Word of the Week - Vision

Where there is no vision, the people perish.  Proverbs 29:18

Vision is the ability to think about or plan the future with imagination, creativity and wisdom.  Vision allows us to see a picture of a preferred future, which infuses us with energy, enthusiasm and passion for life.  It can truly be the difference maker in our lives that determines if we are flourishing or simply surviving.  Unfortunately, statistics tell us that most people live with very little personal vision and thus don’t really experience the fullness of the life that God intended. 

Martin Luther King Jr. Vision – As we prepare to commemorate Dr. King’s life, I was reflecting on the amazing impact he had on our world and was reminded of the power of his God vision.  We are all familiar with Dr. King’s “I have a Dream Speech”, and the amazing impact his vision has had on our nation.  I believe this is the power of a God inspired vision!!!  “With Man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible”  Matthew 19:26

Our Vision is a function of our God Purpose:  If you are alive and breathing then you have a God purpose for being on this earth that I believe can only be discovered and revealed through a personal relationship with our Creator through the person of Jesus.  Ephesians 2:10 tells us “We are God’s workmanship created in Christ Jesus to do good works that He prepared in advance for us to do”.  The first step is to acknowledge this reality through a personal and intimate relationship with Christ by surrendering our hearts and life to Him.  This is an amazing and life transforming step that is the eternal difference maker.  As amazing as this is for us, this is just the beginning of our eternal journey, there is actually much more that God has for each of us.  God’s plan for us during our time on earth is that we live and grow to our full potential in Christ so that we can realize our God purpose and experience the abundant life. 

Having a God Vision is the difference between surviving and thriving: “For I know the plans I have for you, “says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.” Jeremiah 29:11  I know this sounds great and most everyone desires to hope and a good future but the biggest life question is how do we find our purpose and get a clear Vision for our lives.  First we have to understand that we have an enemy of our soul that is working overtime to keep us from God’s best for our lives and he will use anything he can to distract us from our God purpose because this is where we are most effective.  The main way the enemy keeps us from our purpose is through our pursuit and conforming to the customs of our culture/world.  We are typically so caught up in our day to day lives that we lose track of what is most important or we are constantly playing the comparison game trying to keep up with the Joneses.  “The thief comes only to steal, kill and destroy but I have come so that you may have life, and have it to the full”.  John 10:10.  Through the power of the Holy Spirit living within us, we can overcome the enemy of our soul and live with God Vision and purpose.

How do we develop our God Vision:  With this in mind, we must intentionally seek after God and pursue Him to know our God purpose and Vision by asking God to reveal it to us.  We should also take time to reflect on our lives so we can discern our God given gifts, talents, passions and values; those innate things that we were born with, because our design reveals our destiny (Vision being lived).  We should also take time to get feedback from those that are closest to us who may be able to see things in us that we cannot see in ourselves.  Self-assessment tools like disc or the Enneagram can really be helpful.   Studying God’s word and knowing His heart will also reveal Vision and purpose in our lives because we are made in His image and thus our life vision and purpose should be aligned with His word and will.  We should also look for opportunities and doors that are being opened for us that lead us toward our God purpose.  Finally we should abide in Christ daily and pray to hear from God directly through a personal encounter with the almighty and be willing to step out in faith when we hear from Him, even if what He tells us does not make sense.  Our faith is activated when we step out of our comfort zone and walk in faith and trust by God’s spirit.  This is how we access the the abundant life in Christ.

How do we know if it is God?  We can confirm if we are hearing from God or something else by testing what we are a hearing against a few simple litmus tests.  Does our Vison and purpose align with God’s word.  Are we being motivated by fear or faith, a godly Vision promotes faith rather than fear.  A godly Vision motivates people to action and requires risk-taking.  A godly Vision glorifies God, not us.  As with everything we do in our lives, we must stay connected to the vine of Christ and keep our eyes focused on Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith. 

As we begin this new year, I pray we will come to see more clearly our personal God Vision so we can live out our God given destiny in Christ.

Have a blessed MLK Day!!!

“I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. I have a dream today."  Martin Luther King Jr. 1963

Word of the Week - Fasting

“Paul and Barnabas appointed elders for them in each church and, with prayer and fasting, committed them to the Lord, in whom they had put their trust.” Acts 14:23

Fasting is a powerful discipline of our faith that many believers overlook.  Most professing Christians believe in the practice of praying on a regular basis and have the discipline of prayer integrated into their lives in some form, but rarely do I find believers that value and practice Fasting on a regular basis.  The word of God is full of many scriptures that reveal the power of Fasting especially if combined with focused prayer.  Jesus told His disciples that there were certain spirits that were only cast out by “Prayer and Fasting”.  “However, this kind does not come out except by prayer and fasting;” Mathew 17:21. Even Jesus, God in the flesh, went out into the desert to fast and pray for 40 days and 40 nights Luke 4:2-4.  There is no doubt that as disciples of Christ we are called to fast and pray if we desire to realize all that God has for us:

What is Fasting, Fasting is essentially giving up food or other things that you desire, need or enjoy for a designated period of time in order to focus your thoughts, attention and prayers on God.  Fasting is most powerful if combined with prayer, worship and scripture.  In Fasting we are simply working to intensify our spiritual connection with God by seeking connection to the spirit of God by feeding the things of the spirit and depriving the things of the soul and flesh.  As I shared in my “word of the week” on January 12, 2020, see below, we are Triune beings comprised of body, soul and spirit and these 3 dimension of our being are in constant competition with one another.  By Fasting we are willfully and intentionally making our spirit the highest priority and thus our flesh and soul man tends to decrease and our spirit man comes more alive, which gives us heightened connection to God that results in increases spiritual awareness and power.  “Draw near to Me and I will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double minded” James 4:8 Fasting is simply a way to intentionally live out James 4:8 and draw closer to God.

What does it look like, Since Fasting is a personal and spiritual practice, there is no right or wrong way to Fast but there are some best practices that are helpful.  Most Fast involve giving up some or all food for a period of time.  Of course, our body must have food and water or it will die so Fasting needs to be well advised to ensure we are not doing something that is dangerous to our health.  That being said, we can go many days without food if we are drinking water or juices.  There are many different food related fast that include short term total fast whereby you give up eating for 24 hours or for 2-3 days; or more extended selective food fast where you may give up meats, sweets and breads and only do fruits and vegetables for 21 days.  This is referred to as the Daniel Fast. You can also Fast certain meals each day for a period of time.  You can reference the following link for more detail on various types of fast  https://21days.churchofthehighlands.com/fasting.  You can also starve your soul by fasting certain hobbies or activities that you enjoy.  Minimizing media and social media intake is also a great way to quiet our emotions of the soul and feed become more attuned to the voice of God. The key is that you are giving up things that feed the body and soul and focusing your heart, mind and body on God and the things of the spirit. 

Benefits of fasting, The goal and most exciting benefit in Fasting is getting closer to God and that should be enough, but God is so good and loving that He gives us many more benefits.  Since our spirit is heightened and in deeper connection with God, we often can experience major breakthroughs and miracles in our lives through prayer and Fasting such as physical or mental healing and deliverance from strongholds or addictions that have plagued us or loved ones.  We can also experience revelation and gain clarity for our lives, especially if we are in seasons of trying to find direction or make big life decisions.  During times of fasting it is not uncommon to have revelation on new ideas and new vision that can profound and life changing.  Physically our bodies benefit from Fasting and typically become more healthy by ridding ourselves of toxins and other things that are purged out of our bodies through the process.  Most people lose weight and simply become more healthy and just feel better.  The act of Fasting by depriving our soul and flesh helps to cleanse and purify our hearts, minds and bodies.  God ways are so amazing because He truly knows what is best for us and there are always practical benefits to doing things the way God intended. 

The bottom line is that Fasting is a powerful discipline and tool for us as believers and when combined with prayer can really be the difference maker in our lives and walk with the Lord, especially when it comes to breaking through strongholds as noted in Matthew 17:21.  I have been practicing this discipline for the past 22 years since I came to faith and it has had a tremendous impact on my life.  Our church does an annual 21 days of prayer and fasting in January each year, which we are starting today.  We come together each morning at 6am for one hour to worship, get a short word from scripture and pray both individually and collectively as a church body.  We typically have thousands of people praying together each morning.  It is powerful!!!  I encourage you to visit in person at one of our 24 campuses or check it out online at  https://21days.churchofthehighlands.com/.  Fasting is the act of humbling ourselves before God and declaring that we are dependent upon God as our provider and sustainer.  “Humility is the fear of the Lord; its wages are riches and honor and life”.  Proverbs 22:4 

“So we fasted and petitioned our God about this, and He answered our prayer.” Ezra 8:23

 -Duane

Word of the Week - everything "New" in 2023

"He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!”  Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true” Revelation 21:5

As we begin 2023, we have the opportunity to start fresh and begin a “New” chapter of our lives, especially in our walk of faith.  I love this about God and our faith as Christians; as foundational as God is in the fact that He has been around since the beginning of time, He is the same today as He was in the beginning, but He is a God who loves to make everything New.  He desires for us to be born anew in His spirit so that we can experience the abundant life He promises us.  He also desires for us to be renewed and refreshed so we can continue to experience the fresh life of God and have the capacity to minister this hope to others.  In the Spirit of God there is always life and Newness and He calls us to pursue New things in Christ so we can flourish and rejoice in this truth. 

New Life in Christ, “This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!” 2 Corinthians 5:17 The New life in Christ, which is the abundant life that He speaks about in John 10:10, comes to us when we surrender our hearts and lives to Christ and are born afresh of His spirit.  In order to experience the New things of God we have to get ourselves out of the way and allow Him to do His work in each of us.  This is where salvation and New life begins and we literally become New persons in Christ.  I experienced this at the age of 33 and literally it changed the way I see God, myself and the world and I have not been the same since.  I was given a New identity in Christ and it awakened in me a New perspective that has truly been the biggest blessing of my life and made me a New person with New priorities, values, interest, disciplines, hopes and dreams.

