Your Purpose and Place in this World

 "Some recent studies show that as many as 80% of people in the workforce don’t enjoy their work and nearly 75% don’t know their passion. This is not a coincidence." – TheOneQuestion.com

We have an identity crisis on our hands. 

While walking through the forest one day, a man found a young eagle who had fallen out of his nest. He took it home and put it in his barnyard where it soon learned to eat and behave like the chickens. One day a naturalist passed by the farm and asked why it was that the king of all birds should be confined to live in the barnyard with the chickens. The farmer replied that since he had given it chicken feed and trained it to be a chicken, it had never learned to fly. Since it now behaved as the chickens, it was no longer an eagle.

"Still it has the heart of an eagle," replied the naturalist, "and can surely be taught to fly." He lifted the eagle toward the sky and said, "You belong to the sky and not to the earth. Stretch forth your wings and fly." The eagle, however, was confused. He did not know who he was, and seeing the chickens eating their food, he jumped down to be with them again. The naturalist took the bird to the roof of the house and urged him again, saying, "You are an eagle. Stretch forth your wings and fly." But the eagle was afraid of his unknown self and world and jumped down once more for the chicken food. Finally the naturalist took the eagle out of the barnyard to a high mountain. There he held the king of the birds high above him and encouraged him again, saying, " You are an eagle. You belong to the sky. Stretch forth your wings and fly." The eagle looked around, then up to the sky. And the naturalist lifted him straight towards the sun and it happened that the eagle began to tremble. Slowly he stretched his wings, and with a triumphant cry, soared away.

For many people life is a lot like that story, only they never stretch out their wings and attempt to fly. 

They spend their lives living the life of chickens when they could be living the life of an eagle. That is what we are going to be talking about for the next few weeks in a new series called “Who am I?”

We all dream of that life up in the clouds, soaring with freedom and power, but all to often we stay in the barnyard picking at chicken feed. We all can relate to this and today we begin with the first key to unlocking the life we have always wanted, the fulfilled life like that of an eagle. 

The first thing we must find is who we are… Who am I? Where do I fit in life? Am I valuable? These are all identity questions that must be answered. 

The eagle from the story was not a common chicken, but he did not know this until someone came along and showed him who he really was. And that is my goal today, I want to be like that naturalist that came along and noticed that the eagle was unaware of his true identity. I want to show you your true identity, and help you unlock the first key to discovering “Who am I.” 

The search for ones identity is a task we all have gone through and for most of us are still going through.  It is tough to find out who the real me is?

“Today we see millions desperately searching for their own shadows, devouring movies, plays, novels, and self-help books… that promise to help them locate their missing identities. In the United States, the manifestations of personality crisis are bizarre. Its victims hurl themselves into group therapy, mysticism, or sexual games. They itch for change but are terrified by it. They urgently wish to leave their present existence and leap somehow to a new life – to become what they are not.” – Alvin Toffler (writer in NYC now 84 yrs. old & former editor of Fortune Mag)

We try to find our identity in many places, and many of those places are destructive. Some girls crave love and attention so much that they settle for anything that even resembles it, mainly from guys looking for only one thing. Some guys crave status and respect and when they cannot find it they are fooled by its illusion in pornography and casual sex. Lonely people longing for approval fall into the world of drugs and alcohol, And insecure people strive to get to the top, only to find their identity lost when they finished second. In each case, people are looking for the fulfilled life, that life like the eagle, and instead they wind up more confused as to who they are, and where they fit into the world. We have all felt the sting of insignificance, and left wondering if life is even worth it. So where can we find the answers to who am I, and where do I belong, and am I even important to anyone. You might be surprised at the answer… Jesus Christ made a statement once 2,000 years ago that might blow your idea of Christianity out of the water.

John 10:10 “I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance.” 

Most people have this idea in their head that Christianity is a bunch of rules and don’t do this, and don’t do that’s. But true followers of Christ know that this could not be further from the truth! Jesus said I came that they might ENJOY life, he is saying, “God, my Father has sent me to this earth to show you how to have a good time in life.” Not only does he say that he came so that we might enjoy life, but he came so that we could have it in abundance. 

The NIV version of the Bible says so that they might have life, and have it to the full. No matter how many people you sleep with, and no matter how many lines of cocaine you take, or any amount of trophies and fame you will obtain will ever give you the full life, life that is in abundance. I am talking about life that is fun, fulfilling, and free, and Jesus Christ came so that we can have that life. He is the key to not only finding my identity, but also to finding this “Abundant Life.” So what does Jesus Christ do for my identity? How does a guy who lived back in the first century help me find myself in the 21st century? That is what I would like to spend the rest of our time answering. 

Understand....

I am forgiven and free

 Jesus Christ came to earth as a human being like you and me, and did what no other human has done, he lived a perfect life, a life that allowed him the right to be with God. But instead look at what happened:

2 Corinthians 5:21 “For our sake he made him to be sin (Jesus) who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” NRSV

Jesus switched roles with us, when he died on the cross he died that spiritual and physical death that we had coming to us. Now instead of a do not pass go, do not collect $200 dollars go directly to jail card, we now have a get out of jail free card. We have been forgiven for our sins because of Jesus Christ! The Bible says “your sins are forgiven on account of his name.”

Colossians 2:13 – 14 “God made you alive together with him, when he forgave us all our trespasses, erasing the record that stood against us with its legal demands.” NRSV

But it does not end there, for God did not leave Jesus dead, he raised him from the grave of our sins giving us FREEDOM from sin and FREEDOM from guilt, shame, and worthlessness. Because we are no longer held back by our sins we can dance in freedom, true freedom that can only come from God. We don’t have to stay bogged down in destructive things like drugs, and pornography all the while looking for our identity, We can hold our heads high and soak up the freedom that comes when we realize that our identity is in Jesus and his forgiveness.

