A Letter To My Timber Ridge Family...3 Ways To Prep For Easter

Timber Ridgers,

To say that I am excited about the opportunity we have this weekend might be the understatement of the year!  I honestly believe that Jesus is going to change lives through our outreach efforts and our Easter Sunday services at Timber Ridge.  I'm pumped about what we'll get to experience together this weekend!

Here are 3 very significant ways that you can prepare to be a part of this life-changing Easter weekend:

#1:  Invite, Invite, Invite. Make it a priority to invite your friends, family, and co-workers to join you this Sunday for Easter at Timber Ridge.  They'll have a great experience and hear the life-changing message of Jesus!

#2: Pray, Pray, Pray. Pray for good weather for The mEGGa Hunt. Pray for people to respond to the invitation to come to church on Sunday. Pray and ask God to change lives on Easter Sunday.

#3: Move, Move, Move. If you regularly attend Timber Ridge, you know that the 10AM service seems to be everyone's favorite. If you attend this service, consider moving to the 8:45 or 11:30 service this Sunday in order to make more room for our guests. If you just have to be on the Timber Ridge campus at 10:00, you can always sign up to volunteer somewhere for that service!

I'm expecting our BIG God to move in BIG ways this weekend...and I'm glad you're a part of this incredible movement of God!

Blessings,
Pastor Nic

The Language of Love

Yesterday at Timber Ridge, we wrapped up our most recent series From Roommate To Soulmate.  We talked about how to communicate love to those closest to us and examined this truth:

It's not enough to simply EXPRESS love.  We must EXPRESS love in a way that those closest to us EXPERIENCE it.

(You can watch the message by clicking here.)

Dr. Gary Chapman, author of The Five Love Languages, has several excellent resources that help us learn how to communicate love.  If you would like to take a short, less-than-five-minute quiz to help you determine your own love language (or even your child's love language), I encourage you to click here. 

When it comes to your marriage & relationships, don't settle for simply expressing love.  Learn to express love in a way that those closest to you actually experience it!

The Power of Yes and No

I'm currently working to transform my use of two words: YES and NO.  Two simple, small words that pack so much power in our lives.  Here's what I mean:

A little over a year ago I heard one of my mentors say, "For every single yes that you say, you are saying thousands of nos."  

He explained it to me this way:  When you said yes to marrying your spouse, you said no to thousands of other people.  When you said yes to your career choice, you said no to thousands of other possibilities.  When you say yes to that work meeting at night, you are saying no to time with your kids and wife.  Every yes carries with it so many more nos.  In that conversation, my mentor challenged me to realize that when I say yes once, I am saying a ton of nos at the same time. One YES packs a lot of power.

So here's how I am trying to balance The Power of Yes and No in my own life at the moment.

I am working hard to say yes in a few areas.  When someone approaches me with an idea or dream God has given them, I want to say YES!  I want to be a person who gives them the divine go-ahead.  When someone has a God-given idea or God inspires me with a vision of what could be, I want to have enough margin in my life to say YES.  When people close to me need my time, focus, & attention, I want to be able to respond with a loud and proud YES!

And here's what I've realized in this process: To say YES to the areas & people in my life that are most important, I have to learn to say NO a lot more.  I have to say NO to things that can become a distraction, to things that aren't the most important, and to things that drain the margin in my life and prohibit me from saying YES to what God's called me to.  In short, being able to say YES to the God-things means saying NO to what are sometimes good things.  

Yes and No:  Two simple words that pack the power of life.

Marriage Resources

This past Sunday we kicked off a brand new series at Timber Ridge called From Roommate To Soulmate.  (You can watch Sunday's message here.)  Over the next few weeks we'll be discovering principles from God's Word that can move us from stuck in a rut to happily ever after.

While the series has principles for all of us - single, dating, married and all things in between - I want to share some marriage resources today for those in the married crowd.

Here are a few great resources that can help you maximize your marriage and take it to the next level.  No matter how great - or how strained - your marriage might be, I encourage you to check these resources out!

