerk of a friend! Who would do that?” But Jesus says that because of the guys boldness in asking, even this bad friend would give the food being asked of him.

Then Jesus asks the question, “How many of you being good fathers would give your child what they are asking for?” What loving dad would give his child a stone when they asked for bread? With this in mind, Jesus then asks, “How much MORE will your heavenly Father give to you?”

God is not like a bad friend that we have to annoy until they finally give us what we need. Jesus says God is like a good father!

You are God’s masterpiece, the crown of all creation. You were created in the image of God. You were created by our heavenly Father for a good purpose. If you are in Christ, it doesn’t matter how you feel about yourself, “I’m not that good, I’m not that talented.” No, you’ve been made new. You’ve been remade. You are the masterpiece of God.

Maybe you, like many others, look at your life and think, “This is not a masterpiece.” Maybe you once had a dream, an idea, or a picture of what you thought your life would be like. But somewhere along the way, something went wrong. In Jeremiah, chapter 18, the Lord tells the prophet to go visit the potter and watch him work the clay. Verse 4 says, [The potter] was using his hands to make a pot from clay, but something went wrong with it. So he used that clay to make another pot the way he wanted it to be. Our heavenly Father is the potter, we are the clay!

God can take everything that is wrong in your life…the pain, the failures, the bad choices…and He can make it into something beautiful and useful. In Christ, you are God’s masterpiece, created to do good things that God planned long ago.

Maybe you are going through a challenging time right now. Let me encourage you with this truth from Philippians 1:6 – Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion… God is not done with you. He is going to work out ALL things for your good because you love him (Romans 8:28). You are God’s masterpiece created new in Christ Jesus.

Everyone has a story of hardship. The Apostle Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 10:13 that no hardship we face is beyond the course of what others have had to face. The Message translation goes on to say, “All you need to remember is that God will never let you down; he’ll never let you be pushed past your limit; he’ll always be there to help you come through it.”

The Apostle Paul was no stranger to hardship. He was whipped 5 times with 39 lashes, 3 times he was beaten with rods, once he was stoned and left for dead, shipwrecked, rejected, betrayed, hungry, thirsty and cold (2 Corinthians 11:24-27).

How did Paul respond to these hardships? He refused to allow them to distract him from doing what God had called him to do. In Acts 20:24, facing imprisonment and hardship, Paul says, “None of these things move me.” What I hear Paul saying is that his service and obedience to God is not dependent on his circumstances. He was determined to accomplish the call God placed on his life no matter how uncomfortable or hard it may be for him.

How could he be so confident? How could he respond with such faith? Paul knew what you and I need to learn: regardless of what happens, we have victory over hardship. Look at what Paul writes in Romans, “Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.” (Romans 8:35, 37)

Whatever you may be facing today, refuse to feel sorry for yourself. Don’t allow your circumstances to determine your obedience to God. Develop the attitude Paul had and begin to say, “None of these things move me.” If you are in the middle of a hardship right now, I make what Paul wrote in Romans 15:13 my prayer for you: “I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.”

It is true that here on earth we will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, Jesus has overcome the world! (John 16:33) The moment you surrender your life to Christ, you win. You have victory over hardship!

Maybe you are in a season of life where it is hard for you to be optimistic. Maybe a marriage has failed, a relationship ended, maybe finances seem to be getting tighter and tighter. Well, let me encourage you. When you put your trust in God, your best days are ahead of you, not behind you. You were created to be the victor not the victim. God loves you, and when He looks at you, He sees a champion. He sees potential in you to do and experience greater things.

Jesus didn’t come to earth, suffer, and pay the debt of your unrighteousness so that you could settle for some average, mediocre life. In John 10:10, Jesus tells us, “I came so they can have real and eternal life, more and better life than they ever dreamed of.” (The Message) Other translations describe the type of life Jesus came to give us as, “to the full, satisfying, and more abundant.”

We should never lower our expectations for life. We serve a great God, and He wants to do great things for us, in us, and through us.

Refuse to allow the circumstances facing you to lower your expectations. Maybe you don’t have the resources. Maybe you don’t have the education or finances. Maybe you feel like you’ve made too many mistakes. Living the abundant life Jesus paid for is not about how great you are, it’s about how great our God is.

