June 25, 2017

"Since you became alive again, so to speak, when Christ arose from the dead, now set your sights on the rich treasures and joys of heaven where he sits beside God in the place of honor and power. Let heaven fill your thoughts; don’t spend your time worrying about things down here. You should have as little desire for this world as a dead person does. Your real life is in heaven with Christ and God. And when Christ who is our real life comes back again, you will shine with him and share in all his glories. Away then with sinful, earthly things; deaden the evil desires lurking within you; have nothing to do with sexual sin, impurity, lust, and shameful desires; don’t worship the good things of life, for that is idolatry. God’s terrible anger is upon those who do such things. You used to do them when your life was still part of this world; but now is the time to cast off and throw away all these rotten garments of anger, hatred, cursing, and dirty language. Don’t tell lies to each other; it was your old life with all its wickedness that did that sort of thing; now it is dead and gone. You are living a brand new kind of life that is continually learning more and more of what is right, and trying constantly to be more and more like Christ who created this new life within you." Colossians 3:1-10

Wow, we are born with a lot of harmful habits!

So when God gives us a holy heart how do we dump those harmful habits and develop holy habits?

Here are three keys:

1) Submit

2) Surrender

3) Substitute

Submit yourself to the Lord along with your harmful habits. Confess your weakness and inability to overcome these habits. Express your disgust with these habits and your desire to develop holy habits.

Further, don't attempt to overcome all your habits at once! Submit them individually and attack each one with undivided devotion.

Surrender the source of your harmful habits, your selfish will. Early on this may be an hourly process. But when your will is surrendered and consecrated to His will the battle gets much easier. How can you hope to develop His habits without being led by His will?

Substitute His holy habits for your harmful habits. I am convinced that the best way to rid yourself of old habits is not to stop them but to substitute new habits in their place. To do so with take intentional focus and determined faith. 

Be realistic and allow for some hits and misses early on. Celebrate your wins and allow your losses to make you more determined. 

Prayer will be an essential and prayer with fasting might be necessary in some cases.

Here are five habits we are recommending this Summer. They form the acrostic "BELLS" and will greatly assist in making you much more effective reaching people for Christ.

1) Bless - develop the habit of blessing at least three people every week. It may be a gift or a visit or a phone call, but do something to be a blessing. Work at making one or two of those people non-believers or new believers!

2) Eat - since you already have the habit of eating three times per day, this one should be easier. Make sure you plan a meal with at least three people during the week. Make sure at least one of those meals is with an unbeliever. Use these meals for either evangelizing or edifying.

3) Listen - perhaps when we think of witnessing we think in terms of what we need to say or we get intimidated because we don't know what to say. Well, try listening. If you listen well to others you will get to know them well and how to connect with them effectively. And, more importantly, listen to God!

4) Learn - make time regularly during the week to learn from Jesus and about Jesus through prayer, His Word and meditation.

5) Sent - live daily with a missional mindset. As a Christ-follower your life has a purpose, so act like it and live like it! Don't live your life - invest it!

Paul is very clear in this advice to believers, a holy heart demands holy habits. It won't be easy. It will be a battle but you will be on the winning side!

Make sure you have holy habits to go with your holy heart!

Make your new habit making new habits!

June 24, 2017

"So you see, it isn’t enough just to have faith. You must also do good to prove that you have it. Faith that doesn’t show itself by good works is no faith at all—it is dead and useless. But someone may well argue, “You say the way to God is by faith alone, plus nothing; well, I say that good works are important too, for without good works you can’t prove whether you have faith or not; but anyone can see that I have faith by the way I act.” Are there still some among you who hold that “only believing” is enough? Believing in one God? Well, remember that the demons believe this too—so strongly that they tremble in terror! Fool! When will you ever learn that “believing” is useless without doing what God wants you to? Faith that does not result in good deeds is not real faith." James 2:17-20

Complete this sentence. "If you do what you've always done you will get what _________________."

Try this one, "To do what you have always done and expect a different result is  the definition of __________.

Do you agree with those two sentences?

Okay, then, when you put those two pieces of conventional wisdom together,  I can make a case that bad habits that are not addressed have the potential to drive you crazy. 

