thanks God!

so many times i find my thoughts slipping down the slope of negativity - my carnal mind seems to focus on what is not working, what i don’t have, and what will never be.  no doubt the enemy is behind all of these discouraging thoughts and is relentless in his attempt to steal my joy and dishearten me. he constantly tries to shift my thoughts off of God and on to problems, challenges, circumstances and… well… anything else other than Christ (and the bright future that awaits me).  paul warned to be carnally minded is death!  if i give into these dark / demonic thoughts it literally kills my future and sabotages the plans God has for my life.  2 cor 4:4 reveals that satan is successful at blinding the minds of unbelievers to keep them from seeing God and His amazing light and illuminating truth.  satan tries to blind my mind -  to keep me down, to hold me back, to wreck my life.

recently i have gone back to a truth that somehow escaped me (for a good part of 2009).  it is a simple, but powerful weapon to overcome the enemy and shut his filthy (big) mouth.  the weapon is gratitude!  i have been annihilating the enemy and shutting down his attack by having a heart of thankfulness - just telling God how good He is and how grateful i am for all he does for me.

scripture is clear that my life (the life of a believer) should be characterized by joy, peace, contentment, and gratitude.  even though i encounter difficult trials and situations constantly, i must remember to always thank God and verbalize my love and appreciation for Him.  the bible reveals that He is my rock, my redeemer, my delivered, my healer, my provider, my ever-present ever-loving Father!

so regardless of what problems, challenges or frustrations are trying to overwhelm me and bring me down - i look up and start to thank God for who He is, for what He has done, and (by faith) ask Him to do it again.

“how great is the Lord, how deserving of praise…”  psalm 48:1 (nlt)

“let them praise the Lord for his great love and for the wonderful things He has done for them.”  psalm 107:8 (nlt)

“you did it (God): you changed wild lament into whirling dance; you ripped off my black mourning band and decked me with wildflowers.  i’m aobut to burst with song; i can’t keep quiet about you.  God, my God, i can’t thank you enough.”  psalm 30:11 (msg)

“i’m ready to worship, so ready.  i thank you, God - you’re so good.  you got me out of every scrape, and i saw my enemies get it.” psalm 54:6 (msg)

“thank you!  everything in me says ‘thank you!’ angels listen as i sing my thanks.  i kneel in worship facing your holy temple and say it again: thank you!  thank you for your love, thank you for your faithfulness; most holy is your name, most holy is your word.  the moment i called out, you stepped in; you made my life large with strength.”  psalm 138:1-3 (msg)

“every day (with its new reasons) will i bless you (affectionately and gratefully praise you),’ yes, i will praise your name forever and ever.”  psalm 145:2 (amp)

look up (right now) and say thanks God!

follow

Jesus told his original 12…  ”come after me (as disciples - letting me be your guide), follow me and i will make you…”  matthew 4:19 (amp).  following Christ starts at salvation, but continues through the daily disciplines (prayer, devotional bible reading & meditation, worship, obedience).  deitrich bonhoeffer said, “salvation without discipleship is cheap grace.”  unfortunately, i see this all the time… people that have received Christ as savior, but fail to follow Him as lord (the one they trust, obey, and follow daily).  i want to be a disciple that is fully devoted to Him.  a man after God’s own heart.  in pslam 63:8 (kjv), david cries out (in some sweet old-school language), “my soul followeth hard after thee.”

in matthew 16 Jesus says following Him starts with desire “whoever desires to come after Me…”  this is what we need, a renewed desire to give Him our best everyday.  exodus 34:14 reveals that “He is a God who is passionate about His relationship with you.”  we need to be passionate about our relationship with Him.  back in matthew 16 Jesus goes on to share that anyone who has the desire then has to purpose to live a life of self-sacrifice and obedience.  In Matthew 16:14 (msg) Jesus said, “don’t run from suffering; embrace it.  follow Me and I’ll show you how.” He keeps talking about denying ourselves and picking up our cross.  He warns us that there will be a price to pay - that is why He told His followers “to count the cost”.

this past sunday, we asked people to take a piece of paper, write down what is keeping them from fully following God (passionately) and then nail it to a 8 ft. wooden cross we have at the summit.  it was so encouraging to see the cross peppered with tons of the little pieces of paper - i know God is moving in our hearts as He is helping us change and fix our attention on Him.  take a few minutes (right now) to let go of anything that is holding you back from following hard after Him.

