I'm Searching for a Church, Which one is Right?

Nothing can be more confusing than to drive around looking for a new church to connect with.  Nearly on every corner, there is a type of “church.”   One may question:  Why so many?  Why so many of the same type of church? Who is right?  Who is wrong?  Can all of them be right or wrong? 

When one is searching for a church, there is more than just seeing what types of “programs” they offer.  However, “programs” can be a starting point to reaching and connecting with those who are seeking to better themselves, their children, or the entire family. 

It was in the early 1960’s that my father was searching for a better life and more meaning to his spiritual life.  One day, he got a knock on his door from some people who attended the Lemay Church in St. Louis, MO.  They were having their yearly Vacation Bible School (VBS) and had invited him and the family.  My dad accepted the invitation and attended with his family (I wasn’t born yet).  The invitation to the VBS changed his life, my mother’s and our family.  My dad and mom surrendered their lives to Jesus and they resurrected into the new life, which Scripture calls baptism (Romans 6:3-4).  From that invitation to attend a VBS, all six of my parent’s children are born again believers.  Two of the six kids are preachers.  And, most of all the grandchildren are born again believers and some of them serve in a variety of ways in leadership with the church where they are attending. 

Never underestimate the power of inviting someone to your church “program” or worship gatherings.  It just might change their lives for generations to come. 

In seeking the “right” church, one must conclude that there is no perfect church.  We are all sinners in the need of God’s grace.  However, there are at least a couple of important factors one needs to consider when making the final decision as to where to go.

First of all, is Jesus the center?  No one should attend a “church” if Jesus isn’t the centerpiece of it.  Colossians 1:18, “Christ is also the head of the church, which is his body.” (NLT)  If the church is run by man’s philosophies of what you can and cannot do and who you can and cannot associate with, then stay far way.  That means, Jesus isn’t the center, man is. 

Secondly, is Jesus the leader?  There have been many who have built facilities to worship in or have started a church for one reason or another.  Just because one started a church, he/she isn’t the boss; Jesus is.  By boss I mean, lead builder.  Matthew 16:18, says that Jesus will build his church.  The church is not a literal building, but rather, a spiritual one.  It is inside the hearts of people who have surrendered to Jesus as Lord and Savior and those who have resurrected in the new life.  God does the adding to the “church” and it is relationship based. (Acts 2:41)

“Churches” are everywhere!  No one has the market on who is the most right.  For all of us have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. (Romans 3:23)  However, there are many who strive to be the very best they can be biblically and spiritually.  Always ensure in your search that you compare what the preachers, teachers, and their periodicals say with the bible.  Never let anyone tell you they are the only ones going to heaven.  For if they do, they have just made themselves the perfect church.  There is no such thing as the perfect church!  But there is a perfect Savior! 

Remember, Be God Controlled!

Brian

You are a Gift From God

It was January 9^th 1991 that would forever change our world.  It was the day our first-born child made his entrance into the world.  He was so tiny and fragile.  His voice cried out for the first time, as he was being washed and then handed to his mother for very first time.  He was given the name Roman.  Little did we know that his life would be exactly how the bible defines it to be, strong and powerful!

God is in the gifting business on a daily basis.  He knows when to give the gift and exactly who should receive the gift.  God is incredibly thoughtful to our needs and his timing is impeccable.  The gift of a son was not in our timing, but God’s timing. 

God gave us another gift on July 2^nd 1996.  Her name is Tessa.  She made her entrance into the world not knowing how important she would be to her parents.  She too is strong, but she is also sensitive.  She has a heart that feels the pain of others and is always doing her best to help everyone.  Her name means, “to gather.”  How fitting for a young lady who gathers those who are struggling or dealing with hurtful issues and she gathers them to comfort and show compassion. 

Again, God’s gifts are unmistakable and perfectly timed.  Both of our children are not only gifts to us, but to the world in which God placed them to live and work and interact.  Roman is a youth minister in Tennessee.  He powerfully shares Jesus and mentors and motivates teens to live the Jesus life.  Our daughter Tessa lives in California as she supports her husband who serves our nation in the Navy.  Also, Tessa works with children and helps take care of their needs.  She loves them and shares with them joy and laughter and hugs and a warmth of a kind soul. 