2 Corinthians 3:17 “The Lord is the Spirit who gives them life, and where he is there is freedom.”

The next thing Jesus does for our identity is we can say:

I am valuable

There was a wealthy man and his son once who loved to collect rare art works. In their collection they had everything from Picasso to Raphael. They loved to sit and look at the paintings and talk. When the Vietnam conflict broke out the young man was drafted and went to war. He was very courageous and died in battle rescuing another solider. The father was notified and grieved deeply. About a month later, right before Christmas there was a knock on the door. A young man stood outside the door with a large package in his hands. He said to the father, “I am the man your son died to save, he saved many lives that day. He often talked about you though and how you and him loved fine art.” The father unwrapped the package and it was a painting of his son done by the man. “I am not a great artist, but I want you to have this.” The man said as he walked away. The father was amazed by the portrait of the son and hung it over his mantle and every time a person came to the house he showed them this painting first. The man died a few months later and a great action was organized to sell the fine works of art in the collection. Many influential people attended. On the platform on the day of the auction was the portrait of the son, and the auctioneer cried out, “Who will bid on the son?” The room was silent… no one wanted this picture and soon the people shouted for the famous pictures they came for. The auctioneer persisted though, “Who will bid on the son.” Finally a voice in the back spoke up and said, “I will give $10 for it.” It was the family gardener and he did not have much money. The auctioneer said, “I have 10 who will give me 20…” The people were furious by this point and shouted for the famous paintings. “Going once, going twice, sold to the man in the back for $10.” The auctioneer now placed down his gavel and stepped down saying the auction was over. The people shouted “What is the meaning of this?” The auctioneer stated that due to a secret stipulation in the will the person that bought the son was to receive the entire collection as well.

You see Jesus is a million times more precious to God than this man’s picture of his son, but he was willing to give it all away for you and me. He was willing to sacrifice his only son so that we might be forgiven and free. 

John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.” NRSV

Imagine that… we were valuable enough to God for him to put his Son through humiliation, torment, pain, heartbreak and death for you and me. The God of the entire universe, the one who created the earth and the stars, loves us. We are like the same people surrounding the cross who spit in his face and rejected his kindness only to have him chase after us with a love that is so powerful you cannot chose to do anything but accept it when it hits you. So many times in our society we are told, especially when we are young that we are expendable, we are worthless and meaningless. But God says I love you enough to give up my only son for you. That makes us extremely valuable!!! 

I have to mention one last thing. Remember the story of the art collector and the gardener who bid on the son and got it all… this “Abundant Life” is kind of like that in this way. Whoever gets the Son gets it all, whoever gets Jesus, God’s Son, gets it all. 

“The pathway [to identity]  is to follow in the footsteps of the Master” - John Whelan

“When you know who you are, you 

know what you are to do,”

“When you know who you are, you 

know in what direction you walk; 

you know the mission God 

has called you to”

For more on this and others in the "Who Am I?" series go to:

http://focuschurch.com/social.php?item=item:2013010608015399487D

OR

http://www.sermonconnect.com/mediapreview.php?id=2013010608015399487D

The Manti T’eo Folk Tale and Your Integrity...

Okay this story is pretty bizarre right?
This story (tale) is still unravelling but what we do have in front of us is a "girlfriend" (Lennay Kekua) that doesn't exist whos story of battling Leukemia and eventually dying from the disease was inspirational to him (Manti T'eo) throughout this football season.

The craziness stems from the fact that it's all a big hoax.
The questions still being asked are many but derive from 2 angles:
Was Manti T'eo duped by this "person" and who knows why???
or
Was he actually a part of the concocted 'fib' to generate sympathy for a few different reasons?

And the media scrutiny is harsh to say the least...

How about we pull that "magnifying glass" off of Manti T'eo and those involved in this folk tale and spin it around onto ourselves.

....and ask...

Have I ever stretched the truth to gain some sort of personal interest?
Have I ever exaggerated a story or event to make it sound more appealing?
Have I ever played with the numbers in order to benefit myself?
Have I ever shared a story with others without knowing for certain if it was 'real' or if those were the 'actual' facts but told it anyway because it always gets a bunch of laughs?

I mean we could go and on and on with these type of questions couldn't we?

So let's pull back a minute from all the media frenzy of today and step outside this bizarre story and look at our own bizarre story.

We are all broken, we are all in need of saving and when left to operate in the ways of the world then we can answer YES to every one of those questions posed earlier and we can add many, many more.

Let's use a bizarre story like we have today
to be grateful for Amazing Grace
to be thankful for Unending Mercy
to be blessed with God's Abundant Love in Jesus Christ

that our past can be forgiven, we have a purpose in the present, and hope for the future spending an eternity with Creator God in heaven.

"He heals the broken, and bandages their wounds." Psalm 147:3

Who are you?

Now that we've closed out 2012 and we've launched into 2013 our minds are filled with these great expectations...... "I'm going to be better this New Year."

"You'll see... I've got BIG plans." "I'm gonna lose weight, I'm gonna exercise more... I'm gonna eat better, I'm gonna learn how to play that 'instrument' I've put away in my closet... I'm gonna get a better job, I'm gonna save more money, I'm gonna quit smoking or drinking" or whatever vice seems to have a handle on us.....

I'm gonna, I'm gonna....

Well, we are eleven days into the New Year... how's it going?

This is about the time (if it already hasn't happened) that we begin to slide, to put aside those grand ideas and expectations.

I'd like to encourage you to move forward with your plans and expectations with a simple question.... "Who are you?"

Can you answer that question?

It's really important. It's really important because if you can't answer that simple question then you'll never be able to succeed in all the areas of life that you want to.

Most folks answer that question with their name and career choice. 

"Well I'm Joe Parks and I work for Rex Supply in Outside Sales."

But that's not who you are... that's your name and a job description.

"Well I'm a husband and father" 

Sure those are roles you play in life, but without a spouse and children "Who are you?"

I mean just you.... just you.

Not your name or career or roles you have currently... who are you?

In his book "Victory Over Darkness" Neil T. Anderson asked that question, "Who are you?" and got similar results that I mentioned above. 

He concluded that none of those were sufficient and offered this... "You are a child of God"

That's who you are.

YOU are a child of God. That's a big deal folks. 

It really is.

For any of us to succeed and move forward in this New Year we must be able to answer the question, "Who we are". Only then will we completely understand our goals and mission that is for us... not just this year, 2013, but in life.

For more insight watch or listen to "Who am I?" part 1 at FocusChurch.com recorded on Jan. 6th 2013 and join us for the rest of the month as we dig deeper into that question.

Year End Reflection

Today is the last day of 2012 - it's quite cliche to say how fast a yr goes by. May be even more so with me since my oldest daughter is on the brink of leaving the house and headed off to college and that alone creates great change. Regardless of how fast the years seem to go by we all know they are each alike in their time, nothing is different from this past year as in years past in regards to their timing but what occurs in each year is often very, very different.

And we would be wise - very wise people to take a few moments, maybe hours, maybe days to STOP & reflect on the past year. To take the time to recognize ‘what is different’? from this year vs. years past. And when we do that, when we take the time, I mean really stop & ponder, it benefits us greatly.

