Word of the Week - Grace

"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works." Ephesians 2:8-9

God’s Amazing Grace is the essence of our Christian faith, but we have such a hard time receiving and believing this because it is so counter to the way things work in the world, especially our merit based Westernized society.  This is especially hard for those of us who come from a religious background where we are taught that we needed to do certain things or be a certain way to be accepted by God and the church. 

Even though our cultural and social tendency is towards conforming to a worldly pattern to gain acceptance and success, the gospel is very clear on the fact that we literally receive our salvation as a free gift from the Lord by simply believing on Him and being in relationship with Him.  “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved” Romans 10:9-10  Outside of pursuing a relationship with Jesus, we cannot do anything to earn our salvation, which is why Jesus makes it crystal clear that there is only one way to the Father and it is through His work of the Cross.  “I am the way the truth and the life, no one can come to the father except through me” John 14:6  What is more amazing is the fact that in the process of receiving salvation we become part of God’s family as co-heirs to His Kingdom. 

Once saved, God desires for us to give our hearts and lives to Him and remain connected to Him through a daily abiding relationship, so we can receive His protection, benefits and power, and so we can fulfill the purpose He has for us while we are here on earth.  If we receive His amazing grace of salvation and walk in an abiding relationship with the Him, we will have a grateful heart and desire to serve Him and thus we will do “good works” that He has already destined for us as part of His divine plan. Ephesians 2:10. 

So, rejoice in God’s amazing grace and receive the full benefits of our faith and live the abundant life of the redeemed in Christ.

Have a great week and enjoy the fully sufficient grace of the Lord.   

-Duane

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 4th – 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 4th 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.

I hope you are having a great summer.  God Bless you and God Bless America, the land of the Free,

-Duane

Word of the Week - Servant Leadership

For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and give His life as a ransom for many” Mark 10:45 

Servant Leadership Context – As I mentioned in my “Word of the Week” last week, I am currently reading/studying a book called “Servant Leadership in Action” – How you can Achieve Great Relationships and Results.  Conventional wisdom may suggest that these two things are not fully aligned, but the truth as modeled by Jesus is when we put people ahead of our goals there is amazing fruit and benefits, especially over time.  Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. Philippians 2:3-4.  I sincerely believe this is the truth and there are lots of case studies that prove it to be true.  The following are a few insights I am gaining from this book and process that I thought would be good to share with you my family, friends, and colleagues.

Servant Leadership is a leadership philosophy whereby the leader is a servant first,  Thinking about people and their needs ahead of stated goals and objectives.  It begins with a conviction that one wants to serve first and lead second.  This is counter to most traditional leadership philosophies.  So how do we know if we are truly living as Servant Leaders?  The best litmus test are the following questions:

• Are the people I am serving growing holistically (emotionally, relationally, intellectually, spiritually etc)?

• Are they becoming healthier, wiser, freer and more autonomous?

• Are they themselves becoming Servant Leaders?

Key Characteristics of Servant Leadership according to Robert K. Greenleaf one of the most renowned experts on Servant Leadership

• Listening - Leaders traditionally have been valued for their communication and decision-making skills. Although important skills for a any leader; listening, coupled with periods of reflection, is essential to the growth and effectiveness of a Servant Leader.

• Empathy – The Servant Leader strives to understand and empathize with those he/she is leading. The most successful Servant Leaders are those who become skilled empathetic listeners. Working hard to relate with the other persons perspective.

• Healing – The healing of relationships is a powerful force for transformation. Most people have broken spirits and have suffered from a variety of emotional woundedness. One of the greatest strengths of a Servant Leader is being an agent for healing. Starting with ourselves, our relationship with others and helping others walk through process of relational healing.

• Awareness – General awareness and especially self-awareness strengthens the Servant Leader. Awareness helps gain understanding and lends itself to allowing us to view situations from a more integrated holistic perspective.

