Parenting At Its Best: A Panel Discussion

On Sunday, we had an excellent panel discussion to further P. Del's teaching from the week before on "Parenting At Its Best". First of all, another huge thank you to the whole panel - Julie & Brad, Lindsey, Katie & Andrew, P. Del & Arlene - we appreciate you so much.

As per usual, we ran out of time before we ran out of questions so I asked the panel members to send me a closing thought that I could blog since we don't have audio from the service. Here's what they had to say:

"Get to know who your child is - their personlaity, how they respond in different situations. If you understand them, you will communicate with them better, you will disciplene them with more meaning, and you will be able to pray for them in a more specific way. Above all, always be sure your children know you love them - love truly does cover a multitude of sins." (Arlene Wells)

"I love being a Mommy. It's rewarding and exhausting all at the same time. I feel like my purpose right now is to love on them and encourage them to be everything God created them to be. Setting an example with my life and being a role model for them to look up to is so important to me." (Katie Winger)

"With regards to discipline, consistency is so important but it also important that discipline be done in a way that keeps the dignity of both discipliner and disciplinee in tact. Name calling and degrading is not discipline. And discipline should be practiced on the positive or directive flip side of the coin just as much as it should correct negative behaviour. For example: "The way you said that really sounded rude. If that wasn't the intention, and it shouldn't be, you could have said it this way..." My 97-year-old grandma always told me when the girlies were little that her generation didn't do such a great job of positive disciplining but they really didn't have any other model to go by. Apparently we have no excuses. We have all the necessary resources at our fingertips to do the job well." (Julie Schroth)

During the service I mentioned an article that Julie had written called "Love, Sexuality and the Family". Here's a link to read it for yourself.

Also, we were barely able to scratch the surface of the available resources for parents. One of our church members emailed me a great starter list after the service to get you started. Ruth is also happy to provide a more extensive list if you exhaust this list and are looking for more.

Dr. Tim Kimmel
  • Grace Based Parenting
  • Raising Kids Who Turn Our Right
  • Extreme Grandparenting
Robert Lewis
  • Raising a Modern Day Knight
Pam Farrel and Doreen Hanna
  • Raising a Modern Day Princess
Stormie Omartian
  • Power of a Praying Parent
  • also, Power of Praying Husband, Wife, Kids, etc.
Gary Chapman
  • The Five Love Languages (meant for couple but chapters in the end about children)
http://gatewaypeople.com/taxonomy/term/286

This is a group of sermons by Robert Morris from Gateway Church in Texas.
Some deal directly with parenting/discipline/training children and discussing what is a Godly home and how to maintain it. He has years of sermons on line which also deal with many many other aspects of Christian life, all biblical and referenced.

Hope this is helpful and informative!
TD

Expressions of Worship

During my message on Sunday I spewed out a lot of scriptures very quickly and didn't leave much time for jotting notes. So, as requested, here are my notes for each of the expressions of worship that we talked about and a few that we didn't have time to get to. Feel free to email me (tracy@freedomkw.com) if you have any questions or comments! 

TD


Lifting Hands
Nehemiah 8:6 - Ezra praised the Lord, the great God; and all the people lifted their hands and responded, “Amen! Amen!” Then they bowed down and worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground.
Psalm 63:4 - I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands.
1 Timothy 2:8 - Therefore I want the men everywhere to pray, lifting up holy hands without anger or disputing.
Psalm 28:2 - Hear my cry for mercy as I call to you for help, as I lift up my hands toward your Most Holy Place.
·      Symbolic of where God dwells.
·      Symbolizes a desire for closeness with God.
·      Helps focus our attention on God.
·      A sign of surrender to the Lord.
·      Desire to receive from God.
·      Making an oath to God. Ezra 20:5 - ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: On the day I chose Israel, I swore with uplifted hand to the descendants of Jacob and revealed myself to them in Egypt. With uplifted hand I said to them, “I am the Lord your God.”

