You Are Unique

“My only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God's grace.” (Acts 20:24 NIV)

You’re the only person in the world who can live your life. No one else can live your life for you, and no one else is in competition with you to complete the task Jesus gave you.

Take a deep breath, and rest in the truth that God created you with such a unique mix of spiritual gifts, passions, abilities, personality, and experiences that only you can be you. No one else can duplicate you, and you cannot, should not, imitate another. You are an original masterpiece from the Master’s hand.

Your uniqueness means you’re the only one who can fulfill the mission that God assigned for you to complete.

God’s graduate assistant, Paul, says, “I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God's grace” (Acts 20:24 NIV).

We shouldn’t waste a precious minute of life doing things that don’t matter if that means the most important thing we can do is left undone.

It’s never too late to start faithfully pursuing the mission God has set before you — the one he designed you to complete.

You may think you don’t have skills God can use, but the truth is, God designed you with the very skills he needs in you to do what he asks of you. You are uniquely, wonderfully, and fearfully made.

-by Jon Walker

Jon Walker is author of “Costly Grace: A Contemporary View of Bonhoeffer’s ‘The Cost of Discipleship’” and “In Visible Fellowship: A Contemporary View of Bonhoeffer's Classic Work ‘Life Together.’”

Tear Down The Fence

"Oh that you would bless me indeed, and enlarge my territory, that your hand would be with me, and that you would keep me from evil, that I may not cause pain!"
1 Chronicles 4:9-10 nkjv

Jabez was a guy who was limited from birth.  His name alone, which meant "pain", created limitations that had the potential to fence him in for life.  But as his prayer shows us, he wanted to destroy those limitations and live the life that God truly intended for him to live.  He wanted to live a life with no limits!  But a no limits life is a choice.  You have to choose to break through the limitations that you or others have placed on you.  Only you can choose to tear down the the fences that are locking you in to your current life.  And ONLY THROUGH JESUS is it possible to do that!

This week as you pray, ask God to reveal the limits that are currently controlling your life and keeping you from God's plans & dreams for you.  Then with God's help, tear down those fences that have blocked you for far too long.

Have a great week!

Open The Gift

In all the years I've been around kids, I've never had to force them to open a gift.  For some reason they know how to open a gift without anyone even showing them how.  They love to rip through the paper and get to what's inside (even though they don't care about the gift in 10 minutes).

So what's wrong with adults?  The Holy Spirit is a generous gift giver but for some reason we aren't too excited to open the gifts and receive them. (1 Cor. 12, Romans 12, Eph. 4, 1 Peter 4)  These gifts won't lose their usefulness in a few minutes, days, or years.  These are gifts that you could use the rest of your lives.

So let me challenge you, what are you waiting for?  Why aren't you using the gifts the Holy Spirit's given you?  There's no better day than today to open the gifts and use them in your life.

Grab A Tool!

The faucet breaks, the door handle doesn't work, a picture needs to be hung.....what do we reach for?  The toolbox!  Why do we run tot he toolbox?  Because we know that contained inside are all the tools we'll need to successfully address the situation at hand and fix the problem.

Life is funny, there are a lot of situations that a hammer, wrench, or screwdriver can't fix.  Those tools can't fix a marriage, can't fix a financial struggle, and can't fix a a hard life problem.  But the Holy Spirit toolbox has all the tools necessary to fix those problems and so much more.  Marriage problem, maybe you need the tool of wisdom.  Financial problem, maybe you need the tool of discernment.  Whatever you are facing, the Holy Spirit is prepared to provide you with every tool necessary to succeed and grow.

As you read 1 Corinthians 12, Romans 12, Ephesians 4, & 1 Peter 4 this week, take a few minutes and ask the Holy Spirit for the help you need in your life.

This Is The Day

"This is the day the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it." - Psalm 118:24

What does your week look like?  Do you have a full plate at work?  Does your calendar look filled up?  Do the kids have more sports practices & games than you can count?  When we look at all our busyness it's easy to view the day or week as simply something to be conquered or endured instead of something to be lived to it's fullest.

What would happen if every day you flipped your feet out of bed and once you came to your senses (after a shower or several cups of coffee) you quoted this verse from Psalm 118 like you mean it?  What if you truly believed that the day you were beginning was give to you by God?  I often personalize the second sentence of this verse by saying, "I will CHOOSE to rejoice & be glad in it."

Choose to make today and every day a great day!  It really is your choice!

Simplified Lives

"So then, let us rid ourselves of everything that gets in the way, and of the sin which holds on to us so tightly, and let us run with determination the race that lies before us." (Hebrews 12:1b TEV)

If we’re going to be used for God’s purposes, we have to focus our lives. The Bible compares life to a marathon, and that means we have to simplify our lives. 

