Your Bible-Read It Every Day (3)

'The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the Word of our God stands forever.' Isaiah 40:8 NIV

I'm sitting in my office with a cup of coffee in my hand thinking about my relationship with all of you and how God has put each of you into my life. It's amazing that I wouldn't be in this place to have relationship with you unless I had heard the call to pastor through God's word. One of the things that became apparent to me as a new believer was that I needed grounding in my new faith. So I took the challenge to find out everything I could about God. So here we are today tethered together because of obedience to God and his word. It's important you understand the need to read God's word. It's the only way you find out who he is and what he means to you. That's why I have been using quotes from notable people from the past to remind you of this: the only way these leaders got to the place they were, was because of their faith in His word. Let's look once more at what some of the most notable people in history have had to say about the Bible. Matthew Arnold: 'To the Bible men will return because they cannot do without it. The true God is, and must be pre-eminently the God of the Bible, the eternal, who makes for righteousness from whom Jesus came forth, and whose spirit governs the course of humanity.' George Washington: 'It is impossible to rightly govern the world without God and the Bible.' Thomas Jefferson: 'The Bible is the cornerstone of liberty.' Horace Greeley: 'It is impossible to mentally or socially enslave a Bible-reading people.' Patrick Henry: 'This is a book worth more than all other books which were ever printed.' William McKinley: 'The more profoundly we study this wonderful book and the more closely we observe its divine precepts, the better citizens we will become and the higher will be the destiny of our nation.' Charles Dickens: 'The New Testament is the very best book that ever was or ever will be known in the world.' Billy Graham: 'The word of God hidden in the heart is a stubborn voice to suppress.' Your Bible-read it every day! You are loved...

Read Your Bible Everyday (2)

'Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will never pass away.' Matthew 24:35 NIV

I love that scripture in Matthew were Jesus says, "Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away." It gives you security to know that there is something real and concrete to believe in. When you Believe in something it affords you the opportunity to walk in those beliefs. That is why it is so important to read and understand what God has to say to you. I love that my God has written these words just for me. They will never pass away, they will always be there to guide me in my my journey with Christ. Gods word is that important. Let's look again at what some of the most notable leaders in history have had to say about the Bible. Napoleon: 'What happiness the Bible procures for those who believe it! What marvels it bestows upon those who reflect upon it!' Daniel Webster: 'There is no solid basis for civilization but in the Word of God. If we abide by the principles taught in the Bible, our country will continue to prosper. I make it a practice to read the Bible through once every year.' William Lyon Phelps (once referred to as the most beloved professor in America-of Yale University): 'I thoroughly believe in a university education for both men and women, but I believe knowledge of the Bible without a college course, is more valuable than a college course without knowledge of the Bible.' Sir William Jones: 'The Bible contains more pure sensibility, more exquisite beauty, more pure morality, more important history, and finer strains of poetry and eloquence than can be collected from all other books in whatever age or language they may be written.' Robert E. Lee: 'The Bible is a book, in comparison with which all other books are of minor importance. In all my perplexities and distress, the Bible has never failed to give me light and strength.' Sir Isaac Newton: 'There are more sure marks of authenticity in the Bible than in any profane history.' George MacDonald: 'The Bible is to me the most precious thing in the world just because it tells me the story of Jesus.' Your Bible-read it every day and it will change your life! You are loved...