Clapping Hands
Psalm 47:1 - Clap your hands, all you nations; shout to God with cries of joy.
Psalm 98:8 - Let the rivers clap their hands, let the mountains sing together for joy.
·      Not based on keeping time! Though there is an element of togetherness when we do it congregationally.
·      Our best applause is reserved for the Lord.
·      A personal instrument to express joy.
·      There are times it turns from joy to aggression and militancy (Job, Ezekiel, Nahum)  - against the enemy, spiritual warfare

Playing Instruments
Psalm 150:3-5 - Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet, praise him with the harp and lyre,praise him with timbrel and dancing, praise him with the strings and pipe,praise him with the clash of cymbals, praise him with resounding cymbals.
1 Chronicles 15:16 - David told the leaders of the Levites to appoint their fellow Levites as musicians to make a joyful sound with musical instruments: lyres, harps and cymbals.
1 Samuel 16:23 - Whenever the spirit from God came on Saul, David would take up his lyre and play. Then relief would come to Saul; he would feel better, and the evil spirit would leave him.

Standing
Nehemiah 9:5 - Stand up and praise the LORD your God, who is from everlasting to everlasting.
1 Chronicles 23:30 - They were also to stand every morning to thank and praise the LORD. They were to do the same in the evening…
·      Shows respect.
·      Shows attention like a soldier on guard, ready to respond.
·      Waiting on the Lord (Isaiah 40) – being attentive and ready.

Kneeling/Bowing/Prostrate (Face Down)
Sometimes there is a presence of God that demands us to be low.
Psalm 95:6 - Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.
Revelation 4:9 -  Whenever the living creatures give glory, honor and thanks to him who sits on the throne and who lives for ever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down before him who sits on the throne and worship him who lives for ever and ever.
Revelation 1:17 - When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead.
·      Kneeling – picture of allegiance
·      Bowing – respecting an office
·      Prostrate – as low as possible, surrender, humility, “I don’t exist”
·      But we are never under God’s feet but part of His body – He doesn’t defeat us, He embraces us.

Singing
120 references in scripture.
Judges 5:3 – [Deborah] Hear this, you kings! Listen, you rulers! I, even I, will sing to the Lord; I will praise the Lord, the God of Israel, in song.
1 Chronicles 16:23 - Sing to the Lord, all the earth; proclaim his salvation day after day.
Psalm 95:1 - Come, let us sing for joy to the LORD; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation.
Psalm 96:1 - Sing to the LORD a new song; sing to the LORD, all the earth.
Ephesians 5:18-20 - Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
·      We respond to music more than any other medium.

Shouting/Audible
Psalm 66:1 – Shout with joy to God, all the earth.
Psalm 47:1 – Clap your hands, all you nations; shout to God with cries of joy.
Psalm 81:1 - Sing for joy to God our strength; shout aloud to the God of Jacob!
Ezra 3:11 - With praise and thanksgiving they sang to the Lord: “He is good; his love toward Israel endures forever.” And all the people gave a great shout of praise to the Lord, because the foundation of the house of the Lord was laid.
·      Often used in spiritual warfare.
·      Jericho, Gideon – aggression, authority, defiance of an enemy.
·      Expression of joy, an explosion of emotion.
·      “Hallelujah” – describes a loud cry, shouting praise.

Dancing
Psalm 30:11 - You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy,
Psalm 149:3 - Let them praise his name with dancing and make music to him with timbrel and harp.
Acts 3:8 - He jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping, and praising God.
Exodus 15:20-21 -  Then Miriam the prophet, Aaron’s sister, took a timbrel in her hand, and all the women followed her, with timbrels and dancing.
2 Samuel 6:14-16 - Wearing a linen ephod, David was dancing before the Lord with all his might, 15 while he and all Israel were bringing up the ark of the Lord with shouts and the sound of trumpets.
·      The most extreme form of worship.
·      Physical expression of an inward celebration.
·      Other cultures have us beat in this aspect – we have lost the ability to express ourselves appropriately in this way.

Laughing
Psalm 126:2 - Our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy. Then it was said among the nations, “The Lord has done great things for them.

Banners
Psalm 20:5 - May we shout for joy over your victory and lift up our banners in the name of our God.
Exodus 17:15 - Moses built an altar and called it The Lord is my Banner.
Song of Solomon 2:4 - Let him lead me to the banquet hall, and let his banner over me be love.


Life Transformation Stories LIVE

This past Sunday we did something a little different. Instead of the more usual format for the message, I did a collection of life transformation stories. Because of that, putting the "sermon" on the website seemed a bit thin. So, instead, here is the outline and highlights from Sunday, March 25, 2012.

