The Holy Spirit in You

'I am leaving you with a gift--peace of mind...' John 14:27 NLT

Life comes with surprises. Some of them you welcome, and some of them you don’t. One summer you take a trip to the beach, next summer the beach is covered with oil. One month your stocks are soaring and your investments are growing, then suddenly it all comes crashing down. That is life and when it's good, it's good. But when it's bad, it's really bad. We rely on our government and all they can say is ‘We just never anticipated this.’ And in those rare seasons when you think the world has settled down, watch out! A malignant cell shows up in a colon, or a tornado rips through a neighbourhood flattening a house. So what are you going to do?

When Jesus told His disciples He was leaving them, they were in panic mode, so He said to them, ‘…When the Father sends the Advocate as my representative—that is, the Holy Spirit—He will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you. I’m leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.’ (John 14:26–27 NLT) You need to recognise the presence of the Holy Spirit who lives within you, and build a relationship with Him. He’s not an ‘it’ or a ‘thing’ or an ethereal spirit that’s beyond your reach. He is Christ’s ‘representative’. He’s willing to teach you what you don’t know, and to remind you of the things you so easily forget. And best of all, He will give you ‘peace of mind and heart’, regardless of what life throws at you.

You are Loved!

The Aroma of Christ

'...We are...the aroma of Christ...' 2 Corinthians 2:15 NIV

‘We are…the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved, and those who are perishing. To one, we are an aroma that brings death; to the other, an aroma that brings life…’ (2 Corinthians 2:15–16 NIV)

When the Roman army won in battle, they paraded their defeated foes through the streets in chains. And as part of the celebration they burned incense on a series of altars throughout the city. That way those who couldn’t see the procession knew the army had triumphed because they could smell the incense. The aroma was symbolic of their victory—and there’s a lesson here for you.

As followers of Christ we’ve been called to carry with us ‘…the fragrance of the knowledge of Him…’ (2 Corinthians 2:14 NIV) Forget Estée Lauder and Chanel No. 5; your life should be so permeated with God’s presence that people around you sense it. After all, you are the most compelling evidence that Jesus is alive and well in His children. In the great cathedrals of Europe you’ll see beautiful stained glass windows portraying important events in the life of Christ. And while it’s good to appreciate such craftsmanship, God doesn’t need church windows to tell His story.

Like I said yesterday, He uses born–again, tuned–in, turned–on believers to do that. Have you ever noticed that the longer some husbands and wives live together, the more they begin to talk and act alike? It’s the same with us: the more time we spend with Jesus, talking to Him, meditating on His Word and basking in His presence, the more people are going to ask, ‘What’s so different about you?’
You are Loved!

Don't Quit

"So don't get tired of doing what is good. Don't get discouraged and give up, for we will reap a harvest of blessing at the appropriate time." Galatians 6:9 NLT

Harvesting is a long process. You plant a garden, and then you wait, ultimately reaping a full growing season later than you when you sow it.

We are in a season where I believe God is telling us to not give up before we see the fruits of our labor.
One of the area's we are working on at CFW is helping you work through the daily things God has for you. Our Prayer is you'll see God work through you to develop an abundant life and help you fulfill your true calling. You will move from mediocrity to meaning in your life. You will have a heart to do things well. Satan wants you to give up...

Don't give up just before God does something incredible.
"Expect great things from God; attempt great things for God." William Carey knew this principle well. He labored SEVEN YEARS in India before he saw his first conversion to Christ. He faced great opposition from his own British government. But he ultimately prevailed and inspired the worldwide missionary movement of the 19th century. He is now considered the founder of our modern missions.

The cycle is this - you plant, your nurture then you harvest. Don't miss the critical nurturing period. I'm encouraging you today to really give God the opportunity to work in your life and show you that you can do more for Him than you believe.

Because that is why we are all here - to accomplish great things for the Kingdom.

Let me speak to you Today. I can tell you that many people quit on God or the church just before the harvest comes. They give up because of the smallest opposition or the faintest financial pressure.

Don't let that happen to you! Stay the course. God has brought you into this Church for a purpose. Together, let's stay committed to abandoning average and transforming lives. 

You are Loved!

 

Who Is Around You?

"Whoever walks with the wise will become wise; whoever walks with fools will suffer harm." - Proverbs 13:20

 

How often do you think about the company you keep? There's a quote from author Jim Rohn that I've found to be very true when it comes to our circle of friends - "You are the average of the 5 people you spend the most time with."
We are greatly influenced by those close to us - they affect our way of thinking, our attitudes, our decisions. And for believers, the impact is even deeper - it can affect our ministries and what we can accomplish for God's Kingdom. 

I want to challenge you to strongly consider this: "Who is around me that's helping me to abandon average?"

