Word of the Week - Living Sacrifice

Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. ² 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 12:1-2

As followers of Christ we are called to be a Living Sacrifice unto the Lord.  The scriptures below from Romans 12:3-21 outline what it looks like to live sacrificial lives through humility, love for God and His people, and yes even love for our enemies.  Most of what is stated below is not natural for us and thus requires supernatural ability.  How do we get the motivation, strength and power to live like this and do it with pure hearts?  I believe that this is only possible through the power of the Holy Spirit that transforms and renews our minds so that we are made new with a mind and heart that is Christ like.  This comes by surrendering our hearts and wills to Christ and staying connected to the vine of Christ so we can remain in Him and have ongoing access to His power.³ For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you. ⁴ For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, ⁵ so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. ⁶ We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your^[a] faith; ⁷ if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; ⁸ if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead,^[b] do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.⁹ Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. ¹⁰ Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. ¹¹ Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. ¹² Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. ¹³ Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.¹⁴ Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. ¹⁵ Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. ¹⁶ Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position.^[c] Do not be conceited.¹⁷ Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. ¹⁸ If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. ¹⁹ Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,”^[d] says the Lord. ²⁰ On the contrary:“If your enemy is hungry, feed him;if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.”^[e]21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with goodWow, this is a tall order from the Apostle Paul but I know that these things are attainable through Christ who strengthens us.  I pray the Lord would give us the strength and ability to live the words of Romans 12 this week so that we are Living Sacrificially to the Glory of God.  This is what brings glory and honor to our Lord.  By the way, when we fall short of this standard, and we will, He forgives us and encourages us to learn, grow and overcome.  This is the sanctification process of a follower of Christ.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

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 truly 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.  He wants us to pursue Him and desire His presence in our lives.  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 know the Lord and be in deep ongoing relationship with Him.  So what does it mean to Abide in the Vine of Christ and how do we actively connect with an invisible God.  Here are a few examples of abiding 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.   The best part of all of this is that the Lord blesses us with amazing gifts when we stay connected to Him in an abiding relationship.  These are gifts that we cannot manufacture for ourselves, they are simply a byproduct of His very nature at work within us.  These gifts include: 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 within us.  What an amazing God we serve.-Duane

Word of the Week - Sowing and Reaping

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

The principal of Sowing and Reaping is one of key truths of life both on earth from a practical sense and in heaven from a spiritual sense.  Whether we like it or not, we will Reap what we Sow over the course of time.  Just like many of God’s principals within His economy, this is a wonderful truth that can really be a blessing if we understand it and align our lives accordingly.From a more practical perspective, if you have lived any amount of life you have a general understanding of how this works.  If we Sow good seeds of life, we will generally Reap good seeds, like for like.  Of course life is not perfect and there are times when we may be Sowing good seed into bad soil or Sowing during seasons of drought that prevent the seed from sprouting and taking root.  We cannot control the outcome but we surely can resolve to continually Sowing good seeds and look for good soil to Sow into.  This is the opportunity we have each day, and over time, the sum of our Sowing is what results in the fruit of our lives.  On the contrary, if we Sow bad seed then we can expect Reap the same.  For example, good healthy life disciplines such as eating well, exercising regularly, getting good sleep/rest and building healthy relationships generally will result in a healthy person with flourishing relationships, whereas lack of discipline such as poor eating, neglecting health, bad habits such as excessive drinking or use of drugs and neglecting or mistreating family and others will lead to destruction, brokenness and ultimately death.   I think we have all witnessed this to some degree or another in our lives or in the lives of those around us.From a spiritual perspective this is even more important and pronounced.  The Lord makes it very clear that when we Sow seeds into His Kingdom through praying, worshipping, giving, serving, loving and sharing the Gospel with others with pure motives, then we can expect to Reap a harvest in heaven.  Moreover, God’s is so awesome that He multiplies the harvest and allows us to Reap in abundance.  In the parable of the Sower in the Gospel of Mark he talks about how the seed was sown into good ground produced and abundant crop “Still other seed fell on good soil.  It came up, grew and produced a crop, some multiplying thirty, some sixty and some a hundred times” Mark 4:8.Finally, it is important to note that these things are not mutually exclusive.  I think some believe that we can only Sow one dimensionally in life.  We are either Sowing into our vocations/jobs or into our faith through religious church activities.  One of the most exciting truths I ever discovered was the fact that God desires for us to integrate all of these things together.  We have the opportunity every day to get a twofer.  For example we can serve people in our vocations whether it be customers or employees both practically and spiritually.  We don’t have to separate the two, we can Sow seeds of life by practically serving them with excellence while at the same time building a personal relationship that would allow us to minister to them as they navigate the challenges of life.  This is the Gospel.Let’s resolve to Sow some great seeds this week and look for fertile ground for Sowing into.Blessings,-Duane