• Persuasion – Effective Servant Leaders rely on their ability to influence those they are leading by persuasion to gain buy-in and trust verses using positional authority. Servant Leaders seek to convince others rather than coerce compliance.

• Conceptualization – Servant Leaders seek and nurture their abilities to dream great dreams. They must be able to rise above the day to day and see the bigger perspective. It is also important to be able to share and communicate the vision with inspiration.

• Foresight – Related to conceptualization, the ability to foresee the likely outcome of an initiative. Foresight enables the Servant Leader to understand the lessons from the past, the realities of the present, and likely consequences of decision on the future.

• Stewardship – This is the idea that as leaders we are responsible by holding something in the trust of others. Understanding that we are taking care of people and the organization on behalf of others. It is not about us but about others.

• Commitment to Growth of People – Servant Leaders truly believe that people have intrinsic value beyond their tangible contributions as workers. As such, Servant Leaders are deeply committed to the growth of each individual within their organization.

• Building Community – Servant Leaders seek to identify means for building authentic community among those on their teams. Finding ways to help team members realize they are a part of building something special for a purpose larger than themselves. All team members have a unique and important role in the organizational family.

I find it interesting that all of these characteristics are clearly seen and demonstrated in the person of Jesus.  By walking out our leadership with a Servant Leadership philosophy, we become more Christlike allowing us to live out the gospel message.  I believe this is the abundant life that Jesus talks about in John 10:10.  

I pray that the Lord would give me the wisdom, power and grace to be a Servant Leader in all areas of my life.  

Happy Father’s Day to all of you dads. 

-Duane

Word of the Week - Servant Leadership

“Not so with you (my followers).  Instead (of the way of this world), whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever want to be first must be your slave – just as the Son of man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.” 

I am on vacation with my wife Amy in Northern California at a wonderful place called Scott River Lodge www.scottriverlodge.com , see pic attached.  We are having a wonderful and meaningful time together as we retreat and are renewed in our mind, body, and spirit.  Even though it is a long way from our home in Birmingham, AL, I highly recommend it if you are looking for a get-away to enrich your relationship with the Lord and your spouse.  

During my time here the Lord is continuing to do a deep work on my heart through the Holy Spirit as I remain in the season of being pruned and experience a sort of reset in my life.  I am realizing more and more that I have walls that have been built up over time through the reality of life that need to be deconstructed piece by piece to allow me to realize the full potential of what God has for me, my marriage, family, ministry.  The theme continues to be humility and love.  Learning how to go to a new level in all areas of my life in all my relationships.  Making Love, 1 Corinthians 13, the key force that underpins my day-to-day actions.  Being more focused on loving and serving others ahead of being driven by results.  Caring for others first before driving towards achieving goals and objectives.  This is totally what Jesus modeled for us and what He expects of us as His followers, especially as we grow and mature in our walk of faith.  I feel like the Lord is leading me to a new level of this in every area of my life.  This is challenging for me, so I am spending time with the Lord asking Him to transform my heart and mind.  I am currently reading/studying a book called “Servant Leadership in Action” – How you can Achieve Great Relationships and Results.  Many would believe that these two things are in competition, but the truth as modeled by Jesus is when we put people ahead of our goals there is amazing fruit and benefits, especially over time.  I truly believe this is the truth and there are lots of case studies that prove this to be true. 

Due to my vacation, I am a bit off schedule, so I will be sending my “Word of the Week” when I get it put together, which will probably be later this evening or tomorrow.  Over the next few weeks, I would like to share with you some of the truths I am learning from my study on Servant Leadership.  

