THE GRIDIRON - The Sideline

Sunday, we started a brand new series at My Father's House, centered around the sport we all know and love...football. We talked about the power of getting back into the game.

Pain has a way of sidelining us from time to time. We will all need a break from life sometimes, to deal with the pain that life can bring. The problem is not that you have to sit on the sidelines. The problem is when we allow what should be a temporary situation, turn into a permanent placement.

If you want to get off the sideline and get back into the game called life, here is what you need to do.

1. ENGAGE YOUR LIFE

Engaging life doesn't go by feeling or by waiting until the right condtitions are present to get back into the game. If you do that, you will wait forever on the sideline. You have to CHOOSE to get back into the game.

Sure, it is easier to stay on the sidelines, but games are not won from the sidelines. Games are won by being a part of the game. The greatest football player in the world is no different than the fan as long as they are in the sideline. To allow your genius to emerge, you have to get back into the game.

It's up to you. Nobody can make you get back into the game. They can wish, pray, believe, and hope that you will...but only you can make that decision.

Life is to short to watch from the sideline...it's time to move the ball down the field.

Pastorj

TIME OUT - Living in Balance

We talked on Sunday about the importance of living your life in balance. It is so easy to get our of balance these days. It's important that we learn to stay in balance because then and only then, can we be effective in the kingdom of God.

We must have a new definition of what balance is. Most people think balance is giving equal time to every area of your life. However, you know as well as I, that it never works out that way. A better definition is this:

Balance is giving the RIGHT time to the RIGHT thing.

Balance is not equal parts but rather giving the right thing to the right time. This allows us to survey our life and determine what is appropriate in each season of our life. For example, if you are a parent of toddlers...there are going to be certain things that you are going to have to do, that someone with teenagers may not have to. It's the season of our lives that determines what is right.

Once we understand this, it leads us to a key concept:

Whenever you do what is MOST important to you, something or someone else is cheated.

This may sound cynical, but it's not. In fact, I am going to encourage you to cheat. Cheat the lesser things for the more important things. Cheat the good things, for the BEST things in your life. There will always be laundry to do. There will always be more paperwork to get done at work. There will always be grass to mow. But your kids are only with you for a few years before they leave and move on in their life.

Don't give your best years to inferior processes. Get control over your own life. It's worth it.

Choose to cheat. Cheat the lesser things. Live in balance.

TIME OUT - Getting More Done

We have been talking about the importance of time management in this latest series at My Father's House (MFH). One of the things that we have uncovered is the fact that time is finite, and no matter how young or old we are, we are basically running out of it.

This can sound kind of cynical and pessimistic, but it's the truth. In fact, Moses said, "Lord teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom." So the truth is, when we understand that time is finite, we begin to live our life by different principles. Principles of wisdom.

One of these wisdom keys is found in the concept which states:

"Priority Determines Capacity"

Let me explain. When we set priorities in our life, which simply means that we deem certain things more important in our life than others, we gain a capacity to deal with life. The problem is, most people spend their time doing alot of "good" things, as opposed to doing a few "best" things. If Satan can't tempt you with wrong, he will tempt you to do right wrong. He will let you focus on alot of less important thing than the few best things that God has called you to do.

So setting priorities allows us to develop more capacity to do the little things. Stress is not the result of having alot to do. Stress is the result of doing the wrong things. Set priorities in your life. Put the first two or three things that are your "best" things at the top of your to do list everyday and then prioritize by their importance the rest of your day.

If you will do that, you may not get everything done, but you will be sure to get your "best" things done...and you will get more done! The right things done!

Pastorj

IT'S GONNA WORK OUT

Everything has a way of working itself out. It may not be the outcome we want, but many things work for our good even when they aren't what we want.

There is a divine process to this. Things don't work out on their own. There must be a decision of principle in your life. Once you make the decision to live by certain principles...THEN life has a way of working itself out.

God is waiting on you to make a decision... Are you going to do this your way, or His way? This leads to a fulfilling purpose, when we choose God's way. Once that is taken care of, everything else in life seems to fall in line.

Why? Because there is a way things work. Birds have to fly. Fish have to swim. Seeds have to be planted. Humans have to live by the principles of God. Jesus called it the Kingdom of God. Kingdom or principles...they are one in the same.

