The church should be about changing a person’s life!  The very sad reality is that we have made it about everything, but the very thing that it needs to be about.  At our core all of us are selfish and we want what we want, but church should challenge and change that.

The truth is that there is something more important and better than what you want and that is what God wants!  It is unreal what we have done to and with the church because of our selfishness and our unwillingness to get ourselves out-of-the-way, so that we could pursue a better and more perfect way mapped out for us by our Creator.

I love God and I love His Church, but I must admit that there are days when I grow so weary, because the mountain just looks way to high to climb.  I will not give up, even though the tasks looks impossible.  I will keep preaching, teaching and sharing the amazing Word of God.  I will continue to love and minister to the needs that He shows me with all that He has provided.  I will confess my sins and failures and receive His forgiveness and restoration.  I will be faithful to God and His Church, because it has changed and is changing my life and eternity and that is really what it is all about.

Will you join me?

Would you like to do something that could have big results in your life, but only take a little effort on your part?  If you would be willing to take 10-15 minutes at least once a week and discipline yourself to participate in doing what I am talking about, then you could gain insight into many different areas of your life and start making progress at becoming better and stronger for God and His glory.

At least one morning a week, I schedule an appointment with around five to seven other people, who I have invited into my life to help me to be a better husband, father, friend, pastor/preacher, minister and person!  These people I meet with are located all around the globe and most are very busy with their own agendas and responsibilities, but we all still find and make the time to help make one another better, sharper and more effective!

The really funny thing is that I have never even met some of these people, but I know them and they know of me.  The discipline that we practice that helps to make our lives better, is the discipline of reading each other’s blog!  Think about it!  From the comfort of your home, while lounging in pajamas and sipping a warm cup of joe, you can get insight, wisdom and challenge just from taking a few moments to read what our Creator is doing and saying in and through others!

The really cool thing is how you can find just the right people to speak into the areas of your life that need it the most!  Right now I have mentors who challenge my leadership, help me to work on my physical and mental health, grow and deepen my spiritual life, encourage me to be a more devoted and loving husband and father, and keep me thinking about ministry and what I was created for!

It does not cost a lot of money and it does not have to take a lot of time.  Just the discipline of setting up a consistent appointment and taking the time to read, digest and put into practice whatever it is that you discover through the blogs of others that will make you better, stronger and more effective!  Go ahead and give this discipline a try – you will be glad you did!

I was looking over my notes from yesterday and here are a few thoughts that I think are worth thinking about:

“Peace is not the absence of conflict, but the presence of God!”  Peace is not when everything is going your way, because the truth is, everything can be going your way and you can still have that uneasy feeling.  Peace is the presence of God, because when God is with you, you know that you can face whatever and be better for it!

“We are graced with His purpose, guided by His providence and guarded by His power!”  Real purpose is not something that we come up with, but something that God has given us.  His purpose in and upon our lives gives us more than meaning.  It is amazing that God is always guiding, even when we make a wrong turn in our lives, God is using it to get us to where we need to be.  This is absolutely amazing!  His power stands guard over my life and this is one of the reasons that I love Him and live my life for Him.  I don’t deserve His protection, but I sure am thankful that I’ve got it!

“God with me, means that I am never alone!”  There is not a place that I can go that I can ever escape His presence!  (Psalm 139)  The whole world may walk out on me, but God has promised that He will never leave me or forsake me!

“God provides – the birds have a song, because God takes care of them.  What are you singing about today?”  I got out of bed and walked to the bathroom.  I had warm water to take a shower and cold water to brush my teeth.  I put on comfortable clothes and a nice pair of boots.  I walked out in my yard to get into my truck so that I could drive across town to serve Him.  Every step I take – God has provided and it makes me want to sing praise to His name!

“When the devil points his finger at you, point your finger at the WORD!”  The devil is great at pointing out your failures.  When he works to point out your failure, remind him of the success of Jesus on the cross and over the grave!

“No condemnation for those in Christ Jesus!”  He is in me and I want to make sure that I stay in Him – no safer place in all of the world!

“I am not an ordinary conqueror!  God supersized my abilities with His strength and blessing!”  I am ordinary, but God in me – makes me extraordinary.  I am limited, but God in me – makes me unlimited.  I am going to make a difference for His glory today, because that is what He created and saved me to do!

“Living Convinced Is Very Convincing!”  When you are convinced, you don’t have to worry about trying to convince anyone else – it just happens!