Word of the Week - Easter - Christ is Risen!!!!!!!!

The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, He will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you.  Romans 8:11

The death and Resurrection of Jesus over 2000 years ago is by far the most significant event in world history.  Jesus death by crucifixion and His resurrection from the grave are historically recorded events that changed the world.  These facts are most meaningful because of their spiritual significance in that through His death on the cross Jesus bore the sin of all mankind (past, present and future) so we can be saved from the wrath of God through forgiveness of our sins and have eternal life.  ¹⁶ For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. John 3:16.  This is truly Good News for us to embrace by faith and celebrate on this special Easter day.  

By accepting and believing in Christ and what He did for us on the cross, we receive the full benefits of the Resurrection.  First and foremost, we receive access to forgiveness of our sins by the blood of the Jesus, the lamb of God who was slain on our behalf.  This is what allows us to be restored to fellowship with God our Father and have eternal salvation.  This is the “Good News” and truly the focus of this day, but there is much more for us to receive in Christ through what transpired on the cross at Calgary.  Through the cross we have access to the same power that allowed Jesus to rise from the dead.  God has empowered us as His sons and daughters to walk out our faith with confidence and trust in Him, which is what activates this power in our day to day lives. 

The following are 5 additional benefits/opportunities for His resurrection power to come alive within us:

• Resurrect Hope – “Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.” Romans 5:3-5
• Resurrect Purpose – “ For we are God’s workmanship created in Christ Jesus to do good works that He prepared for us in advance” Ephesians 2:10
• Resurrect Faith –  ^“Now faith is the confidence in what we hope for and the assurance about what we do not see.” Hebrews 11:1 
• Resurrect Joy – “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.” Romans 15:13
• Resurrect Life – “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” John 10:10  

In a world that lacks hope, purpose, faith, joy and life; Easter (Resurrection Day) is a day that reminds us that we have access to God’s power so His life can come alive in each of us.  Jesus is the source of our Resurrection power.  "I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die;” John 11:25

My friends Dub Stocker and Chuck Scott always remind me of all of the R words we now have access to “Today” and every day, due to the Resurrection of Jesus:

We are REDEEMED, RENEWED, RESTORED, RECONCILED, RESCUED & made RIGHTEOUS in Christ.  

Hallelujah Christ is Risen!!!!!  Have a blessed Easter!!!!!!!!!!!!

-Duane

Word of the Week - Hosanna

“So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, crying out, ‘Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!’” John 12:13

Hosanna means to save; and is used to express adoration, praise and joy.  It is also used as a plea for help.  “Please Lord, please save us.  Please, Lord, please give us success”. 

Declaration of Christ as our Savior – Just before Christ went to Calvary to be crucified there was a declaration from His followers that He was their savior and they were praising, thanking and acknowledging Him as Savior.  It is so important that we remember that we cannot save ourselves and that we continue to cry out to the Lord in desperation to acknowledge Jesus as our Savior.

“Hosanna” and Palm Sunday – The first time “Hosanna” is used is in Matthew 21:9 for Jesus’ triumphant entrance to Jerusalem as King.  “Jesus was in the center of the procession, and people around Him were shouting. ‘Hosanna (praise God) for the Son of David!’ Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the Lord!  Hosanna (praise God) in the highest heaven!” The crowed was shouting this with emphasis.  Many people view this as a proclamation of our new salvation.  Palm branches were placed in Jesus’ path and marked the beginning of what we celebrate as Palm Sunday.

“Hosanna” depicts two places of Spiritual Well-being – Hosanna exemplifies man’s transition from pleading with God for action, to thanking Him for the action taken.  It shows the true impact of Jesus’ act at Calvary.  This represents the two places of spiritual well-being we all find ourselves in.  We often find ourselves either crying out to God for help or we are thanking God for our blessings and what He has done for us. 

As we begin Holy Week in preparation for Easter, I pray we take hold of the reality of what this means and cry out Hosanna, Hosanna, blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.  Salvation is here and His name is King Jesus!!!

Have a great Holy week!!!  

-Duane

Word of the Week - Sabbath

Jesus said to them, "The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath. "So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.” Mark 2:27-28

I am on spring break vacation with my family enjoying some R&R and was reminded how God blesses and speaks to us in Sabbath Rest as we slow down and get space away from our day to day work. 

The principal of Sabbath seems to be misunderstood by most.  As the 4^th of the10 great commandments, many of us associate it with the old covenant and see it as a constraining and legalistic religious tradition from Jewish custom.  Or, we simply believe it is a day to attend church, which should be a major part of our Sabbath. The truth, as stated in Mark 2:27 above is that Jesus gave us the Sabbath for our own good and health.  

The Sabbath is for our us and our health - Since He actually designed and created mankind, He understands what is best for us and desires only the best for His sons and daughters.  In Exodus 20:8-11 God makes a clear connection to the Sabbath day by modeling it for us in the Creation story “on the seventh day God the Creator rested”.  Sabbath observance therefore involves the affirmation that God is Creator and Sustainer of the world.  If God took a day of each week to rest surely we would benefit from doing the same.   

Observing Sabbath is an act of Faith – It seems pretty simple, if we really Trust God for who He is we will Trust that He is our provider and we can rest in Him.  He makes it clear that we are here on earth to glorify Him and serve others through our work and being productive, adding value to this world.  We should work heartily at all we do with passion and vigor.  “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters”, Colossians 3:23. But God is so amazing and good that He did not create us to be production machines; He created us for soulful fellowship with Him and His creation. He truly desires us to be healthy and enjoy the blessings of life.  Since He is our Maker, He knows we need time away from the day to day grind of life to recharge and be refreshed spiritually, physically, mentally and emotionally, even if we love our work.  

Sabbath is beginning the week with faith, trust and rest so we can start our week rested and refreshed - We all need space between us and our work or else we run the risk of burnout, not to mention the fact that we are more productive and creative when we take time away to recreate and recharge. This is the principal and gift of Sabbath.  To cease from our work to simply rest in knowing God   To honor God by putting our faith in action by demonstrating we trust God and desire to set apart one day a week, typically the first day, to refocus your energy and attention on Him and those closest to us.  Most Christians who observe the Sabbath on Sunday because that is the day they are off of work but the Sabbath is not necessarily a specific day of the week.  For some like pastors who have to work on Sunday, they make other days of the week their Sabbath.  

Personal Testimony - For years it was very hard for me to do this but over that last 10 plus years I have made it a priority in my life each week.  I begin my Sabbath at 5:30pm on Saturday and end it at 5:30pm on Sunday.  I found that it is important for me to spend some time on Sunday evenings preparing for the week, so I have adjusted my weekend to ensure I get a full 24 hours of true rest/time away from work.  Since I love being productive this is not always easy for me, but it has been a blessing to my life and my family.  I literally try not to think about my work/business during this time and surely don’t engage in emails or correspondence unless it is an emergency.  You would not believe how much God has blessed me over the past 10 plus years.  My life health meter is running at the highest level ever and I believe it is largely due to the principal of Sabbath (margin).   

If you are not already doing so, I encourage you to take one 24 hour day of your week and make it your Sabbath by not engaging in your day to day work/job.  Instead of working spend your time fellowshipping with the Lord, your family and other believers (Church and more) enjoying praise and worship, prayer, bible reading and just hanging out with family.  Enjoy great meals with family.  Take a long walk with your wife or some one on one time with your son, daughter or good friend.  Spend time doing things that refresh you and bring energy.  

