Tag Archive - God

Breaking the Routine

May 30, 2009 in Uncategorized with 2 Comments

I love routine. I like knowing this is exactly what I have to do, when I have to do it, and what it is going to produce as a result. The thing about routine is that it is mindless. We just get into a rut and stay there because it is easier to just continue down the beaten path rather than creating your own.
I believe that a lot of times we get use to doing life out of memory that we fail to imagine all that God has and wants for us. We get so consumed with doing the ordinary that we don’t even think about, dream about or pursue the extraordinary that God wants for our life.
imagination-preview-of-attractions1I know that for me I found myself in this place back in December of 2007. I had an amazing job as an associate pastor at Bayside Community Church and I was doing what I was naturally gifted at doing. From the outside looking in, you would think that I had the perfect job and life. On the inside though, I was bored and just going through the routine to accomplish the task of my work. During this time in December, I did something different. I decided that it was time to break free from the routine and start to imagine what life would look like if I were to change the routine. Before I knew it God was rocking my world with Matthew 6:33

“But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you.”

Seeking first required me to get out of my comfort zone, the routine in life, and imagine what was the heart of God for my life.  The question

“Does what breaks the heart of God break your heart?”

kept creeping in my life.  I wanted to be broken for the lost, hurting, uncommitted, undecided and unchurched people.  I knew that I had to change the routine and imagine life being different and challenging.  So here I am today leaving everything I know, all the relationships, family, memories and successes to launch out to imagine what Ft. Lauderdale would look like if there was a place where individuals could experience a group of people dedicated to God and each other who serve and love their community.

What routine do you need to shake up in your life?

What have you imagined and just said that is to hard and just gone back to the routine?

Does what breaks the heart of God break your heart?  What are you doing about it?

Change is hard

May 28, 2009 in Uncategorized with 0 Comments

Has anyone ever noticed that change is hard?  Why is it that when we are about to step out and do something different it freaks us out?  Whether it is getting a new hair style, buying a new home, changing your profession, or trying a new way of doing something, change always messes with us.  Sometimes it even paralyzes us where we are just so afraid to do anything and we get stuck.  We find ourselves in this state of being immobilized to do anything.  It holds us back in our family, work and even our relationship with God.

Here is the thing that I have found in life and that is that if we want to do something great in life we have to do something that probably no one else has ever done.  That means that we are going to have to make an extraordinary change in our life that most aren’t willing to make.  Sounds kind of scary to me, but I truly believe that this is the place that God wants us to continually live, in a place of constant change.  The Bible tells us in I John 4:8

“There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.”

i-want-change1When you and I have a growing and intimate relationship with God, then and only then will we be secure enough in His love to not fear.  In fact you will be so secure in His love that you will embrace and look for change.  God wants us in a constant state of moving forward and changing so we are secure in our relationship with Him.  This is so challenging for me because more than anything I life the safe and secure way that I have always done things in life.  The thing that I have found though is that when I do the safe and secure, I NEVER GROW! God wants us to continually be changing so we can continually be growing in Him.

  • So what do you need to change today so you can grow in relationship with God?
  • What act of faith do you need to step out in?
  • What phone call do you need to make?
  • What job do you need to apply for or even quit?
  • Who do you need to forgive?

Step out in faith today and make a change!

Working on the Inside

April 17, 2009 in Uncategorized with 0 Comments

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I was reading the story of Jonah in my quiet time this week and God just showed up and showed me some great insight.  Jonah is this prophet who heard Gods voice, and after hearing Gods voice RAN AWAY.   I don’t know about you but the one thing I am longing for in life is to hear Gods voice to give me direction.  The interesting thing of the story is that the reason he ran was because he did not want to do what God was calling him to do.

I think that you and I are very similar this way.  We so badly want to hear Gods voice if it is what , but if it isn’t we question whether it was really God or just some pizza we ate last night.  I believe that God is calling us to do all kinds of things in life that we don’t want to do that will really help others.  Jonah was called to go to Ninevah and proclaim Gods judgement so the people would repent.  Sounds like a good thing to me, people coming back to God, but I don’t think the point of the story was truly to have Ninevah repent but was really about the condition of Jonah’s heart.  See Jonahs heart had become hardened for people, which is the very heart of God.  So I think in Gods infinite wisdom he called Jonah to move on His behalf so He could do a work from the inside out.

God is in the business of working on the outside circumstances of helping people so He can do an incredible work on the inside of us.

  • What is that thing that God has called you to do that you are running from?
  • Who do you need to help so God can help you?
  • Where do you need to go so God can take you where you need to end up?

Let’s not just want to hear Gods voice but lets run to and not away from what He tells us to do.