Word of the Week - Provider

And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.  Philippians 4:19

This is a wonderful truth that is sometimes hard to fully grasp.  I will never forget how impacted I was when I actually received this truth about 18 years ago.  As a husband and father with a young family, I was very determined to do whatever I needed to do to be a good provider for my family.  As a business owner and entrepreneur earlier in my career, I had experienced a very painful business venture that took lots of energy and resources but did not provide the expected returns.  Even worse, it almost destroyed me, my marriage and family because I was so determined to “make it happen”.  This was a life lesson that helped me understand the principal of trusting God as my Provider.  In 2003 when I had the opportunity to start “Founders”, I was both excited and apprehensive based on my prior experience.  Through fervent prayer, godly counsel and discernment the Lord revealed to me the depth and truth of His role as my “Provider” and I “Got It”.  I understood the concept of stewardship and provision and embarked on my new venture with an entirely different perspective and posture.  This time around things were different, even though my name was on the Articles of Incorporation, I understood that God truly owned the business. It is really a pretty simple principal; since God is our Creator and Sustainer, He is the Provider of all things.  Why would we think it is different when it comes to our vocational pursuits to make income and Provide for our families?  Just like most biblical truth, it is really a wonderful and freeing to understand that we are not God and thus don’t have the power to control what happens in our day to day vocational endeavors.  Don’t get me wrong, this is not a free pass for flippant living or being irresponsible; we do play a major role in influencing what happens and must take responsibility for our work; we will be held accountable for how we use what God has given us (time, resources, talents etc), but at the end of the day, we are not God and thus we don’t control the outcome.  We are simply imperfect human vessels who are given the opportunity and privilege to steward our families, businesses, ministries, relationships, for a period of time while we here are on this earth.  Our role is simply to align ourselves with the Lord in an abiding relationship, Trust Him in all things and give our very best effort.  The outcome is not up to us but up to the Lord. “Trust in the Lord with all of your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:5-6  But I truly believe that divine order brings blessing as noted a few verses later in Proverbs 3:9-10 “Honor the Lord with our wealth, with the firstfruits of your crops; then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine” Our work is to sow the seed and tend the garden but only God can make it grow and produce the harvest.  This is up to the Lord, which is why we are so dependent upon Him.  That is why I love the serenity prayer and have it hanging on the wall in our conference room at Founders, it reminds us that God really is our Provider and He is sovereign:  “Lord grant me the serenity to accept the things that I cannot change; the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference”.Just over 40 days until Easter!!!!   Have a great week enjoying relationship with Jesus our Provider.-Duane

Word of the Week - Focus

Philippians 3:8  "What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things."

"Most of us have multiple layers and many dimensions that drive us day to day. We have dreams, desires, goals, responsibilities, commitments, and very long to-do lists. The result? We feel pulled in numerous directions and have scattered Focus and thus are much less effective and fall way short of living to our full God potential.The to-do lists may be unavoidable, but a scattered Focus isn’t. It’s possible to submit all those other desires and obligations under a single, higher pursuit. Instead of running after so many things in so many different directions, we can put things in order and prioritize under one preeminent Focus, our God purpose.Paul put it this way: I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things (Philippians 3:8). It wasn’t that he no longer fulfilled his responsibilities toward others or gave up all desires and dreams. In pursuing Jesus as the ultimate desire and Focus, everything else fell under that priority relationship. He was able to Focus on the one big thing that mattered most, and this one thing took care of the rest.  My buddy Tim Lee reminds me often of my Boudreaux translation of Matthew 6:33 “If you take care of God’s business He will take care of your business”.  As shared in last weeks “Word of the week” If we delight ourselves in the Lord then He will give us the desires of our hearts”  Psalm 37:4  We are simply blessed when we make the Lord our priority and Focus.There’s exhilarating freedom in giving up all things in exchange for the one thing of greatest value. Life feels much more free of clutter that way, and much more worthwhile. Unnecessary distractions fall away, and everything else fits under one ultimate purpose. And that purpose is far more significant than anything else." (excerpts from Chris Tiegreen via my good friend Jesse May)Have a great week and keep your Focus on the “one thing” that matters most – the person of Jesus.-Duane