Try it an see how God blesses you by simply trusting Him and His ways.  His ways are not our ways but He knows what is best for us.

Have a great week!!!  

-Duane

Word of the Week - Community

“And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another-and all the more as you see the Day approaching” Hebrews 10:24-25

What is community?  The definition is simply to have common unity with others.  For people to come together under common values and beliefs to live in fullness.  God created us for relationship, first and foremost with Himself and secondly and as important with each other.  It is impossible to live to our full potential without being in Community with others.   ^“For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.” Romans 12: 4-5  As a body of Christ we do life with others in healthy interdependent relationship that allow the body of Christ to function in fullness.  

Community is Healthy and Life Giving – Life Giving Community should lift us up and bring out the best in us as we help bring out the best in others by using our God given gifts to love, relate and serve others.  I love the quote from John Maxwell that says “show me your friends and I will show you your future”.  The bottom line is that we become who we commune with; life begets life and but bad company corrupts good character.  It is very important that we develop Community with people who are like minded and share our core values, especially as it relates to our faith.  We need to pursue Community with godly people who desire to grow and live to their full God given potential.  People who are authentic and speak the truth in love.  Friends that will challenge us and love us enough to admonish us and call us out if we are headed down the wrong path.  Friends that we enjoy spending time with and have our best interest at heart and visa-versa.  Friends that will be there for us in the good times and especially through the storms and challenges of life. 

Community is Covering and Protection  – Part of the reality of life is that we will all face trials and adversities in life.  “In this life you will have trouble.  But take heart, I have overcome the world”  John 16:33.  One of the keys to going through tough times and persevering through the trials is to have a strong Community support system around us to provide encouragement and protection as we endure the trials of life.  We were not created to do life alone and we all need help and encouragement to navigate the challenges of life.  We can comfort one another with words, physical presence and prayer.  “Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ” Galatians 6:2.  We can encourage each other in the process and always point to the hope of the Lord and his promises, helping each other keep an eternal perspective.  We often are inclined to give up too early but with good Community of believers “band of brothers” we can be encouraged to hang in there through the pain to get to the other  side so we can experience God’s best for us.  “And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all”.  1 Thessalonians 5:14

Man was made for relationship and Community and was not made to do life alone in isolation.  The abundant life that God promises is one of Community with others.  I have truly found that the most joyous experiences in life come through being connected to others through Christ.  It can be hard for some of us to commit to Community, especially if we’re guarded due to past wounds or simply more introverted and prefer solitude.  Community is God’s desire and design for us and a sign of mature faith.  At the end of the day, when we grow in our relationship with other through authentic and vulnerable Community with others, we are growing in our relationship with God.  We really are better together!!!!

I spent the weekend serving at the Birmingham JH Outback JH Outback at Grace Farms.  Over the weekend I was reminded of the power of connecting with others in small groups and building true Community.  If you are not connected to Community of believers, I encourage you to make it a priority.  Remember that we all desire to be connected in good healthy Community and we have as much to offer as we have to receive.   

Have a great week,

-Duane

Word of the Week - Passion

Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’ and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” Luke 10:27

Passion – Passion is how the bible describes God’s love for us.  The sacrifice that Jesus made through His death on the cross.  We just entered theseason of Lent where we are preparing ourselves for Holy Week and Resurrection Sunday also referred to the Passion of Christ.  This is summed up in the most popular verse in Christianity:  “God so loved us, that He sent Jesus His only begotten son as a living sacrifice”, so that we can have relationship with Him and have eternal life.” Paraphrased John 3:16  Through this amazing act of love God also gives us the opportunity to be born of His spirit and live the abundant life.  So we can be forgiven, renewed and redeemed to our God given purpose and live free and flourishing lives during the short time we have on this earth.  This is the amazing and good news!!!  So what is our response to this wonderful Passion God has shown us?   

God desires for us to worship him with our affections – If we truly love someone or something our love will be expressed.  It can be through our actions in terms of how we invest/spend our time and money or our speech in terms of what we like to talk about or share with others, and our lifestyle in how we invest/use our gifts and blessings.  These things are typically referred to as our Passions.  If there is not an expression towards someone or something then it is questionable if there is truly love present.  The book of Psalms, which is the longest book in the bible is a beautiful expression of God’s love for us His children with reciprocating love towards Him.  If we are honest, we all enjoy receiving love and affection from others, especially from those closest to us.  The word Hallel, which is the root of Hallelujuh means to celebrate wildly, rave, boast and be clamorously foolish in our expression toward someone or something.  Like our Pastor Chris Hodges often says, “if you act this way on Saturday at a college football game you are admired as a Passionate faithful fan but if you act this way on Sunday at church you might be considered a questionable fanatic.”  God expressed His love for us in a radical manner.  If we really understand this and believe God’s Word we should be compelled to respond in a radical manner by loving the Lord with everything in us as our theme verse.  Our affections toward God demonstrate our love and Passion for Him. “Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.  Praise the Lord” Psalms 150:6 

God desires for us to worship Him with our attention – In our human nature we will give our attention to whatever we love and cherish the most.  Think about it, whatever we love the most is what we think about the most and where we invest our time, money and energy.  It is what we make thepriority in our lives.  The Lord desires to be our “first” love.  Just like our family and friends desire our undivided attention, how much more does our Savior and Creator desire for us to give Him our full attention.  Our Passion for placing God first and making Him a priority each day is evidence of our love for God.“Seek first the Kingdom and His righteousness and all things will be added unto you” Matthew 6:33

God desires for us to love and worship Him with our abilities – This truly one of my Passions in life, to use what God has given me as a platform for loving and serving others.  Early in my life/career, before I came to know the Lord as my personal savior, I saw my gifts, abilities and vocation as simply a means to an end.  A way to make a living and acquire things I desired for me an my family.  This seems to be the more typical perspective in our western culture.  I will never forget how excited I was when I had the revelation that God wanted to use everything, especially my giftings and vocation, as a platform for worship and ministry.  We have the amazing opportunity every day to love and worship the Lord by seeing our jobs/vocation/ministry/business as a way to express our love for God. We must recognize that we are worshipping God when we invite Him into our daily work and commit our efforts, abilities and outcomes to Him.  This is a game changer and brings an entirely new level of joy and Passion into our lives and our love and relationship with Jesus.  It also demonstrates our love and trust for God and others. “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart as if you are working for the Lord, not for human masters.” Colossians 3:23 

So let’s be followers of Christ who respond to God’s amazing love and Passion for us by loving Him with all of our heart, soul, mind and strength.  By this Passion they will know we are Christians and He will know our love.