Ephesians 3:20 tells us, “[God’s] mighty power is at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.” Let me encourage you to begin to dream. Raise your expectations and break free from the limits you have accepted. If God is for you, who can be against you!

There is nothing wrong with having desires. God even has desires. Paul wrote to Timothy and said that God desires that all men be saved (1 Tim 2:4). Life would be pretty boring without desires. Just floating through life with no ambition or drive to do anything.

It is a good thing to have desires!

May he [God] grant your heart’s desires and make all your plans succeed. Psalm 20:4 (New Living Translation)

Desires motivate us, stimulate us and cause us to accomplish and achieve. Often times our desires are the reason, cause behind why we make the choices we make.

Let me ask you this, WHAT IS IT THAT YOU DESIRE? What you desire or don’t desire, could be the reason WHY you’re getting the results you’re getting.

What if Jesus visited you at home today, with all of His miracle power ready to be unleashed, and asked you what is it that you desire? That may seem far-fetched, but that is pretty much what happened to a man named Bartimaeus.

“What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asked.

“My rabbi,” the blind man said, “I want to see!”

52 And Jesus said to him, “Go, for your faith has healed you.” Instantly the man could see, and he followed Jesus down the road. Mark 10:51-52 (New Living Translation)

What is it that you are desiring today?

• Desire for your marriage

• Desire for this school year

• Desire for a spouse

• Desire for your finances

• Desire for your health

• Desire to make a difference with your life

Intangible desires produce tangible results.

Psalm 37:4
Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart.

God has a great plan for your life. In fact, God’s plan for your life is even greater than you could imagine for yourself. We serve a great God who desires to do greater things in us and through us.

Jesus said, “The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to the full, till it overflows).” – John 10:10 (Amplified Bible)

Jesus is saying that he came so people could have life and enjoy life. Sadly many people are not enjoying life. They have moments of happiness, but there is no lasting joy. They are just surviving. Jesus came so that you could experience a greater life than that.

Often times when something goes wrong or things don’t turn out the way you want them to, it’s common to say, “That’s life.”

Many people have accepted less than what Jesus went to the cross to pay for you to have. A life of significance, a life of meaning, a life of purpose.

This does not mean the abundant life is void of struggles and hardships. In fact, if you want to experience the greater things, the abundant life, you are going to have to fight for it.

Numbers chapter 13-14 tells the account of 12 spies being sent to evaluate the land God had promised to the Isaelites. 10 of the spies came back saying they could not take the land because they were afraid of a fight with the inhabitants. 2 of the spies (Caleb and Joshua) saw the same circumstances but had faith in God and know they would win any fight.

If you are going to step into the greater things God has for your life, you are going to have to take a stand and fight. Refuse to accept an average marriage, mediocre finances, or a strained relationship with your family. Don’t accept that as the way things will always be forever.

Sure, life is going to throw you some curve balls. There will be times you fall flat on your face. Don’t just stay down there thinking that is all life will ever be. When you fall down, the most natural thing to do is get back up.

Do not rejoice over me, my enemy; When I fall, I will arise; – Micah 7:8

Get back up, dust yourself off and start believing God for greater things in your life.

Everything in life is clamoring for your attention. Work, kids, school, friends, family…when we should be sitting at Jesus’ feet listening, we are distracted by all the busyness of life. We have no spiritual margin, we have no room in our lives for God.

You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.      Revelation 3:17, 20 (New International Version)

They thought that they were complete, full and didn’t need anything. They were wrong.

We have to make room for God. We have to create room/space in our lives where we allow God to move in.

How do you give God more room in your life?

This is deep…You can’t create spiritual margin by devoting yourself to nonspiritual things.

The Spirit alone gives eternal life. Human effort accomplishes nothing. And the very words I have spoken to you are spirit and life.    John 6:63 (New Living Translation)

Luke, Chapter 10, is a great story about two different women; Martha was distracted by the busyness of life, while Mary chose to sit at Jesus’ feet and listen to His words.

Jesus said, “Mary has chosen what is better.” The choice is yours! You can choose to live in a way that will lead to an overloaded, stressed-out life, or you can make a better choice and set everything else aside and make room for God.