Word of the Week - Freedom

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

Coming off of the July 4^th celebration of our nation’s Independence/Freedom, I think it presents a great opportunity 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 relate with 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 200 plus years to gain and defend this amazing gift of Freedom and to never take it lightly or for granted.  To understand that this is a gift that has been bought with much blood and sacrifice by so many and it is a very big deal.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.  “So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.”  John 8:36  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 5:13Lord we thank you for the many Freedoms we have as a nation and all of those who have sacrificed and died to make this a reality for us.  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 Freedom for eternity.God Bless you and God Bless America, the land of the Free,-Duane

Word of the Week - Sabbath

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

The principal of Sabbath is misunderstood by most.  Since it is the 4^th commandment and associated with the old covenant most people see it as a constraining and legalistic Jewish religious tradition, or they simply think it is a day to attend church, which is certainly a good thing to do as part of your Sabbath. The truth, as stated in Mark 2:27 above is that Jesus gave us the Sabbath for our own good and health.  Since He actually designed and created mankind, He understands what is best for us and desires only the best for His sons and daughters.  In Exodus 20:8-11 God makes a clear connection to the Sabbath day by modeling it for us in the Creation story “on the seventh day God the Creator rested”.  Sabbath observance therefore involves the affirmation that God is Creator and Sustainer of the world.  If God took a day of each week to rest surely we would benefit from doing the same.So it is pretty simple, if we really Trust God for who He is we will Trust that He is our provider and we can rest in Him.  He makes it clear that we are here on earth to glorify Him and serve others through our work and being productive, adding value to this world.  We should work heartily at all we do with passion and vigor.  “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters”, Colossians 3:23. But God is so amazing and good that He did not create us to be machines; He created us for soulful fellowship with Him and His creation. He truly desires us to be healthy and enjoy the blessings of life.  Since He is our Maker, He knows we need time away from the day to day grind of life to recharge and be refreshed spiritually, physically, mentally and emotionally.  We all need space between us and our work or else we run the risk of burnout, not to mention the fact that we are more productive and creative when we have time off.  This is the principal and gift of Sabbath.  To cease from our work to simply rest in knowing God   To honor God by putting our faith in action by demonstrating we trust God and desire to set apart one day a week, typically the first day, to refocus your energy and attention on Him and those closest to us.  Most Christians who observe the Sabbath on Sunday because that is the day they are off of work but the Sabbath is not necessarily a specific day of the week.  For some like pastors who have to work on Sunday, they make other days of the week their Sabbath.If you are not already doing so, I encourage you to take one 24 hour day of your week and make it your Sabbath by not engaging in your day to day work/job.  Instead of working spend your time fellowshipping with the Lord, your family and other believers (Church and more) enjoying praise and worship, prayer, bible reading and just hanging out with family.  Enjoy a long walk with your wife or some one on one time with your son or daughter playing a game.Rest in Him…. -Duane

Word of the Week - Rest

Come to me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy and my burden is light. Matthew 11:28-30