-Duane

Word of the Week - Sowing and Reaping

Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.  Galatians 6:7-8

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

Are we Sowing Good Seed (Blessings) or Bad Seed (curses) - If you have lived any amount of life you have a general understanding of how this works.  If we Sow good seeds that are life giving, we will generally Reap good fruit, like for like.  Of course life is not perfect and there are times when we may be Sowing good seed into bad soil or Sowing during seasons of drought that prevent the seed from sprouting and taking root.  We cannot control the outcome but we surely can resolve to continually Sowing good seeds and look for good soil to Sow into.  This is the opportunity we have each day, and over time, the sum of our Sowing is what results in the fruit of our lives.  On the contrary, if we Sow bad seed then we can expect Reap the same.  For example, if we Sow seed by investing in and building strong relationships with good solid people then we will have flourishing relationships that multiplied blessings.  If we don’t invest in building solid relationships and hang around with the wrong people, we may find ourselves lonely and surrounded by dysfunction and brokenness in a negative cycle that is very hard to break.  I think we have all witnessed this to some degree or another in our lives or in the lives of those around us.  Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm.  Proverbs 13:20

Sowing and Reaping in Spirit - This is even more important and pronounced, as noted in my recent “Word of the Week” on being 100x soil.  TheLord makes it very clear that when we Sow seeds into His Kingdom through praying, worshipping, giving, serving, loving and sharing the Gospel with others with pure motives, then we can expect to Reap a harvest in heaven.  Moreover, God’s is so awesome that He multiplies the harvest and allows us to Reap in abundance.  In the parable of the Sower in the Gospel of Mark he talks about how the seed was sown into good ground produced and abundant crop “Still other seed fell on good soil.  It came up, grew and produced a crop, some multiplying thirty, some sixty and some a hundred times” Mark 4:8.  

Abundant Living = Twofer - Finally, it is important to note that these things are not mutually exclusive.  I think some believe that we can only Sow one dimensionally in life.  We are either Sowing into our vocations/jobs or into our faith through religious church activities.  One of the most exciting truths I ever discovered was the fact that God desires for us to integrate all of these things together.  We have the opportunity every day to get a twofer.  For example we can serve people in our vocations whether it be customers or employees both practically and spiritually.  We don’t have to separate the two, we can Sow seeds of life by practically serving them with excellence while at the same time building a personal relationship that would allow us to minister to them as they navigate the challenges of life.  This is the Gospel.  “Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share.  In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life”. 1 Timothy 6:19

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

So let’s Sow generously!!!!!!!!!!

-Duane

Word of the week - Family

“As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord” Joshua 24:15

Definition of a family - The basic unit in society traditionally consisting of two parents rearing their children: a group of individuals living together under one roof usually under one head:  a group of person of common ancestry or blood relationship: a group of people united by certain convictions or common affiliation:

Family is a gift   - “Children are a heritage from the Lord, offspring a reward from Him.  Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are children born in one’s youth.  Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them.  They will not be put to shame when they contend with their opponents in court” Psalm 127:3-5  God is so good that He blessed us with the gift of family.  Starting with sacrament of marriage, the union of one man and one woman to become one in Christ.  “Therefore a man leaves his father and his mother and cleaves to his wife, and they become one flesh”. Genesis 2:24 This is the one relationship on earth that God compares to His relationship with His bride the church (us).  What a beautiful picture and opportunity we have to relate with Christ and become more Christ like through the sanctifying experience of the marriage relationship.  God did not stop with the gift ofmarriage, He then blessed us with the mandate to procreate and made it an intimate and delightful part of connecting in marriage😊.  God blessed us with the ability to have children to enjoy and raise up in Christ who will pass down our heritage and legacy to the next generations.  “God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it.” Genesis 1:28’

Responsibility of leading our family well  -  As followers of Christ, our children are a huge blessing from God but they are also our greatest responsibility as stewards of our blessings.  Like all things in life, God desires for us to enjoy and delight in our blessings but He gives us these blessings for His purpose to be a blessing and build His kingdom.  This is most evident in our role as parents and grandparents.  First and foremost, it is our utmost privilege and responsibility to ensure that our offspring know God and are trained up in the ways of our faith.  As parents and grandparents, we must make it the first priority to share our faith and testimony with our children and lead them in the way of God both in word and deed.  Generally these things are more caught than taught, so the true test of our faith is how we live.  Have we ordered our lives according to God’s values and are we living this way?  Are we abiding in Christ daily and seeing the fruit of God’s spirit being multiplied and passed down to our children and grandchildren?  “And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another-and all the more as you see the day approaching.”  Hebrews 10:25

Opportunity and Blessing  - “Now therefore that the Lord your God is God; He  is the faithful God, keeping His covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love Him and keep His commandments.” Deuteronomy 7:9.  What an amazing blessing and opportunity we have to impact generations through the short life we have on this earth.  God makes it very simple, if we make His values our family’s values, we will experience generational blessing.  But if we don’t make God’s values our priorities then the curse and river of mud from our forefathers will continue to be passed down to future generations.  God promises us that that our offspring will have an enduring blessing if we pass down a godly Heritage.  This starts with really assessing our values.  Are our values and the way we live our lives based on the values of the world (money, social status, pursuing self) or God’s values (Christ, family, others). This is the great commandment, loving God first and loving others second as we love ourselves.  I am convinced that if we make God the priority “First Fruits” we will receive His blessing and our children and their offspring will be blessed.  With divine order comes divine blessing.  God does not call us to perfection but He does call us to a life that makes Himself the top priority in all things starting with how we live our lives day to day.  Living the surrendered life making Christ our Lord.  

Building our Family’s on the rock of Christ – “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.  The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.  But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand.  The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash” Matthew 7:24-27  Are we building the foundation of our house and family on the rock of Christ so we can survive and even thrive through the storms of life.  Blood family relationship is thick but has no comparison to the power of God’s spirit alive and well within our hearts and families.  The best family is a family that is one in spirit in Christ.  The greatest inheritance we can leave our children is that of a godly Heritage submitted to the Lordship ofChrist.  We recently completed a weekend together with our kids and grandkids at our farm down in Marengo county where we spent time talking about our family Heritage and the opportunity we have to pass down blessings to the next generations.  I was so encouraged by this time together as I experienced how God is working in our family through our kids and how God’s values have become our values and are being transferred to our kids and grandkids.  This is the biggest blessing and opportunity in life.

If you want to learn more about building your family on the rock of Christ for generational blessing, I highly recommend this message from Pastor Jimmy Evans on Building a Lasting Family https://www.churchofthehighlands.com/media/message/building-a-lasting-family .  This is one of themost encouraging messages I have ever heard on family and the opportunity we have for influencing our families toward generational blessings.

I shared this Word of the Week last year but I felt it appropriate to follow up from the 100x Soil message from last week.  Family is our biggest opportunity to be 100x soil.

Have a great week.

-Duane

Word of the Week - 100x Soil

Listen!  A farmer went out to sow seed.  As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up.  Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil.  It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow.  But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root.  Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants, so that they did not bear grain.  Still other seed fell on good soil.  It came up, grew and produced a crop, some multiplying thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times.  Mark 4:3-8

Rocky Shallow Soil – “As soon as they hear it, Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in them.  Other, like seed sown in rocky places, hear the word and at once receive it with joy.  But since they have no root, they last only a short time.  When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away” Mark 4:15-17.  The issue of our hearts and souls being rocky shallow soil is probably more prevalent today than ever before, due to our culture of instant gratification fueled by our virtual reality.  God requires us to be all in not half-hearted and lukewarm.  Faith in God is both real and deep, it is not a surface thing.  We must be touched by God at the depths of our souls and transformed by the renewing of our mind and spirit.  We need to really get to know God if we want our faith to take root and endure the test of time and persecution.    

