Word of the week - Freedom (Independence Day Word)

“Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” 2 Corinthians 3:17 

Independence Day - I hope you are celebrating this day of Independence with family and friends.  This is a special day set aside to commemorate one of the most significant events in our Nation’s history.  July 4^th – also known as Independence Day – is a time to celebrate America. The holiday marks the day in 1776 when the Second Continental Congress unanimously adopted the Declaration of Independence, signaling the official separation of the 13 original colonies from Great Britain amid the Revolutionary War.  Even in the midst of so much turmoil and division in our country as of late, we must recognize that we still live in the most amazing nation on earth and rejoice in God’s blessing over the United States of America over the past 245 years.  We have much to be thankful as we celebrate this day of Independence. 

The price and value of Freedom:  I think it is most important to reflect on the true blessings and responsibilities of Freedom.  In a practical sense, we are truly blessed to live in a country that values Freedom and Independence for its citizens.  The United States of America was founded by men of faith on the premise that we must value and protect individual rights and hold these things sacred as outlined in the preamble to the Declaration of Independence, “We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”.  It is easy to take this for granted because we are so accustomed to this reality that we really cannot fathom not having these Freedoms and individual rights.  Besides bar-b-que, fireworks and time on the water with family and friends, the purpose of the July 4^th Holiday is to set aside a day to recognize the high price that has been paid over the past 250 years to gain and defend this amazing gift of Freedom and to never take it lightly or for granted.  To remember the cost of Freedom and the blood and sacrifice that was poured out to attain our Freedom as a nation.

Responsibility of Freedom:  As American citizens and believers (citizens of the Kingdom of God), I think it is most important that we take on the mantle and responsibility that comes with the gift of Freedom.  Ronald Reagan said “Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn't pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same.”  It is our responsibility as Americans to value, protect and steward our Freedom.  Similarly, but more importantly, Christ Jesus was crucified, died and rose again so that we could overcome death and have the ultimate Freedom that comes with salvation through Christ.  His blood gives us the power to find true Freedom from the wrath of God and the sin and strife of this world.  “It is for Freedom that Christ has set us free.  Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.” Galatians 5:1.  It is interesting that the Freedom of Christ is received not through a spirit of independence but by a spirit of dependence whereby we live our lives depending on God through an abiding relationship that He describes in John 15:5.  By living connected to the vine of Christ He blesses us with Freedom so that we can do His good work and produce godly fruit in our lives for His glory and purpose.  “For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.”  Galatians 5:13

Lord we thank you for our many Freedoms to include 1) Freedom of religion and individual belief, 2) Freedom to worship, 3) Freedom of prayer and 4) Freedom of speech to name just a few.  We are grateful that we live in a nation that that values Freedom and want to remember and honor all of those who have sacrificed and died to make this a reality for us by exercising our Freedoms in a healthy, respectful and honoring manner.  Lord, most of all, we thank you for the fact that while we were still sinners you died for us so that we can be Free from the wages of sin and live with you in Eternal Freedom.

On this day I pray that we would remember the cost of Freedom, rejoice in the reality of our Freedom and come together as a nation and body of believers in unity to acknowledge and honor the sacrifice of our veterans and American Heroes who have paid the price for our Freedom.  Additionally, that we would rejoice in the goodness of the Lord and the sacrifice He made on the cross for our eternal salvation/freedom.  This is something to truly celebrate and unite together over.

Next week I will complete my series on “Secrets of the Vine – Breaking through to Abundance” by sharing the essence of the abiding life, More of God, More with God.  Walking with God, not working for Him.  This is the essence of Freedom that Christ came to give us.

God Bless you and God Bless America, the land of the Free,

-Duane

Word of the Week - Abiding (Flourishing under the shears)

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener.   He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit He prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.  You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you.  Remain in me, as I also remain in you.  No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine.  Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.  I am the vine; you are the branches.  If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. John 15: 1-5

In follow up from last week’s Word – Abiding – disciplining and pruning, spiritual principals and excerpts from Bruce Wilkerson’s book “Secrets of the Vine – Breaking through to Abundance” (see below), being pruned by the Lord is a necessary part of the process of maturing in Christ so that we can live to our full potential and “bear much fruit”.  I shared the difference between being disciplined due to sin in our lives vs. allowing the Lord to prune us for purposes of growing and maturing in our walk of faith. 

Maximizing Fruit – Did you know that growers prune their vineyards more intensely as the vines age (mature)?  According to one horticulture bulletin it explained why:  The vine’s ability to produce growth increases each year, but without the intensive pruning the plant weakens and its crop diminishes.  Mature branches must be pruned hard to achieve maximum yields.  If you look at the future from a maturing plant’s point of view, there is considerable cutting in store.  But from the grower’s point of view, the future holds something wonderful – grapes, grapes, and more grapes.  Abundant fruit being produced by the plant.  This is God’s desire, plan and purpose for each of us as His sons and daughters, to produce abundant fruit but we must stay connected to the vine and be willing to be pruned. 

Inward Pruning – While during the early stages of our walk with Christ is mostly about change in our outward activities and priorities, mature pruning is more about the essence of who we are in our core values and personal identity.  If we grow and mature in Christ over time, God moves in closer for more intensive pruning as we know Him more and grow in our faith and trust in Him.  If we understand this, then we can embrace His exciting truth and look forward with anticipation as we experience the pain of pruning.  We see life and pain through a different lens that gives us strength, courage and hope.  Jesus was the ultimate example for us in His death on the cross.  “So let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing 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.  Consider Him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart” Hebrews 12:2-3.  Many followers of Christ never experience the best part of the Christian walk because they don’t grow and mature enough to trust God with the pruning shears.  This is not a question of salvation but it is a question of fulfillment and living to your God given potential.  What God ask of us now may seem difficult, but the results if we say yes, will produce more than we can ever imagine.  We can truly live an Ephesians 3:20 life, whereby God is “doing immeasurably/abundantly more than we could ever dream or imagine by His power at work within us for His glory”.  This is the absolute truth and what God desires for all of us but we can only experience this if we are willing to trust Him with the pruning shears. 

Testing of our Faith – In mature pruning, the pruning will intensify as God’s shears cut closer to the core of who we are.  God isn’t just trying to take away; He’s faithfully at work to making room to add strength, productivity, and spiritual power in our life.  His goal is to bring us closer to the “perfect and complete” image of Christ.  “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.  Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”  James 1:3-4 Tests of faith are various trials and hardships that invite us to surrender to God something of great value even when we have every right not to.  We will feel assaulted or stretched by circumstances, but not distant from God, challenged by Him, but not judged or guilty.  The following are some key areas that we are tested and pruned:

• People we love most – Have we surrendered our marriage/spouse, family/kids, parents, close friends and extended family to God? 
• Our right to know why God does what He does – Have we come to a place that we fully trust God even when it does not make sense and we don’t understand?
• Our love of money and the things of this world – Would we still love and trust God if we lost all of our possessions and had nothing? 
• The source of our significance – Are we willing to give up our dreams and trust that God’s plan is the best plan for our lives?  Is our relationship with God the true source of our significance?

So how will we respond?  Trials will come.  The question is simply whether or not we will let the purposeful pruning of God do its work in us, or will we let the opportunity slip by and go to waste.  In pruning, how we respond makes all the difference. We can complain, rebel, compromise or run away.  Or we can experience the joy, comfort and rest that comes to disciples of Christ when we keep our eyes on Jesus our prize.

“For you, O God, tested us; You refined us like silver…But you brought us to a place of abundance”. Psalm 66:10,12

Next week I will share the essence of the abiding life, More of God, More with God.  Walking with God not working for Him.

Have a great week abiding in Christ!!!!!!!

-Duane

Word of the Week - Abiding (Disciplining and Pruning)

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener.   He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit He prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.  You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you.  Remain in me, as I also remain in you.  No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine.  Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.  I am the vine; you are the branches.  If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. John 15: 1-5

Happy Father’s Day.  On this special day that is set aside to honor and celebrate our fathers, I cannot think of anything more meaningful to share than the love of our heavenly Father and His deepest desire for us, to be connected to Him through the vine of Christ.  As I mentioned in my “Word of the Week – First Fruits” last week, see below, I was recently reminded of the power abiding/remaining in Christ and the depth of this spiritual truth and how it has impacted my life over the past 20 years.  John 15 is by far my favorite chapter of the bible because it touches the essence of what I believe is the most important thing in our walk of faith as Christians - having an abiding relationship with Jesus and making that the priority of our lives each and every day.  The following are the first of several key principles from John 15 that I have experienced and were highlighted in a book I just completed by Bruce Wilkerson titled “Secrets of the Vine – Breaking through to Abundance”. 