Rest is an interesting and important human need.  Similar to peace, we all desire and require Rest to remain healthy.  Rest is powerful because it can be a source of refreshment and new energy to empower and sustain.  All too often the more we need Rest the harder it is to find, which leads to restlessness.  It seems there is just too much going on within us and around us to enter a place of true Rest.  There is always something that needs to be tended to or we have something bothering us in regards to our internal struggles,  relationships or responsibilities.  The truth of the matter is that we live in a fallen world where there will always be something that is incomplete or needs attention.  In fact, from the beginning of mankind God designed life so that we would have to work and toil in life and be dependent upon God and others.  This allows us to grow and develop into what God made us to be.  This is the process of life and sanctification.  At some point we have to accept the fact that no matter how hard we try, we will never be good enough or be able to do enough to justify ourselves.  We could not do it so He did it for us, this is the good news of the Gospel!!  Only through true faith and dependence on God can we find the place of deep soulful Rest to receive the strength and energy we need to live life to the full and have a healthy soul.  This type of Rest is only found in Christ as we understand God’s love and His sovereignty over our lives.  “Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty” Psalm 91:1.  So how do we enter this place of true Rest?  I believe it starts by first acknowledging that we are not in control of our lives but God is.  If we really believe this at the depths of our soul then we will gain peace and serenity and become dependent upon the Lord.  We also need to pursue and develop an intimate relationship and connectivity with God so we can receive the reassurance that He loves us and He is for us; therefore all is well.  As a father of 3 daughters it is important for me and my girls to remain connected at a deeper level so they are reassured of my love for them and the fact that I will be there for them when they need me.  Similarly, we need to find that place of constant reassurance that God is with us and He loves us deeply and unconditionally.  There is an adversary of our soul that would love us to never to Rest or receive this degree love and security in our relationship with God because it is so powerful.  This is why our daily abiding relationship with God is so important to our spiritual health and finding Rest.  Finally, we must simply trust God and take Him for His Word.  If we truly trust God and His word then we know that He has our back and “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”  Hebrews 13:5-6  Living in the place of faith, trust, intimacy and connectivity to God through His Word results in security that allows us to find true soulful rest no matter what circumstances we face in life.Next week I will share about the benefits of the Sabbath and how God instituted the Sabbath for us so we can stay healthy and filled with faith.I hope you can find a place of true Rest in Christ today.-Duane

Word of the Week - Father

“And I will be a Father to you, And you shall be sons and daughters to Me," Says the Lord Almighty.  2 Corinthians 6:18

How powerful is the role of a Father?  Research confirms that a good Father/child relationship is key in the healthy development of children and young adults.  Even more sobering is the fact that the Father relationship has the power to shape our view of God and ourselves at the deepest level.  A Father has many critical roles in a child’s life to include provider, protector, teacher, modeler, encourager, exemplar and much, much more. These are all very important roles to meet the very real needs of a child, growing adolescent and young adult.  As important as all these characteristics are to the development of a child, what matters most is that the child experience and know the unconditional love of the Father.  Love is the trump card, because “love overcomes a multitude of sins” 1 Peter 4:8.  I am blessed with a wonderful dad who demonstrated the characteristics noted above throughout my childhood and life, but like all of us he was not perfect and did some things that wounded me along the way.  That being said, I never ever doubted his deep and unconditional love for me. This reality along with Jesus’ healing hand has been the catalyst for healing in our relationship and most importantly receiving and knowing the love of God the Father.  Now as a Father of 3 daughters and 2 Grandkids (it is true, this is the best ever😊), I have the amazing responsibility and privilege to be a Father to my children and grandchildren and I can say it is the most meaningful, joyful and fulfilling role of my life.  Just like my dad, I am doing my very best but I surely have made many mistakes along the way and unintentionally hurt my children.  That being said, I am so grateful to God our Father in Heaven who gives us the perfect example of how to be a loving Father, our Abba Father.  “The Lord is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast (unconditional) love” Psalm 103:8.  With this love and example from God our Father through His son Jesus along with great examples from our parents and others, we can be equipped to be godly Fathers who sow blessings and life into our kids for many generations to come.  I just returned from my 6^th trip to JH Ranch www.jhranch.com with my youngest daughter Isabella for Father/Daughter week.  Once again, God showed up in an amazing way and blessed me and Isabella beyond measure as we grew closer to God and each other.  I also continued to learn and grow as a Father and Grandfather.  This experience has blessed me and my family immensely and I would highly recommend it for any dad who wants to grow closer to God his son or daughter and become a better Father.  “And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers” Malachi 4:6.Finally, no matter what your situation and relationship or lack thereof with your earthly Father, God is our eternal Father and He loves you and deeply desires to redeem and restore you to wholeness through the power of His unconditional and everlasting love.  This is available for all His children (us), through the Lord Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit.  Our Abba Father God is a Good, Good, Father…..He will gladly leave the 99 to find the one lost sheep, that is how much He loves us….Happy Father’s Day…..-Duane

