03
Jun '20
Fish and God
03
Jun '20
June 3, 2020
You can look forward to each new day. Why? Because the past is behind you and God is beside you. When you start each day, take the words of Joshua 1:9 and personalize them: “I am strong and courageous.” You’re walking into work: “I can face anything. I will not be anxious or afraid; I will not get discouraged, for the Lord my God will be with me wherever I go.”
The past is behind you and God is beside you. Remember the famous words from the Christmas story? “They will call Him Immanuel – which means, ‘God With Us.’”
In his book The Jesus I Never Knew, Philip Yancey talks about when he was a teenager and it finally dawned on him what an awesome thing it was that God is with us. He said he learned about God when he kept an aquarium. Management of an aquarium, he discovered, is no easy task. He had to monitor the nitrate levels and ammonia content. He pumped in vitamins and antibiotics. He filtered the water through glass fibers and charcoal, and exposed it to ultraviolet light.
“You would think,” he writes, “in view of all the energy expended on their behalf, that my fish would be grateful. Not so. Every time my shadow loomed above the tank, they dove for cover. They showed me only one emotion: fear. Although I opened the lid and dropped in food on a regular schedule, three times a day, they responded to each visit as a sure sign that I was there to hurt them. I could not convince them that I was watching over them and caring for them. I was too large for them, my actions too incomprehensible.
“And then it dawned on me: Those fish will never comprehend my actions. In order to be understood by them I would have to become one of them. I would have to become a fish and ‘speak’ to them in a language they could understand.”
And that is just what God did. That’s what the Bible says. The Bible says God is big and powerful and beyond our comprehension. So He became one of us. He lived among us and spoke a language we could understand. Now He has promised He will never leave us. Put the past behind you and God beside you.
01
May '20
Choose Gratitude
01
May '20
May 1, 2020
I know every good thing I have comes from God.
Here’s what it says in the Bible: “Every good and perfect gift comes from… Where? …above.” (James 1:17) You are such a good congregation today!
Christmas Day 1944. The soldier climbed out of his foxhole. The temperature was below zero. The snow creaked beneath his feet. Each breath sent a cloud of frost into the frigid morning air. The forest around him was quiet … unnaturally quiet.
Suddenly, there was the high screech of incoming artillery. Instantly, the air was exploding around him. Trees shattering. Men screaming. Bullets slicing the air. It was the bloody World War II Battle of the Bulge and he was in the dead center of it. He dove for the ground and, as the artillery shells exploded around him, he thought: This is it. The last Christmas I’ll ever have. I’ll never make it home.
Well, he was wrong about that. Boy, was he wrong! He made it home, became a founding member of this church, raised a beautiful family, and shared 71 more Christmas Days with them.
And on a Christmas Day … 71 years later … he died … at the age of 93. Back in 1944, the old fighter said, This is it. The last Christmas I’ll ever have. I’ll never make it home. On Christmas Day … 71 years later … he finally made it home. He looked around heaven and said: I’m home! Home for Christmas.
You know, he once said this to me: “Jeff, I cheated death back then. I don’t know why I lived and the guys around me died. The way I see it, now every day’s a bonus.”
Do you see that, too? Every day’s a gift. Every day’s a bonus. And every good thing I have, every good thing you have, comes from God. God gives life to bless you … health to strengthen you … friends to support you … family to love you … church to encourage you. Every good thing you have comes from God. We need to understand that God is completely good; He is constantly good; He is unchangingly good. God cannot be less than good. God will never not be good. Everything our God does is good and once we embrace that, it changes our attitude. Instead of an attitude of entitlement, we embrace an attitude of gratitude. The way I see it, every day is a bonus and every good gift comes from above.
10
Apr '20
A Great Work
10
Apr '20
I don’t know who this is going to speak to today … I don’t know who’s feeling this, but …
- I’m visualizing maybe a young mom … and you’re trapped in the house by this virus. Sometimes you feel exhausted, just wiped out. And I hope you’ll hear this, you’ll feel this, because maybe you’re wishing you could do other things with your life right now. And I hope you realize that this season won’t last forever. And this just might be the best time you ever have to make some memories with those kids that will last a lifetime. And you can show them your faith and your strength and how your family can’t be broken. And guess what? What you’re doing right now is a great work. Embrace that great work. This season will pass, but the mark you make on those kids will never pass …. Young moms. You’re doing a great work.