"When I started to think about this message I couldn’t get away from a verse in 1 Corinthians 14. “When you come together, each of you has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation. Everything must be done so that the church may be built up.” Personally, I am inspired and encouraged almost every day. I have a totally unfair advantage, of course, I’m in the hub – I get to hear probably 10x more stories every day than the average church attendee - and I am blessed enough to have my faith built daily.

"Obviously our whole culture, even our church culture, is based on consumerism and it is a huge battle to shake that off. We talk so much here about making Christ the centre of our lives and I’ve been realizing more and more lately that I have been more and more able to do that in my own life because of the richness of the stories I hear every day. When you are focused on what Christ is doing around you, you can’t help but let it alter your spirit.

"Everything that is done is this place must be done so that the church is built up. When I hear of someone’s miracle, life-change or victory, I identify Christ in it and in my own life. I am given hope for my own circumstances, I am given strength to face my own battles, I am given perspective on the greatness of the capital-K Kingdom, I am able to look outward.

"Without this message in mind Rob and I took an hour or so to do an interview with Andy Slough several weeks ago, just to have his story on film to use as encouragement for the church when we found a moment for it. While I was interviewing him I was overwhelmed with the thought that you all needed to hear this and also, of the 45 minutes of tape, what on earth could I ever cut out of it?

"I want to show you some of that interview today. P. Del has been talking to us about stewardship for the past three weeks, about using what we’ve been given. What did you bring to church today? Think about that as you watch this with me."



"Can you tell me – what has God changed in your life since you put your faith in Him? It might have been 50 years ago, it might have been 2 weeks ago. What has God changed in your life?

Philippians 1:3-6 (NIV)
In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

Or, as the Message paraphrases it…

Philippians 1:3-6 (MSG)
There has never been the slightest doubt in my mind that the God who started this great work in you would keep at it and bring it to a flourishing finish on the very day Christ Jesus appears.

"Are you aware that God is working? Do you know that you haven’t come here to subscribe to a religion but that the God we are worshiping is living and active in any life who is here with a heart wide open?

'He who began a good work in you'… the day you put your faith in Christ… 'will carry it on to completion'.
            He knows you and He is not finished with you…

"What is God asking us to bring to the table? What is he doing in our lives? What can we say to others about the life that we live? What answer do we give for the hope that is within us.

"I found it fascinating during Andy’s interview how he answered this question:  What has changed in your life since you made a decision for Christ?"






"This begs the question – do you have hope this morning? Do you have a story to tell? Could you report on what God is doing in your life? What is God doing in your life these days?

"Remember what Paul tells the church - 1 Corinthians 14:26
When you come together, each of you has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation. Everything must be done so that the church may be built up.

"Are you ready to bring your part to church this morning?
Would you be willing to build us all up today and tell us what God is doing so that we can all be encouraged in our faith and strengthened in every way?"

YouVersion

If you're someone who likes to find really good (and free!) apps, you probably already have YouVersion on your smart phone. But just in case you missed the memo, we want to introduce it to you and invite you to use it in our service.

Yes indeed, we are encouraging you to use your phone in church because the technology in this case is helping us to engage more of our congregation and we think that's a good thing.

We're considering this an experiment because we've never done this before and we're not sure how it's going to feel or what the participation level is going to be but it's definitely worth exploring. To start off we'll be using YouVersion to allow all of you to ask questions of our panel on Sunday, February 19th. We're talking about marriage and during the course of our discussion with the panel members we'd like to hear what you're thinking.

If you're game for something new here's all you have to do:
  1. Download the YouVersion app on your smart phone or iPod Touch. (NOTE: We will have a guest WiFi connection available by the 19th for you to use if you are not on a 3G or 4G network with your device.) You'll know you've got it when the icon looks like one at the bottom of the post.
  2. Tap the "Live" button (usually you have to scroll over one screen) and search for a live event. Use "freedomkw" as you search criteria.
  3. You will see Sunday, February 19 set up as an event and a question that you can answer. In this case, because of the format of the discussion, it's kind of like answering a Jeopardy question - your answer will actually be a question for the panel. 
We will also have a way that you can interact live if you are not hooked up to a smart phone, so never fear!