Word of the Week - Delight

Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart. Psalm 37:4

Delighting ourselves in the Lord means that our hearts truly find peace and fulfillment in Him.  According to Merriam-Webster, Delight is defined as a high degree of gratification or pleasure – Joy.  I think we would agree that we all desire to have peace, fulfillment and joy in our lives but it often seems to be elusive and we end up experiencing the opposite such as anxiety, discontentment, and frustration.  So how do we Delight ourselves in the Lord?  I believe it really is about us aligning our values and our lives with the Lord and His values.  If we truly seek to find our satisfaction and worth in Christ, He promises to give us the longings of our heart.  My experience in walking with God over the past 18 years confirms this promise.  This is a self-fulfilling prophesy because as we pursue God and His ways He transforms our hearts and we become Christlike and value what He values.  This is truly the transformational power of the Gospel at work in our lives and it is really miraculous.  “But seek first the Kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be give to you as well” Matthew 6:33  God simply desires to be the first priority and everything else follows.  As my friend Bruce Johnston says, “divine order produces divine blessing”.The challenge is that we live in a world with a different set of values and priorities.  These forces are real and constantly coming at us and our families from every angle every day, especially through media and I-phones.  The world system values and “delights” in wealth, status, power, material possessions, vanity and other temporary things of this world, which cannot be satisfied.  In this system we can never get what we want and are always left discontent and wanting more.  King Solomon the wealthiest person who ever lived wrote the entire book of Ecclesiastes with the conclusion that everything temporal is meaningless and only things of God and eternity really matter.  On the other hand, delighting in the Lord and things of eternity, which includes our fellow man, is true treasure indeed.  1 Timothy 6:6 reminds us that “Godliness with contentment is great gain”.   Furthermore, there is tremendous protection over our lives and our families if we make the Delighting in the Lord our priority.  “The Lord makes firm the steps of the one who delights in Him; though he may stumble, he will not fall, for the Lord upholds him with His hand.”  Psalm 37:23-24Psalm 37:4 above gives us the secret, when we delight ourselves in the Lord, when we pursue Him with all of our heart, He is the One Who will give us the desires of our heart, in line with His Kingdom, His way of doing things. In verse 5 of that same chapter we read that we are to “commit our ways unto the Lord; trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass.” We Delight ourselves in Him by praising and worshipping Him, reading His Word, fellowshipping with Him, serving Him, loving Him and following his commands.  We also Delight ourselves in God by loving others and living the by the great commandment.  This all leads to knowing God at a deeper and more intimate level. The more we get to know the Lord, the greater our trust and peace will be in Him, regardless of our circumstances.This world can never satisfy our deepest longings, but if we choose to Delight in God’s way, He will always provide above and beyond our expectations.  Jesus said, “Whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst.  Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life” John 4:14I pray you have a Delightful week.-Duane

Word of the Week - Team

Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil.  For if they fall, one will life up his fellow.  But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up!  Again, if two lie together, they keep warm, but how can one keep warm alone?  And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him-a threefold cord is not quickly broken.  Ecclesiastes 4:9-12

I love how God created our humanity with a focus on relationship with Him and others.  This is the great commandment and the essence of our faith, to Love God and Love others.  In His divine Wisdom God put certain principals into motion that are true and delightful such as the practical and divine synergy of Team.  I think we all recognize that we are much better together as part of a Team or Body opposed to trying to do life solo.  For some reason we all have a tendency towards independence and trying to do things in our own strength, this is human nature and somewhat the American way.  Our country was pioneered and built with a spirit of rugged individualism, which definitely has some positive attributes.  That being said, we can only go so far in life on our own strength and talents but can do so much more together as part of a Team, especially when we put together the right combination of talented people with a clear focus and mission.  Even more powerful and fulfilling is a high powered Team that has the hand of God’s blessing on it; this divine blessing is the ultimate experience for a believer.  To live on purpose in your gifting as part of a Team where your giftings are exponentially multiplied through the synergy of the Team, where 1 + 1 = 5 plus!!!!Not only do we have upside in Team and the joy of winning together but there is also great protection in the Team.  No matter how strong and competent we are in our giftings and life situation, there will be times of adversity and discouragement when we will be knocked down by the circumstances of life.  If we are running solo there is a meaningful chance that we will not have anyone there to lift a hand to help us up and out in times of need.  Even in the times of victory and accomplishment, we can become vulnerable to pride and self-centeredness and need friends and Teammates to admonish us and protect us from self-destructing.  “As iron sharpens iron, son one man sharpens another” Proverbs 27:17.  There is an enemy of our soul that has one objective, which is to isolate us so that he can take us down and out, especially if we are living for God’s Kingdom.  We must remain connected to our teammates in an honest and intimate way so we have their covering and visa-versa.  In doing so we have the opportunity to provide the same covering and protection to them, which is an opportunity to minister to our Teammates.  The bottom line is that life is much better together because this is how God our Creator designed it.  “so that they may take hold of life that is truly life” 1 Timothy 6:19Finally, we must understand that we all have a place on the Team and that God’s Kingdom is incomplete if we have not found our place and purpose.  “As it is, there are many parts, yet one body. The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and on those parts of the body that we think less honorable we bestow the greater honor, and our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty, which our more presentable parts do not require. But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, ...” 1 Cor 12:20-25We are better together and together we win…Have a great week…-Duane

Word of the Week - Relationship

Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength;  the second is this: Love your neighbor as yourself.  Mark 12:30-31

The more I live the more I realize that the key to life is real and healthy relationship with God and others, especially those close to us.  There is nothing more fulfilling and challenging than relationships.  On one hand, the true joy of life is sharing in the journey with others and experiencing the ups and downs of life with those we love.  On the other hand, the deepest pain and challenges I have experienced in life are associated with relational challenges, generally with those closest to me.  This is such a dichotomy but also the way God set things up because people are what matter most on this earth and their souls last forever.  If we allow Him, God will use relationship with Himself and others to refine us and mold us into His image, this is the process of sanctification.  So what is the difference between religion and relationship?  By definition, relationship is the way in which two or more people or things are connected, or the state of being connected. Religion is a personal set of institutionalized system of religious attitudes, beliefs and practices.  Religion is based on people’s efforts at reaching God and being made right with Him through their own efforts.  Christianity is not about signing up for a religion it is about being born into God’s family.  It is relationship at the deepest level as we are adopted by our Father through our faith in, and relationship with Jesus by receiving what He did for us on the cross.  He then empowers us to live like children of the King.  He does not ask us to try to attain holiness by our own strength, as religion does, but He asks that our old self be crucified with Him so that His power can live through us.  God wants us to abide in Him to know Him, to draw near to Him, to pray to Him, and to love Him above everything.  That is not religion; It is relationship at its deepest and highest level, and this is where we find true life.Have a great week and don’t forget that it is Valentine’s Day on Thursday.  Great opportunity for enhancing your relationship with your significant other.Sincerely,-Duane