1. Refine Us - A website, blog, & marriage resource site that aims to restore hope & renew relationships in marriages.  
2. Marriage On Ice - Gary Chapman offers some great insight in this article about how to work through difficulties when it feels like your marriage has gone cold.
3. 8 Things That Destroyed Our Marriage - This free e-book shares the real life challenges that led to destruction in the marriage of Justin & Trisha Davis of RefineUs.org.
4. Making Marriage Work - A quick, 3-minute video from Pastor Rick Warren on how to make marriage work.

Jesus At The Center

This past Sunday at Timber Ridge Church we kicked off a brand new series called Triple Dog Dare.  In the first week I dared people NOT to put Jesus first this year.  Yes, you read that right.  If it sounds crazy, heretical, or weird to you, then I encourage you to check out the message HERE.

I've taken the dare myself for this year.  I'm refusing to put Jesus first as just one more priority in a long list of segregated items in my life.  Instead, I want Jesus to be the center.  I don't want Jesus THEN some other things in life.  I want Jesus IN all things in my life.  I want Jesus to be the center.

Here are just a few ways I'm seeking to live this out this year in a practical way:

• In My Relationships: IThis year I want to keep Jesus at the center of my relationships by loving people right where they are in life and by believing the best about the people God's placed in my life.
• In My Daily Life: If I'm going to keep Jesus at the center of my daily activity, then I have to spend time with Him each day.  I'm going to take my daily time in God's Word & in prayer to a new level.  And I'm excited to use the R.E.A.P. Bible Study plan we have at Timber Ridge as a tool to do that.  You can find out more about R.E.A.P. by clicking here.
• In My Outlook: I truly belief if Jesus was the center of our lives, our schedules & focus in life would change.  We'd spend more time with family & less time with Facebook.  We'd spend more time complimenting and less time complaining.  Keeping Jesus at the center means more time with the people who are most important, more time doing the things that matter most, and more time using my words to build people into the kingdom.

As I look forward to 2013, I want a year where Jesus is at the very center of all I am and of all I do.  These are just a few areas I'm thinking through as I make this commitment for the new year.  I'd love to hear how you plan to keep Jesus at the center this year.  Comment away and share your ideas & plans with us!

The Faces of My Best Gift - Part 3

This Sunday, December 16th, we will be receiving our My Best Gift Christmas Offering at Timber Ridge Church. This weekend, at both of our worship services, we have the opportunity to give our very best gift to Jesus this Christmas by receiving a special offering that is directed to impacting our community, state, and world.  100% of the funds received from our Christmas Offering will go to support the following 3 projects:

• School adoption & global work in Vietnam
• Church Planting in Marshall, TX and Toronto, Canada
• Helping hurting families locally by meeting physical needs

For the past few days I've been sharing the faces that will be impacted by our generosity. You can read Part 1 here and catch Part 2 here.  Today, I'm wrapping up this series of posts by sharing with you one last set of faces that will be directly impacted by our giving to the Christmas Offering at Timber Ridge.

These are the faces of the children of Sapa, Vietnam. I personally took this picture back in October while on a Vision trip to see how our church could go serve in a difficult place and make an impact in Vietnam. We have a very unique opportunity to make a long term impact by adopting a school in the Sapa area of Vietnam. It's a beautiful, but rural area of Vietnam that has great need. By adopting a school, we'll be able to help children just like these. We'll be able to make sure they have enough food to eat. We'll be able to make sure they have clean water to drink. We'll be able to make sure they have safe & usable facilities. Our generosity will literally impact the world.

Back in Matthew 25, I remember Jesus saying something about when we feed the hungry, give water to the thirsty, clothe the naked, and care for the sick and poor, we are actually serving Him. We have an incredible opportunity before us in Vietnam to make a great impact in our world.

If you attend Timber Ridge Church, I hope you'll join me in praying for and giving toward our My Best Gift Christmas Offering this Sunday. Together, we can make a great impact by generously giving our very best to Jesus this Christmas.

