When I first became a Christian the whole idea of spiritual warfare was foreign to me. People who talked about it seemed quit frankly, a little strange. Since that time I have learned just how real this battle is (Eph 6:12). I will never forget one of the first things I was told about spiritual warfare. My mentor told me, “Now that you are in God’s family, Satan can’t do anything to take you out of God’s family. However, what he wants to do is cut your legs out from under you and make you ineffective.”

At the time I was a Senior in High School and was on the track team. The image that came to my mind when I heard those words was one of a runner, running a race and jumping over a hurdle. When the runner jumped over the hurdle his legs were cut out from under him. He was out of the race. He was ineffective. It is true, he was still on the team, but he wasn’t accomplishing anything for the team.

What happens all the time is that people join the team, they trust Jesus Christ as Savior. That is an amazing thing. All of heaven rejoices (Luke 15), they are a child of God (John 1:12) and nothing can change that. However, very shortly after that decision they get their legs cut out from under them and find themselves on the sidelines watching a race they should be running in. Satan uses many things to cut our legs out from under us; depression, anxiety, cancer, divorce, discouragement, temptation, the list goes on. Essentially what happens is that as a result of these types of things we begin to believe lies like:

“God can’t use you.”
“You’re not committed enough.”
“If you really believed in God you would never _____.”
“You call yourself a Christian?” (hear demeaning tone)
“Real ministry is for the professionals or at least the really committed.”

Don’t get your legs cut out from under you. You are supposed to be in the race.

Hebrews 12:1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us,

1 Corinthians 9:24-27 Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.

2 Timothy 4:7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.

Today find sometime to be alone. Take a piece of paper and pen. Sit down somewhere you can think and talk to God. Write out ways you have been hurt/offended/bothered by other people in your life. Just write out the ones that come to mind. Ask God for clarity. Write down the person’s name, what they did and how you felt. Ask God to reveal to you how this has affected you. Ask Him why you feel/felt the way you do/did. Spend some time working through these emotions. Here are a few questions from the sermon for you to discuss with God.

1. Do I really believe that Jesus died for all sin? Maybe you know He died for your sin. Maybe you realize He died for the sins of the world. Do you believe He died for the sins committed against you? (John 1:29; 1 John 2:2)
2. Is it disobedient to God if I don’t forgive? (Matthew 6:15; Matthew 6:9-12; Matthew 18:21-35; Luke 23:34; Acts 7:59-60; Eph 4:32)
3. What do I gain if I hold onto this? What do I gain if I let it go?

Tear up the paper! Be free. Take whatever next steps God directs you to.

Always:

1. Reflect on the wonder of the cross of Christ.

As Each Day Begins:

2. Begin each day by acknowledging your dependence upon God and your need for God.

3. Begin your Day by expressing gratefulness for God.

4. Practice the spiritual disciplines–prayer, study of God’s Word, worship. Do this consistently each day and at the day’s outset, if possible.

5. Seize your commute time to memorize and meditate on Scripture.

6. Cast your cares upon Him, for He cares for you.

As Each Day Ends:

7. At the end of the day, transfer the glory to God.

8. Before going to sleep, receive this gift of sleep from God and acknowledge His purpose for sleep.

For Special Focus:

9. Study the attributes of God.

10. Study the doctrines of grace.

11. Study the doctrine of sin.

12. Play golf as much as possible.

13. Laugh often, and laugh often at yourself.

Throughout Your Days and Weeks:

14. Identify evidences of grace in others.

15. Encourage and serve others each and every day.

16. Invite and pursue correction.

17. Respond humbly to trials.

1. We are so focused on our plan that we don’t ask God for His. We are like Peter during the Transfiguration (Luke 9:28-36), and so many other times in his life. We are so focused on what we want to see happen, we fail to realize our plan and God’s plan are not the same. We simply get caught up in our plan and miss the fact that our plan may not be God’s plan. Our plan can seem right, sound good, we may even believe we have good motives, but if we are so focused on pursuing our plan that we don’t ask God what His is, then we can easily fail to hear Him speaking to us. What should we do? Stop and ask Him. God what do you want? How many kids should we have? How should we use our money? Where should I work? Where should I go to school?