This is something I do each and every year (I typically go away by myself for a day or so) and reflect and in that process allow God the Holy Spirit to speak to me. Which helps lead me into the upcoming year.

So this morning I wanted to share some of my questions I ask to help me along in the process and believe it will be helpful to you as well. If you take the time….

"My son, if you accept my words, and store up my commands within you, 2 turning your ear to wisdom, and applying your heart to understanding, 3 and if you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding, 4 and if you look for it as for silver, and search for it as for hidden treasure, 5 then you will understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God. 6 For the Lord gives wisdom, and from his mouth come knowledge and understanding. 7 He holds victory in store for the upright, he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless, 8 for he guards the course of the just, and protects the way of his faithful ones. 9 Then you will understand what is right and just and fair-every good path. 10 For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul. 11 Discretion will protect you, and understanding will guard you." Proverbs 2: 1-11

All of us need Godly wisdom, and Proverbs chapter two gets you thinking on the right path. Wisdom is like silver and we are instructed to search for it like hidden treasure. With that kind of fervor, that kind of pursuit… And God grants favor for those who walk with Him, and protects the path of those who seek Him. 

We just completed the Christmas holidays. It's a busy time -- I know. So now with at behind us, I urge you to take a couple hours and think through these questions. As you do that, get out your laptop or tablet and jot down a few notes. I promise it will be worth it if you will act on the wisdom you gain. Here's a helpful hint. Don't try to write pages and pages. Write as concisely as you can, even bullet points are great. It’s the KISS technique - Keep it simple stupid. The purpose is to evaluate your life in 2012 so you experience an even greater 2013.

Ten Great Questions: 

1. What are several of your most meaningful achievements and success stories this year? 

This is a great way to start. Make a list of the things God helped you achieve this year that you're most enthusiastic about. Express your gratitude to God and write a few notes of thanks to those who helped you. Reflect on which of your successes were things you planned and which were things God seemed to surprise you with. 

2. What do you need to stop doing? 

This is one of my big questions every year. It's a tough one! And the truth is, if you're growing and taking new territory, you have to let go of some things in order to keep moving forward. It could be things like worry, or time in front of the TV or computer, or your work schedule or it could be your diet and specific food or drinks (I have already begun to drastically cut back on my diet soda intake and replaced that with water and tea)  - which of these would be wise to stop doing? Or at least do much less of?  And if you need some help accomplishing the items you want to stop doing, maybe you could employ this company (vid - http://www.bluefishtv.com/Store/Downloadable_Video_Illustrations/5379/SLAP)

3. What do you need to start doing?

You probably already know exactly what you need to start or restart in 2013. Perhaps you need to be consistent with exercise, or pray with your spouse, or be faithful to your day off, or study and read more scripture. Let me encourage you to list no more than three things. Any more may ensure that none of them happen. Keep your list short! 

4. What are two or three mistakes you made this year? 

If you made a mistake or two of consequence, take heart that means you are actually trying! The important thing is to know what you learned from that mistake. Listen folks, We can make mistakes, make lots of mistakes, even make a big mistake. but never make the same mistake twice! Why? Because if you do you are not learning! 

I can look back at 2012 and see a # of mistakes I’ve made… w/ my wife, my children, in leading this church. The important thing for me is that I learn from those and continue to move forward.

5. Is there any regret you need to tend to?

This usually boils down to people. In what condition are your primary relationships? Are there any misunderstandings that need to be corrected? Is there someone you need to forgive? Do you need to ask forgiveness? Perhaps your relationships are in great shape. Good! Was there a special project that you really need and want to finish but you didn't? The idea behind this question is to identify any regret that you can do something about, and do it soon in 2013. Watch this…. (vid - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qIp_8RNNX4k)

Ofcourse Oskar Schindler accomplished a great deal… what I want you to see this morning is the ‘regret’ he felt. He wanted to accomplish more… is that kind of fire w/in you?

6. What is the last thing God said to you? 

This is huge folks. It’s of the upmost importance. How does God speak to you? When does He seem to speak to you most often? For me, God consistently speaks to me while I am out walking, I call them, “Walk n Talks”.  Or when I’m alone late at night in my backyard. What is God's fresh Word to you? Are you listening? Are you obeying? Are you enjoying your life with God? If you are more distant from God than you would like, how can you remedy that? Here's a helpful tip, don't make it complicated. Sometimes when I pray, and I don't know what to pray, or I don't feel connected, I just sit with God! I'm in my little prayer room, Bible open, with no pressure to perform. I'm simply in His presence. What is the last thing God said to you?

7. In what ways do you need to better love and care for your family? 

This is very personal and that's probably why it's so important. This is essential, but it never trumps your personal life. The character and quality of your personal life determines the character and quality of your professional & family life. It's never the other way around. I suggest you consider the little things. At work we often talk of the "big priorities" but at home, it's often the little things that make the big difference. How might you be more loving at home? How might you serve your family better? 

*Focus on what you give, not on what you don't get. You will never be unhappy with that choice. 

8. What one or two areas do you want to improve in personally in 2013? 

This is sometimes tough to see and measure. You may need to ask a trusted friend or two who knows you well. Candidly, if you haven't been working on something specific this year, it is unlikely you will notice any specific improvement. Get some wise counsel and focus in on a very short list of areas to improve this coming year.  

Hey if you’re married, ask your spouse, and if you have children, they’ll tell you where you can improve :)

9. What are the top five to seven things you hope to achieve in 2013? 

What would you like to accomplish? What does your boss want you to accomplish? What would your family like to experience from you? Dream big but don't get overwhelmed. It's easy to make a list of 29 things and we both know you won't do all that. Narrow it down, make the list count. Don't make the list in a vacuum, talk with the key people in your life. Be sure to have at least one thing that is personal. Maybe write a book, or knock five strokes off your golf game, or learn to play the piano! 

Make a list of a few items you want to achieve in this upcoming year and then put a plan in place to accomplish those.

10. How can you be a better leader in 2013?

This is a big one for me. I always want to be improving as a leader. So I read books, listen to podcasts, go to seminars. Here’s the deal folks… I believe everybody is a leader, the question is, Are you a good one? A husband to his wife, a parent to their children, an older child to their brother or sisters, to your workmates, classmates, friends, family, in ministry be it a church or another organiztion… are you a good leader in those arenas?

And… let me get spiritual here with you… every Christ follower is called to lead. 

Every believer. Called folks. Not just the clergy, not just the people you see working on stage or behind the scenes of the church. Every Christ follower. Called.

Look at what Peter says in his first letter...