Disciplining vs. Pruning – Our Abba Father loves us so much that He both disciplines and prunes us His sons and daughters.  Similar to our earthly fathers who discipline us in love through our formative years of life so we can grow and develop into healthy, mature and productive adults, so does our heavenly Father discipline us in the spirit, especially if we are on a destructive path of sin.  Discipline and pruning are two different concepts that can feel the same at times.  Where discipline is about getting rid of sin, pruning is about less of self.  “My son, do not despise the Lord’s discipline or be weary of his reproof, for the Lord reproves him whom he loves, as a father the son in whom he delights” Proverbs 3:11-12   The purpose of discipline and pruning are entirely different, and the consequences of confusing them can be counter-productive.  Bruce shared some ideas in his book to discern between these two concepts.

• Discipline and Pruning both involve pain but the pain from discipline is the consequence of sin, where the pain of pruning is a result of doing something right and God preparing you to grow to a new level of producing Kingdom fruit.
• Generally we are not producing Kingdom fruit when we are being disciplined due to sin but when being pruned we are typically producing Kingdom fruit just not to our full God potential
• When we are in sin and being disciplined, we typically feel guilty and sad; if we are being pruned and know it we should experience relief and trust that God is doing a good work in us for His purpose. 
• The proper response to discipline is repentance, turning to God and away from our sin.  If we are being pruned the best response is releasing our lives to the Lord and giving him access and permission to do the pruning. 

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

Our Response – If we truly desire to live to our full potential in Christ and maximize Kingdom fruit while on earth, we should acknowledge to God our Father that we are grateful He loves us so much that He is willing to do the hard work of pruning our lives.  If we have resented the pain of God’s discipline and/or pruning in our lives, we should acknowledge this and let God know we appreciate His deep love for us.  The truth is that our heavenly Father loves us so much that He won’t stop tending our lives as long as we stay connected to His vine. This is simply the process of spiritual maturity and “Breaking through to Abundance”.  So on this Father’s Day, let’s embrace our Abba Father and all He has for us because He truly is a good, good Father that knows what is best and His plan for our lives is much greater than ours.  “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.  For whom He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren”.  Romans 8:28-29

Next week I will share different areas that God typically prunes us of self and what it looks like to Flourish under the shears. 

Happy Father’s Day,

-Duane

Word of the Week - First Fruits

Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the Firstfruits 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

Personal Experience - This year I am celebrating my 20^th anniversary as a follower of Christ; it was right at 20 years ago that I made a decision to surrender my heart and life to the Lord, and it has by far been the most meaningful and impactful decision of my life to date.  That being said, I am currently working on writing my first book that I hope to complete this fall.  I have felt led to write a book on Heritage Living – building a godly Heritage for a lasting legacy from a biblical perspective and what I have learned and experienced over the past 20 years as it relates to this topic.  I recently spent a few days at my lake house with my friend Jordan Loftis www.storychorus.com who is helping me with the book.  As Jordan was guiding me through the process, I was able to reflect and share with him what God has done over the past 20 years and the impact it has had on my life, especially on my family, friends and others.  It was really encouraging to me to recognize and celebrate the amazing work that God has done and continues to do in me and how He has allowed me to be part of so many fruitful things He is doing.  I am so grateful to God as I really feel like my barns are filled to overflowing and my vats are brimming over with new wine. I am pretty sure this is the abundant life the bible talks about in John 10:10.  “The enemy comes to steal, kill and destroy; but I have come so that you may experience the abundant life”.  If I had to boil it all down to one thing it would be the principal of “First Fruits” and making my abiding relationship with God the top priority in my life each and every day.  “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; apart from me you can do nothing”. John 15:5

First Fruits - I love the principle of First Fruits because it is so clear and easy to understand.  There are many things about God and our walk of faith that are mystical, and at times, hard for us to understand.  The principal of First Fruits is very straightforward, God simply wants to be the priority in our lives and He wants us to honor Him by giving Him our First and best.  He loves us so much that He is jealous for our love and attention and does not want to compete for the top position in our lives.  He will not take second position.  This concept is emphasized throughout scripture beginning with the 1^st Commandment that states “You shall have no other gods before me”, He simply wants us to put Him First above all things.  With divine order comes diving blessing, this is God’s economy.  He is our Creator and the God of the universe, He deserves and desires to be revered and honored for who He really is and the authority and power He possesses.  I love this principal because it is a tangible way to love and honor the Lord.  This principal not only pertains to our money/resources but to every aspect of our lives, He desires the first of our time, our thoughts, and our pursuits.  He wants to be the first in our day, week, month and year.  For God, order is the priority over quality and quantity.  There is amazing power, both blessings and protection, in the simple daily act of making God First.   I encourage you to test the Lord in the principal of First Fruits.  Put the Lord First and watch your time and resources multiply and overflow.  Seek “First” the Kingdom and His righteousness and all things will be added unto you.  Matthew 6:33

I recently completed a book by Bruce Wilkinson call “Secrets of the Vine” – Breaking Through to Abundance.  It was an amazing book that confirmed my experience and reignited my passion on this topic.  I plan to share a few of the key principals and mindsets from the book on abiding over the next week or two.  I hope this blesses you as much as it has blessed me.

Word of the Week - Accountability

“As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another”.  Proverbs 27:17

Accountability defined- the quality or state of being accountable:  an obligation or willingness to accept responsibility or to account for ones actions: taking ownership or responsibility for ones actions especially as it relates to greater good of the whole (organization, family, team).    

Accountability is Powerful  – Depending on our mindset and experience, it can be a guiding force that drives us to do our best work and live to our full potential, or something that is seen in a negative light that is pushing us to do things we prefer not to do.  By gaining a healthy perspective on Accountability and the factors that make it useful and positive, we can gain a healthy mindset towards Accountability, and use it to help us become all that God has called us to be while we help others do the same.  It has the potential to become an overwhelmingly positive force within our personal lives, families and organizational cultures. “Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labor.  For if they fall, one will lift up his companion.  But woe to him who is alone when he falls, for he has no one to help him up.” Ecclesiastes 4:9-10

The Typical Mindset toward Accountability – I think we would all agree that Accountability is key to success in most areas of life to include our personal/family, ministry and workplace.  It has been proven that results and Accountability are highly correlated.  So why do most of us feel negative towards the word and try to avoid it where we can.  For many of us the meaning of Accountability is charged with negative connotations, stress and even fear!  The reason is that we’re accustomed to associating the term with disciplinary measures when something goes wrong and blame is directed towards us.  If you have ever lived or worked in an environment that is routinely plagued with missed deadlines, broken promises with teammates ignoring the rules and failing to live up to their commitments you understand the outcomes of a lack of Accountability.  This typically a result of poor leadership where cultures lack trust, clarity, transparency and psychological safety, which leads to lack of Accountability. This also leads to dysfunction that can really hinder the health and growth of a person, organization or family.  We must gain clarity and truth about Accountability and make sure it is healthy and beneficial.  “For God does not give a spirit of fear and timidity but of love, power and self-discipline” 2 Timothy 1:7

Redefining Accountability – The truth is that people and teams thrive and succeed in all areas of life in cultures of healthy Accountability.  It fosters better relationships, creates healthy environments and eliminates anxiety and stress not knowing where you stand.  But it may not be for everyone as some people decide they would rather go it alone and be individualistic. When you get right down to it, it is simply the willingness to accept ownership and responsibility for our own actions.  It is best if we embrace Accountability and see it as a friendly force that will: 1) Help us achieve our personal goals and objectives, 2) Protect us from things that can sabotage our lives and hinder growth, 3) Help us become healthy, productive, more self-aware and well respected teammates, and

4) Allow us to reach our highest God-given potential in all areas of life.  In fact I would go as far as to say that without meaningful levels of Accountability in life we are destined to live well below our potential. “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

Keys to foster Healthy Accountability – Just like most things, it starts with the leader.  Whether it is parenting your children or leading an major corporation, we reproduce ourselves and the environments we create by our actions.  Leaders must walk the talk by having healthy Accountability in their lives. “Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant” Matthew 20:26  

The key elements to promoting healthy accountability include:

• Clarity – being clear on what we expect from ourselves and others and communicating the expectations in a way that they can be clearly tracked, measured and discussed frequently to minimize confusion or misunderstanding.  Make sure there is also clarity on calendar/time and deadlines.
• Trust and Transparency – We must have a culture of trust and integrity to have healthy Accountability. Make sure that the right people have access to the feedback and information they need to know where they stand.  Peer Accountability is most powerful but it is only effective if we have the insight into what is going on so we are equipped to adjust and provide accurate and timely feedback. 
• Vision & Purpose – If we understand the “why” of our teams and organizations it is much easier to take ownership and desire to want to give ourselves fully to the team and be willing to suffer and sacrifice for the great good.
• Grace and Psychological Safety – We must believe that we have each other’s best interest at heart and it is ok to make honest mistakes.  This gives us room to step out and grow knowing that we will have the support of our teammates, which motivates us to embrace Accountability to realize the benefits of the team.  “Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you” Ephesians 4:32

In my own life I have experienced some of my most meaningful growth, development and break throughs by the power of healthy Accountability in the way of friends/peers, mentors, mentees, business partners, boards of advisors, employees, children, spouse, small groups, paid coaches, counselors and consultants etc.  I desire to embrace Accountability and transparency in my life as a friendly force of protection that is allowing me to grow to my full potential in Christ.  

