We, unfortunately aren’t going to be able to go to the movie, Invictus.  Instead we will go see the movie, To Save A Life.  After a childhood friend’s death, Jake Taylor, an all-star athlete must change his life – and sacrifice his dreams to save the lives of others.  You can check out more about the movie at To Save A Life or at Plugged In.

We are scheduled to see the movie at the Rave @ Polaris.  The show time is 3:45 pm.  We have 50 tickets for sale at the office for $7.00 a piece.  If you don’t pick yours up by Sunday afternoon, please arrive early to purchase a ticket since we were unable to reserve the theater.

These books I often return to multiple times a year for insight and reflection.  They have helped develop my ministry, my profession and my person.

Four Ways to Have the Hand of God On Your Life

Text:  Nehemiah 2

God puts you in a place so you can influence it.

#1.  Have a Passion to Help the Church (1.4)

• God is not looking for deadbeats.  He is looking for passionate people.
• Quit slumping around like a dying fish.
• Bring your Bible and start participating.
• Be a helper instead of a hinderer.

#2.  Have a Passion for Prayer (1.4)

• Not just a one time prayer but an ongoing, passionate conversation with God.
• Prayer saves the world.
• Start by praying for your own life.

#3.  Have a Passion to Clean Up Our Lives (1.6-9)

• The greatest thrill in life is to have a right relationship with God.
• We can’t live for God and live in sin at the same time.

#4.  Have a Passion to be Used by God (1.10-11)

• You have to be available to God 24/7.
• Go where He wants you to go.
• Do what He wants you to do.

We need this generation to rebuild the walls of the church!!!!

Ken Rudolph spoke on the Life of Joseph.  Here is his outline:

Living Life From God’s Perspective

Genesis 37-50

• God uses terrible things in your life for something great.
• You must have the perspective that God is doing something special in your life.
• When you know God, you know He is just and fair.
• God prepares us in very unique ways.
• Can you trust God for 13 years while in difficult circumstances?
• The only one who can mess up your life is you!

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.

I was reminded again of this in a reading I was doing for grad work. Clinton and Ohlschlager, in their book, Competent Christian Counseling, state:

Within a community committed to acceptance, education, and appropriate discipline and consequences for conduct unbecoming a disciple of Jesus Christ . . . people are brought to maturity.

The spiritual reparenting required is often best accomplished through cell (life) groups, that assemble for the purpose of Bible study, encouragement, exhortation, worship, and the practice of a series of spiritual disciplines within a circle of accountability (Foster, 1988; Willard, 1998).  In keeping with our giftedness, no member of the believing community is excused from involvement with these groups or the means of personal spiritual growth they seek to establish (Ephesians 4.14-16) (p. 113)

Our Pastor of Discipleship, Tom Houser, does an AMAZING job fostering and training our community of believers on the importance of the Life Group community.  For more information on Tom’s thoughts and guidance check out, http://runinsuchaway.com/.

But sleepwalking can be dangerous.  Here are signs of sleepwalking:

• eyes open during sleep
• may have blank facial expression
• may sit up and appear awake during sleep
• walking during sleep
• other detailed activity during sleep, any sort
• no recall of the event upon awaking
• confusion, disorientation on awakening
• sleep talking is incomprehensible and non-purposeful

Spiritually speaking, there are also sleepwalkers.  People who walk through life as if they are spiritually alive and yet are still spiritually asleep.

Here are the signs to look for to see if you are a SPIRITUAL sleepwalker:

• you HEAR the Word but don’t DO what is says. (James 1.22-24)
• you sit in church service yet never look engaged to what is going on.
• you come to worship service hoping to be fed because you haven’t fed yourself any time during the week.
• you don’t recall any spiritually impacting moment in your life.
• when it comes to spiritual things, you are confused and disoriented.
• your spiritual life is incomprehensible and non-purposeful.
• your spiritual talk is incoherent and doesn’t match your lifestyle

As you read down this list does any of them point to you?  If so, you need to take a spiritual inventory of your life and ask the question, “Am I a spiritual sleepwalker?”

This, to me, is a very interesting passage. Here is 1Kings 19.19-21

19 So Elijah went from there and found Elisha son of Shaphat. He was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen, and he himself was driving the twelfth pair. Elijah went up to him and threw his cloak around him. 20 Elisha then left his oxen and ran after Elijah. “Let me kiss my father and mother good-by,” he said, “and then I will come with you.”
“Go back,” Elijah replied. “What have I done to you?”
21 So Elisha left him and went back. He took his yoke of oxen and slaughtered them. He burned the plowing equipment to cook the meat and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he set out to follow Elijah and became his attendant.

I don’t what struck you in this reading, but this is what struck me:

1. Elijah didn’t have to speak.  I am not sure if Elisha knew exactly what was going on because God had forewarned him or if news had traveled to Elisha before Elijah had arrived.  We don’t have a recording here of either of these so my thought is this–Everyone knew who Elijah was and what was happening to the Israelites through him.  They were also aware that every teacher also had an apprentice.  I am sure people would have loved to follow in Elijah’s footsteps and here was Elisha’s opportunity.
2. He left his old life–COMPLETELY.  After he tells mom and dad good-bye he took his livelihood–the oxen, and killed them on the spot.  He then burned his farming equipment so he could cook the cows and eat them.  What a scene!!!!  So simple and yet so drastic and yet I think a lot of us are not where God planned on us being because we are too TIED to our comforts (for more on this click here).
3. Elisha just followed.  No more information was given.  He just followed Elijah and became his attendant.  Now the process of learning was in effect and Elisha was excited.

I don’t know about you, but I often struggle when God changes my plans.  I love being comfortable.  I love predictability.  I wouldn’t be to quick to leave everything behind and follow some guy to who knows where and yet it was that adventurous, God-trusting attitude that allowed Elijah to pass the baton off to Elisha!!!

Who is passing the baton off to you?  Who are you passing to baton to?

As I sat in front of the TV watching Rick Warren (Pastor of Saddleback Community Church and author of best-selling book, The Purpose Driven Life) being interviewed on Dateline, I was struck by two of his quotes:

“You don’t realize God is all you need until He is all you have.”

I know in my own life, especially during times when things seem to be going well, I lose sight of my need for God.  I think I can do it on my own.  And then the rug is pulled out from under me and I realize just how important my dependency on God really is.

“I am naturally inclined to have sex with every beautiful woman I see, but that doesn’t make it right.”

I love this quote, especially as we head into this year’s high school retreat, The CHILL.  The topic is purity.  I want to express to my students, especially the guys, that their sexual drive is actually given by God but there are confines to that gift.

Continue to pray for Rick Warren as he will continually be put into the public spotlight for his views and this beliefs.