New daily perspective, disciplines and rhythms, “Therefore we do not lose heart.  Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.  For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.” 2 Corinthians 4:16-17  The truth is that no matter how much we love God, life has a way of taking a toll on us as the years pass and we experience the challenges, pain and disappointments that we will all experience since we live in a fallen and broken sin filled world.  According to this passage in God’s word, the key to living a healthy life is that we allow God to renew us each day by connecting to the vine of Christ, which provides the sustenance that we need to stay strong and faithful within our inner spirit man.  This is what gives us the strength to press on through the challenges of life with strength, faith and hope.  To maintain a healthy perspective we must have daily disciplines and rhythms that keep us in connection with the Lord.  Investing focused time each day with the Lord by talking with Him about life and our challenges (prayer), receiving guidance and instruction from Him (reading His word), and telling Him how much we love Him while gaining love and encouragement from Him (praise and worship), are some of the basic disciplines and rhythms of our faith that are key to having intimacy with the Lord and experiencing New things in Christ.

As we begin this New Year I pray we will take inventory and make adjustments to our lives so we can experience the Newness and Goodness of God.  My friend John Maxwell says “You’ll never change your life until you change something you do daily.  The secret to your success is found in your daily routine”  Like any relationship, our relationship with the Lord is something that requires daily focus and attention.  Since it is the most important relationship in our lives, I would submit that it requires the most focus and attention. 

I pray you experience God in a New and Fresh way in 2023…

 -Duane

Word of the Week - Christmas

“For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder.  And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.  Isaiah 9:6

Have you ever taken time to think about the impact that Christ birth had on our world?  Beginning with the celebration of Christ birth on December 25th, which has culminated in the holiday of Christmas that is recognized and celebrated by most everyone around the world.  It is by far the most celebrated holiday in the western world and has an unrivaled impact on our world both economically, relationally and spiritually.  Further, our entire world calendar is based upon this event!!!  We actually measure time BC (Before Christ) and AD (After Death) by this single event.  This was obviously a major historical event that changed the world forever but yet it was such a simple and humble happening; a child being born in a stable amongst a handful of people.  The most amazing part of the Christmas story is that God sent Jesus “Unto us” you and me, as the gift of all gifts.  This is truly the reason for the season of Christmas, to celebrate the amazing gift of Christ unto us, all of humanity.  Anyone who wants to receive the gift has access, through a relationship with the person of Jesus.  Jesus came as God in the flesh and He is known as the great “I am” everything we need He is for us.  Jesus is both awesome and magnificent but personal and intimate, which makes Him our God, our friend, our comforter.  740 years before Christ, Isaiah prophesied the birth of Christ and some of the characteristics of Christ:

Wonderful and Mighty  – In His awesome and eternal power, Jesus is King of all the heavens and the earth.  He is beyond our ability to understand, which makes Him our wonderful and magnificent God almighty.  His power is endless; He has been given authority over all things and literally sits at the right hand of God our Father and intercedes (advocates) for us.  We will ultimately stand before Him and He will have the final say as it relates to our eternal destiny.  If we “know Him” then we will enjoy eternity with Him.  “Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’  Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you.  Away from me, you evildoers!’” Matthew 7:22-23  He will ultimately return to earth in His second coming as a mighty King with a legion of angels with a mission to reconcile the world. Whether we choose relationship with Jesus or not, ultimately we will acknowledge who He is. “It is written, “As surely as I live, says the Lord, every knee will bow before me; every tongue will acknowledge God” Romans 14:11

Everlasting Father – We all desire to have a loving and caring Father in our lives to be there for us in the ups and downs of life.  There is nothing like the presence of a loving father when we are struggling and need strength and encouragement.  It is also a blessing to have a father who can share in our victories and success in life and who has our back no matter what the circumstance.  This is who Jesus is for us, He gives us access to Father God through the trinity and desires to be our loving “Abba” father in all circumstances of life.  Regardless of the status of our earthly Fathers, who are also a very important to us and our wellbeing, Jesus is there to be our connection to our Everlasting Heavenly Father. “The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, "Abba, Father."”

Counselor and Prince of Peace – As our Counselor, the Lord desires to be our friend and confidant in times of need. “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen His glory, glory as of the only Son of the Father, full of grace and truth.” John 1:14  The death and resurrection of Jesus gave us access to the Holy Spirit who comes as the great Comforter to give us what we need in times of trouble.  As the Prince of Peace, the Lord offers us the ability to stand in peace even during the most trying times of life.  One of the names of Christ is Jehovah Shalom, the giver of Peace.  We all desire to have peace in our lives but it is not something we can produce in our own strength but we can surely find peace in Christ our Prince of Peace.  “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you.  I do not give to you as the world gives.  Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” John 14:27

I pray that the Lord’s grace over each of us to receive the true blessings of Christmas in Christ and remember the reason for this holiday season.  “For unto us (you & me) a Child is Born”.

Merry Christmas!!!!!!!!!!!!

 -Duane

Word of the Week - Solitude and Reflection

“After Jesus had dismissed the crowds, He went up on a mountainside by himself to pray.  When the evening came, he was still there alone” Matthew 14:23

In the busyness of our day to day lives and our desire to be more productive and “do more” for God and others, we can easily overlook the importance of solitude and reflection.  We can all learn from Jesus’ example of taking time to retreat from the crowds and day to day activity to go away to a place of quiet and solitude to pray, reflect and listen for the still small voice of God.  It is easy to miss some of the most important things God is trying to tell us if we don’t take time to get in a quiet environment to posture ourselves to hear from God.

Jesus often withdrew from people, daily life activities and the demands of His ministry to be alone with the Father and pray.  His solitude and silence are prevalent throughout the Gospels.  His ongoing, intimate relationship with His Abba father was the source of His compassion, wisdom, and power.  Withdrawing to solitude is how Jesus began His ministry, how He made important decisions and dealt with troubling emotions like grief.  How we dealt with the constant demands of ministry and cared for His soul.  It is even how He prepared for His death on the cross.

I started doing 24-hour solos over 20 years ago and it has become a meaningful part of my life and faith journey.  God has revealed some amazing things to me over the years through my solo retreats.  This is on my mind today as I am preparing to take a year-end solo this week, and I am looking forward to hearing what God might have to share with me. 

For me, this is a day when I retreat away to a quiet place to reflect on my life as it relates to the bigger picture life purpose (why am I here and what has God uniquely called me to do), vision (picture of a preferable future), Mission (how I live and structure my life to realize my vision), values (what defines who I am and want to become), and goals (what I hope to accomplish in the future to live out my God purpose and vision).  I try to do this several times a year but always at the end of the year.  I believe in it so much that we make it a mandatory paid day away for our team members at Founders, see attached Founders Solo guide as a resource.  If we want to grow and mature to realize our life potential in Christ, I believe it is paramount that we all take time out to examine our lives and hear from God. “A life not examined is not worth living”. Socrates

 Here are a few practical tips for your solo (this is what I do):

• Quiet Place - Go to a place that is quiet and has limited distractions – farmhouse, cabin in the woods, lake home, retreat center, Pursell Farms etc.

• Limited Distractions - Put away your phone and technology and plan to disconnect for your time away – do not do work or take calls – enter into Sabbath rest (not trying to be productive just restful and reflective)

• Posture - Spend the first part of your time (1-2 hours entering) “His courts with praise and Thanksgiving” – Turn on your favorite praise music and just worship and praise the Lord.  Thank Him for your blessings.  Count your blessings by writing down everything you can think of that you are thankful for. 

• Read some scripture that inspires you – I love reading John 15, Proverbs 3, Galatians 5, Ephesians

• Write down anything that stand out to you from the scripture

• Review and Reflection

• Review your personal Vision, Mission, Values, Purpose, goals, life plan etc. – if you don’t have one then you can start by developing a draft  

• Review your calendar for the year – analyze how you spent your time and if you invested time in the areas of priority

• Spend time thinking about your calendar for 2023 and how you want to prioritize

• Review special memories – I just started doing this.  I go through my photo album on my phone for the year and reflect on all the special times I spent with friends and family.  Helps with framing your memory of the year, counting your blessings and fostering a heart of gratitude.

• Look at daily, weekly, monthly rhythms and load them into your calendar (first fruits time, date nights with spouse, recreation time, retreats, family time etc) If it is not on your calendar then it probably is not a priority

• Journal Review – if you keep a journal, it is great to review it and look for patterns and insights that may help you

• Listen and Dream

• Think about the possibilities for you and your family – Vision – Heritage Vision

• Take walks to pray and listen to hear what God has for you

• Listen for a theme or word from the Lord – I try to get a word for the year to focus on such as:  Gentleness, Graciousness, pruning etc. 

    “Jesus went on from there and walked beside the Sea of Galilee.  And He went up on the mountain and sat down there.” Matthew 15:29

• Capture it - Write a one-page summary from your time away and file it somewhere where you can pull it out to review during the year and at your next solo

Be still and know that I am God.”  I will be exalted among the Nations; I will be exalted in the earth”.  Psalm 46:1

I hope this adds value to you and blesses you as much as it has blessed me over the years.

Have a great week…

 -Duane

Word of the Week - Certainties - Impact Leadership Conference

Therefore, we do not lose heart.  Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.  For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.  2 Corinthians 4: 16-17

Our firm, Founders Advisors, was honored once again this year to serve as the Title Sponsor of the Impact Conference 2022 on behalf of Highlands College .  Highlands College is a biblical higher education institution that exists to supply the Church with leaders of competence, character, and spiritual maturity, holistically trained to lead lives of eternal impact by fulfilling the Great Commission.  I personally love the Vision and Mission of Highlands College that addresses the challenge in Luke 10:2 “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few”.    