Have a great week,

-Duane

Word of the week - Health

Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and turn away from evil.  This will bring healing to your body and refreshment to your bones. Proverbs 3:7-8

What does is mean to be healthy?  I think most of us immediately think of our physical health when we contemplate the concept of being healthy.  God knows how important it is for us to have physical health.  In fact I have heard it said “if you don’t have your health you don’t have much”.  As important as our physical health is to each of us, I would submit that there are many dimensions to being healthy and we must pursue health holistically if we are to truly be healthy and live to our full God given potential.  In this weeks “Word of the Week” I would like to explore 4 different aspects of health to include: Spiritual, Relational, Mental/Emotional, and Physical.  How do we experience health in all of these areas and how do we prioritize?Spiritual Health:  I truly believe that the most important thing for each of us is to have spiritual health.  So what does that look like and what does it mean to be spiritually healthy.  Spiritual wellness provides us with systems of faith, beliefs, values, ethics, principles and morals, which helps us understand and make sense of the world and the big question we all have “why on earth am I here”.  People who are spiritually healthy typically have clarity of vision for why they exist and they live on mission with purpose.  This is truly what God offers us through Christ, a path to know God in a personal way and discover our God given purpose so we can be part of God’s family/team to join in the greatest mission of all, “the Great Co-mission”.  Whereby we are walking and working with God to achieve His masterplan for all mankind.  He truly has a God plan and purpose for each of us as He states in Ephesians “We are God’s workmanship created in Christ Jesus to do good works that He prepared in advance for each of us” Ephesians 2:10.  Based on my personal experience, we have not truly lived until we have experienced life in connection with God and His spirit, and understand our God given purpose for being on this earth.  This is the abundant life that God talks about throughout the bible.  This is life that is truly life and this is what I believe to be Spiritual health.  A place where you are fully trusting God and His plan for your life and pursuing Him daily in an abiding relationship.  There is such peace and security in this place.  “The fruit of the spirit is Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness and Self-Control.  Against such things there is no law.” Galatians 5:22-23Relational Health:  Second to our relationship with God is our relationship with others, especially those close to us in our families and circle of influence.  The greatest commandment is to “Love the Lord your God and love others as yourself”.   All too often we experience relational challenges, especially with those closest to us and we end up taking offense and having damaged and unhealthy relationships that may even become toxic.  Due to the brokenness and dysfunction we experience from our past, we end up developing new unhealthy relationships and the river of mud keeps flowing downstream, where unhealthy relationship reproduce more unhealthy relationships.  This is why the Lord made it very clear that we should make it the highest priority in life to do whatever we can to forgive those who offend us and reconcile all of our relationships.  To never harbor unforgiveness because it will turn to bitterness and poison the person who cannot forgive.  “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ forgave you” Ephesians 4:32  We should make every effort to sow love and peace to all in an effort to show the love and grace of the Lord.  “Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness” James 3:18  The bottom line is that life is so much better when we are right with God and others and have healthy relationships.  Sometimes the best way to have a healthy relationship is to impose healthy boundaries with certain people to remain in a good place.  Personal relationships can be very challenging but they are truly the greatest source of joy and fulfillment in life so we must do whatever we can within our ability to build and maintain healthy relationships.  This is most pleasing to the Lord our God.  If we want to have healthy relationships we must be in a healthy relationship with the Lord and build and maintain healthy relationships with godly people who can honestly speak into our lives and serve as role models for us to learn from.Mental / Emotional Health:  How we think determines what we do and how we behave, which in turn has a huge impact on our mental and emotional well-being.  Every feeling we feel begins with a thought.  Our lives and how we see God and people is really impacted by our mindset.  So if we have stinking thinking that is not grounded in the truth, we are going to struggle in life across most all areas.  We are seeing mental illness at alarming rates across our country in almost every age category.  The main way to have health in our minds and emotions is to feed our minds healthy godly food by pursuing truth through God’s word and renewing our minds and hearts each day by surrounding ourselves with godly people and not conforming to the patterns of our world/culture.  “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.  Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – His good, pleasing and perfect will.” Romans 12:2  We have the opportunity to be freed from the bondage of stinking thinking by pursuing truth and taking our thoughts captive and making them obedient to Christ. “We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ” 2 Corinthians 10:5  So we have the choice each day to feed our minds and souls godly content from God’s word and other sources that builds us up in Christ and gives our minds and souls a sense of peace and security or fill our minds with worldly information that leaves us feeling fearful and insecure.  “For God did not give us a spirit of fear but of love, power and sound mind” 2 Timothy 1:7Physical Health:  Our physical health and condition is definitely important and we should work to live healthy by eating well and exercising our bodies to remain healthy and fit.  That being said, we must understand that our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit to be submitted to the Lord.  “Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God?  You are not your own; you were bought at a price.  Therefore honor God with your bodies” 1 Corinthians 6:19-20  That being said, if we have great physical health but don’t know God then we lose what matters most, our soul.  Since we are eternal beings having a temporary physical experience on this earth it is important for us to take care of ourselves to be healthy and extend life but it is more important for us to ensure that our souls are healthy and we have an eternal perspective “For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value to all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.” 1 Timothy 4:8I pray that the Lord brings health to us and our families in all areas, so we can experience the goodness of the Lord in His abundant life, the life that is truly life and live to our full God given potential.Have a blessed Memorial Day.  I am grateful for all who have made the ultimate sacrifice so we can have freedom.-Duane

Word of the week - Legacy of Generational Blessing

“One generation shall commend your works to another, and shall declare your mighty acts.”  Psalm 145:4