Word of the Week - Treasure

For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Matthew 6:21

What do we truly treasure?  This a great question and a litmus test for our walk of faith and what we truly value.  Because we live in a fallen world governed by the spirit of mammon (material wealth and possessions), we will always be tempted and drawn to the things of this world.  So how do we live in this world and not be of this world?  I would suggest that the antidote to worldliness and materialism is generous giving. That we give of what the Lord has given us by investing our time, talent and treasure in God’s Kingdom.  Something interesting about this spiritual principal is that it works both ways.  As we grow in our relationship with God, we generally develop a heart desire to respond to God’s love by giving.  Similarly as we intentionally invest our time, talent and treasure into God’s kingdom our heart follows and what we value changes.  We begin to really treasure the things of eternity and recognize that God and His people are the only things that will last forever.  This is the walk of faith to take a step forward and witness the Lord do His work in our hearts.  So “Let’s not store up for ourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But let’s store up for ourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal” Matthew 6:19-20.  Just FYI, I am sending the Word of the Week today instead of Sunday because I am in Northern California travelling to JH Ranch www.jhranch.com with my 13 year old daughter Isabella for father/daughter week that starts tomorrow morning.  I love JH Ranch because God has really used JH to bless and equip me and my family in the many ways of the Lord as it relates to parenting and family, so I am excited to see what God has in store for us this week.  We are truly on an Everlasting Adventure!!!!!!!!Have a great week….-Duane

Word of the Week - godly Character

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

What is Character”  The Oxford English Dictionary defines Character as “a distinctive mark impressed, engraved, or otherwise formed”.  Character is the essence of who we are on the inside – the internal system that guides us in all that we do, which becomes our permanent engraved nature.  You do not have to be a believer to have strong moral Character, in fact there are many great people throughout history who have displayed amazing Character who did not profess faith.  Godly Character includes all of the core virtues of moral Character such as honesty, courage, patience, integrity and self-control but takes Character to a new level with Christlike virtues like humility, joy, faith, hope and love.  As Christians our objective is to take on the Character and nature of Christ so that His ways become our ways.  In order to develop Christlike Character we must first be born of the spirit by accepting Jesus as our Lord and Savior.  Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! 2 Corinthians 5:17.  This is the part of the Character building process that is a gift from God that we can do nothing to earn or achieve, it is of the Spirit and given by Grace.  “For it is by grace you have been saved through faith, and not from yourselves; it is the gift of God not by works, so than no one can boast” Ephesians 2:8-9.  Once we become a new creation in Christ, then our purpose is to Glorify God and produce fruit with our lives and this requires Character, which I believe requires effort and intentionality.  So how do we build and develop our Character?  My good friend Drayton Nabors who wrote “Case for Character’, Looking at Character from a Biblical Perspective, makes the case that to develop godly Character we must intentionally put on and practice godly virtues through training and repetition, the disciplines of our faith.  Similar to daily workouts for a professional athlete, we must strive daily towards developing godly virtues so they become our nature.  It requires intentional effort and discipline.  Godly Character is forged and developed over time and the byproduct of Godly Character is that we produces good fruit by becoming human beings who are naturally inclined to do the right thing.  This is the goal and evidence of godly Character and the highest purpose of our lives as Christ followers.  This Glorifies God!!!!!!God is so good that He blesses us with truth that leads to “Life” and we get the benefit.  This is definitely the case with godly Character.Have a great week.-Duane

Word of the Week - Sacrifice

“We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren” 1 John 3:16

On this Memorial Day as we remember the nearly 1.2 million men and women who have made the ultimate Sacrifice by giving their lives in service of our country, I am reminded of the sobering reality of the true price of freedom, and how fortunate we are to live in the land of the free because of the price others paid for our freedom.  I am very grateful and humbled by this amazing reality.  In the same frame, I am even more grateful for the fact that God freely chose to come down to earth in the flesh as Jesus the Messiah and was crucified for our sins, so we can have eternal freedom (salvation) and live with God forever. “For it is for Freedom that Christ set us free” Galatians 5:1  Let us Remember who God is and what He has done for us (see below Jesus on the Cross).  Lord I pray that we would understand the reality of what you have done for us and never forget the suffering you endured for our benefit.  Let us receive the fullness of your love and Sacrifice. -Duane 