Word of the Week - Refuge and Protector

Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.” Deuteronomy 31:6

One of the most amazing gifts and benefits of a life of faith is that we serve a God who is a loving Father and as our Father He promises to be our Refuge and Protector.  One of the primary roles of any good father is to provide covering and protection for our children.  As a father of 3 daughters I have lots of first hand experience in this area and can really understand God’s heart in this.  My daughters are on my mind 24/7 as I am always concerned about their wellbeing and I am determined to be there for them in times of trouble.The truth is that we have a heavenly father who is thinking about us 24/7 and is most concerned with our well-being both now and for eternity.  This does not mean that we will not face trials and danger in life, to the contrary God tells us that we will go through trials and face many perils throughout our lives, but He promises to be there with us in the trials to see us through “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.” Psalm 46:1 He promises us in scripture that “He will never leave us or forsake us.” Hebrews 13:5.  As our heavenly father He is faithful and will always be there for us.  The key to this is that we trust Him by faith and call up on His name and invite Him into our lives daily.  That we pray for His covering and Protection over our lives and over our family, and depend on Him as our Refuge and Protector as we face the day to day dangers and trials of this life on earth.  We live in a fallen world that is full of sin and evil and we all need God’s covering through the blood of Christ to Protect us.  “But the Lord is faithful, and He will strengthen and protect you from the evil one” 2 Thes 3:3One of my favorite scriptures is Psalm 91 because it so richly expresses God’s love and concern for us as our Refuge and Protector:  “Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.^[ I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress my God, in whom I trust.” Surely he will save you from the fowler’s snare and from the deadly pestilence. He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart. You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday.  A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you. You will only observe with your eyes and see the punishment of the wicked. If you say, “The Lord is my refuge,” and you make the Most High your dwelling, no harm will overtake you, no disaster will come near your tent. For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways;  they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone. You will tread on the lion and the cobra; you will trample the great lion and the serpent. “Because he^[b] loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name. He will call on me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him. With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation.” Psalm 91I pray that we will know and trust God our heavenly Father as our Refuge and Protector and proactively call upon His name each day and receive His benefits as so well-articulated in Psalm 91.Have a great week….-Duane

Word of the Week - Childlike dependence

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 as son/daughter. And by Him we cry, “Abba, Father.” Romans 8:15

Through His death on the Cross, Jesus made the way for us not only to be saved from the wrath of God but to become fully sons and daughters of God the Father.  When we receive Jesus and the gift of salvation, we become co-heirs with Jesus to our loving Father.  We literally become part of God’s family as one of His children…Hallelujah!!!!  As God’s children we cry out and entrust ourselves to God fully as our Abba, Father.  This is something to be giddy about, “Truly I say to you, whoever does not receive the Kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it” Mark 10:15  We can now approach God just as Jesus did with complete confidence, childlike dependence and absolute assurance that He will never ever leave us or forsake us.  As followers of Christ we are God’s children who have been adopted into His family and can approach the throne of grace with confidence not with a spirit of fear but a spirit of adoption as sons and daughters of God by which we cry out, Abba! Father! In today’s language this is like calling God our Daddy or Papa, an endearing term that implies deep love and trust.  By the blood of the lamb we are redeemed and grafted into His family.  This is how God sees us His children now that we are in Christ, He can love us and relate with us just as He relates with His son Jesus.  We are no longer distant slaves of the law but His holy children who He desires to draw near to Himself.  As sons and daughters of God we should have a hunger and desire to be close to our Abba Father just as a young boy or girl desires to be close to a loving dad who provides safety and security for his children.  This is an amazing gift, and at times, a reality that is hard to comprehend.  As we grow in communion with the Lord Jesus, the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives will give us confident, happy, peaceful affection towards God as our Father who loves us and wants the best for us.  Of course we revere His awesome power but we trust that He is for us and “If God is for us who can be against us” Romans 8:31  If you want to know that you are a child of God; put your ear to the Gospel and your eye to the Cross of Christ and pray that the Holy Spirit would enable you to see and accept it for what it really is; In Christ we are sons and daughters of God the Father and co-heirs to God’s eternal Kingdom with Christ.  “For both the One who sanctifies and those who are sanctified are of the same family.  That is why Jesus is not ashamed to call us brothers & sisters” Hebrews 2:11Walking by faith with Childlike dependence on our Abba Father.Have a great week…-Duane

Word of the Week - JOY

May the God of hope fill you with all Joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.  Romans 15:13

Joy is something that I think we all desire more of but at times it can be difficult for us to possess.  Even though it is similar to the concept of happiness, Joy is much deeper because it is an attitude and condition of our soul.  Happiness tends to be more short term and based upon circumstances and driven by our feelings, whereas Joy is more foundational and based upon a deeper inner condition that can withstand the waves of feelings and circumstances that we all face in our day to day lives.  It is pretty amazing how both James and Paul talk about the power of Joy at work in our lives and how it can produce within us an inner fortitude that can supply us the strength to live in victory no matter what circumstances we are facing.  “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance” James 1:2-3.  James is reminding us of a key concept as it relates to Joy, if we trust God and know that He is using us for His plans, then we understand that there is purpose in the pain and we can find the Joy of the process of being sanctified in Christ Jesus.  This gives us hope, peace and strength, which are all foundational to having Joy.  Jesus our savior modeled this for us as He was sacrificing His life for us on the cross.  “So we fix our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter 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 12:2.  Most importantly I think we need to realize and remember that Joy is a choice.  We receive Joy by choosing to abide in Christ through His word and truth, which give us deep security in our eternal destiny.  If you truly believe God’s truth then you cannot help but be overjoyed because it is so amazing and Joyous what God has done for us.So rejoice, rejoice the Lord is near and He is with us and for us.  I pray that “The Joy of the Lord will be our strength” Nehemiah 8:10Have a great and Joy filled week…-Duane

