Word of the Week - Harmony

"How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity (Harmony)!!!  It is like precious oil poured on the head, running down on the beard, running down on Aaron’s beard, down on the collar of his robe.  It is as if the dew of Hermon were falling on Mount Zion.  For there the Lord bestows His blessing, even life forevermore." Psalm 133

Harmony is the state of living with an agreeable and conforming spirit towards others with greater shared values and purpose in mind.  Harmony in relationship is such a blessing but is not easily achieved.  We all desire to live in a Harmonistic state with those around us but for some reason we often find ourselves in disharmony, especially with those closest to us.  I believe the key to living in Harmony with others is sharing and agreeing on core values and submitting ourselves to a higher purpose grounded in our core values/beliefs.  For me as a follower of Christ, this translates into submitting my life to Christ and standing on the God’s Word as a basis for a higher purpose.  I believe our human sinful nature makes us more geared toward independence and disharmony so a person without God, or deeply shared values that are for greater purpose, will find themselves continually disagreeing, pushing their own agenda and creating discourse in relationship.  This is very prevalent in our culture today, where it seems to be more popular to look for things we don’t agree on and take issue with, then to look for common ground that we can stand on to build a base of Harmony to work from.  This approach is very divisive and creates much discourse and division in our world.  That being said, we all have the opportunity to live in peace and Harmony, if we choose to do so. So how do we find Harmony with others when we have different perspectives and convictions?Start with common ground – In most cases, if we are in relationship with someone we already have lots of common ground, especially if they are friend or family and close to us.  Even in situations with colleagues at work and in other settings, we generally share basic values.  The key is to start with the things that you do share and work from there.  If we take time to explore what is important and really matters to each person then you build a base to stand on, which establishes shared values and Harmony.  In our business we spend lots of time discussing our shared values and purpose because it gives us connectivity that builds trust, strength and Harmony.  There are many things that we may see different as individuals, and that is actually good, but it does not have to undermine the Harmony of the team because we value the organizations shared vision and purpose more than our own personal preferences.Define the Majors and Minors – It is important to ensure that we don’t confuse values and principal with preferences.  Harmony is not uniformity, we all have different and unique personalities and methods of day to day living.  These preferences and techniques should not be confused with the principal and essence of what really matters.  Many times we get more focused on the how than the what and why.  It is important for us to keep perspective on the bigger perspective and be able to keep focus on what really matters, we don’t need to Major in the Minors.  As it relates to our faith, there are a few essentials that are the foundation of Christianity that cannot be compromised such as the Cross, Trinity and the fact that Jesus is the only way to God the Father.  But there are many preferences that are not essential such as your denomination, style of worship, or the type of music played at church.Be willing to yield and compromise – One of the keys to finding Harmony with others is humility and the willingness to yield and compromise.  If we have any self-awareness, we understand that we are flawed sinners and all have issues and blind spots.  We also understand that there is power and protection in relationship and team, that we are better together.  This should make us value others and their thoughts and opinions.  From that perspective, we should approach relationships with a posture and willingness to yield and compromise when needed because it is much better to be unified in Harmony with some compromise than to be divided and right.  We don’t want to win a battle and lose the war.  We must always seek to do what is in the best interest of the greater purpose for our family, church, business etc.  This is the right thing to do and makes life much more productive and Harmonistic.  “Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.  Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace” Ephesians 4:2-3Harmony is a choice to sacrifice our personal agenda for the greater good of the “team” whether that team is family, ministry, or organization.  Harmony generates peace and progress.  Whenever leaders come into Harmony and unity, those they are leading are also likely to follow.  So let’s choose to pursue Harmony and see what God can do through our Harmonistic relationships.“We must learn to live together as brothers & sisters or perish as fools”  Dr. Martin Luther King-Duane

Word of the Week - Overcomer

"In all these things we are more than conquerors (Overcomers) through Him who loved us." Romans 8:37

It is very challenging for us to understand the concept of living in the victory as an “Overcomer” especially when we are experiencing the pain and brokenness of the tribulations of life. Many Christians, especially in America, believe that if we are walking in the grace of the Holy Spirit that we will be blessed and everything will go well with us. That we will have a life where everything works in our relationships, vocations, health etc. This is what I believed when I first gave my life to the Lord just over 18 years ago, but this is simply not what God’s Word says and it is not true. In fact it is almost to the contrary, if you study the gospel it is a love story of pain, sacrifice and tribulation even unto death. This concept is not too popular in our current culture. No matter your faith or belief, the reality is that we live in a broken world that is cursed with evil, pain and disease and thus we all will face trials and tribulations in our lives, some of us more than others. This reality is noted throughout the New Testament and is highlighted by the analogy “of us all having our own cross to carry” as followers of Christ.The real questions is how we deal with the trials and tribulations of life. As believers, if we truly understand and receive this truth, we can have victory over any situation no matter the circumstance, because we know the final outcome. We are on the winning team no matter what the scoreboard of life says, because of what Jesus did for us on the Cross. So why does God allow us to suffer the pain and trials of life while on earth? It is simple, trials are the only way that we can be tested and refined into the image of Christ. So as Overcomers we can relate with the great Apostle Paul and “rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit” Romans 5:3-5.So let’s take heart and live as Overcomers no matter what we are facing because we know that we are becoming more Christ like in preparation for eternity with Christ where there will be no more pain or strife.Have a great week as an Overcomer….-Duane