Thorny Competing soil -  “Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word, but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desire for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful” Mark 4:18-19.  I see this as the biggest threat, especially at my stage of life.  There are so many things competing for our attention especially as we realize success in life, we end up having lots of stuff, responsibilities and options on how to spend our time, energy and money.  How do we sort through all of this and keep our relationship with God as our priority?  We all have an enemy of our soul whose job is to steal, kill and destroy to keep us from our God destiny and he is a master at using good things to distract us and keep us from God’s best. Solid believers with the best of intentions are at risk in this category. The things of life can sneak up on us and begin to compete for our heart and attention.  I am convinced that the primary antidote to this is simply making God “The Priority” in our lives.  First in every category including our time, attention, finances etc. God desires to be first and will not settle for any other position in our lives.  “Seek first God’s Kingdom and His righteousness and all things will be added unto you”.  Matthew 6:33

Good Fertile Soil - “Others, like seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it, and produce a crop – some thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times what was sown”. Mark 4:20  This is what God desires for us as His sons and daughters, that we simply accept/receive His love and make it the highest priority in our lives.  That we allow God to water us daily as we remain connected to Him through the vine of Christ and receive the water and nutrients so we can be fruitful and multiply by God doing His work in us and through us.  This is Jesus promise to us in John 15:5, “I am the vine, you are the branches, if you remain/abide in me, I will remain/abide in you and you will bear much fruit.  Apart from Me you can do nothing”.  

Force Multiplier 100x soil - “Man and woman are to serve as His image, to be fruitful, to multiply, and to be about His work.” Genesis 1:26  First and foremost, we can be 100x fruit bearers by ensuring we are investing in our families to reproduce.  God literally instituted family to be the primary way that we multiply physically and spiritually.  This is our greatest opportunity and biggest responsibility.  To be 100x Force Multipliers we must understand that we are called to have generational impact.  Yes, what we do in our lives will impact future generations.  We can either be proactive and pass on a heritage of godliness and generational blessing or miss the opportunity.  If we are not proactive in this area we may be allowing curses to pass from one generation to the next.  This is the primary reason I founded the Heritage Forum www.heritageforums.com, to help men/families understand that God desires for us to engage intentionally in our families and passing on a godly heritage.  Even though it is as much caught than taught, we must be intentional.  The average family will have approximately 250 decendents after 5 generations and 2500 after 10 generations.  How we lead our families in the ways of faith, values and heritage are huge.  If we want to be 100x fruit bearers, I believe we must stay connected to the vine of Christ, intentionally steward our families and be generous sowers to those in our centers of influence.  “For he who sows sparingly will reap sparingly, but he who sows generously will reap generously.” 2 Corinthians 9:6

As a business person, I love the idea of getting the best Return on Investment (ROI).  As a follower of Jesus, I get even more excited about Eternal Rate of Return (ERR); ROI is temporary but ERR is eternal.  I hope this message encourages you to want to be good fertile soil that God can use to produce 100x crop.  God’s promise is that He will produce abundant fruit if we are faithful as emphasized in Ephesians 3:20.  “For He is able to do immeasurably more than we can ever ask or imagine by His power at work within us, for His glory”. 

Have a great week….

-Duane

Word of the Week - Habits

"Not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the day drawing near.” Hebrews 10:26 

Habits are acquired modes of behavior that become almost involuntary.  Typically these patterns are acquired by frequent repetition or by being around others who engage in similar repetitive activities.  Most Habits and routines are either good and healthy or negative and unhealthy.  Some habits can be more neutral but either way, our Habits, routines and rhythms have a meaningful impact on our life and the impact or lack of impact we have on the world around us, so they are very important.     

The power of Habits – I recently listened to a podcast by Craig Groeschel titled “High Impact Habits for Successful Leaders” Habits and leadership .  I am a big believer in the power of our life habits and rhythms and how they impact every area of our lives.  Since our lives are really the sum total of what we do, what we do each day really matters, especially over time.  If we understand this truth, then we can begin to work toward developing good and godly habits and purging ourselves of habits that are keeping us from being all that we are called to be in Christ.  By the way, this is the process of sanctification in Christ over the course of our lives.  Habits can also be equated to disciplines and we know that when we are born of the spirit of God, He gives us a new perspective.  “For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity (staying stuck in bad habits), but ofpower, love and self-discipline.” 2 Timothy 1:7 I love this quote by my friend John Maxwell “I can predict thelong-term outcome of your success if you show me your daily habits.” 

The who of Habits not the what – The real question is not what do I need to do but who do I want to become.  Over time our daily habits along with the people we spend time with, shape us into who we are.  For example, a little over 21 years ago I was born again in Christ and started a new journey in my walk of faith and began reading God’s word every morning.  This became a daily Habit/rhythm for me and now I have read the bible over 20 times from cover to cover.  In doing so, I have come to really know God through His word and even more importantly, I have come to know my true identity in Christ.  This daily Habit has really helped shape me into a new creation in Christ.  The essence of who I am has been transformed over the years as I have grown in my relationship with Jesus.  There are many other Habits/disciplines related to my walk of faith and relationship with God that played a part in my transformation and sanctification, which is ongoing. What we do, really impacts who we become.  Prior to this meaningful experience, I desired to know God and more about my faith and beliefs but my daily Habits and actions were not aligned with this desire.  “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” Romans 12:2

Great Habits with Relationships are the winning combination – Even though our Habits and routines are very important in who we become and how effective we are in life, they cannot produce fruit without love and relationship.  We are not robots, we are triune beings that have a spirit, heart/soul and body and we were made for relationship.  Relationships can be greatly complimented by good Habits because what we do really impacts our relationships.  For example, I can say and do all the right things with my wife by taking her on dates, routinely giving her flowers and telling her the right things, but if she doesn’t know and feel my connection to her through love and relationship, we are destined for failure.  That being said, I can love my wife and have all the best intentions but if I don’t set aside frequent quality time to spend with her and make that a priority, then our relationship will suffer and not be healthy and flourish.  Love is action and taking action shows love but action alone is not love.  This reminds me of the somewhat controversial topic if faith and works outlined in James 2:14-16 “What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds?  Can such faith save them?  Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food.  If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it?  In thesame way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action is dead” 

Even small habits compounded over time can be game changers in life.  So take time to identify one habit you can start in 2022 and one bad habit you want to stop in 2022.

Have a great week!!!!

-Duane

Word of the Week - Delight

The Lord delights in those who fear Him, in those who hope in His steadfast love.  Psalm 147:11

Delight - According to Merriam-Webster, Delight is defined as a high degree of gratification or pleasure – Joy.  When we think of the Delight in the context of our relationship with God we often think of our Delighting in God and His amazing creation and love for us.  I have written a Word of the Week on how God wants us to Delight in Him and what that looks like.  Psalm 37:4 says “Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you thedesires of your heart”.  That is a powerful win/win statement.  

God Delights in us – I was on a men’s ski trip this past week for a few days with a great group of men.  Don Ankenbrandt and Chuck Scott hosted the trip at Young Life’s Crooked Creek Lodge in Winter Park.  I love spending time with men fellowshipping in the Lord and enjoying God’s amazing creation.  It is such a great trip because we have an awesome time skiing but we also enjoy delicious meals together and begin and end each day with a word from one of the guys in the group.  This year the theme was about how God really sees us as His sons and daughters.  The enemy would want us to believe this lie that God is disappointed in us and even angry at us because we are imperfect people that are working through the challenges of life.  The enemy of our soul would want us to believe that we are not worthy and make us feel guilt and shame and less than worthy.  How we see ourselves in context to our relationship with God is huge as it relates to our spiritual health and ability for God to use us to live to our full potential.