In follow up from the Word of the Week message last week on “Family”, see here, I wanted to share this message on family Legacy and our opportunity to build families that experience Generational Blessing.Definition and purpose of family: Family is the first institution God created for instilling values for the purpose of preserving culture to impact the world generationally.  As outlined in the verse above, God desires for every person to have a spiritual heritage.  The reality is that God instituted family so we can train and equip our children with godly values so they live to their full God potential and pass godly values on to their children, live multi-generationally. “Train them up in the way he/she should go, And when they are older they will not depart from it” Proverbs 22:6   God imparted into all humans a innate desire to be part of something that will last.  “He has set eternity in the human heart” Ecclesiastes 3:11Building healthy family communication and identity:  We serve a God of order, peace and continuity.  “For God is not a God of disorder but of peace”. 1 Corinthians 14:33  To understand how to build healthy families we must first become healthy people because as I stated in last week’s “word of the week” on Children, we cannot give what we do not have.  It starts with us as leaders of our families having a personal intimate abiding relationship with Christ so He can impart His wisdom into our hearts and minds.  We do live in a broken world and without God’s covering in our lives our families will be susceptible to the reality of generational curse with the sins of the fathers flowing down to the next generation.  This is the way of the world and our culture at large.  So how do we break this cycle?  First and foremost we submit our families to God and put our faith and trust in Him.  But we must do our part by building healthy and intentional communication and trust within our families.  This is done by telling stories and celebrating life.  If we look back in history and see families that had generational impact, they were very intentional about sharing stories of what God had done “Ask the former generation and find out what their ancestors learned” Job 8:8 and they were constantly taking time out to celebrate and remember by hosting festivals. “When you enter the land that the Lord will give you as promised, observe this ceremony.  And when your children ask you, ‘What does this ceremony mean?’ then tell them. ‘ It is the Passover sacrifice to the Lord, who passed over the houses of the Israelites in Egypt and spared our homes when He struck down the Egyptians.” Exodus 12:25-27Family values, vision and purpose:  Family identity is key to building a godly family Heritage.  Our families must have a strong understanding of who we are and what makes us the Donner’s or Smiths etc.  Family values define the moral and ethical principles of behavior for a family.  Values can be passed down from one generation to the next and this is the most important Heritage we can give our kids and descendants.  Many of our godly values are apparent from our families of origin, but some need to be discovered and can often times be revealed as we think about our past and some of the defining stories/events in our lives.  Our family went through a values exercise about 7-8 years ago and since then we have taken time each year to set aside time in family meetings to talk about our values and assess how we are living out these values.  Asking questions to determine if we are intentionally sharing and communicating these values with our kids and grandkids. Our families stated values include: Faith, Family/Heritage, Perseverance, Health and Generosity.  See linked Family ID worksheet for your reference on family values exercise.  This is a great tool for you to use with your family.As I have stated in past “Word of the week messages” Vision and purpose are key to Heritage living.  “Without vision the people perish” 29:18 I find it interesting that the prior verse is related to disciplining our children “Discipline your children, and they will give you peace; they will bring you the delights you desire”. Proverbs 29:17   If you cannot see where you are going (Vision) and understand why you are going there (Purpose), it is hard to know what to do.  Lack of Vision and Purpose leads to wandering through life and leaves us lacking identity and much more susceptible to attacks from the enemy of our soul while purposeful living with vision towards something of eternal value is like medicine to our soul that gives us energy, health and protection.  This is the abundant life that Jesus speaks about in John 10:10 when He says, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that you may have life, and have it to the full”.  Live life on offense with Vision, Mission and Purposes and you will have life.  Amy and I recently went through a family Values and Vision workshop with Bill High and the folks from the Signatry https://thesignatry.com/who-we-are/our-history/ and it was very powerful.  We refined our family vision and statement to “Lasting goldy Heritage for 10 Generations” with the mission to achieve this by “Abiding in Christ, Loving God, Serving Others and Living Generously”.Heart of gratitude and generosity is key:  There is definitely power in living intentionally and taking time to discover, define and write down your family Values Vision, Mission and Purpose if we desire to have generational impact.  In fact statistics say we are 90% more likely to achieve our long term goals if we write them down.  That being said, the most important and defining factor is how we live our lives because these things are more caught than taught.  We can go through the exercise but if our lives don’t reflect God’s values then we are just kidding ourselves.  This by no means implies that we have to live perfect lives because that is not possible, we are imperfect human beings and will make mistakes along the way.  The condition and intention of our heart is what matters most and having a heart of gratitude and generosity is evidence that we understand what God has done for each of us by sending Jesus to die so we can have eternal life and live the abundant life while we are here on earth.  This is the most meaningful Heritage we can pass to our children, that they know Christ.  “He gave His only begotten son so that we can have eternal life”. John 3:16, so as we receive this amazing gift we should be filled with heartfelt gratitude and desire to give it away to others.  To give our lives and leverage our influence and possessions to build God’s Kingdom.  This is the heart of God and it is a heart of Generosity towards humanity.  It is interesting that as we study families of wealth over millennia, the ones that have sustained legacy over generations are the ones that have been most generous, especially those who are generous towards the things of God.  “A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed” Proverbs 11:25God promises us that if we live our lives with God’s values He will bless our descendants up to a thousand generations.  “Know therefore that the Lord God is God; He is the faithful God, keeping His covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love Him and keep His commandments.” Deuteronomy 7:9  What an amazing and powerful promise of God.  I hope this encourages you toward living on purpose with intentionality to plant seeds for Generational Blessing in your family.  The is the opportunity we have as followers of Christ and Kingdom builders.Have a blessed 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

Our Children and Grandchildren 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 our 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 22:6God our heavenly Father has a great model and plan for Parenting.  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.  We cannot give what we do not have, 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 ideas 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 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 that is more caught than taught, 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 God’s 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 29:17The challenging years of adolescents - 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.  Check out the attached outline of the Journey of Transition authored by Bruce Johnston the Founder of JH/Outback.Our Children and Grandchildren are a blessing but even in the pain of our Children going astray, by faith God’s plan is perfect and redemptive.   There is no doubt that our biggest blessings in life to date are our 3 daughters, Mary Kathryn (29), Saige (26) and Isabella (16), our four Grandchildren Selah, John Michael, Lily, Hazel 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 relationship with our Children are not good and healthy.  Sometimes no matter how well we parent our Children, they go astray as in the story of the Prodigal son in Luke Chapter 15 “My son, the father said, you are always with me, and everything I have is yours.  But we have to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was lost and dead to sin and is now alive again; he was lost and is now found”. Luke 15:31-32  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 His Children and family 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 4:6I apologize for the length of this “Word of the Week”, I am passionate about family and God’s generational plan for our families so I have too much to share.  So much so that I founded a ministry called Heritage Forum www.heritageforums.com .  Next week I will share the Generational opportunity we have with our families to sow seeds of life into our Children and Grands to have multi-generational impact of blessing on our descendants and God’s Kingdom.Have a blessed week,-Duane

Word of the week - Mothers

“As one whom his mother comforts, so I will comfort you; you shall be comforted in Jerusalem”.  Isaiah 66:13

Love of a mother – Have you ever contemplated the amazing innate love of a mother.  How a mother’s love is so natural and pure that it is hard to put into words.  There is something so very special about the love of a mother.  There is no doubt that God designed woman with an amazing motherly instinct.  It has been scientifically proven that a woman’s body and brain change when they get pregnant and become mothers.  There is no love greater than a mother’s love except the love of God.  A mother’s “Love is patient and kind. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes and always perseveres” 1 Corinthians 13:4&7Motherly love is yet Another way God shows His love for us – I think God’s design for life and family is so amazing and perfect.  There are so many different ways He could have brought human beings into this world and developed them into adults, but He chose to deliver us into the world through our mothers.  As we all know, life is formed as a man and woman come together to sow the seed of life through a pretty amazing process, which is made holy and sacred through the sacrament of marriage.  The process of a mom getting pregnant and a baby being formed inside a mother is really an amazing miracle in and of itself.  Then the mother has a 9 month period of pregnancy where she carries the baby in her womb until the baby is born into the world.  I have 3 daughters and witnessed all of them being born and it was definitely the most amazing special experiences of my life, a true miracle.  I can only imagine what it must feel like to carry and birth the baby, but as am man I will never know. What an amazing privilege and sacrifice for moms.  After going through such an intense process, it is no-wonder why they are so attached and connected to their babies/children.  I think we would all agree that a mother’s love for her children is an amazing godly blessing that is yet another way that God shows His unconditional love for us.  He is the One who designed this perfect process.Unconditional and all-consuming love  – It is apparent to me that most mothers possess deep unconditional love for their children no matter the circumstances.  Children don’t have to earn maternal love it just comes naturally and it is always there.  As the number of children increases, a mother has amazing ability to show and give love to all of her children and make them all feel uniquely loved.  There is a special feeling of love and security that comes from a mother that we cannot get from anywhere else.  Motherly instinct is so critical as it is what is needed to give a baby what it needs to survive and thrive as it comes into this big world needy and defenseless. Maternal love is of divine nature and something we should deeply cherish and all value.  I have personally experienced this with my own mother Lillie who was always there for me, even when I was being an unkind and disrespectful know it all teenage boy.  I lost my mom just over 18 years ago and there are very few days that go by that I don’t think about her and how much I love and miss her.  I am so grateful for my mom who loved me so well, she had an amazing influence on me becoming the person I am today.  I have also witnessed my wife Amy’s unconditional and all-consuming love for our 3 daughters over the years and have always been amazed at the depth of her love and connection with all 3 of our daughters.  It is truly a beautiful thing that I deeply value but don’t fully understand as a man.  Now I am watching my two eldest daughters Mary Kathryn and Saige birth, raise and mother our 4 grandkids (with 2 on the way 😊), and it is truly amazing to see the depth of their love and sacrifice towards their children, my amazing grandchildren.  This is a view from another angle that helps me see an appreciate the love and significance of mothers and their roles in our lives.I have often heard it said that a mother has one of the most significant jobs on earth and I think we would all agree that there are few roles more important than that of a mother.  Billy Graham once said “Only God Himself fully appreciates the influence of a Christian mother in molding of character in her children”Happy Mother’s Day to you mom, Mamie, Amy, Mary Kathryn and Saige and to all you mother’s.  We are so thankful for you and all you do!!!!!-Duane

Word of the Week - Priority

“But seek first the Kingdom and His righteousness and all things will be added unto you”.  Matthew 6:33