Word of the Week - Heart of Gratitude

Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.  1 Thessalonians 5:18

I hope all of you had a blessed Thanksgiving enjoying time with family and friends.  What a wonderful Holiday to take time out to count our blessings and give Thanks to God and others.  I love Thanksgiving and the spirit of Thanks and Gratitude.  This is truly the heart of God and what Jesus demonstrated through His life on earth even unto the Cross.  Many believers and even non-believers often wonder and ask the question of what God’s will is for their life, this verse in 1 Thessalonians 5:18 makes it pretty clear, it is simply to “Give thanks to God in all circumstances” to live with a heart of Gratitude.  Developing a healthy God perspective and attitude of gratitude is a key to healthy living.  Researchers have found a correlation of gratitude to mental and physical health as reported in a 2018 “Mind and Body” article https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/is_gratitude_good_for_your_health “After 15 years of research, we know that gratitude is a key to psychological well-being.  But might the benefits of gratitude go beyond that?  Could gratitude be good for your physical health, too?”.We all know that living with a Heart of Gratitude is good and healthy, so how do we foster a heart of Gratitude and live with a spirit of Thankfulness even when our circumstances are not so rosy:We Understand Who God is:If we truly understand the truth of who God is, 1) Our Abba Father who loves us, 2) Our savior and redeemer who gave His life so we can have eternal fellowship with Him, 3) Our comforter who desires to walk in intimate fellowship with us each and every day as we navigate life.  Understanding and walking in a personal daily relationship with the triune God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, gives us tremendous life and hope that will foster a heart of gratitude.We Recognize what God has done for us:If we truly recognize what God has done for us.  God our Father sending His only begotten son Jesus to become flesh and then take on the sins of the world through the Cross so that we can have eternal life.  “For at just the right time, while we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly (us).  It is rare indeed for anyone to die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God proves His love for us in this;  While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”  Romans 5:6-8.  Understanding the reality of what God did for us should foster a tremendous heart of thanks and gratitude.We Realize Who we are in Christ:If we truly understand who we are in Christ, that we are adapted as His sons and daughters who have full access to His kingdom.  That we are co-heirs with Jesus to the Kingdom of God and all of the benefits.  That we will live in fellowship with the Father, Son and Holy Spirit in heaven for eternity.  This is very exciting news that should fill our hearts with gratitude since we really did nothing to deserve this, we simply gave our hearts to God and trusted Him.  “For those who are lead by the Spirit of God are the children of God.  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”. We Remember to Count our blessings Daily:We should make it a habit each day when we wake up in the morning and throughout the day, to simply thank God for the grace to be alive and to be able to have simple things like use of our arms, legs, ears and eyes if we have them.  We should not take for granted things like family and relationships and the ability to go out and enjoy the day and use our talents to influence the world and make a honest living.  As bad as things can seem at times, there is always a silver lining if we take time to look for it.  “God uses all things for good for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose”. Romans 8:28Thanksgiving is a great reminder for all of us to live with a heart of Gratitude, which is a daily decision for each of us.  By the way, I am grateful for you.Have a great week by “giving thanks in all circumstances”.-Duane 

Word of the Week - Fear of God

The Lord favors those who fear Him.  Those who wait for His lovingkindness.  Psalm 147:11

Healthy Fear of God refers to fear in the context of respect, awe and submission.  The fear of the Lord is a gift of the Holy Spirit and does not imply that we are to be afraid or fearful of God, since we know He is our heavenly Father who loves and forgives us.  Just like a good earthly father, God has our best interest in mind and He desires us to have a joyful awareness of His power and grandeur and a grateful realization that only in Him do our hearts find true peace, fulfillment and eternal life.  From a theological perspective, “fear of the Lord” is a convergence of awe, reverence, adoration, honor, worship, confidence, thankfulness, love and respect.Strength:“Whoever fears the Lord has a secure fortress, and for their children it will a refuge” Proverb 14:26.  Healthy Fear brings us strength.  It is the feeling that allows us to experience risk, trust, dependency, collaboration, and ultimately, wisdom because it helps us realize our need for help.  As we recognize our need for help, we find great opportunity.  Fear can motivate you to reach out for help, risk your heart with your need.  This can create a healthy degree of interdependence on God and others, which is truly the joy and purpose of life, to live in connection/dependence on Christ and community with others.  We were not designed to do this life alone.  Unfortunately, too many of us answer fear by silencing its voice.  We run from risk, eliminate trust hide our dependency and become anxious and controlling not peace filled and collaborative.Protection: “The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life turning a person from the snares of death” Proverb 14:27.  Fear awakens us to danger.  It is a visceral reaction to physical threat, but more important, because we are creatures of the heart, fear alerts us to emotional and spiritual danger.  By listening to healthy fear, we recognize our value and prepare to prevent harm to ourselves and others.  This caution affords us discernment, which gives us a sense of other’s intentions and recognition of our own.  If our fear is grounded in God’s love it will serve us well as a healthy protections system as we navigate a fallen and complex world with many emotional, spiritual and emotional risk and dangers.Wisdom:“The Fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding” Proverb 9:10.  Wisdom begins with healthy fear and understanding.  Discernment that comes by listening to our fear in the context of God’s word, helps us choose the wisest course of action, one that takes into account our propensity to harm others and values our potential to love.  Fear offers us the chance to decide or discern which direction to go.  When we move into life, we can risk truth and recognize potential harm.  Or as survivors we can hide by pretending fear isn’t happening or attacking the potential harm.  Seeing fear for what it is and acknowledging it offers new relational opportunities with God and people and initiates truth and Wisdom.Healthy fear is our friend because it helps us see God, others and ourselves in the proper context.  From God’s perspective we as His sons and daughters are amazingly valued and tremendously vulnerable.  So we need God and others to live healthy and purposeful lives.  We don’t have enough knowledge, wisdom or power to succeed and thrive alone, yet we are completely responsible for all of our choices.  Healthy fear helps us recognize that we are not enough and we need God and others.So let’s live with a healthy fear and reverence for God our Father while we walk by faith with confidence and courage because we know “That the Spirit God gives us does not make us timid or fearful, but gives us power, love and self-discipline”. 2 Tim 1:7-Duane

Word of the Week - Refresh

A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed. Proverbs 11:25

We all desire and need to be Refreshed, which means to be given new strength and energy;  to be reinvigorated.  I love God’s paradoxical economy where we receive by giving and win by surrendering.  God’s economy is one of abundant generosity not scarcity and thus He loves it when we trust Him and give of our time, energy and resources freely with a generous spirit.  In Christ, these actions have the power to Refresh us with new energy and life that is truly life. Step out in faith this week by generously pouring into someone and receive the gift and blessing of being Refreshed by the Lord through His power at work within us.  

God is a rewarder of a generosity.