It was an amazing day with Dr. John Maxwell, Pastor Chris Hodges, and Jamie Kern Lima.  I was encouraged, inspired, and equipped by all of these leaders.  If you were not able to attend in person or virtually, I would highly recommend that you take some time to listen to the talks from the Impact Conference by clicking the following link Impact Leadership Conference Talks .

My friend Dr. John Maxwell, who recently turned 75, shared some wisdom and insight from his perspective looking back over his life.  He said you can gain great insights by learning from those who have gone before you, especially as they reflect and look back over the ground they have travelled.  He shared that as he gets older there are lots of things in the world that seem more complicated and uncertain, but there are a few things that grow more assured and certain.  The 13 certainties of life and leadershp that John shared resonated with me, so I wanted to share them with you.  You can get more insights by watching Johns 50-minute talk by clicking here John Maxwell - 13 Life Certainties .   

John Maxwell’s 13 Certainties of Leadership:

1. Attitude is the difference maker

   • Attitude is not everything, but it is the main thing

   • Attitude can’t make up for incompetence, but experience + attitude the winning combination

   • Attitude is a choice – choose a positive life stance everyday

2. Adding value to others adds value back to me

   • Zig Ziglar: put others at the top of your agenda and you’ll get where YOU want to go

   • Judge the success of your day by how much seed you sow – harvest is automatic

   • Giving (unconditional) vs swapping (expecting something in return)

3. Personal growth is the only way to guarantee tomorrow is better than today – be INTENTIONAL

   • Aging is inevitable, but growth is optional

   • There is no finish line: if you cross the finish line, you are DONE

   • Focus on growing in areas you are strong in

4. Everyone needs forgiveness, so forgive everyone – KEEP SHORT ACCOUNTS

   • Giving and forgiving requires a generous lifestyle and unconditional love

   • Forgiving is not forgetting, but acknowledging what was done and forgiving anyway

   • Travel life without the emotional baggage of unforgiveness

5. Everything rises and falls on leadership

   • Good skills + good values = leading well

   • Your team deserves to be led well

   • How well you lead determines how well you succeed

6. Intentional living maximizes life

   • Good intentions are worthless unless you move good intentions to good actions

   • Someday vs today – dreaming vs doing – Love/give/serve TODAY

   • Small deeds are better than great intentions – traction requires action

7. One is too small a number to achieve greatness – TEAM

   • “I want to make a difference with people that want to make a difference”

   • If you are self-made, then you haven’t made much

   • We need others to achieve our full potential – we are better together

8. Your perspective becomes your world

   • How you view things is how you do things / what you see is what you get

   • Choose others over yourself / gratitude over complaining

   • Choose faith over fear, gratitude over entitlement, generosity over stinginess

9. Consistency compounds

   • It’s not sexy and no rewards the first week

   • When you can afford to quit is the point when you really can’t afford to quit, this is where compounding kicks in

   • Sowing and reaping principle

10. Keep success and failure together – win and lose each day

    • When you are on a roll, failure will give you humility

    • When you bomb out, failure will give you resiliency

11. Success is having those that know you the best, love and respect you the most

    • If people that don’t know you well like you better than people that do know you well, watch out

    • Social media – a lot of people fake it until they make it

    • Be bigger on the inside than you are on the outside – if you have good values on the inside, you need less validation on the outside

12. Significance satisfies

    • Success is about having stuff but significance is about serving others

    • Once you have tasted significance, success will never satisfy

    • Life of significance = my life is not my own

13. Faith works – it gives us true identity and purpose, which drives everything else

            “Now faith is the substance of what we hope for and the certainty of what we cannot see” Hebrews 11:1

I hope this adds value to you and blesses you as much as it has blessed me. 

Have a great week…

 -Duane

Word of the Week - Spiritual Growth

For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness;  and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love.  For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.  2 Peter 1:5-8

Spiritual Growth is the process of growing over time as we mature in our walk with the Lord.  I love how Peter challenges us in this verse to grow in our godliness and outlines 8 specific virtues for us to evaluate in our journey of spiritual growth. He says that “if we possess these qualities in increasing measure, we will be effective and productive” disciples in our calling as followers of Christ.  I think it is edifying to dig into scriptures like this one so we can reflect and self-evaluate to determine if we are growing in these areas.

Virtues of Spiritual Growth outlined in 2 Peter 1:

• Faith – It begins with faith. Faith is the “the substance of things hoped for, and the evidence of things not seen” Hebrews 11:1 Throughout scripture we are reminded that faith is the key to our relationship with God.  We must truly believe in our hearts if we are to experience the power and fruit of our faith.  At the same time, Faith is a gift and is not something we can’t just muster up in our own strength.  This is challenging, but as we pursue God and seek to know Him our faith will increase.  We can also pray for our faith to increase. I have found that the more I know and experience a walk with God the more my faith increases. 

• Goodness – Goodness is love in action; the state or quality of being good.  Moral excellence; virtue, kindly feeling; kindness; generosity; excellence of quality; it’s not something we do only for the sake of being virtuous but is more about our heart motivations as we serve and interact with others.  If we do something good out of obligation or just for the sake of being seen as virtuous it is good, but if we do it from a place of love motivated by the love of God in our hearts it is godly goodness.  I believe this is the goodness that Peter is referring to in this scripture.  This is one of the fruits of the spirit listed in Galatians 5 that flows from abiding in Christ.  “In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven” Mathew 5:16     

• Knowledge – Is to become familiar, educated or experienced on a particular topic, person, or subject.  From a biblical perspective it is to become familiar with the person of God the Father, Son and Holy spirit through the Word of God, His commandments, and our experiences with Him.  Knowing God helps us understand His essence and heart, so we can know Him and be in communion and relationship with God and His church.  Just like many things of the spirit, it is one thing to have intellectual knowledge of God and an entirely different thing to have heart experiential knowledge.  “The heart of the discerning acquires knowledge, for the ears of the wise seek it out”. Proverbs 15:14

• Self-control – Is defined as the ability to control oneself, in particular one’s emotions and desires or the expression of them in one’s behavior, especially in difficult situations.  From a biblical perspective it is defined as a virtue that allows us to resist the temptations of our flesh and avoid conforming to the things of this world.  It is one of the 8 fruits of the spirit outlined in Galatians 5 and is surely one of the hardest things to master without the power of the Holy Spirit.  I have found that it is very hard to control my impulses and behaviors by simply desiring or willing to do so, especially in the middle of trials or stressful situations.  We are surely creatures of habit and many of the behaviors we don’t want to do are not even conscious to us.  This is why we submit our lives and personal will to the Lord and pray for self-control.  I am pretty sure we cannot attain self-control in our own strength.  Even with the power of God, self-control can be challenging at times, but it is God’s desire for us to overcome by His spirit living within us.  “For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline”.  2 Timothy 1:7

• Perseverance – Is defined as persistence in doing something despite difficulty or adversity in circumstances that delay achieving the desired outcome.  Is also referred to as long-suffering.  This is the virtue of having the internal strength, commitment, and fortitude to continue to do the right things for the right reasons despite how we feel.  Perseverance produces proof that our faith is real and thus produces hope, which increases our faith.  It is part of what we sign up for as followers of Christ in that we must be willing to suffer with Christ to become Christlike and godly. “because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything”  James 1:3-4

• Godliness – Is the quality or practice of conforming to the ways of God; devoutness and moral uprightness.  Reflecting the nature of the kingdom of God in the course of our everyday lives.  Someone who has a healthy fear and reverence for God and delights in His commandments.  Other characteristics that demonstrate a godly person include someone who loves God and loves others and lives out the great commandment.  They put others before themselves and live a life thinking beyond themselves.  They are gracious, forgiving and full of compassion.  A person who is godly will live life with a deep respect and obedience to God’s word and use God’s word as their path towards character development.  They are also mind of dependence and live a surrendered life trusting God completely.  “But godliness with contentment is great gain.  For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it.” 1 Timothy 6:6-7

• Mutual Affection – Is used in some translations as brotherly kindness and it simply connotes a tender affection to all our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ.  This suggests a selfless attitude that makes it easier for us to put the interest of others before our own.  It carries a sense of reciprocity or having to do with give and take, the back and forth of human relationships.  Graciousness towards one another in the effort to achieve unity and harmony.  It is also demonstrated by showing hospitality towards others and making them feel welcomed and at home.  “Be devoted to one another in love.  Honor one another above yourselves.  Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.  Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.  Share with the Lord’s people who are in need.  Practice hospitality.” Romans 12: 10-13

• Love –  “My command is this; Love each other as I have loved you.  Great love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends”. John 15:12 God is love and He demonstrated His love by His amazing sacrifice of dying on the cross so we can have the gift of eternal life.  This is the ultimate act of love.  Of all the commands and all these virtues, Love preempts them all.  In fact, love is the foundation of all of the virtues above.  It is the heart of the matter.  God defines Love in 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 “Love is patient, love is kind, it does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.  Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.  It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.  Lover never fails.”  “And now these three remain; faith, hope and love.  But the greatest of these is love.  1 Corinthians 13:12

We are in a great season for reflection as we move into the year end Holiday Season.  I would challenge us each to take a little time to assess ourselves in each of these areas.  If we are really brave, we can ask our spouses for input 😊!!!!  No better time to ask the Lord to help us grow in any or all of these virtues!!!

Have a great week…

 -Duane

Word of the Week - Thanksgiving

Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; His love endures forever. Let them give thanks to the Lord for His unfailing love and His wonderful deeds for mankind, for He satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things. Psalm 107:1,8-9

Thanksgiving defined by Webster is the act of giving thanks; a prayer expressing gratitude; a public acknowledgment or celebration of divine goodness.  I love Thanksgiving and the fact that we as a nation set aside a day to give thanks and acknowledge our blessings both individually, as a family and as a country.  It is by far my favorite holiday, a time to slow down to “express gratitude and acknowledge and celebrate God’s divine goodness”. 

