Give It To God

Commit your work to the Lord, and then your plans will succeed. - Proverbs 16:3 (NLT)

I spent the first 3 years out of high school working in the construction field. One of the things I had to learn was how to read the plans to ensure that the goals of the architect were achieved. Just one mistake, one wrong measurement, one variation from the plans could cause the whole project to get off track. I learned very quickly just how important it was to follow the plans.

In the past 16 years I've also found the same thing to be true of life as well. When I started out, I placed a pretty high value on my plans; the ones I made. But as I was willing to finally admit, God had plans for my life as well and sometimes my plans didn't line up with his plans. My mistakes, my wrong decisions, and my miscalculations always cause my life to get way off track from God's plans.

Sometimes I don't learn real fast, but this verse couldn't make it any more simple. This is one of those verses I always talk about; a command followed by a promise. The Command: Commit your work to the Lord. The Promise: Then your plans will succeed. You don't get the promise until you obey the command first. God is the master architect for life. Jeremiah 29:11 tells us that he knows every plan he has for us. The smartest thing we can do is stop, submit our lives and our plans to God, then watch how God works. It's not always easy to do but it is the only way to succeed.

What plans do you need to commit to God this week? How long have you been struggling to succeed? All you have to do is commit it to God, listen to his instruction, and you will succeed like never before.

Have A GREAT Week!

Note of Birthday Thanks!!!

Thank you to everyone who sent me birthday best-wishes yesterday! 36; only 4 years to 40!!! Birthdays are a regular reminder not only that I'm getting older but also that I am a blessed man! I have an amazing wife of 16 years and 2 wonderful kids. But the most significant blessing of my life is my personal relationship with Jesus Christ. To all my family and friends both near and far, the most significant gift I could receive from you is to know you've started that relationship as well. Not religion, but a relationship. Don't let a negative past experience at a church or with a stupid so-called Christian keep you from that personal relationship. Stop for just a minute, right now, and start your relationship by saying...... "Jesus, I know I'm not perfect and I've made plenty of mistakes.....but I'm asking you to forgive me of all my sins.....come into my life in a real way.....show me how to live my life for you.....AMEN!" Congrats, you just started your relationship. Now find a great church; not a lame one that doesn't make sense. If you need help finding one. I can give you some suggestions, no matter where you live.

God Bless and have a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday!!!

What Are You Thanful For?

I first want to express my thanks to our missionary guests from this past Sunday, Matt & Stacey Leighty. The are just beginning the process of raising the necessary funds to serve military personnel and their families in Germany. But in the next 12 - 16 months they will raise those funds and be on their way to serving those families. I appreciated his challenge to share our faith regardless of the obstacles. Thanks Pastor Matt!

With Thanksgiving only a few days away, let me ask the most basic question. What are you thankful for? We often think about what we don't have, but we seldom think about just how blessed we are. The measure of blessing isn't determined solely by the balance of your checking account. For me it's measured by the people we know, the people we've invested in, and the potential of those same people.

What about you? What are you thankful for? Today is a great day to remember where you've been and what God has brought you too. As you sit around your table this Thanksgiving with family & food, don't forget to express your thankfulness to those around the table and most importantly to the God who made it all possible.

Have a WONDERFUL holiday!!!

What Is Commitment?

In a conversation I had with a few people over the weekend, we began talking about what we viewed as the biggest obstacle for most people in marriage, church, business, etc. That obstacle is commitment. Those things that are important in life require so much more than just a surface commitment. Here is a clip from an article I read this weekend.

The most important single factor in individual success is COMMITMENT. Commitment ignites action. To commit is to pledge yourself to a certain purpose or line of conduct. It also means practicing your beliefs consistently. There are, therefore, two fundamental conditions for commitment. The first is having a sound set of beliefs. There is an old saying that goes, "Stand for something or you'll fall for anything." The second is faithful adherence to those beliefs with your behavior. Possibly the best description of commitment is "persistence with a purpose".

Many successful business people are hailed as visionary leaders. On careful inspection they are found to be individuals who hold firmly to a simple set of commitments, usually grounded in beliefs such as "the best product money can buy", or the highest possible customer service". It is the strength of these commitments, religiously followed, that led to their business success.

I think the question everyone should ask themselves is this, "What am I committed to? And is that what God wants me to be committed to?" There are so many things to invest our time, energy, and money in but where is God telling us to invest it.

I encourage you to evaluate your commitments this week!

