Wow! I don’t think I ever heard of that concept.  Sin is not just something we do but it is something we are.  It is not just a behavior but a part of our character.  In other words, we are not sinners because we sin, but we sin because we are sinners.  It is in our nature.  Paul said, “Oh what a wretched man I am, who is going to save me from this body of sin…thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!”  Then we can conclude there is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

A man cannot redeem himself— redemption is the work of God, and is absolutely finished and complete. And its application to individual people is a matter of their own individual action or response to it. A distinction must always be made between the revealed truth of redemption and the actual conscious experience of salvation in a person’s life.

I take this to mean that redemption is sufficient for any who believe it but not effective until you receive it.  John 1:12 points to the fact that receiving and believing are on the same page.  If we only believe it is insufficient and ineffective, we have to receive also!

 “Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?”

“That depends a good deal on where you want to get to,” said the cat.

“I don’t much care where,” said Alice.

“Then it doesn’t matter which way you go,” said the cat.

“So long as I get somewhere,” Alice added as an afterthought.

“Oh, you’re sure to do that,” said the cat, “if only you walk long enough.”

Leadership is not about “getting somewhere”; it is about getting to the desired destination. It is about helping those we lead—our congregation, our family, our Sunday school class—become all God designed them to be and grow into the influence God wants them to exercise.

I am attaching some great tools for your benefit to make your time with God move by in a strategic and organized fashion.  Click on the two following links for your soul’s benefit, your families’ benefit and for the Glory of Christ.

Date with God Ideas

Biblical Prayer for Others

Some solid thoughts:

• John 1:1 precedes Genesis 1:1 (Wow!  That is a deep and solid thought)
• The Word is God…not a god (vs. 1)
• Jesus is the creator (vs. 3)
• Jesus is the life…that life brings light but those in darkness don’t understand it (vs. 5)
• John the Baptist is a stud…he is not the light but points to the light (vs. 6-8)
• Jesus came to his own but his own did not receive him (vs.9-11)
• Receiving is on the same level as believing (vs.12)

Controversy Corner- I asked the question, “For the most part are  people Negative, Neutral or Positive towards God?”

Great discussion followed.  The question seemed to bring out some concerns on whether babies are innocent (positive towards God) or “evil” (negative towards God).  Age old question of Nature vs. Nurture.  In other words are babies born with pure innocence and the world beats them down or are they born with the propensity towards “evil” called a sinful nature?

Personal Pain-

I told Allison that I wish I could believe and say what I want to believe and say and just overlook the Scripture sometimes.  I have witnessed many times how The Scriptures seem to cut to the heart and soul of a person.  IN SAYING THAT, I KNOW THAT THERE ARE DIFFERENT VIEW POINTS EVEN OF THE SAME SCRIPTURE.  God is good and wants all to come to the point of receiving Him (II Peter 3:9).  God loves children with an  immense love, in fact, EVERY child has a guardian angel (Matthew 18:10).  However, children are born with a sinful nature (Psalm 51:5- Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me).  It is not that children aren’t adorable, cute and cooing.  I don’t think it is even that a child is an extreme example of selfishness…feed me now, change me now, I need sleep now and if I don’t get that I will cry and make my needs known (actually I can imagine how some might think a crying baby is cute also, I never was able to join that crowd).  I think it is simply a nature that is transferred down through time because of Adam and Eve’s sin.

Sinful Nature 101-

Every human being sins. Sin is often defined as missing the mark. It is a failure to live up to God’s requirements.

We sin because we have a sin nature. Every human being possesses a sin nature — a corrupt nature inherited from Adam. Our sin nature separates us from God: “The result of one trespass was condemnation for all men” (Romans 5:18).

Christians have two natures at work in their being — one is the old sin nature, and the other is a new nature controlled by the Spirit. These two natures are constantly at war with each other. Paul explains that, despite his best intentions, he is still influenced by his sin nature: “I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do — this I keep on doing” (Romans 7:18-19).

While our two natures are constantly in conflict, it is not the sin nature that will ultimately control the Christian. Part of the sanctification process involves dying to the old nature. The Christian will sin, but the Christian will not continue in unrestrained sin: “You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you” (Romans 8:9). Sin in the Christian’s life will be followed by remorse and repentance.

At Christ’s second coming, when the believer’s body is glorified, the sin nature will be destroyed once and for all. Until then, we are told to resist the sin nature’s temptations.

God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it” (1 Corinthians 10:13).

VALUES

Values become the attitude of uniqueness that a family lives by.  It is important to understand that some values are real while others are only declared.  THEY ACT LIKE A RUDDER GUIDING A FAMILY IN THE GENERAL DIRECTION THEY WANT TO GO.

MISSION

The most important thing about anything is its purpose or the reason it exists.  This is its mission.  All Christians have the same mission.  So the values give the general direction, mission helps tighten that up a bit.