Have a great week…

-Duane

Word of the Week - Faith with Patience

When God made His promise to Abraham, since there was no one greater for him to swear by, he swore by himself, saying, “I will surely bless you and give you many descendants.” And so after waiting patiently, Abraham received what was promised.  Hebrews 6: 13-15

Faith:“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, and the evidence of things not seen” Hebrews 11:1 and without faith it is impossible to please God.  Faith is the essence of our relationship with God and faith is the connecting power into the spiritual realm, which links us with God and makes Him become a tangible reality to the sense of perceptions of a believer.  Walking in faith and trusting God is where the power of God becomes alive and real in our lives.  Faith is the key to knowing and experiencing God.Patience:Patience is commonly defined as the capacity to accept or tolerate delay, trouble or suffering without getting angry or upset.  Patient in the bible is also referred to as longsuffering, which originates from God as one of the nine fruits of the spirit. It is a product of self-control and a part of godliness, which was modeled by Christ many times through His life.  Patience is an important part of helping us grow and become strong in our faith during trials.  Our patience pleases God and really allows us to become mature in Christ.  “Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” James 1:4The power of Faith with Patience:Faith with Patience is a superpower and catalyst for God to do His full work in us and through us.  Due to our human nature and our instant tech driven world, we have a hard time walking in faith with patience over time.  We grow weary and start to doubt and want to throw in the towel and move on.  It is hard to trust when we don’t see short term results.  Be encouraged, God is faithful and will deliver on His promises in the proper timing.  God’s timing is not our timing because His plans are far greater than our plans and as humans we cannot see or understand the things of God.  The only way we can kind of understand this is to relate it to parenting.  As parents we know what is best for our children but due to their lack of maturity and experience, they don’t really understand many times when we are trying to guide and protect them from the things they don’t understand. By the way, this process takes many years and that is why we allow approximately 18-22 years for kids to grow up before we send them out as independent adults.  Abraham is a prime example of patient waiting.  “Then Abraham waited patiently, and He received what God had promised” Hebrews 6:15.  First he had to wait, and then he received the promise.  In the same way, it should not really matter to us when the Lord performs His Word.  His timetable is perfect, and He is never late.  What should matter is that we learn to relax in His promise and hold on to our confidence, which is like a “strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls”  Hebrews 6:19We must understand that the Word of God is testing our faith until it has passed the true test of its worth.  Faith is patience waiting on the promises.  Therefore, time must pass to prove that our faith is patient and sound.  So let’s be encouraged today that our faith with patience will produce the promise and we will become mature and complete in Christ through the process.  This is the Lord’s true objective for our lives on earth.Please remember and pray for our veterans and those who are serving in the military.  Our service men and women and their families are making big sacrifices for us.Geaux Tigers!!!!!-Duane

Word of the Week - Benefits

Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all His benefits – who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.” Psalm 103:2-5

Benefits of knowing Jesus:Our God is so good that He not only came to save us and give us eternal life with Himself, but He desires to bless us as we journey through life on our way to being with Him for eternity.  Our God is a God of relationship and deeply desires for us to know Him so we can live in fellowship with Him and realize our full God given purpose and potential.  Just like there are benefits to knowing really powerful people because they have power and influence that you can call upon and use if you know them well enough.  This is how it works with God, but He is the “great I am” with eternal and limitless power as opposed to powerful people whose power and influence are limited. “God can do immeasurably more than we can ever ask or imagine by His power at work within us” Ephesians 3:20.  I believe that one of the keys to realizing the benefits of knowing God is that our heart motivation is pure in our love towards God.  “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all of your mind; and, Love your neighbor as yourself.” Luke 10:27  Just like our children, if their hearts are right towards us and others, there is really nothing that we will not do for them within our power and influence.5 Major Benefits:I have found that there are endless benefits to knowing and abiding in Christ; the following are 5 major benefits outlined in Psalm 103:

• First and foremost, God forgives all of our sins.  Nothing is more powerful and valuable than having our sins removed and being washed clean in the blood of Jesus.  This is what allows us to have the hope and promise of eternal salvation.  We are made new in Christ through the forgiveness of our sins, “as far as the east is from the west”.
• Second, He heals all of our diseases.  Since we live in a fallen world of sin and disease, we will experience disease in our lives and the lives of our loved ones.  In knowing Christ we have access to His healing power that allows us to be healed and overcome disease. “But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon Him; and with His stripes we are healed”. Isaiah 53:5
• Third, we are redeemed in Christ.  God does not just fix us and make us acceptable He actually redeems us by taking the things in our lives that are broken and the enemy meant for harm and uses them for good and for godly purpose.  This is an amazing transformative power of God at work in us as we become His masterpiece.  “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come:  The old has gone, the new is here!”. 2 Cor 5:17
• Fourth, He crowns us with “love and tender mercies”, which is His very nature.  Through the Holy Spirit living in us, He imparts His very nature into our being so that we become Christlike and bare eternal fruit.  The anointing of God’s spirit makes our nature become godlike, which gives us the power to minister in Christ.  “As for you, the anointing you received from Him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you.  But as His anointing teaches you about things and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit- just as it has taught you to remain in Him”.  1 John 2:27
• Fifth, our lives will be filled with “good things” and our strength will be renewed.  Our heart desires are changed toward the things of God and this allows us to walk in the abundant life of Christ.  Our God is a God of abundance and He desires to bless us beyond measure so that we can bless Him and others. “And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of His glory in Christ Jesus” Philippians 4:19

Forgiveness, Healing, Transformation, Anointing and Provision.  Let’s seek Him with a pure heart so we can know Him deeply and realize the fullness of these benefits and much, much more….Have a great week celebrating our Veterans on Friday, Nov 8^th….-Duane

Word of the Week - Light of Christ

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

Power of the Light of Jesus: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.The Power of His Light Shining in us and through us:So what does it mean for us to walk in the light of Christ so that we can be a light unto the world and to those around us.

• 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 vine of Christ 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 - Transformation

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!  2 Corinthians 5:17

Transformation Definition: 

1. to change in form, appearance, or structure; metamorphose.
2. to change in condition, nature, or character; convert.

What does Transformation look like:God loves us so much that He does not just want to change our behavior, He desires to make us new in Him.  As followers of Christ the Lord desires to transform our very nature from the inside out to become new in His nature so that we can be refined and developed into the fullness of what He created us to be.  God created us all as unique individuals with different journeys of faith but makes it clear that we all must be transformed through our relationship with Jesus.

• We first recognize that we are sinful and need God as our Lord and Savior – Romans 3:23 “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus”.
• We surrender our lives and be born afresh of the spirit – John 3:5  “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the Kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit.  Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to Spirit.”
• We become dependent on God realizing our need for daily connection with Him through a daily abiding relationship – John 15:5 “I am the vine and you are the branches, if you abide in me I will abide and you and your will bear much fruit, apart from me you can do nothing”.
• We trust and believe that He has a good plan for our lives – Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
• We live in our God purpose and allow Him to produce fruit in and through our lives – Ephesians 2:10 “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do”.