Give thanks in all circumstances - Life can be very difficult at times.  In fact Jesus tells us this in John 16:33 “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace.  In this world you will have trouble.  But Take heart!  I have overcome the world”.  The real question is how we will respond to the challenges and disappointments we face.  Will we focus and dwell on the negative or will be decide to focus on our blessings?  The tendency of the world is to focus on the negative, which is our natural inclination. This is not God’s will for us and does not lead us to the abundant life Jesus desires for us.  By focusing on the challenging issues of life, which will always be here this side of heaven, we often lose perspective on the blessings of life and God’s goodness towards us, which can easily lead to the trap of negativity, despair, bitterness, envy, depression etc, this is bad thinking.  Or, we can choose the Lord’s way, which is to “Give Thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” 1 Thessalonians 5:16.  This approach leads to peace, hope, joy, encouragement etc., a life giving perspective.

A few benefits of a grateful heart:  

• It gets our eyes off ourselves, and helps us to focus back on God.

• It reminds us we're not in control, but that we serve a Mighty God who is.

• It takes our attention off of our problems and helps us instead to reflect on, to remember, the goodness of His many blessings.

• A grateful heart reminds us that ultimately God is our Provider, that all blessings and gifts are graciously given to us by His hand.

• A heart of gratitude leaves no room for complaining. For it is impossible to be truly thankful and filled with negativity and ungratefulness at the same time.

• It makes the enemy flee. The forces of darkness can't stand to be around hearts that give thanks and honor to God. Our praise and thanksgiving will make them flee.

• It opens up the door for continued blessings. It invites His presence. Our spirits are refreshed and renewed in Him. 

Count your blessings each day and give Thanks to God - This is a simple and powerful spiritual principle.  There is no question that we will reap what we sow in this very important area of life.  Therefore, I challenge us this week to begin each day (First Fruits/Priority) by acknowledging God’s goodness by counting our blessings and giving thanks to Him.  Before we put your feet on the floor each morning think of something we are grateful for and give Thanks.  No matter how bad things are we can always find something to be Thankful for.  God loves it when we enter His presence with praise and thanksgiving, it blesses Him but it also really blesses Us.  “Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise; give thanks to Him and praise His name” Psalm 100:4

I am thankful for each of you and pray you and your family had a blessed Thanksgiving.

 -Duane

Word of the Week - godly Wisdom

For wisdom is more precious than rubies, and nothing you desire can compare with her.  Proverbs 8:11

As I seek to grow in godly Wisdom, the truth of Proverb 8:11 becomes more profound; godly Wisdom is defined as “supernatural skills for day to day living”.  Our world/culture seems to be moving further away from pursuing godly wisdom and more towards the ways of this world.  The bible tells us that there are two kinds of Wisdom “Who is wise and understanding among you?  Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from Wisdom.  But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth.  Such “wisdom” does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic.  For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.  But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.” James 3 14-16

6 Attributes of godly wisdom outlined in James 3:

• The wise are pure hearted – We must make it one of our highest priorities to keep our hearts pure. When we see things within our lives that are not good and pure, we should ask God to remove it from our hearts and deeply desire to “not be that way”. Most importantly we should guard our hearts from the being contaminated by the things of this world. This includes what we take into our hearts and souls through media, social media and hanging around with the wrong crowd. We know that “friendship with the world becomes enmity with God” James 4:4 We must be vigilant in choosing to guard our hearts and minds from the things of this world that are not pure and of God. “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God” Matthew 5:8

• The wise are peace loving – The spirit of God is a spirit of love, unity, peace and harmony not of disunity. There is definitely going to be conflict in this world and we will be tested by situations where we are unjustly attacked. That being said, human anger and strife does not produce good. This is quite apparent in the current strife of our culture. All we see is one side pitted against the other in a spirt of anger, strife and disunity. It only sows seeds of discourse and that is of the enemy not of God. Our goal as followers of Christ should be to sow seeds of love, peace and unity. “If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone”. Romans 12:18

• The wise are considerate and gentle – To be considerate is to think of others and how we can love and serve them. A wise person practices gentle courtesy and always considers the needs, desires, and feelings of others. Part of the fruit of God’s spirit that comes from abiding in Christ is the capacity to be others focused. We can only love others if we are secure in Christ and take time to understand the needs, wants and desires of others. As Christians we should be others focused because that is the focus of the Lord Jesus. “Each of us should please our neighbors for their good, to build them up. For even Christ did not please himself”. Romans 15:2-3

• The wise willing to yield and submit – Our willingness to yield our will to the overall good of family, community, or our local church is a mark of godly Wisdom. We must be willing to admit that we are human and don’t know everything. We must be willing to admit when we are wrong. We must be willing to submit to authority. We must seek to understand and be reasonable (reason able). “The way of fools seems right to them, but the wise listen to advice”. Proverbs 12:15

• The wise minimize the mistakes of others – A wise person will demonstrate charity and forgiveness toward those who have offended him. It is much more profitable, and life giving, to be full of grace and mercy rather than to prosecute to the full extent even with justification. If we realize what God has done for us and the amazing grace and mercy He has shown us, we begin to grasp this concept. “While we were still sinners Christ died for us” Romans 5:8 We will be judged by the same standard in which we judge others; therefore, “Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom, because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgement” James 2:12-13

• The wise are real and authentic – We should value people above status and reputation. All people really matter and God desires for all to come to know Him. God made each of us in His image for a special and unique purpose, including you. There is not another you and thus we should celebrate our uniqueness by being true to who God made us to be. Being authentic allows us to live our lives with integrity, our goal should be to become the best version of ourselves in and through Christ. We don’t put on fronts to try to be someone we aren’t, we are uniquely ourselves. “What you see is what you get” in Christ. “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works that He prepared in advance for us” Ephesians 2:10

So, let’s pursue godly Wisdom to be salt and light to a hurting world and reap the amazing benefits because “Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness” James 3:18

Have a great Thanksgiving week, we surely have much to be Thankful for in Christ Jesus!!!!! 2 Corinthians 9:15

 -Duane

Word of the Week - Tree of Life

“He who has an ear, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.  To him who overcomes, I will grant to eat of the tree of life which is in the Paradise of God” Rev 2:7

The Story from Genesis – Among all the tree in the Garden of Eden, God identified two special trees: of life, and the knowledge of good in evil. “And out of the ground the Lord God made to spring up every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food.  The Tree of Life was in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil”.  Genesis 2:9  God allowed Adam and Eve to eat from all the trees except the tree of knowledge of good and evil, warning them that death would result.  “The Lord God commanded the man, saying, ‘You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, but the tree of knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die” Genesis 2:16-17 After being tempted by the serpent, Adam and Eve ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in disobedience to God.  “So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate.  Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked.  And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths.” Genesis 3:7 After eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil – in part to become “wise” Adam now possessed the knowledge of good and evil like God does, as well as the knowledge of their nakedness.

Living from the Tree of Life vs. Knowledge of Good and Evil – We have this same decision today except with the benefits of the Cross of Jesus and His amazing grace.  Do we submit our lives to the Lordship of Christ and trust God or do we go by the ways of world and trust the knowledge and wisdom of this world.  Do we live from the judgmental and condemning spirit of the law and religion trying to determine if we are good enough, or do we live from the life-giving spirit of grace and relationship with Jesus.  Are we motivated internally in response to the love of God or are we being driven by external obligations to try to be good enough.  I call it moving from the “got to” to the “get to”.  Moving from the head (knowledge) to the heart (relationship).  I have eaten from both of these trees through my life journey and can personally attest to the fact that the tree of the knowledge of good and evil brings death but the tree of life brings the life that is truly life.  For the first 33 years of my life, I was eating out of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and pursuing the things of this world (success, the approval of man, financial security, status etc.) by trying to accomplish.  The last 21 years since submitting to Jesus as my Lord through a personal relationship with Him, I have simply made God my first and greatest life priority and have truly experienced the abundant life that Jesus speaks about in the Gospel of John 10:10.  “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that you may have life, and have it to the full (abundance)”.

Choosing the Tree of Life –  “There is a way that seems right to a man but leads to death”. Proverbs 14:12. The way of the world seems right, natural, and good - the ways of God are supernatural, spiritual and can be hard to understand in our head. How we see God is most important.  Many see God as a scary and angry force that is upset with them because they have failed at being a good Christian.  They have this false idea that we have to become a certain way to win God’s approval!  The truth is that God loves each of us as His son or daughter and there is nothing we can do to earn His love or become good enough to win Him over.  He is already in love with each of us and simply wants to be in relationship with us.  He wants to bless us and our families.  He is for us not against us.  His Word and His commandments are not to keep us from enjoying life, they are truly there to help us through life and give us what is needed to live an abundant and flourishing life no matter our circumstances.  We must simply trust God by faith (believe even though we can’t see it or prove it), submit our lives to His authority and remain connected to the vine of Christ John 15:5, so He can use us to do His good work and bear fruit through our lives.  If we are eating from the tree of life, we will develop childlike faith and innocence.  Like a child trusts his/her parents this is how we should trust God.  “At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”  And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them and said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 18:1-3.   

Jesus is the Tree of Life – The bottom line is that Jesus came to redeem all mankind back to the Father through His death on the cross.  Jesus declares that He is the bread of life.  “Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life.  Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.” John 6:35 If you eat of the tree of life you will be transformed into a new creation and operate with a new paradigm.  The tree of life produces a life-giving spirit that has amazing godly characteristics of its source, which is Jesus.  It is much different than the religious spirit of the law from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.  Instead of guilt, shame, and condemnation it produces security, trust and conviction.  It also produces the fruit of God’s spirit which is “Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.  Against such things there is no law”. Galatians 5:22-23.