This is going to be fun - thanks for coming along for the ride and more importantly, engaging in the material that we're going to be learning together.

 TD

Philip and the question of everyday.

On Sunday we talked about Philip and how he was open to whatever the Holy Spirit asked him to do and wanted to do through him. As a result, he enjoyed the ride of his life (literally!).

P. Del posed this question: What would enjoying the ride of your life, like Philip, look like in your life? What would it take for that to happen to you?

It was a really hard question to think through in the moment. P. Del had an unfair advantage - he'd been thinking about it for weeks as he prepared! So here's another opportunity. Take a few minutes and really think it over. It's always challenging to take scripture and apply it to real life change on a Tuesday morning (or whatever day you're reading this) but it is also always worth it.

Think about it.
TD

Stephen and Psalm 139

On Sunday I talked about Stephen, the first martyr. We know from Acts 6 and 7 that he was full of the Holy Spirit, wisdom, faith, grace and power. An impressive list that can make us feel inadequate when we look in the mirror. But of course, each one of these characteristics is available to every one of us too. And that's the sermon... I won't re-write it here for you!

At the end I ask everyone to start doing a "lectio divina". That's an ancient way that Christians for centuries have been studying scriptures. For our purposes and as an introduction to this practice, it's reading through a passage very slowly and then reading it slowly again and then reading it again even more slowly. You get the idea. All the while you open your heart and mind to the words and see if anything begins to stand out at you. What phrase or verse or paragraph are you seeing in a new light? What is it making you think of in your own life as you interact with the text?

I chose Psalm 139 for our lectio divina on Sunday morning. Why? It speaks to the fact that God is so aware of who we are and how we were made. This same God who know you that well also said he would fill us with His Spirit and use us powerfully. Then, it beautifully ends with a call for God to search us and show us what we're missing. Maybe in this context, what we're overlooking in our own lives that is keeping us from living a life full of the Spirit, wisdom, grace, faith and power.

So, I did another lectio divina this morning and I used The Message paraphrase this time. It made me think that perhaps you might like to join me in making Psalm 139 a living and breathing part of your week (and life!) too.

Here are some links to some different versions of this scripture. Write down what you're hearing God speak to you though them each day. Leave a comment if you want to share your insights.

The Message
New International Version
New Living Translation
King James Version
Contemporary English Version

TD

How's Your Influence?

Do you realize that you are an influencer? You have the ability in some ways to cause others to change their thinking, decisions and actions. Of course, this can be used either for good purposes or bad ones.

The dictionary defines influence as the capacity or power to be a compelling force on or produce effects on the actions, opinions and behavior of others. This is the nature of influence. When my children were very young, I knew that they watched me and picked up words and habits from me that were both cute and concerning. Children are easily influenced by those that they trust and spend time with. Now as adults, my kids exhibit traits that clearly point back to impressions that I have made on them over time, some that I smile about and others that show my imperfections. Such are the results of influence.

You have influenced people in your life to this point even as you have been influenced by others. What is the evidence of your influence? How have the people around you changed for the better because of your effect on them? Who are you affecting even now in ways that you probably take for granted? These are good questions to ask yourself as well as thinking about who is influencing you.

Aren’t you thankful for the people who have positively affected your life to help you to be who you are today? Realize that you are still being influenced by those that you respect and trust and maybe others who influence you in negative ways. Who has been impacting your life lately? Chances are their path is the direction you find yourself heading, consciously or not – that’s the power of influence.

Today’s world is filled with opportunities to influence others for good. The younger generations are looking for men and women with solid character to teach them how to live successfully in every facet of life. If you take the time to look at the people that you are in contact with each week, you will see some that are definitely being affected by you and others who don’t seem so obviously shaped by your example. Whether you are in a recognized position of leadership or not, be aware of the mark you can leave on your world when you treat each moment as an opportunity for positive impact on those around you.

So, how’s your influence? How are you making the world a better place to be? Why not decide to leave a good impression everywhere you go with everyone you meet? You might just be surprised at the positive difference it will make on the people you connect with and on the potential you see in every new day.

DW

An app to inform your lifestyle of devotion.