Word of the Week - Unity

If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand.  Mark 3:25  I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another in what you say and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly united in mind and thought.  1 Cor 1:10

As Christians we are privileged to be part of a body of believers under one Godhead (Father, Son, Holy Spirit).  As God’s sons and daughters we are perfectly and uniquely created to have different gifts, personalities and perspectives.  I personally find this to be one of the great blessings of life, though it can be really challenging and at the worst of times lead to discord.  It is quite normal, even for believers to have different views and opinions but at the end of the day we remain United as One body in Christ.  No matter what denomination or church tradition we come from we all share the same truth in the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  On a similar but different note, we are privileged to live in the greatest Country on earth.  As United States citizens we are blessed to all be Americans regardless of our race, national origins or political affiliation.  As Christians and Americans let’s embrace the power and blessing of Unity as one Nation under God.-Duane

Word of the Week - Salvation

For by grace you have been saved through faith.  And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not by works, so that no one can boast”  Ephesians 2:8

The essence of the Christian faith, or any faith for that matter, is the end game and where we spend eternity.  Salvation in and through Christ is the end game for Christians and as believers it is a primary focus and motivation to know and follow Christ.  Our eternal destiny is a big deal since we are all going to transition from life on earth to somewhere else after our physical death, which is inevitable for all of us.  There are a few things that are certain and no one can deny, and one of those is the fact that we are all going to die, it is just a matter of time.  This is not a popular topic but it is a reality that we must all face in the journey of life.  “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens;  a time to be born and a time to die”  Ecclesiastes 3:1-2  That being said, the “Great News” of Jesus Christ is that He came to earth lived, was crucified by death on a cross and rose again with the primary mission of bringing Salvation to all.  What is amazing is that He did all of the hard work and sacrificed all for us, we simply have to believe and receive the “free gift” of Salvation.  This is the gospel message, the Good News of our Christian faith.

The biggest challenge we face in this process is ourselves and our way of thinking.  Since we live in a world where we work to produce to earn our keep, and justify ourselves, we tend to believe that God works in a similar way.  This is even how many religions characterize Salvation, if your good works outweigh your sin then you will be accepted and have your reward.  On the contrary, Jesus makes it very clear throughout His Word that our Salvation is about one thing, the person of Jesus and what He did on the cross.  We can never be good enough or do enough good works to earn acceptance by God, it is simply not possible because we are sinful and human.  The amazing news of our faith is that we don’t have to be good enough, we simply have to accept and receive what Christ did for us on the cross and fully believe by faith and we will have eternal life.  “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” Romans 10:9

So what about good works?  As Christians aren’t we supposed to be salt and light to the world and produce fruit of the spirit?  Yes, but this fruit is not produced by us it is produced by Christ at work within us.  The fruit and good works of a believer are simply a biproduct of believing and knowing Christ.  So the work of a believer is to pursue and know Christ through an abiding relationship and He takes care of the rest.  “I am the vine and you are the branches, if you abide in me I will abide and you and you will produce much fruit but apart from me you can do nothing.” John 15:5  The really cool thing is that the more we get to know the person of Christ the more we want to love Him by following His commands and loving others.  So our motivation to do good works is born out of love and gratitude and not driven by fear.  Finally, when we trust God by believing in Jesus and become true followers of Christ, we are not just saved but we are fully justified and adopted as co-heirs with Christ.  So we are actually part of God’s family and have access to the same powers and privileges of Christ.  ^“For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God.¹⁵ 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.^[f] And by Him we cry, “Abba,^[g] Father.” ¹⁶ The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. ¹⁷ 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 8:14-17.  I know this is very hard to believe but it is what God’s word tells us.

So let’s rejoice in our Salvation and walk in the fullness of God’s spirit as sons and daughters of the living God justified freely by our faith through the blood of the lamb of Christ.  This is truly good news that should embolden us as we begin 2019.

-Duane

Word of the Week - Jesus First in 2019

But seek first his kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Matthew 6:33

As we start 2019, I am grateful for the blessings of 2018 and look forward to what the Lord has in store for the year ahead.  It is hard to know what lies ahead in the journey of life as the years pass by but one thing we know for certain is that the Lord is faithful and unchanging.  He truly is the great “I am”, everything that was (history), that is (present) and that is to come (future) He holds in His hand.  What is so amazing is how good He is to us and how much He loves us.  He gave everything on the cross for you and me.  This is why I feel led to share this weekly Word, because I want to share the goodness of the Lord and remind us how awesome God really is in the person of Jesus, and encourage us to pursue Him and know Him more.  If you knew someone who was a faithful true friend, full of mercy, gracious, slow to anger and abounding in love, trusting, generous and dependable.  Who has the power to fill you with love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control and desired to always do so.  Who was a gracious and gentle guide (shepherd) who wanted to spend time with you (daily fellowship and abiding) whenever you wanted to be with Him.  Who’s deepest desire was to help you persevere and overcome all things and redeem you and all your mistakes so you can flourish and live to the full.  Who always had your back and would never leave you or forsake you (Immanuel) even when you rejected Him.  Who came down to earth to live and die so that you can have eternal life with God the Father.  How could you not be attracted to such an awesome person?  Well that is just a brief and partial description of some of who the person of Jesus really is.  He really is the great “I am”, all that we need He is.  If we simply make Him the priority in our lives and “seek first” to know Him, He will supply all that we need to live a fruitful life.  He even goes further to tell us that He did not come to simply give us life but He came to give us life to the full, abundant life.  So as we start this new year let’s set our hearts and minds on “Seeking first God’s Kingdom” in the person of Jesus so we can know Him more and bear the fruit of His spirit.  What is so amazing is that we are the ones who really get the benefits of this amazing relationship.