Challenge Questions:  Are you eating from the tree of life or the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (the ways of the world/culture)?  Do you see God as your loving Father and friend who wants the best for you or as a scary heavenly force who is disappointed in you?  Are you excited about sharing what God is doing in your life?  Do you feel secure in Christ?  If not, today is the day you can begin to eat from the tree of life by submitting your life the Lordship of Christ.  “Taste and See that the Lord is good, blessed are those who trust in Him” Psalm 34:8

“Do not love the world (tree of the knowledge of good and evil) or anything in the world.  If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them.  For everything in the world – the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life – comes not from the Father, but from the world.  The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.” 1 John 2:15-17

Have a great week!

 -Duane

Word of the Week - Ministry

“But I do not account my life of any value nor as a precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God” Acts 20:24

Ministry defined – Ministry is from the Greek word diakoneo, meaning “to serve”.  In the New Testament, ministry is seen as service to God and to other people in His name.  Jesus showed us what it looked like to minister to others.  He came, not to receive service, but to give to others.  “Just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” Matthew 20:28 As followers of Jesus, one of the fruits of our abiding relationship with the Lord is a desire to serve others with love and humility and share what God has done in us.  We minister to others out of our love and devotion to the Lord as a response to His amazing grace and love for us.  Whether believer or unbeliever, we have a desire to love others the way God has loved us with an impartial and unconditional agape love, always seeking to help others as Jesus would. 

Ministry of all Believers – Ministry is often thought of from a vocational ministry perspective as we call pastors and priests to full time service.  There is certainly a group of believers that are called to full-time ministry, and they are rightly designated as ministers, but pastors and priests are not the only ones to be involved in ministry.  As followers of Jesus, we are all called to be ministers.  This starts with the fact that as the Church, we are part of a body of believers, and all have a part to play.  Our ministry starts by being plugged into a healthy local church, so we have connection and covering.  This is the proper order of things and how we grow and are fed as part of the community of believers.  Within our church, we are given opportunities to be part of the team effort to serve others within our church family and those within the community who may not have a church family.  We are surely better together as a body of believers and God uses the collective gifts and resources of all believers to spread the good news of Jesus and literally “change the world”.  I am very fortunate to be part of an amazing church where I have been able to serve for over 20 years.  I am awe struck when I reflect on how God has used our church in building His Kingdom by “ministering to others” in the name of Jesus.  For example, year to date 2022, we have had over 16,000 people come into a personal relationship with Jesus through our church.  It is one of the most fulfilling aspects of my life to be part of such an amazing ministry.  We get to play a part in His Church while we grow and mature in our faith and ministry.  Ephesians 4:12-13 says we are  “to equip His people for the works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ”.

Unique calling and gifting – God created us all with unique interests, passions and giftings and He desires for us to use these things in ministry.  This was one of the most exciting things I discovered when I came into a personal relationship with Jesus and started walking out my faith by using my gifts to minister to others.  I was so excited about my newfound faith that I considered going into full time vocational ministry, which felt a little awkward, especially for my wife Amy who was not feeling it.  I shared this with my pastor over lunch one day and he asked me why I was thinking about going into full time ministry and I told him that I thought that was what you were supposed to do if you got serious about your faith.  He laughed and encouraged me to simply pray about how God might use me in my current vocation of business.  He then said something profound that I had never really considered, He said “Duane you can minister to people from your business platform that we may never be able to reach from the church”.  That was one of the best days of my life, as I realized that God can use me right where I am if I am simply willing to be used.  Well, that was 21 years ago and all I can say is praise God and “wow”.  “Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, each of us is to exercise them accordingly; if prophecy, according to the proportion of his faith; if service, in his serving; or he who teaches, in his teaching; or he who exhorts, in his exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shoes mercy, with cheerfulness.” Romans 12:6-8

Just Do it!!!!  Minister from where you are with what you have and watch God do His great work in you and through you - As I shared in last week’s word in the spirit of gratitude and encouragement, I continue to be amazed with what I get to do and how God allows me to be part of so many amazing ministries.  Just in the past few weeks I have been part of ministering (serving, sharing my faith, equipping, encouraging, admonishing, loving, giving etc.) to hundreds of people using my simple but unique gifts and passions through several ministries that I get to be part of that include: Church of the Highlands, Highlands College, JH Outback, FCCI, and Heritage Forum.

I want to encourage us all that each of us has a unique set of skills, gifts, interest, and passions that God wants to use to minister to others both within and outside of the body of believers.  He can use each of us right where we are if we are simply willing to be used and remain connected to the vine of Christ, John 15:5.  By the way, Christian ministry is as practical as it is spiritual.  We do not have to be overly spiritual, evangelistic or bible scholars, it simply requires a heart to love and serve God and others.  To simply share what God has shown us and what He is doing in our lives.  Ministry can and should simply ministering to the physical, emotional, mental, vocational, and financial needs of others in the name of Jesus, just like Jesus did.  He simply fed people because they were physically hungry.  He met them and loved them where they were.  This is ministry, and I have found it to truly be the joy of our faith.  God created us for this purpose to love Him and love and serve others.

Challenge Questions:  Are you plugged into and serving at and through your local church?  Are you using your gifts and passions to serve others in the name of Jesus?  Do you feel like God is using you and your platform of life to make a difference for eternity?  If not, today is the day to begin!!!!

“Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit.  And there are varieties of ministries, and the same Lord.  There are varieties of effects, but the same God who works all things in all persons” ” Ephesians 3:20 but this only happens if you remain connected to the vine of Christ.

I apologize for the length of this “word of the week”, I am just a little fired up about this topic. 

 -Duane

Word of the Week - Abiding

“I am the vine you are the branches, if you abide in me, I will abide in you, and you will bare much fruit; apart from Me you can do nothing” John 15:5 (Jesus)

I had the privilege of serving with my wife Amy and some great friends at the Birmingham Outback www.jhoutback.com this weekend.  JH Outback is an amazing family focused ministry that I love and highly recommend.  I was again reminded of what God has done in my life and my family over the past 21 years since I gave my life to Christ and began abiding.  For the first 33 years of my life, I was not abiding in Christ, and I cannot point to any spiritual fruit from that period of my life (nothing).  By the grace of God and being part of great ministries like JH Outback, Church of the Highlands, Heritage Forum, Highlands College and others, God has produced amazing spiritual fruit in my life, family, ministry, and business over the last 21 years.  There is no doubt in my mind that this is all God’s work and the byproduct abiding in the vine of Christ. 

Abiding in Christ - I truly believe that a daily abiding relationship with the Lord is the single most important thing we can do after we make a decision to follow Christ and receive the gift of salvation.  This is where our faith becomes active and we receive the power and benefits knowing God. The word Remain is used synonymously with Abide in several translations, simply put it means to stay connected and become one with the Lord.  What is interesting about this quote from Jesus, is how He makes it clear that there is a condition for us to stay connected to Him, we must go first and be the initiator/pursuer.  He says that if we Abide in Him, then He will Abide in us.  God wants to be our first priority. “Seek first the Kingdom and His righteousness and all things will be added unto you” Matthew 6:33  I am convinced that abiding is an active process that manifest in daily actions of pursuing the Lord, which allow us to respond in love to what Jesus did for us on the cross.  Abiding is not just an idea or a nice thought or feeling, it is truly a passionate pursuit to connect with the Lord and remain in ongoing relationship with Him. 

What it looks like to Abide - So what does it mean to Abide in the Vine of Christ and how do we actively connect with an invisible God.  Similar to connecting with another person in relationship, there is no one right way to abide in Christ, the biggest thing is that we make it a priority and daily pursuit. Here are a few examples of how we can abide/connect with Jesus: 

1) Prayer - talking with the Lord daily and intimately,  2) God’s Word / Bible -  reading or listening to the book He gave us that tells us about His very nature and what He cares about, 3) Praise & Worship – letting Him know how great He is and how much we appreciate what He has done for us, 4) Ministry - making a point to care about what He cares about by loving and serving others, 5) Evangelism / Discipleship - telling people about Him and how great He is, 6) Fellowship of believers - encouraging each other in our walk of faith, and 7) simply thinking about Him and meditating on who He is and who you are in Him.    

Fruit of Abiding in Christ - The best part of all of this is that the Lord blesses us with amazing fruit/blessings when we stay connected to Him in an abiding relationship.  These are fruits/gifts that we cannot manufacture for ourselves, they are simply a byproduct of His very nature at work within us.  They include but are not limited to: Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness and Self Control.  Who would not want these wonderful gifts that are the fruit of God’s spirit being produced in us so our lives become a blessing that produce Kingdom fruit.  “Therefor by your fruits you will know them”.  Matthew 7:20  The spiritual fruit of our lives is truly the evidence of God power at work within us. 

“God will do immeasurably more than you can ever ask or imagine, in and through you, by His power at work within you” Ephesians 3:20 but this only happens if you remain connected to the vine of Christ.

 -Duane

Word of the Week - Good Soil

“Still other seed fell on good soil.  It came up, grew, and produced a crop, some multiplying thirty, some sixty and some a hundred times” Mark 4:8. 

The principal of Sowing and Reaping is one of key truths of life both on earth from a practical sense and in heaven from a spiritual sense.  Whether we like it or not, over the course of time, we will Reap what we Sow.  Just like many of God’s principals within His economy, this is a wonderful truth that can really be a blessing if we understand it and align our lives accordingly. 

Are we Sowing Good Seed into Good Soil - If you have lived any amount of life, you have a general understanding of how this works.  If we Sow good seeds that are life giving, we will generally Reap good fruit, like for like.  Of course life is not perfect and there are times when we may be Sowing good seed into bad soil or Sowing during seasons of drought that prevent the seed from sprouting and taking root.  We cannot control the outcome, but we surely can resolve to continually be Sowing good seeds and look for good soil to Sow into.  Since we only are given a limited amount of seed (time, resources, wisdom, influence, etc.), we need to make it our goal to find good fertile soil to sow our seed into.  This is the opportunity we have each day, and over time, the sum of our Sowing is what results in the fruit of our lives. 