Transformed Lives = Abundant Living – “Life that is truly Life”When we are transformed by the Spirit of God and renewed in our minds and hearts through Christ, we are introduced to a “new way”, which is the abundant life that Jesus talks about in John 10:10.  “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy;  I have come that you may have life, and have it to the full”The following are 5 fruits/truths of the abundant life:

• First Fruits – We desire to make the Lord our first priority life in life because we realize He is the source.  With divine order coms divine blessing. “Seek first the Kingdom and His righteousness and all things will be added unto you” Matthew 6:33
• Abundance and Win/Win – Since God is our creator and provider, we realize He has the ability to give and bless and His reality is abundance/plenty not limiting/scarcity.  We understand that a Kingdom perspective is not zero sum, it is win/win.  There is plenty of God’s blessing for everyone. “And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed”. 2 Corinthians 9:8
• Generosity – We recognize that God is our provider and we can trust Him to take care of our needs, we now have capacity in our hearts and provision to give graciously and not worry about running out of time, money and energy.  This gives us the capacity to be generous with our blessings.  This becomes a great source of joy and delight that creates more blessing and capacity to give and minister.  “Instruct them to do good, to be rich in good works, and to be generous and ready to share, treasuring up for themselves a firm foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life”. 1 Timothy 6:19
• Newness  – We realize that God makes all things new and does not get hung up on traditions and the way we love and worship Him.  He is much more concerned about our hearts towards Him than the methods we use to pursue Him.  “He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then He said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true””. Revelation 21:5
• Gratitude – We realize we are blessed beyond measure simply because of God’s love for us and our identity in Christ.  Our hearts of gratitude and thankfulness towards God blesses Him.  This is one of the keys to the abundant life, to count our blessings daily and recognize how blessed we are no matter what our circumstances. “Give thanks in all circumstances for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus”.  1 Thessalonians 5:18

I can personally attest to the fact that God loves us so much that He desires for us to be transformed into new beings so we can be freed up to live an abundant life in Him.  I experienced this transformation 18 years ago when I was 33, and my life was totally transformed.  I have not been the same since and my life has been amazingly abundant since then through the good times and the painful challenges of life.  I have a long way to go and still being refined and growing in Christ, but I can assure you I am nothing like I used to be, I am truly a new creation in Christ.  I can honestly say that this is the most amazing gift I have ever experienced and I am so grateful for God’s love and that He allowed me to receive His love so I can live in relationship with Him.  I am also thankful that the circumstances of my life led me to a place where I was desperate and ready to “surrender” my heart and mind to Jesus.  I love Ephesians 3:20 because I get to experience this; it is very exciting because we never know what God has in store for us in the future but we do know that it will be “Immeasurably More than we can ever Hope or Imagine through His Power at work in our Lives”.“For God will do immeasurably more than we can ever ask or imagine by His power at work within us" Ephesians 3:20-Duane

Word of the Week - Contentment - Part 2

And my God will meet all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus.  Matthew 6:21

My Pastor, Chris Hodges, recently did a series on getting “stress out” of our lives and one of his messages was about finding peace in the area of our possessions and finances. You can watch by clicking on this link https://www.churchofthehighlands.com/media/message/principles-of-peace1.  He used the familiar story of the Prodical son from the gospel of Luke 15: 11-32 who left the love of his father’s home and covering to pursue the things of the world and careless living only to end up broke and destitute.  Ultimately he returned home to the open arms of his loving father who received him back with unconditional love and forgiveness.  It is a beautiful story of redemption that I think we can all relate to at some level as we think about Contentment.What makes us DiscontentAs human beings living in a fallen world, we all have a tendency in our flesh and sin nature to wander into the land of independence.  This is demonstrated in our lives and our culture by the following:

• We are consumed with having more and never seemed to be satisfied.
• We want everything now and have forgotten the virtue of delayed gratification
• We engage in self destructive behavior by participating in or consuming things that are not good for us (media, junk food, drugs, alcohol, pleasure seeking etc.)
• We spend everything we have and live beyond our means
• We are unprepared for the storms and challenges of life that will come (recessions, layoffs, sickness etc.)

God Principals that produce Contentment When we live under the covering of, and dependence on the Lord, and understand that He is our provider of all things, then we will live Content and have the fruit of Contentment in the Lord, which is Peace.  The following are 6 principals that lead to Contentment:

• Obedience – give the Lord your first fruits (money, time, energy) and you will be blessed.  “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
• Margin – we must understand that we all have limits and we need to create space between ourselves and our limits and not always push it to the limit.  “Better one hand full with peace and tranquility than two hands full with strife and chasing after the wind”. Ecclesiastes 4:6
• Generosity – see other peoples needs and always have extra available (time, money, energy) to give to others.  “A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed”. Proverbs 11:25
• Integrity – we must live in a way that is true and honest.  “The Lord demands accurate scales and balances; He sets the standards for fairness”. Proverbs 16:11
• Dependence – We need God and each other to live to the full.  “I am the vine and you are the branches, if you abide in me I will abide in you and you will bear much fruit but apart from me you can do nothing.” John 15:5

The fruit of godly Contentment is Peace Godly contentment is much more focused on the condition of our heart and soul and the evidence of Contentment in our lives is having Peace.  Peace is something that we all desire but so often is hard to attain.  It is another amazing fruit that is produced through an abiding relationship with the Lord Jesus and it is a very powerful gift.  Like all of the fruits of the spirit, Peace cannot be manufactured in your own strength it is a biproduct of knowing the Lord and fully trusting in Him.  If we trust Him we will obey Him and we will have the Peace of God which transcends understanding and guards our heart and minds.“Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” Hebrews 13:5Be Content, we are truly blessed beyond measure….-Duane

Word of the Week - Contentment

But godliness with contentment is great gain.  For we brought nothing into this world, and we can taking nothing out of it….But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness.  1 Tim 6:6-12