The Truth according to God’s Word is that our Father Delights in us as our Abba Father.  “The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship.  And by him we cry “Abba Father”.  Romans 8:15  I so love the reality that God desires to be our Abba Father, He desires to be our Pappa.  This picture for me is a loving and gentle Father as described through God’s word but so well in one of my favorite psalms  “The Lord (Abba) is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love.  He will not accuse or treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities.  For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His love for those who fear Him;  as far as the East is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.” Psalm 103:8-12  Like my friend Glenn Campbell shared with us on the ski trip, God Delights in us like we delight in our kids and grandkids.  As a father of 3 awesome daughters who I love deeply I get this because I truly Delight in all three of my daughters.  That being said, there is something about my 6 grandkids that has taken this to another level.  I almost cannot describe the Delight and warmth I have in my heart towards my grandchildren.  Taking a step back and gaining perspective, understanding that God our Father sees me from the same perspective I see my grandchildren but at a much greater level.  This helps me understand and receive this beautiful reality.  It is truly a game changer when we can clearly see and understand God’s view of us.   

“I pray that out of His glorious riches He may strengthen you with power through His spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.  And pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is thelove of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge that you may be filled to the measure of all thefullness of God.” Ephesians 3:18-19

God Delights in you and me because of who we are in Christ Jesus!  Let’s receive this and walk in it so we have the capacity to share it with others.  We can only give what we have….

Have a great week….

-Duane

Word of the Week - Humility

"God resists the proud, but shows favor to the humble.” James 4:6 

Humility is a personal attribute that typically means a person is free from egotism and arrogance.  Humble people tend to think more about others than themselves, especially how their actions will affect others.  I love this quote from Ken Blanchard author and business guru, “Humble people don’t think less of themselves, they think of themselves less”.  Humble people recognize the value of others and try to bring the best out of those around them. 

God loves Humility - It is very clear throughout scripture that God favors the Humble and detests those who are proud.  “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit.  Rather, in Humility value others above yourselves, not looking at your own interests but each of you to the interest of the others.” Philippians 2:3-4 This is very different from our modern day narcissistic culture of self-focus, self-reliance and self-promotion.  With the proliferation of social media, we have generations that are being trained and conditioned to drive and feed their ego through virtual reality with pictures and post to say to the world “look at me and how great and important I am”.  With all of the noise in our culture, Humility can be hard to pinpoint and self-evaluate.  Most people today don’t value Humility because they are mesmerized by the lie of our humanistic culture and don’t really understand what true godly Humility looks like.  

Humility is not weakness - The world associates Humility with weakness and self-deprecation.  So what does it look like to live in godly Humility?  If we look at some of the most relevant examples of Humility in the bible such as Jesus and Moses, we clearly understand that Humility is more about how we see ourselves in relationship to God and to others.  To be Humble is to gratefully recognize our dependence on the Lord – to understand that we have constant need for His support and presence. It is also understanding that our talents, abilities and blessings are gifts from God.  Humility begins with a heart of gratitude.  It is realizing that we all need others in our lives and much of our success in life is because of others, not of our own strength.  A person of true Humility readily expresses appreciation for the gifts of God and others.  He or she gives credit where it is due.  Truly humble people are others-focused and genuinely interested in others.  Being Humble is not a sign of weakness, timidity, or fear; it is really an indication that we are secure in Christ and know where our true strength and identity lies.  True Humility gives us the ability to be fearless and courageous as we deal with challenging people and circumstances.  Jesus was the greatest example of Humility.  During His time on earth, He always acknowledged that His strength came from His dependence on His Father.  “By myself I can do nothing; I judge only as I hear, and my judgement is just, for I seek not to please myself but Him who sent me” John 5:30.  The Lord will strengthen us as we Humble ourselves before Him by acknowledging who He is and how much we are dependent upon Him.  “Humble yourself in the site of the Lord, and He shall lift you up” James 4:10

Fruits of Humility – Author and business guru Patrick Lencioni in his book “The Ideal Team Player” states that Humility is one of the 3 top characteristics desired in top producing team players.  Lencioni describes a humble team player as someone willing to listen to others and admit they don’t have all the answers.  They appreciate Stephen Covey’s principle to “Seek First to Understand, Then be Understood.”  They don’t have big egos.  They want to see the team succeed and not just themselves.  They say “we” more than they say “I”.  In one of the best-selling business books of all time “Good to Great”, Jim Collins discovered this was one of the key driving factors to some of the greatest  companies in the world – Level 5 leadership defined as leaders who led with Humility by giving their teams credit for the success and taking personal responsibility when things did not go as expected.

God’s ways are not our natural ways but they sure do work!  So let’s Humble ourselves and see the Lord’s favor work in our lives.  

Have a great week!!!!

-Duane

Word of the Week - Great Faith

"For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me.  I tell this one, Go, and he goes;  and that one, Come, and he comes.  I say to my servant, Do this, and he does it.  When Jesus heard this, He was amazed and said to those following Him, “Truly I tell you, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith.”” Matthew 8:9-10 

What is faith:   “Now Faith is the confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see” Hebrews 11:1  Essentially Faith is believing in something you cannot see.  The cornerstone of Faith for us as Christians is our belief in Jesus and His Word.  We can believe in Jesus and still not receive the full benefits of our Faith.  If we truly know Him through His word, Relate with Him through a personal abiding relationship, and demonstrate our love and trust in Him by stepping into action through good works, we will become men and women of Great Faith like the Centurion in Matthew 8.  

Great Faith comes from knowing God through His Word:   The Bible is God’s love letter to us.  It is an amazing book that is alive and equips us to grow in our walk of faith.  “So faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God” Romans 10:17  As we read and study God’s Word and allow it to permeate our heart, mind and soul, we get to know and begin to understand the depths of who God and who He is in His triune form as Father, Son and Holy Spirit.  The more we know God the more we love Him and understand how much He loves us.  This draws us closer to God and gives us a desire to follow Him and obey Him with our lives.  We see Him as a loving Father who has our best interest at heart.  This fosters trust and allows our Faith to deepen.   

Great Faith is built in our relating with Jesus:  Jesus is the foundation of our Faith.  In Jesus we have a loving savior who came down to earth and experienced life so He understands what we are going through and can relate with us in our challenges and pain.  “For we do not have a high priest who is not able to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are – yet He did not sin.  Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” Hebrews 4:15-16  Knowing that Jesus empathizes with us allow us to be able to relate with Him as our Savior and our friend.

Great Faith requires Action:  “What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds?  Can such faith save them?  Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food.  If one of you says to them, Go in peace, keep warm and well fed, but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it?  In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanies by action, is dead”.  James 2:14-17  I love this scripture in James and how it really ties together the reality of our Faith.  I am convinced that if we truly have Faith in God and allow Him to permeate our lives we will be compelled to action.  We cannot help but want to do something when we understand what God has done for us and the depth of His love.  Love is Faith in action. 

We are currently in a season of 21 days of prayer and fasting and the theme is “Great Faith”.  Seasons of prayer and fasting can really heighten our spirit and enhance our Faith and connection with God.  I always grow closer to the Lord during these times.  You can join online each morning at 6am by clicking on this link https://21days.churchofthehighlands.com/

Let’s make 2022 the year of Great Faith.  Have a great week…..