 “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” 1 Pt. 2:9

Royal priesthood refers to our leadership in this world.

And Paul to the Corinthian believers...

“So we are Christ's ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ…”

2 Cor. 5:20

You are an ambassador, you are Christ’s representative to everybody else surrounding you…

So How can you be a better leader in 2013? (vid)

there are many more questions you could ask yourself. But I promise that if you will answer these ten, the likelihood of your 2013 being significantly stronger just went up exponentially! 

Watch/Listen to this at: FocusChurch.com 

Where is God when Tragedy Strikes?

• I received this message (question) this morning and wanted to share it:
  

  
  

  Joe, How do YOU handle a situation like this? How do YOU explain it. I am having a very hard time trying to figure out where God was yesterday. You understand these things. I'm afraid that I don't.
• Today
• 

  12:53pm

  Joe Parks

  Hi,
  Well you are not in the minority. Many, many people ask that very question. They asked after yesterday's tragedy... it got asked in Colorado after the movie gunman tragedy.... it got asked after 9/11, it gets asked when a child dies, not necessarily through a traumatic event such as yesterday but just a child getting sick and not recovering then passes away. An infant dying of SIDS, any loved one that is taken away from us unexpectedly for any reason. It's hard for us to grasp, it's hard to get our mind wrapped around it.
  So you are not alone in your thoughts.
  What we have to understand is 1st of all God is not absent. Scripture tells us He is everywhere, all the time - "The eyes of the Lord are in every place..." Proverbs 15:3 - And God said, "I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you" Hebrews 13:5.
  2nd, God does not 'cause' the evil in this world but He has allowed it.
  That actually goes all the way back to the first humans, Adam & Eve.
  You know Adam & Eve did live in a perfect world for a time (The Garden of Eden) While they lived there everything we spectacular, there was no pain, no suffering, not a single bad thing.
  That is until they 'chose' to sin. And that's where it all started.....
  

  God has given us free will to choose. We are not puppets on a string, we have free will. And the truth of the matter is our own flesh and desires are built in with evil, which is why we need God. For Him to help us live life to the fullest.
  Jesus said in John 10:10 "I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full."

  So answering questions about tragedy or trying to wrap our brains around such things is very hard to do. We just don't understand it.
  We just have to accept that evil is in this world and us, our race, humans, opened the door for evil. God didn't, doesn't cause evil. He does however give us the right to choose.

  He has come that we may life. He has comfort for us and His Word tells us that He will turn the bad (harm) into good.
  Genesis 50:20 -
  "You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives."

  Romans 8:28 - "And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God"

  On the other side of that question could be this question.... 'Why is God so good to us?'
  But that can be for another day 

  I hope this is helpful

  
  

  And I hope it is helpful to you as well.

Prayer & Hope

Praying for the victims of the senseless school shootings in Newtown, Connecticut. These acts of sinister violence against innocent children and adults point to a giant spiritual vacuum in our world/nation! The Church has the only answer in the world of desperation people find themselves in; and his name is Yeshua! He provides healing, hope and help! - Glenn Burris

If You Look For Me at Christmas - A letter from Jesus

If you look for me at Christmas,

You won’t need a special star.

I’m no longer just in Bethlehem,

I’m right there where you are.

You may not be aware of Me,

Amid the celebrations.

You’ll have to look beyond the stores,

And all the decorations.

But if you take a moment,

From your list of things to do,

And listen to your heart, you’ll find

I’m waiting there for you.

You’re the one I want to be with,

You’re the reason that I came.

And you’ll find Me in the stillness,

As I’m whispering your name.

Love, 

  Jesus

Surviving (Enjoying) The Holiday Season by Cathleen Parks

So.....today I thought I would talk about surviving the holidays. But then it occurred to me it should really be more than that - it should be enjoying the holidays! So  I thought we could process through together how to make the holiday season, which is really from the Thanksgiving week until the 1st week of January, really good. On Friday night I asked Jessica what she thought most people would need to do to most enjoy their holidays and she said AVOID FAMILY! hahaha!!!! 

The 1st thing that comes to MY mind it the issue of crazy holiday schedules. 

There are so many things that we want to do. We want to visit friends and family, we want to go to parties, we want to go shopping but right alongside of those wants are the things we don’t want to do - visit friends and family, go to parties, go shopping! It’s really all about balance. We have to prioritize and figure out what we should and shouldn’t do. Does everyone want you to come to their party? Sure they do - it wouldn’t be the same without YOU! But will they survive if you don’t come? mmmmmm....i say yes! Believe it or not the party really will go on without you and so if attending that particular event, whether it’s a party or luncheon or whatever, if attending is going to be one more thing in your overly crowded schedule or it’s going to take away from something else or it’s going to rob you of good family time then it’s okay to say no! 

You know it’s even okay to say no just because ‘you don’t wanna’. Your allowed to do that! (Unless your spouse overrules you - I can’t help you with that one!)

Don’t be afraid to get some rest during the holidays. Don’t we feel guilty if we take the day off when we feel like there is something still to do? Look, I know this, I know that the Bible tells me to take a sabbath. 

Exodus 20:8 “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is a sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns. 11 For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy."

It’s important to take time to rest and refocus. 

Keeping your Sabbath holy - simply put that means that which is holy belongs to God. 

Why don’t we take some time and give it to God during the holidays. Not to our boss, our neighbors, the mall, whatever. But truly take some time that is ours and dedicate it to God - therefore making it his. Not sure what to do?  Open the Bible and read through the story of Jesus’s birth. Put on some worship or Christmas music and sit in front of a cozy fire with some hot chocolate and enjoy the peacefulness while the words wash over you. Not much can alter your mood and perspective faster than music. Music just connects to our hearts in a unique way.

Ok so just say no!

Next is know when to say yes! 

You gotta make memories - enjoy life’s simple pleasures. Go Christmas light looking and make it special. Put some hot chocolate in the car and take lots of blankets - then roll your windows down and snuggle in while you drive through a really festive neighborhood. One time when it wasn’t very cold Joe and I rode our bikes through the neighborhood with Jess strapped in the kid carrier and that was so fun! We really got to take our time looking at the decorations. Or you can go down to see the display at Moody gardens. 

Every year I like to grab a pillow and put it under the tree and just lay under it and watch the lights cycle. Alli does it with me now too! See.....memories. 

Roast marshmallows at your firepit or chiminea. 