Definition of ContentmentSo what is contentment?  The world generally defines contentment as a quality or state of being satisfied with your portion and condition in life.  This definition is mostly geared towards the physical or material state of being.  The biblical definition of contentment goes beyond the physical realm and focuses on our internal condition and perspective.  Godly contentment is much more focused on the condition of our heart and soul.  Are we at peace with God and our eternal condition?Contentment in all Circumstances Saint Paul spoke clearly about his amazing contentment in the face of many external trials and challenges in Philippians 4:11-12 “For I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.  I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty.  I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want“.  I am convinced that if we receive the gift of internal contentment through our hope and trust in God, it will permeate into our external lives allowing us to find contentment in all things and situations, which is truly a blessing that we all desire.  That being said, our Western values and self-focused culture of materialism and social media makes it very easy for us to get sucked into the swamp of envy and discontentment, which at its core leads to discontentment.  It is clear that God has called His people to a life marked by contentment.  So how do we gain godly contentment and extricate ourselves from the pervasive appeals of our materialistic culture?Divine order leads to divine blessing which produces Contentment First and foremost, godly contentment comes from having the priority of godliness over personal gain, we have to get the order correct.  “Seek first the Kingdom and His righteousness and all things will be added unto you” Matthew 6:33.  This is a condition of the heart and is the miracle that comes when we truly give our hearts and lives to God and become transformed to new beings in Christ.  The old is gone and the new has come, which means that we now have a different perspective on life than our non-believing brothers and sisters.  Our values and priorities in life change because we understand that our life is no longer ours but has been bought with the blood of Christ.  We live with a new and greater purpose and mission in life, which leads to the second key point.  Godly contentment comes from having the perspective of eternal over the temporal.  Jim Elliot a famous missionary who was martyred at the early age of 28 spreading the gospel has a wonderful quote that so clearly portrays the concept of godly contentment, “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he can never lose.”  We cannot keep the materials things of this world, but we will never lose the kingdom investments we make in the short time we have on this earth.  Let’s continue to work out our salvation by ordering our lives in line with the God’s truth, which leads to godly contentment.More to come next week on how to walk this out in the area of our personal finances.Have a great week…-Duane

Word of the week - Excellence - Part II - What it looks like in Business, Ministry and our Personal Lives

And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment, that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ, being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ to the glory and praise of God.  Philippians 1:9-11 (NKJV)In continuation from last week, more on the spirit of Excellence: 1) Power of Excellence, 2) what it looks like in Business and 3) what it looks like in our Personal Lives and Ministries.

Power of Excellence: My good friend Lee Domingue who leads our Legacy lane at Church of the Highlands, sent me this verse and message on Excellence and it really resonated with me, so I am passing his message along with a few of my own thoughts.  I believe that one of the best witnesses we can offer to nonbelievers is to operate in all we do with a spirit of Excellence. If we have a desire to represent Jesus well in our businesses, ministries and families, we need to be Excellent in all things! We are not helping His cause if we are flaky, unorganized, poor stewards of our lives, ministries and businesses, looking for the short-cuts, and not holding true to our word or commitments. On the other hand, how strong is our witness if we are operating our lives with a spirit of Excellence?Excellence in Business: Rather than displaying a Christian fish symbol on all our marketing materials, if we simply conduct our lives and run our businesses with Excellence and integrity the world around us cannot help but stop and take notice.  So what does it look like to be Excellent in business:  1) Having a heart and attitude of service, 2) being honest and transparent in all of your dealings, 3) striving to exceed expectations, 4) desiring to go above and beyond the call of duty and walk the extra mile, 5) taking responsibility when you make mistakes and being candid and timely in addressing any issues, and 6) being proactive and taking ownership.  All of these things work together to create a spirit of Excellence.  Walking in Excellence consistently over time will result in being a positive witness for the Gospel of Jesus.  This creates opportunity for us to share our faith and influence others for the Kingdom.  As I mentioned las week, we have an amazing opportunity to use our business as a platform for the gospel.  The T-factor conference https://t-factor.com/#overview, is a great resource for what it looks like to run and operate a business with Excellence from an Eternal Perspective.  I am planning to host a T-factor conference in Birmingham in early 2020.Excellence in our Personal Lives and Ministries:The spirit of Excellence is important in the market place where we are compensated to provide goods and services but how much more the opportunity for impact in our personal lives within our families and ministries where our motivation and reward is not monetary but eternal.  I believe this really speaks to the condition of our hearts, our love for the Lord and our faith in Christ.  Here are a few areas to consider as we take inventory on our personal lives:  Are we treating all people (rich or poor, friend or foe, family or stranger) with the same love and grace that the Lord has extended to each of us?  Are we treating those closest to us such as spouse and co-workers with sincere love and consideration or taking them for granted? Are we parenting with Excellence, and investing in our children even when it is hard and painful? When we are alone, are we spending our free time in a healthy manner that is pleasing to God?  Are we pursuing our relationship with God in an excellent manner by making Him the priority in our lives by giving Him our first and best fruits opposed to the left overs?  Are we giving our tithes and offerings with Excellence, with the same energy and passion we use when investing in other things like vacations, hobbies etc?  Let’s examine all areas of our lives to determine if we are living with Excellence in all things.Closing thoughts of Encouragement: Make a decision today, to bring a spirit of Excellence into everything you do.  Please understand that Excellence does not mean perfection. Nobody is perfect. Excellence simply means that your heart is open to giving God your very best in all things, that you allow integrity to guide you, and you do your best to walk with the Spirit of God.  If you desire to be an ambassador for Christ, then choose Excellence every day. Ask God to help you. And remember, His Spirit, which is the source of all Excellence, lives on the inside of you, so be encouraged…You can be Excellent in and through Christ!!!“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” Philippians 4:13-Duane