Right?

And, when your heart believes one thing while your habits show something different you are at least conflicted and maybe crazy.

No one wants to be crazy and those who are don't want to admit it.

But the point is this, if you don't like how your life is going you must change some habits. It isn't easy but it is necessary.

Habits become very comfortable because you don't have to think about them. They have become ingrained patterns of behavior and by nature we are lazy.

Changing a habit is hard because you DO have to think about it. You have to consciously and willfully take an action that is unnatural and uncomfortable. You also have to change a thought pattern because thoughts precede actions.

So, wanting a better outcome for your life without changing any habits is crazy. But changing habits of behavior and thinking can make you feel like you're crazy.

To be happy and content in life your heart and your habits must match. Your actions must be consistent with your beliefs.

That is the point James is making in this Scripture. If God has changed your heart then you must change your habits to match up with your new nature. 

Just as it takes the power of God's Holy Spirit through the grace of Jesus to transform your sinful nature so it will also take nothing less than the power of God to help you change your habits.

God calls you to have a holy heart. And He calls you to also form holy habits. 

It's crazy to think you can have a holy heart but not have holy habits.

It's crazy to think you can have holy habits without having a holy heart.

It's crazy to think you can change either your heart or your habits without the help of God.

It's crazy to think He can't do it and it is even crazier not to ask Him.

Don't be crazy. Be conformed by the power of God in your heart and it your habits.

June 23, 2017

“Since you became alive again, so to speak, when Christ arose from the dead, now set your sights on the rich treasures and joys of heaven where he sits beside God in the place of honor and power.  Let heaven fill your thoughts; don’t spend your time worrying about things down here.  You should have as little desire for this world as a dead person does. Your real life is in heaven with Christ and God.  And when Christ who is our real life comes back again, you will shine with him and share in all his glories. Away then with sinful, earthly things; deaden the evil desires lurking within you; have nothing to do with sexual sin, impurity, lust, and shameful desires; don’t worship the good things of life, for that is idolatry.  God’s terrible anger is upon those who do such things.  You used to do them when your life was still part of this world;  but now is the time to cast off and throw away all these rotten garments of anger, hatred, cursing, and dirty language. Don’t tell lies to each other; it was your old life with all its wickedness that did that sort of thing; now it is dead and gone.  You are living a brand new kind of life that is continually learning more and more of what is right, and trying constantly to be more and more like Christ who created this new life within you.” Colossians 3:1-10

The Bible is quite clear that when your heart is changed by faith in Jesus, your habits should change as well.

If you have been a follower of Christ for awhile but are still caught up in the habits of your old life, something is wrong.

Here are some things that must change as evidence you have changed. 

When you became a Christian you were given a new direction! You are to follow in the direction God and His Word leads you! 

Before you knew Christ you were walking away from God and following your own desires. That direction has changed.

When you became a Christian you were given a new destiny! Before you came to trust Christ your destiny was an eternity separated from God in a horrible place called Hell.

But now, as a Christ-follower, your destiny is to be formed into the image of Christ! That includes having habits like Him.

When you became a Christian you were given a new dynamic! The day you trusted Christ to save you you were given the Holy Spirit. 

God's Holy Spirit is the presence of God. So, since you have the Spirit of God you have His presence no matter where you go! You will never be be alone!

Also, God's Spirit is the power of GOD active in your life to enable you to resist temptation when the enemy comes to tempt.

The same power that spoke the universe into existence can speak to your need, your fears, your uncertainty, your confusion and your broken heart.

Don't you think the same power that created you should also be able to change you and your habits?

His power is greater than anything that can come against you or oppose you! Including your habits!

So, if you have received a new direction and a new destiny and a new dynamic don't you think you should develop new habits?

Only God can change your heart but only you can change your habits!