Pull out some cards or a board game. Some of you just need to play......some of you don’t remember what it’s like to loose yourself in play then watch this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_0_Sa-cw_Aw 

The final aspect to enjoying your holidays is the most important one, it’s Hebrews 12:2

"We must focus on Jesus, the source and goal of our faith. He saw the joy ahead of him, so he endured death on the cross and ignored the disgrace it brought him." (GWV)

You know coming off Thanksgiving week and then into the Christmas month, we just have to realize we have so much to be thankful for and we can express our thanks for our families and our homes and the food on our tables and the pillows we get to rest our heads on each night but we can’t loose sight of the source of all of these blessings.  If there was EVER anything to be thankful for it’s Jesus. If fact, everything we can possibly be thankful for is a gift. We can’t take credit for our families, our jobs, our homes. We wouldn’t have our families if God hadn’t allowed us to be born into them or for us to cross paths with our spouses. We wouldn’t have our jobs or homes had God not given us the skills and abilities to work and earn them.....

James 1:16-17  "Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers and sisters. Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows."

No matter what you do this season don’t lose sight of what we are ultimately celebrating and that is that we have a great God who’s blessed us amazingly -  who just over 2 thousand years ago gave up His position in heaven to be born in a barn so that He could restore us back into relationship with him. Don’t you dare get so pre-occupied in your turkey, your decorations, your shopping that you forget what this season is really all about. And don’t you dare miss the opportunity to impact your life and your children’s lives with these truths.   

Deuteronomy 11:18-20 (New International Version)

"Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates"

You know this really ties into the making memories and the holiness issue we talked about earlier......I love how this scripture puts such an emphasis on the importance of teaching our children. What better time is there to teach our kids about God than this season where they are saturated in Christmas music - which a lot if it is just worship music and nativities and crosses and everywhere they turn their attention is repeatedly drawn to something that reminds them of the birth of our savior, our messiah. When the girls were younger we use to some really cool activities out of a book called Family Tool-chest. Anyway, it was a rainy day and we wanted to have a little fun along with kind of a family devotion 

In that moment we did several things we’ve talked about today, we made memories, we taught our kids a fundamental Biblical lesson and we created a holy experience. Remember holy simply means being that which belongs to God. That afternoon in our garage belonged to God. You know this Deuteronomy scripture also says to fix God’s words on our hearts and minds. You know what that is ultimately? That’s giving your heart and mind to God. It’s the ultimate decision to live a holy life because it’s saying ‘I belong to God’. Ultimately, the best gift you can give this season is yourself to God. Make this year uniquely different that any other year by being purposeful about setting aside yourself and your moments to be holy - to belong to God. 

The Church, America, & Election Day

This was a message Cathleen gave back in 2008 prior to that Election.... I believe it is appropriate again today. Enjoy :)

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Today we are here to talk about our National Treasure. We live in a country that is officially 231 years old. But unofficially the heart of our country started well before 231 years ago. The heart of America started way back with the yearnings of individuals who just wanted to worship the God of the Bible in freedom. They wanted the opportunity to explore scripture and apply their understandings to their lives. For various reasons, which we don’t have time to get into today, they simply weren’t allowed to do this. Over the course of time many of these individuals made their way to the North American chores. Once they got here they embarked on what they referred to as ‘The Holy Experiment’. 

The experiment was to establish a community where all manners of life where grounded in scripture. The New England colonies have often been called "Bible Commonwealths" because they sought the guidance of the scriptures in regulating all aspects of the lives of their citizens. As they began developing criminal statutes Scripture was cited as authority behind the established laws. 

The Holy Experiment was a huge vision dreamed of by just regular people. This dream affects every aspect of how we, as Americans, live our lives even today. I’d like to just take the opportunity to share with you some golden nuggets of truth and wisdom from some of our founding fathers and then briefly examine what any of this has to do with you and I and why this is a topic we chose to take up on Sunday morning - in church of all places. 

George Washington - the oath that is still taken in court to this day started with G.W. pg. 35 (all quotes from, 'God in America' by Newt Gingrich)

in 1795 G.W. called for a national day of prayer and thanksgiving. In his speech he said... pg. 40-41

1 Peter 2:16 "Live as free men, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as servants of God."

Thomas Jefferson - was the author of a ‘wall of separation between church and state’. *modern day definition

public buildings for church services, including the Capitol itself!

recommended that Congress provide $100.00 per year to a missionary of an Indian tribe.

in developing school curriculums he used the Bible as the teaching text to learn to read.

when Jefferson talked about the separation between church and state he was referring to the state being separate from the affairs of the church - not the other way around. I truly believe he’d be horrified to see how his words have been so manipulated by our current culture. An incredible quote of his confirms his heart on this issue. He said: pg. 42

Abraham Lincoln - 

I love an excerpt that was written on a dinner he hosted at the White House. During the night’s closing prayer the pastor commented pg.54. I love his response pg. 54 

He emphasized that our purpose is not to desire the Lord to be on our side - but don’t we ask for that a lot? Problems at work - Lord show them, change them, fix them. Problems at home - give them a reality check. From playing a football game to going to war - help us win! Lincoln’s point was that God is not to be on our side - we are to recognize that he is always on the RIGHT side - whether it’s ours or not - and our desire should be to be on his side. Joe often prays not that God would bless what he’s doing but that he would do what God is blessing. 

Franklin Roosevelt - 

elected for four terms

referred to God and our need to depend on him numerous times in his fireside chats, state of the union addresses, and ... 

One of his final addresses was most poignant. pg. 71/72

Ronald Reagan - remember what I said that coming to America was referred to in our early history? The Holy Experiment. Listen to this quote by R.R. and it ties all of this together today. Pg. 103. 

Cool huh? 

You know I’ve reviewed all of this today for a couple of reasons. 

One is it is so easy to forget where we’ve come from. To forget what others have sacrificed so that we can be here and talk openly about our love of God and our desire to live a life that is pleasing to Him. 

Two is to remind us to make sure our children know these things. Joe and I have it easy. Because our kids go to a Christian school they know more about our Christian heritage than I do. That’s an incredible blessing! If your kids don’t have that opportunity then you need to make sure you tell them.

Deuteronomy 4:5-9

"See, I have taught you decrees and laws as the LORD my God commanded me, so that you may follow them in the land you are entering to take possession of it. Observe them carefully, for this will show your wisdom and understanding to the nations, who will hear about all these decrees and say, "Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people." 

What other nation is so great as to have their gods near them the way the LORD our God is near us whenever we pray to him? And what other nation is so great as to have such righteous decrees and laws as this body of laws I am setting before you today? Only be careful, and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them slip from your heart as long as you live. Teach them to your children and to their children after them.

