The People You Lead Need Proof

Moses was an ordinary man. Yet, God gave him the unordinary task of leading a nation of people.  Moses was scared to death.

Moses stalled.  Argued.  Whined.  Begged God to ask someone else.

God responded.


Then the Lord asked him, “What is that in your hand?”


“A shepherd’s staff,” Moses replied.


“Throw it down on the ground,” the Lord told him. So Moses threw down the staff, and it turned into a snake! Moses jumped back.


Then the Lord told him, “Reach out and grab its tail.” So Moses reached out and grabbed it, and it turned back into a shepherd’s staff in his hand.


“Perform this sign,” the Lord told him. “Then they will believe that the Lord, the God of their ancestors—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob—really has appeared to you.”  (Exodus 4:2-5)

God did something supernatural for Moses.  He gave him the ability to perform miraculous signs.

But why?  So that people would know that he and God were close.

What has God asked you to do?  Are you stalling?  Arguing?  Whining?  Begging God to ask someone else?

What the people need to see is not your ability.  They need to know that you and God are close.  They need proof that you know God's voice, that you listen to Him, and that you follow Him.

Don't impress people with your abilities so they will follow you.  Display your God-given abilities in a way that proves you have really heard from God...and that He has heard from you.

Maybe the most important prayer you could pray right now is something like this:


"God, do something great through me so that people will know I belong to you."

Influence and Kids

When a kid gives you influence in his, or her, life:


You have a brief opportunity to give them a real hero
You have a brief opportunity to earn the kid’s respect by first respecting the kid
You have a brief opportunity to someone with confidence than could last a lifetime
You have a brief opportunity to partner with his/her parents to reinforce what matters
You have a brief opportunity to repair the damage done by others who have abused their authority

Kids are funny. They have a way of being selective with regards to whom they allow to influence their lives.  That’s why the opportunity is usually brief.

Don’t miss your opportunity.

Time to Re-Define Success

Success from Gcomchurch Sermons on Vimeo.

INSPIRE ME

I want to be impressed, but I need to be inspired.

Perfection impresses me.  Emotion inspires me.

When the performance is off, I admit that it distracts me.

When notes are missed.  When lyrics are forgotten.  When delivery is awkward. When the countenance is poor.  When the wrong vocalist is on lead.  There is no way to disguise it.  It’s memorable for all the wrong reasons.

I’m impressed with perfection.

But there is much more to it than performance.  Much more.

I'm not inspired by perfection.  I’m inspired by emotion.

Perfection without emotion is a brain with no heart.

I need to feel the music.  When I feel the music, it moves me.  When I’m moved, I’m inspired.

Would I prefer a bad performance with heart over a perfect performance that is void of emotion?  Probably not.

But when push comes to shove, I’d rather be inspired than impressed.

At Grace Community Church, I’m led by two musicians:  Jason Roy and Dustin York.  These two leaders have developed an amazing community of artists.

I’m glad that they impress me.  But I’m grateful that they inspire me.

Jealousy is a Silent Killer

Jealousy Street from Gcomchurch Sermons on Vimeo.

Lesson from Professional Wrestling

As a kid, I considered myself a wrestling fanatic. I had the action figures, magazines, and autographs. I went to the arenas. I knew it was entertainment, but I seemed to forget that fact quite often.

Lately I've been reminded of a life lesson that professional wrestling has reinforced for generations: It doesn't take long to go from heel...to hero...to heel again.

The "heel" is the villain. The wrestler that most of the crowd wants to see crushed.

The "hero" is the object of the crowd's affection. He can do no wrong. Even when he bends the rules, he is forgiven.

Some of my favorite wrestlers would go from "hero" to "heel" and back to "hero" in a matter of months.

How? Wrestling fans are people. They are responding to the wrestlers in the same way they respond to life.

When someone fights for a cause we value, we hold him up as a champion.

When someone disappoints us, we turn our backs and look for a new champion.

It happens that quickly!

In life, I have played both roles. It should come as no surprise that I prefer the role of hero. But I cannot make decisions based on how the crowd will respond.

I'm sure the villains of professional wrestling would love to hear the crowds cheer for them. But they are following a script. They stick to the script and, in the end, everyone wins.

I've got a script too. God has created me to live a life of faith. A life that honors Him.

Sometimes that script gets me cheered. Sometimes that script gets me jeered.

If I live for the applause of the crowd, I may get it. But that will be all I get.

If I live for the approval of my Creator, that may be all I get. But that is more than enough.

(Joshua Series) I Look Forward to Going Back

After the miraculous crossing of the Jordan River, God’s people did something pretty cool. A leader from each tribe took a stone and together they built an altar…

“...to serve as a sign among you. In the future, when your children ask you, ‘What does these stones mean?’ tell them (how God parted the waters and delivered you)…These stones will be a memorial to the people of Israel forever.” Joshua 4:6-7

God directed the people to leave behind a sign. As time passed and that day became a distant memory, God wanted His people to never forget. To never forget the day He proved His love and power.

I’m not one to look back. But there are some moments that I don’t want to forget. Times when God brought hope to my hopeless situation. When God forgave. When God understood. When God disciplined. When God proved how much He loved me.

Whether it is in he form of a letter. An email. A ticket stub. A picture. A blog. A scar. To me, they serve as altars. Memorials to God’s goodness. And when my children ask, “What do they mean?” I look forward to, well,…to going back.