1.  Start small

Sometimes we fail because we plan too big.  Start with a small goal with the disciplines, understanding that the Christian life is a growing process that takes time.

2.  Put together a plan

Once you have set some goals concerning the practicing of the disciplines, put together a plan of how you are going to get there.  Take into consideration, when, where, what, and how the disciplines are going to look in your regular life.

3.  Find an accountability partner

Find someone who will hold you accountable to be faithful in practicing the disciplines.

4.  Pray

I know it may sound like a given but we often forget the reality of the spiritual world we live in.  More than anything, Satan does not want you to develop disciplines that will strengthen our relationship with God.  Make it a practice to wake up every morning and begin your day praying that God will help you be faithful in your relationship to Him.

5.  One last thought—ENDURANCE! 

Remember that the disciplines wouldn’t be considered disciplines if it didn’t take hard work, determination, and perseverance in putting them into practice.  It also wouldn’t be considered “practicing” them if it didn’t mean we weren’t going to fail every once in a while.  Don’t let failure throw you completely off course.  God so deeply wants a relationship with you that He desires that you move past the failures and keep going!

Question: How many of you would consider yourself a daredevil?

Question:  What is the most dangerous thing you have ever done?

Question:  What is the most dangerous thing God had ever done?

Illustration:

Chronicles of Narnia:  The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe

Mr. and Mrs Beaver are explaining to the kids about the world of Narnia, how Narnia got to the place where it is cold, frozen, etc., and goes into great detail about Aslan.

Lucy, the youngest of the three can’t grasped that a Lion would be something that people would be excited to see.  She asks the question, "Is he (Aslan) safe?"  Mr. Beaver quickly replies, "Safe? Who said anything about safe? ‘Course he is not safe.  But he is good. He’s the King, I tell you."

Of course if you are familiar with the Narnia story you know that Aslan represents Jesus.  So essentially, the message of that scene is that Jesus is not safe but he is good.

Application:

Jesus is not safe.  He didn’t call us to live a "safe" life.  He didn’t die so that we can live a mediocre, non-challenging life.  Jesus is very dangerous.  His teachings are dangerous and those that truly follow Him will find the path they walk to be dangerous.

So how do we follow Jesus?  We live has he lived!!

1 John 2:6 (NIV)
6 Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did.

So then the question to be asked is, "How did Jesus live and how did he command us to live?"

Mark 12:28-31 (NIV)
28 One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, "Of all the commandments, which is the most important?"
29 "The most important one," answered Jesus, "is this: ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one.
30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’
31 The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these."

John 13:34-35 (NIV)
34 "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.
35 By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."

But loving people isn’t always safe. 

Loving people means we invest in the life of others.

It means we have to get messy. 

It also means we have to give our all!!

So how do we love?

1 Corinthians 13:1-13 (NIV)
1 If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.
2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.
3 If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.
4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.
5 It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.
6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.
7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
8 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.
9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part,
10 but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears.
11 When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me.
12 Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.
13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

But there is Hope,
There is Peace,
There is Love,
There is a Way,
There is a Light.
Fullness.
Completely Jesus.

5 C’s of Life-Giving Communication

(Proverbs 18.21; Ephesians 4.25-32)

Introduction:

Over the past month we have been studying the book of Proverbs in a series we have titled, Street Smarts.    Our base verse for the series is Proverbs 1.20, “Wisdom calls aloud in the street.” The goal behind the series is to point out that there are two different types of wisdom, wisdom from God and earthly wisdom.  Earthly wisdom is often referred in this world as having street smarts.  We want to have street smarts but not so much in the way the world thinks.  We want to have heavenly street smarts and we want to know what it means to live life according to how God desires us to live it.

In the series we have already looked at giving, compassion, fear, hard work, and purity.  Today we are going to look at the tongue.  I will never forget in middle school, sitting in the main service and hearing our pastor announce the topic of the sermon and hearing it was on the use of the tongue.  I remember frantically getting out my Bible, notebook and pen and feverously taking notes to realize halfway through that this had nothing to do with kissing which was very disappointing to me.  So just to clarify this morning, this has nothing to do with kissing and everything to do with glorifying God with our speech.

Read Proverbs 18.21

The writer of Proverbs has much more to say about the tongue.  Listen to some of these warnings:

Proverbs 10:19 When words are many, sin is not absent, but he who holds his tongue is wise.

Proverbs 12:18 Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.

Proverbs 15:4 The tongue that brings healing is a tree of life, but a deceitful tongue crushes the spirit.

Proverbs 17:20 A man of perverse heart does not prosper; he whose tongue is deceitful falls into trouble.

Proverbs 17:28 Even a fool is thought wise if he keeps silent, and discerning if he holds his tongue.