June 22, 2017

"Follow God’s example in everything you do just as a much loved child imitates his father. Be full of love for others, following the example of Christ who loved you and gave himself to God as a sacrifice to take away your sins. And God was pleased, for Christ’s love for you was like sweet perfume to him. Let there be no sex sin, impurity or greed among you. Let no one be able to accuse you of any such things. Dirty stories, foul talk, and coarse jokes—these are not for you. Instead, remind each other of God’s goodness, and be thankful.You can be sure of this: The Kingdom of Christ and of God will never belong to anyone who is impure or greedy, for a greedy person is really an idol worshiper—he loves and worships the good things of this life more than God. Don’t be fooled by those who try to excuse these sins, for the terrible wrath of God is upon all those who do them. Don’t even associate with such people. For though once your heart was full of darkness, now it is full of light from the Lord, and your behavior should show it! Because of this light within you, you should do only what is good and right and true." Ephesians 5:1-9

Although Ben is a close relative of mine our stories couldn't be more different.

I made a decision to follow Christ at seven years old, surrendered to His Lordship at fourteen and answered the call to full-time ministry at 18. By the age of 22 I was leading a Wesleyan Church in Princeton, Illinois.

Did I have lapses in my spiritual walk?

Sure.

Did I make some unwise decisions in my teen years?

Of course I did.

But did I develop harmful sinful habits?

No, I didn't.

Unlike Ben, I resisted temptations to try smoking or get involved with drinking alcohol. Those were habits I never developed. I have never smoked and never started drinking. 

I had some unstable people in my life who were alcoholics and I got an up close look at the futility brought on by that addiction and the pain it inflicts on others. That cured me of any desire to get involved with alcohol.

God gave me the wisdom to surround myself with like-minded godly people. I stayed active in church, youth group, youth camps, youth rallies and a Campus Life group in my high school. Playing high school baseball and basketball helped keep me busy, physically fit and personally disciplined. And being accepted by the "in crowd" at high school was not a high priority for me. I liked everyone and most people liked me.

In college I was a spiritual leader on campus, a leader in student government, a leader in my class, played soccer in the Fall, basketball in the Winter and baseball in the Spring.

I know what you are thinking, "You were one boring kid."

Pretty much.

It's a solid resume' but not the spectacular testimony people clamor to hear. No one will want to write a book or make a movie about my story.

But, unlike Ben, I came through high school and college without harmful habits I had to overcome. So, overcoming harmful habits was not much of a struggle for me. I'm thankful for that!

Don't get me wrong, I have some bad habits. I bite my fingernails. I don't get enough sleep. I tend to drive too fast. I don't call my mother often enough.

My struggle has been consistently developing helpful and holy habits. It is a daily challenge to carve out a quiet time in the Word and prayer. It requires daily discipline to walk in the Spirit. Making time to read a good book each week is not always easy. Its a struggle to get into the gym several times a week to stay fit. Developing friendships with men who don't know Jesus is an ongoing challenge. Scheduling time to visit or meet regularly with other Christians requires constant attention. For many years I blocked out a day each month to go away somewhere and spend a day with God. I am finding that hard to maintain recently.

So defeating harmful habits is essential for every believer who is devoted to following God. If God has changed your heart your habits need to reflect that!

A holy heart must be demonstrated by holy habits.

God can change your heart but only you can change your habits.

Are you still battling a harmful habit?

What is your plan for overcoming that habit?

Who is helping you and who is holding you accountable?

We're in this battle together SO LET'S WIN IT!

We must repeal our harmful habits and replace them with holy habits - beginning today!

June 21, 2017

"And so, dear brothers, I plead with you to give your bodies to God. Let them be a living sacrifice, holy—the kind he can accept. When you think of what he has done for you, is this too much to ask? Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but be a new and different person with a fresh newness in all you do and think. Then you will learn from your own experience how his ways will really satisfy you." Romans 12:1-2

Michael Frost writes in "Surprise the World", "The links between our (inner) spirituality and our (outward) action are far greater that man believe. In fact, Jesus and the New Testament writers saw a powerful integration of faith and action, so much so that they found it impossible to separate them. In fact, to separate a person from his or her actions can be very dangerous."

Swiss psychiatrist, Carl once said, "You are what you do, not what you say you'll do."

As Aristotle said, "We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit."

If you transfer that concept to faith. You can make the case that faith is not an act, a single choice, or even a system of belief; it is a habit!

