The sermon that is for everyone else

Your sitting in church Sunday morning again and all you can do is nod your head in agreement with everything the pastor says as your thinking  'I hope so and so is really listening to this message. They could really learn a lesson or two from it."

Or you may think, "oh I know this person doesn't come to church here but they NEED this message, this is totally all about them. It could give them great direction how to clean up their act. I should send a cd of this to them."

Or you may say you don't think like that. But then you may be the person sitting there shaking your head in agreement thinking "yah, I totally got this, I'm so good at doing what pastor is talking about I could teach this sermon. The church should let me be the example of this and help all the other poorer, less worthy Christian foke."


A few months back I realized that these types of thoughts parade around my brain often. But the truth is, I am there for me. What can I personally get from the sermon? Is there nothing there for me? If on a weekly basis you find yourself thinking one of the top three processes but never finding soul food to munch on, there is a good chance you are way too arrogant or you are in a church that just might not be for you.

Even though I have addressed my issue of this I still struggle at times finding myself thinking "oh she should totally be here for this." And my thoughts  will wander for a bit going over how this person would think or react or lack of reaction. But I now at least get a good swift prompting to pull my head back out of nastyjudgementville and really focus on knowing that God has something specific He wants me to hear. He has told me plenty of times when he pulls my thoughts back to where he wants them that; "only God can change and influence the heart of a person. Your job, my daughter, is to take action on what I am telling your heart. No more, no less."

Just this last week I was listening to the sermon I missed and thinking, "wow, God I get this but, I know I am a pretty decent spiritual friend." (I normally don't think I am good at anything so this is a good sign I am starting to see something good.) so I kept listening for a while and during it was praying, "ok, God, you have me hearing this for a reason and it isn't to puff up my ego. What exactly do you want me to learn from this?"
No kidding as soon as I prayed that I got two answers almost right in a row. They weren't oooober deep for most people but, they were specific, just for me.

We can keep going to church and listening to sermons to give other people the pastors spiritual insites. (This is sometimes Ok to do when at a proper time aka when someone asks for help or an opinion) Or, you can choose to go to service with an open heart, ready to be taught something by God that will give you a deeper understanding of who God is, who you are because of Jesus, or a change he'd like you to go through to make you even more like Him.

"Jesus, what do you want to teach me today?"

Smiling doesn't make you a Christian

I'm going to be more than blunt in this blog and probably ramble a tad, so if you are tender hearted, or don't like having bold truth spoke at you then now would be a great time for you to stop reading.

... ok so for those of you still reading if I step on your toes, well then I hope they heal!


I am going to do a bit of venting/ being honest with you today about what annoys me most about Christians 'out reach.'

Our level of out reach is rather pathetic. We hide behind saying we were showing our Christ-likeness today...
...at the grocery store by letting someone go first in line
...we smiled at random strangers we pass
...pay it forward in the Starbucks line
...we teach a class at our church on how to better serve others
... we tell another mom with a kid throwing a fit in public that we've all been there it's ok
... hold a door open for a stranger
...
...
and as you can tell the patheticness goes on and on.

Am I knocking this whole idea of 'being Christ-like?"

Well, maybe just a tad!!

You see this isn't being Christ-like. It's not going above and beyond the call of what another human who doesn't know the love of God could and many times would do.

Though it is nice to smile, or lend a hand, let someone else go first, or even pay it forward these are things we learn in kindergarten on how to treat each other. My son goes to a public school, has a teacher who does not teach the Bible to the children and yet she knows enough to teach the children to be kind to each other.

We learn from infancy what it means to be giving and nice and kind and help others.

So, you may ask "What are you suggesting we do?"

I am suggesting you put yourself out there and actually be different than the rest of the world. The world knows how to be kind. I have strangers pass me all the time who smile, and frankly I doubt many of them know God's love.  So I also doubt me smiling back at them (though yes I do) is going to 'save them' or 'help them see more of Jesus.'

Putting yourself out there does mean actually looking different to the world, and for those of you who think you aren't suppose to be known as crazy or different! THINK AGAIN!!!