3 Attributes of Good Soil – I read this morning in Church of the Highlands One Year Bible Devotional by Larry Stockstill  https://www.churchofthehighlands.com/bible.  In this scripture Paul is referring to the concept of training up the next generation to carry forward the mantle of leadership to continue to share the good news and expand God’s Kingdom.  In doing so he outlines 3 key virtues to look for as we are discerning if those we are investing in are “Good Soil”.

A Soldier who Endures Hardships – A faithful person is like a soldier, who will endure hardships as part of his calling.  Good soldiers do not get involved in things that distract them from following their commanders; no matter what, they maintain their focus.  In order to stay faithful to Jesus, our focus must be on fighting the battle of faith with Him, not getting distracted by pursing the things of this world. “No one serving as a soldier gets entangled in civilian affairs, but rather tries to please his commanding officer” 2 Timothy 2:4

An Athlete who Lives Pure – A faithful person is similar to an athlete who trains hard, maintains discipline, and follows the rules.  The image of the athlete reflects the need for character in the life of the Christian.  Only those who live pure lives with self-control and constraint will be qualified to lead and reproduce. “Similarly, anyone who competes as an athlete does not receive the victor’s crown except by competing according to the rules” 2 Timothy 2:5

A Farmer who is Diligent, Patient and Hardworking - The last image of a faithful person is that of a farm who is diligent, patient and hardworking.  The seeds they sow into the soil will gradually grow into crops.  If the farmer wants to reap a harvest, he must work the ground, pray for rain, and not grow impatient.  Similarly, we must be patient with our growth ant that of others in the Lord.  Patiently we must wait for the harvest of Spiritual Growth.  “The hardworking farmer should be first to receive a share of the crops”. 2 Timothy 2:6

Let’s be good soil and look for good soil to sow into – Its starts with us becoming good soil that God can use to reproduce.  Do we have these attributes present in our own lives.  Are we living lives prioritized and focused on what matters most or are we distracted by the things of this world?  Are we living pure and holy lives are allowing ourselves to be exposed to things that are not pure?  Finally, are we diligently and patiently sowing seed on a consistent basis and looking for good soil to sow into.  The greatest opportunity we all have every day is to sow into others by using what God has given us to be a blessing to others. “Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share.  In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life”. 1 Timothy 6:19

Remember this:  Whoever sows spraining will also reap sparingly, and whoever Sows generously will also Reap generously. 2 Corinthians 9:6 

So, let’s be Good Soil, identify Good Soil, and Sow seed generously!!!!!!!!!!

 -Duane

Word of the Week - Family, Heritage, Legacy

One generation shall commend your works to another, and shall declare your mighty acts.”  Psalm 145:4

I am preparing to host our 10th Heritage Forum www.heritageforums.com, which begins tomorrow evening at 5pm.  As I pray and prepare, I am reflecting on what I have learned over the last five years since starting the Heritage Forum and how I am growing and maturing as a husband, father, grandfather and leader.   If there is anything I have learned in this journey, it is that as-long-as we are pursuing God and abiding in Him, He will continue to stretch us in the process of growing and maturing.  There are going to be seasons of pruning in life, which are quite painful while we are in them, but if we yield and remain connected, the process of pruning leads to new and exciting growth and blessing.  I have recently been through a season of pruning and am now entering a season of some exciting new growth that I pray will produce much fruit in my family, ministry and life. “He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit He prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.” John 15:3 In the context of family, Heritage and Legacy I wanted to take the opportunity to share a few things I am learning.

Definition and purpose of family: Family is the first institution God created for instilling values for the purpose of preserving culture to impact the world generationally.  As outlined in the verse above, God desires for every person to have a spiritual heritage.  The reality is that God instituted family so we can train and equip our children with godly values so they live to their full God potential and pass godly values on to their children, live multi-generationally. “Train them up in the way he/she should go, And when they are older they will not depart from it” Proverbs 22:6   God imparted into all humans a innate desire to be part of something that will last.  “He has set eternity in the human heart” Ecclesiastes 3:11

Building healthy family communication and identity:  We serve a God of order, peace and continuity.  “For God is not a God of disorder but of peace”. 1 Corinthians 14:33 To understand how to build healthy families we must first become healthier people, especially in our family relationships.   It starts with us as leaders of our families having a personal intimate abiding relationship with Christ so He can impart His wisdom into our hearts and minds.  We do live in a broken world and without God’s covering in our lives our families will be susceptible to the reality of generational curse with the sins of the fathers flowing down to the next generation.  This is the way of the world and our culture at large.  So how do we break this cycle?  First and foremost, we submit ourselves and our families to God and put our faith and trust in Him.  I believe the Lord is the only one who can set us free from these generational curses.  Practically I am learning from my wife Amy and my adult children that we must build an environment within our families that allows our family to be safe enough to communicate wounds and issues.  The things of the past and present that create angst, especially associated with the dysfunction that has been passed down from our families of origin.  Many of these dysfunctions/curses are subconscious blind spots that we can’t even see, which is why we need others to help us.  This includes in-laws and outside advisors like counselors and family coaches who can bring a fresh and less biased perspective.  I am not personally a big fan of traditional therapy where we are going back in time to analyze and try to figure the why of our past, I think there is a place for this but it can lead to being stuck in the past.  On the other hand, I am a big fan of identifying the wounds and curses of our past that are influencing our thinking, behaviors and relationships and working to have our minds renewed in God’s truth, His Word, so we can be healed and transformed.  There are times in our journey of life when we need outside advisors both professional (therapist, counselors, coaches) and non-professional (friends, family, pastors etc.) to help us navigate through this process. 

Family values, vision and purpose:  I believe family identity is key to building a godly family Heritage.  Our families must have a strong understanding of who we are and what makes us the Donner’s or Smiths etc.  Family values define the moral and ethical principles of behavior for a family.  Values can be passed down from one generation to the next and this is the most important Heritage we can give our kids and descendants.  Many of our godly values are apparent from our families of origin, but some need to be discovered and can often times be revealed as we think about our past and some of the defining stories/events in our lives.  Our family went through a values exercise about 7-8 years ago and since then we have taken time each year to set aside time in family meetings to talk about our values and assess how we are living out these values.  Asking questions to determine if we are intentionally sharing and communicating these values with our kids and grandkids. Our families stated values include: Faith, Family/Heritage, Perseverance, Health and Generosity. 

As I have stated in past “Word of the week messages” Vision and purpose are key to Heritage living.  “Without vision the people perish” 29:18 I find it interesting that the prior verse is related to disciplining our children “Discipline your children, and they will give you peace; they will bring you the delights you desire”. Proverbs 29:17   If you cannot see where you are going (Vision) and understand why you are going there (Purpose), it is hard to know what to do.  Lack of Vision and Purpose leads to wandering through life and leaves us lacking identity and much more susceptible to attacks from the enemy of our soul while purposeful living with vision towards something of eternal value is like medicine to our soul that gives us energy, health and protection.  This is the abundant life that Jesus speaks about in John 10:10 when He says, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that you may have life, and have it to the full”.  Live life on offense with Vision, Mission and Purposes and you will have life.  Amy and I went through a family Values and Vision workshop with Bill High and the folks from the Signatry https://thesignatry.com/who-we-are/our-history/ just over a year ago, and it was very powerful.  We refined our family vision and statement to “Lasting goldy Heritage for 10 Generations” with the mission to achieve this by “Abiding in Christ, Loving God, Serving Others and Living Generously”.

Married Adult Children and the next Generation:  One of the main things I have learned through this season of pruning is that we need to be careful in our efforts to share our Vision, Mission and Values that we don’t impose them on our married adult children and their families but use the process to help them develop their own family vision, mission and values.  If we have done a good job of communicating and living out our values, they will be reflected in the values of our children and grandchildren.  A second lesson learned is related to family meetings.   As a family we have reaped many benefits by consistently hosting family meetings over the past decade as my children have entered adulthood.  These are typically intentional times set aside over a weekend to communicate around important topics like family vision, mission, values, heritage, inheritance, estate planning etc. I have realized recently how critical it is to use 3rd party facilitators for these meetings.  Based on family history and dynamics, it is too difficult for a family member to be the primary facilitator and communicator.  It is much more effective to have outside advisors (financial advisors, family coaches, legal advisors etc.) who are familiar and have relationship with the family to facilitate key components of the meetings especially when it comes to more challenging and sensitive topics like money and family values.  If we are truly about godly Heritage and Legacy, we must understand that our role is to help equip the next generations to grow and mature into what God has for their family unit and Heritage.  Our goal and role should be to ensure that they have a meaningful voice and seat at the table so they can be heard. 

God promises us that if we live our lives with God’s values He will bless our descendants up to a thousand generations.  “Know therefore that the Lord God is God; He is the faithful God, keeping His covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love Him and keep His commandments.” Deuteronomy 7:9  What an amazing and powerful promise of God.  I hope this encourages you toward living on purpose with intentionality to plant seeds for Generational Blessing in your family.  The is the opportunity we have as followers of Christ and Kingdom builders.

Have a blessed week,

 -Duane

Word of the Week - Spiritual Warfare

"For God did not give us a spirit of fear or timidity but a spirit of power, love and sound mind." 2 Timothy 1:7

Spiritual Warfare – I was reminded once again last week that we have a common enemy of our soul whose goal is to destroy us.  His name is satan and he is real and is also known as a thief and a great deceiver.  “The thief comes to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full” John 10:10  The “Good News” is that those of us who are in Christ are equipped with power and authority to reign victorious over this enemy.  To not fall prey to the schemes of this enemy, we must see ourselves as spiritual warriors and use the spiritual weapons that we have been given to battle in the spirit.  The following are some key spiritual weapons we have at our disposal.