Word of the week - Excellence

Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ. Col 3:23-24

Our God is a God of Excellence at His very core.  He has created all things with Excellence (very good of its kind; eminently good; first class) because all things are created in His image.  As His children He desires for us to receive His spirit of Excellence and reproduce it.  A spirit of Excellence is really a godly attitude that is demonstrated by how we live as noted in Colossians 3:23 above.  Just like many other godly attributes such as love, joy and patience, a spirit of Excellence is a byproduct of what God is doing on the inside of us as we are discipled in Christ and allow Him to impart His nature within our soul and spirit.  If we understand who God really is, we cannot help but want to represent Him well as we engage with purpose.  Whether we are doing full time ministry, working in the marketplace, serving in the community, raising and disciplining our children or hosting a party, we should do everything as unto the Lord and thus with a Spirit of Excellence.Based on my experience in life, many people seem to believe that if you are doing something in the name of God or religion you can do it less than Excellent because it is volunteer work and fellow Christians should be nice and tolerant.  This is not true and has really distorted the view of Christ and His church.  In fact as fellow believers we should be holding each other to much higher standards; we should exhort and sharpen one another to live in Excellence.  “As iron sharpens iron so does one believer sharpen another” Proverbs 27:17.  Many non-believers are turned off by the mediocrity they see and experience from “Christians”, especially in the marketplace. This is why it is so important for us to understand that as followers of Christ we are representing God as His sons and daughters and are called to possess and demonstrate a spirit of Excellence in all that we do, so that others will see the wonders of God through us His children and be drawn to Him.  What is so cool about God is that in engaging in life with a spirit of Excellence, we end up winning favor with God and man and we are blessed beyond measure, this is abundant living, “the life that is truly life”.  Although God’s ways are not our ways they always seem to produce amazing fruit both in the spiritual and the natural, on earth and for eternity.  I guess God knows what He is doing!!!By this process, I was invited and had the opportunity to attend a conference called T-Factor this week in Nashville https://t-factor.com/#overview, which I highly recommend for business leaders who want to run godly purpose driven businesses.  Attending this event and spending time with my friend Marty Herndon, who invited and hosted me and my partner Zane with amazing Excellence, really showed me another level of Excellence, especially in the area of loving and blessing others to show the Excellent and extravagant love of God.  More to come on this next week…Have a great week and take every opportunity to live in a godly spirit of Excellence.Godspeed,-Duane

Word of the Day - Truth

“If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 8:31-32

As followers of Christ, we should be pursuers of Truth in all aspects of life.  Webster defines Truth - as most often being in accord with fact or reality, or fidelity to an original or standard.  As Christians, our faith is founded on biblical Truth, the original standard, that Jesus is the way, the truth and the light and all Truth comes from Him and through the Bible – the Living Word of God.  The truth of the matter is that we have to fully accept God at His Word to know Truth in order to receive the full benefits of our faith.  We cannot believe some of what God says, we have to believe and receive all of Him and His Word and Truth.  As human beings this can be very hard for us because much of the Truth does not make sense or resonate with us, we simply don’t understand.   If you step back for a second and realize that God is God, the Creator of heaven and earth and we are simply people, His creatures that He made in His image for His purpose; it does not take long to realize that we may not understand many things of God because His ways are not our ways and His ways are higher and not fully comprehensible to us.Our foundational world view should be grounded in the Truth of the Word of God.  But we should not stop there in our desire to seek and know the truth.  In day to day living we have the opportunity to seek the truth or allow our culture and circumstance to paint a facade of what is real and true.  There are so many different forces coming at us each day that must be deciphered to stay grounded in the Truth.  We should be vigilant in our pursuit to know the Truth of the matter as we guard our hearts and minds from the lies of the world, which are so prevalent in our culture, media and day to day living. Richard Simmons in his book “Wisdom – Life’s Great Treasure”, emphasizes that an essential component of wisdom is our ability to see things as they really are and not as they appear to be.  Wisdom enables us to distinguish between those ideas in life that are true and those that are not true.  I would add to this that godly wisdom, which is developed through our knowing God’s word, gives us the ability to see things for what they really are.  In fact the case is made in Richard’s book that knowing and living in the Truth is “Key to a Healthy Life” in regards to our mental, emotional, psychological and spiritual well-being and being healthy is very much correlated to our happiness and fulfillment in life.  Scott Peck, a well-known author who wrote the book “The Road Less Traveled , says that a key to being healthy in life is “being dedicated to the Truth”.  In fact he and many experts in the field of mental disorders correlate mental illness to our ability as humans to deal with truth and reality.  Essentially, mental illness is our inability to deal with reality and the truth so we create our own anti-truth that creates havoc and disorder in our lives.  Seeking, knowing and understanding truth allows us to live in harmony with reality and leads to health and wellbeing.If you believe that God’s Word is absolute Truth then you will know and experience the power and freedom in seeking, discovering and knowing the Truth.  God’s Word makes it clear that we live in a fallen world and have any enemy of our souls who is literally out to destroy us through perverting the Truth through lies.  The Devil is the father of lies and deception – anti-Truth.  “You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires.  He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him.  When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies”  John 8:44  Our enemy desires to destroy us by keeping us in the dark and away from the Truth.  God came to bring Truth and light so we can overcome our adversary and be set free to live in the fullness of Christ and do what God has called us to do.  “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such thing”. Philippians 4:8So let’s seek the truth and speak the truth so we can know the truth and live in freedom and health?  This is “Life that is truly Life”.Have a great week!!!-Duane

Word of the Week - Generous Living

Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.  Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.  And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. 2 Corinthians 6-8

We serve a God of abundance who has a spirit of generosity towards us and all creation.  “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son Jesus” John 3:16.  Understanding the heart of God towards us should compel us towards a life of generous living to include our time, talent and treasure.   Pastor Larry Stockstill outlined the blessings of Generous Living and Sacrificial Giving in his one year bible daily devotion yesterday https://www.churchofthehighlands.com/bible/9/7  as follows: 1) God will measure back to you the same measuring device you use when giving to Him, 2) God is looking for a heart attitude that is free, spontaneous, and cheerful in giving.  3) God has the power and authority to resupply your resources to such a point that you will always have enough to give to any worthy cause He leads you to support, 4) God will remember for eternity what you invest into His kingdom, 5) If you have a sower’s heart and are faithful, God will give you more and more seed to sow, and 6) God will allow you to prosper financially so you can become a resource for building His kingdom during your time on earth.I know this seems counter intuitive but I can assure you that it is truth.  I have personally experienced this over the past 18 years since my heart was transformed in Christ and I started down the path of generous living. Even during challenging economic times like 2008-2010 when things were very tight and uncertain, we continued to sow and the Lord blessed us.  I truly believe that like all things of the Lord these principals and spiritual truths are related to our heart condition, and is simply the outpouring of God’s fruit and favor on His sons and daughters who love Him as their Abba Father and understand the depth of His love and goodness towards us.  This is not transactional in nature, it is extremely relational and based on knowing the love of God.  A heart of generosity is a natural response to understanding the love of God.  Generous giving is just another way to worship and express our love for God, it just happens to be an extremely fun and exciting.  Think about it this way, if you earthy father was mayor of Birmingham and he gave you a million dollars and instructed you to go give it away to people and organizations who’s goal was to add value too and build Birmingham; He just simply asked that you acknowledge him in the process of giving and you knew that every time you gave the funds you were honoring and blessing your dad by giving away what he gave you.  That sounds like a blast to me.  Well, this is the heart of God when it comes to generosity and this is our opportunity.Finally, and most exciting, when we sow generously in the name of Jesus, God uses our giving to bless others allowing us to be a witness for the Gospel of Christ.“They have freely scattered their gifts to the poor; their righteousness endures forever.  Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your stores of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness.  You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.  This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of the Lord’s people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God.  Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, others will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else.  And their prayers for you, their hearts will go out to you, because of the surpassing grace of God has given you.  Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!.” 2 Corinthians 9-15By the way, we are blessed beyond measure through by being generous because everyone loves a generous giver.  So let’s step out in faith and sow generously in all seasons of life and experience the joy and blessing of generous living in the name of Jesus.Have a great week.-Duane