It is true that I could be a bit bias in my assessment of our children, but I am not at all bias in my assessment of our God who is the greatest gift giver ever.  He knows each of us on a personally level and is constantly providing us with everything we need to live our lives to the fullest. 

Think for a moment of the gifts you have right now!   Reading this means you have the gift if eyesight.  Someone may say, “yeah, but I need glasses to read it.”  But at least you can see to read and God gifted someone with the ability to invent glasses.  It is a matter of perspective in what we truly want to see God giving us in our lives to help us. 

The gifts are galore:  Water.  Heat.  Cold.  Trees.  Flowers.  Food.  Mountains.  Cars.  Friends.  Children.  Stars.  Home.  Love.  Jesus.  Shoes.  Fingers.  Hair.  Airplanes.  Medicine.  Sleep.  Clothes.  Dogs and cats.  Lady bugs.  Light and dark.  Hugs and kisses.  Lips.  Taste.  Feel.  Touch.  And the list is endless. 

James 1:17 says that all perfect gifts come from God.  God is always going to see to it that we get the perfect gift at the perfect time.  It is true that there are those who suffer greatly or go hungry or homeless or lonely or jobless or a host of other problems.  The key to God’s gift is realizing that you are the gift to the sufferer, the hungry, the homeless, the lonely, the jobless or whatever problems others are dealing with in their life. 

Galatians 6:2 tells us to carry each other’s burdens.  When we believe that God created us as a gift and to be a gift, then our perspective toward others will radically change.  When will see opportunity rather than burdens. We will finally use the gift to bring hope to the hurting, love to the lonely, refuge to the homeless, food to the hungry, and employment to the jobless. 

See yourself as a God-gift.  Keep the gift unwrapped and usable.  Be approachable.  Be Kind.  Be Gentle.  Be Hope.  Be Help.  Be Jesus.  Be ready. Be a gift!

Remember, Be God controlled!

Brian

How to overcome Life's Challenges

A burdensome life can throw anyone for a loop if one looks at the negative and proclaims life is harsh and unfair.  Life is what each of us makes it out to be no matter what happens to us.  Perspective is everything when one is facing challenges in life and the way each one response to bad news, health issues, loss of a loved one, financial troubles or relationship trauma is crucial. 

There are countless individuals who have walked the pains of heartbreak and endured the trials of bad days and overcame obstacles that seemed too difficult, too hard and too demanding. 

God never said life would be easy to live out.  God never promised us a life free from hurt, hardships or heartache. However, God did promise all of us that no matter what, he would walk the journey with us.  Hebrews 13:5-6 declared: “…Be relaxed with what you have. Since God assured us, “I’ll never let you down, never walk off and leave you,” we can boldly quote, God is there, ready to help; I’m fearless no matter what. Who or what can get to me?” (MSG)

There is nothing more encouraging and calming than to know that God is always on the scene providing his reassurance that everything will be ok.  It is in our trusting that we will discover comfort, strength, hope and security in the one who provided life in the first place.  God is amazingly generous with his time and resources.  He gives a heaping load of heartfelt love and he just doesn’t place a band aide on our wounds, but rather, he wraps them up in his healing powers.  No matter life’s wound, God can make everything better in the end. 

Seeing the beauty in life when one cannot see at all is the trademark of a life of contentment and trust.  There is a story told of a seventy-five-year-old grandpa who has been blind from cataracts for almost 15 years said to his granddaughter, “Your grandma is just the most beautiful thing, isn’t she?“ the granddaughter paused for a second and said, ”Yes she is. I bet you miss seeing that beauty on a daily basis.“ “Sweety,” the grandpa said, ”I still see her beauty every day. In fact, I see it more now than I used to when we were young."

The grandpa’s perspective to his life situation was positive and inspiring.  Though he could not see through his eyes, he was able to see through his heart. His outlook was full of optimism and his view of his wife was painted eloquently in his mind.  He didn’t need to see his wife to know her beauty; he was able to see her through the lens of love.