“earth has nothing i desire besides You.  God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.  as for me, it is good to be near God.”  psalm 73:25-27 (niv)

never alone

the message of Christmas is simple - we are never alone!  God sent Himself to us so that He would be our ever-present, closer than anyone else…. savior, healer, deliverer, father, mentor, friend.  this is why the angels (at the first Christmas) said, “don’t be afraid!  i bring you good news of great joy for everyone!”  luke 2:10 (nlt)  ”great joy” is exactly what i’m experiencing right now (and everyday of the year) - all because God is with me, He will never leave me or forget about me.

“God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble.”  psalm 46:1  no matter what i’m going through or regardless of the pressure, pain or hurt i’m experiencing - i can always find joy in the truth that God is in it with me and giving me the strength to keep moving onward and upward.  ”don’t be afraid, for I have ransomed you.  I have called you by name; you are mine.  when you go through deep waters and great trouble, I will be with you.  when you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown!  when you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you.  for I am the Lord, your God… your savior.  do not be afraid, for I am with you.”  isaiah 43:1-3,5 (nlt)

we have a personal savior that is always with us.  a personal healer that loves to touch and restore us.  a personal deliverer that always comes through.  a personal God that we can completely trust with our very lives.  Christmas reminds us that we are never alone.

“thank God for His Son - His gift too wonderful for words.”  2 corinthians 9:15 (lb)

illuminate

winter solstice will take place in a few days.  basically it is when the earth is tilted the farthest distance from the sun and it is the darkest day of the year.  it is so incredible that during the darkest moment (the longest night) of the year we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ - the light of the world!

“I have come as a light to shine in this dark world, so that all who put their trust in Me will no longer remain in the darkness.”  john 12:46 (nlt)

“I am the light of the world.  if you follow Me, you won’t be stumbling through the darkness, for living light will flood your path.”  john 8:12 (lb)

look around at all the christmas lights - it’s amazing.  mary, the girls and i love to drive around and see the lights.  i’m looking forward to reminding hannah and abby that light played a major role at the birth of Christ.  the angels put on a spectacular light show for the shepherds… the wise men followed a bright light on their journey that led them to Jesus… and God was saying again to the world, “let there be light” as He sent His Son to illuminate our hearts and set us free from the darkness.

“His life is the light that sines through the darkness-and the darkness can never extinguish it.”  john 1:5 (lb)  every year i’m amazed by the fact that during the darkest moments of my life, Jesus shines.  when dark thoughts try to invade my mind, when doubts and fears try to run rampant in my soul, when things aren’t going the way i think they should, when i’m down and discouraged…. Jesus illuminates me - He lights me up and suddenly the darkness flees.  when His light hits me (and fills me) the shadows dissipate and it is at that moment that i realize - i can do all things through Christ who empowers me.  i’m instantly aware that His grace is more than enough - it is by His strength that i can get up and keep going.  i’m overwhelmed by the warmth of His love and i’m thankful that he chooses to show up during the dark seasons of my life and fill me with His marvelous light.

“the light makes all things easy to see.”  ephesians 5:13 (NCV)  i pray that He will illuminate your life and you will clearly see Him and follow Him.  may living light flood your life and may all the darkness that has surrounded you disappear.

lessons i learned from bjd

this past week, my pastor (pastor billy joe daughtery) passed away.  i had the privileged of being a part of his congregation from 1978-1989.  my dad was his right hand man for the first 12 years of the church.  our families were close.  he baptized me.  he was a mentor.   he was way to young to die and he will be greatly missed.

i wanted to share a few lessons i learned from him:

#1  integrity - “the integrity of the honest keeps them on track; the deviousness of crooks brings them to ruin.”  proverbs 11:3 (msg)

bjd was a man of rock-solid character and was full of integrity.  no wonder God trusted him a congregation of 15,000 and with hundreds of millions of dollars worth of resources.  i also love the fact that he was entirely faithful to his wife and family.  he never was involved in anything shady or immoral - his integrity kept him on the narrow path.

#2  contentment - “not that i was ever in need, for i have learned how to be content with whatever i have.”  philippians 4:11 (nlt)

bjd did not live in a huge crib, drive a benz, or sport designer clothes and bling.  he knew he was just a pilgrim and he traveled light.  in a day when ministers are rocking 7,000+ square foot homes (in gated communities), rolling in a $100,00 ride, and draping themselves in prada, gucci, louis vuitton and armani - bjd would simply wear a decent suit, drive a buick, and he lived in a very average house (in fact for years he lived right around the corner from our house in a very average middle-class neighborhood (at 47th and harvard).  trust me, i’m not knocking living a prosperous life and i do believe God wants us blessed… but i am against excess, greed and lust!  thank God for a man of God that lived simple and kept his focus on eternal things.