Love & War :: Resources

Here are 3 key resources I talked about on Sunday morning. Captivating is a great book written for women. Love & War is the topic of our marriage series and is a new book focusing on marriage. And Wild At Heart is a book for men that challenges the specific issues we face. I encourage everyone to pick up at least one of these books either locally or online to help you grow as an individual or as a couple. Click on the books below to purchase the books or to get more information.

Have A GREAT Week!!!
Pastor Mark

Does God Expect Christians To Vote?

It is our contention that it is the duty and responsibility of every Christian to vote and to vote for leaders who promote Christian principles. God is most certainly in control, but that does not mean we should do nothing to further His will. We are commanded to pray for our leaders (1 Timothy 2:1-4). In terms of politics and leadership, there is evidence in Scripture that God has been displeased with our choices of leadership at times (Hosea 8:4). The evidence of sin’s grip on this world is everywhere. Much of the suffering on earth is because of godless leadership (Proverbs 28:12). Scripture gives Christians instructions to obey legitimate authority unless it contradicts the Lord’s commands (Acts 5:27-29; Romans 13:1-7). As born-again believers, we ought to strive to choose leaders who will be themselves led by our Creator (1 Samuel 12:13-25). Candidates or proposals that violate the Bible’s commands for life, family, marriage, or faith should never be supported (Proverbs 14:34). Christians should vote as led through prayer and study of both God’s Word and the realities of the choices on the ballot.

Christians in many countries in this world are oppressed and persecuted. They suffer under governments they are powerless to change and governments that hate their faith and silence their voices. These believers preach the gospel of Jesus Christ at risk of their own lives. In the U.S.A., Christians have been blessed with the right to speak about and choose their leaders without fearing for themselves or their families. In the U.S.A., in recent elections, about 2 of every 5 of self-professed Christians took that right for granted and did not vote. About 1 in 5 self-professed, eligible Christians are not even registered to vote.

In our day and age, there are many who want to drive the name and message of Christ completely out of the public arena. Voting is an opportunity to promote, protect, and preserve godly government. Passing up that opportunity means letting those who would denigrate the name of Christ have their way in our lives. The leaders we elect—or do nothing to remove—have great influence on our freedoms. They can choose to protect our right to worship and spread the gospel, or they can restrict those rights. They can lead our nation toward righteousness or toward moral disaster. As Christians, we should stand up and follow our command to fulfill our civic duties (Matthew 22:21).

© Copyright 2002-2010 Got Questions Ministries.

How Should Christians Vote?

With only 9 days left until the midterm elections I'd love to answer a question that is rarely asked by most Christians. How should Christians vote? When we step into the voting booth most of us consider our selections completely private, personal, and nobody's business. The one thing we forget is that while no one here may know how you've cast your vote there is someone who knows exactly how you voted; and he's no little someone. God sees where your vote is cast. Does your vote glorify God and move HIS agenda forward?

Notice the question is not "Who should a Christian vote for?" because this not a party discussion. I'm not talking about liberals, conservatives, moderates, democrats, republicans, or independents. What I'm talking about is the filter every Christian should filter their vote through; the Bible! How should a Christian vote? A Christian should vote for candidates who uphold Biblical morals, values, and truth. This is hard at times because we sometimes find ourselves voting for the lesser of two evils. Sometimes no candidate completely stands with the Bible on every issue, but we still have the obligation to stand for truth at the highest level available. A Christian shouldn't base their vote on issues like the economy (even though we all want it to improve); God is our source & supplier. No matter the health care policies; God is still my healer. We need to stay focused on Biblical absolutes that are in question in our society as a starting point, then we can filter down to lesser issues.

Let me give you a few examples of issues the Bible is clear on but our society and candidates differ on. Abortion is clearly outlined in the Bible as murder. Marriages is clearly outlined in the Bible as between one man and one woman. No other equation equals marriage in the Bible. Should we be two issue voters? NO. But I do believe we must start somewhere and these two issues are devastating our current culture. If a candidate can't get it right on these issues that the Bible couldn't be more crystal clear on, then where else will they deviate from God's truth.

My simple point is this. As Christians we are obligated to stand for truth in every area of life, including who we elect to represent and serve us. First, you have an obligation to vote. Don't sit out on any election where you can stand for truth. Second, you can't vote if you don't research the candidates. Don't blindly vote, be informed and compare the views of candidates to Gods Word. Third, and most important, PRAY! Pray for God's wisdom, candidates that will honor Him and stand for truth.

Just something to think about as we approach election day. Have a GREAT week!

(Below is the Christian Coalition's voter guide comparing candidates views on Biblical issues)