A few weeks ago I talked about living a lifestyle of devotion vs. doing devotions. We had an amazing panel discussion that helped us to "flesh out" what that really means. Walt, one of the esteemed panelists, mentioned that he has an app on his iPhone that helps to remind him to keep Christ at the centre of his day and as promised, I'm sharing it with you!

We don't necessarily endorse this particular ministry but offer this up as a starting point to find tools that help you as you pursue a lifestyle of devotion.

App: Today: A Daily Bible Devotional

Happy hunting,
TD

One Thing

Do you think that most of us have too many things on the go? Do you ever get the feeling that you’re doing lots of stuff but not doing anything really well? If that’s the case, what is that doing to you? Does it leave you lacking a sense of accomplishment at anything? How did this happen? Is there something you can do about it? I believe there is.


If you’re my age or older you can remember the days before personal computers, high speed internet, cell phones, wireless organizers, cheap long distance phone calls and answering machines. These were all supposed to save us time and make our lives easier. Well guess what? With all of these innovations we now try to do more things in the same amount of time and then wonder why we’re so busy and stressed out. At the end of each day we ask often ourselves what we accomplished of any real importance and struggle to give a satisfying answer. And as a follower of Christ you can feel even more frustrated because deep down you know that God has created you for so much more, especially for God. I believe that you actually do have the potential to make every day a good day, one that adds quality to your life and to those around you.


This whole thing boils down to focus, the discipline of looking at everything you do with the same purpose in mind. And when that focus is on something beyond self-improvement and personal fulfillment to advancing God’s kingdom, you will be amazed how energized and productive you can become.


I’m intrigued by the apostle Paul who never did anything half-hearted. He constantly got the important things done and stayed unencumbered with other things that would have impeded his progress. How did he do that? In a word, focus. Paul was determined that he would commit his life to what God wanted him to do at all times. It was that simple for him. Regardless of the daily tasks and challenging circumstances, he kept his kingdom focus.


Paul’s words in Philippians 3:13b,14 reveal his unceasing discipline in this regard. “But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”

Why not apply these words to your life? Remember, it’s about one thing: Living out God’s call daily. Sure, there will always be lots of details to deal with but it’s the focus on the one thing that will give value and purpose to everything you do, whether large or small.


Did the demands and pressures of life every tempt Paul to get side-tracked from staying focused? I’m sure they did, but the record of his life indicates that he kept reminding himself of the one thing that defined everything else he did. In doing so he simplified his life instead of complicating it, something that all of us can benefit from by doing the same.


My hope is that you will take some time to reflect on this insight as it relates to where you are today. Why not summarize the focus for your life in a sentence, describing the one thing that you live for? Put Christ at the centre of it and let everything else be evaluated by it. It’s then that you will have something to give as an answer to your question about what you accomplished by the end of each day.


DW

Kingdom Service

I offer here some further thoughts to the message from Sunday. If you listen to it online you will find that it is an interactive teaching with the congregation that is better experienced in person in order to hear the questions and comments put forth. However, I think you can get a good sense of the main point as you follow along.


The essence of the message is this: You have been created by God to serve. It’s that simple. When you choose to be a follower of Jesus you are responding to Christ’s call to a life of service in the work of God’s kingdom. This call is neither temporary nor occasional – it is full-time. It is a lifestyle of giving yourself to doing the things that Jesus did during his earthly ministry right in your own community and in the world at large.


Jesus did not consider serving optional. It matters to him that you understand that following him and his teachings requires living out the kingdom mission. When you say ‘Yes’ to Christ, you join him in his work. The passage we discussed in Luke 9:57-62 underscores this point. When you say to Jesus, “I will follow you wherever you go”, you are signing up for service every single day. In his conversation with potential followers, Jesus seems to be somewhat insensitive to any excuses for bowing out of doing your duty. I believe that his straightforward manner is designed to give full disclosure on what the life of his disciple involves. It requires focused attention to Christ and his mission. Anything less than that diminishes the returns of the serving and can eventually disqualify the server from authentic ministry. Jesus puts it this way: “No one who puts his hand on the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.”