Your Bible-Read It Every Day (1)

'The Word of the Lord stands forever.' 1 Peter 1:25 NIV

Blessings everyone...we are back from Seattle and our Network conference. What a incredible time of fellowship and teaching during this conference. Can you say Multiplication? God has been doing incredible things in the area of multipication @CFW the last several weeks, and we even got a shout out @conference for keeping to our vision. So how do we keep doing what God wants? It all comes down to making Gods word a priority in our lives. Let's read what some of the most notable leaders in history have said about the Bible. William Gladstone, a Prime Minister of the UK: 'There is but one question of the hour: how to bring the truths of God's Word into vital contact with the minds and hearts of all classes of people.' Goethe: 'I consider the Gospels to be thoroughly genuine; for in them there is the effective reflection of a sublimity which emanated from the person of Christ; and this is as divine as ever the divine appeared on earth.' President Ulysses S. Grant: 'Hold fast to the Bible as the anchor of your liberties. Write its precepts in your hearts and practice them in your lives. To the influence of this book we are indebted for the progress made, and to this we must look as our guide in the future.' President Woodrow Wilson: 'A man has deprived himself of the best there is in the world, who has deprived himself of this: knowledge of the Bible. When you have read the Bible you will know that it is the Word of God because you will have found it the key to your own heart, your own happiness, and your own duty.' President Abraham Lincoln: 'I have only to say that it is the best gift God has given to man.' Like the law of gravity, the Bible will never become redundant. Your Bible-read it every day and watch it change your life. Because only when you are changed, can you then go out and change your world around you! You are loved...

God Never Gives Up On Yo

'You have laid Your hand upon me.' Psalm 139:5 NIV

Finally got a chance to sit down for a minute. Amy and I our loving this conference. It's good to get recharged and learn new things. One of the messages yesterday spoke to me on this subject. Sometimes we feel like just giving up, well God doesn't on us. There's a story of a London bus driver who was assigned to shuttle passengers to special crusade services with Billy Graham at Wembley Stadium. When one of them invited him in to listen he declined. The following year he moved to New York, and when Billy was speaking at Madison Square Garden the man's job again was shuttling people to the meetings. As he got off the bus a lady asked if he'd like to join them. Once more he politely declined. He married an Australian lady and eventually ended up working in Sydney where, surprisingly, he was again assigned to drive people to the stadium where Billy was preaching. This time when he was invited he figured there was no escape, so he gave in. Looking back he says, 'No matter where I went I was confronted with Billy Graham, so I went to hear him and committed my life to Christ. It was the best decision I ever made.'
The Psalmist said, 'You hem me in...You have laid Your hand upon me...Where can I go from Your Spirit? Where can I flee from Your presence? If I go up to the Heavens, You are there ...in the depths, You are there...on the far side of the sea...Your right hand will...hold me fast.' (Psalm 139:5-10 NIV)
Isn't grace amazing? Peter said, 'God is patient...He wants everyone to turn from sin and no one to be lost.' (2 Peter 3:9 CEV) God will follow you to the ends of the earth to give you another opportunity to surrender your life to Him. How many opportunities has He already given you? Isn't it time you stopped running and surrendered your life to Him? You are loved....

HANDLING CRITICISM CONSTRUCTIVELY (1)

''...A wise person stays calm when insulted.'' Proverbs 12:16
We are headed off to Network council this morning in Seattle. Looking forward to a wonderful time with other Pastors from around the state. I'm going to try and get my thought out in the morning but we'll see how the schedule goes. If you need anything please call Pastors Josh or Zach or our Team Directors. For the next couple of days we are going to look at Criticism and how to handle it. Proverbs says, "a wise person stay calm." How can you tell constructive criticism from destructive criticism? By practicing these principles from God's Word: 1) Resolve that whatever it is, you'll handle it constructively. 'A wise person stays calm when insulted.' Angry responses only short-circuit rational thinking and trigger emotion-driven reactions. 'If you listen to constructive criticism, you will be at home among the wise. If you reject discipline, you only harm yourself; but if you listen to correction, you grow in understanding' (Proverbs 15:31-32 NLT). Always ask yourself, 'Can I learn something here? 2) Consider the character of your critic. 'An honest witness tells the truth; a false witness tells lies. Some people make cutting remarks, but the words of the wise bring healing' (Proverbs 12:17-18 NLT). Is your critic trustworthy? Are their words meant to help you? If so, appreciate them and grow wiser. 'Better to be criticized by a wise person than to be praised by a fool' (Ecclesiastes 7:5 NLT). Are their words intended to demean you and damage your self-worth? Words that humble you have a godly purpose, but words that humiliate don't; so reject them. 3) Check your conscience. Paul wrote: 'My conscience is clear...It is the Lord himself who will examine me and decide' (1 Corinthians 4:4 NLT). If you're in the clear, leave the outcome with God. He alone sees the whole picture. 4) If you are criticized because of your faith, consider yourself blessed. 'If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you' (1 Peter 4:14 NIV). Rejoice, your life is pleasing to God. You are loved...