Happy New Year….

-Duane

Word of the Week - Immanuel

"The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel" (which means "God with us").  Matthew 1:23

This is the true gift of Christmas – Christ.  It is amazing that God sent His only begotten son Jesus down to be the ultimate sacrifice so we can have salvation, but He did not stop there.  Jesus came to this earth to be “with us” in the flesh and He remains “with us” in the good times and through the challenging times on this brief journey of life on earth.  Not only is He “with us” but if we invite Him, He lives “within us” and we can experience the manifest presence of God through the power of the Holy Spirit.  Under the new covenant established through Jesus birth, death and resurrection, we as followers of Christ are the temple of God’s Spirit.  Oh come, Oh come Immanuel!!!!!!!  And let’s Rejoice because God is “with us” and “within us”.  This is definitely a reason to Rejoice and give thanks to God on this special day of Christmas.

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

-Duane

Word of the Week - Church (body of Christ)

“So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up.” Ephesians 4:11-12

Is it possible to love and follow God but not be part of the body of Christ through His Church?  I would suggest that we can come to know God and receive salvation through a personal relationship with Him outside of Church but we cannot grow and reach our full potential in Christ without being connected to a local Church, which is the “body of Christ” here on earth.  Even though Church attendance does not gain us salvation, the Church is God’s plan and design for His followers and as believers thus we should embrace His plan and be fully engaged in our local Church.

The reality is that Church leaders and members are not God and thus not perfect, they are simply human beings that are sinful and flawed.  Similar to a family, we have to understand and accept that there are no perfect parents and families just the same there are no perfect Church bodies.  The key is to see ourselves as part of the family not on the outside looking in, we are members of the Church so we should see our Church as family, brothers and sisters in Christ and accept them as we accept our family members and do our best to help them grow and overcome their issues and challenges.  We need to extend the same amazing grace that we have received from Christ.   Seeing Church this way changes our perspective and gives us the grace and compassion to love and accept our brothers and sisters as we represent the hands and feet of Christ knowing that we are all broken sinners that have fallen short but God loved us unconditionally in spite of our sin and flaws.

Church is a gathering place for us to connect with other believers in fellowship and be spiritually fed so we can grow and develop as disciples of Christ and thus it is important for us to be part of a Church that is feeding us and allowing us to grow in our walk with Christ and other believers.  So what makes a good Church?  Regardless of the denomination, I would suggest a good Church would possess solid leadership and a sound biblical worldview that is based on the Gospel of Jesus Christ with a heart to shepherd its members/parishioners.  It is important to remember that the heart of Christ is to love by giving and serving, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16  From that perspective, good Churches have a heart for outreach and evangelism understanding that the true mission of the Church is to reach the lost and serve the least of these to include the poor, hungry, widows, prisoners and orphans.  As members of our Church body we should be as focused on what we can give and contribute to our Church family as much as what we are getting from our Church “It is more blessed to give than to receive” Acts 20:35.  We should understand our gifts and always look for ways that we can plug into our Church to love and serve our Church family and those in need.  Be a giver not a taker always asking not what my Church can do for me but what I can do to serve God through my Church.  This is the abundant life of Christ.  “The generous will prosper; those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed” Proverbs 11:25

So let’s choose to not allow the sinful, broken people of the Church (those who look just like us) not to be a stumbling block that keeps us away from our sinless, perfect and loving Heavenly Father who simply wants to draw us to Himself.  The Church isn’t primarily a building or a set of programs or events. It’s a family. A broken family, yes. But a family all-the-more, seeking God to love more, serve more and share God’s light in a super dark world.  We see throughout the Bible that Christ Himself was part of the church. His apostles were as well. “And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, 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 10:24-25

I am convinced that the Church is the hope of the world through our connection to our local Church.  This is God’s plan and it is good so let’s embrace it and make the most of it by being fully engaged in oue local life giving Church body.

Have a great week…

 -Duane

Word of the week - Children

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” Psalm 127: 3-5

Amen!!!!  Our Children and Grand Children are a blessing from God and as parents of our families, we need to understand our role and involvement in influencing and receiving this blessing.  With divine order comes divine blessing, especially as it relates to raising up or Children.  God is sovereign over our lives and our Children but He is gracious in allowing us to participate in the process as parents.  He loves us and desires the best for us and our families, thus allows us to influence our Children and families, which ultimately influence and impact the world for His Glory.  Being a parent is an amazing blessing but also a big responsibility.  We as parents with God’s help, have the opportunity to sow into our Children and “Train them up in the way he/she should go, And when they are older they will not depart from it” Proverbs 22:6