Word of the Week - Honor

“Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves”. Romans 12:10

Honoring the Lord, all people and especially those in authority is one of the key themes of God’s Word and key to us living healthy and productive lives. The principal of Honoring people is based on the concept that we value people and give them worth and weight. That we don’t dishonor them by taking them lightly and overlooking them. The truth of the matter is that when we Honor God and His people we are blessed and benefit. Similar to the principal of giving, the more we Honor others, the more we gain favor and receive Honor and blessing. That being said, our motivation should come not from what we can get out of the process but from understanding that Honoring God and others pleases our Father and promotes the Gospel. We should especially Honor those in authority to include Parents, Teachers, Leaders, and yes especially Government Officials. The idea of Honoring someone is not a function of the persons skill, competence, performance, how they treat us or even their character; the concept is that God calls us to Honor all authority and all people as a human beings and children of the Living God, even if we don’t like them or agree with their approach or philosophy. This is one of the more challenging mandates of our Christian faith, especially in today’s world that seems to be driven by dishonor and disunity.Just to be clear, Honoring someone in authority does not mean we have to obey them or agree with them, it just simply means we need to recognize and consider the weight of their position and authority. 1 Peter 2:13-17 “Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every authority instituted among men; whether to the king, as the supreme authority, or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right. For it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish men. Live as free men, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as servants of God. Show proper respect to everyone: Love the brotherhood of believers, fear God, honor the king,” All of that being said, if we disobey or disagree with those in authority then we have to be willing to face the consequences; if done in a godly manner with the right motivation this is called persecution, being willing to suffer for a greater purpose. There are many examples of this in the Bible and throughout history.So how do we Honor God and others?

1. By prioritizing them;
2. By using words of praise that build them up and not tear them down; and
3. By protecting them and standing up for them, especially if they don’t have a voice.

“Honor god with everything you own; give him the first and the best. Then your barns will burst, you wine vats will brim over” Proverbs 3:9-10. “The more we value others the more we will value from it” Pastor Chris Hodges. “If we sow honor we will reap honor” Pastor/Coach Tom MullinsI don’t know about you but I am encouraged to sow some Honor this week and see what God produces. Have a great week.-Duane 

Word of the Week - Teachable

“People who despise advice are asking for trouble; those who respect a command will succeed. The instruction of the wise is like a life-giving fountain; those who accept it avoid the snares of death.” Proverbs 13: 13-14

We all desire to flourish and experience the abundant life that Jesus tells us is available to all His followers. In order to flourish in life we must continue grow and develop in all areas of life. I am convinced that the key to experiencing growth in our lives is based on this principle of being Teachable. The day we stop learning is the day we stop growing. If we are not growing in all areas of life then the natural law of Entropy sets in and we start to decline, which ultimately leads to death. I think we would all agree that we don’t enjoy being around people who act like they know everything and have been there done that, and seem to have no capacity for hearing or learning from others. I surely don’t want to be that person. On the other hand, isn’t it refreshing to be around people that listen well and seem to sincerely want to improve and grow and value what is being shared. In order to be Teachable we must be humble, have a desire to grow and welcome input and correction. This is not the easiest thing for most of us but it truly is how we maintain a posture to flourish and continue to grow towards our God given potential. Personally I find it really freeing to realize that I am not expected to be all knowing, that place is reserved only for God. I simply need to posture myself toward God and others with a curious and willing spirit to learn and grow, which I actually find to be the most enjoyable and rich experiences in life. I believe this is the “life that is truly life” Paul talks about in 1 Timothy 6:19.So what are some of the characteristics of being a lifetime learner?

1. We should initiate in pursuing counsel from God and others,
2. We should take counsel to heart and actually implement the counsel we receive. James 1:22 says to “be doers of the word and not hearers only deceiving yourselves”,
3. We should always be working to improve and get better in every area of life, and
4. We should be an example for all those around us to encourage and inspire others to be Teachable.

“If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.” James 1:5.Happy Mother’s Day,-Duane 

Word of the Week - Love

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. 1 Corinthians 13:13

According to God’s Word, the greatest of all godly virtues is Love.  The highest form of Love is sacrificial Love and there is no greater demonstration of this Love than what God did for us through the Cross, “While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” Romans 5:8.  The virtue of Love is very expansive and is well defined in the 13^th chapter of 1 Corinthians “the Love Chapter”, see more on this below from prior Word of the Week post in August 2016.  Love encompasses all other godly virtues such as humility, self-control, wisdom, courage, grace, faith and hope.  Love is a gift from God.  We cannot necessarily create it but we can receive it through our abiding relationship with Christ and become a conduit to pass it on to others by pouring out our lives through Love.  This is Christian ministry - Simply taking what God has done and is doing in our lives through His love and grace and sharing it with others in Love.  As we receive God’s Love through His amazing grace through faith, He pours love into our hearts through the Holy Spirit; “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 5:5.  In sum, Love is the first and supreme fruit of our abiding relationship with Christ and the godly virtue that most glorifies and multiplies Christ.  “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.  And over all these virtues put on Love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.” Colossians 3:12-14 I hope you have a blessed week and experience the amazing love of Christ.

-Duane