Jesus is comparing his disciple doing kingdom work to a farmer plowing his field with an ox or other beast of burden. In order to keep a straight line from end to end in the furrow the farmer has to both keep his hand on the plow and look straight ahead to the destination point at the end of the row. Taking his eyes off the goal and looking around or behind would quickly become a problem for keeping the furrow straight. If continued, the line would be off centre and would ultimately miss the goal. For the disciple of Christ, Jesus is the destination point and kingdom service is the plowing. Taking your eyes off of Jesus and focusing on other things will greatly compromise and eventually minimize your attempts at serving Christ. What are the things that grab at you for your attention, things that require taking your eyes of faith off of Jesus? Whatever they are, don’t give in to them. Keep Jesus at the centre of everything in your life. In other words, whatever you do, do it with the objective of making Jesus look good.


If you find yourself today making excuses for not serving in the kingdom, you are not alone. A lot of sincere people ‘want to want to’ follow Jesus but are taken back by the expectations of Christ’s call. But having your hand on the plow of kingdom service is the evidence that you are following Jesus in his mission. So ask God to change the desires of your heart to want what he wants for your life. This requires your complete surrender to Jesus as Lord which will entail being available for his kingdom plan.


There is great potential for a life that’s fully devoted to advancing God’s work. Serving others for Christ puts you into the flow of what the Holy Spirit is doing. You will experience ongoing spiritual growth out of your dependence on God for everything you need as well as regular opportunities to invest in the lives of those you serve through mentoring and discipleship. You will discover that the biblical principle that you reap what you sow is true. Not only will you be increasingly blessed by God but you will understand more and more that you are part of something huge and eternal. Because you are part of Christ’s mission to rescue people from irrelevance in order to themselves positively impact others for Jesus, you will know in a deeper way why you exist.


Serving Christ in his kingdom’s work has a tremendous upside for you and those whose lives you will impact. Jesus is calling you to follow him completely and to serve him full-time in every aspect of your life. Are you ready and willing to respond to him? I hope for the sake of the kingdom of God you say ‘Yes’.


DW

The Sustainable Sacrifice of the Soccer Mom (A Recap)

The recording of my message on Sunday had some technical difficulty (read: didn’t work) so here are some of the highlights of that message if you’re staying up to date.


I started off by talking about the big shift in my life over the last 10 years. I used to ask the question, “What do I want to do?” and when I found that unsatisfying I started to ask, “Who do I want to be?” This attitude, motive and heart shift has made a huge difference in my life. I believe that asking that question has allowed me to see beyond the external pressures that are on all of us (jobs, kids, family, relationships) to the core of the issues in my life. Though I am far from getting it right, I wanted to take some time to talk about how to live out the answer to the question of who I want to be… in other words, how do I make the Kingdom more present in my life when there are so many distractions?


The answer is so beautiful and simple and found in Matthew 6. In this passage, Jesus talks about giving (generously, not for show, not posturing in any way), he talks about praying (personally to our Father not pretentiously in front of others), he talks about fasting (spiritual disciplines being cultivated in our lives, not showing off our piety), he talks about our treasure (making God more important than anything else in life, especially money) and then he tells that there is no reason to worry. In fact, worrying is the same as being pagan, having no belief in God. So, if we call ourselves followers of Christ and are worrying, we have a knowledge of God but our faith isn’t real. Stings a bit, eh?


And in all of this there is a beautiful solution. Seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness and everything about daily living will be given to you as well. Everything that needs to line up (giving, prayer, fasting, money, faith) will line up when we seek Him first.


So clear, so simple but so difficult to live out day to day. Why? I suggested that it’s not the external pressures that we so often blame – the busyness, the schedules, the boss, the family conflict – it’s an issue of how we’ve set up our lives. We think that we need to get our ducks in a row before we really give ourselves to the Kingdom or we think that the Kingdom is about doing more volunteer hours at the church in addition to our schedules. This is the wrong angle, like asking what we should do instead of who we should be.


What would happen if your life was built around Kingdom things instead of trying to add church things into your life?


The truth is, the Kingdom of God is advancing and all the things that distract us and pull us away from pursuing a life with kingdom values have been taken care of in Matthew 6 by this simple principle. There’s nothing in your life that you need to figure out first before you focus on the Kingdom. Nothing. Seek Him first and all the rest of it will come together. Switch up the priorities and it will make sense practically, relationally, financially, emotionally and spiritually.