- I’m visualizing someone trying to pay off debt … and it is a slow dollar by dollar uphill climb and the hill feels so big. But whenever the enemy tells you that you’ll never make it, that it’s not worth it, just say, “You get off my back! I’m doing a great work. I’m doing what God has called me to do for my family and for my future” …. You’re doing a great work.
- I’m visualizing someone trying to love someone. Maybe its your child and you just can’t seem to reach them. Maybe it’s your husband and his heart is just so hard. And you feel like giving up. You feel like walking out. But I want you to say, “I’m not going to give up on this relationship. I’m not going to walk out when this gets messy” … You’re doing a great work.
- I’m visualizing someone battling addiction … It’s a fight every day. And these days you can’t even go to a meeting, because of this virus. So, you call your sponsor. And talk it out. And you know you can live one day at a time and you can make it through this day. You say, “I’ve been clean 90 days and I’m going to make it to 91” … You’re doing a great work.
- I’m visualizing someone with a real heart for something, a vision for something, and you want to make a difference. And it seems like you take two steps forward and three steps back. But you don’t give up the fight. You’re going to stay in the game, because you know you haven’t lost until you quit …. You’re doing a great work.
Let’s bow our heads and go to God. Let me ask you this: What is it that’s got you feeling tired … like giving up … like just throwing in the towel?
Is it this virus? Is it your health? Maybe it’s your finances right now. This is a crazy time and I know so many of you have lost your job. Maybe it’s that addiction that won’t stop whispering in your ear, pulling at you. Maybe you’re just so tired of staying home – not getting out for school, for work, for friends.
Let me just say this. As the voice of Jesus, the Lord of Love: You’re doing a great work. Don’t give up.
Just pray: Dear Lord Jesus, Help me take it one day at a time. Help me keep working until the job is done. The truth is, I’ve come to see that I can’t do it by myself. I wasn’t designed for it. I need You in my life.
Lord, I bring my whole self to You right now. I want to trade my weakness for Your strength, my weariness for Your energy. I want to trade my anxiety for Your perfect peace, my chaos for Your calm confidence.
And on day, when I breathe my last breath in this world, I ask You to take me safely to heaven, where You’ll have a home waiting for me.
I pray this in Your name, Amen.
20
Mar '20
Prayer for Troubled Times
20
Mar '20
Dear Jesus,
These are difficult days. We are in uncharted waters. The good news is: We’re in the boat with you. We may be in uncharted waters. There may be dark clouds overhead. The wind might be against us. But we’re in the boat with you. And, so, we’re not going to sink.
Lord Jesus, I ask You to stretch out Your tender hand and just place it on the shoulder of anyone who needs reassurance. May they feel Your presence in the storm, your nearness, in an almost tangible way. Lord Jesus, may they feel You say these words, deep inside their heart, “Peace. Be still. My peace I give to you. I will never abandon you; I will never forsake you.”
Now, everybody, think about your own prayer needs … What do you need in your life the most right now? …
Lord Jesus, make that – that very thing – come true for them. Provide for them. Meet their needs. Strengthen them. Calm their uncertainties.
We pray in the Name of the Lord of Love, Amen.
03
Mar '20
Be Bold
03
Mar '20
March 3, 2020
Be bold!
A while ago a repairman come to our house to fix the air conditioner. He didn’t come in the house and open up my refrigerator to get something to drink. He didn’t sit on my couch and watch Netflix. He went straight to the air conditioning unit and fixed the problem. He knew he couldn’t come in and make himself at home. He was there as a servant, not a son.
But when our kids come over, they don’t ask, “Hey, Dad, can I go to the refrigerator and get something to drink? Can I sit on the couch?” No, they don’t ask permission; they act like they own the place – and, in a way, they do. They’re my children. Everything I have is theirs.