Priority defined- something that is more important than other things and that needs to be addressed or dealt with first: the thing or person that someone cares about and thinks is most important: the condition of being more important than something or someone else and therefore coming or being first.Making God our Priority – If there is one message that is very clear from the Lord our God, it is that He desires to be “The Priority” in our lives.  The first commandment says “You shall have no other gods before me” Exodus 20:3  Matthew 6:33 above makes it clear that God desires for us to make Him the first and top Priority in our lives.  I love this principal because it is very simple and easy to understand.  God simply desires to be the first Priority in our lives and we know if we put God first we will enjoy the fruits of His spirit.  With divine order comes divine blessing.What does it look like to make God the Priority – There are many ways that we prioritize people and activities in life but the Lord tells us several times in the old and new testament that we should, "Love the Lord our God with all our heart, with all our soul, with all our strength, and with all our mind, and we should love our neighbor as ourselves”  Luke 10:27  With this in mind, I make it my first objective to direct my mind/thoughts toward the Lord as soon as I open my eyes in the morning.  My flesh tries to lead me towards thinking about all of my concerns and the things I need to accomplish in my day but I purpose to think/meditate upon the Lord and how good He is and the many blessings He has bestowed upon me.  The battle we fight begins in our mind so we must “Take every thought captive and make it obedient to Christ” 2 Corinthians 10:5 and His word.  |Pastor Craig Groeschel, who is a world class leader and leadership guru who has an amazing podcast on leadership, recently wrote a book called the “Winning the battle in your mind” Winning the war in your mind.   He says that “Your life is always moving in the direction of our strongest thoughts”, which is why we have to choose each morning to set our minds on the things of God.  As we reflect upon the Lord, His truth and His goodness towards us, our hearts come alive as we are reminded of His love for us.  He loves us so much that He sent Christ to die so we can have eternal life and live in the abundant life today.  Personally, I make my connection with God through prayer, praise and scripture reading a “First Fruits” Proverbs 3:9-10  priority every day.  I don’t always succeed but my heart’s desire each morning is to seek the Lord and give the Him my first and my best.  Our Lord and Savior is surely worthy of our first and best each day.The Benefits  – God is so amazing because He knows what is best for us and truly has our best interest at heart.  Not only is He our Creator who clearly understands our unique purpose for being on this earth but He is also a good, good Father who desires to bless us beyond measure.  He desires to do “immeasurably more than we can ever ask or imagine by His power at work within us” Ephesians 3:20 We can only find His blessing through a divine connection with Him, which requires us to make Him a priority every day and within the day.  He is the bread of life and the living water and we can only receive His divine nature and our daily bread if we are connected to Him through the Vine of Christ.  I love the fact that God leaves it up to us to “seek Him first”.  The ball is in our court each and every day, He stands there with open arms desiring for us to pursue Him so we can receive what He has for us.   My life verse is John 15:5 where Jesus tells us “I am the vine, you are the branches, if you abide in me then I will abide in you and you will bare much fruit but apart from me you can do nothing”.  The only way we can find the life of the spirit is by abiding (connecting/pursuing) in Christ.  This is His desire for us and it simply starts with making our relationship with the Lord the top Priority in our lives.I truly believe that putting God first and making Him the utmost priority in all areas of our lives is the key to abundant living that Jesus speaks about.  It is relatively simple but is fueled by our desire to know God through an intimate personal relationship.  My good friend Walter Tutt shared this short video start each day with God that I hope will encourage you to make God the Priority of your life.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 15:13Joy defined by Merriam-Webster is the emotion evoked by well-being, success, or good fortune or by the prospect of possessing what one desires: Delight: The state of happiness or felicity:  a source or cause of delight: (verb) to experience great pleasure or delight: rejoice:Joy vs. Happiness - 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.Joy is powerful - 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.Joy is a choice and a gift - Most importantly I think we need to realize and remember that Joy is a choice.  We receive Joy by faith when we decide to trust God by surrendering our lives to Him and choose to abide daily in Christ through His word and truth, which gives us deep security in our eternal destiny.  Joy is a fruit of God’s spirit that is a byproduct of abiding in Christ. We know that as sons and daughters of the living God our names are written in the Lambs book of life, this is a Joyous reality.  We are co-heirs with Christ Jesus in God’s Kingdom.  If we believe God’s truth then you cannot help but be overjoyed by the reality of what God has so graciously done for us.  “Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to test you, as though some strange thing happened to you; but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s suffering, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy”. 1 Peter4:12-13I think it is pretty amazing how our God so deeply desires us to experience the Joy of the Lord, so much so that He uses the word Joy over 200 times in the bible and encourages us to “Rejoice, always (experience Joy over and over continually), pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18I pray that “The Joy of the Lord will be your strength” Nehemiah 8:10Have a Joy filled week…-Duane 

Word of the Week - Self Control

For the Spirit God Gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and Self-control.  2 Timothy 1:7Self-Control defined by Merrian-Webster as:  restraint exercised over one’s own impulses, emotions, or desires;  the ability to manage your actions and feelings.  Self-control is one factor that separates humans from animals, although there seems to be a growing idea in our culture today towards the idea that we should pursue whatever makes us feel good and the idea of self-control limits us from being happy.    The challenge:  “I do not understand what I do.  For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate to do.  And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good.  As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me.  For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature.  For I have desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out.  For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do-this I keep doing.  Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.” Romans 7:15-20.  As Paul shares in this scripture, there seems to be something at work within us that is contrary to the concept of Self-control.  Paul identifies this as our sinful nature.  There are lots of references to the idea of Self-control in God’s word.  In fact most of the old testament is basically the story of man’s inability to have enough Self-control to meet God’s standard of perfect holiness.  The idea of Self-control is very interesting because it implies that we as humans have the ability to control ourselves and our environment, which as Paul shares in the above scripture does not seem to be achievable, at least in our own strength.The consequences: “There is a way that seems right to a man that leads to death.” Proverbs 14:12  Don’t get me wrong, I believe whole heartedly that we are responsible for our actions and we will be held accountable for the consequences of poor decisions and sin; what we do and how we live during our short journey on early really matters for eternity.  The truth is that our sin nature combined with the fallen nature of this world draws us down a path of death.   “For all have sinned and fallen short of the Glory of God.” Romans 3:23The Hope and Good News: “For God so loved the world that He gave us His only begotten son Jesus so that we may have eternal life” John 3;16  Even the strongest willed among us remain humanly imperfect and lack self-control of the flesh and soul, which leads to sin and death.  This is the reason that God sent His son Jesus to establish a new covenant whereby we overcome sin and judgement through the power of the blood of the lamb that was slain to cover our sins and give us access to overcoming power through Christ. “The spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of His Spirit who lives in you”. Romans 8:11We are made holy and righteous by what He did and not through our ability to achieve perfection.  Therefore, by surrendering our lives fully to Christ we receive His power to overcome the soul and flesh and gain Self-Control by His Spirit being alive within us.  Through our daily surrender of self and connection to the vine of Christ, we receive the gift of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and Self-control.  These are the fruits of God’s spirit that are only produced in us as a biproduct of our abiding connection with Christ John 15:5.  We cannot sufficiently produce these things in our own strength no matter how hard we try but must depend on the Lord to give us what we need to overcome the enemy of our soul and our self.  This is the life that is truly life, in Christ alone.Have a great week.-Duane

Word of the Week - The Precious Blood

In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.  Hebrews 9:22He is Risen!!!!  Easter and the celebration of the Resurrection, which we celebrated last Sunday, is the most powerful reality of our faith as followers of Christ “Christians”.  In order to live in the Resurrection Power as believers, we must understand where the power comes from so we can be equipped to exercise the power and experience the benefits of the sacrifice that our Lord Jesus made for each of us on the Cross at Calgary.  It is the precious Blood of Christ, the perfect lamb of God that was poured out for us as a sin offering so that we can receive forgiveness and have eternal life.Power in the Blood – It was God who made all living things and created Blood as the substance that carries and represents life.  In the old covenant, before Jesus, all sin had to be atoned for through the shedding of the Blood of animals.  God demonstrated the protecting and delivering power of the Blood, when He commanded Israel to take the Blood of a perfect lamb and place it on the door post of their homes to protect them from the death angel that would pass through Egypt. All who covered their homes and families with the blood escaped judgement and were spared.  Those who decided to go it alone were not.  This is the Passover.Jesus Sacrifice – God’s complete holiness had to be justified.  The sin of mankind had to be judged and atoned for once and for all.  God provided the way by giving of Himself in sending His son Jesus, who alone was qualified as the perfect “lamb of God” to pour out Himself as the ultimate sacrifice.  His Blood covers our past, present and future sins and gives us victory over the enemy of our soul.  “And they overcame Satan by the blood of the lamb, and by the word of their testimony” Revelation 12:11Receive the Gift of the Blood and use it against the enemy of your soul – Jesus bought you!  He paid for our sins with His own Blood!  Therefore, we are His the minute we accept His gift of life by surrendering our lives to Him.  Let’s believe it, receive it, rejoice in it and walk in it!  It is the Blood of Jesus not our good works that purges us of any defilement/sin.  It is the Blood of Jesus that keeps us and guards our hearts and minds each day.  It is the Blood of Jesus that prevents deception and aborts every attempt of the enemy to deceive us.  The Blood of Jesus is our divine covering and protection against all the fiery darts of the evil one.  “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.  God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of His Blood-to be received by faith”. Romans 3:23-24Oh! Precious is the flow That makes me white as snow; No other fount I know.  Nothing but the blood of Jesus!!!!!!!!!!Have great week knowing that you are covered by the Blood of Jesus……-Duane

Word of the Week - Resurrection Power - Christ is Risen!!!!!!!!