The Faces of My Best Gift - Part 2

Sunday, December 16th is a big day in the life of Timber Ridge Church and it's rapidly approaching! It's the day that we will be receiving our My Best Gift Christmas Offering at Timber Ridge Church. On Sunday, December 16th, we'll give our very best gift to Jesus this Christmas by receiving a special offering that is directed to impacting our community, state, and world.  100% of the funds received from our Christmas Offering will go to support the following 3 projects:

• School adoption & global work in Vietnam
• Church Planting in Marshall, TX and Toronto, Canada
• Helping hurting families locally by meeting physical needs

I wanted to share with all my Timber Ridge family and other friends the faces of our My Best Gift offering. These are the people who are directly impacted by our generosity and giving. 

You can read about the first two church plants we'll be supporting HERE.

But today, I want to share with you another face of My Best Gift:

This is Kitsy Tuck (She's the tall one). If you attend Timber Ridge Church regularly, then you probably recognize Kitsy. She's a partner at Timber Ridge & she's been plugged in, faithfully serving and making a difference, since the beginning of our church. You may recognize her from helping with community events, being involved in our college group, or serving each week with our toddlers and younger children. Kitsy is graduating from TSU this semester with a degree in special education. She'll be heading to Vietnam in February to use her degree, her experience, and her love for kids to serve others and impact her world. She'll be teaching special education methods to teachers at Hanoi University, as well as working with orphans and school children in Hanoi. Kitsy is spending 4 months in Vietnam and is fundraising the entire costs of this opportunity to go and serve the world.

A portion of our My Best Gift offering will go to help Kitsy as she serves special education teachers and children in Hanoi. It's an incredible opportunity we get to support and send one of our very own Timber Ridgers! 

I'm pumped about this opportunity to send one of our very own and I hope you'll generously consider being a part of sending Kitsy to make a difference on the other side of our globe!

The Faces of My Best Gift - Part 1

In just a matter of days, we will be receiving our My Best Gift Christmas Offering at Timber Ridge Church. On December 16th, we'll give our very best gift to Jesus this Christmas by receiving a special offering that is directed to impacting our community, state, and world.  100% of the funds received from our Christmas Offering will go to support the following 3 projects:

• School adoption & global work in Vietnam
• Church Planting in Marshall, TX and Toronto, Canada
• Helping hurting families locally by meeting physical needs

Over the next few days, I want to share with you the faces of our My Best Gift Offering by introducing you to some of the people we will support.  Today I'd like to introduce you to two families.

Meet Daniel Yang & his beautiful family.  Daniel is a church planter who is moving to Toronto in January to start a brand new church there. Toronto is Canada's largest city, where 1 million residents are either Muslim, Hindu, Buddhists, Jewish, Sikh, or unchurched.  The opportunity for impact through church planting in this city is immense!  (If you attend Timber Ridge, you may recognize Daniel & his family as they were with us one Sunday while I was in Vietnam back in October.)

Meet James Cotten & his lovely family. James is currently planting The Heights Church in Marshall, TX, which just launched one month ago. 25% of people in Marshall live below the poverty level and it is a city with strong racial tension. There is a great need for a church to minister to people regardless of race and economic status and that's the heart of James & The Heights Church.

Two unique stories. Two unique families. Two unique callings.  And two unique faces of our My Best Gift Christmas Offering.  If you attend Timber Ridge, I hope you're prayerfully considering how God can use your generosity to make an impact in Toronto, in Marshall, and around the world!

8 Ways To Teach Your Kids The Real Meaning Of Christmas

1. Start a family tradition of reading the Christmas story together. The story of Jesus birth can be found in Luke 2 and reading this story together as a family is a great way to make sure you’re focused on the true meaning of Christmas.

2. Involve the entire family in setting up the Nativity Scene. You could even do this while reading the Christmas story as a family. And if you’re worried that your children are too young to handle your antique Nativity set passed down from generation to generation, you can find kid friendly nativity sets at your local Christian bookstore and in many toy sections of department stores. Fisher Price even makes one that can be found here.

3. Attend a Christmas worship service together. Christmas is a time when we should focus our minds attention and our hearts affection on Jesus. Don’t let the busy-ness of the season rob your family of spending quality time worshipping together. And if you life in or near Stephenville, I would be honored to have you and your family join us for our Christmas Services at Timber Ridge Church on Sunday, Dec. 23rd.