Three is because we need to remember our part in all of this. For many of the recent years the Christian church bought into the manipulated idea of the ‘separation of Church and state’. Because of this we’ve been remarkably quite in the political arena, with the exception of the election of G.B. where the Christian community really began to make their voices heard. But our true voice has yet to be discovered. How do I know it is important to God that we are a part of the political process? Because a huge part of the Old Testament is a history book. It is example after example of God showing himself in and through the nations. Either by raising up Godly leadership to rule the nations or by rescuing a nation of people who’ve turned from him and now in the consequence of the rebellion are crying out to him for restoration. 

So what does that mean to us within the perspective of all we’ve talked about today and with the understanding that we are in the midst our political process that results in the election of our next President? We must get involved. Listen to what’s going on. Evaluate what we’re listening to. Here’s the challenge. Evaluate things according to Biblical principle. That doesn’t seem too hard but I am surprisingly it sure can be. We are so saturated in our own opinions and our own experiences that it is not uncommon for us to come across something in scripture and realize that our opinion my not totally line up with Biblical principle. Jesus himself understands this about us and wants us to understand it about ourselves. One day he’d told the Pharisees something that didn’t particularly agree with and they argued hey - how do we know you’re right on this - all we have is your word and this was Jesus’ reply 

John 14-18 "You're right that you only have my word. But you can depend on it being true. I know where I've come from and where I go next. You don't know where I'm from or where I'm headed. You decide according to what you can see and touch. I don't make judgments like that. But even if I did, my judgment would be true because I wouldn't make it out of the narrowness of my experience but in the largeness of the One who sent me, the Father."

So we must test everything we think against the word of God and where we see inconsistencies we decide if we are going to trust his judgement over our own and then we do exactly what Paul teaches us in Romans 12:1-3 where he tells us,

‘Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you.’

So use this sober judgement to clearly see the political process that is unraveling on our tv sets every night. Make sure you are registered to vote then Go Vote. Evaluate things according to principal and not politics. Let principle trump politics in the process and vote. When we do this we absolutely follow the Biblical example of being vessels that God will use to influence the nations. Let’s be a part of what the early settlers called the Holy Experiment and Reagan referred to as the American Experiment. Let’s keep the experiment Holy. God blessed us with a Holy America - let’s do are part in maintaining the blessing.

- Cathleen Parks (http://tinyurl.com/cathleenparks) 

The Halloween HOPE

This time of year is unlike any other in many respects. Every shopping center and grocery store is filled with all sorts of candy, costumes and colorful decorations. Tomorrow children will parade up and down the streets disguised as their favorite characters chanting “Trick or Treat” and hold out plastic bags or molded plastic pumpkins in hopes of collecting vast amounts of candy. This will, of course, result in a stomach ache the next day and some may miss school. (watch this vid)

For Christians, Halloween is perhaps the most difficult holiday with which to deal. Its darker side is so disconcerting, yet it holds a bit of charm for us as we remember our own childhood experiences with the day. A myriad of questions surround Halloween. Should we participate? Accommodate? Or vigorously denounce Halloween?

When I first researched Halloween I discovered hundreds of web-sites with articles, sermons, or editorials condemning the observance of this holiday. In fact, many Christians have taken a very strong stance in opposition to Halloween on the grounds that it supports Satan-worship and pagan gods. This places many people, especially those with children, in an uncomfortable position. How should we, as Christians, respond to this holiday? Is it sinful and evil or just fun and games? Is it a problem or a potential opportunity? To answer such questions, it’s helpful to view Halloween from the perspective of history. So let’s begin this morning with a…

• HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE OF HALLOWEEN:

First, we ought to recognize that the American celebration of Halloween draws heavily from Scottish and Irish folk customs that can be directly traced to pre-Christian times and is indeed rooted in the ancient Celtic feast of Samhain (sah-ween). Although modern Halloweens can be viewed as nights of rollicking fun and eerie games, its pagan beginnings were not so innocent.

Originally, Halloween was a celebration of the Druids in honor of Samhain, whom they believed to be the Lord of the Dead, and whose festival fell on November 1st.

The Druids believed that on the eve of this festival, Samhain, the Lord of the Dead, called together the wicked souls that within the past 12 months had been condemned to inhabit the bodies of animals. The veil, they believed, between the present world and the spirit world, or the world beyond, was pierced, releasing the dead to harass the living. 

Interestingly, they thought that the cat was sacred because they thought that cats, especially black cats, had once been human beings whose spirits were transferred into the cat as a punishment for their evil deeds—which makes you wonder why they were sacred :)

There was a prevailing belief among many nations that at death the souls of good people were taken by good spirits and carried to paradise, but the souls of wicked men were left to wander in the space between the earth and the moon, or consigned to inhabit animals. Typically, the Druids believed that on this one night of the year, the eve of the Samhain festival, the spirits of the dead returned to their original homes along with other ghosts and goblins.

In order to protect themselves or make themselves immune to the attacking dead spirits, people disguised themselves as goblins, and ghouls—from wince we derived the custom of wearing costumes for Halloween. They also attempted to ward off evil spirits by carving scary and grotesque faces on various gourds illuminated with candles (including pumpkins, of course). 

In order to pacify the evil spirits they offered a variety of treats—fruits, vegetables, and other types of food usually. If the dead were satisfied, it was believed they would leave you in peace. But if they were not satisfied—if you didn’t offer any treats or your offering wasn’t good enough—the ghosts would trick you by casting a spell on you and reeking havoc in your home. Thus the tradition of “trick or treat” was born.

Despite its sinister origins, however, I think we can learn a lot from how the early Christians responded to this Samhain festival. As Chrsitianity spread throughout the Roman Empire and Europe, many pagans and even Druids converted to Christianity, but they were still very superstitious. They didn’t have Bibles back then and most of them were illiterate anyway. So, without proper education, many of these new believers brought their old superstitions with them into the church—including their belief in ghosts and goblins.

In order to establish a rival celebration and to better educate new believers, the church designated November 1st as All Saints Day. Rather than fearing the onslaught of evil spirits who had been condemned during the course of the year, All Saints Day celebrated and honored all the saints, or martyrs, who had died that year. The mass held the evening prior to All Saints Day was called All Hallowmas. And October 31st itself became known as All Hallow E’en (Halloween). Literally then, the word Halloween means Holy Evening. Thus, All Hallows Eve was an attempt on the part of Christianity to overwhelm the tradition of ghouls with the truth of the gospel! So, with this historical perspective on Halloween in mind, let’s get a…

• BIBLICAL PERSPECTIVE OF HALLOWEEN:

Obviously, you can’t look up the word Halloween in a concordance and expect to find a Scripture reference to it, but there is one passage of Scripture that is very relevant to the subject.