-Duane

Word of the Week - Scripture (Bible)

"All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” 2 Timothy 3:16-17

Scripture is Alive and Active:  The Word of God is a mysterious and powerful force that encompasses so many dimensions.  It points us toward the will of God (Galatians 1:4), the truth of God (John 17:17), the decrees of God (Jeremiah 22:29), the commandments of God (Exodus 20:2-17) the good news of Jesus Christ (John 3:16) and the list goes on.  The word is living and eternal.  It has the same power and relevance today that it had 2000 years ago and will continue to have forever thus it is timeless.  It is profoundly deep yet simple and practical.  It is filled with spiritual truths and principals that serve as a true north for God’s people giving us direction as we navigate through this complex and confusing world.  Since it is a spiritual book, some of scripture does not seem to make practical sense to us and thus requires childlike faith and trust to come alive and be activated in our lives.  Read in faith, God’s Word begins to read us and transform our nature into God’s nature.  Scripture is truly an amazing gift that God gave us so that we would know Him at the deepest level and be able to flourish as His children on this earth.  I can personally attest to the power of scripture; it has greatly impacted my relationship with God and subsequently every aspect of life.  Therefore, I make it my top priority to read or sometimes listen to God’s word daily.  It is one of the first things I do each morning.  It is the rock that I stand on for protection, peace and life.  There is not doubt in my mind that it is alive and useful in our day to day lives!!!!

Scripture is Jesus:  “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” John 1:1  This verse is so powerful because it makes it clear that Jesus is synonymous with the Word of God (the Bible).  Jesus is the subject of the entire bible from Genesis to Revelation and we are the object.  The verb is giving, God giving us Jesus in love so we can be reconciled to God and have eternal fellowship through the gift of salvation John 3:16.  We also know from scripture that God created mankind for the purpose of companionship through personal relationship with Jesus.  The bible is the primary source for us to have relationship with Jesus and grow in our intimacy with Him.  Therefore, we should see the bible not only as a key to finding salvation but also as God’s manifestation on earth and our way to know God at the deepest level and grow closer to Him through the physical Word (Bible) and the Spirit (Holy Spirit).  I have found that the more I abide in Christ through reading and studying His word, the more I know God and feel closer to Him, which continues to transform my very nature to becoming more godly.  This is the transformational power of filling ourselves with the Word of God and Jesus.   

The Bible helps us know who we are:  “The spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship.  And by Him we cry, “Abba, Father.”  The spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.  Now if we are children, then we are heirs – heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in His sufferings in order that we may also share in His glory.” Romans 8:15-17  In Christ we gain our new and true identity as sons and daughters of the living God, which is quite amazing. The bible is the living manual that gives us clarity on our new identity in Christ and continues to reinforce this truth, which is sometimes hard to comprehend.  As we live in God’s Word we begin to truly receive this truth and reality that is reinforced throughout scripture.  The Word of God also provides a loving but powerful way for us to know ourselves in light of Christ.  This helps us see who we really are in terms of our thoughts, attitudes and postures and where we need adjustments.  If we truly want to grow and become all God has called us to be, we will allow God’s word to penetrate our souls and do its sanctifying work within us. 

I encourage you to make scripture and reading God’s word a part of your daily rhythm in pursing deeper relationship with Christ.  When you read God’s word in faith you are communing with Christ and being renewed and transformed into the person you were meant to be in Christ and this is perfectly pleasing to God.  “Do not conform 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.” Romans 12:2

Have a great week…..

-Duane

Word of the Week - Affirmation

You are God’s chosen treasure-priests who are kings, a spiritual “nation” set apart as God’s devoted ones.  He called you out of darkness to experience His marvelous light, and now He claims you as His very own.  He did this so that you would broadcast His glorious wonders throughout the world.”  1 Peter 2:9 (The Passion Translation)

Affirmation is the process of affirming someone by making positive assertions.  Simply put, finding things about people that are positive and true and speaking into them to encourage and strengthen.  Affirmations are powerful and typically bring out the best in us if communicated and received in the right way.  I think we would all agree that we all like being affirmed, especially by those who we love and desire to please like our parents, friends and mentors.  There is power in affirmation in that it typically encourages us and reinforces positive and life giving behaviors.

Biblical Affirmation:  The bible is full of spiritual affirmations from God towards us.  The key is that we must truly understand who we are in Christ so we can receive these affirmations.  This can be a life transforming reality when we understand that when we receive Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we become beloved sons and daughters of the living God.  In this reality, we have tremendous benefits as co-heirs with Christ.  This power becomes available to us “today” if we take hold of it and walk in it.  It is not just a thing for the future when we get to heaven, it is something we can take hold of and experience “today” and this is what Jesus desires for us.  “Today is the day the Lord has made, lets us rejoice and be glad in it”  Psalm 118:24    

A few Biblical Affirmations:  The following are just a few biblical affirmations that are what God our Abba Father says about you and me in His Word.  Let’s receive this and walk in it today. In Jesus we are:

• Redeemed – “But when the set time had fully come, God sent His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship/daughtership.” Galatians 4:4-5
• Renewed – “Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day”. 2 Corinthians 4:16
• Restored – “And the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal Glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself Restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast”. 1 Peter 5:10
• Reconciled – “All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of Reconciliation:  that God was reconciling to himself in Christ, not counting our sins against us”. 2 Corinthians 5: 18-19
• Rescued – “For He Rescued us from dominion with darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son He loves.” Colossians 1:13
• Resurrected – “But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.” Romans 8:11
• Righteousness – “God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.” 2 Corinthians 5:21

My good friend Chuck Scott is constantly affirming me and all the men in his center of influence about who we are in Christ, the 7 affirmations I highlighted above that start with R, and encouraging us to receive this reality and walk in it “today”.  There is amazing power in these biblical affirmations.  They have the power to transform our lives.  We all have an enemy of our soul who’s objective is to keep us from receiving this truth and somehow making us believe that God is not pleased with us. He is a liar.  To overcome, we must reinforce these affirmations daily by praying and meditating on God’s truth found in His word that clearly define who we are in Christ.   

I am going to make this a 2022 focus, to revisit these affirmations daily, so I can reinforce this amazing truth and walk in it.  I am also going to purpose to speak these affirmations over those around me to remind them of how God sees them. 

Let’s make 2022 a year of receiving and speaking affirmation and see what God does in us and through us!!!!

-Duane

Word of the Week - First Fruits

Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the First fruits of all your crops; then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine. Proverbs 3:9-10

I love the principle of First Fruits because it is so clear and easy to understand.  There are many things about God and our walk of faith that are mystical, and at times, hard for us to understand.  The principal of First Fruits is very straightforward, God simply wants to be the priority in our lives and He wants us to honor Him by giving Him our First and best.  He loves us so much that He is jealous for our love and attention and does not want to compete for the top position in our lives.  He will not take second position.  This concept is emphasized throughout scripture beginning with the 1^st Commandment that states “You shall have no other gods before me”, He simply wants us to put Him First above all things.  With divine order comes diving blessing, this is God’s economy.  He is our Creator and the God of the universe, He deserves and desires to be revered and honored for who He really is and the authority and power He possesses.  I love this principal because it is a tangible way to love and honor the Lord.  This principal not only pertains to our money/resources but to every aspect of our lives, He desires the first of our time, our thoughts, and our pursuits.  He wants to be the first in our day, week, month and year.  For God, order is the priority over quality and quantity.  There is amazing power, both blessings and protection, in the simple daily act of placing God First.  As we begin 2022, I encourage you to test the Lord in the principal of First Fruits.  Put the Lord First and watch your time and resources multiply and overflow.  Seek “First” the Kingdom and His righteousness and all things will be added unto you. 