2. Sin. Many of us have an obedience threshold. I will obey you God with all of this (fill in the blank), but don’t ask me to (and fill in the blank). We know we have said no to God. No. I won’t trust you with my money. No. I won’t give you that habit. No I won’t stop taking these pills or finding escape somewhere else. No. I won’t control my anger. So God stops communicating with us. We reject His word and reject His word and eventually He stops speaking. Like Amos says to people who keep rejecting God’s Word, “The days are coming,” declares the Sovereign LORD, “when I will send a famine through the land– not a famine of food or a thirst for water, but a famine of hearing the words of the LORD (Amos 8:11). So what do we do? Stop and turn. Stop turning to our sin and turn to God. Hunger and thirst for righteousness and we will be filled.

3. We are too busy. We have so many things we are doing we can’t hear. We have soccer games, business deals, tests to study for, doctors appointments, and deadlines. While we are also doing all of these things there are a ton of voices speaking to us, the television, our co-workers, our pastor, our friends, marketers and salespeople. How can we hear anything? We need to be still and know that He is God. When is the last time you just stopped in silence alone with God?

4. We have twisted what He has said. This fourth reason is a lot like the second with one slight difference. The person who does this no longer realizes what they are doing is sin. God has clearly communicated His plan in many areas and we rationalize and justify why what He has said does not apply to us. God understands why we are living together (forget His plan for sex as a good gift to be celebrated in the context of marriage), we love each other, we are going to get married, besides that is old fashion. God knows why I don’t give, once I get to this level then I will. God knows why I get angry so easy, it was my Dad’s fault. God knows why I don’t forgive like Christ forgave, I have been offended more than Jesus was. What should we do? Get honest with ourselves and stop lying. Stop lying to God, stop lying to others, and stop lying to ourselves. Then see number 2.

5. We don’t know His voice. In John 10 Jesus says that sheep know their shepherds voice (John 10:1-18), and that He is the good Shepherd. If we don’t know the Shepherd we don’t know His voice so when He speaks we can’t listen. Do you know His voice? If not then what you need to do is start a relationship with the Shepherd. Here is how (Romans 3:23, Romans 6:23, Romans 10:9-13).

God is speaking, are you listening?

So is true freedom to be able to say or do whatever we want whenever we want? No. That is what many of us consider freedom, but true biblical freedom is really to be able to say or do whatever God wants, whenever He wants. Like the woman in Luke 7:36-50 who threw off the religious expectations of the day in an all consuming desire to love Jesus. It is interesting that the religious rules of her day actually hindered her from being connected to Jesus for life change. She threw off those rules, those expectations, because she was free. Free from her wounds, free from shame, free from guilt, free from her past. Are you free? Are you free to do whatever God wants, whenever God wants?

To hear more about this click here. Look for the message titled: The Fuel of Our Faith.

Pornography is a counterfeit of the real thing and it starts off so subtle. It can be on television, movies, soap operas, magazines, and now all over the Internet. The statistics are overwhelming. Perhaps, you have heard it said before that porn makes more money than the NBA, NFL, and Major League baseball combined. That is true. Most people think it does not impact them. “Not my kids.” I read this week that the average age for exposure to porn is 11 years old. We also like to think this is not a problem in the church. That simply is not true.

• An August 7, 2006 stat says: 50% of all Christian men and 20% of all Christian women are addictedto pornography. 60% of the women who answered the survey admitted to having significant struggles with lust; 40% admitted to being involved in sexual sin in the past year; and 20% of the church-going female participants struggle with looking at pornography on an ongoing basis. From the results of a ChristiaNet poll reported by Marketwire.com (emphasis added)

Those are Christians and that is addiction. 5 out of 10 men and 2 out of 10 women in the church are addicted to porn. Some of those people are people you care about. They are trapped in a life of secrecy. If you love them, will you ask them this simple question: “Have you intentionally viewed pornographic material in the last 12 months?” Just the fact that you asked shows them you care. It also provides them with an opportunity to be freed from their prison of secrecy. What if they answer yes? Point them to Jesus who will give them forgiveness and freedom. Ask them if there is anything you can personally do to help free them from this bondage. Set them up with some accountability (that means someone who understands what they are going through and will walk with them through the process of breaking free from this addiction). In some cases you are the best person to walk with them through this. In some cases you will not be.