The Armor of God – Knowing that we are in spiritual battle, God provides spiritual armor and equips us to take a stand when battles come our way, and they certainly will.  “Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.  For our struggle is not against flesh and blood but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of the dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.  Ephesians 6:11-18

• Belt of Truth – Stand firm with the belt of truth buckled around your waist.” We must stand on “The truth”. Our enemy is a master of lies and will do everything possible to plant lies and deception. We need to seek the truth, speak the truth and advocate the truth in all things. Jesus said, “If you abide in my Word, then you will know the truth and the truth will set your free” John 8:31-32

• Breastplate of Righteousness – We must stand on the righteousness that is only found in Christ. He is our righteousness and give us solid ground to stand on no matter the circumstance. “The righteousness is given to us through faith in Jesus Christ, to al who believe.” Romans 3:22 There is power and authority in the name of Jesus and all things have to bow and flee at His name.

• Feet shod with the Gospel of peace – We stand on the rock of Christ and what He accomplished through His death and resurrection. This is the Gospel of Christ that gives us peace and confidence in the reality that Christ overcame death on our behalf so we can stand on the rock of the Gospel. “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in times of trouble” Psalm 46:1

• Take up the Shield of Faith – We must actively take hold of the shield of faith by remembering what God has done through the Word and in our own lives, and continuing to exercise our faith and trust in the Lord. That is why it is important to be in a community of believers so we can encourage and build each other up in faith through the power of our witness and testimony, especially during times of trials. Faith in Christ is our ultimate defensive weapon from the attacks of the enemy. “Be on guard, stand firm in the faith, live like men, be strong! Let everything that you do be done in love.” 1 Corinthians 16:13

• Put on the helmet of salvation – The assurance of eternal salvation through Christ is our impenetrable defense against anything the enemy throws at us. Jesus said, “Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both the soul and the body in hell”. Matthew 10:28 There is amazing power in our salvation “To live is Christ to die is gain” Philippians 1:21

• Take up the sword of the spirit – This is the word of God and it is our main weapon of offense. Jesus modeled for us how to use the Word of God in Matthew 4 when he was tempted by Satan after 40 days in the wilderness. Three times Satan tempted Jesus and on all occasions Jesus overcame by the quoting the word of God. “If you are the son of God, tell these stones to become loaves of bread. But Jesus told satan, “No! The scriptures say, “Man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.”” Matthew 4:4

Daily Warfare Prayer – Prayer is not only communion with God; it is also confrontation with the enemy.  When praying warfare prayers it is important that we pray lots of scripture and pray everything in “the name of Jesus”.  Speaking declarations over people and circumstances actually has power in the heavenly realm.  Declaring that we have authority as a child of the living God.  “The weapons we fight with are not weapons of the world.  On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought and make it obedient to Christ.” 2 Corinthians 10:4-5.  We must commit ourselves to God and submit to His authority each day because under God’s covering, we have authority.  We protect ourselves and families by not opening doors that would allow the enemy to infiltrate our lives or the lives of those around us. We confront the enemy in prayer.  We confess our sins and pray for forgiveness.  We pray for the spirit of humility.  We pray to break generational curses and bondage.  We pray for unity in our marriages and families.  We pray for healing. This is warring in the spirit and taking ground in the name of Jesus.

As followers of Christ, we have been equipped with the offensive and defensive weapons to overcome the enemy of our soul.  Let’s stand as warriors in the spirit so we can live victorious in Christ Jesus.  Therefore, put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.  Ephesians 6:13  And when we don’t know what to do, Stand on the Rock of Christ!!!!!! 

Have a great week.

 -Duane

Word of the Week - Empowered

“I pray that out of His glorious riches He may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.” Ephesians 3:16

To Empower simply means to give someone the power or authority to do something.  I think it is important to be reminded that God almighty through His son Jesus and the Holy Spirit has empowered each of us.  As believers we have access to the same power that raised Jesus from the dead, WOW!!!!!  As we live day to day it is easy to forget that we are empowered by God through faith to do even greater things in the name of Jesus.  “Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.  And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father will be glorified in the Son.  You may ask anything in my name, and I will do it.” John 14:12-14  I attended the Fellowship of Companies for Christ International (FCCI) annual conference https://www.fcciconf2022.com this week in Amelia Island, FL and the theme of the conference was “Empowered to Serve”.  I was reminded that God has empowered each of us for great purpose in Christ. 

Here are just a few ways that we are Empowered as Christ followers.

Empowered to be overcomers and live in victory

“Who is that who overcomes the world?  Only the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God” 1 John 5:5  If you have lived any life you know that you will face adversity and challenges.  God in His divine wisdom created us to be in relationship with himself so we could access His divine power to be able to overcome the challenges we will face and live in victory.  This is the life of an empowered believer.  No matter how strong we are in our own abilities, we cannot live in victory without the power of the spirit of God living within us.  For believers we see the challenges of life as opportunities to see God’s power at work in our lives.  This is the process of sanctification and becoming more Christlike.  If we depend on Him, we will find victory through the trials as outlined in James 1:2-4 “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.  Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything”.   

Empowered to be salt and light to others

“In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven”. Matthew 5:16  The Lord has put each of us on this earth at this time for a specific assignment and purpose.  He empowers us so that we can do what He has called us to do and play our unique part in building His kingdom.  As we walk out our faith day to day by the power of the Holy Spirit and do what God has called us to do, we become salt and light to those around us.  We have the opportunity and responsibility to be a positive influence on the world around us, our circle of influence.  This is especially true if we are in positions of leadership.  As we tap into God’s spirit and divine economy through our daily abiding walk with Christ, He empowers us through faith to make an eternal impact and do way more than we could ever imagine doing by our own talents and power.  This is one of my favorite verses because I see it happening and it is so encouraging.  God is doing way more than I could ever imagine by His power at work in my life.  “Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask ore imagine, according to His power that is work within in us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations for ever and ever! Amen.” Ephesians 3:20-21

Empowered to Serve

“Just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and give His life as a ransom for many” Matthew 20:28  God has empowered us through His son Jesus to love and serve others just as Jesus modeled for us.  Though there are amazing benefits to being empowered by God, He does not give us this power for ourselves.  He gives us this power so we can live out His great commandment “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all of your strength and with all your mind and Love your neighbor as yourself” Luke 10:26 And, so we can fulfill the great commission, “Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.  Therefore, go and make disciples to all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.” Matthew 28:18-20

God in His divine goodness empowers us to use all that He has given us including our gifts, talents, relationships, resources, businesses etc…for His purpose and mission.  He also encourages us to partner with others as a body of believers because we are much better together, not to mention it is much more fulfilling to do life in community with others.  I love 1 Timothy 6:17-19 as I believe it gives us clarity on why the Lord empowers us.  “Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.  Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share.  In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life”.  

Have a great week.

 -Duane

Word of the Week - Gratitude

Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. 
1 Thessalonians 5:18

Many believers and even non-believers often wonder and ask the question of what God’s will is for their life, this verse in 1 Thessalonians 5:18 makes it pretty clear, it is simply to “Give thanks to God in all circumstances” to live with a heart of Gratitude.  Developing a healthy God perspective and attitude of gratitude is a key to healthy living.  Researchers have found a correlation of gratitude to mental and physical health as reported in a 2018 “Mind and Body” article https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/is_gratitude_good_for_your_health.

We all know that living with a Heart of Gratitude and sincere appreciation is good and healthy, so how do we foster a heart of Gratitude and live with a spirit of Thankfulness even when our circumstances are not so rosy:

We Understand Who God is:

If we truly understand the truth of who God is: 1) Our Abba Father who loves us, 2) Our savior and redeemer who gave His life so we can have eternal fellowship with Him, 3) Our comforter who desires to walk in intimate fellowship with us each and every day as we navigate life.  Understanding and walking in a personal daily relationship with the triune God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, gives us tremendous life and hope that will foster a heart of gratitude.

We Realize Who we are in Christ:

If we truly understand who we are in Christ, that we are adapted as His sons and daughters who have full access to His kingdom.  That we are co-heirs with Jesus to the Kingdom of God and all of the benefits.  That we will live in fellowship with the Father, Son and Holy Spirit in heaven for eternity.  This is very exciting news that should fill our hearts with gratitude since we really did nothing to deserve this, we simply gave our hearts to God and trusted Him.  “For those who are lead by the Spirit of God are the children of God.  The spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship.  And by Him we cry, “Abba, Father.”  The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children”.

We Recognize friends, family and others who have helped us along the way:

Thank God that He set things up for us to do life with others as a community of believers.  We are much better together as a body of Christ each with different and unique gifts and personalities.  None of us can do this life successfully without others.  It is important that we take time out to show our sincere appreciation by recognizing those who have helped us along the way.  “So in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others”. Romans 12:5  

We Remember to Count our blessings Daily and show sincere appreciation for those who are in our lives:

We should make it a habit each day when we wake up in the morning and throughout the day, to simply thank God for the grace to be alive and to be able to have simple things like use of our arms, legs, ears and eyes if we have them.  We should not take for granted things like family and relationships and the ability to go out and enjoy the day and use our talents to influence the world and make a honest living.  As bad as things can seem at times, there is always a silver lining if we take time to look for it. “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change”. James 1:17 

Have a great week.  

-Duane

Word of the Week - Celebration

“This is the day that the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it”.  Psalm 118:24

Celebration is one of the most exciting aspects of our Christian heritage that I find most believers overlook.  It simply means to set time aside to remember and rejoice in what God has done.  It was common practice in the Old Testament.  The Jews were known for having multi-day festivals to celebrate and commemorate the work of God in their lives.  These celebrations were communal as well as theological.  In modern terms I would call this a party with a purpose, whereby we gather to recognize our blessings and give proper honor and thanks to the Lord and to those who have helped us along the way.  Taking time out to count our blessings as we walk through the journey of life.