I pray God’s blessings over you, your family and your business in 2022. 

Happy New Year!!!!!

-Duane

Word of the Week - The Perfect Gift

"For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given.” Isaiah 9:6

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

The Christmas prayer below that my daughter Mary Kathryn shared with our family yesterday does a marvelous job of characterizing what is available to all of us in the gift of Christ.  It was so good I wanted to share it with you.  It was written by Martha Kilpatrick https://shulamite.com/:

The Son, The Child born under the Star of heaven’s Joy
Was Given – Unto us!!!
Born – Unto us!!!

Our Gift – unsearchable, unfathomable, unimaginable, indescribable.
So vast is Our Gift, beyond seeing, rich above all golden wealth,
Jesus is…simply everything.
And He is mine.  And He is yours.

Jesus Christ is the only begotten Son of God.
He is the Beginning of all things.  He is the end of all things.
Jesus is the Creator of all things and the Sustainer of all things.
He is the Nature of all of life, the Hope of all people.
Christ is the Savior of the world, Redeemer of all devastation.
Lover of all mankind.  King of all kingdoms.

Jesus is Light for the darkness, Victory over every hell,
the Glory of all believers, the Transformation of our being.
Christ is the Prince of all peace, the Wisdom of all crisis.
The friend of all friendless, our Safety from all danger,
The Bread of our hunger, the Healer of our suffering.

Jesus!  The Word of our existence, The breath of our Life.
Forgiver of all sins, the Blood of our perfect cleansing.

Beloved!  Receive your priceless, Perfect Gift!

I pray that the Lord’s grace over each of us to fully receive the Perfect Gift of Christmas our Lord Jesus Christ.  This is the the reason for this holiday season.  “For unto us (you & me) a Child is Born”.

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

-Duane

Word of the Week - Centered Leadership part II

“I love you, Lord, my strength.  The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.  I called to the Lord, who is worth of praise, and I have been saved from my enemies.”  Psalm 18 1-3

Centered Person  Last week in my “Word of the Week”, see below, I shared on the importance of being a Center leader.  What it looks like to be Centered and what it looks like to be un-centered.  I also shared a few concepts from Craig Groeschel’s podcast on how we can become more Centered as leaders.  This week I want to go a little deeper and explore how we become more Centered and secure in who we are as individuals.

Christ at the Center:  I don’t believe we can become great leaders and live to our full potential until we are secure and Centered in who we are at the core of our being.  It’s an inside job, which I am convinced and have personally experienced must be founded in our discovering our true self identity in Christ.  Until we are firmly grounded on the Rock of Christ as our true source of identity and security, we will be standing on shifting sand and thus we will be un-centered and insecure.  I truly believe that it is only by knowing in the depths of our soul that we are a child of the living God, that we can find the grounding to be firmly Centered knowing true north.  This begins with us surrendering our hearts and lives to God and receiving God as our Lord, Savior and the Center of our living and being. “I have been crucified with Christ.  It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.  And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me”. Galatians 2:20

Remaining Centered:  Chris Hodges shared last week at the impact Conference three key ideas on how we can live Centered lives and be Centered leaders Chris Hodges Impact Talk:

• Character – Being a person of character means that we are bigger person on the inside than we are on the outside.  Character building is an ongoing process in life.  Are we learning and growing through the challenges and adversities of life?  Are we growing wiser or are we allowing roots of insecurity and cynicism to take root in our minds and hearts?  Are we feeding our minds, hearts, souls and spirits a good healthy and balanced diet of godly things that build us up and help our inner man to grow and remain healthy or are we feeding ourselves the junk and discontent of the world and allowing ourselves to be tainted? 

“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things”. Philippians 4:8

• Community – The people we hang out with and the groups we associate with have a huge impact on our view of ourselves and of the world.  God created us to be relational and live in community with others.  Dr. Henry Cloud says that “The foundation of every human being is their relational connectedness”.  Pastor Chris says “Show me your friends and I will show you your future”.  It really matters who we hang out with and spend our time around, it will impact and shape who we are and how we see ourselves.  Solid relationships will help us remain Centered. Less than solid relationships can lead us off Center to dangerous territory.  From this perspective we should be asking ourselves, who should I spend more time with, who should I spend less time with or who should I not be spending any time with?  There are several proverbs that state this so well.

“Walk with the wise and become wise; associate with fools and get into trouble."
Proverbs 13:20

“As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend.”
Proverbs 27:17

• Courage – Are we living by faith or fear.  There is no doubt that we all have fears and things in life that intimidate us and try to keep us from being the best version of ourselves in Christ.  It is the primary objective of our adversary the devil to do whatever he can to keep us from what God has for us by keeping us from being Centered and secure in Christ.  He is the master of lies and intimidation.  Courage is not the absence of fear it is choosing the right attitude and mindset in spite of the fear.  Courage is stepping forward through the fear and overcoming.  It is reminding ourselves of the truth of who we are in Christ and stepping out in faith based on that reality.

“The enemy comes to steal, kill and destroy; I have come that you may have life, and have it to the full.”
John 10:10

“No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.”
Romans 8:37

I believe that the most important thing in life and leadership is to be Centered in Christ, knowing that we are living and breathing for a purpose bigger than ourselves.  This is the abundant life that Christ talked about in John 10:10.  I pray that we all grow in our relationship with Christ so we can become more Centered people and leaders.

Have a great Christmas week.  O come, O come Emmanuel!!!!! 

-Duane

Word of the Week - Centered Leadership

“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens (centers) me.”  Philippians 4:13

Centered leadership?  I am a big fan of Craig Groeschel CraigGroeschelbio, and have listened to most of his Leadership Podcast.  This past week at the Impact Leadership Conference, which our firm had the privilege to sponsor, I was reminded by Chris Hodges about the importance of living a Centered life and being Centered leader.  I will share more about this amazing leadership conference and Chris’s message next week. This week I pulled most of my content from a podcast that Craig did on “Becoming the Centered Leader your team craves” CenteredLeadersPodcast . 

In a study by Bain Research on what makes leaders most effective, they found many different traits were mentioned but the one that stood out above the rest was Centeredness.  Centeredness is difficult to describe and impossible to miss. 

So what makes a Centered Leader?  Centered leaders are grounded, aware, secure and consistent.