The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, He will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you.  Romans 8:11For followers of Christ, the death and Resurrection of Jesus over 2000 years ago is by far the most significant event in world history.  Jesus death by crucifixion and His resurrection from the grave are historically recorded events that changed the world.  These facts are most meaningful because of their spiritual significance in that through His death on the cross Jesus bore the sin of all mankind (past, present and future) so we can be saved from the wrath of God through forgiveness of our sins and have eternal life.  ¹⁶ For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. John 3:16.  This is truly Good News for us to embrace by faith and celebrate on this special Easter day.  By accepting and believing in Christ and what He did for us on the cross, we receive the full benefits of the Resurrection.  First and foremost, we receive access to forgiveness of our sins by the blood of the Jesus, the lamb of God who was slain on our behalf.  This is what allows us to be restored to fellowship with God our Father and have eternal salvation.  This is the “Good News” and truly the focus of this day, but there is much more for us to receive in Christ through what transpired on the cross at Calgary.  Through the cross we have access to the same power that allowed Jesus to rise from the dead.  God has empowered us as His sons and daughters to walk out our faith with confidence and trust in Him, which is what activates this power in our day to day lives.The following are 5 additional benefits/opportunities for His resurrection power to come alive within us:

• Resurrect Hope – “Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance;  perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.” Romans 5:3-5
• Resurrect Purpose – “ For we are God’s workmanship created in Christ Jesus to do good works that He prepared for us in advance” Ephesians 2:10
• Resurrect Faith –  ^“For we walk by faith, not by sight.” 2 Corinthians 5:7
• Resurrect Joy – “Fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of 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  “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.” Romans 15:13
• Resurrect Life – “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” John 10:10  “In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.” 1 Timothy 6:19

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

Word of the Week - Vision - Part 2

Then the Lord answered me, 'Write the vision. Make it clear on tablets so that anyone can read it quickly. Put it in writing, because it is not yet time for it to come true.' But the time is coming quickly, and what I show you will come true. It may seem slow in coming, but wait for it; it will certainly take place, and it will not be delayed. Habakkuk 2:2-3

Power of a written Vision: As discussed last week (see here), having a godly Vision for you and your family is powerful and leads to life, but it is even more powerful if your family Vision is written and shared. Research indicates that if you write down a goal you have a 73% chance of accomplishing the goal even if you forgot you wrote it down. Even more powerful, research indicates that if you write down a goal and share it with someone and ask to be held accountable, there is a 90% chance you will achieve the goal over time. A Vision is simply a long-term goal.  The scripture above from Habakkuk promises us that if we write down our Vision and make it clear, it will come true in God’s timing.The Impact of written Vision and Values on our Family and Heritage: “Know therefore that the Lord your God is God; He is the faithful God, keeping His covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love Him and keep His commandments.” Deuteronomy 7:9  As leaders of our families we have an amazing opportunity and responsibility to impact not only our immediate family but generations to come through how we lead and steward our families. You will rarely find a good business that does not have a written Vision, Mission and Values, but you may be hard pressed to find many families that have written Vision, Mission and Values. This can truly be the difference maker between your family Heritage (kids, grandkids and great grandkids) living in generational blessing or not. Especially in today’s world where the family is under attack from almost every direction, there has never been a time in history where our families need clarity of identity grounded in Christ. This starts within our families, knowing who we are and what we are about. Having clarity of purpose and knowing what we believe and our values. This gives our kids and grandkids a healthy sense of belonging and security.Family Vision and Values are like a compass (direction), rudder (grounding) and telescope (foresight) for your family: “Unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labor in vain.” Psalm 127:1  Where family identity is strong outside influences like culture and peer pressure are weak.  As leaders of our families we cannot control the culture around us but we can influence and impact the culture and sense of identity and security within our families. Healthy interdependent families look inside the family to have their needs met whereas less healthy independent families tend to look outside to the world to find their identity and have their needs met. This can be very dangerous and destructive, especially in their formative years of transitioning from adolescents to adult.  As leaders in our families and homes, we need to work to develop and give clarity on family identity, vision and purpose. This is more caught than taught so we need to actually walk the talk; we must lead by example if we expect our kids and grandkids to follow, but it starts with intentionality and clarity – having written vision and values.Personal application and resources: "I heard and forgot, I saw and remembered, I did and I understood" Bruce Johnston  With the influence and help of several key mentors and advisors in my life to include: my father-in-law, Bill Doré, my pastor, Chris Hodges, my friend and Founder of JH/Outback, Bruce Johnston, my life Coach, Phil Nicaud, and many more that are not named, our family started this process about 8 years ago and it has produced tremendous fruit thus far.  So much so that I founded the Heritage Forum. The Heritage Forum is a ministry platform that is used to equip high capacity leaders with best practices to live out their kingdom purpose by developing a Heritage Vision for themselves and their families. I was recently introduced to Greg Gunn who founded Family ID. Some of the ideas noted above came out of my time with Greg. Greg and his wife Rhonda are passionate about leading families toward developing strong identity through the process of building a godly family Vision, Mission and Values as a foundation for family identity in Christ.“But blessed is the (family) who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in Him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. They do not fear when heat comes; their leaves are always green. It they have no worries in a year of drought and they never fails to bear fruit” Jeremiah 17:7-8Be a family with godly vision and enjoy generational blessings in the good times and the times of challenge.-Duane

Word of the Week - Vision - Part 1

Where there is no vision, the people perish. Proverbs 29:18

What Is Vision? Vision is the ability to think about or plan the future with imagination, creativity and wisdom. Vision allows us to see a picture of a preferred future, which infuses us with energy, enthusiasm and passion for life. It can truly be the difference maker in our lives that determines if we are flourishing or simply surviving. Unfortunately statistics tell us that most people live with very little personal vision and thus don’t really experience the fullness of the life that God intended.Our Vision Is a Function of Our God Purpose:  If you are alive and breathing then you have a God purpose for being on this earth that I believe can only be discovered and revealed through a personal relationship with our Creator through the person of Jesus. Ephesians 2:10 tells us “That we are God’s workmanship created in Christ Jesus to do good works that He prepared in advance for us to do”. The first step is to acknowledge this reality through a personal and intimate relationship with Christ by surrendering our hearts and life to Him. This is an amazing and life-transforming step that is the eternal difference maker. As amazing as this is for us, this is just the beginning of our eternal journey; there is actually much more that God has for each of us. God’s plan for us during our time on earth is that we live and grow to our full potential in Christ so that we can realize our God purpose and experience the abundant life.Having a God Vision Is the Difference Between Surviving and Thriving: “'For I know the plans I have for you,' says the Lord. 'They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope'” Jeremiah 29:11. I know this sounds great and most everyone desires to hope and a good future but the biggest life question is how do we find our purpose and get a clear Vision for our lives.  First we have to understand that we have an enemy of our soul that is working overtime to keep us from God’s best for our lives and he will use anything he can to distract us from our God purpose because this is where we are most effective.  The main way the enemy keeps us from our purpose is through our pursuit and conforming to the customs of our culture/world.  We are typically so caught up in our day to day lives that we are confused about what is most important or we are constantly playing the comparison game trying to keep up with the Joneses, or we are simply pursuing counterfeit gods that will never be able to satisfy us, this is called idolatry. “The thief comes only to steal, kill and destroy but I have come so that you may have life, and have it to the full” John 10:10.  Through the power of the Holy Spirit living within us, we can overcome the enemy of our soul and live with God Vision and purpose.How Do We Develop Our God Vision? With this in mind, we must intentionally seek after God and pursue Him to know our God purpose and Vision by asking God to reveal it to us. We should also take time to reflect on our lives so we can discern our God-given gifts, talents, passions and values: those innate things that we were born with, because our design reveals our destiny (Vision being lived).  We should also take time to get feedback from those that are closest to us who may be able to see things in us that we cannot see in ourselves.  Self-assessment tools like disc or others like the 2:10 Project can really be helpful. Studying God’s word and knowing His heart will also reveal Vision and purpose in our lives because we are made in His image and thus our life vision and purpose should be aligned with His word and will. We should also look for opportunities and doors that are being opened for us that lead us toward our God purpose. Finally we should pray to hear from God directly through a personal encounter with the Almighty and be willing to step out in faith when we hear from Him. Our faith is activated when we step out of our comfort zone and walk in faith and trust by God’s spirit. This is life that is truly life, the abundant life in Christ.We can confirm if we are hearing from God or something else by testing what we are a hearing against a few simple litmus test. Does our Vison and purpose align with God’s word? Are we being motivated by fear or faith? A godly Vision promotes faith rather than fear. A godly Vision motivates people to action and requires risk-taking. A godly Vision glorifies God, not us. As with everything we do in our lives, we must stay connected to the vine of Christ and keep our eyes focused on Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith.I pray we will experience the blessing of knowing our personal God Vision and live in our God given destiny; for this is “the life that is truly life.” 1 Timothy 6:19.Have a great week.-Duane