And I like the fact they know who they are. They’re confident, so they go boldly to the refrigerator. The Bible tells us to “Go boldly to the throne of grace” (Hebrews 4:16) – not as a servant, saying, “God, I know I don’t deserve it. I know I’m unworthy.” No, if you want to make God happy, if you want to put a smile on God’s face, go to Him with boldness. Go to Him like you know He’s proud of you, like you know He loves you, like you know He wants to be good to you. Ask Him for your dreams to come true. Pray bold prayers. You’re not inconveniencing Him.
Never once has one of my kids come into our house and said, “Dad, I don’t deserve to eat here. Let me work for you and earn the right to have this meal.” If they did that, number one, I’d check their temperature. Number two, as their father, I would be disappointed. I would think, Don’t they know they’re my kids and I always want to be good to them?
Are you trying to earn God’s goodness, trying to be good enough, thinking that then maybe you’ll deserve God’s blessings? That’s a slave mentality. Why don’t you just start believing that you’re already in the family. Jesus says, “It is the Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.” God is longing to be good to you.
18
Feb '20
You Are God’s Favorite!
18
Feb '20
February 18, 2020
Can I tell you a secret? God has favorites … and you are His favorite! You’re the one He loves.
I’ve heard it said that God has no favorites. I think that’s wrong. God has all favorites. He doesn’t have to pick and choose between us, because He has unlimited love. He doesn’t just show love, He doesn’t just express love – He is love. Love is not just what He does; it’s who He is.
I heard about a family that had five kids. The mom had all their names and numbers stored in her cell phone. But the youngest – the baby in the family, her name was April – Mom didn’t have her listed under her name, she had her listed under “Favorite.” So instead of “April,” it says “Favorite.” One time one of the big brothers borrowed his mom’s phone and he saw that and said, “Now, that’s just not right!”
I can imagine that if God had a cell phone, you would be stored under “Favorite.” It wouldn’t be Joe Smith, it would be Favorite Smith. It would be Favorite Bob, Favorite Kathy, Favorite Rebecca. We’re all His favorite!
My wife likes to say, “God is so good to me, I think He has a crush on me!” He has a crush on you, too! “Well, not me, Jeff. You don’t know the mistakes I’ve made. You don’t know the past I’ve lived. When I clean myself up, I know God will love me a lot more.”
Nothing you can do will make God love you more. You might as well believe that you are His favorite right now. He may not be pleased with all your behavior, but that doesn’t change His love for you. You may have made mistakes, you may have shortcomings, but He’s still proud of you. He still says you’re amazing. He still calls you His masterpiece. And knowing that you’re loved like that will give you the strength to do better next time.
08
Jan '20
Kittens from Heaven
08
Jan '20
January 8, 2020
Kittens from Heaven, or God’s Amazing Goodness.
God wants to amaze you with His goodness this year!
“Well,” you say, “Jeff, I don’t see how that could happen for me. I don’t see how I could ever get out of these problems. I don’t see how I could ever turn things around.” Here’s the key: You don’t have to see how. That’s not your job. Your job is to believe. God has all kinds of ways to bring your dreams to pass. He has ways you’ve never even thought of. That’s why it says in Proverbs, “Lean not on your own understanding.” (Proverbs 3:5)
Sometimes there is no logical solution. Sometimes there is no natural way out. If you constantly try to figure it out, you will just get frustrated. Eventually, you’ll get discouraged and just give up. Again, understand this: Just because you can’t see a way doesn’t mean that God doesn’t have a way.
One of the stories I love to tell the most is the story of little Lindsay. Lindsay wanted a kitten. She kept asking her mother week after week for this kitten. But her mother didn’t want any more pets around the house. She said no to her daughter’s dream again and again. But this little girl was so determined, she kept asking month after month.
One day she said, “But, Mommy, what happens if God really wants me to have a kitten?”
Finally, out of frustration, the mother said, “Listen, honey. If God gives you a kitten, I’ll let you keep it. But we’re not buying one.”
Well, Lindsay didn’t know any better. She went out in the backyard, got down on her knees, and said, “God, I’m asking You to please, please give me a kitten.”
When she finished praying, all of a sudden, out of nowhere, a kitten drops out of the sky and lands right in front of her. The mother could not believe her eyes. She thought she was seeing things. There was no tree overhead. It looked like the kitten had just fallen from the heavens. Lindsay picked it up and said, “Look, Mommy. God gave me my kitten.” Mom just stood there dumbfounded, in disbelief.