The Bible says, “So then, let us rid ourselves of everything that gets in the way, and of the sin which holds on to us so tightly, and let us run with determination the race that lies before us” (Hebrews 12:1b TEV). 

This means we should remove anything from our lives that would get in the way and hold us back. If the devil can’t make you bad, he’ll make you busy. He’ll even keep you so busy doing good things that you won’t have time for the best things. 

That’s why the Bible tells you to simplify your life. You have to get rid of the unnecessary baggage in life. Don’t try to do it all. Do what matters most. A serious runner focuses on the race.  

I’ve heard people say, “I would love to live my life for God’s purpose, but I just don’t have time.” The reason they don’t have time is they haven’t taken the time to simplify their life. 

Talk About It

 

There are all sorts of things that can keep us from simplifying our lives. How do any of the following distract you and keep you from simplifying your life?

1. Trying to be like others instead of being who God created you to be
2. Trying to make everybody happy
3. Trying to meet the arbitrary expectations of others
4. Too many hobbies or too much time with a hobby
5. Social media, movies, or television
6. The wrong kinds of relationships
7. The mistakes of your past 

This devotional © 2012 by Rick Warren. All rights reserved. Used by permission.

2012 Next Steps Relaunch

We are only a few days away from our Next Steps Relaunch Sunday on April 22^nd. Since launching our Next Steps vision expansion campaign 1 year ago we’ve been able to launch & complete our phase 1 Student Center and raise $200,000 but our work is not done. At our current rate of giving we will pay off the Student Center remodel in 58 weeks; just over 1 year. But I believe with everyone’s help we can get our phase 1 remodel paid off early and get started on phase 2, the worship center sanctuary.

I want to challenge you to stay focused and join me as we boldly move forward to our Next Step. Now isn’t the time to glory in our successes. Right now is the time to use that success to catapult us forward. Enclosed you will find a commitment card that we will collect on April 22^nd. I want to challenge everyone to consider 3 steps as you prepare for Relaunch Sunday.

REVIEW: If you made a 3-year commitment a year ago, I’d like to ask you to pray and review that commitment once again. As you pray, ask God if he wants you to increase your commitment over the next 2 years. After prayer, if you feel confident that your commitment should remain the same, simply complete your commitment card.

REVISE: If after prayer you believe God is challenging you to take a greater step of faith, then revise your commitment for the remainder of our 2-year Next Steps campaign and complete your commitment card.

RESPOND: If you didn’t make a commitment last year, this is your chance to respond to God’s vision & plans for Central by diligently seeking God for the financial commitment he wants you to make in helping us take our Next Steps. As God gives you clarity on your commitment, please complete your commitment card for Sunday.

On Sunday morning you will bring your 2-year commitment forward and we will receive a Relaunch Offering. We’re asking everyone to bring an offering of 10% of your next 12 months commitment ($500 = $50, $1000 = $100, $2500 = $250, $5000 = $500). Join Tricia and I as we take these Next Steps together and let’s watch as God comes through again.

Thank You!

Yesterday was a big day at Central Church. With the remodel & Grand Opening of the new Student Center we are on our way to reaching a tithe of our city. With 356 people in attendance yesterday we are inching closer & closer to our initial goal of facilitating 1,000 people through multiple services at our current location. Our new Student Center will help us make an eternal impact on the lives of children & youth.

Thank You! Without the faithful support of those who call Central Church their home, none of this would have been possible. Your financial faithfulness to your Next Steps commitment, tireless ministry service, and unwillingness to quit have produce a victory we can all be proud of.

Let's take a few weeks to relish this success.....then let's keep moving forward to the even bigger & better things God has in store. We aren't done yet. We've only made it to the first way point on the journey God has set us on. Let's keep moving toward God's dreams together and enjoy it along the way.

The Big Test

"Bring the whole tithe (10%) into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the LORD Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it." - Malachi 3:10 (niv)

Some people get really angry with this verse in scripture and others get nervous. It's amazing how we perceive this as God's intrusion into our finances when in fact everything we have belongs to him. I have always been amazed by the 4 words we find in the middle of this verse, "Test me in this!" No where else in scripture do we see God saying this to us; only here in Malachi 3.

I believe the reason we find this challenge as it relates to money is because God himself knew that one of the greatest tests of our faith would be what we do with money. If we can't trust God by obediently giving him 10% of the blessing he originally gave to us in the first place, then how can we proclaim that we trust him for our salvation? How can he save us from our sins, but not be able to take care of us financially? How can we trust him with our lives but not with $40 bucks from our $400 paycheck?

He knew it would be tough. He knew we would struggle with this command. So he extended even greater understanding & grace. He says, "Test me in this! You can trust me! I'm not robbing you, I blessed you in the first place." And he even gives us a guarantee (promise), that if we do this, he will throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that we won't even be able to contain it. That is an AWESOME promise!!!