What You Truly Stand For

'Above all else, guard your heart...' Proverbs 4:23 NIV

Amy and I hope you've had a wonderful week and we our looking forward to seeing you @this weekends service. (Young Adults remember there is Fuel Group tonight @the Berryhills.) The question today is what do you really stand for? Is your life one of integrity and influence? Or is it a work in progress? In my journey of faith I've had to make some changes in my life to become a man of integrity and influence. It takes work...The Bible says: 'Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.' The position you hold in life may cause people to take notice of you, but only your integrity will cause them to respect you and be willing to follow you. And integrity is only established when it becomes clear to everyone that progress, financial reward and recognition are not your gods; that you value something more, something you refuse to give up for profit or popularity. With integrity comes influence. You can manage people without integrity but you can't influence them without it. Talking one way and living another will wound you. And depending on time and circumstance, you may not be able to recover from it. You say, 'How I conduct my private life is nobody else's business.' Wrong! When people see a difference between what you demand of others and what you demand of yourself, it'll erode their respect for you every time. Your position may make you secure, but your influence with others will always remain fragile. At any given time you are only one decision, one word or one action away from destroying what it took years to build. Why is it important to keep this in mind? Because the fastest route from where you are today to where you will be tomorrow is not always the most honorable one. Being the person you want to be doesn't come easy and doesn't always line up. It's in those moments, however, that you discover a great deal about yourself; you find out what you truly stand for! You are loved...

In-Laws or Out-Laws!

'...A man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife...' Matthew 19:5 NLT

Since we are in a series on building strong families lets look at marriage today. Amy and I have been married going on 33 years here in July. We've had our ups and downs, but the time has literally flown by. I would be with no other woman. In a marriage there are more than just you and your spouse. there's the In laws...bumbubmbumtedum. There's a story of a married couple after arguing for hours drove along in silence. Suddenly they passed a barnyard filled with mules and jackasses. Sarcastically, the husband asked, 'Relatives of yours?' The wife replied, 'Yes, in-laws.' Marriage was God's idea, and it was a good one. Picking up the theme, Jesus said, 'A man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife.' In marriage, 'two's company, three's a crowd!' So here are Ten Commandments for being a good in-law:
(1) Thou shalt love, honor and respect the couple.
(2) Thou shalt grant them independence, resisting the urge to show them 'a better way' of doing things.
(3) Thou shalt be loyal and not criticize them, for, '[God] will apply to you the same rules you apply to others...' (Matthew 7:2 GNT)
(4) Thou shalt not find fault: 'Do not judge others, so that God will not judge you...' (Matthew 7:1 GNT)
(5) Thou shalt not outwear thy welcome, and always call before thou showest up at their dwelling. 'Don't visit...too often; they may get tired of you...' (Proverbs 25:17 GNT)
(6) Thou shalt not expect them to visit thee too often.
(7) Thou shalt refrain from giving unsolicited advice: 'Stupid people express [themselves] openly, but sensible people are patient and hold it back.' (Proverbs 29:11 GNT)
(8) Thou shalt not talk about how thou wantest grandchildren unless they are already on the way.
(9) Thou shalt respect their home decorating taste even when it differeth from thine.
(10) Thou shalt pray for them daily and without fail.
If you are an in-law who doesn't want to be viewed as an out-law, live by these commandments! You are loved...