Jesus didn't ask you to blend into the world He told you to be a light to the world. He asked you to do more than just say  quick pleasantries to make people smile. He asked you to do more than pay it forward to the stranger in the Starbucks line. He asked you to shine your light before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in Heaven!!! (Matthew 5:16)

That means get out there, be daring to be WAY different! Be daring to start an actual conversation with a random stranger today! (oh no what if they don't like you?) The worst that can happen is they walk away. The most that can happen is that you will have an actual life long impact on them.

They aren't going to remember your face just because you smiled at them today in passing. They are going to remember the stranger that took actual time out of their day to interact and get to know them or help them.

Is this outside of your comfort zone? Are you worried the world is going to think you are crazy?

Truth is the world is dying to see the light you have that you have been hiding behind a bushel saying you are a 'Christian" at church or even in public but doing nothing to prove it. Let your actions prove more than Christ is just living in you as your scapegoat to slide your way into heaven but that He is ruling in you!

If you are Christian, you are to be loving and the only thing you are to fear is God, not man

~Hebrews 13:6~
"So we say with confidence, "The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me"

As Christians we are not to merely hide behind the phrase Christian as a way to religiously categorize ourselves. We are to be out there, changing the world by infecting the others with Jesus light. We aren't suppose to be sitting on our couches comfortably every night thinking it's someone else's job to go into all the world and preach the Gospel. 

You are in the world but you are more than just another someone, you are part of the army of Christ! If you are sitting on your couch hoping everyone else is actively serving and all you offer is an occasional smile to a random stranger then you are a lazy soldier!

You are never going to rise and be a warrior if you are sitting on your back side. Warriors are made by fighting the battles, by training, and by obeying the commands of their leader.

Warriors are the ones willing to be different, they don't just fight they go above and beyond that of an ordiary soldier. Be willing to take a risk, be a warrior, not just an untrained soldier who shrinks back from battle but one that is armed and dangerous to the enemy at all times!

~I Corinthians 16:13&14~
Be on guard. Stand firm in the faith. Be courageous.Be strong.  And do everything with love.

Feeling Overwhelmed? Ask for help!

And when He had called His twelve disciples to Him, He gave them power over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease. ~Matthew 10:1

As women we strive for perfection.
We desire to be considered one of a kind, unique, irreplaceable.
We want to do it all!
We want to rule it all!
We act as though we have to prove our worth to the world (especially now that we work with men on equal playing fields).

Though I am sure women have struggled with this ideal way of living since day one, I believe the longer the human race exists the worse this idea becomes.

We wear ourselves thin. Wanting to have control of everything. Yet, somehow we feel like we are in control of nothing. We don't give ourselves breathing room or grace or allow ourselves the need to be helped. We require room to be human, but never allow ourselves to actually be human.

If we take a sick day most of us think the world we live in would collapse without us in it.

But here in Matthew 10:1 we read that even Jesus sought help from others who followed his leading. He didn't try to do everything on his own. He allowed those who were closest to him, who followed his leadership whole heatedly, to have the same power He did to do the same work He was doing.

Jesus was God's Son, He could have done anything, Right? I'm sure if God wanted Him to He would have found a way to make Him touch everyone at once. Truth is; Jesus was limited inside a human body only able to do so much and be in so many places at one time,and Jesus knew that.

So, in order to reach more people He taught those who followed His leadership how to do the same. He empowered those around him to be able to fearlessly do what He did. He lead by example, showed them how to do it and then entrusted them to go do it.

If you are overwhelmed, feel like you can't ever catch a break, or think the world is going to fall apart without you in it for even one day then try finding someone or even a few someones who understand your ideas and goals and delegate some of your tasks to them.

Don't take the world on alone!

God gave us people of like mind and heart to achieve the same goals we are set out to do. Enjoy the freedom of knowing you have people beside you who want the same goals as you. That is your team.

 It doesn't mean people think less of you because you need help. Infarct, most will think more of you for being honest enough to know you need help. These people still look up to you, you just motivate them to become active in reaching a goal.

Stop thinking you are alone and have to do it all yourself.
Good leaders know how and who to delegate the tasks to get the job done to attain like-minded goals.

Find your team and relax a little more, enjoy the company of teammates, and enjoy celebrating success with more than just yourself!

Jesus was the most successful leader ever! If He sought out help then we definitely need it!