I encourage you today, trust God. Obey his commands to be faithful with the tithe (10%). He will not fail you and he will not let you down; guaranteed!

Privilege vs. Right

One of the things I am most grateful for is the opportunity to live in a free country. We are truly blessed and I am thankful for each of the liberties we have and appreciative of every person who has fought to defend them for me as well as future generations. But I have a concern. I am concerned that more and more people regard the privileges we have as rights they are entitled to which takes us from sincere gratitude to selfish demands.

As we've been talking about paying off the debt tab for the past few weeks in service, I think this idea has filtered into our thinking about material things & wants. We've stopped looking at things like cell phones, cable TV, internet, eating out, boat/cabin/cars as privileges and instead begun to look at them as a right. A right we are willing to demand even when we cannot afford it. We are willing to put them on credit when we can't afford them and ultimately we leverage ourselves years into the future. We justify debt because we look around and see everyone else doing it, so if they are doing it then it must be our right to have those things as well.

We serve a gracious and giving God. We are tremendously blessed to live in the USA with it's many practical freedoms, including the freedom to worship God. But God doesn't guarantee in scripture that you have a the right to a large house, overflowing bank accounts, or anything else. Is it OK to have those things? Yes! But they aren't rights, they are privileges God blesses us with. Our rights died on the cross when we gave our lives to Christ. Does God want to bless us? Yes! But we can't develop an attitude where we believe it's our rights or that someone or God owes us.

When we recognize that God is the giver of each blessing and that it's His privileged blessing that pours out in our lives, we will become content in his plan and thankful for everything both big & small.

Give & Go

The marching orders have always been clear; GO & preach the gospel and make disciples. That's not simply the mantra for missionaries in countries like Uganda or Uruguay, that's the call for every born-again Christian worldwide.

We've been give the mandate to reach our world. That's not just some other country, that's most importantly our world that we live in on a daily basis. Maybe the best definition of world in this context is simply this; your world includes your regular sphere of influence. That would be your neighborhood, workplace, friends, and family at the least. Program this thought into the normative of your thinking; I AM A MISSIONARY! Until you truly believe that, your life won't reflect the Great Commission of Christ.

How we walk that out regularly can be summarized into two actions, give & go. The work of missions, both locally & nationally, requires a financial investment to advance forward. As you read this blog on your computer, in your heated house/apt., wearing one of many sets of clothes, realize that you are tremendously blessed and able to support the work of missions that reach out to those who need Christ. Consider this, are you willing to give 1 hours worth of pay per month for missions to advance locally, nationally, and internationally? In most cases, for every dollar you give it is multiplied in effectiveness.

Are you willing to go? Are you willing to invite a friend to church? Willing to reach out to them when they experience a death in the family? Are you willing to love them even when they act unlovable? Most people are willing to come to church, they just need someone to invite them; multiple times!

Help us Reach Our World right here in Green Bay!

SERVE Others!

Galatians 5:13 For you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters. But don’t use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love. 14 For the whole law can be summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” (nlt)

Such a simple principle, but such a hard application. It just isn't our natural reaction to think of others first. For example, if we walk up to the doughnut box our first thought isn't, "I don't want to take this just in case someone didn't get one." Our first thought is usually, "A doughnut for me!!! Didn't get one? Sorry Charlie!!!" We naturally take care of ourselves.

But Paul reminds us of Jesus words by reciting the second greatest commandment, "Love your neighbor as yourself." It clearly means, consider others first and treat them the way you would want to be treated. Scripture is clear (1 Corinthians 12) that God has positioned each of us to serve one another. It's what makes God's church work. It's when you bring your gift/talent/ability together with others that the church becomes whole. And when each person serves others ultimately we are being served as well. As we strive to meet the needs of others, our needs will be met in return. We simply can't out give God.

One part of the DNA at Central is serving others. I challenge you to find a place to serve on a regular basis. I promise you, you will find that your life is far more fulfilled in doing so than it would ever be just sitting around thinking of only yourself.

Get connected, start growing, and commit to serving others!

CONNECT in LifeGroups

On Sunday we celebrated 13 baptisms during our morning service. What a blast watching people whose lives have been changed by God. It's simply priceless. They are proof that when we CONNECT with God personally, purposefully, & passionately our lives can make a tremendous impact.

One great way we can grow in our faith journey is to connect with others on a regular basis. There is something special about doing life together with others who are going through the same or similar circumstances that we are. The launch of our new LifeGroups on Sunday, February 12 offers new groups & opportunities to connect. Check out the LifeGroups page on our website for all the details about the times & locations for each group.

Have a GREAT week!

Weed & Feed

Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43
Weeds pop up. It's the nature of weeds. It's what they do! They don't wait for a convenient time or place, they just pop up at the most inopportune times.