“Accept into your group someone who is weak in faith, and do not argue about opinions. One person believes it is right to eat all kinds of food. But another, who is weak, believes it is right to eat only vegetables. The one who knows that it is right to eat any kind of food must not reject the one who eats only vegetables. And the person who eats only vegetables must not think that the one who eats all foods is wrong, because God has accepted that person. You cannot judge another person’s servant. The master decides if the servant is doing well or not. And the Lord’s servant will do well because the Lord helps him do well.

Some think that one day is more important than another, and others think that every day is the same. Let all be sure in their own mind. Those who think one day is more important than other days are doing that for the Lord. And those who eat all kinds of food are doing that for the Lord, and they give thanks to God. Others who refuse to eat some foods do that for the Lord, and they give thanks to God. We do not live or die for ourselves. If we live, we are living for the Lord, and if we die, we are dying for the Lord. So living or dying, we belong to the Lord.” (Romans 14:1-8 NCV)

The Apostle Paul addresses two specific issues here that are relevant to Halloween—meat that had been sacrificed to pagan gods and holidays.

First, there were many new Christians who, as I mentioned earlier, brought their old superstitious beliefs with them when they became Christians. Some, who had converted from paganism, even though they had accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Savoir, still believed in the gods of Roman and Greek mythology. Therefore, they refused to eat any meat that had been sacrificed to those gods because they saw it as a form of worshipping those old gods. Other Christians, who were more mature in their faith, realized that gods such as Zeus or Hermes or Athena didn’t even really exist—they’re just myths and fairy tales. Therefore, they had no problem eating meat because they knew those gods arent  even real.

Furthermore, some Christians wanted to celebrate special days or holidays, such as the Passover or other Jewish celebrations, while other Christians believed that every day was the same and there is no need to celebrate a holiday (or holy day) unless God specifically commanded us to do so.

To all of these Christians, Paul says, “warmly welcome each other into the church, just as Christ has warmly welcomed you; then God will be glorified” (Romans 15:7 TLB).

Now, if we take these two examples and put them together, we get a clear Biblical perspective on the controversy over Halloween. Halloween is a holiday (holy day) that was once dedicated to a pagan god. Some people understand there is no such thing as ghosts or goblins and have no problem participating in the modern celebration. Others believe that Halloween’s dubious origins make it something in which Christians should not be involved. 

I believe Paul would tell us exactly what he told the Romans—if it bothers your conscience, then don’t participate; if, on the other hand, you can celebrate Halloween in a way that honors and glorifies God—like the early Christians did—then go for it! Whatever you do, do it for the glory of God. 

Don’t forget that both Christmas and Easter have their origins in lascivious pagan festivals as well. That doesn’t, however, prevent Christians from captivating their children with tales about Santa Clause or the Easter Bunny. Halloween is no different. Just because it centers on themes of Halloween rather than furry woodland creatures and jolly fat men doesn’t put in some other category—as long as we understand the difference between reality and fantasy and we communicate that difference to our children.

We are encouraged to use holidays such as Easter and Christmas as opportunities for outreach, and, personally, I would suggest the same thing for Halloween. So, understanding the historical and biblical perspective let me share a…

• PRACTICAL PERSPECTIVE OF HALLOWEEN:

In my opinion, the worst thing Christians can do on Halloween is turn off the lights, lock the door and pretend no one is home. Jesus said that his purpose in coming to earth was to “seek and save the lost.” That’s our mission too. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said, “Let your lights shine before men in such a way that they will see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven” (Matt. 5:16 NASB).

So let’s heed the words of our Lord and Savior and let our lights shine—both our spiritual lights and porch lights—on a day that is typically known for its darkness. How can we use Halloween as a way to glorify God?

1. Don’t turn out the lights and ignore it. Halloween won’t go away. So if you don’t support this holiday, determine to turn a negative into a positive.

2. If you’re staying home: buy some candy, answer the door and when you put candy in the children’s bags include some information about the church.

3. Instead of playing scary music, play Christian music really loud.

4. Buy a pumpkin and carve a cross in it, placing a candle inside to symbolize that Jesus is the light of the world.

5. PRAY! Pray for the safety of the children who will be out on that night, but more importantly pray that the Gospel will go out that night as well—and that through God’s word some lost soul might come to know Jesus. 

Here's what we do every year. We set up a cookie decorating table out in our front yard. Just some sugar cookies, some icing and few sprinkles. Believe me... kids LOVE decorating cookies (and then eating them right away)

As a matter of fact parents have told us how much their children look forward to going to "Cookie Decorating House". That's special to us.

We also have a TV out front paying a Veggie Tales cartoon about 'what to do when I'm scared' or we have another cartoon video titled "Monsters & Me" starring Toby and how Jesus helps him when he's scared.

Kids love sitting in front of that TV watching the show. We love that it's displaying a great, God honoring message. This year instead of a TV we're gonna put up a Big Projector Screen and enlarge the show :)

Now here's the real story behind this....

Think about all the neighbors who live in your neighborhood that you've never had any contact with at all or maybe just a wave as you pass by in your car. Neighbors 10 houses down, four streets over, maybe on the complete opposite side of the neighborhood. 

We just don't get opportunities to develop relationships with any of them or even meet them all of them because there are so many.

But on Halloween they are all coming over to your house. They're showing up at your doorstep - you didnt even invite them. They just come.

So what are you going to do with this opportunity to be a light to your neighbor. How can you share the LOVE of Christ with all these people showing up at your house.

Do you see how great this is? 

Cathleen and I revel in the opportunity to begin discussions with so many parents of these children and the fact that they are decoration cookies and watching the cartoon gives us ample time to talk. And we have had some wonderful God discussions on Halloween night.

And that my friends is what it's all about.

What could you do to Advance the Kingdom of God on Halloween night?

Watch Joe Parks teach this message at Focus Church: The Halloween HOPE 

How to FLOURISH in Tough Times

Well, it's something to be here in a community where people are struggling and the economy has taken a nose dive, and we hear bad press not only on the news, on the television and the radio, & in the papers. People are afraid, and we're dealing with tough times, and there's a real concern about job loss and income lost and hours lost and territory lost.  There's a real concern about pensions and savings going away.  There's a real concern, and I'm going to say it, there's a real fear.  

