May 13

A Little Intimidated

Sometimes I get a little intimidated and overwhelmed by what God has called me to do. I know that in all things He is going to give me the strength to do it, but I must admit I can get intimidated.

Philippians 4:13 says, I can do all things through Christ who gives me the strength.

God reminded me this morning that if I am not intimidated by what He is calling me to do then it is in my strength and not His. He said let the weak say I am strong.

Joel 3:10 says, Let the weak say I am strong.

If God has called you to do something that does not overwhelm or intimidate you then it might not be from God. Be intimidated by what God has called you to do but know that he is with you and for you and will work in you.

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Apr 11

Love Week

We have some huge things going on in the next few weeks and I wanted to share in a blog post the exciting things God has going on @ Turning Point Church.

First we are staring this week @ Impact High School Ministry with a brand new series entitled Why? You can check it out here on Facebook and invite all High School Students to attend. WHY?. This is Wednesday April 13th at 7pm @ Turning Point Church.

Next we are starting off our Love Week with a Hands On Henry outreach and going to be helping at Patrick Henry High School North Campus in Stockbridge with fixing up the school. Check out the event here. This will be on April 16th @ Patrick Henry High School in Stockbridge from 9am to noon.

Next we will be having prayer walks through the neighborhoods, handing out flyers for our Easter Eggstravaganza and our Easter Experiences. This will take place the week before Easter.

We will also be having different groups handing out free waters at different areas in the community.

This is all leading up to our huge Easter Eggstravaganza on April 23rd. The Easter Eggstravaganza is an Easter Egg Hunt gone crazy!!! We’ll have inflatables, candy, huge prizes and giveaways, pictures with the Easter Bunny and thousands of EGGS. The best part is it’s all FREE!!! So bring the whole family out because there is something for everyone. This event will be held at the Henry County High School Football Field on Saturday, April 23rd. Registration starts at 10am. Prizes include xbox kinect, kindle, ipods, tv, leapsters, and more. This is from 10am to Noon. Check out our Facebook invite here.

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Mar 14

Focus on God’s Elevation

I believe that Jesus, in using the words “in Heaven” sought to focus not so much of God’s location but rather His elevation.

We are so used to living as we say in “the world” surrounded by limitations, that we often forget that God exists where there are not shortages or restraints. Here on earth, we seem to go from storm to storm, face endless problems and issues—such as economic recessions, depression, fear—but in heaven, where God lives, such problems and storms are non existent. There are no shortages in the factories of His grace, no issues in His house and no problems in His communication systems.

Jesus reminds us to elevate our vision and remember that in our Father’s presence our greatest problems turn into possibilities.

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Mar 10

Act Like A Son

A) Stay when under fire:
• When it gets tough a son will stay and an employee will leave—a son lays down his life

John 10:10-13—-11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12 The hired hand is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. 13 The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep

B) Sons are submitting not questioning:
• Sons naturally honor the chain of command rather than constantly question authority.
• Can you submit to someone you don’t like?
• Jesus was clear about designated authority—rejecting it is rejecting him.
• Son honor the chain of command rather than question authority.

C) Make adjustments not excuses:
• A son will take responsibility for a mistake and make adjustments rather than give excuses.
• It’s a natural human response to give an excuse.

D) Build the house not ourselves:
• Building the house is more important than working in the house.
• Sons will bond new people to the family not themselves
Acts 20:30 Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them
• Son’s know that the vision of the house comes first because the vision came before the son. Sons don’t try to change the vision but build it.
• Vision is there before they were—build the vision
• Vision is non—negotionable—-the way we do it is up in the air
Philippians 2:20-22 20 I have no one else like him, who will show genuine concern for your welfare. 21 For everyone looks out for their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ. 22 But you know that Timothy has proved himself, because as a son with his father he has served with me in the work of the gospel

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Mar 9

Speak Like A Son

A) Talk about the team and not about self:
• Language
Words Like: us, our and we
Not words like
: me, my or mine
• The real heart will be exposed when times get tough.
• It’s easy to speak family when all is well.
B) Honor not exposure:
• Fathers are not always perfect but we are commanded to Honor.
• Sons were never intended to correct Fathers.
Genesis 9: Noah and Ham —- Noah drunk and naked in the tent
One brother started telling people
Two brothers knew their honor was attached to their father and covered him
• Father is going to make mistakes—normal life stuff—wrong word, bad decision, wrong attitude—a true son of Gods vision—will honor and cover up any of those short comings—

C) Extend honor down not just up:
• All dream teamers—honor them as much as possible…even sometimes more than the senior pastor—always lifting them up….always honor someone—-
• PUBLIC honoring means more—-honor the mother for the student—speak highly of people around the senior—bring up the name—so he knows—
• Speaking highly of the students in front of their parents

D) Transparency not false cover:
• You need to be secure otherwise you might just say the things others wants to hear.
• Because of the security of their relationship, sons are willing to share their hearts and feelings with the father without retribution or punishment.
• If you are not a son you are afraid to be truthful
Luke 16:12, And if you have not been trustworthy with someone else’s property, who will give you property of your own
• How you treat the senior pastor it is how your people treat will treat you

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Mar 8

Feel Like A Son

Feel like a son

1. Building not maintaining:
• Feeling the success of the church is more important than my personal reward.
• It’s more about building the house of God rather than your account—building the business.
• We are Co-Heirs with Christ in the house.