Word of the Week - Praise

Praise the LORD, my soul; all my inmost being, praise His holy name.  Psalm 103:1

Praise is an amazing spiritual offensive weapon in our journey of faith that is the secret to possessing the joy of the Lord.  Throughout the bible God makes it clear that He desires to be praised by us His sons and daughters and that His praise draws Him close to us “He inhabits the praises of His people” Psalm 22:3  We have so much to praise God for.  He is all powerful and worthy to be praised as our Creator, Savior and King.  Praise is the active posture of expressing our love and gratitude for God and what He has done for us.  Most of us engage in praise and worship at church, and this can be a powerful experience, but this is only one aspect of praise.  We have the opportunity to praise the Lord daily and receive the benefits of praising His holy name.  A few aspects of Praise to keep in mind: 1) Praise focuses on God and not ourselves, 2) Praise reminds us of the eternal not the temporal and 3) Praise is outward not inward.The original Hebrew definition of the word praise is much more descriptive with 7 aspects that are very expressive and excitable to include:  1) Halel – to rave, boast, celebrate, to be clamorously foolish, 2) Yadah – to acknowledge in public, 3) Barak – to bless by kneeling or bowing, 4) Zamar – making music to God with strings, 5) Shabach – to address in a loud tone, to shout, 6) Towdah – to lift hands in adoration, and 7) Tehilah – exuberant singing.  As we understand the true definition of praise we begin to see the heart of praise and how it pleases the Lord for us to get really excited about what He has done and in doing so we encourage one another and find the Joy of the Lord, which makes us strong and sustains us in our lifelong journey of faith.Sometimes it is really a sacrifice to offer praise, especially when we are struggling and don’t feel like it.  This is our biggest opportunity, when we make the decision to fix our eyes on Him and give Him praise.  No matter what we are facing, we realize that God is bigger than the issues or challenges we are facing.  It doesn’t matter if were alone, with a few, or in a big group.  It doesn’t matter if we feel like it or not, what matters is that our hearts are in tune with our Creator and King.  The following is what happens when we choose to praise the Lord:  1) Praise gets our focus off of ourselves and back on God, 2) Praise humbles us and gives us perspective, we are reminded who God is and who we are, 3) Praise makes the enemy flee and brings spiritual victory and protection, 4) Praise invites God’s presence and makes room for His blessing, and 5) Praises refreshes our soul and invites God’s power to be displayed and allow room for miracles.  “From the rising of the sun to the going down of the same, the Lord’s name is to be praised” Psalm 113:3So praise the Lord with all of your heart because He is worthy of the praise of His people and we are blessed and joy filled as we praise the Lord!!!!Hope you are having a great Labor Day Holiday.Blessings,-Duane

Word of the Week - Holiness = Healthy Living - Part II

You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and Holiness” Ephesians 4:22-24

Last week’s word of the week was “Holiness – Healthy Living” (see below), and emphasized the fact that as believers we are all called to live godly and Holy lives so we can have the best that God has for us and be healthy and flourish in life.  Living Holy and pure lives is God’s best for us and is available for all followers of Christ not just clergy or full time ministers.  Being Holy is a pursuit and condition of the heart that leads to a new attitude of mind and thus a new person in Christ.So how do we live Holy lives?  Just like most things in life, it takes both offense and defense to be Holy:Offense - Abide in Christ Jesus through the daily disciplines of our faith  - Holiness is the fruit of knowing God and desiring to stay connected to the vine of Christ so we can bear much fruit.  We are Holy as a byproduct of being born of the spirit of God.  We don’t become Holy to get God to love us, but we live Holy lives because we know the love of the Father.  This is our response to the love of God and our desire to remain in Him and grow closer to the Lord. We are all human and thus by nature we are selfish and sinful, and we live in a sin filled fallen world.  With this reality in mind, we must recognize that without an offensive plan for day to day living the law of entropy will kick in and we will gravitate back to our sinful nature of the old self.  Thus the Lord Jesus instructs us throughout scripture to pursue Holiness by pursuing Himself.  This includes “putting on” the Armor of God each day to give us protection, and pursuing intimate relationship and connection with the Lord through Abiding in Him “You are the vine and I am the branches, if you Abide in me then I will Abide in you, and you will bear much fruit, but apart from me you can do nothing”. John 15:5  We must remain in Christ to remain Holy.  We remain in Christ by making Him the priority of our lives each day.  Literally making the Lord the first priority each morning and being determined and vigilant to make everything else in our lives second to Christ and our connection with Him.  I personally have multiple disciplines in my life that make connecting with the Lord each day my first and highest priority.  This includes 1) daily conversations and confessions with the Lord through prayer, 2) reading God’s Word so we can know Him more and have the power of the Word living within us, 3) Praising and worshipping the Lord through song and thanksgiving, and 4) fellowshipping with other believers and ministering the love of Christ to all of those around us who are in need.  The good news is that as we get into these proactive disciplines of faith they become part of our rhythmic nature and identity in Christ.Defense - Being comfortable being different  – The Bible reminds us again and again that there should be a definite line drawn between us and the world (secular culture).  That means our thoughts, actions, words, and behaviors should be noticeably different – we should look more like Jesus than the world.  “As the One who called you is Holy, you yourselves also be Holy in all your conduct and manner of living” 1 Peter 1:15  Being a Christian is not just about going to church and acting nice on Sunday then just living like everyone else the rest of the week.  Much of who we are is about what we feed ourselves day to day.  If we spend our time and fill our minds and souls with things of this world like secular TV, music, philosophy, and hang out with non-believers – we become equally yoked with the world and we become what we are around and what we are feeding ourselves.  Ungodly intake, especially in large and consistent doses, will contaminate our inner man.  We should be feeding ourselves the things that edify & strengthen us, and align our spirit with God’s spirit to include relationships with other believers and media that is pure and life giving.  This will not always be easy and popular but it will lead to life and health.Defense #2 - Setting wise boundaries and fleeing from temptations  – As human beings we all have fleshly desires but God has equipped us to resist temptation.  “When you are tempted, God will provide a way out” 1 Corinthians 10:13.  It is our responsibility to keep ourselves pure, but we need God’s wisdom along with others to help us.  We need to put things in place in our lives to keep us from getting into tempting situations that may cause us to compromise and fall into sin.  For instance if we know we have issues with lust or sexual sin, we should not put ourselves in situations to be tempted.  It is not smart to be alone with the opposite sex or allow our eyes to look at anything that would feed the temptation.  Putting healthy boundaries in our lives and having brothers/sisters that know our deepest temptations and can help hold us accountable is key to staying pure and Holy.  To live a Holy life, you have to flee form temptation.  Don’t entertain it, don’t consider it, don’t have lunch with it.  Don’t think twice about it.  Flee!!!!  In other words - run Forest run!!!!!  This is both physically and mentally.“How can a young man keep his way pure?  By guarding it according to your Word.”  Psalm 119: 9I hope this is helpful to your pursuit of Holiness!!!Thanks,-Duane

