Month: October 2014

3 Ways To Live An Eternally Focused Life – Colossians 3

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From my reading in Colossians 3 in the One Year Bible New Testament.

 Don’t try to make heaven on earth for yourself.

I have found myself being too focused on making this life perfect. Whenever money is tight or I have a conflict I feel my world is falling apart but the truth is that no matter how hard I try there will always problems.

The good news for Christians is that we do have a perfect place to look forward to.

An eternal focus give us hope for our problems today and frees us up to serve Jesus fully.

Looking forward to heaven it puts our priorities in the right place. The things that are going to last eternally are the things that matter most. Paul gives some principles about the power of living with an eternal focus.

1. Focus the realities of heaven, not the things of earth.

“Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand. Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth.” Col 3:1-2

 We need to realize that “Heaven is for real!”

Heaven is a real place. It is a place with no sin, sadness or pain. It is a place where we will experience the unfiltered presence of Jesus. That is something to look forward to!

The reason most people don’t look really forward to heaven is because they have an unbiblical view of it.

Many people picture heaven as a place were everyone is transformed into a diaper wearing, harp playing, cloud riding, BABY!

Actually heaven is a real physical place where we will have real bodies. We will be busy worshiping, working and enjoying fellowship with others. Heaven will be life as God originally intended it!

2. Realize that “real life” is found only in Christ.

” For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God.” Col 3:3

You are not of this world.

As Christians we must make a choice to die to this life. We don’t live for life on this earth because our real life is found with Christ in Heaven. This life is the dress rehearsal before the real play.

Our time here on this earth is way shorter that the time we will spend in eternity. How foolish is it to spend all our time and effort making this tiny about of time great and not invest in where you will spend eternity.

3. Look forward to sharing in Christ’s glory.

“And when Christ, who is your life, is revealed to the whole world, you will share in all his glory.”  Col 3:4

When Christ comes back we will share in his glory!  What does that mean?

It means that when Christ is honored we will be honored with him. Not because of what we have done but because of his sacrifice for us. We can look forward to that great day of celebration.

Have you been trying to make heaven on earth or are you focusing your attention on living for eternity?

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How To Grow As A Christian – Colossians 2

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From my reading in Colossians 2 in the One Year Bible New Testament.

Paul gives us some solid advice on how to grow as a Christian.

“And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow him. Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness.” Colossians 2:6–7

We grow in the same way we were accepted Christ, by faith!

Faith is necessary not only for salvation, but for spiritual growth. Our growth depends on if we are continuing to follow Jesus by faith. We start and finish our relationship with God by faith!

We must develop deep roots in Christ.

A tree that has deep roots is strong and will be able to withstand harsh winds. As followers of Jesus we are to build our lives on Jesus. Getting to know Christ well is the best way to ensure you can make it through the hard things of life.

As you learn the truth your faith will be strengthened.

Going deep in God’s truth will help you weather the storms of life. Going deep in God’s word is another way to go deep with Christ.

The natural result of your growth will be a life of thankfulness.

If you are not growing in thankfulness you might not be growing in your walk with Jesus.  Thankfulness is a natural result of a rooted relationship with Jesus.

Are you rooting yourself in Jesus? 

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Work Hard Depending On God’s Energy – Colossians 1

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From my reading in Colossians 1 in the One Year Bible New Testament.

Ministry is hard work.

Anyone who does ministry knows that it is very hard to do well. Paul gives us a great insight into how he approached his ministry.

“So we tell others about Christ, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all the wisdom God has given us. We want to present them to God, perfect in their relationship to Christ. That’s why I work and struggle so hard, depending on Christ’s mighty power that works within me.” Colossians 1:28–29

Paul’s desire was that everyone would reached maturity in Christ. He worked tirelessly to this aim. The final sentence is what I want to focus on. We are to work hard and at the same time trust God’s might power.

Let go and let God is not a ministry strategy.

We are to work as hard as we can and depend on Jesus to fill us with his power and energy. This does not mean that we are to wear ourselves out and burn out. We are called to rest also.

But what I love about this passage is that there is a co-laboring element to ministry.

We work alongside God. God fills us with his energy and power and we work our butts off! It’s not either or it’s both.

Many people fall on one side or the other.  Some people say well I am just going to pray and then sit back and watch God work. They wonder why no one is growing or getting saved. Other people work night and day but are not doing it in God’s power.

Working hard with God’s power is the way to experience the greatest ministry fruit!

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4 Ways To Win The War Against Worry – Philippians 4

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From my reading in Philippians 4 in the One Year Bible New Testament.

Paul gives us four ways to win the war against worry.

1. Make the choice to rejoice

“Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice! Philippians 4:4

Joy is a choice. When hard times come your way you have a choice.  Will you let despair, worry, and fear win the day? Or will you choose to rejoice in Jesus?

2. Don’t worry… pray!

“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6–7

Prayer is our greatest weapon against worry.

Whenever we face a problem we should pray about it. There is nothing too big or too small to pray about.

It is important to thank God for what he has done because what God has already done for you will give you faith to believe in what he can do for you in the future! Thanking God can help lift you out of worry and depression.