Being from South Louisiana, I grew up in a culture that valued partying and probably took it a little too far.  It was “fun” but after the party was over there always seemed to be a feeling of emptiness.  As I have grown in my walk of faith, I have learned that our God is a God of celebration.  There are many examples throughout the old and New Testament of people coming together to enjoy life and celebrate together.  The big difference is that they are coming together to celebrate with a heart toward God and using the celebration as an opportunity to give thanks and honor to God.  I believe there is something holy and meaningful about taking the opportunity to set aside time and resources to celebrate what God has done and looking forward in faith to what He is going to do.  To take time out of our day-to-day schedule to celebrate victories and mark milestones in life. In our family we call this having a “Donner moment”.  This is one of the joys of life.  All too often we are so busy achieving we forget to take time out to celebrate. 

Heart of Gratitude

“Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances: for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18  One of the keys to our walk with the Lord is to have a healthy perspective of God as our provider.  All things come from Him and it is good and healthy to continually count our blessings and give proper thanks to the Lord.  As noted in this verse, we should make this part of our daily communion with the Lord.  It is also important that we set aside time to celebrate special occasions such as big life victories, milestone birthday & anniversaries and the like. 

God’s principle of Sabbath

“There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from their works, just as God did from His”. Hebrews 4:9-10  God is so good that He desires for us to enjoy this life and fruit of our labor so much so that He commands us to take time out to rest, rejoice and restore our souls.  Rest for our souls is at the core of Sabbath but it is also a time set aside to celebrate the goodness of God in fellowship with those we love and are close to us.  It is hard for most of us to relate with the reality that God is divine and Holy and to be feared but He is also loving and relational and desires for us to Rejoice in His goodness and celebrate.  To set aside time specifically to enjoy the fruits of this life and those who we are doing life with.

A Time for Everything

“A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;.” Ecclesiastes 3:4  Celebrating life is part of our worship. We engage in celebration when we enjoy ourselves and our lives in conjunction with our faith in light of God’s greatness, beauty and goodness.  We see our lives as simply a part of God’s great plan.  Typically this means that we come together with others who know God to eat, drink and relate stories of God’s blessings and work within our lives.  To honor God and those who have shared the journey.  Holy delight and joy is the great antidote to despair and is a wellspring for genuine gratitude.

“A person can do nothing better than to eat and drink and find satisfaction in their work.  This too, I see is from the hand of God.” Ecclesiastes 2:24

God is great so let’s celebrate and rejoice in His goodness!!!!

-Duane

Word of the Week - Contentment

“But godliness with contentment is great gain.  For we brought nothing into this world, and we can taking nothing out of it….But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness.  1 Tim 6:6-12

Labor Day is an annual celebration of workers and their achievements, originated in the late 1800s during one of America’s most challenging chapters during the height of the Industrial Revolution.  There was much achieved by our young and ambitious country at the expense of many.  During that time the average American worked 12-hour days seven days a week to eke out a basic living.  Many of these folks had no choice because they were simply trying to survive and they had the grit to do whatever it took.  Today the pendulum has seemed to have swung the other way with a culture fraught with apathy and entitlement.  God put us on this earth first and foremost to know and love Him and each other (great commandment), and secondly to be productive and purposeful.  This is godly contentment.

Contentment

So what is contentment?  The world generally defines contentment as a quality or state of being satisfied with your portion and condition in life.  This definition is mostly geared towards the physical or material state of being.  The biblical definition of contentment goes beyond the physical realm and focuses on our internal condition and perspective.  Godly contentment is much more focused on the condition of our heart and soul.  Are we at peace with God and our eternal condition? 

Contentment in all Circumstances

Saint Paul spoke clearly about his amazing contentment in the face of many external trials and challenges in Philippians 4:11-12 “For I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.  I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty.  I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want“.  I am convinced that if we receive the gift of internal contentment through our hope and trust in God, it will permeate into our external lives allowing us to find contentment in all things and situations, which is truly a blessing that we all desire.  That being said, our Western values and self-focused culture of materialism and social media makes it very easy for us to get sucked into the swamp of envy and discontentment, which at its core leads to discontentment.  It is clear that God has called His people to a life marked by contentment.  So how do we gain godly contentment and extricate ourselves from the pervasive appeals of our materialistic culture?  We seek godly purpose and contentment!!!

Godly Contentment vs. Worldly Ambition

“Better one handful with tranquility than two hands full with toil and chasing after the wind.” Ecclesiastes 4:6 This has always been an interesting and challenging topic for me.  On one hand, I love the ideal of the American Dream and grew up believing that personal ambition was a very good characteristic that gave me the drive to pursue and achieve my dreams.  I learned early in my life/career that too much ambition if not tempered with godliness and contentment can lead to destruction.  I almost lost everything (wife, family, health) during my mid to late 20’s because I was so ambitious and insecure.  Through the pain of this experience, called the school of hard knocks and by the grace of God, I discovered the amazing gift of godliness with contentment in my early 30’s and it has been life changing.  It is a beautiful thing when we come to the realization that God is our provider and He is truly the one that we should be striving to honor and please.  Most importantly that He has a plan and purpose for our lives that is way bigger and better than our own, and if we submit and align to His plan for our lives, we can live with godly contentment that Paul describes in Philippians 4 above.  This is an amazing sweet-spot where we are living to our full potential by using our gifts and talents to the full while at the same time keeping our lives in good and healthy order.  This does not mean that it is easy and we don’t give it our full effort, it simply means we are doing what God created us to do.  In this place, we can sustain high performance for long periods because we are working from our gifting.  If we “Seek first the Kingdom and His righteousness” Matthew 6:33, then we find godly contentment and will flourish.  Divine order leads to divine blessing which produces godly contentment.

“Moreover, when God gives someone wealth and possessions, and the ability to enjoy them, to accept their lot and be happy in their toil – this is a gift from God”.  Ecclesiastes 5:19

Have a great Labor Day…..

-Duane

Word of the Week - Renewing our minds to be transformed (Old beliefs vs. New Beliefs)

“Do not conform to the patterns of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind”.  Romans 12:2

As I have walked through a season of pruning and maturing in all areas of my life, I have been reminded that even though we are a new creation in Christ, we must continue to renew our minds so we can continue being transformed into the image of Christ.  I also realize that remnants of our old nature and identity remain in our soul and body.  It all starts in our mind as we buy into false beliefs even though we know the truth of God’s word.  As followers of Christ, we have a new “power source” – Christ living within us.  However, some of the old automatic feelings and responses remain.  The battle, which is being fought in the mind, is ours to win or lose according to the choices we make.  Bringing this to the forefront equips us to fight the good fight and win the battle in the mind.  Even though it is a bit deep, I wanted to share some of what I am learning and practicing from a new spiritual mentor and a workbook I am studying titled “Old Beliefs vs. New Beliefs (Be transformed by the Renewing of Your Mind)” by Anne Trippe.

The Problem:  Since the fall of Adam, our human nature is that of sin.  Everyone inherited sin and spiritual death from the fall.  “For all have sinned and fallen short of the Glory of God” Romans 3:23 This death through sin is simply separation from connection and fellowship with God.  Although our natural man’s spirit is dead to God, it is very alive to sin and the power that drives our independence from God.  As a result, we are born empty and needy; therefore, it is our nature to try to regain what was lost;  to have our needs met and be “filled” so we can find the basic human needs of love, contentment, security and a sense of value.  Before the new birth and being made alive in Christ, we think we are alive, be we are truly striving in our will and emotions to regain what was lost and become whole and healthy, but we are not equipped without our spirit coming alive.

Patterns:  Unfortunately, in our fallen nature and while under the power of sin before we know the truth, we look to those around us (family, friends and our culture) the ways of this world (possessions, power and prestige) to try to fill the void.  In doing this we develop false beliefs about how we can manage and live emotionally, fill our emptiness and find acceptance.  We bring into our our daily situations and relationships both conscious and unconscious beliefs about how we should approach life to satisfy our emotional and spiritual insufficiency.  Behaviors such as control, performance-based acceptance, insecurity, self-reliance etc.  Over time these beliefs are reinforced in our minds and basically hardwired into our beliefs and thought patterns. Our neuropathways continue to be reinforced with patterns of lies and bad thinking.  Even St. Paul struggled with this battle.  “We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin.  I do not understand what I do.  For what I want to do, I do not do.  But what I hate, I do.” Romans 7:14-15   

The Solution:  The Word of God tells those of us who have been born again in the spirit and become new creations that all of our needs are supplied by Christ.  But for many, this may not be our experience.  However, because of our new birth, we have been empowered by God’s Spirit and are able to choose to focus on Truth and change our false mindset about how our needs are to be met.  As a result, our old ineffective patterns of trying to find peace and fulfillment can be changed.  Romans 12:2 refers to this change as being transformed by the “renewing of our mind”.  As Christ followers born anew in the spirit, our transformation does not happen by behavior modification, it happens by learning to walk in the spirit rather than in the flesh allowing Christ’s life to be lived out through us.  “Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the spirit desires” Romans 8:5 It is a daily process of setting our minds on the things of the spirit.

Renewing our Mind:  As believers, we must continue to renew our minds in the Truth of God’s word and promises. As we face life’s situations and difficulties, we can identify our old beliefs and replace them with God’s Truth.  For example, instead of believing that I must be strong and independent to survive, which is old false belief I have subscribed to throughout my life, we replace this lie with God’s truth that “Christ’s strength is made perfect in my weakness” 2 Corinthians 12:9. We can learn to receive the trials we are facing as God’s instrument to break our hold on old patterns of thinking and behaving.  This involves our humbling ourselves in order to surrender our fleshly life to find God’s divine life.  This is when we find freedom from our striving and our fears.  When this happens, we can begin to experience contentment, peace, joy and righteousness of Christ as we live life and relate in a more healthy way with others. We become more secure in our relationship with Christ.  This is transformational!!

I pray that we make a choice each day to submit our minds and hearts to Christ so we can be renewed and transformed by the power of Christ living within us so we live as overcomers.  “I have been crucified with Christ, it is no longer I who live but Christ who lives within me” Galatians 2:20

Have a great week!!!

-Duane