To understand how to impart God’s ways into our Children I believe we as parents must first become Children of the living God and have a personal intimate relationship with Him so He can impart His wisdom into our hearts and minds.  You cannot sow seed that you do not possess, and the only way to possess the things of God is to be connected to the vine of Christ through an abiding relationship with Jesus. John 15:5.  Even though we serve a God of order and principal, many of the things of God come through revelation not necessarily through logical reasoning.  So to know the things of God you must be connected to His spirit to receive His guidance, especially when it comes to the complexity of parenting, it does not always make sense.  I clearly remember when I came to Christ at the age of 33 how God so graciously began to change my perspective on parenting and reveal to me so many concepts that were vital for me at the time, because I had two young daughters Mary Kathryn and Saige and really had more questions than answers in regards to parenting.  It is like the lights started to come on, and as I grew in my relationship with God through an abiding relationship through prayer, reading His word and being discipled, I saw so many things that I had been blind to prior to knowing Him.  It totally changed me and the way Amy and I parented our Children and I believe ultimately changed the trajectory of history for our family and our lives.  Fortunately for me this happened before my daughters entered the challenging phase of teen adolescence.

So what does it look like to raise up your kids in a godly manner?  As in most things of God and the spirit, it is an inside job and must begin in our hearts through surrendering our lives, including our family and children to God by acknowledging that our Children are a gift from God and thus they are really His Children that we get to train for a short season of life.  Similar to other blessings, He is their heavenly Father so the reality is we are simply stewarding His children. We must get the right perspective and not take possession of our kids and think they are here for us.  From a biblical perspective, we have two primary objectives as parents: 1) To teach, train, equip and model our kids in their walk of faith and do everything we can to ensure that they have a relationship with Christ, and 2) to help them develop and understand their unique talents/giftings and connect with their life purpose so they become healthy, productive and godly citizens who live out their vocational calling to make a difference.  Our job is simply to help them through the “Journey of Transition” from dependence on us as their parents to dependence on God as they become adults. “Discipline your Children, and they will give you peace; they will bring you the delights you desire.” Proverbs 29:17

One of the most critical and challenging phases of parenting is when our kids are going through adolescents (generally between the ages of 13-17), the transition from kids to young adults.  This is a natural and healthy process when our Children desire to begin the process of gaining independence from us as their parents.  If we don’t have godly clarity and are not equipped with the proper tools this can be a very confusing time that can lead to life-long challenges if not navigated well.  It can feel like rebellion if not put in the right context.  I was blessed with the opportunity to attend JH/Outback www.JHranch.com ; www.jhoutback.com just as my oldest daughter was coming into adolescents.  The godly wisdom that God imparted in me and my family through JH/Outback were life changing and an amazing blessing that continues to impact our family today.  I highly recommend both of these organizations and encourage all parents to take your son/daughter through an Outback or to JH Ranch in their formative teen years, it will truly bless you and your son/daughter.  The simply key is to understand our roles as parents as our kids grow and mature.  As our kids grow we have to change our roles and interact with them in different ways.  This is not necessarily intuitive but it makes perfect sense if you understand it from a biblical perspective.

There is no doubt that our biggest blessings in life to date are our 3 daughters, Mary Kathryn (27), Saige (24) and Isabella (14), our two Grand Children Selah Marsh (23 months) and John Michael Matthews (15 months) with two more on the way😊!!!!   Not to mention the wonderful joy of having two sons by marriage who I get to enjoy life with, especially enjoying God’s creation through hunting and fishing which we are blessed to share as a hobby/passion.  It just keeps getting better and I am so grateful.

All that being said, I do understand the reality of the brokenness of our world and the pain that comes when our relationships with our Children are not good and healthy.  Sometimes no matter how we parent our Children go astray.  I don’t necessarily understand this but I know that God uses all things for good.  Romans 8:28   I do want to encourage you that it is never too late to begin the process of surrendering our Children to the Lord, even if they are grown.  We serve a God of redemption and second chances so be encouraged, there is always hope.  God is a healer and He desires to heal all relationships.  In fact, God ends the Old Testament with the following promise “I will turn the hearts of the parents to their Children, and the hearts of the Children to their parents”  Malachi 4:6

I pray the Lord’s blessings over you and your family during this Holiday season and that you would get to experience the delight of being blessed with Children and Grand Children, especially during this time.

Have a great week,

 -Duane

Word of the Week - Testimony

They triumphed over him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death.  Rev 12:11