 -Duane

Word of the Week - Be Still and know I am God

Be still and know I am God;  I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.  Psalm 46 

For me, Being Still is one of my bigger challenges.  I seem to be built for doing; therefore, I am either in the middle of doing something or thinking about what I need or want to do next.  That being said, God is clear about the fact that there is something powerful in simply being still by bringing our body and soul (mind, will, and emotions) to a place of stillness and quiet.  This is really where we become conscious of the here and now and fully present to connect with God and receive what He has for us.  To fully experience and know God, we must sit before Him undistracted, which is the power of learning how to be still.  This is not my strong suit but I have developed some disciplines that help me in this area.  I am in a season of life where I have made this my primary focus. “Be still in the presence of the Lord, and wait patiently for Him to act.  Don’t worry about evil people who prosper or fret about their wicked schemes” Psalm 37:7

The following are a few biblical principles/truths I am focused on at this time:

• Finding a quiet place – Our environment and the ambiance can either set the stage for stillness or be very distracting. Every one of us is different but when we find or create a space that allows us to quiet our mind we can begin to experience the power of being still before God. Whether your truck, basement, closet, chapel, library, cabin in the woods or back porch try to find a place where you can mentally and physically retreat from the noise of life and the worries of the world. “The Lord is in His holy Temple. All the earth – be quiet in His presence” Habakkuk 2:20

• Slowing Down – There is something about our daily pace that I am learning really matters when it comes to hearing from God. If we go through life too fast and busy, which is more typical today than ever before due to technology, we miss many of the biggest blessings of life. Slowing down to a more intentional pace allows us to be more conscious and available to notice others, see people and hear form the living God. “The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, those who seek Him”. Lamentations 3:25

• Sabbath – The principal of Sabbath is for this purpose, to set aside time and space each week for “being” with the Lord and enjoying His presence in a state of rest. Giving ourselves permission to stop doing and producing by trusting God as our provider is very powerful and can lead to experiencing relationship with God at a deeper level. “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. So the Son of Man is Lord even over the Sabbath” Mark 2:27

• Taking thoughts captive – The 3 disciplines noted above can really help quiet our minds but we may still have thoughts that are trying to sabotage us, in this case we can take captive the thoughts by acknowledging them mentally or by writing them down so we can release them to the Lord. So when thoughts come that are not welcomed we can “take them captive and make them obedient to Christ.” 2 Corinthians 10:5

When it comes to relationship, I believe the key is to be connected at a deeper level.  I am not sure we can connect with God or people at a deep level if we are moving to fast and trying to do too much.  Being still before the Lord allows us to connect with God and know Him at a deeper level.  I am in a season of learning how to slow down to a sacred pace so I can “be still” before the Lord and go deeper.  Making it a priority in my daily and weekly walk with God so I can experience His amazing power and presence to the full.  This is well demonstrated in the story of Martha and Mary in the Gospel of Luke, “As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said.  But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!”  “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one.[a] Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”  Luke 10:38-42

Lord I pray we can learn to be more like Mary and “Be still in knowing you are our God and Abba Father”. 

Have a great week…..

-Duane 

Word of the Week - Remember

“This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.  Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.” John 13:12-13 

Memorial Day weekend we celebrate something that I think is sometimes hard for us to comprehend:  the ultimate act of love – to lay down one’s life down for others.  This sacrifice of our fallen service men and women who paid this ultimate sacrifice for the sake of our freedom. In recent years I've heard many conflicted views on this matter. But I think it would be a mistake to see these brave men and women as merely victims. While each fallen soldier has a unique story, each soldier is a hero who gave their lives for a greater cause.  I think part of our struggle to understand the fallen soldier comes with our difficulty in accepting sacrifice, especially when a sacrifice seems so final and appears to hold no obvious reward. The idea that someone could give up everything - for people they don’t even know - is hard to process. We spend so much of life trying to gain, to acquire, to win. Our country is home to the American Dream, the land of opportunity. So remembering the fallen solider can feel uncomfortable but it is most important to remember the Sacrifice.  This is the only way we will be willing to do what is necessary to protect our freedom as a nation.  May we never forget!!!!