Habits are hard to change because they are hardwired into the default setting that is our sinful nature. The selfish attitudes, appetites and actions that arise from the evil nature lend themselves to habitual and harmful tendencies.

Habits are connected to our emotions, our desires and our needs. Those connections give habits a powerful hold on us. But since our sinful nature is self-destructive and habits are connected to the sinful nature it is clear to see why habits can be destructive.

In the Scripture reference above, Paul shares the powerful news with the Christians in Rome that God in Christ has changed their hearts. God through the Holy Spirit is transforming their minds. Now it is up to them to draw on their relationship with Christ to help them change their habits.

The Bible is clear that God does what only He can do by changing your heart but He also expects you to do what only you can do and change your habits.

Since your heart is changed and your mind renewed what are you doing to change your habits?

What are you doing to make sure your habits reflect the changes that have happened in your heart?

What do you need to do?

When will you do it?

What are you waiting for?

Who will you choose to hold you accountable?

June 20, 2017

"But someone may well argue, “You say the way to God is by faith alone, plus nothing; well, I say that good works are important too, for without good works you can’t prove whether you have faith or not; but anyone can see that I have faith by the way I act.” James 2:18

Isn't it true when someone mentions the word "habit" your first thoughts go toward your bad habits?

There's no doubt bad habits are powerful and can be destructive. Perhaps you are struggling with a harmful habit as you read this.

Fill the blank in this sentence, "My life would be easier if I could break this ________ habit."

If you can acknowledge the power of a negative habit maybe you could appreciate the power of a positive habit.

By definition a habit is a regular tendency or practice that has become so ingrained in your subconsciousness that you do it without thinking.

Now, remember, it could be a bad habit or a good habit. Both can be very powerful but bad habits seem easier to form and harder to break than good habits.

Bad habits are like a bag of potato chips or a box of Paul's donuts, they are easy to pick up but hard to put down.

In the verse above, James gives some insights into how to put those bad habits down. He gives you a two-part solution.

First, let God change your heart. The word "faith" appears three times in this rather short verse. Faith in Jesus Christ to save you from your sin and transform your mind IS the key. Nothing short of this supernatural work of God through Christ will have the power to deliver you from your bad habits. The worst habit of all is sinning and change begins there! Faith is trusting God to do what you are not able to do.

Have you placed your faith in Christ to save you from your sin? Are you trusting Him for a spiritual transformation?

Second, you must demonstrate the change in your heart through dramatic changes in your habits! Only God can change your heart but He will leave it to you to change your habits.

So, if you have been praying for God to change your habits and waiting for it to happen. Change that habit first! You can ask Him to help you but it is your responsibility to make those changes.

Conquering bad habits starts with a change of heart but then requires a partnership with God.

All this week and in my message on Sunday I will share some practical Biblical help on breaking bad habits and making helpful ones.

June 19, 2017

"But Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD." Genesis 6:8


If it were easy being a good dad, everyone would be doing it.


Noah qualifies as a good dad. I think you could put him in the great dad category.


That begs the question, "What defines a great dad?"


Here's my answer based on what I know of the Bible and from what I see of Noah:

1) He pleased God.

That's what it means to find "favor" with God. He was a great earthly father because he pleased his Heavenly Father. How? By being "righteous, blameless and walked with God".

2) He prayed

Where does it say that? How did he know about building the ark? God gave Noah a detailed description on how to build something he had never seen before - a boat!

3) He persevered

For over 100 years he worked on constructing the ark. Every day for more than a century he got up and went to work on this ship of salvation.

4) He protected his family

Obviously, he delivered his family from the flood waters, but more importantly, he protected them spiritually from the moral corruption of that day.

5) He provided for his family.

As a responsible bread-winner, Noah made sure his wife and children had what they needed.

Noah is in the Hall of Faith listed in Hebrews 11. Rightly so! But he also ranks high on the Hall of Fathers. He became a great father by pleasing His Heavenly Father!

How about you? Have you found favor with God? Are you pleasing your Heavenly father by being righteous, by being blameless, and by walking with Him?