4. Play Christmas music in your home that focuses on the reason for the season. Sure, Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer is musical genius. And I personally know every word to that song.  But be sure to include Christmas music in your home that communicates God’s gift to us in his son Jesus.

5. Give to others. If you know a family or child in need this Christmas, adopt them and shop for them as a family for Christmas. If you don’t know anyone personally who might be in need this year, then check out your local Angel Tree, or something like it, and adopt a child for your family to provide for. If you are a partner at Timber Ridge or we are the church where you regularly attend, I encourage you to be a part of the My Best Gift Christmas Offering and involve your children in that process as well.

6. Adopt a new strategy for giving your kids gifts. Nothing sends more mixed signals to our kids than when we say Christmas is about Jesus, but then turn around and make it about how many presents they can get and how much we can go in debt doing it. Come up with a better plan as parents to use even your gift giving as a way to teach your kids the real reason for the season. A strategy that we use in our home is to give our son four gifts: “Something you want, Something you need, Something to wear, and Something to read.” Love it.

7. Visit your local nursing home or an elderly neighbor who is shut-in or might not have family close by. Take some cookies or a basket of fruit and give the gift of your time and presence to someone who might be alone this season. Christmas is all about God making himself present among us through his son, Jesus. As a family, practice presence this holiday season by being present in the life of someone who may be overlooked by others.

8. As a family, make gifts and cards for friends and other family members. What better way to promote giving, family, and togetherness than to make gifts and cards for your friends and family. You’ll save money, your gifts will mean more because they’re from the heart, and your family will grow from the time spent together.

Regardless of how you choose to teach your children and teens about the true meaning of Christmas, be sure that you at least do it. Don't be reactive in teaching you're kids what Christmas is all about. Be intentional. Be proactive. Use this incredible opportunity to let your kids see God's message of hope: that He loved us so much, He sent his son Jesus. That's what Christmas is all about. And as parents, it's our responsibility to make sure our kids know the real reason for the season.

Surviving Black Friday

I love this time of year - the holiday parties, the Christmas decorations, the hot chocolate, peace & goodwill toward men, and trampling one another to save $5 on a waffle maker. Wait a second. One of those doesn't seem to fit.

But here's the truth, whether we like it or not: The holiday season includes the monster that we now call Black Friday...even though it now starts on Thursday.  But that's a whole different issue altogether, so I digress.

I wanted to share with you 3 Simple Steps To Surviving Black Friday and keeping the focus on Christ this Christmas.

#1:  Act Your Wage. If you choose to jump in to the deal extravaganzas this weekend, remember to act your wage. Don't spend money you don't have just because you can't pass up a sale. And remember, most of us spend money we don't have, to buy stuff we don't need, just to impress people we don't like. Don't get caught up in the frenzy.

#2:  Have A Plan. It's been said time and time again that if you fail to plan, you plan to fail. Stores are banking on customers just like you making lots of impulse purchases. Come up with a game plan based on your budget and stick to it. For our family, when it comes to our son, we have a simple gift plan. Our son gets four gifts each year: Something you want, something you need, something to wear, and something to read. It's a simple plan that keeps us focused on the real reason for the season.

#3:  Give Generously. If you really do believe that Jesus is the reason for the season, then you will show it with your pocketbook. Don't spend so much on Black Friday that you don't have the resources to be generous and give to the King of Kings this season. At Timber Ridge Church, we give our very best to Jesus at Christmas through our Christmas offering. (You can find out more about that by clicking here). If you attend Timber Ridge, I encourage you to begin to pray & plan so that you can be a part of this incredible opportunity we have to make a difference this Christmas. If you don't attend Timber Ridge, I encourage you to find a place to generously give this Christmas season to impact the lives of others with the love and hope of Jesus.

Black Friday may cost you to lose some hours of sleep, but don't let it force you to lose focus on what this holiday season is all about.

6 Lessons From This Presidential Election

It's 11:15 PM and I've been watching the election coverage on various news stations for a little more than two hours now. I've also been following the thoughts/posts/idea of my friends in social media circles tonight and the past few weeks in regards to this election.