Whatever we are facing, worry is never the answer.

  • Worry shows lack of trust in God, but prayer exhibits faith.
  • Worry wastes time, but prayer works.
  • Worry leads to stress, but prayer leads to peace.

God promises to give his people supernatural peace that can not be explained if we will pray about our problems.

3. Focus on positive things.

“And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.” Philippians 4:8

God and his Word fit all of these categories. God’s word is 100% true. God himself is the most lovely and admirable being in the universe.

It also helps to think about other good things in your life. Get your mind off of your problems and on to positive things!

4. Learn the secret of contentment.

“Not that I was ever in need, for I have learned how to be content with whatever I have. I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.” Philippians 4:11–13

Paul learned to be content with whatever he had. How?

Through Christ’s power!

“For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength” is not primarily about making touchdowns.  It is about being content even when things are not going as you want them.

Paul was given the ability to be content because his greatest desire was being fulfilled in Christ.

Which of these four tips can you apply to your life today?

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PS – Some people have a medical disposition toward worry. These principles can help, but in many situations medication is also neccessary in the battle against worry.

What Is Life All About? – Philippians 3

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From my reading in Philippians 3 in the One Year Bible New Testament.

Paul told us that there is one thing that matters infinitely more than anything else.

“Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ” Philippians 3:8

Compared to knowing Jesus everything else is worthless!

Knowing Jesus is the most important thing in life. As the cheesy bumper stickers says,

No Jesus, no life.

Know Jesus, know life!

The value of knowing Jesus can not be overstated. That is why Paul said the “infinite value” of knowing Jesus.

Everything else in life is dog poop compared to the value of knowing Jesus! Ultimately when you get to the end of your life the most important question that you will have to answer is this..

“Did you know Jesus?”

Knowing Jesus is life long process and it is one of the most exciting things about life. If you don’t know Jesus personally then I encourage you to get to know him because in this relationship you find healing, hope, purpose and eternal life!

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How To Effectively Network And Still Be Humble – Philippians 2

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From my reading in Philippians 2 in the One Year Bible New Testament.

This week I am attending a large conference with a lot of Christian “big dawgs”.

At the conference I am meeting some well known authors and pastors with large ministries.

At any conference, it is a good time to network. Networking is a dangerous game for the Christ follower. Personally I am tempted to try impress others by talking about how amazing my ministry is. I want to charm them into thinking that I am an amazing minister. This is an especially tempting thing to do with those who we look up to. But I must remind my self not to do my networking out of a selfish desire.

Paul warned us against this selfish desire to impress others.

“Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.” Phil 2:3-4

Humility is the key attitude of an effective networker.

I think there are several principles to think about in this passage that can apply to networking with humility.

Don’t be selfish

A selfish networker is more worried about using people than helping them. Instead of thinking about what opportunities this person can open up for you, think about how you can help them with their mission.  Think about how you can possibly be a blessing to the people you meet.

Don’t Try To Impress Others

Pastor’s conferences can get a little weird. There is a lot of talk about how many thousand people go to their church or how many campuses they have.

There is a fine line between telling others about all the amazing things God is doing in your ministry and  telling people how amazing of a minister you are!  I sometimes have the fight the desire to exaggerate or share only the good things about my ministry in an attempt to impress others.

Trying to impress others backfires eventually becasue they are going to see you as you really are anyway! So you might as well be real from the start!

Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourself.

If you have a normal sized ministry it is sometimes easy to think of others as better than yourself because often there are many ministries that are bigger and seem to be accomplishing more!

On the other hand humble people don’t get caught in the comparison game. Even if you have a more successful ministry than someone else you should still think of them as better. Humility is a posture that you must take regardless of your social standing in relation to that person.

Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.

Asking people about their ministry and life will actually go a lot farther than bragging about everything you are doing. If they ask, you should share what God is doing but don’t assume people are interested.

If you want people to take an interest in you take an interest in others! 

When people can see that you have a genuine heart to serve and not to exploit them as a “good contact” they will trust you much more! Looking out for your own interests may help you gain a following in the short term but ultimately networking should be about adding value to others and helping them, not yourself.

If you are ministering for yourself then you are in the wrong business. I pray that I will learn how to effectively network and still remain humble.

Bonus tip… If you see someone who you suspect might be “self-promoting”, humbly give that person the benefit of the doubt.  You can’t judge their motives even if they approach networking in a different style than you. Humility helps us not judge others.

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Live A Life Worthy Of The Good News- Philippians 1

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From my reading in Philippians 1 in the One Year Bible New Testament.

Paul encouraged the Philippians to live lives worthy of the good news they have received.

“Above all, you must live as citizens of heaven, conducting yourselves in a manner worthy of the Good News about Christ. Then, whether I come and see you again or only hear about you, I will know that you are standing together with one spirit and one purpose, fighting together for the faith, which is the Good News.” Philippians 1:27

Live as a citizen of heaven.

The way that you live represents Jesus. As citizens of heaven we should not get so caught up in worldly things and forget to live for God’s eternal purposes.