• They are guided by values
• They are driven by purpose
• They have a mission that is bigger than themselves

“Trust in the Lord with all of your heart; lean not on your own understanding.  Acknowledge Him in all things and He will direct your paths and keep them straight”. Proverbs 3:5-6

What does an Un-Centered leader look like?  Many leaders are a little, if not a lot, uncentered.  They come in all shapes and sizes.  Most are not fully aware of their lack of Centeredness.  When you’re an uncentered leader, it’s obvious to your team.  You can’t hide it, you’re not fooling anyone.  Typically off-Centered leaders exhibit these three behaviors: 

• They are annoyingly insecure and looking for constant affirmation from team members.  They typically avoid conflict and lack direction.  Sometimes insecurity manifests itself as arrogance.  So, instead of being passive, insecure leaders are bullies, micro-managers, and know-it-alls that typically take credit for successes and pass off blame.  Insecure leaders produce insecure followers.
• They are unpredictable.  With this type of leader, the team has no idea what to expect.  The direction will change on a whim.  There’s always a new project, new emphasis, or new focus.  Team members wind up playing it safe.  Instead of bringing new ideas to the table, they keep them to themselves.  Unpredictable leaders produce hesitant followers.  When the leader lacks confidence, the team lacks commitment.
• They are self-absorbed.  The more success a leader gains, the more vulnerable they are to this behavior. Self-absorbed leaders believe that their team works to serve them – their vision, their dreams, their goals with little to no input from their team.  Self-absorbed leaders produce resentful followers. 

“Do not conform 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.” Romans 12:2

Becoming a Centered Leader?  There are three primary traits that can help us make the shift towards being a more Centered leader:

• Gaining inward security and confidence.  Neediness and insecurity repels others, but inward confidence attracts.  You don’t have to be perfect or appear to have everything together to be secure and confident.  In fact, being your authentic self is most effective.  God does not make junk so he made you in His image and you are enough as your best you.  I believe one of the most important things we can do to gain security and confidence is to have the right perspective about who we are in Christ (Ephesians 2:10 below).  If we really know how God sees us then we will see ourselves differently.
• Being steady and consistent.  When a leader is consistent, you know what to expect.  Consistent actions, rhythms and processes create consistent results.  Consistently doing the right things over time generally leads to compounding positive outcomes.
• Being mission-driven.  Why we do what we do matters more than we can imagine.  So knowing our mission and having a true heart conviction about the mission is paramount.  We must fight to keep our vision, mission, values and purpose in clear focus for ourselves and our team.  We don’t want our people to simply do a job.  We want them living on purpose to fulfill a mission that they believe in.  People will work for a what but they will give their lives for a why.

“For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works that He prepared in advance for us to do”  Ephesians 2:10

Whether we realize it or not, as leaders, we reproduce what we are.  If our organizations are imbalanced and off Center, it’s a reflection of our leadership.  If we want strong healthy teams, we must become Centered leaders who are inwardly secure & confident, strategically consistent and mission focused. 

Craig Groeshel always ends his podcast with this quote, which I believe to be good and true:

“You don’t have to know it all to be a great leader!  Be yourself. People would rather follow a leader who is always real than one who is always right”.

Have a great week!!!

-Duane

Word of the Week - Pruning (pathway to growth and maturity)

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener.   He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit He prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.  John 15: 1

How do we live fruitful lives from a Kingdom perspective?  We simply abide/remain connected to the vine of Christ.  The fruit is the bi-product of our intimate relationship with Christ.  We don’t make the fruit God produces it through us as we remain in Him.  I believe the most important thing as a follower of Christ is pursuing an abiding relationship with Jesus and making that the priority of our lives each and every day.  Jesus promises us that “If we abide in Him, He will abide in us and we will bare much fruit”.  John 15:5  Part of the abiding life is being willing to be pruned so we can even be more productive and fruitful.   

Pruning is Part of the Process of Growth and Maturity – If we truly desire to be all God has called us to be then we must embrace the principle of cutting and pruning.  “He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit He prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.”  This is not necessarily a fun process and surely not a refrigerator scripture for most of us but it is part of the refining process of our walk of faith and maturity in Christ.  Pruning is how God answers our prayers when we pray for God’s abundant blessings and that He will make us more like Jesus.  When we are praying that our lives will please Him more and have a greater impact for eternity.  In desiring to grow and go deeper in the things of God, if we choose and allow Him, God our gardener cuts and prunes to remove things that are dead and not productive from our lives to make room for sunlight and nutrience to get to all fruit-bearing branches;  to increase the quality and quantity of the fruit; and to encourage new fruit to develop.  This is the only path to abundance, we must all be cut and pruned.  He must first cut away parts of our lives that drain precious time and energy from what is truly important.  To allow the sunlight and nutriance to flow to the most fruitful areas of our lives so we can live in our highest and best use.  Live to our full potential in Christ.  His plan for pruning is not random – He works in each of our lives uniquely to find what needs to but pruned so that we might bear our best fruit.  If we understand that this is part of the process then we can “Count it pure joy” as outlined in James 1:2-4 “whenever you face trials of many kinds (cutting/pruning), because you know the testing of your faith produces perseverance.  Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”

Our Response – If we truly desire to live to our full potential in Christ and maximize Kingdom fruit while on earth, we should acknowledge to God our Father that we are grateful He loves us so much that He is willing to do the hard work of pruning our lives.  If we have resented the pain of God’s discipline and/or pruning in our lives, we should acknowledge this and let God know we appreciate His deep love for us.  The truth is that our heavenly Father loves us so much that He won’t stop tending our lives as long as we stay connected to His vine. This is simply the process of spiritual maturity and “Breaking through to Abundance”.  So let’s embrace our Abba Father and all He has for us because He truly is a good, good Father that knows what is best and His plan for our lives is much greater than ours.  “Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfector of our faith.  For the joy set before Him He endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”.  Hebrews 12:1-2

Practical Application:  By the way, this principle is also true in most areas of life.  If we want to grow and mature in our professional journey, we must be pruned of certain things such as old ways/habits and mindsets.  Things that worked in a prior role may be holding us and our team back toward moving forward in our journey of growth.  Certain organizational structures that got us to where we are will no longer facilitate organizational growth and maturity and must be changed/pruned.  This is typically a painful process.  We have heard it before, no pain no gain. So we must recognize this reality and embrace the short term pain so we can realize the longer term gain, so we can realize our potential and become mature and complete in every area of our lives.

The only true evidence of God working in our lives is the spiritual fruit that is being produced through our lives.  “By their fruit you will recognize them”. Matthew 7:16  

Have a great week!!!!! 

-Duane

Word of the Week - Thanksgiving

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

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

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

My friend John Michael Pierce who recently passed away demonstrated this like no one I have ever seen.  In the face of the worst circumstances, he chose to focus on the blessings of God and he truly lived life to the full in his last months on earth.  In doing so he had a tremendous impact on thousands of people to the Glory of God. Watch this short video that was shot a few before he died to get a glimpse of this young man’s heart and impact John Michael Video .  If we keep our eyes on Jesus and maintain an eternal perspective, we are much more inclined to have a heart of gratitude even when we face trials and setbacks in life.

The benefits of a grateful heart:  

• It gets our eyes off ourselves, and helps us to focus back on God.
• It reminds us we're not in control, but that we serve a Mighty God who is.
• It takes our attention off of our problems and helps us instead to reflect on, to remember, the goodness of His many blessings.
• A grateful heart reminds us that ultimately God is our Provider, that all blessings and gifts are graciously given to us by His hand.
• A heart of gratitude leaves no room for complaining. For it is impossible to be truly thankful and filled with negativity and ungratefulness at the same time.
• It makes the enemy flee. The forces of darkness can't stand to be around hearts that give thanks and honor to God. Our praise and thanksgiving will make them flee.
• It opens up the door for continued blessings. It invites His presence. Our spirits are refreshed and renewed in Him. 

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

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

Thanks,

-Duane