Proverbs 21:23 He who guards his mouth and his tongue keeps himself from calamity.

The tongue, according to God, literally is either a spring of life or a pit of death to not only ourselves but to others around us.  So how can we make sure that our speech is life-giving instead of speech that brings death?

5 C’s of Life-Giving Communication

Read Ephesians 4.25-32

1. Be Correct (Ephesians 4.25)

• Speak Out
• Speak the Truth
• Speak the Truth Lovingly

Example:  Someone who is in the church that we feel may be harming themselves spiritually.  Our obligation is to first speak out, but to speak the truth and to do so with love.

2.  Be Current (Ephesians 4.26-27)

• It is not always sinful to be angry
• It is sinful not to solve problems daily
• Failing to keep current gives the Devil an opportunity

Example:  Pastor Pow-wows where we check to make sure there is nothing between any of us that may give Satan any room to cause division.

3.  Be Constructive (Ephesians 4.29)

• Don’t use “unwholesome” words

1.     Your momma’s so dumb it took her an hour to make minute rice

2.     Your momma’s so dumb she stayed up all night studying for her blood test

• Speak only edifying words

Challenge:  How many of your conversations today ended up with the other person feeling better about who they are?  How often, even in sarcasm, do we tear each other down and rarely give thought to building each other up with our words.

4.  Be Controlled (Ephesians 4.31)

• Exercise Self Control.  Don’t allow the situation to control you
• Put off unbiblical reactions: bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, slander, malice

5.  Be Compassionate (Ephesians 4.32)

• Make the decision to act in a Christlike fashion
• Don’t allow yourself to react to the unbiblical actions of others.
• Put on biblical actions and attitudes: kind, tender-hearted, forgiving

Challenge:  If words such as, I’m sorry, How can I help?, is there anything I can do, etc. not in your vocabulary then perhaps you need to start working on being more compassionate with your speech.  The phrase, “If you don’t have anything nice to say than it is better to say nothing at all” is true on some levels but what is best is to work on creating a vocabulary that is full of compassion than just being silent.

These five principles of speech are necessary for us to develop so that we can give life instead of death with our words.

Conclusion:

Just a reminder that one way we can have street smarts is to heed the words of Proverbs 18.21, “The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.”  The words that God desires to hear aloud in the street are life-giving words.  May all the words that come out of your mouth be pleasing to the ears of others but more importantly to the ears of God.

Turning the Page—Liberty HS Baccalaureate (June 3, 2010)

As the Pastor of Student Ministries at GPCC, I have had the privilege and responsibility of casting the vision for what I believe God wants for our students. As I prayed and sought God’s direction, He seemed to be pointing back to this idea of a STORY and hence, the reason we have called our ministry, EPIC.

EPIC is defined as a “grand” story that highlights the adventures and achievements of a hero. A list of EPIC stories would include:

1. The Epic of Gilgamesh

2. The Iliad

3. The Odyssey

4. Beowulf

5. Star Wars

6. The Lord of the Rings series

I haven’t always been a reader but over the last 12-13 years I can’t stop reading. I didn’t use to enjoy reading because it was something I HAD to do. Of course, school always had us reading and not necessarily “fun” books and having a mother as a teacher meant my summers were consumed of weekly trips to the library and “countless” quiet hours for reading. Now, I always have a book on me, and though they are normally “non-fiction” books about ministry, leadership, or creativity, I do wander upon a good Fiction book every now and then. But not every story grabs my attention. To me, the characteristics of a great story are:

· Intriguing characters

· Depth and yet ease of plot

· A story that is bigger than the characters

· A deep longing for the next chapter

You are about to turn the page and enter a new chapter of your life . . . literally. The next chapter of your life, for many of you the next 4-8 years, will be some of the most rewarding and yet challenging times in your life. It is during this chapter of life that:

· Ties from friends are stretched and yet new ties are made with new friends.

· The role of parents move from parental authority to counselors, friends, supporters.

· You will determine who and what you want to be for the rest of your life.

· For many of you, this chapter of life is where you will meet your damsel in distress or your knight in shining armor.

This new chapter in your life is HUGE!! So how does God want you to handle this new chapter? Four things I want to share with you tonight from Ephesians 5.15-17, concerning how you need to live this chapter of your life:

1. Be Prepared–prepared for the twist and turns (v.15)

a. There will be ups and downs during this phase of life. Seeking godly counsel from parents, wise friends, etc. is essential during this time of life.

b. Don’t be afraid to ask for help.

2. Live life on purpose (v. 16)

a. Don’t hold back.

b. God didn’t design us to live a mediocre life.

c. God designed us to live life on purpose for Him.

d. But in doing so, live for God, not for self.

