Faith

We are not “saved”  by belief in God plus all the great things we do for Him.

We are “saved” by a belief in God that motivates us to do great things for Him.

The Beatitudes

My pastor, Rick Bezet, encouraged the staff to read the Beatitudes in The Message Bible. You gotta read it. Good stuff.

Matthew 5:1-12  1-2 When Jesus saw his ministry drawing huge crowds, he climbed a hillside. Those who were apprenticed to him, the committed, climbed with him. Arriving at a quiet place, he sat down and taught his climbing companions. This is what he said: 3“You’re blessed when you’re at the end of your rope. With less of you there is more of God and his rule.

 4“You’re blessed when you feel you’ve lost what is most dear to you. Only then can you be embraced by the One most dear to you.

 5“You’re blessed when you’re content with just who you are—no more, no less. That’s the moment you find yourselves proud owners of everything that can’t be bought.

 6“You’re blessed when you’ve worked up a good appetite for God. He’s food and drink in the best meal you’ll ever eat.

 7“You’re blessed when you care. At the moment of being ‘care-full,’ you find yourselves cared for.

 8“You’re blessed when you get your inside world—your mind and heart—put right. Then you can see God in the outside world.

 9“You’re blessed when you can show people how to cooperate instead of compete or fight. That’s when you discover who you really are, and your place in God’s family.

 10“You’re blessed when your commitment to God provokes persecution. The persecution drives you even deeper into God’s kingdom.

 11-12“Not only that—count yourselves blessed every time people put you down or throw you out or speak lies about you to discredit me. What it means is that the truth is too close for comfort and they are uncomfortable. You can be glad when that happens—give a cheer, even!—for though they don’t like it, I do! And all heaven applauds. And know that you are in good company. My prophets and witnesses have always gotten into this kind of trouble.

Overcoming People Pleasing Part 1

Too many people live for the approval of other people instead of God. God’s opinion is all that matters. 

Galatians 1:10 “10 Obviously, I’m not trying to win the approval of people, but of God. If pleasing people were my goal, I would not be Christ’s servant.”

One way to overcome people pleasing is: BE YOURSELF

Got a question for you. Who are you? 

“But momma wants me to be a doctor…”

So what. She’ll get over it. What does God want you to be?

“But my friends will judge me…”

So what. They probably judge you anyway. What about God?

Who are you?

Be yourself. No one can make decisions for you. Only you know what you should do.

I’m surprised by how many people are so consumed with what others think of them that they aren’t even themselves. If you are truly following Christ, you will not live a normal life. In fact, it is impossible to serve God and make everyone happy.

You don’t have to be like everyone else. Be YOU! I’ve had to sit across from people that I am extremely close to and say this is how it’s going to be in my life. Period. I don’t think I’m better than you. You don’t have to agree with me but this is what I’m all about.

Don’t surrender who God has called you to be at the expense of other’s opinions or judgments

God will call you to do crazy things. Are you willing to look like a fool for God? Are you willing to look ridiculous for God? Your true friends will respect your life decisions.

Romans 8:31 “If God is for us, who can be against us?”

Are you ashamed of what God is trying to do in you?

I remember when I used to be so concerned about what people thought of me. The way I walked into the gym, the clothes I wore and the way I wore them, my eye contact with others, what I ordered to drink. It was crazy. I watched everything I did to make sure that people didn’t reject me. Why did I care so much?

I thank God that I’m over that!

Be yourself…when God leads you or speaks to you. Stand on it. And don’t move from it. If you end up mistaken, so be it. You never said you were perfect. But until that happens stand on what God has spoken and be yourself. 

Are you comfortable being yourself? 

Truth & Love

My pastor Rick Bezet said in staff meeting today, “The truth without love is not truth.”

If you love people you can tell them the truth. If you don’t love people, then they won’t care about your truths that are so dear to you.

There are sometimes groups of Christian extremists:

1. Christians that just tell the truth

2. Christians that just love people 

But you can’t have one without the other.

Truth without love is not really the truth. You cannot fully preach at someone that you don’t fully love. 

Love without truth is not really love. You cannot fully love someone your are not honest with. 

Jesus preached the truth but he did it with a broken compassionate heart. The kindness of God leads people to repentance. 

John Maxwell says, “People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.”

Let me ask you two pointed questions:

What person in your life needs to be reminded that you genuinely love them?

What person in your life do you need to confront or challenge in a life-giving way?