To keep committed to the "All In" Lifestyle - which rebels against average and mediocrity - you need to surround yourself with friends and peers who can challenge you to grow and bring out the best in you. Evaluate who are your influencers and if they can really help you get to the next level.

The good news is that as part of an amazing church, you now have a built-in community of like-minded people who are all on the same mission to abandon average in their life and ministry!  You are in a team environment, complete with other strong players who will pull you up to your highest level of potential in Christ. 

One of the first things you realize after joining our church is that you are on the same team. You are a part of a community that encourages you to attend church and grow in your faith. They are your teammates - remember the greatest thing you can do is give them a hug and tell them you love them in Christ and to practice the principle of Learn and Return. It's simple - when you learn something, you pass the knowledge along to the others around you so the Kingdom of God can be advanced. 

The enemy has decided to do all he can to trip you up and keep you mired in a life of mediocrity. He doesn't want you to abandon average. He hates the thought of you living our God's vision for your life and for your church.

But with the support and encouragement of other's on the same journey, you will be better able to thwart his attacks and stay passionately engaged in accomplishing the vision God has given you. 

You are Loved!

Growth is a Choice

"Growing churches are led by growing leaders and followers." - Rick Warren

 

Can I ask you today, are you growing? If you are a leader or follower in our church you must continually position yourself for growth - the growth and health of our ministry depends on you! All of us bear full responsibility for that growth and it must be a choice in your life.

You must make choices to grow daily.
One thing God has been challenging me with is that we can never settle for an environment of average. The only thing we can settle for is an environment of hope and growth.

Transformation is the goal as we spiritually grow in Christ. Moving from mediocrity to meaning in every area of your life is crucial if you and our church are going to grow. And the only way to do that is to be an active participant in your own development. When you grow the church grows. 

 

When you stepped into the church, you immediately became a leader, whether you were prepared to be one or not. All of us have the responsibility to fulfill the vision God has given us and the church no matter how scary that may seem sometimes.

There are four key components to growing well: You must (1) continue learning, (2) be eager to engage, (3) be quick to anticipate, and (4) make wise decisions. 

Your growth starts with that first key - remember we are all learners? If you want to grow you have to decide to be a lifelong student of your calling. 

The choice to keep growing is yours - and yours alone. 

You are Loved!  

God's Will for You (3)

'...Prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.' Romans 12:2 NKJV

In order to fulfil God’s will for your life, you’ll have to deal with what other people want you to be. Your boss wants you to be more productive. Your health club wants you to be fitter. Your credit card company wants you to be deeper in debt. It seems like everybody has an agenda for you and, if you spend your life trying to meet their expectations, you’ll never be free.

Sometimes loving people means having to disappoint them. Seeking to become the person others want you to be is a shallow way to live. Nobody can tell you exactly how to change, because only God knows. Even you can’t tell yourself how to change, because you didn’t create yourself. To love someone is to desire and work toward their becoming the best possible version of themselves. And the one person in the entire universe who’s qualified to do this is God. Unlike people, God has no hidden agenda or unmet needs that He’s hoping you can help Him with. He knows what the best version of you looks like. He delights in the very idea of it, and is already working to bring it to fruition in your life. The Bible says, ‘…In all things God works for the good of those who love Him…’ (Romans 8:28 NIV) That means God is at work every moment to help you become His best version of you. And you’ll only be truly free when you make up your mind to be happy about being the person God meant you to be—the one He’s working on every day.

You are Loved!

God's Will for You (2)

'I delight to do Your will, O my God...' Psalm 40:8 NKJV

In discovering and doing God’s will for your life, you must come to terms with what you think you should be. This is the hardest thing to do. Comparison kills spiritual growth. For example, the mother of three young children hears her pastor preach about Christians who rise at dawn every day to spend an hour of quiet time with God. The fact is, she’d love an hour of quiet time—anytime! But her kids won’t cooperate! So what she takes away from the sermon is that she doesn’t measure up as a Christian. In essence, she’s practising ‘spirituality by comparison’ and living under a cloud of guilt. It doesn’t occur to her that the love she expresses to her children counts as a spiritual activity. Or that she may be serving God more faithfully than somebody who gets up at daybreak in order to have that hour of quiet every morning.

Another example: a gregarious, spontaneous husband is married to a woman who enjoys solitude. It comes easily to her. Nevertheless, he feels like he’s a failure when it comes to prayer because he doesn’t enjoy being alone the way his wife does. He doesn’t consider that his joy and willingness in serving others counts, or that the degree to which he loves them is shaping his soul and delighting God. ‘Should’ is an important word, but when it comes to spiritual growth, God doesn’t want you to obey Him just because you ‘should’. He designed you to want His plan for your life—to get to the place where you can say, ‘I delight to do Your will, O my God.’

You are Loved!