Testimony" is translated from the Greek word martyria, which means "evidence." But not just any evidence. To put it simply, your testimony is your story, which includes the pain you've been through on the way to where you are today.  Every believer has a Testimony and even though they can be very different from person to person, they all matter and can be used to make a difference for the Kingdom of God.  Sharing your Testimony also brings Glory to God.I find it quite profound in the scripture above that the Lord gives two key factors that will give us victory over the enemy of our souls, the blood of Christ through the Cross and the word of our Testimony, which demonstrates the power of Christ in our lives.  I love hearing people’s Testimonies/stories because it allows me to get to know them at a deeper level and better understand their heart and it also encourages me as I witness how God is at work in their lives.  No matter how dramatic or simple a Testimony it is always impactful.  Of course, most of us tend to think that our Testimony/story is not as exciting or interesting as others, so we shy away from sharing it; or, we are concerned about being judged or offending people due to their sensitivities and being politically correct.  All of these fears play right into the enemies plan to keep us quiet and ineffective.  The bottom line is that God has anointed every believer with a personal Testimony and we should look for every opportunity to share our God story. “But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord.  Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope you have.  But do this with gentleness and respect.”  1 Peter 3;15 The key to sharing our Testimony/story is that we do it with a pure heart of gentleness and respect; if people are offended when shared in this manner then they will be offended regardless of what you share with them and it is worth the risk.  It is certainly more important to be authentic than to worry about pleasing everyone.  I can assure you that this pleases our Father in heaven and plants seeds of faith that will be harvested at the right time.  It is not our responsibility to save people, that is God’s work, it is simply our privilege and opportunity to share what God has done in our lives.A strong Testimony is authentic and as much about our struggles as our victories.  We've all had experiences that have cut us to the core. Some of these are our own faults; others aren't. Whatever the case, many of these moments in life have left us marked by visible or invisible signs of the past.  Jesus' blood completely dissolves our sin and shame and covers us in His righteous identity. This is a powerful moment when wounds become scars.  Scars are simply wounds that are healed. And because they're healed, they no longer carry the pain and shame they once did, but are evidences of healing and reminders of God's power. We should never regret them or believe we have to hide them. But rather, the way we use testimony as a weapon is to unashamedly display our scars — to tell our story to others.Whether you are a pastor, student, business person or laborer there is tremendous power in your testimony and when you share it with others it not only blesses the Lord and others, but it also benefits the person giving the Testimony by: 1) Connecting us in a deeper relationship with others, 2) reminding us of our past and keeping us aware of where we came from and accountable to not falling back into the sins of the past, and 3) building our faith and giving us hope for the future.  We are reminded of how much God personally loves us and what He has done to demonstrate His love.  This is a beneficial and encouraging process.“Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God, who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began, and which now has been manifested through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel, for which I was appointed a preacher and apostle and teacher, which is why I suffer as I do. But I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that he is able to guard until that Day what has been entrusted to me” 2 Timothy 1:8-12Let’s look for an opportunity to share our Testimony this week and let God do His great work and reap the benefits of sharing our Testimony.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 divine goodness”.  Not to mention it is the opening weekend of duck season, thank you Lord for your awesome creation, especially ducks😊.In the busy and fast paced world we live in day to day, it is easy to go from one thing to the next focused on solving problems and dealing with the concerns and challenges of life.  This is our natural inclination but not necessarily God’s will for us and not always God’s best for us.  By focusing on the challenging issues of life, which will always be there 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 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.  This is a simple truth but can be hard to live without proper order, prayerful reflection and some self-discipline.  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.  Literally naming specific things in your life that you are grateful for.  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.  “for He satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things”I pray you and your family had wonderful Thanksgiving and enjoyed some quality time together giving thanks and counting your blessings.-Duane

Word of the Week - Faith in Action

“Faith by itself if not accompanied by action, is dead.”  James 2:17

The age old question of the Christian faith;  Are we saved by faith or works?  The second chapter of James clearly articulates that both work together synergistically to fulfill God’s purpose for us as believers.  Where faith and works meet is where the power of God comes alive. “But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.” Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds.  You believe that there is one God.  Good!  Even the demons believe that – and shudder.  You foolish person, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless?  Was not our father Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar?  You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did.  And the scripture was fulfilled that says “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and he was called God’s friend.  You see that a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone” James 2:18-24.So what comes first, Faith or deeds?  This is a mystery that I am not sure we fully understand but I can tell you from my personal experience that these things work together.  In my early 30s I was very familiar with dead religion and found myself going through the motions of religious tradition and ritual.  I knew that there had to be more to God and my walk of faith.  In desperation, I began seeking God with an open heart and pursuing a more intimate and personal relationship with Jesus.  By faith, and through showing in up and pursuing Him in new ways (action) I attended a business man’s small group/bible study where I surrendered my heart to Christ and was literally born again of the spirit of the living God at the age of 33.  It was a life changing experience that has transformed me, my family and the trajectory of my life.Immediately after surrendering my life to the Lord Jesus my heart motivations radically changed.  My mindset prior to this life changing experience was more from a religious perspective thinking I “should” do good works to offset my issues/sin so that I can be good enough to find grace with God with hopes that I might be just good enough to get into heaven one day.  My prior perspective like most good church going people was that of good works vs. sin and trying to do at least 51% more good than bad.  This made serving God more of a duty than a joy because I was doing it out of obligation.  After my heart conversion experience at 33, I had the revelation that God put us on this earth to love and serve Him and His people with purpose.  This is truly the abundant life that Jesus spoke about.  This created an amazing desire in my heart to love God by serving Him through good works.  This was simply my heart response to show gratitude for what Jesus did for me on the cross.  Even though it is joyous to do the good works in faith it is still not easy because it requires hard work, sacrifice and commitment but it is most fulfilling.So as noted above in the second chapter of James, Faith without works is dead religion but if we have Faith grounded in a personal relationship with Christ, we will have a heart desire to do good works as our Faith in Christ grows.  When we are attached to the vine of Christ, John 15:5, we will produce fruit and fruit comes through engagement as disciples of Christ.   All that being said, let us never forget that we don’t earn our salvation through works “For it is by grace we have been saved, through faith – and this is not from yourselves, it is a gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast” Ephesians 2:8-9I pray you have a blessed Thanksgiving.-Duane

Word of the Week - Victory

Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Cor. 15:54-57)