#3  encouragement - “so encourage each other and build each other up.”  1 thessalonians 5:11 (nlt)

bjd always encouraged me - even when i fell flat on my face.  at his funeral, one of his sons shared how his dad always gave him “two thumbs up” even when he was failing miserably.  thinking back, bjd gave me the encouraging two thumbs up several times.  during a time in my life where i was involved in immoral and illegal stuff - i remember bjd telling me “scooter, it’s not as important where you have been, but it is important where you are going - God’s grace has already covered those mistakes.”  countless times, he would verbally lift me out of the discouragement and heaviness that surrounded me.  bjd understood ministry… he knew it was all about listening to, loving on, and lifting others.  he was one of the two most encouraging people i have ever know (the other one is ulf ekman).  romans 12:8a says, “if your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging.”  he had the most amazing gift of encouragement.

there are so many other lessons that i learned from him…. faith, miracles, the power of the Holy Spirit, the need to just be yourself, living debt free, being merciful, believing in others, the power of joy, and the list goes on and on and on.

my life is so much richer because of bjd.  this world is a way better place because of bjd.  most importantly, multitudes will be in heaven because of bjd.

thanksgiving 09′

pump up the vision

“and then God answered:  write this.  write what you see.  write it out in big block letters so that it can be read on the run.  this vision-message is a witness pointing to what’s coming.  it aches for the coming - it can hardly wait!  and it doesn’t lie.  if it seems slow in coming, wait.  it’s on its way.  it will come right on time.”  habakkuk 2:2-3 (msg)

reading this classic vision verse fills my heart with hope for a better future.  it reminds me that God is in control and the vision He has given me will happen.  regardless of what things look like - i need to pump up the vision!  why?  because vision deflates… the enemy tries to discourage me… my own insecurities surface and have to be overcome… other people bail out and choose another vision to follow (that’s not a bad thing, just reality).

how do you pump up the vision?  take promises from God’s word and speak them over your life and release words of faith.  take control of the atmosphere!  fight discouragement!  defeat doubt!  get aggressive in prayer!  start praising God in advance for what you know He will do!  remind the enemy that no weapon formed against you will prosper!  tap into the power (the same power that raised Jesus from the dead) and smack the enemy back a few times - let him know you’re alive and ready for anything he wants to dish out.

d.l. moody said, “the devil never kicks a dead horse”.  in other words, the enemy only attacks those that are doing something, going somewhere and living big for God.  if you have had the enemy messing with you recently - be encouraged - you are doing something right.  satan picks on people that have a God-sized vision, he tries to get us to back off and give up.  ”don’t quit in hard times…”  romans 12:12b (msg)

nehemiah gives us a great visual of how we are to live - in one hand he had a tool (to build something significant for God) and in the other hand he had a weapon (to fight the enemy and overcome).  your vision will require you to use both hands - building & battling, serving faithfully & slaying fiercely.  i know God has given you an amazing vision - don’t let the enemy deflate it!  if he does, pump it back up and make it bigger than ever.

my prayer for you… “may God give you your hearts desires and help make all your plans succeed.”  psalm 20:4

tulsa trip

sitting at lax, getting ready to jump on a flight to tulsa (non-stop…yea!).  i’m really looking forward to seeing my mom, dad, and siblings and having the opportunity to speak at life church in bartlesville (www.lifechurchok.org).  my dad has pastored the church for the past 4.5 years and has seen it grow from 50 to 400.  the church has a great vibe - awesome people - lives are being changed weekly - i’m really looking forward to serving there.  i’m going to be busy doing ministry, but hope to take in a service at guts church (with pastor bill scheer) and maybe get to a sat p.m. service at church on the move (pastor willie george).

tomorrow i will drive up to kansas city with my little bro (kyle) and his wife (liz).  they are getting ready to launch a brand-new church called the cause community church.  i’m really looking forward to seeing the area God has called them to and support them anyway i can.  God’s hand is on them and it will be awesome to see what God does through them as they expand the kingdom and take new territory for God.  i really hope i can encourage them and help them think through everything as they take this massive step of faith.  church planting is incredibly exciting, but incredibly hard at the same time.  kyle and liz will be coming to socal and speaking at the summit on november 22nd - we want to get behind them and support them as they pioneer the cause.

mary will be speaking at the summit this sunday - she will continue our nehemiah series - with the emphasis on serving God passionately.  i know she will do a great job and encourage (and challenge) everyone.  i’m hoping i still have a job when i get back… they might vote me out and vote her in - it wouldn’t be the first time.

going to tulsa is always interesting - it is where i ran from God for the better part of 7 years.  as i pass certain streets and landmarks i am reminded of all the crazy (and illegal) stuff i did.  from crazy vandelism to grand theft auto… seriously.  it used to really bother me (when i went to tulsa and was constantly reminded of the choas and compromise i lived in), but now it is a gentle reminder of God’s grace and favor He has given me.  thank God He doesn’t hold our sins against us - in fact He forgives instantly, completely and permanently - what a deal!