A doctor needed to operate on a little girl who needed O negative blood. The hospital didn’t have any, but her twin brother also had O negative blood type. The doctor explained to the little boy that it was a matter of life and death and they needed him to donate his blood for his sister. The boy sat quietly for a moment, and then said goodbye to his parents. The doctor said that he didn’t think anything about the boy saying goodbye to his parents until after we took his blood and the little boy asked, "So when will I die?"

The little boys perspective wasn’t about himself, but rather, his desire for his sister to live. It was his love, devotion and sacrifice for someone other than himself that demonstrates that his young life was lead by a willingness to help others even if it meant his own life. 

The right perspective in hard to deal with “life-issues” is critical for emotional survival.  Trusting that God will lead the way is vital to dealing with cancer, heart disease, and a loss of a loved one, financial disaster, relationship issues or painful memories.  Life can be tough and circumstances can deal us a big blow to our sanity, but in it all, God will carry us through the dark moments and provide us with every resource necessary to get us through the tough stuff.  Trust! 

Remember, Be God Controlled!

Brian

A Nation Driven By Fear?

Windows shattered.  Cars burning.  Trash scattered.  Unkind words spoken.  Protestors clash.  Million-women march for equality.   Protest signs.  Media bias.  Fake news.  Boycotts. Fights.  Arrests. 

So much can be said about this past election cycle and the inauguration of our 45^th President, Donald Trump.  It is unlike many of us have ever seen before.  The divisiveness led the way as Americans clashed over who should be our nations president. 

Fear seems to permeate our nation.  Our 32^nd President, Franklin D. Roosevelt proclaimed in his 1933 inaugural addressed that the, “Only Thing We Have to Fear Is Fear Itself”  Fear prevents us to trust and to be calm and it drives a wedge between sanity and security.  Fear opens the door to unrest and anxiety.  Fear looks to protect ones own interest and will do whatever is necessary to win the battle of the unknown.

“The disciples were in trouble far away from land, for a strong wind had risen, and they were fighting heavy waves. About three o’clock in the morning Jesus came toward them, walking on the water. When the disciples saw him walking on the water, they were terrified. In their fear, they cried out, “It’s a ghost!”  But Jesus spoke to them at once. “Don’t be afraid,” he said. “Take courage. I am here!”  Matthew 14:24-27

Just like the disciples of Jesus, when we see or hear something that is out of the norm, the first reaction at times is to fear the unknown.  For the disciples, fear thought Jesus was a ghost.  It does make sense a bit that they would be afraid of seeing something from the distance walking on the water.  After all, it is not every day that a human walks on the water.  Jesus calms their fear by revealing who he was and that everything is going to be okay. 

Change also causes fear.  No matter if it is a change in a job or a change in the President of the United States, it brings about uncertainty that raises one’s level of fear.  For some, change is ok as long as it is communicated well and there is time to adjust.  For others, if the change means a new political structure that does not fit one’s belief system, then fear sets in and actions to protects the personal belief system takes place.  Rationalizing change is not an easy task for many and the only way some know how to express his or her fear is through protesting, rioting, marching, or boycotting. 

We live in a nation where protecting, marching and boycotting is acceptable as long as it does not include rioting or causing harm on anyone else.  It is one thing to march against a president that one disagrees with peacefully; it is a whole new ballgame whenever windows are busted and cars are set on fire.  There is no place in our nation for such abusive actions. 

Not everyone will agree with the president.  Not everyone will agree with his/her boss, husband, wife, or the preacher.  It is how we disagree that is crucial for the betterment of our communities, States and nation as a whole.  If we are driven by fear, then nothing rational can be accomplished.  If we can sit down and discuss our differences in a calming and mature manner, then fear loses out and commonsense behavior wins.  Remember, the “Only Thing We Have to Fear Is Fear Itself” 

Remember, Be God Controlled!