No. If you read the Revelation 2:8-11 passage you see we have an enemy who wants to ruin us. He hates us. He tries to ruin our lives, but God takes those same situations that our enemy uses to try and ruin us to strengthen us and ultimately glorify Himself. Stay faithful, He knows and He cares.

Revelation 2:8-11

 ⁸“To the angel of the church in Smyrna write:
      These are the words of him who is the First and the Last, who died and came to life again. ⁹I know your afflictions and your poverty—yet you are rich! I know the slander of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. ¹⁰Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life. ¹¹He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes will not be hurt at all by the second death.

When things are difficult and we have been faithful we have a tendency to ask some tough questions. It is not that we think God owes us something, but it seems like if we are faithful, good things should happen. So, when bad things happen while we are being faithful we ask things like: Why this? Why me? Why now?

Jesus tells the believers in Smyrna that He “knows” their affliction (thlipsis) pressure, crushing pain. When Jesus says, He knows it is not merely head knowledge. Through His death and resurrection (see 2:8), He has a comprehensive knowledge of everything we will ever go through and more. He knows physical suffering, emotional suffering, and relational suffering.

This Sunday after preaching this passage I asked people who had heavy hearts to stand so we could have a special prayer time for them. There are a lot of people who are hurting. He knows, He has been there, He will walk through it with you regardless what you are going through.

Hebrews 4:14 ¹⁴Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess.

Here we go headed into another year. I am excited about this next year. I have learned some valuable lessons especially over the last few years. Over the past few years Shanna and I have started having kids (at number 3 right now). Southbridge Fellowship has launched. We have learned a ton of personal, parenting and leadership lessons through wins and set backs. I think those things combined set me up to have one of the best years in my life.

Here are somethings that have make me believe that saying this year will be the best one yet is not just optomistic thinking: (these are also things I am incredibly thankful for).

1. I have more special people in my life than ever before (the most recent addition being our newest daughter). I have a wife who is willing to talk through where we are at and where we are headed. I would hate to ever just exist living in the same home together.

2. I just preached on Revelation 2:1-7 and keep thinking about loving Jesus more now than in the past. I hope that I will continue to love Him more each day.

3. I am surrounded by people who love and support me. My wife being #1. My friends, our staff team, my community group, our elders and those who keep me accountable, and some mentor figures.

4. I get to serve on a team at Southbridge with people who like working together.

5. The church as a whole is at a place where I think we are about to go to the next level in impacting this city for Christ. We have experienced some great numeric and spiritual growth. I think it is going to continue to deepen and spread.

6. There are enough knowns to think things are headed in the right direction (personally, with my family, and with the church).

7. There are also enough unknowns that it is still exciting, still requires faith, and still gives me the desire to keep pressing on. I could write out all that I think will happen and plan towards that but God is full of surprises which requires dependence.

Here we go… 33 years and 1 day.

I have found that while we will do whatever God wants whenever God wants, life works best when we are in a groove. If we stay in the same groove for too long there is the danger that it becomes a rut. It is possible to begin to think it is the groove that is working (and not God) and start to depend on the groove, especially when that groove is working for you. Some people are still doing the running man (it worked for a time but it is time for a change). I am finding I function best with a groove, but it is healthy to change the groove from time to time just to keep things fresh. God is the one who makes all of this work. After all I would not even be breathing if it were not for Him, but I think the way He has designed me I function best with a groove (or you could call it a routine).

Does your life feel like chaos? Are you always doing things and never getting anything done? Where is your groove? Your life may look like me dancing at a wedding (that is not good).

Is it time to change your groove?