It's your choice. Choose God and let life work itself out for your good. It can happen. It probably already has.

PastorJ

FORGOTTEN VIRTUE - Wide Open Spaces

God is calling you. He is calling you day after day. He wants you to join Him in a place called freedom. Sadly, many don't know what true freedom is, let alone live in it.

The bible says in the book of Psalms:

Psalm 118:5 (msg)
Pushed against the wall, I called out to God
From wide open spaces, He answered me.

Wow. God is calling us to freedom. Calling us to holiness. He answers our confined life in the place of freedom. Holiness is not a confined, dreadful, boring type of life. It's a life full of freedom. Full of life. Full of Joy. This is where God wants you to stand. This is where He wants you to live. Wide Open Spaces.

We can do this because there is no more fear of failure. We look to Jesus, who went before us, and simply follow the leader.

Remember grace and the law are both pointing to the same thing. Obedience. One brings you into life, the other brings death. I don't know about you, but I would rather live in wide open spaces in a fulfilled relationship with God, then to live in the confines of religious dogma.

It's your choice.

Pastorj

From Ransomed Heart Ministries

Here is a great word that I received from John Eldredge today. Hope it blesses you:

Thursday, August 26, 2010

You're Not Yourself

Yes, dear friends, we are already God's children, and we can't even imagine what we will be like when Christ returns. But we do know that when he comes we will be like him, for we will see him as he really is. (1 John 3:2 NLT)

We have an expression that we use to describe someone who's out of sorts, who's not acting like the person we know her to be: "She's just not herself today." It's a marvelous, gracious phrase, for in a very real way, no one is quite himself today. There is more to us than we have seen. I know my wife is a goddess. I know she is more beautiful than she imagines. I have seen it slip out, seen moments of her glory. Suddenly, her beauty shines through, as though a veil has been lifted.

All of us have moments like this, glimpses of our true creation. They come unexpectedly and then fade again. Life for the most part keeps our glory hidden, cloaked by sin, or sorrow, or merely weariness. When I see an old woman, doubled over with arthritis, the hard years etched into her face, I want to cry, Eve, what happened? How truly wonderful it will be to see her in her youth again, the full flower of her beauty restored.

When the disciples saw Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration, they got a peek at his glory. He was radiant, beautiful, magnificent. He was Jesus, the Jesus they knew and loved-only more so. And we shall be glorious as well. Jesus called himself the Son of man to state clearly that he is what mankind was meant to be. What we see in Jesus is our personal destiny.

(Desire , 116-17)

To order his book, which I have personally read, and can tell you that it is worth the read...go to the link listed below:

Desire by John Eldredge

Carpe Diem. Sieze the Day.

pastorj

FORGOTTEN VIRTUE - The Toy Box

Relief. That is what it's all about isn't it? Relief. This is the quest of the human heart. To find a sense of relief in our everyday lives. This is the reason we search, strive, and accept what comes our way. We are simply trying to get back to the garden of Eden. A place of....well....relief.

It's hard to articulate what relief is to us. For some it's finally getting over the addiction. Still for others it's embarking on a new relationship. Yet still for others it's simply having a day where there is not a major catastrophe. Ah yes, relief...how sweet it is!

What we learned yesterday is, "Anytime you compromise for temporary relief, you lose." We are all searching for relief, but sadly, many people find a temporary relief in a myriad of things like addictions, imitations, and relationships. These are not bad people...they are people who are searching for relief.

The problem is when we take a temporary high to try and meet a spiritual need. When we do that, we always lose. Paul said it this way, "When I was a child, I thought like a child, acted like a child, and reasoned like a child. But when I became a man, I put away childish things."

In other words, he got rid of the toys. He cleaned out the toy box. Yes, we like our toys. We like our habits. We like our (you name it). But we also know that these things only bring temporary relief. They don't heal the deeper issues. They don't really satisfy. They're just cheap imitations.

This is where holiness comes in. Holiness is putting away the toys, and looking for true relief. True relief is not found in the toys, it's found in the living God. Holiness is the "putting away" of childish things, and asking God to change you and make you WHOLE!

I want to encourage you today, to begin to put away from you all the things that are bringing temporary relief, and reach for eternal relief. You can find it in God. Total Relief!

Carpe Diem. Seize The Day!

Pastorj