Matthew 13 tells us that in the seasons of life there are also weeds that pop up and the source of those weeds is our enemy, the devil. His agenda is clear (John 10:10); it's to steal, kill, and destroy every good thing in our lives. He does that by planting weeds of problems, frustrations, lies, etc in our lives on a daily basis. If we are to overcome, and we can, we must weed & feed. Uproot the weeds the enemy is placing in our lives. But it's also time to feed our souls and grow closer to God through his Word and by talking to him in prayer.

How often should we weed? DAILY! In our flower beds we'll wait several weeks before weeding, but that's not how we should approach it in life. Don't let the devils lies & tricks grow in your life for weeks before dealing with them; pull the weeds daily. Start your day by taking 2 or 3 minutes to ask God for his help today and then give warning to your enemy that you aren't putting up with his junk today. Then end the day by looking at your day and inspecting for weeds that may have sprouted up (anger, lust, envy, bitterness, frustration, depression, etc.). Then pull those weeds.

Make today the start of regular weed pulling in your life. I promise, you will notices a difference.

Snip, Snip!

If you do a quick search on the topic of pruning on the internet you'll find a lot of different descriptions, options, and strategies for pruning. Wikipedia described the reasons for pruning this way, "Reasons to prune plants include deadwood removal, shaping (by controlling or directing growth), improving or maintaining health, reducing risk from falling branches, preparing nursery specimens for transplanting, and increasing the yield or quality of flowers and fruits."

I find that to be an interesting understanding or pruning, especially as it relates to our seasons of life. Sometimes it's just time to remove the dead stuff in our lives. Dead relationships, wastes of time, etc. I like how it describes pruning as a way of shaping our lives by controlling or directing growth. How we prune will determine the appearance of our lives. By pruning we are directing resource, energy, and passion to those places where growth is most needed. By pruning our lives we also are improving or maintaining a healthy life. If we never prune, it's unhealthy! And as the statement goes on to say, by pruning we're positioning our lives to be of greater quality.

Is it painful? Usually! Is it beneficial? ALWAYS!!! Start with your time, resources, & relationships. What do you need to prune today so that tomorrow's can be much better?

The Monday Letdown

If your religion is football then today begins the Monday letdown. I've always considered myself a football (sports) fan, but never really a fanatic. I've never stood in a stadium in 2 degree weather, shirtless and chest painted. I didn't name my son Brett or Aaron and I'm not superstitious about he numbers 4 or 12. While hundreds of thousands of fans lament the demise of their favorite team, the players have already booked their tickets to a warm vacation spot for the the next few weeks. If there is one thing players know it's that Seasons Change. They don't let one circumstance get them down, they know that as long as they get back up and never quit, they will live to play another game, another day!

As it relates to the seasons of your life, they also change. And as long as you don't give up or quit there is another season waiting for you on the other side. As you journey through your current season, embrace it. Accept that God has you exactly where you are for a purpose. Guard your attitude by choosing to focus on the positive instead of the negative. Both are always present, but which one you choose to focus on is up to you. Make wise decisions that will help move your forward. And every day be very intentional about getting some SON; reading the Bible, simple prayer conversation, and connection with others.

Regardless of what happens in sports, I know I will live to fight another day and with God's help I WILL win!

Groaning or Growing

Take a minute to think about the stuff you are going through right now. You know, the stuff you would consider bad, unfair, or just not fun. It's those things that just seem to be part of the cycle of life. If we look close enough we recognize that while there is always some measure of bad going on in our lives, there's also some measure of good that's always happening in our lives as well. We enjoy the good but we hate the bad. And that makes total sense. I'd be concerned if you said you enjoyed going through the bad stuff of life. Stuff like, sickness, relationship struggles, work issues, divorce, financial lack, and the list goes on and on.

The question isn't really whether or not life will be filled with ups or downs, highs or lows; that's a given. The question is really how will you respond to them? To be sure, God doesn't cause our problems, he doesn't tempt us. (James 1:13) But he does allow us to go through things for the purpose of maturing us and strengthening our faith. It's these life experiences that prove whether our faith can sustain the storms or whether it will crumble at the slightest wind.

Stop groaning and start growing! Stop groaning about your problems and start learning from them. Are problems fun? NO! But until you stop groaning about them you'll never grow through them. And ultimately you will stay in that problem until you learn the lesson God is trying to teach you through it. Every time I find myself right in the middle of a problem I've learned to ask God this question, "God, what are you trying to teach me through this?" Then I follow it up with this statement, "Whatever it is, I'm willing to learn. Show me!"

Often the length of your stay in a particular problem is directly connected to your attitude while going through it. Stop groaning! Start taking advantage of the opportunity to grow.