What gives you energy?  Another way of stating it is, what causes you to feel juiced about life and ready to go?  Each of us have things that empower us and things that drain us.  There are certain things that drain me, not that they are wrong, but they just drain me.  There are certain activities that pull your emotional energy.  If you have none left, you will not be kind, patient, and understanding. 

So, What are the things that fill you up?  For me, I love worshiping God and engaging with worship music.  I also love my quiet time to pray, meditate and saturate in God’s Word. 

You need to know what fills you up.  It could be fellowship, reading, bike riding, riding your motorcycle, sitting on a park bench, or eating outside (my wife loves that one).  So, what is it for you?  Figure it out, then do it!

It seems like most people in our culture are trying to see how many rights they have.  People make statements like, “Well, it’s my body, so I should be able to do with it as I please.”  Or, “It’s none of your business what I choose to do with my life.”  For most of us Americans that sounds great.  Most people just ask the question, “Is it legal for me to do this?” and if the answer is “yes” then we do as we please.  We think that we should have the freedom to do whatever we choose, but the Apostle Paul gives us another question to ask. 

In today’s reading of the One Year Bible, Paul says we should ask this question, “Is it beneficial and constructive” (1 Corinthians 10:23).  Furthermore, he goes on to add “Does it cause anyone around you to stumble.”  In other words, life isn’t just about you, what pleases you and your desires.  He says you need to consider the impact your decisions make on those around before you do it. 

Sure, you might have the freedom to drink a beer from the fridge at home, but do you want your teenager to drink?  It may be acceptable to wear clothing that exposes half your chest (I’m talking to ladies), but what about how affects those around you?  Paul says, “Yeah, you may have the right to eat what you want, wear what you want, drink what you want, but when you’re around others that could stumble because of it, you need to consider the good of others.” 

Here’s the example: Paul says “Follow me as I follow Christ.”  Hmmm, let’s see did Christ exert His rights, or was His life lived all about others like you and me?  What kind of impact could our lives have if we chose to live that way?

Is it hard for you to hang onto your dreams?  Can you imagine how difficult it must have been for Abraham to keep believing that God was going to give him a son for years before it happened?  Sometimes dreams come true in a matter of days, weeks and months.  Other times it takes years and even decades. 

Sometimes the dream is waiting on us to get positioned to bring it to pass.  One of the dreams I have is to become a writer, but every year it seems like something crowds it out.  Now, I’ve enlisted prayer partners to help pray for me to be able to put it together and make it happen.

What are you wanting to achieve that seems to be out of reach?  Who could you enlist to become a prayer partner for you?  Is there a step you could take today to get you closer to your dream? 

I’m taking a step by blogging to warm up my writing skills in preparation to write my first book.  I feel like I’m making progress, which is a good feeling.

Ever hear anyone say, “Don’t get too close to the edge or you might fall in”?  I never really had to worry about that because I’ve always had a fear of heights.  I’m always careful to give myself margin when it comes to looking over the edge of a cliff, balcony, ledge or anything higher than the third rung on a ladder. 

I can’t tell you how many times I wished I could have been there for people who got to close to the edge in other areas of life, such as affairs, substance addictions, or broken relationships.  Then, because of my knowledge of people, I think, “would they even have paid attention to me if I had been there”?  Maybe, somebody already was there saying, “I wouldn’t go to lunch with him if I were you” or, “I hear that stuff can be really addicting” or, “Perhaps you should think that over some more before you say that.” 

Seems to me the problem is more in ignoring the voices than the lack of them.  Plus, there’s always that voice inside of us isn’t there?  That one that whispers, “I wouldn’t go there if I were you” or “That doesn’t seem like a wise thing to do in your life right now.”  Between our conscience and the voice of the Holy Spirit, you’d think we all would be making better choices - what do you think?   What area of your life do you need to place a line of margin?  

*More on this topic in our weekend series called: MARGIN

Can you imagine a book without margins?  Can you imagine trying to read it?  Yet, how many of us try to live life without margin every day?

Our culture tries to take it to the limit, but in doing so runs the risk of going off the edge.  What would happen if we established margins in our lives that would warn us before we step across the line?  What difference would it make in your friendships, your finances, or your marriage?   In a time when it seems the only way to keep up with all the demands is to push to the edge, there is another way. 

This weekend I’ll launch a new series that will explore the benefit and ways to create margin and space in your life.  Start looking at your life and the lack of margin now, then I hope you’ll be with us on Sunday!

Yesterday we were blessed to have the ministry of Andy Lapins with us for our weekend services.  He reminded us of how the effort we make to reach others for Christ is an investment and not an expense.  Andy mentioned four types of investments it often requires, that of time, effort, money and faith.  A good question to ask is, “Which of these four investments have I been unwilling to make to reach others for Christ?”   

We’re gearing up for double-in-a-day Sunday, officially called “Back To Church Sunday” on September 12th.  Our goal is for everyone to bring one person to church with them on that day.  If we all do that, we will actually double the church in one day.  The purpose is not about numbers, even though the Bible shows God is in to those, it is about reaching people, which God is all about. 

Start praying now about who God would have you reach out to, make an investment in their life, then invite them to church on September 12.  I believe God can use this new commitment in our hearts to reach others by guiding us to those He wants us to reach. 

Here’s a suggestion, make a list of three people that you would like to reach and then start praying for them daily.  Look for opportunities to plant or water seed.  Ask God to give the increase by the drawing power of His Spirit.  And finally, and most importantly, live the life in front of them that demonstrates the full life Jesus came to bring.