Word of the Week - Holiness = Healthy Living

“Create in me a pure heart O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me” Psalm 51:10

Holiness seems to be a term of old and perceived as less relevant in the current age.  Like many things of faith in today's culture, I think this is due to a misperception of what it really means to be Holy and pursue Holiness.  I grew up in a more traditional liturgical church and therefore equated Holiness to being pious and religious.  I had the view of Holy people being priest and clergy who were sterile and irrelevant to the real world.  I thought to be Holy you literally had to live away from the world to be “set apart”.  Like many things of our faith, what God has gifted us for virtue and health the enemy has twisted and perverted through humans and our sin nature.The Truth is that Holiness and the pursuit of Holiness in Christ is not about the external persona, but about what is going on inside our hearts.  Like all things of God, it is an internal working of transformation within our hearts that creates our desire to live pure lives so we can remain close to God in fellowship through the Holy Spirit.  Holiness is really very simple and practical, it is the practice of living pure and virtuous lives so we are healthy and free before God and man.  By feeding our minds, heart, souls and spirit good things of virtue we are able to walk in the abundant life of joy and peace that the Lord Jesus tells us about.  “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that you may have life, and have it to the full” John 10:10 This is not about salvation, we cannot earn our salvation by becoming Holy and righteous; salvation is a gift from God for sinners.  Holiness is a pursuit of believers to become more Christ like in our day to day living so that we can be healthy and function well.  When we are born anew of the spirit of God, we are led to new way of living where we replace our old habits with new disciplines because we have a new identity in Christ.  “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone and the new is here”  2 Corinthians 5:17.  This is accomplished by staying connected to the vine of Christ through the daily disciplines of nurturing our relationship with God.  We train our spirit and soul by practicing the presence of God in prayer, staying in God’s word, fellowshipping with other believers and keeping a pure heart by pursuing virtue vs. vice.  Over time this leads to us flourishing in life and being a light shining in the midst of a dark world, and a true witness of the power of Christ living within us. “so that you will prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world” Philippians 2:15.  Not to mention it makes life much more enjoyable, healthy and productive.Holiness is not perfection or legalism.  It is not about rules and regulations or trying to control or manipulate people to conform to certain rules or religious practices.  It is not about being separated from people so you become irrelevant and unapproachable because you are “Holier than though”.  God’s deepest desire for us, similar to our deepest desire for our kids, is to be connected to Him and others in personal relationship in order that we might live out our lives in fullness to the purpose He has for each one of us.  Pursuing Holiness is simply a way of living and being that makes us more godly and allows us to live to our full potential in Christ.  It is very practical and applicable to our day to day living.  The following is a link to 25 minute podcast that really helps us understand Holiness and why it is so important to our walk as followers of Christ.https://podcast.app/richard-foster-a-well-functioning-life-streams-holiness-e67813359/?utm_source=ios&utm_medium=shareNext week I plan to share more about what it looks like to pursue Holiness in our day to day living.I pray you have a blessed and Holy week.-Duane

Word of the Week - Courage

For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid or fearful, but gives us power, love and self-discipline. 2 Tim 1:7

Courage is the internal strength to resist or overcome opposition, danger, hardship or uncertainty.  The counter to Courage is succumbing to fear and being cowardice.  If we are honest, I think we would agree that we all deal with some degree of fear and insecurity in our lives to include fear of failure, fear of man, fear of death, fear of the unknown etc.  So what gives us the strength to overcome fear and be Courageous?  I believe that the most healthy way to overcome fear is through faith and trust in God.  If we know God, trust in Him and walk by faith, we will grow in our purpose and security in Christ, and the bi-product of this is strength and Courage.  God tells us to “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  If God has our back what do we have to fear.  In my walk of faith over the past 18 years I have found that the most joyful and fulfilling times of my life are when I am stepping out in faith and facing my fears head on with Courage, boldness and transparency.  Be Courageous in Christ and step out in faith.  “If God is for us then who can be against us” Romans 8:31Have a great week walking in God’s power and love with self-discipline….-Duane

Word of the Week - Humility

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

It is very clear throughout scripture that God favors the Humble and detests those who are proud.  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.The world associates Humility with weakness and self-depracation.  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.  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 4:10My friend David Harper who wrote the book titled “The Great 8” a new paradigm for leadership advocates that leaders who lead with Humility over Ego build cultures of collaboration vs. fear and this results in much more healthy, flourishing and sustainable organizations.  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