On this Memorial Day we remember the 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 United States of America, “the land of the free” because of the price others paid for our freedom.  I am very grateful and humbled by this amazing reality.  Click the following link to watch a short 5-minute video “Path of the Warrior” tribute to remembering the men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice for me and you Memorial Day Tribute .  

In a similar frame, I am even more grateful for the fact that God freely chose to come down to earth in the flesh as Jesus our 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.  “You, my brothers, were called to be free.  But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love” Galatians 5:13.  Let us remember who God is and what He has done for us through the Cross and let this be our motivation to live the great commandment to “Love God and Love others” by serving God and others in Love.  Lord, I pray that we would remember and understand the reality of what others have done for us as Americans and even more amazingly what you have done for us as Christians and never forget the suffering you endured for our benefit.  Let us receive the fullness of your love and Sacrifice. 

Jesus our Messiah who Died to give us Life and Freedom both now and for Eternity, the ultimate Sacrifice.  

I hope you have a blessed Memorial Day.

-Duane

Word of the Week - Love

 Love is patient, love is kind.  It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.  It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.  Love does not delight in evil but rejoices in the truth.  It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.  Love never fails.  1 Corinthians 13:4-8.  

This is where God has led me during this season of pruning.  I have been meditating on this verse for 4 weeks and will stay here until I sense God releasing me.  This is so, so good.  I desire to know and receive this love at the deepest level so I may have the capacity to love this way.  I surely have a long way to go.

Below is my “Word of the Week” from January 2018 that speaks to this verse and the amazing Love of God our Father. 

Of all the gifts that the Lord has given us He makes it clear that Love is the “why” that underpins everything He has done for us.  The concept of Love can be so misconstrued and has been perverted in many ways by the world and our culture.  God’s Love is so deep and has so many dimensions that it is really a mystery and hard to comprehend in its fullness.  That is why I cherish this verse because it clearly defines Love and describes practically what Love looks like.  It does not make reference to Love being a feeling, which is many times how we tend to describe Love.  No, God makes it clear that Love is a decision put into action.  As I grow in my walk with the Lord and get to know Him more, I better understand the fullness of God’s Love and how He extravagantly displayed His Love for us in the person of Jesus Christ.  And yes, He calls us to Love others like He has loved us.  “And now these three remain: faith, hope and love.  But the greatest of these is Love.”  Love is one of the spiritual fruits produced by abiding in Christ.  I rejoice today in the reality that I am Loved by the Lord Jesus; as we receive God’s unconditional love we grow in our capacity to Love like Jesus. 

Love never fails……

-Duane

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

-Duane

Word of the Week - Hosanna

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

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

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

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

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

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

Have a great Holy week!!!  

-Duane

Word of the Week - Sabbath

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Have a great week!!!  

-Duane

Word of the Week - Community

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

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

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

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

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

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

Have a great week,

-Duane

Word of the Week - Passion

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

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

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

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

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

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

-Duane

Word of the Week - Sowing and Reaping

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

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

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

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

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

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

So let’s Sow generously!!!!!!!!!!

-Duane

Word of the week - Family

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Have a great week.

-Duane

Word of the Week - 100x Soil

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

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

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

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

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

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

Have a great week….

-Duane

Word of the Week - Habits

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

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

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

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

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

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

Have a great week!!!!

-Duane

Word of the Week - Delight

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

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

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

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

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

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

Have a great week….

-Duane

Word of the Week - Humility

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

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

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

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

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

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

Have a great week!!!!

-Duane

Word of the Week - Great Faith

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

-Duane

Word of the Week - Scripture (Bible)

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

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

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

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

I encourage you to make scripture and reading God’s word a part of your daily rhythm in pursing deeper relationship with Christ.  When you read God’s word in faith you are communing with Christ and being renewed and transformed into the person you were meant to be in Christ and this is perfectly pleasing to God.  “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.  Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – His good, pleasing and perfect will.” Romans 12:2

Have a great week…..

-Duane