Brian

Key Principles for Raising Children

Raising children is not easy.  It is hard work.  24 hours a day work.  We want the best for our kids.  Parents want their children to be happy and to be involved in sports, theater, school bands, social clubs, debate teams, or whatever they set their mind to do.  Parents are supporters of education and desire for their children to get good grades so a college or university will accept them.    Parents attend ballgames, plays, musicals, marching band competitions, and academic awards night.  Parents are proud of their children’s accomplishments and are the first to tell everyone about the outstanding son or daughter they have. 

While excellence in sports, academics and the arts are vitally important for our children, excelling in spiritual skills is vitally important, too.  Balancing secular with the spiritual can be extremely challenging, but necessary.  Our children need to know the basics of living the Jesus life as much as they need to know how to be successful at sports or the arts and how to be graceful winners and losers in life.  The following are three keys principles to raising a well-rounded child.  

Character Building:  Abraham Lincoln said, “Reputation is the shadow. Character is the tree.” As one of my Drill Sergeants once said while allowing us an on-post pass for a few hours during basic training, “Right character is doing the right thing when no one is watching.”  Our character defines us in every circumstance of life.  Building godly character in the life of our children will help them to always tell the truth, do the right thing with others are not looking, and never compromise truth to be accepted by others.

Relationship Building:  I Peter 3:8 "You should be like one big happy family ... loving on another with tender hearts..."  An article entitled "Whatever Happened to Commitment" says, "Commitment is at the foundation of all human relationships. It's what human relationships are all about.  We're made to live in relationship with others.  A person who withdraws all commitment to others ceases to be human."

Jesus Building:  Many preachers will put a guilt trip on us and say that if you are not committed to attending all the assemblies of the church, you are not committed.  This is hogwash and is not biblical.  While church gatherings aide in the Jesus building and are important, they are nowhere near the totality of living the Jesus life.  Jesus building is the acceptance of the Lordship of Jesus that will enable our children to build a strong relationship with him.  Knowing Jesus is knowing how to live, speak, love, or show kindness. The Message Bible says it best in Romans 10:9-10, It’s the word of faith that welcomes God to go to work and set things right for us. This is the core of our preaching. Say the welcoming word to God—“Jesus is my Master”—embracing, body and soul, God’s work of doing in us what he did in raising Jesus from the dead. That’s it. You’re not “doing” anything; you’re simply calling out to God, trusting him to do it for you. That’s salvation. With your whole being you embrace God setting things right, and then you say it, right out loud: “God has set everything right between him and me!” 

Remember, Be God Controlled!

Brian

What is in a Name?

I decided that I would Google (AKA, internet search) “my” name to see how famous I was, or wasn’t. The search surprised me when I saw 19,100 possibilities of “me!” As I scrolled through the various titles with “my” name, I was alarmed…at first. One of the first “my” name postings was a library rapist. Oh, no! Then, I saw the obituary title and thought, “am I dead?” I scrolled and started to feel a bit of relief. “My” name was an artist, a professional hockey player, a director of a frontier ranch and so on. “My” name has some quality to it and I became proud again to wear “my” name.

What’s in a name? I’m going to throw some names at you. In a word, what is the first thing you think about?:

Dr Martin Luther King, Jr.

Daniel Boone
Marilyn Monroe
Michael Jackson
President Obama
Carrie Underwood
Donald Trump

Many times, we can only associate a persons name with their career, what we’ve heard on the news, or what we have heard from other people. I have never met, Dr. King, President Obama, or Carrie Underwood. My impressions are made through media, not through a personal relationship.

First impressions are important, too. We also call it, reputation. Sure, there are times I have blown my reputation to smithereens. I have had folks asked me, “I thought you were a preacher?” Or, “Didn’t you say you were Christian?” In those moments, I just wanted to crawl in a hole and hide.

God never asked us to be perfect. However, He did tell about us the importance of being seekers of righteousness (Matthew 6:33). God never told us to be a “holier than thou” kind of person. But, He did tell us to be humble (James 4:10). God never told us to judge others. However, He did say that our judgment of others would be rewarded in the same way we judge (Matthew 7:2).