Word of the Week - Abiding

I am the vine you are the branches, if you abide in me I will abide in you and you will bare much fruit; apart from Me you can do nothing        John 15:5

Abiding in Christ - I truly believe that a daily abiding relationship with the Lord is the single most important thing we can do after we make a decision to follow Christ and receive salvation. This is where our faith becomes active and we receive the power and benefits of our faith. The word Remain is used synonymously with Abide in several translations, simply put it means to stay connected and become one with the Lord. What is interesting about this quote from Jesus, is how He makes it clear that there is a condition for us to stay connected to Him, we must go first and be the initiator/pursuer. He says that if we Abide in Him, then He will reciprocate and Abide in us. God wants to be our first priority. “Seek first the Kingdom and His righteousness and all things will be added unto you” Matthew 6:33.  I am convinced that abiding is an active process that manifest in daily actions of pursuing the Lord, which allow us to respond in love to what Jesus did for us on the cross. Abiding is not just an idea or a nice thought or feeling, it is truly a passionate pursuit to engage with the Lord and remain in deep ongoing relationship with Him.What it looks like to Abide - So what does it mean to Abide in the Vine of Christ and how do we actively connect with an invisible God. Similar to connecting with another person, there is no one right way to abide in Christ, the biggest thing is that we make it a priority and daily pursuit. Here are a few examples of how we can abide in Christ:1) talking with the Lord daily and intimately – Prayer, 2) telling Him how great He is and how much we appreciate what He has done for us – Praise & Worship, 3) learning about His very nature and what He cares about – Reading His Word/Bible, 4) making a point to care about what He cares about – loving and serving others, 5) telling people about Him and how great He is – discipleship/evangelism, 6) encouraging each other in our walk of faith – fellowship of believers / church body, and 7) simply thinking about Him and meditating on who He is and who you are in Him.Fruit of Abiding in Christ - The best part of all of this is that the Lord blesses us with amazing fruit/blessings when we stay connected to Him in an abiding relationship. These are fruits/gifts that we cannot manufacture for ourselves, they are simply a byproduct of His very nature at work within us. They include but are not limited to: Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness and Self Control.  Who would not want these wonderful gifts that are the fruit of God’s spirit being produced in us so our lives become a blessing that produce Kingdom fruit.  “Therefor by your fruits you will know them” Matthew 7:20. The spiritual fruit of our lives is truly the evidence of God power at work within us.I had the privilege of serving at the Birmingham Outback https://www.jhoutback.com/ this weekend (an amazing family focused ministry that I love and highly recommend), and was reminded of what God has done in my life and my family over the past 20 years since I gave my life to Christ and began abiding.  For the first 33 years of my life, I was not abiding in Christ and I cannot point to any spiritual fruit from that period of my life (nothing).  By the grace of God and being part of great ministries like JH Outback, Church of the Highlands, Heritage Forum and others, God has produced amazing spiritual fruit in my life, family, ministry and business over the last 20 years. There is no doubt in my mind that this is all God’s work and the byproduct of making God a daily priority, and abiding in the vine of Christ.“God will do immeasurably more than you can ever ask or imagine, in and through you, by His power at work within you” Ephesians 3:20, but this only happens if you remain connected to the vine of Christ.Sincerely,Duane

Word of the week - Marriage

For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh. Ephesians 5:31

Sacrament of Marriage – The sacrament of Marriage is a beautiful gift from God; whereby one man and one woman become united as one through the sacrament of holy matrimony. For followers of Christ, this union is the only life-long covenant relationship before God (spirit) and man (law). God established the sacrament of marriage to mirror Christ's relationship with His bride, us the Church. “Let us rejoice and be glad and give Him glory! For the wedding of the lamb has come, and His bride has made herself ready. Fine linen, bright and clean, was given to her to wear.” Revelation 19:7-8 (Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of God’s holy people.)Our Most Refining Relationship – The marriage relationship has many benefits and has the potential to produce our greatest blessings in life such as children/family, deep companionship and unconditional love. It also has the potential to produce the most pain and strife if not submitted to the Lordship of Christ. Since it is a God ordained covenant relationship, when we get married we are signing up for a lifetime commitment (covenant) regardless of the circumstances that life throws at us, “until death do us part”. This is pretty intense when you really stop to think about it. I am not sure I really understood this on my wedding day. There is no doubt that God knew exactly what He was doing when He instituted the sacrament of marriage, where two people from different families of origin come together to become one, which in itself can be a major challenge. No matter how much we love our spouse, there is always going to be friction as we die to ourselves to become one and navigate the blessings and challenges of life. This is truly a refining and sanctifying process that either breaks us, or if we allow the spirit of God to work in us, it helps us conform to the image of Christ. I can honestly say that after 30 years of marriage, there is nothing on earth that has challenged and refined me as much as my marriage relationship with my wife, Amy. I know that God has used my marriage to make me a better person in every area of my life; thank you Lord Jesus!  Ephesians 5 is one of the most beautiful chapters in the Bible as it describes our relationship with Christ in the context of the marriage relationship, “and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” Ephesians 5:2. Paul goes on in Ephesians 5 to give us instructions on our roles in the marriage. First and foremost that we die to ourselves by submitting to Christ and one another, “Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ” Ephesians 5:21.  Specific instruction for wives “Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything” Ephesians 5:24, then to husbands, “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her” Ephesians 5:25. I think the Lord makes it pretty straightforward for us, but are we willing to trust Him by His word?Marriage Prepares Us for Our Eternal Union with Christ  - God is so good that He designed marriage for our benefit to enjoy the beautiful blessing of covenant companionship and the process of reproducing and building our families so we can have a heritage and legacy that we can pass to future generations, which is a wonderful blessing. That being said, I think His greatest purpose in the sacrament of marriage is to prepare us for our union with Him as the bride of Christ. He gave us a tangible way to experience a small glimpse of what we have to look forward to for eternity and to help prepare us for our great wedding banquet with Christ. I have found over the years of marriage that the most important key to having a good marriage is to stay connected to your spouse. This requires intentional daily pursuit; we have to continue to put logs on the fire to keep the fire burning strong. In other words, we have to make our spouses a top priority to keep a healthy and growing relationship. Our marriage begins with a great ceremony exchanging vows before God and man but only thrives if we stay connected over a lifetime, which is easier said than done. Ask all the great people you know whose marriages did not make it. I believe our marriage relationship resembles our walk with God through our relationship with Jesus. It begins with the day we surrender our hearts to Jesus and commit our lives to Christ but it only survives and thrives if we stay connected to the vine of Christ through our daily abiding walk with Him. In fact Jesus said we can do nothing of the Spirit unless we are connected to the vine of Christ, “I am the vine and you are the branch, if you abide in me I will abide in you, and you will bare much fruit. Apart from me you can do nothing.”  John 15:5As we grow in marriage and unity with our spouse, we must depend upon God to give us what is needed to become a godly spouse and as we abide/connect with Christ, we become more Christ like in preparation for our eternal union with Christ. These things work together to help us become who God called us to be in Him. What an amazing God we serve.If your marriage is struggling and you need some practical biblical insights on how to work on your marriage, I would suggest you watch this sermon from Craig Groeshel on Hope for Hurting Marriages https://www.churchofthehighlands.com/media/message/hope-for-hurting-marriages. Sincerely,Duane