There is a single ingredient that I believe makes all the difference in whether your marriage makes it, you recover your health, your wealth or anything else you’ve lost.  It’s the factor that can separate a champion from a player, a winner from a loser, or an excuser from a finisher.  It’s hope.

Hope is something that when you have it, nothing can keep you back.  You cannot be derailed, detoured, or destroyed.  It’s that component that keeps you going when all the others are panting by the side of the road. 

Trouble is, many don’t have it.  They’ve given into self-pity, bad news, negative reports and allowed themselves to believe it can’t be done. 

In Zechariah 9:12 it refers to those who are “prisoners of hope.”  Wow, what a great title to have.  Wouldn’t that be great to be said at your funeral, “They were a prisoner of hope, they just wouldn’t give up.”? 

You can be a prisoner of an awful childhood, poor parenting, bad economy, negative medical reports, dire work conditions, or other horrible conditions, but I want to be known as a “prisoner of hope.”

Being hopeful will do more to turn around your circumstances than anything else I know.  It just recently healed a young girl, nine years old, in our church of cancer.  What could it do for you?

Everyone needs encouragement from time to time and most need it more often than not.  I’m so glad for the encouragement that is found in God’s Word.  In service yesterday, we were discussing the End of the World and how that we don’t need to be discouraged by what is going on around us, but rather encouraged because we know Who is about to return.  Instead of asking, “what is this world coming to?” a better question is “who is coming to this world?” 

In today’s reading of the One Year Bible, I was again reminded of how awesome of a God that we serve in reading the story of Hezekiah.  In 2 Chronicles 32 he encouraged the people with these words, “Do not be afraid or discouraged because of the king of Assyria and the vast army with him, for there is a greater power with us than with him.  With him is only the arm of flesh, but with us is the Lord our God to help us and to fight our battles.”  The Bible says that they people gained confidence from Hezekiah’s words in spite of the odds.

I don’t know what you may be facing and what challenges are before you, but I do know that ”there is a greater power with us” that is able to deliver.  Get ahold of the powerful promises of God’s Word and refuse to give into self-pity, depression, thoughts of defeat and fear.  Instead, gather your thoughts upon the Word of God and hope, strength and courage can fill your heart regardless of what it looks like. 

Read the Bible every day and be on the lookout for words of encouragement.

I had someone ask me about the difference between firstfruits offering and the tithe, so I thought others might be interested as well, so I figured I’d write about it. 

Tithing is a biblical practice of giving to God 10% of your total income.  The practice was instituted before the law of Moses (Abraham tithed) and after when Jesus affirms it (Matt. 23:23).  We actually see that people enjoyed giving above the tithe in the book of Acts when they would sell their homes and bring the money to the apostles as an offering. 

Firstfruits is actually a part of the tithe as well.  It means to offer to God the first of all your crops or produce.  By doing this a person is honoring the God who provided the entirity of their harvest.  When a person tithes off the top of their income, they are providing a firstfruits offering to the Lord.  That means, before paying any bills or spending any of their income, you write out or mail out your tithe check to God. 

When you consider that “the earth is the Lords and everything in it”, then bringing our tithe (10%) shows the generosity of God to allow us to spend the other 90% at our discretion.  He says if we will do this that He will open the floodgates and pour out many incredible blessings upon us while also protecting us from the devourer (Malachi 3). 

I personally believe that I can do more with 90% with God’s blessing than I can with 100% without His blessing.  You simply can’t out-give God and He won’t be in debt to anyone.  This is why we often encourage people at church to try the 90 day challenge of tithing.  Give God 90 days of tithing and see if you don’t feel better about yourself, see God’s hand in your life, and experience unexpected blessings during that time.  I’m not saying put money in and you’ll get money out, but I know that my family has been blessed in many, many ways by our faithful tithing over the years. 

God dares us to try it and see if He can’t prove Himself in our lives in various ways.  So, why not give it a try?  You can’t pay what you don’t owe, so you have to “bring” the tithe with you to the storehouse.  Simply take your total income, and when you get paid write the first check to God’s storehouse (your church) and honor Him with those firstfruits of your income and see if you don’t experience more of Him by walking in obedience.

I wish I was good at everything, but the truth is there are some things I’ll never be good at no matter how hard I try.  For example, I may dream of playing in the NBA, but no matter how hard I train, my chances of being on a team are about zilch.  On the contrary, there are some other things in which I’m pretty good at and could even become great. 

Every leader should discover where their strengths are and where they are not.  A good leader will then begin to develop their strengths and delegate their weakness.  In today’s reading of the One Year Bible, Paul explains this in Romans by comparing each of us a a body part.  Just like many parts come together to form your physical body, likewise we all come together to form one spiritual body (His church).  He further develops this idea by saying that if you have the gift of serving – then by all means serve.  If you have the gift of encouraging – then get out there and encourage someone. 

This principle works in reverse: if you are gifted to encourage then don’t spend the bulk of your time trying to serve because you’re not that good at it.  Plus, someone else around you IS really good at it and wondering why you’re doing it all wrong!  Dare to be what you are, what God created you to be and let others do what they are gifted to do and you do what you are gifted to do. 

Allowing those around you come along side and carry what you were never meant to carry makes you a team player.  Maybe not on the NBA, but for a championship team nonetheless.