ROLES

Our mission is the same but what makes us unique are the roles that we live by.  We shouldn’t try and have too many roles.  It is wise to have a manageable span of management.  I am suggesting that we don’t have more than 5 or maybe 6 roles.  Roles include:  Child of God, Spouse, Parent, Employment, Ministry.  Our roles help us to develop a categorized mission statement.

GOALS

Goals must be S.MA.R.T (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, Time-Related).  For each of our Roles it is a great practice to set Goals before the month begins.  I have attached a Living on Purpose Goals Worksheet.  Go ahead and click on this link and start setting Goals.

Living on Purpose Goals Worksheet

Uniqueness of the Bible

I. In its Continuity

   A. HERE IS A BOOK THAT WAS WRITTEN…

      1. A long period of time…about 1600 years and a span of 40 generations

      2. By approximately 40 authors from every walk of life

         a. Moses, political leader trained in the universities of Egypt

         b. Peter, fisherman

         c. Amos, herdsman

         d. Joshua, military general

         e. Nehemiah, cup-bearer to the king of Persia

         f. Daniel, prime minister in the courts of Babylon

         g. Luke, physician

         h. Solomon, philosopher king

         i. Matthew, tax collector

         j. Paul, rabbi and tentmaker

      3. In different places

         a. Moses in the wilderness

         b. Jeremiah in a dungeon

         c. Daniel on a hillside, and in a palace

         d. Paul inside prison walls

         e. Luke while traveling

         f. John in exile on the isle of Patmos

         g. Others in the rigors of a military campaign

      4. At different times

         a. David in times of war

         b. Solomon in times of peace

      5. During different moods

         a. Some writing from the heights of joy

         b. Others from the depths of sorrow and despair

      6. On three continents:  Asia, Africa, Europe

      7. In three languages:  Hebrew, Aramaic, Greek

      8. With subject matter involving hundreds of controversial topics:

         a. The origin of man and the universe

         b. The nature of God

         c. The nature of man, sin, and man’s redemption

B. YET THERE IS HARMONY AND CONTINUITY…

1.  Compare the continuity of the Bible with any other writings of men

         a. Imagine what you would have it you took just ten authors…

            1) From one walk of life, one generation, one place, one

               time, one mood, one continent, one language

            2) Speaking on just one controversial subject

         b. You would have a conglomeration of conflicting ideas, not

            harmony!

II.  IN ITS SURVIVAL

   A. ITS SURVIVAL THROUGH TIME…

      1. Though written on material that perishes…

         a. …having to be copied and recopied for hundreds of years by

            hand

         b. …its style, correctness, or existence did not diminish

      2. Compared with other ancient writings, the manuscript evidence

         of the Bible:

         a. Is greater than any 10 pieces of classical literature

            combined!

         b. Is sufficient to ensure that we are reading the words of the

            original

   B. ITS SURVIVAL THROUGH PERSECUTION…

      1. Many have tried to burn it, ban it, and otherwise outlaw it

         a. From the days of Roman emperors

         b. To the present Communist-dominated countries

      2. Two illustrations of its survival through persecution:

         a. In 303 A.D., the Roman emperor Diocletian issued an edict to

            stop Christians from worshipping, and to destroy their

            scriptures.  Only 25 years later the Roman emperor

            Constantine called for 50 copies of the Bible to be prepared

            at the expense of the government!

         b. Voltaire, French atheist who died in 1778, predicted that

            Christianity would be swept from existence and pass into

            history within 100 years of his time.  50 years after his

            death, the Geneva Bible Society used his printing press and

            house to produce stacks of Bibles!

– How true is the statement:

For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withers and the flower fails: But the word of the Lord endures for ever. - 1 Pe 1:24-25

   C. ITS SURVIVAL THROUGH CRITICISM…

      1. “Infidels for 1800 years have been refuting and overthrowing

         this book, and yet it stands today as solid as a rock.  Its

         circulation increases, and it is more loved and cherished and

         read today than ever before.  Infidels, with all their assault

         make about as much impression on this book as a man with a tack

         hammer on the pyramids of Egypt.”  - H. L. Hastings

      2. “No other book has been so chopped, knifed, sifted,

         scrutinized, and vilified.  What book on philosophy or religion

         or psychology…has been subject to such a mass attack as the

         Bible?  With such venom and skepticism?  With such thoroughness

         and erudition?  Upon every chapter, line and tenet?  And yet,

         the Bible is still loved by millions, read by millions, and

         studied by millions.” - Bernard Ramm

III.  IN ITS INFLUENCE

   A. UPON THE LITERATURE OF THE WORLD…

      1. “If every Bible in any considerable city were destroyed, the

         book could be restored in all its essential parts from the

         quotations on the shelves of the city public library” (The

         Greatest English Classic)

      2. No one can truly be called “educated” who is ignorant of the

         Bible, for they would be ignorant of that which has influenced

         so many great writers

   B. UPON THE WORLD ITSELF…

      1. Our judicial system is based upon many of the principles found

         in the Bible

      2. Our standards of morality owe much to the Judeo-Christian ethic

      3. Even within the ancient characters of the Chinese language, are

         references to the Genesis story of Adam and Eve, the garden,

         and the Flood

 INFORMATION TAKEN FROM JOSH MCDOWELL EVIDENCE THAT DEMANDS A VERDICT!