Word of the Week - Family

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

Definition of a family - The basic unit in society traditionally consisting of two parents rearing their children: a group of individuals living together under one roof usually under one head: a group of person of common ancestry or blood relationship: a group of people united by certain convictions or common affiliation.Family is a Gift - “Children are a heritage from the Lord, offspring a reward from Him. Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are children born in one’s youth. Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them. They will not be put to shame when they contend with their opponents in court” Psalm 127:3-5 God is so good that He blessed us with the gift of family. Starting with sacrament of marriage, the union of one man and one woman to become one in Christ. “Therefore a man leaves his father and his mother and cleaves to his wife, and they become one flesh”. Genesis 2:24 This is the one relationship on earth that God compares to His relationship with His bride the church (us). What a beautiful picture and opportunity we have to relate with Christ and become more Christ-like through the sanctifying experience of the marriage relationship. God did not stop with the gift of marriage, He then blessed us with the mandate to procreate and made it an intimate and delightful part of connecting in marriage. God blessed us with the ability to have children to enjoy and raise up in Christ who will pass down our heritage and legacy to the next generations. “God blessed them and said to them, Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it'” Genesis 1:28.Responsibility of Leading our Family Well - As followers of Christ, our children are a huge blessing from God but they are also our greatest responsibility as stewards of our blessings. Like all things in life, God desires for us to enjoy and delight in our blessings, but He gives us these blessings so that we will use them for His purpose to be a blessing and build His kingdom. This is most evident in our role as parents and grandparents. First and foremost, it is our utmost privilege and responsibility to ensure that our offspring know God and are trained up in the ways of our faith. As parents and grandparents, we must make it the first priority to share our faith and testimony with our offspring and lead them in the way of God both in word and deed. Generally these things are more caught than taught, so the true test of our faith is how we live. Have we ordered our lives according to God’s values and are we living this way?  Are we abiding in Christ daily and seeing the fruit of God’s spirit being multiplied and passed down to our children and grandchildren? “And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another-and all the more as you see the day approaching” Hebrews 10:25.Opportunity and Blessing - “Now therefore that the Lord your God is God; He  is the faithful God, keeping His covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love Him and keep His commandments” Deuteronomy 7:9. What an amazing blessing and opportunity we have to impact generations through the short life we have on this earth. God makes it very simple: if we make His values our family’s values, we will have generational blessing beyond measure. But if we don’t make God’s values our priorities then the curse and river of mud from our forefathers will continue to be passed down to future generations. God promises us that that our offspring will have an enduring blessing if we pass down a godly heritage. This starts with really assessing our values.  Are our values and the way we live our lives based on the values of the world (money, social status, pursuing self) or God’s values (Christ, family, others)? The great commandment, loving God first and loving others second. I am convinced that if we make God the priority “First Fruits”, we will receive His blessing and our children and their offspring will have everything they need. With divine order comes divine blessing. God does not call us to perfection, but He does call us to a life that makes him the top priority in all things starting with how we live our lives day to day. Living the surrendered life making Christ our lord.Building our Families on the Rock of Christ - “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash” Matthew 7:24-27. Are we building the foundation of our house and family on the rock of Christ so we can survive and even thrive through the storms of life?  Blood family relationship is thick but has no comparison to the power of God’s spirit alive and well within our hearts and families. The best family is a family that is one in spirit in Christ. The greatest inheritance we can leave our children is that of a godly heritage submitted to the lordship of Christ. We just completed a weekend together with our kids and grandkids at our farm down in Marengo county where we spent time talking about our family heritage and the opportunity we have to pass down blessings to the next generations. I was so encouraged by this time together as I experienced how God is working in our family through our kids and how God’s values have become our values and are being transferred to our kids and grandkids. This is the biggest blessing and opportunity in life and it is of the Spirit of God.If you want to learn more about building your family on the rock of Christ for generational blessing, I highly recommend this message from Pastor Jimmy Evans on Building a Lasting Family https://www.churchofthehighlands.com/media/message/building-a-lasting-family . He shared this last Sunday, and it was one of the most encouraging messages I have ever heard on family and the opportunity we have for influencing our families toward generational blessings.Have a great week.-Duane

Word of the Week - Life

Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. 2 Corinthians 4:16

Life is a gift  - “Life – A precious gift from God” Psalm 139:14. Every day that we have on this earth is a gift from God and having that perspective is truly a blessing. This is the principal of a “Heart of Gratitude”, and it is a godly perspective that brings life. If we really think about it, the fact that we are alive and breathing is a gift from God, and we should rejoice and be thankful. Life is fragile and can be taken in an instant so count each day as a blessing and a gift. This in itself is enough, but God is so good that he blesses us with so much more such as our family, friends and the opportunities to live and enjoy life through relationship with Him and others in our ministry, life, work and recreation.Count your blessings - I am celebrating my 53^rd year on earth today, and as I reflect on my life this morning, I am almost overwhelmed by the amazing blessings I have been given from God. From a heart of gratitude with thanksgiving to the Lord, I would like to acknowledge just a few of my blessing to include: My dear wife Amy who loves me after 30 years of marriage and is excited about growing old together. My 3 amazing daughters Mary Kathryn, Saige and Isabella who love God and are walking with Him. My four precious grandkids: Selah, John Michael, Lilly and Hazel who are the joy of my heart like sunshine on a clear spring morning. My two godly sons-in-law JD and Blake who are great husbands, fathers and providers for our daughters and grandkids, and my favorite duck hunting padnahs. My loving and supportive dad who is still active at 82 years old along with my wonderful sister Leslie and brother Mike and their families, who I love dearly and treasure spending time with. My band of brothers/close friends, too many to name, who have stood with me through the challenges of life and whom I have shared many great times, laughing and enjoying life together, especially at Heritage Farms. My church family led by my friend and pastor, Chris Hodges, who led me to Christ and is a spiritual father to me. Our growing business, Founders Advisors, co-led with my two great and godly partners, Wesley Legg and Zane Tarence, along with an amazing team I feel privileged to lead. And the list goes on and on. I surely don’t deserve any of this, but I am tremendously grateful for every blessing and want to make the most if it for God’s kingdom and glory.Making the most of life  - “Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” Psalm 90:12  There is a saying I heard at JH Ranch, “We only live once, but if we live well, once is enough”. I believe that this is true if we live our lives in Christ and ask for His wisdom to direct us in our daily lives. I believe the key to living this way is to understanding that our lives and our blessings are not our own; they are gifts from God that we get to steward while we are on this earth. This changes our perspective and gives us a more eternal God perspective that is truly a game changer. The paradox of giving to receive: “For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses life for me will find it”. Matthew 16:25  The way we make the most of life and get our lives ordered towards God’s priorities is through abiding in Christ. His spirit leads us and directs us along the way. “I am the vine and you are the branches, if you abide in me I will abide in you and your will bear much fruit. Apart from me you can do nothing” John 15:5.  I love this scripture in 1 Timothy 6 (1 Chuck Scott YL) about making the most of our blessings and having an eternal perspective, “Command those who are rich in this present world (which is all of us) not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.”Living the abundant life in Christ – “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. Out of all the abundant blessings I have experienced in my 53 years on this earth, I can truly say that the most precious blessing I have experienced to date was coming to know Jesus in a personal way almost 20 years ago. It was truly a game changer that has allowed me to grow and flourish in every area of my life. I was truly born of the Spirit and my eyes were opened to whole new way, God’s way. I cannot properly articulate in words what I experienced but I can relate with the blind man in John 9:25, “He replied, 'whether He is a sinner or not, I don’t know. One thing I do know, I was blind but now I see!'"  The one thing I do know is that I found the abundant life by surrendering my life to Christ, and I have to continue to do this over and over again because my human nature (flesh) continues to want to take back control. What I also discovered in this process of experiencing the abundant life is that God’s plan for us is much better than our plans for us, but we must take the step of faith to trust Him before we see or know what it is. “God will do immeasurably and abundantly more than we can ever hope or imagine by His power at work within us” Ephesians 3:20.  I love this verse and truly feel like this is the life God has blessed me with through my knowing Him.Life is a gift, so let’s live life to the full by being renewed in Christ day by day. This is the abundant life!You are a blessing to me,-Duane