Here are 6 Lessons We Can Learn From This Election:

1.  Regardless of who is our President, Jesus is our King. While my temporal citizenship is in the United States, my eternal citizenship is in the Kingdom.

2.  Jesus is the hope of the world and the church is his chosen delivery method. With a nation in the midst of turmoil and great need, what an incredible opportunity for the church to serve the world and be the agent of hope, love, and light that God intended for us to be.

3.  People on both sides of this presidential election have GROSSLY misused God's Word to prove their points. I'm not sure I have ever seen Hebrews 13 more mishandled in all my life, mostly by people who know better - or at least should.

4.  The Bible seems to be pretty clear that God has a hand in the placement of the leaders of the nations.  And it's clearly communicated that we are to pray for our leaders.  As Christ followers, we should pray for God's leadership, grace, and direction for their lives.

5.  People on both sides of this presidential election who claim to follow Jesus follow a political ideology far closer than they follow the King. I'm saddened by the hatred and lack of love that we have shown each other and the message we have shown the world.

6.  Regardless of who is elected President, we still live in a nation where we are supremely blessed. The freedoms, choices, and liberties we have in America are unbelievable.

Just my two cents worth...Feel free to share your thoughts in the comment section!

Why I Need A LifeGroup

This week in homes all across Stephenville and Erath County we will be kicking off our LifeGroups here at Timber Ridge Church!  I just have to admit this: I love my LifeGroup. I absolutely love the people in my LifeGroup. And I need them in my life. In fact, I think we all need a group of people we can do life with. And here are some reasons I believe this:

• I need real friendship. Never in human history have we had this great of an opportunity for connection. With social media, the internet, and so many other forms of technology that help people connect, the opportunity for connection is everywhere. But in spite of that opportunity, many of us feel as lonely as we've ever felt. Sure we may have a couple hundred "friends" on Facebook, but when we evaluate our real friends in life, we feel isolated and alone. That's where my LifeGroup comes in. Through a group, I have the opportunity to connect in real ways with people who can walk beside me in life.
• I need support. Each day I wake up and want to be more like Jesus than the day before. But there are days where that goal just isn't reached. There are days when I struggle and when I stumble and need someone there to help me along. That's where my LifeGroup comes in. I have a group of people to do life with who are real and authentic and allow me to be real and authentic (the messiness of life and all!) and have my back when I need it most.
• I need accountability. I'll gladly be the first to admit that there are days when following Jesus is flat out HARD. There are times when being obedient to God is difficult. Those times are often the most important times to follow Him closely as well. That's where my LifeGroup comes in. Because I'm in a group, I have people who are there to help me and challenge me in my walk with God. They'll pick me up when I stumble, but they'll also challenge me and push me forward when I need that accountability too.

I could easily list 50 other reasons I need and love my LifeGroup. I can't imagine doing life without them!  If you're not in a small group, I encourage you to take that step and get plugged in. And if you attend Timber Ridge Church, there is no better time to get connected than right now.  We really are better together. Find out for yourself and go HERE to register for a LifeGroup! I guarantee you'll be glad you did.

We've Got A Friend In Jesus

This Sunday at Timber Ridge we'll be continuing our Game Changer series by talking asking the question, "Who's in your huddle?"  We'll be looking at what the Bible says about healthy friendships and relationships.

All this thinking about relationships reminded me that we all have a friend in Jesus.  And that reminded me that we should probably get the Timber Ridge Church band working on this classic song for a performance one Sunday. :)

Communicate With Impact

I talk...a lot.  And I'm not just referring to my tendency to be long winded in conversations.  A big part of my job & my ministry is communicating the principles and truths of the Bible in a relevant and meaningful way.  I love what I do and it's a joy to get to use my gifts and abilities to make a difference for Jesus and His kingdom.

From time to time I get asked different questions about preparing and delivering a speech of some kind. So today on the blog I thought I'd share a few brief tips when it comes to communicating with any audience.