QB-  Tony Romo

WR-  Reggie Wayne

WR-  Randy Moss

WR-  Larry Fitzgerald

RB-  Brandon Jacobs

RB-  Ronnie Brown

TE-  Greg Olsen

K-  Mason Crosby

DEF- Steelers

Bench- QB- Donovan McNabb, RB- Marshawn Lynch, RB- Tim Hightower, TE- Todd Heap, WR- Devery Henderson, DEF- GreenBay

For the Fantasy knowledgeable person out there, this is a Point Per Reception league and everything else is Yahoo standard.  So how does the team look?  

Oswald Chambers says, “Temptation is not something we can escape; in fact, it is essential to the well-rounded life of a person. Beware of thinking that you are tempted as no one else–what you go through is the common inheritance of the human race, not something that no one has ever before endured. God does not save us from temptations–He sustains us in the midst of them (see Hebrews 2:18 and Hebrews 4:15-16 ).”

If I am accurate, the word for temptation and the word for trials are the same in the Greek language.  In other words, all temptations can actually be a tool for growth in our lives, like the refining tools of trials.  James concludes, “Consider it pure joy when you face trials of many kinds…”  Do you think he is throwing in there the hidden power that temptation gives a person, that is if we stand under temptation and not give in??

Instead of fretting under temptation, run to the LORD and plead for His strength, joy and perspective.  And whatever you do, don’t think that what you are experiencing is something that ONLY YOU ARE EXPERIENCING.  It is just not the truth and that thinking is a powerful tool in our enemies arsenal of deceptive attacks.

 ¹ In the year when King Sargon of Assyria sent his commander in chief to capture the Philistine city of Ashdod,^{[a] 2} the Lord told Isaiah son of Amoz, “Take off the burlap you have been wearing, and remove your sandals.” Isaiah did as he was told and walked around naked and barefoot. ³ Then the Lord said, “My servant Isaiah has been walking around naked and barefoot for the last three years. This is a sign—a symbol of the terrible troubles I will bring upon Egypt and Ethiopia.^[b]

Naked for 3 YEARS!!  God told him to do it and he did it.  WOW!

  ²³ In that day Egypt and Assyria will be connected by a highway. The Egyptians and Assyrians will move freely between their lands, and they will both worship God. ²⁴ And Israel will be their ally. The three will be together, and Israel will be a blessing to them. ²⁵ For the Lord of Heaven’s Armies will say, “Blessed be Egypt, my people. Blessed be Assyria, the land I have made. Blessed be Israel, my special possession!”

Assyria= IRAQ.  What does this mean?  Egypt and Iraq will be blessed by having a good relationship with Israel.  Israel will be their ally.  The only hope for the Middle East is a relationship with Jesus.

My consistent question as it relates to becoming a Missional Congregation is, “How?”  I fully understand a new church is easier to develop a missional mindset than an established church.  I had the thought the other day, “I wish all church goers desired to be missional instead of being passively involved in church as the dispenser of religious goods and services.”

An existing congregation is made up of intertwining stories, traditions, cultures and networks constantly banging into one another all the time.  These normal interactions with others in and out of the Church makes the DNA of the Church what it is…since interactions can vary and change.

Principles to Understand

1. Focus on the culture of the church and not the organization of the church
2. Focusing on the culture doesn’t change the culture
3. Changing Culture takes time and small steps
4. Baby steps
5. Starting with “Alignment” is not the answer

Transformational leadership vs. Transactional leadership…Sometimes leaders get into the thinking that in order to overhaul their Church they just start doing things differently.  This is a great idea if the organization is making shoes or buttons or cars, however it is an entirely different set of variables when dealing in the social sector or even a church.  However, I imagine a president of an auto company would also say, “We too, just like the Church, are dealing with soul type relationships.”  There is a huge difference between Transformational Leadership and Transactional Leadership.  One depends on ingenuity more than on Godly dependence.  One moves prayer as a strategy and not an identity.  One gets  people in a room to cleverly maneuver words together in order to drum up lifestyle, without focusing on the God of the lifestyle.  I maybe splitting hairs but this is a big deal and many churches have been dealing with this for awhile.