Could it be that we believe that Jesus can forgive our sins and give us eternal life but he can’t help us to order our lives in a godly way?


I know from my own life that if you determine who you want to be and what kind of family you want to be and make that the filter through which everything has to pass before it becomes a part of your life, you are free to give yourself to the Kingdom.


In my own family, we mark our days with Kingdom things that come first, CP1 on Wednesday nights, the School of Music on Thursday afternoons, Youth Group on Friday nights and of course, Sunday as the Sabbath and all of our activities have to fall around those things. The things that contribute to our spiritual lives and allow us to fuel ourselves for what God has for us are the first things that go on the calendar. It’s so freeing to have said YES to these things so that we know what we have to say no to along the way.


What I want you to hear me say today is that there is no excuse for having faith but not living a kingdom-focused life. The solution to whatever you’re up against is to seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness and then let Him add to your life what needs to be there.


It requires submission, it requires you to slow down so that you can hear Him and it require obedience to what He sets up for your life.


But there is not another life like it. The best part of my week is not watching my kids in their hip-hop class. It’s entertaining to say the least and they love it. But the best part of my week is taking a lasagna to a couple in our church who have had sustained sickness in their home or sometimes it’s when one of my piano students brings me their high school acceptance letter because they know I’ve been praying for them and their future or sometimes it’s when one of my kids asks me how they can hear God speak to them.


My prayer for you is that you would say yes to the kingdom and that that yes would be the filter for all that you do and that all that you do would come from the heart of who you are and who God is transforming you into being.


TD

Kingdom-Sized Hearts

If you have been around me lately you’ve noticed that I’ve been thinking and talking a lot about the kingdom of God. We don’t hear a lot about kingdoms these days because we don’t have a lot of kings who actually run anything anymore, especially nations. In North America, we like the concept of democracy where everybody gets to have a say about all things while the notion of one person making decisions for everyone seems outrageous. Don’t get me wrong – I am thankful for the benefits and freedoms that I have living in a country that places value on the individual and offers unlimited opportunities to pursue personal dreams and ambitions. But this system of rule by the people for the people makes it difficult for us to fully understand and embrace the concepts and ways of a kingdom.


This becomes a problem as a follower of Jesus because I am called to live like a kingdom person above all else. I am a citizen of the kingdom of God. Jesus spent much of his time teaching about the kingdom and how important it was to enter it, see it and help it grow. He taught that the very first thing I should do in all things is to seek the kingdom, that the kingdom holds good news for all to hear, that the kingdom is forcefully advancing and forceful men lay hold of it, that the poor in spirit and the persecuted are candidates for the kingdom, that the greatest in the kingdom often look like the least, that you can’t enter or even understand the basics of the kingdom without spiritual rebirth and that all of creation is preparing for the invisible kingdom now present in the hearts of true believers to become visible for all eternity. And those are just some of the kingdom concepts that are important for me to live out in order to grow as a kingdom person. Talk about a kingdom-sized challenge!


Yes, there’s a lot to learn about the kingdom. But rather than viewing that as being too overwhelming to wrap my head around, I am becoming more excited about exploring what all of this means for my present and my future life. As I go deeper into this I realize that my life can be all that it is designed to be only by developing a greater appetite for kingdom living. I am discovering that whatever I do is not ultimately about me or anyone or anything else – it is about being a kingdom-first person with a kingdom-sized heart. After all is said and done, that’s the only thing that really matters and lasts.


So, what are you doing with your life these days? What’s got your attention? Are you ready to experience life to the full as God intends for you? Why not join me in following the king of the kingdom, Jesus Christ and see how that focus transforms the rest of your life? How big do I want my heart and yours to become for Jesus? I hope they become kingdom-sized so that we don’t miss anything that God is doing in our community and around the world!


DW

Making Adjustments

Have you noticed that life is full of surprises that demand your attention when you have other things planned to do? Your daily routine can get interrupted on a regular basis and you realize that you can’t afford to ignore these interruptions. I’m not talking about being dominated by the tyranny of the urgent when you drop whatever you’re doing to respond to someone else’s demand. I’m referring to those occasions when you legitimately have to react to situations that arise with little warning and require careful and measured attention. Even though you have a course of action planned for the day that you are trying to stick to, there is something you need to effectively and regularly deal with the unexpected. What is it? Flexibility – the ability to make adjustments on the go and still finish what you start.