And the tendency that most have when times like this come upon us is to pull in and pull back and shrink back and hang on and try to ride it out and hope somebody else does something…

How do you live in tough times like this?  You know, it's a legitimate question. It really is.  What should we do?  How should we respond?

The Bible has hundreds of references to money. Every civilization has used some form of currency for the exchange of goods and services. Every culture has had its wealthy and its poor people. Deuteronomy 8:18 states that it is God Who gives His people the power to get wealth, and it is God Who has promised all sufficiency in all things always, as 2 Corinthians 9:8 teaches.

There are many keys in the Bible that can be learned regarding accumulating honest wealth and the correct stewardship of it. This is vital to understand: God is owner of all, and He gives His people the opportunity and privilege to become good stewards.

Trusting God in hard times necessitates good stewardship. Affluence can give rise to laziness and financial carelessness, which may make it challenging initially when it's suddenly time to tighten the belt. Poverty can induce people to be greedy and stingy, and even to steal, and hard times can fuel that wrong thinking. Whatever background someone may be struggling with, Biblical principles can be learned and we can discover how to prosper and flourish in hard times.

First things first. God is the source of all provision, so “Honor the Lord with your possessions, and with the firstfruits of all your increase; so your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will overflow with new wine.” (Proverbs 3:9, 10)

It’s kinda funny how some folks will just pick & choose what pieces of scripture they want to follow or abide by. And when it comes to tithing especially or money matters they will claim that ‘tithing’ is an O.T. Principle and not for today. Right? As if we get to choose what scriptures actually matter.

Now don’t get me wrong, there are some pieces of scripture we can appropriate to the specific ‘times’ of which they were written. Such as the principle in 1 Cor. 14 of women being quiet in the church--

Is a great example of writings specific to the Corinthian church which was dealing with multiple issues. That piece of scripture can be designated to a specific time - however there are still many principles written in that chapter & book that apply today.

With that said, the principle of money matters and giving to God first doesnt fall into that category - not even close - it is found all throughout the Bible.

This scripture in Prov. 3 says give to God first and you’ll live in abundance. 

You know what other scripture is in Prov. 3 that we claim today, v.5&6

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;

in all your ways acknowledge him and he will make your paths straight.”

God was setting us up in these verses 5&6 to prepare our hearts for verses 9&10.

Plus Jesus said in Matt. 6:33 Put God 1^st and everything will work for your best.

I promise you He was including your finances. He’s talking about everything. 

Right? Or is it that we can put God 1^st in some areas of our lives and not others? (http://www.worshiphousemedia.com/mini-movies/7379/God-Pie) 

Malachi 3:8-12 addresses tithing, which continues to be a rock-solid key to prosperity. Even unbelievers and non-Christian business people understand and practice charitable giving and the principle of return they see in their lives and business’ 

Bottom line folks, for us to flourish in hard times, in any time is to put God 1^st in everything.

Giving is a joy, and there are always people less fortunate to share with. There can never be a harvest without sowing seeds. A generous attitude and a cheerful giver is something God can really bless. 

“God loves a cheerful giver.” 2 Corinthians 9:7

Christ followers should not fearfully hang on to every penny they have, but be like the Macedonian believers who had taken up an offering for another church in need, recorded in 2 Corinthians 8:3 and 4, “they gave as much as they were able and even more than they could afford. No one told them to do it. But they begged and pleaded with us to let them share in this service for God's people.”

That’s the heart of a cheerful giver. Are you a cheerful giver?

A good steward will value their own time as well as others' time. “Those who work their land will have plenty of food, but the ones who chase empty dreams instead will end up poor.” (Proverbs 28:19 New Century Version)  Colossians 3:23 teaches Christians to put their whole heart into their work. This will bring satisfaction and God's blessings. - put your nose to the grindstone. Get after it - don’t lie around w/ a whoa is me attitude 

In hard times, the good steward controls spending and learns to live within a budget. This is not motivated by fear or uncertainty. It is motivated by love for one's family to take thoughtful, preventive actions so life and Christian service is not interrupted by self-inflicted crisis. 

(1 Timothy 5:8) says it gently...

“But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.”  

“Wise people's houses are full of the best foods and olive oil, 

       but fools waste everything they have.” (Proverbs 21:20)

Being a good steward requires a budget… 

If at all possible, have a savings plan. Again, it's not out of fear, but with a purpose. “Dishonest money dwindles away, but he who gathers money little by little makes it grow.” (Proverbs 13:11 NIV) It may be for a vacation, or education, or an emergency fund. Even saving a little, is a little more than nothing.

You know what else the Bible tells us… it’s advisable to get out of debt. “The rich rules over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender.” (Proverbs 22:7) Having a financial plan, making menus and shopping lists, and having a debt payoff strategy are all good steps to take. The good steward is diligent and conscientious, watching over all details of their household. It takes a little extra time, but the payoff… literally is HUGE. 

Can I tell you there was a time in our marriage when money matters, I’m talkin about the poor financial decisions we were making were the biggest argument in our marriage. Our financial decisions were creating a lot of strife & frustration. All of that went away… folks here me this morning, all of that went away when we diligently created a monthly budget.

And what is a budget? In the words of Dave Ramsey it’s

Telling your money where to go instead of wandering where it went.

It’s a great line.

So with that I would encourage you to utilize the tools available at DaveRamsey.com 

On that website there are budgeting tools & forms and apps and much much more.

Start there. If you’ve never attended FPU… I would encourage you to attend that course - our church has provided it in the past and we’re gonna do it again - when we do, attend, especially if you never have or maybe go through it again if you feel you need a refresher course.

The only reason I mention this website and course is b/c I know personally it has helped my family tremendously.

What do you need during these tough times?

In conclusion, what have we learned thru scripture in Surviving Tough Times?

“Is any of you in trouble, he should pray.”  

 James 5:13  (NIV)

The foundation of all the help that we get from God is that we pray and we add to our faith.

How can I create “more” space for God in my life? - surrender?

What Are you focusing on? The pain, the difficulty, the hurt or the Healer?

Trusting God in hard times necessitates good stewardship.

We must put God 1^st in ALL things

Giving is a joy and God will bless the cheerful giver

We must value our time as well as others' time - be diligent 

And.. the good steward controls spending and learns to live within a budget

All of these principles folks are rooted in God’s Word

Now it’s time for you and me to apply them to our lives 

And when we do that, not only will it help us greatly but we will shine.

Others will want to know how we are so stable in these tough times and we can tell them…

It is the Lord. It is the Lord.

video version: http://www.sermonconnect.com/mediapreview.php?id=20121014081006E6410C