2. Inheriting not taking:-
• If you are not trustworthy with what you get you wont get more.
• You are being tested when in disagreement with your boss/senior pastor/authority.
• God is thinking can I reward you later on with your own—mindset of inheriting not taking—The reward is sometimes far away.
• A son will wait to be “sent” with a blessing rather than leave on his own.
Luke 16:12 And if you have not been trustworthy with someone else’s property, who will give you property of your own?—
3. Embrace discipline or correction:
• Discipline is for children not “to” children, Discipline is Not rejection.
• This is the toughest one.
Hebrews 12:7 7 Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father?
• There has to be relationship in order for the correction to be received.
• If no correction—we might want to be concerned—that means that the authority over us is not going concerned about our growth.

4. Hold yourself to a higher standard:
• Be the one hardest person on yourself
• Be the right person.

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Mar 7

Sonship Daughter-ship Teaching Part 1 Think Like a Son

I wanted to start a 4 part blog series based on a leadership teaching we recieved from Church Of The Highlands in Birmingham.

God builds everything through Sons and Daughters—principle of Gods Children

Romans 8:16-18 The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. 17 Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory. 18 I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us
Galatians 3:26-You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus
Colossians 3:17,22-24, And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him 22 Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything; and do it, not only when their eye is on you and to win their favor, but with sincerity of heart and reverence for the Lord. 23 Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, 24 since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving

In every arena of life we must work at everything with all our heart and for the Lord. In every arena of life I think we can act as sons!
Home—Family
Work—Career
Church—Ministry

We are not just serving the Senior Pastor—but serving the vision of the house—The Senior Pastor is leading the vision—but also serving the man through the vision—if we have the heart and mind of the son

The principle to make this work in our lives on a daily basis is: SONSHIP
4 Areas

1) Think like a son

4 points under think like a son

A) Think family not issues
A son will think family not issues. Issues can divide servants not family. Churches split because of issues not family

B) The heart is more important the issues—-Matthew 6:5-Jesus said that doing things for how they appear on the outside was a mark of hypocrisy.
Heart is more important than the house–for instance when the boss walks in and you start working harder-wrong—make sure the heart is right
C) Be teachable not an expert—
Son always eager to learn from the father—heart—-not a know it all or an expert

D) Learn how the father thinks—WWJD…what would Jesus do—WWSPD–what would senior pastor do
God will honor the decision—even if it is a bad decision—but if it is honoring the house—God honors the structure above the person

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Feb 24

Love His People

I am going to be completely transparent with you today and want to share with you what God is working on with me.

Way too many times I tend to focus on the task at hand rather than the people who are in front of me. It is just the way I am wired. When talking to people sometimes I am seriously noticing that a chair is out of place, or I still need to take the trash out, or I am still needing to do something or have some type of task done before I forget it. While I am still listening to the person in front of me and hearing what they are saying I might not be completely giving them my full attention.

God has really been moving on me to look people in the eye, love on them by listening to them, and engage in the conversation rather than trying to get out of it to move on to get the task done. In doing this God has completely given me a brand new love for people. I am truly moved by the crowd and people who are around me. I know now what it means when it says Jesus had compassion for the people.

I have even started saying verbally things like, “I love you” or “Luv ya” to the people around me. Sometimes people say it back and sometimes people look at me funny and say “ok.” I am not doing it for the reaction but because God has given me a love for His people. I truly do love people and with my personality it can only be God moving on my heart and I can only give him the credit.

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Feb 10

VLOG

Jan 31

Burned Out?

I have so been stirred up lately with what God is doing in my life.  I shared this past week with our Welcome Team @ www.turningpointchurch.tv that I have found out that when you are so on fire for Jesus that ministry does not become a burden.  Serving others is not a burden, spending time with Him is not a burden, fasting, praying and serving in the ministry is not a burden at all.  I also found out that my wife and I have had the same attitude lately and it rubs off on those around us.  Last week I spent 5 of my 7 nights at church, don’t worry I still got my date night in and my family day.  But I noticed our children even were like, “we get to go to church?” They were happy about it.  I also noticed those those serving under me in the ministry were catching this as well.

I have heard in the past and I too have potentially been “burnt out” but now that I look back at those times, I was not in a good place spiritually.  We have been in a 21 day fast and this was the most challenging fast ever for me but the most rewarding.  If you ever find yourself burnt out from ministry work or serving others, check your relationship with Jesus and maybe it is time to fast.  I truly believe if you are close to the savior He will bring you delight.  It says in James 4:8, “draw near to God and He will draw near to you” and in Psalm 37:14, “Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart.”

When you find serving others becomes a burden remember what Jesus said in Matthew 11:28-30, “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly”

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