Yesterday was a great day for me – I was really excited about sharing the message that God had given me about the thrid commandment.  As I was studying this past week, God really helped me to understand in a freah way the purpose of His commands.  Through commands – God is drawing us closer to Him!  When we hear God, respond to what we are hearing by being obedient, God is glorified and we are blessed!

Read through the commandments!  Take some time to think about what they mean for your life!  Make sure that you have God where He belongs – in first place!  Come on and be honest about this one!  If He is not where He belongs – fix it!  Get rid of your distorted and limited image of God and ask Him to help you to see a glimpse of His glory.  When was the last time you let the bigger than life stuff of God blow you away?

We need to stop misusing God’s name!  I think that the greatest misuse of God’s name is not what people say, but what Christians fail to do!  We talk a good game, but that’s it for most – it’s all just a bunch of talk!  If you really love God and if you really believe that He loves you, then it should change your life and the way that you live it!

Hey gang!  We are different than the rest of the world and we are not like all of those people that go to church, but never really do anything about it!  We are followers of Christ!  He has made a real difference in our lives and we are making a real difference in His Kingdom!  I hope this is a great week for you and I pray you get some victory and growth!

When church becomes about you – it ceases to be church and becomes a club!  For the past few months, I have been battling with how to minister to some people that are a part of the church, yet continue to have a negative and critical spirit.  Most of these people have been in church for most of their lives and should know better!  It’s hard for me to understand their selfishness and unwillingness to look beyond themselves.   When I stop for just a minute and look at what God has done and is doing in the life and ministry of this church – I am amazed at His grace and goodness.  I have tried to talk with some of these people and help them understand the work that God is up to, but they still refuse to have any part of it.  They seem to have their ideas, their agenda and an attitude that their opinion is the only one that really matters.  I love these folks – I really do and I am so sorry that they will not allow the Spirit to communicate a truth that is so much bigger than personal opinion.

Church is about ministry!  It’s about Believers coming together and giving of themselves.  It is about sacrifice and putting those that do not yet know Jesus ahead of those that do.  It is about growing, changing and everyday becoming a little more like the one that saved our souls.  I blame myself for part of this wrong attitude of a handful, because I have always attempted to try to keep everyone happy and fulfilled – believers and non-believers!  I have tried to lead and grow a church that reaches out to non-believers with a message of hope, while encouraging believers to be fulfilled and satisfied.  My mistake has been trying to keep believers fulfilled and satisfied. That’s not my job!  If you are a believer,  Jesus will keep you fulfilled and satisified, if you will do your part to pursue your relationship with Him.  If you are pursuing a real, meaningful and growing relationship with Him, then He will tell you that the church is not about you, it’s about reaching others with the amazing news of His grace, forgiveness and restoration.

I am not interested in leading a club, but I sure am fired up about leading the church – God’s church!  And I am very thankful for all of you that stand with me and behind me as I charge forward for the cause of Christ.  I love you and thank you for loving me and being patient with me as I continue to pursue the call that God has placed on my life!

I grew up in a very cool little town called Williamston.  I love my town and all of the people that helped to make it special for me growing up!  I remember when I was getting ready to go off to school, one of the older and wiser men in our community said to me:  “Don’t ever forget where you come from!”  He was reminding me to always remember and be influenced by what I was, not what I was becoming!  He knew then, what I am just now beginning to learn, and that is this:  My value is not something out there waiting to be earned!  I am valuable right here and right now, not because of who or what I am going to be, but because of what I already am:  A unique. one of a kind, special creation of God!

Don’t Forget Where You Come From!  We were and are sinners – people lost without any real or meaningful direction, but with Jesus we are sinners saved by Grace – people that now have a special gift that they never dreamed or imagined possible!  The devil wants us, but He can’t have us, because we belong to God and His Kingdom.  I am not of this world, I am only passing through.  I am headed back to where I came from!  I came from God and I am headed back to God and every day I get a little closer, a little more fulfilled and a little more excited about all that I am right now, right here today!