When I work on a sermon, speech, or message, I try to remember the 3 S's of A Speech with Impact.  Here you go:

S #1:  Short & Simple:  Too often people confuse impact with length.  The two are not identical.  If you want to communicate with impact, focus on delivering content that is simple and brief and captures the attention span of your intended audience.  Longer is not necessarily better.

S #2:  Share Stories:  People love stories.  There is something about a personal story that gives a message or a speech an added level of authenticity and allows the speaker to connect in a real way to his/her audience.  The more personal stories you can use, the better connected to your audience you will be.

S #3:  Show The Need:  In the past (think back decades & centuries, not just years) attending an event with a speaker or great orator was considered entertainment in our culture.  That's not the case anymore.  People choose movies, television, and youtube over listening to someone verbally communicate a message.  As a speaker, you need to give your audience a reason to listen.  The sooner you can show them the need that you are addressing in their lives, the quicker you will engage your audience & show them that you can add value to where they are in life.  Don't think that just because someone is sitting in the audience that they are dying to hear your message and captivated by your every word.  Truth is, their mind will wander quickly.  So show the need you are addressing early in your communication and remind them of that need often as you continue through your message.

There you have it.  The 3 S's of a message with impact.  Keep it SHORT, share a STORY, and SHOW the need.  Try out these principles the next time you have to share a message or communicate to a group and you'll be on track to not just talk, but to communicate with impact!

The Art of The Invite

A new school year is upon us and that means people are facing new schedules, new opportunities, and new routines.  And as families transition from their typical summer schedule back into a normal school-year routine, this can be a great time to capitalize on an opportunity to invite your unchurched friends, family, & neighbors to church.

At Timber Ridge, we are gearing up for a big Fall Kickoff this Sunday, September 9th.  We'll be celebrating our first birthday, celebrating changed lives with baptisms, as well as kicking off a brand new teaching series called Game Changer.  So Timber Ridgers, let's get our invite on and fill The House so that people far from God might be filled with life in Christ!

Here are some practical ways to practice The Art of The Invite:

1. Invite a friend to coffee at Starbucks and buy their drink.  As you talk about life, mention how your family benefits from attending church and use the opportunity to invite them to join you on Sunday.
2. Invite your neighbors over to dinner one night during the week.  Use this as an opportunity to personally invite them to church or to give them an invite card.
3. Take your child's teacher their favorite soft drink when you go to pick your child up from school one day.  Give them an invite card and ask them to join you at church when you give them the drink.
4. Bring donuts to leave in the breakroom at your work or office and place invite cards with the box of donuts.
5. The next time your family goes out to eat, leave a generous tip for your server along with an invite card to the church.
6. Bake cookies for your neighbors and invite them to church when you drop the cookies off at their house.
7. The next time you're in a drive thru line, pay for the order of the person behind you and give the cashier 2 invite cards.  Invite the cashier & let them know that one card is for them.  Ask them to give the other card to the car behind you who's meal you just purchased.
8. Invite the family/couple/people you sit next to at the football game on Friday nights.

However you do it, in the words of Nike, JUST DO IT.  Practice the art of the invite!  A simple invitation can lead to someone's life being changed forever by the hope & love of Jesus.

Art Auction

If you were at Timber Ridge on May 20th, you had the opportunity to see firsthand the incredible and creative artwork that our very own Landi Haynes did for us.  She transformed things like pain, failure, and brokenness into a beautiful picture of Jesus.  Here's one of the two almost identical pictures she painted in our services that day:

Landi has graciously offered to allow us to auction off both these paintings for a great cause.  We will be auctioning the paintings with 100% of the proceeds going directly to sending children to summer camp!  If you would like to bid on one of these paintings you may comment below or send your bid to info@timberridgechurch.com.  Bidding will end at 6 PM on Sunday, June 10th.  At that time, the paintings will go to the highest bidder.

Thanks Landi for using your talents to glorify Jesus and for generously investing in the children of this community!

Dig In

One of our core values at Timber Ridge is that we teach the Bible for life transformation.  It's not about how much Bible we know, it's about how much Bible we show.  We focus on not simply knowing what the Bible says, but living and doing what the Bible says.