This reminds me of a day some years ago that Arlene and I decided to go for a run. It was a sunny afternoon in the middle of winter that turned out to be more pleasant when looking outside from our living room window than it was when we got outside on the road. The air was clear and refreshing, with the temperature well below freezing which we were dressed and prepared for. However, as we got into our run, things changed quickly. A strong northwest wind started blowing in our faces with gusts approaching 50 kilometers an hour. The sun disappeared and wet flurries began to cover our bodies. This was not close to how things were when we started out, but we were too far along to not consider finishing. We were seeing clear signs that a snow storm was well on its way which meant we would have to adjust how we were running to be successful. We no longer stood straight as we ran, but instead bent our heads and bodies into the oncoming wind in order to cut down on the resistance that was pushing hard against us. We also accepted the reality that our finish time would be much slower than normal. However, our flexibility paid off. By making some simple adjustments, we completed our course and felt exhilarated by the run which is really what we had set out to do.


This experience teaches a life lesson that can help you to finish what you start in spite of surprises that appear to stall you or push you back. For example if you are pursuing maturity as a Christian and growth as a leader, be advised that you will face winds of adversity from time to time. When these winds begin to blow, it sometimes means that a storm is coming your way that will test your resolve to reach your goal. Your best approach during those times is to make some adjustments to your plan in order to be successful. Flexibility does not mean changing your plan altogether, but rather adjusting some of the details in light of the adverse conditions. Don’t get downcast when things change. Instead, do what it takes to get yourself in a better position to finish what you start. Yes, it may take you a little longer than originally anticipated, but the taste of finishing can actually be more satisfying because of adversities faced and overcome.


I still prefer running the course when the weather is sunny and warm and the winds are gentle. However, there are some things that I can only learn when the conditions are not ideal and being forced to make adjustments as needed gives me the opportunities to develop this quality.


DW

The Kingdom

What a great way to start off a new year! This past Sunday I introduced Freedom’s theme for 2011 with an incredible sense that destiny is truly unfolding. For the past several months I have been growing in the conviction that The Kingdom is what God wants us to concentrate on this year and beyond. I believe that our lives have been created by God for something far greater than anything this world can ever offer to us. We have been designed by God to become part of his spiritual kingdom and give ourselves daily to helping it grow. However, how much attention do we actually give to this focus?


It is easy to overlook the importance of considering God’s kingdom for every aspect of our lives. And yet, Jesus teaches us that considering the kingdom is to be our first priority in everything we do. “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” (Matthew 6:33) In essence, the secret to enjoying a balanced and prosperous life is seeking God and finding out what he wants you to do. Practically, this directive seems to be simple to understand and yet hard to do for most people. Most common for us is the tendency to go about life without giving any consideration to what God thinks is the best course of action to take. We easily get consumed with running after and worrying about material things wonder why we lack joy, peace and overall purpose. God has given us a better way to live.


If you will take the time to explore the New Testament you will discover that the Kingdom of God is at the centre of Jesus’ teaching and ministry. His very first message to his listeners was, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.” (Matthew 4:17) Jesus spent his entire ministry life teaching about and demonstrating the reality of God’s Kingdom and instilling the Kingdom focus and agenda into his followers. In my message on January 2nd I referred to some of the dozens of Bible passages that highlight the priority of being a part of and understanding the Kingdom of God. Listen to that teaching if you want a fuller context to what I am talking about.


My conviction is that many of you are interested in developing a Kingdom-consciousness that translates into a daily lifestyle centred on Christ. My hope is that you and I grow deeper this year in our understanding of and appreciation for the Kingdom. Every week we will be considering aspects of the nature of God’s Kingdom and the implications of those for our families, ministries, vocations and church.


On January 23rd I will be starting a series of messages on The Lord’s Prayer. My goal is to dig deeper into the pattern and purpose of prayer that Jesus has taught us as citizens of God’s invisible, spiritual, powerful and eternal Kingdom. I hope that you join me in this adventure of faith that will take us to a place of unprecedented growth in the things that actually matter to God. May this truly be the year of The Kingdom.


Blessings!

DW