Googling myself on the Internet was interesting! Much of what I read about “myself” had nothing to do with me; however, because of the shared name, there is somewhat of a connection.

Not only do I have “my” birth name, I also have my spiritual name. In Acts 2:44; the folks who accepted the message of the Apostles were called believers. Their reputation in the community was astoundingly positive.  Whenever someone learns about our believer in Jesus status, what would be the first impression of us?  There are many believers who didn’t always betray the best of the believer’s lifestyle.  In a word, what would be the first word you think about these believers:

The Apostle Peter

The Apostle Judas

Zacchaeus

The Apostle Thomas

The Samarian Woman at the well

Jesus

With the exception of Jesus, every believer listed above had struggles that diminished their reputation as believers.  However, none of them with the exception of Judas stayed stuck in their negative reputation and overcame to become a powerful testimony for the cause of Christ. 

The spiritual birth name is important and must not be taken lightly.  Keep in mind that others are watching to see how we respond to adversity, temptations or honesty.  If someone were able to Google your name, what would they discover spiritually?

The world changes for the better when Jesus believers live honorably.  When history is revealed, what will be written about each of us who call themselves believers in Jesus?    

Remember, Be God Controlled!

Brian

Unwrapping God's Gifts

Gift wrapping paper that was once beautifully colored with reds, greens and imprints of the Christmas season has now become a ball of worthless trash.  What was once the desire of those trying to figure out what is inside the nicely wrapped box has now become a distant memory.  The package that was once the lure of the eye due to its beauty of glitzy wrapping paper topped with an elegant bow has now become useless and will be thrown away and never again be eyed with a desire to know what’s inside. 

According to research from Hallmark, Americans spend approximately $3.2 billion a year on wrapping paper. The hours spent selecting wrapping paper for the ones we love is no easy task.  Not just any wrapping paper will do; it is carefully examined and thought out before the selection is made.  Presentation is everything.  Some cannot give a gift unless it is wrapped perfectly.  The wrapping paper must make a statement that conveys that the gift is worth opening and seeing what is inside.  

On December 25^th billions of people all over the world opened beautifully wrapped gifts that were placed under a Christmas tree.  Each gift was wrapped with love from the giver.  No amount of time or money spent on the wrapped gift compares to the joy the giver experiences when the one who receives the gift opens it up and is full of excitement.

God is no stranger to gift-wrapping.  His wrapping of gifts may not be with beautiful and glitzy colored paper or bows nicely wrapped around the gift; however, his gifts offer eternal blessings to anyone who desires to open his or her heart to receiving them. 

Can you imagine the look on God’s face whenever one of his kids takes one of his gifts, opens it up and is full of excitement that they begin to call everyone up to tell about the gift?  Of course, the gifts God’s gives aren’t made on a production line and cannot be bought at the local department stores.  However, the gifts are available to take not only on December 25^th but any hour of the day, everyday, of every week and of every year throughout our lifetime. 

Throughout the Bible, God talks about life changing gifts that will give eternal blessings.  There is the gift of grace.  Grace means that I do not earn anything from God, he already did it for me through another gift…His son, Jesus.  Ephesians 2:8 tell us “God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God.” The gift of grace was also demonstrated by God according to Romans 5:8, “But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.” 

How we respond to the gifts from God is critical.  The key is showing love and dedication to the giver of the gifts and a willingness to open the gifts out of gratitude for the eternal blessings from God.  When we respond with a desire to surrender to the gift giver by declaring His Lordship in our lives and a commitment to living in grace and being a demonstrator of right living, then our entire life changes and eternal blessings are given.    

The question is, who is willing to unwrap the gifts so that the eternal blessings can be experienced?   Personally, I would love to chat with you more about all the gifts God has wrapped up for us to enjoy and experience!  You can call/text me at 931-545-7543, email me at thegreatestcommandislove@gmail.com or call my office at 256-446-5574. One call, text or email can eternal change your life!  Are you ready and willing to take the gifts God’s gives freely? 

Remember, Be God Controlled!

Brian