“God says He will accept and acquit us - declare us not guilty - if we trust Jesus Christ to take away our sins.  And we can be saved in the same way, by coming to Christ, no matter who we are or what we have been like.”  Romans 3:23 (TLB)

“A clean slate and a fresh start come from God by way of Jesus Christ.”  I Corinthians 1:30 (MSG)

thank God i’m not who i used to be and i’m becoming who He created me to be!

excuses

over the past week i have become acutely aware of the amount of excuses i use.  i also have noticed how many other people use excuses to justify their behavior, tardiness, poor decisions, lack of passion, and stupidity.  excuses are what keep teams from winning.  excuses are what keep churches from growing.  excuses are what keep us from our God-given potential.  excuses are a

excuses always replace progress.  excuses always try to cover up character gaps (remember adam? “God, it was this woman that you gave me!”).  excuses attempt to make us feel better about ourselves.  excuses keep us from growing.  excuses are the result of pride (and not wanting to look bad).  excuses fuel failure!

i don’t know about you, but i’m done with the deceptive nature and destructive habit of excuses.   there is something liberating about not hiding or trying to disguise truths i’ve sold.  God is looking for people who stop looking at why they can’t live big for Him and just do it.

Jesus (in Luke 15) tells the story of God’s Kingdom dinner.  he shares how the invites went out and the food is on the table… but “then they all began to beg off, one after another making excuses.”  jesus continues to share how one after the other excuses were given - they were pretty good excuses.  excuses that dealt with relationships, business and important issues.

most of the excuses in my life are based on making a difference for God in this world, in my city.  many times i find myself saying, “i can’t do anything about that” or “what difference can i make?”.  then i start making all the excuses why i can’t.  proverbs 24:11-12 (msg) says, “rescue the perishing; don’t hesitate to step in and help.  if you say, hey, that’s none of my business, will that get you off the hook?  someone is watching you closely, you know - someone not impressed with weak excuses.”

i pray that we get rid of every lame excuse for not doing God’s will and start doing what we can.  excuses are keeping us from becoming the people God has created us to be - keeping us from becoming the church God has created us to be.

i repent from making excuses.  i’m done with trying to justify why things just stay the same.  i’m through with coasting… from living my life on auto-pilot.  God help me to live passionately for You.  Jesus, i can do all things through you and your strength.  Holy Spirit, keep me from making excuses.  from this moment on - i am living “excuse free”.  anybody care to join me?

think big

recently God opened up the door for the summit to move to a much better location.  we will be moving in 12 weeks off campus (just 1.4 miles away) to vista verde school.  this strategic move will double our space and give us the ability to minister at the next level.  there are many reasons for moving (better location, more parking, additional space for more kids & youth classes, getting off of campus and out in the community), but the driving force behind this decision is to reach more people!  God is asking us to get our eyes off of ourselves and see all the people around us that are so lost and so confused.  this move is not convenient, it’s expensive, it will require a lot of strategizing and hard work… but it’s all about people!  people are what matter to God and it’s time we think bigger, take a risk and go to the next level!

with any change comes fear.  the fear of making a bad decision at a critical crossroad, the fear of looking foolish, the fear of losing people, the fear of failure, or just the fear of trying something new.

in isaiah 54, God says, “clear lots of ground for your tents!  make your tents large.  spread out!  think big! use plenty of rope, drive the tent pegs deep, you’re going to need lost of elbow room for your growing family.  you’re going to take over whole nations; you’re going to resettle abandoned cities.  don’t be afraid - you’re not going to be embarrassed.  don’t hold back - you’re not going to come up short.”

i know God has inspired this move and is asking us to create more space for Him to fill.  deep in my heart i’m convinced that He will show up and take the summit higher.  i know He is building His church and hell can’t stop it.  so with God’s help we will break out of small thinking, rise above the fear, take a risk and go for it.

this is not just a summit church thing… this is a you thing!  God is asking you to think big, to spread out, to take risks, to go for it.  don’t be afraid, God is with you.  don’t hold back, God will show up and show off!  without faith it is impossible to please God - step out, this is your season.  don’t hold back… God says, “my soul has no pleasure in anyone that shrinks back.”  think big… don’t be afraid… every step the sole of your foot takes, God is with you!