Several months later, she learned what happened. The neighbors who lived behind her and two houses down were trying to get this little kitten out of a tree, but it was too tall for the man to reach with his ladder. So, this man got a smart idea. He tied a rope to the tree, and he hooked the rope to his pick-up truck. He started slowly pulling the pick-up forward to bend the tree over.
Just when he got the tree bent low enough to reach the kitten, the rope broke, and the tree acted like a slingshot. It shot that kitten three houses down – and it fell right at that little girl’s feet. The man felt terrible. He thought it was dead. He didn’t know that he’d just answered a little girl’s prayer.
God works in mysterious ways. Now that little girl can say, “Who would have thought God would have rained down a kitten from the heavens?”
Is there anything too difficult for our God? Is there anything too wonderful for our God? He knows how to put you in the right place at the right time.
If you are single and looking for a relationship, God can bring the right person into your life. I wouldn’t expect that person to drop out of the sky, though. If that happens, you’d better call the police. But God can bring somebody great across your path. Don’t doubt that. Just say, “Lord, I believe.”
If your business is slow, He can bring the right connections across your path. Even if the year starts slow, He can make it up in the second half of the year. Just keep plugging, keep pushing, keep going with integrity, and keep yourself in the game. Just say, “Lord, I believe.”
My friend, God is in control of the universe. He is directing your steps, causing you to be in the right place at the right time. He knows what you need, and he knows how to get it to you. He can even rain down a kitten from the heavens!
You may not see how it can happen, but remember: God has a way. God will amaze you with His goodness. You will experience some “Who would have thought?” blessings. And when you look back on 2020, you will say, “This was not an average year … this was not a mediocre year … this was not a super year. It was a supernatural year!”
04
Dec '19
Amazing God
04
Dec '19
December 4, 2019
Let me show you how you can tap into the amazing power of our amazing God. Because there may come a day when you get a bad prognosis. There may come a day when you feel overwhelmed, when you feel like you’re ready to throw in the towel.
Here is one way to bring the power of God into your battle …
Turn to Him.
God says, “Call upon Me in the day of trouble; and I will deliver you and you will honor Me.” (Psalm 50:15)
Here’s what I would do if I were you. I would just say, in my own words, in my own way, “God, I open my heart to You. I open my life to You. I don’t have all the answers. I still have a lot of questions and doubts. But I want You in my life.” Or just say it sweet and simple like Sue: “Jesus, I love You, I love You, I love You.”
Maybe you’re thinking, “But, Jeff, I’m too far gone. It’s too late for God to do anything in my situation. My situation is totally messed up.”
Well, that’s what they said back in the pages of the Bible. One time the Israelites were facing an overwhelming enemy army. To put some distance between themselves and the enemy, the Israeli army made a fatal mistake. They made a run for it and they ran right into a desert. Six days later, they’re out there under the scalding sun, their horses are panting, their men are dropping, they’re out of water. They’re in the middle of the desert, and the middle eastern sun is beating down on them, and it’s hopeless. Their situation is hopeless! Without water, they’re dead.
So, they decided to do what I’m telling you to do. They call out to God in their day of trouble. They said, “God, if we don’t find water, it’s all over.”
God said, “You called to Me in your day of trouble; and I will deliver you and you will honor Me. You will have all the water you need by this time tomorrow.”
They said, “But … but … we’re in the middle of a scorching desert and there’s not a cloud in the sky.”
God said, “Boys, get your shovels out and start digging ditches. You’re going to have so much water, by this time tomorrow you’ll need ditches to contain it all.”
When the sun rose the next morning, there still wasn’t a cloud in the sky … but, suddenly, water began flowing right through the desert, swirling around their ankles, filling those ditches. I guess far away, so far away it was completely out of sight … up in the mountains, there was a big storm that caused a flash flood. And all that water had nowhere to go, except down into the desert valley.
Who would have thought? Water in the desert!
What do you need God to do for you? Maybe you’d better get out your shovel and start digging! Because we have an amazing God!
Turn to God. Call out to Him in the day of trouble.