3. Keep God as your focus. (v. 17)

a. It is easy in life to go with your plan, your parent’s plan, or someone else’s plan, but ultimately you must go with what God want for your life.

b. If God is not the main character in your story than you are not living the right story.

c. The most important part of God’s plan is for you to be a part of HIS story.

God desires that you play a part in a GRAND story—a story that is bigger than yourself but a story in which you are one of the main characters. So how do you become part of God’s story?

Roman 10.9-10 states, “That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.”

You must choose to be a willing participant in God’s story. It is not up to your parents, friends, church, pastor, etc. It is solely up to you. So have you entered God’s story? If not, I am asking you to please find me after the service and simply say—“So I want to be part of God’s story!” and I would LOVE nothing more to help you enter this amazing Story God has planned for you.

If you are here tonight and you already have made that chose and you are living out the story, as you turn the page and begin to live out this next chapter, make sure God is your focus, that you are living on purpose, and that you are prepared for what life brings your way.

Prayer

God, thank you for allowing us to be a part of Your story. Thanks for this moment in the life of these graduating seniors where they turn the page and enter a new chapter. Yet as they do so, God remind them of their need for you. Remind them that life isn’t worth living if you are not the main character. For the parents, we ask that you give them the strength and wisdom to help their seniors in this new chapter. Thanks again for the opportunity to stand here and to talk to this group. Use them in mighty ways to enrich and bring depth to your story.

I took a break from school for a couple of days and picked up the book, The Importance of Being Foolish, by Brennan Manning. 

The book is a great reminded that Jesus doesn’t call us to a "feel good" Christianity or to a Christianity that is just about TALK.  Instead, Jesus calls us to a life of action.  Action to love and serve the poor and ungodly to fight against the egotism and arrogance of people who talk about God more than do things for God.

In the very first chapter of the book, Manning makes this statement about balance, "A truly balanced person retains a capacity for wonder and the willingness to express it in the very confession of creaturehood, the spontaneous acknowledgment that his is a human being and not a god, a being with limitations who, far from having embraced infinity, is happily and hopelessly engulfed by it."

Quick thoughts:

• When was the last time you just allowed your mind to wonder about the incredibleness of who God is and why He created you? (Psalm 139.13-18)
• When was the last time you reminded yourself of the who you are and who God is?  (Isaiah 6.1-8)
• When was the last time you put that all together and lived a life in harmony with the personality and characteristics of God? (Philippians 2.5-7)

Morally-Imbalanced

Some who are passionate about God and the Bible but don’t know how to apply it to everyday life.  I refer to these as morally-imbalanced individuals.  They know what God says but don’t have any problems living LIKE the world.

Biblically-Imbalanced

Others have THIER opinions but can’t back them up with Scripture.  They may use Scripture but it is usually pulled out of context to fit their needs morally.  They have a right and wrong but it is usually their own and not substantiated by God.

Biblically-Balanced

The biblically-balanced individuals are rare in the church.  These people, not only know what God says, but they put it into practices in their daily lives.  Everything they do is first brought before God and His Word and then second, applied to their everyday situation.

Be careful to not assume that once you become a biblically-balanced individual that Satan sill try to pull you back into one of the imbalanced situations.  Stay true to what God says and know how to apply it in everyday life.

1.  I love you!

2.  I forgive you!

3.  I accept you!

These three sets of three words have catastrophic consequences in your life.

Spiritually when spoken by God as we turn our heart over to Him.  He takes our life and makes us part of Him.  Nothing can ever separate us from that (Romans 8:38-39)

Humanly speaking, these words can and do change any earthly relationship.  Be it between a husband-wife or parent-child, no other words are as powerful to break down barriers in relationships.

In a world that is fairly hostile, may these words be readily on our lips as we continue to become more like Christ (Ephesians 4.32).

Just as “Y2K” and its batch of predictions about the year 2000 have become a distant memory, here comes “Twenty-twelve.”

Fueled by a crop of books, Web sites with countdown clocks, and claims about ancient timekeepers, interest is growing in what some see as the dawn of a new era, and others as an expiration date for Earth: December 21, 2012.

The date marks the end of a 5,126-year cycle on the Long Count calendar developed by the Maya, the ancient civilization known for its advanced understanding of astronomy and for the great cities it left behind in Mexico and Central America.

Students are talking about because their schools are talking about. 

So what does God say?

Is the world going to end in 2012?

Could it happen right now?  Before I even finish this sente . . . . . . .

Just kidding-still here.

EPIC Student Ministries is going to explore the prophecy behind the Mayan calendar and compare it to what God says in His Word.

• WHEN:  February 22, 2009
• TIME:  5:00-7:00 pm
• WHERE:  Grace Point Community Church (2393 Peachblow Road, Lewis Center, OH 43035)
• WHO:  All middle and high school students AND their parents.

Don’t miss out on this exciting evening!!!!