Live worthy of the Good News.

In one sense, we can never live worthy of the good news because we do not deserve it. On the other hand we should be living in a way that shows our gratitude. We should be seeking to represent Jesus well so that we can make the good news attractive.

Fight for the good news as a team.

Paul was confident that these men and women would be united in their quest to live for Jesus. It is a good reminder for us that we can not effectively reach out or live the Christian life alone. Our unity is one of the greatest testimonies we have to the watching world.

This verse reminds me of the 300 Spartans who fought together. Because they were so united they were able to defeat way more of the enemy. It is similar with us, we are better together!

Are you seeking to live a life worthy of the good news you have received? 

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6 Weapons You Need For Spiritual Battle – Ephesians 6

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From my reading in Ephesians 6 in the One Year Bible New Testament.

Life is a battle.  Stand Firm!

Like it or not, you’re life is a battle ground. There is an enemy who wants to take you down. God has given us everything we need in order to fight the spiritual battles we face. It is important to realize that we need to have ALL these weapons working together in order to be ready for battle. Paul said,

“Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil… Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. ” Ephesians 6:11…13

1. The Belt of Truth

Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth… Ephesians 6:14a

The belt is the part of the armor that holds everything together, being grounded in truth is what holds our lives together.

2. Body Armor of God’s Righteousness

“…and the body armor of God’s righteousness.” Ephesians 6:14b

The body armor protects the vital organs. God’s body armor is what makes us secure. We can be safe because we rely on God’s righteousness. Also our pursuit of righteousness protect us by helping us avoid sin.

3. Peace That Comes From The Good News

“For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared.” Ephesians 6:15

Shoes are helpful for two things.

  • Shoes are made for standing solidly. When we have an adequate understanding of the good news it will give us great peace knowing we are safe in Christ. We can stand firm in the peace he gives us.
  • Shoes are also made for going places. Jesus gave us the command to go make disciples of all nations. It is possible that this verse could also be implying that we should be ready to go out and share the good news!

4. The Shield of Faith

“In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil.” Ephesians 6:16

The shield is effective for blocking attacks. Faith helps us block the devil’s attempts to bring us down. Having solid faith keeps us from doubt, worry, and fear. Faith allows us to have a good perspective when the battle is raging around us.

5. The Helmet of Salvation

Put on salvation as your helmet… Ephesians 6:17

The helmet protects the head, and without the head you are dead! The Salvation is our source of life. Understanding and trusting in the security of our salvation will give you great confidence and protection against attacks.

6. The Sword Of The Spirit, God’s Word

…and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Ephesians 6:17

God’s Word is your sword. The more of God’s Word you have in your life the more ready you will be for spiritual battle. The Bible is your only offensive weapon in this list. Jesus used scripture to fight the temptation of the devil in the desert.

Bonus Weapon… PRAYER!

“Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.” Ephesians 6:18

Prayer protects us, because it keeps us connected to God. We should not only pray for ourselves but pray for believers everywhere. Prayer is also one way to pick up these other weapons.

Which of these weapons do you need to pick up today? 

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Don’t Get Drunk, Be Filled With The Spirit – Ephesians 5:17-33

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From my reading in Ephesians 5:17-33 in the One Year Bible New Testament.

“Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit,” Ephesians 5:18

The Bible is clear that it is a sin to get drunk.

When you are drunk you lose control of yourself and do things you will regret. It leads to the wasting of your life.

Instead we are instructed to be filled with the Spirit.

When we are filled with alcohol we lose control. When we are filled with the Spirit we have self control. The phrase “Be filled” literally means to  continually be filled. This means that it is not a one time event in the life of a Christian.

The Holy Spirit already lives inside of all Christians, but many are not living in His fullness.

It is possible to quench the Spirit and grieve the Spirit through our sin.

Because of that, many Christians are not filled with the Spirit. Like a kink in a hose, our sin blocks the Holy Spirit’s work in our lives.

Being filled with the Spirit is necessary to live in a way that pleases God.

It is how we grow. It is how we relate to people lovingly. It is how we can effectively share our faith. Being filled with the Spirit is when we see God using us for his purposes.

Are you currently filled with the Spirit or do you have sin that you need to confess?

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To Live Like Jesus Is To Love Like Jesus – Ephesians 5:1-16

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From my reading in Ephesians 5:1-16 in the One Year Bible New Testament.

The purpose statement of our ministry is “To help students discover Jesus, learn to live like him, and change the world the way he did.”

Learning to live like Jesus is the process of discipleship.

The true measure of a Christian’s growth is weather or not they are growing in love. If you are not increasing in love then you may be getting more knowledgeable about God but you are not truly growing. Paul instructed us to imitate God by living lives of love.

Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children. Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God. Ephesians 5:1–2

Just as a child imitates his father, so we are to imitate God.

Jesus set the example for us by living a life overflowing with love. The way he lived and died showed us his love. His sacrificial death on the cross was the ultimate sign of true love. This type of love is what we are to imitate.

To evaluate you spiritual growth you need to ask yourself…

Am I becoming a more loving person?

Because, to live like Christ is the love like Christ.

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