Every single day we have the opportunity to interact and meet with the living God and Creator of the Universe by digging into His Word, the Bible.  What an incredible opportunity & privilege!

But sometimes, digging in to God's Word can be intimidating.  We don't know where to start or what to read.  If that's you, here's some help!  Below are some links to a few great reading plans so that you can get started in God's Word.  Just pick one & dive in!

Bible Reading Plans

• 30 Days With Jesus - A great Bible plan for people new to following Jesus or those who want to know more about the life of Jesus.
• 30 Days In The Word for New Christians - A great overview of general Bible principles for people who are new followers of Jesus or new to studying God's Word.
• The New Testament In A Year - This Bible reading plan will guide you through reading the entire New Testament part of the Bible in one year.

I'm An Addict

I have to confess that I am an addict.  That's right, I'm addicted - addicted to life-change!  At Timber Ridge, we are addicted to seeing Jesus change people's lives.  This past Sunday, we celebrated changed lives in a big way & had the opportunity of witnessing 15 people go public with their faith in Jesus through baptism.  It was an incredible day!  And just in case you missed it, here's a snippet of what it looked like.  Glory to God!

Who's Got Your Back?

We concluded our Manswers series at Timber Ridge on Sunday by answering the question "Who's Got Your Back?"  We talked about our need to closely examine our circle of friends and our core network based on the following truth:

Whether or not we become who God has called us to be will largely be dependent on two things:  Our faith and our friends.


If you missed the message, you can watch it online here.  To follow up with the thoughts I shared on Sunday, I wanted to share three qualities of a good friend.  If someone is going to really have your back in life, they probably need to be people who exhibit the following characteristics:

1. Sacrificial Love - In John 15, Jesus said this:  Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.  We need people in our lives who are willing to make sacrifices for us and who love us enough to look out for God's best in our life - even if it's costly.
2. Loyalty & Commitment - In Proverbs 27:6 the Bible teaches us this principle: Wounds from a friend can be trusted.  And in Proverbs 18, we read that there is a friend that sicks closer than a brother.  Personally, I'd rather have one good friend that speaks God's truth into my life and is loyal to me and trustworthy than 100 acquaintances who only tell me what I want to hear and can't be trusted to handle the difficult things in my life.  We need people who RUN TO US when the mess hits the fan, instead of run away from us.  We need people who are loyal through thick and thin.
3. Trustworthy - In James 5, the Bible tells us to confess our sins to each other and pray for one another so that we may be healed.  We need people that we can be honest and real with about the struggles we have in life.  But we need those people to know when to keep those struggles to themselves.  Here's a principle that will save you a lot of hurt & heartache in picking your inner circle of friends:  If they will talk about other people to you, then you can GUARANTEE that they are talking about you to other people.  

Life is too hard to go at it alone.  We need people who love us, are loyal to us, and can be trusted to help us through life's struggles.  We need someone who has our back.  

Real Men Are Under Authority

This week I'm sharing some follow-up thoughts from Sunday's sermon on what it means to be a real man and follow Jesus.  (You can watch the sermon online here.)  On Sunday we talked about how Jesus was a shepherd and a warrior, and how we, as men, are called to live out those roles as well.

One characteristic of a warrior is that he is a man under authority.  If you want to understand what the Bible says about authority, go read Romans 13:1-2 now.  As men, we must learn this vital lesson:  You can never be OVER someone until you have learned to be UNDER someone.  We have to learn to be men under authority.

As we think of being under authority, here are two questions to consider:

1. Am I falling under the authority of God?  If there any area in my life that I am refusing to submit to the authority and leadership of Jesus?  If so, confess it and correct it today!
2. Am I falling under the authority and accountability of a godly mentor?  Who do you have in your life who is speaking truth to you, asking you difficult questions, and pushing you to become more like Jesus?  Who are you accountable to?  If you currently don't have this relationship in your life, seek out someone this week who you can learn from about what it means to be a godly man, a godly husband and dad, and a man who follows hard after Jesus.

When we fail to live under authority and with accountability we are setting ourselves up for failure.  The Bible says that "as iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."  We all need someone in our lives who is sharpening us!