We all love the idea of winning and Victory and generally focus our lives around how to achieve Victory in our pursuits of this world.  We spend most of our time and invest heavily in positioning ourselves for Victory.  Just look at college and professional sports teams and the money, time and resources that are invested to win and achieve Victory, it is quite amazing.  On the other hand, if we really look at our lives, how much time and energy are we investing toward God’s kingdom and allowing His will to reign over our lives? What is most amazing about our Christian faith is that we attain Victory through losing and surrendering our lives; not by striving to win but by yielding and accepting death through Christ Jesus.  From a Kingdom perspective Victory means God working His will through us for His glory.  Thus we only realize the Victory of Christ when we are fully submitted and make Jesus Lord over all.Paul makes it clear that God gives us Victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.  This isn’t about us figuring out a way to win Victory, we find Victory only in Christ through surrendering our lives.  Paul also tells us that we find Victory when death is swallowed up by the resurrection life of Christ.  So practically how does this work?  We know that if we are saved and in Christ, we have the ultimate Victory over eternal death.  Even though salvation is most important, it is not all that Christ desires for us.  He has so much more in the way of Victory and life.  In order for us to walk in full Victory we must fully surrender our lives and submit everything to the Lordship of Christ.  In short we cannot be Lord of anything in our lives and need to allow Jesus to be Lord of everything.  Thus if we want to find life in Christ, we must fully lose our life in Christ.  “Whoever wants to be my disciples must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.  For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me for the gospel will save it”. Mark 8:34-35 We have to relinquish control over everything by faith and fall into his hands.  In doing so, we will live in Victory because He has Victory over us.  This is the ultimate Victory for a believer in Christ Jesus.So what is the victory? OUR FAITH. Not us getting what we wanted from God. Our faith IS the victory because by faith in Jesus, Jesus becomes our living Lord. And then, because we are then rightly related to Him, our Victory is over everything over which HE has Victory. Victory is IN Christ Jesus. But only if we are UNDER Him can we be OVER what He is OVER. Thus, if you want to know why there must be trials and suffering in the Christian life, this is your answer. WE must be conquered through surrender to Christ. Only then can we be overcomers, "yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us." Romans 8:37I pray we will submit fully so we can live in full Victory today and forevermore in Christ Jesus.-Duane

Word of the Week - Light

Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”  John 8:12

I think we would all agree that light is probably the most essential element of life because without light life would cease to exist.  In the physical realm of our world the sun is our primary source of light and life and without it there would not be life.  In regards to the spiritual/eternal realm, Jesus is the source of light and life and when we receive Him into our lives as “the light of the world” He comes alive in us and we carry His light with us to bring life to others.  "Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven. nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.” Matthew 5:14-16.So what does it mean for us to walk in the light of Christ so that we can be a light unto the world to those around us.  I think first and foremost, we must stay connected to the source of the light through a daily abiding relationship and pursuit of Christ.  Just like the sun comes up each morning to bring light and life, so must we remain connected to the Lord and dependent upon Him as our source.  And yes, we should know and expect that every day will not be sunny blue skies, there will be clouds and storms that cause us to be tested in our faith and feel as if the light is not with us.  This is when our faith in and connection to Christ is most important; we know the sun is there even when it is not shining and we cannot see it.  Similarly in our walk with Christ, He is always there for us even when we do not feel His presence, this is the definition of Faith “faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” Hebrews 11:1 Second, it is important to understand that God has given us His light so that we can grow and thrive to be beacons of His light to shine and share with others who are in the darkness and need light.  Our world is overshadowed with a cloud of darkness called the “sin of the world” and it is simply God’s plan to bring light to the world through us His sons and daughters of faith.  He enlightens and blesses us primarily so we can be a blessing and spread His light and life to others.  So we need to continue to ask ourselves how we are shining His light each day to share the Good News of the Gospel of Christ?  Finally, we should understand that God’s light is our daily bread and the living water that gives us the nutrients we need to grow so we can become fully mature in Christ and live to our full potential here on earth and for eternity.  This is the abundant life that God desires for us; to not just have life, but to have life to the “full” and flourish in Him so that we can produce the amazing and delicious eternal fruit that is simply the bi-product of His light shining on us and flowing through us.  ^“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,  gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.” Galatians 5:22-23.“Arise, shine; for your light has come, And the glory of the Lord has risen upon you”. Isaiah 60:1Have a great week and let God’s light shine in you and through you….-Duane

Word of the Week - Dependence

Trust in the Lord with all of your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him and He will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:5-6

For the most part, we generally think of Dependence from a negative perspective.  Concepts such as co-dependence and entitlement generally come to mind and they typically imply dysfunction.  As Americans our Country was birthed through a Declaration of Independence and thus we generally value the concept of being independent and self-sufficient.  Gaining personal independence is a natural and healthy process for our children as they grow and mature.  It is very normal for a young person to want independence from their parents as they reach adolescence and move into young adulthood.  Of course, if parents have a healthy perspective, they desire for their children to become capable young adults who are not Dependent upon them physically, emotionally or financially.  What I find so interesting in regards to our faith and walk with the Lord is that He invites us to become more and more dependent upon Him as we grow and mature.  In fact, He loves us so much that He will often do whatever it takes to get our attention so we become more dependent upon Him.  We often have a hard time getting this truth because it is contrary to what we typically learn and experience in the world.  Living a life of Dependence on the Lord is not necessarily normal but it truly allows us to receive the full benefits of our Faith while also allowing us to grow closer in our trust and relationship with God.  I would go as far as to say that as we live out our lives and approach the end of our time on this earth, our desire should be to become more and more dependent upon the Lord.  Just as we entered the world totally naked and dependent on our earthly parents, we will leave this world alone and solely dependent upon the Lord for our eternal wellbeing.  Whether we understand and accept it or not, we are totally Dependent upon the Lord.  So let’s make a Declaration of Dependence to God today and experience the wonderful benefits of living a life of Dependence on the Lord.Have a great week…-Duane