19
Nov '19
The 90/10 Principle
19
Nov '19
November 19, 2019
What’s the 90/10 Principle? 10 percent of life is made up of what happens to you; 90 percent of life is decided by how you react. Let me explain. We really have no control over 10 percent of what happens to us. A driver cuts us off in traffic. The car gets a flat tire. The plane is late, throwing your whole schedule off. We have no control over this 10 percent. The other 90 percent is different. You determine the other 90 percent. How? By your reaction!
Let’s use an example. You’re having breakfast with your family. Your daughter knocks over a cup of coffee onto your business shirt. You have no control over what just happened. What happens next will be determined by how you react.
You curse and harshly scold your daughter for knocking the cup over. She breaks into tears. After scolding her, you turn to your wife and criticize her for placing the cup too close to the edge of the table. A short verbal battle ensues. You storm upstairs and change your shirt. Back downstairs your daughter is too busy crying to finish her breakfast and get ready for school. She misses the school bus. Now, you have to drive your daughter to school. Because you’re running late, you drive 40 mph in a 30 mph zone. After a 15 minute delay and a $120 traffic ticket, your day just continues to get worse and worse. You can’t wait for the day to be over and you look forward to coming home. But when you arrive home, you find everyone is giving you the silent treatment. Why? Because of how you reacted in the morning.
Why did you have a bad day?
A. Did the coffee cause it?
B. Did your daughter cause it?
C. Did the police officer cause it?
D. Did you cause it?
B. Did your daughter cause it?
C. Did the police officer cause it?
D. Did you cause it?
The answer is “D.” How you reacted in those first 5 seconds is what caused your bad day.
Here is what could have happened – and should have happened. Coffee splashes over you. Your daughter is about to cry. You gently say, “It’s okay, honey, you just need to be more careful next time.” Grabbing a towel, you rush upstairs, throw on a new shirt, and head downstairs in time to see your child getting on the bus. She turns and waves. You arrive at work 5 minutes early and cheerfully greet the staff. Your boss comments on what a good day you’re having.
Notice the difference? Two scenarios. Both started the same. Both ended different. Why? Because of how you reacted. That’s why the Bible says, “Be very careful, then, how you live – not as unwise, but as wise – making the most of every opportunity.”
Here are other ways to apply the 90/10 Principle:
Suppose someone says something negative about you. How do you react? Don’t be a sponge. Don’t soak it all in. Let the attack roll off like water on glass. You don’t have to let the negative comment affect you!
How about if someone cuts you of in traffic? Do you lose your temper? Pound the steering wheel? Who cares if you arrive 10 seconds later at work? Why let a stranger you never met, driving a car you’ll never see again, ruin your morning?
Suppose you lose your job. Why lose sleep and get irritated? It will work out. Instead of putting your energy into worrying, put your energy into finding another job.
10% of life is made up of what happens to you.
90% of life is decided by how you react.
90% of life is decided by how you react.
08
Oct '19
The Comeback Prayer
08
Oct '19
October 8, 2019
Would you join me in a “comeback prayer?”
You’ll spell out the word, “TRUST.”
First of all, just Tell God exactly how you feel about what’s going on in your life right now. Just say, “God, I’m really sad today.” Or: “I’m lonely. I’m mad. I’m starting to get resentful.”
And second, tell God you’re going to Refuse to get bitter. Tell God: “I want to be better, not bitter. I don’t understand what’s going on in my life. But I know You’re good. I know You love me. I know You got this, God.”
Now tell God you’re going to get really serious – I mean, really serious – about the U in Trust: Uniting with other people who will help you focus on God. Say: “God, I haven’t always been all that faithful in worship attendance. And that’s about to change. Because I need You in my life. And I need other people to pray for me and support me and be there for me.”
The S in Trust is surrender: “God, I surrender my future to You. I surrender my hopes and my fears and my dreams. I put it all in Your hands.”
Finally, the T stands for: Trust. “God, I trust every detail of my comeback to You. I put my trust in Jesus. I trust Jesus to get me out of this mess. I’m giving every area of my life to You, Jesus.”
“Father, You have heard these prayers … and I ask for Your blessing. Let each person who prayed these words sincerely, from their heart, begin to feel the difference and see the next step of their comeback. I ask it in Jesus’ name, Amen.”