On Father's Day Sunday we all attended the main sanctuary service to be with our families and to hear Pastor Scot's great message.
This week we talked more about how God has created us to be royalty. Again, His purpose in doing so is not for us to rule over others. Instead we are to rule over our own life and environment. We create our environment and our outcome in life based on our beliefs and attitudes about ourselves.
This week we really focused on the types of lies that the enemy tends to bring to us -- especially early in life -- that, left unchecked, become the truth of our existence. Perhaps it is someone telling you that you are ugly or fat or stupid. If we do not challenge those lies, they will become truth and thereby mold and shape our life.
Many of you made the commitment to combat particular lies that you have accepted at some point that you know are holding you back. I continue to pray for you as you make the effort to replace those thoughts, challenge them and reject them. Forget those things that are behind and press on toward the mark of His high calling!
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
You Are Royalty!
This week we talked about what God has made all of us to be -- royalty. He did not make us to rule over others, but to rule over life.
Seeing ourselves as valuable and capable of doing what God has destined for us to do is not just a suggestion. So many people carry around their low self-image like some sort of badge of honor. Humility is NOT low self-esteem. We are children of the Most High God. We are more than conquerors. We are kings and priests.
The Word does not refer to us as lowly worms and the downtrodden of society. We have to change our perception of who we are and what we can do.
We also talked about increasing our level of expectation as a teenager. Society has created a very low level of expectation for teens -- to the point where just doing the bare minimum in life gets teens recognized for "excellence" and "leadership." God did not delineate the teen years as some sort of vacuum from accomplishment. Throughout the Word, God refers to children and adults -- no young adults or teenagers.
We will always live up to our level of expectation and not much more. So, when society develops such a low level of expectation for teens, it is no wonder that most teens live up to that expectation -- we sit and listen to iPods, play video games and, when faced with communicating with an adult, we speak only in grunts. And society seems okay with that. I say we need to rise to a higher level of personal expectation.
We also spoke a little bit about having a battle plan for when the "less than" thoughts come to us. If we do not have a plan to defeat the negative and low-expectation thoughts when they come, we will lose every time. We need to have Scripture ready to use and speak when those thoughts arrive.
THIS WEEK WE WILL BE ATTENDING THE MAIN SANCTUARY SERVICE FOR PASTOR SCOT'S SPECIAL FATHER'S DAY MESSAGE. SPEND TIME WITH YOUR FAMILY!
Seeing ourselves as valuable and capable of doing what God has destined for us to do is not just a suggestion. So many people carry around their low self-image like some sort of badge of honor. Humility is NOT low self-esteem. We are children of the Most High God. We are more than conquerors. We are kings and priests.
The Word does not refer to us as lowly worms and the downtrodden of society. We have to change our perception of who we are and what we can do.
We also talked about increasing our level of expectation as a teenager. Society has created a very low level of expectation for teens -- to the point where just doing the bare minimum in life gets teens recognized for "excellence" and "leadership." God did not delineate the teen years as some sort of vacuum from accomplishment. Throughout the Word, God refers to children and adults -- no young adults or teenagers.
We will always live up to our level of expectation and not much more. So, when society develops such a low level of expectation for teens, it is no wonder that most teens live up to that expectation -- we sit and listen to iPods, play video games and, when faced with communicating with an adult, we speak only in grunts. And society seems okay with that. I say we need to rise to a higher level of personal expectation.
We also spoke a little bit about having a battle plan for when the "less than" thoughts come to us. If we do not have a plan to defeat the negative and low-expectation thoughts when they come, we will lose every time. We need to have Scripture ready to use and speak when those thoughts arrive.
THIS WEEK WE WILL BE ATTENDING THE MAIN SANCTUARY SERVICE FOR PASTOR SCOT'S SPECIAL FATHER'S DAY MESSAGE. SPEND TIME WITH YOUR FAMILY!
Sunday, June 6, 2010
More on Who We Are
This week we welcomed all of our incoming 10th graders. Were glad to have all of you as a part of Transit!
I continued teaching this week on understanding our value in Christ; not only understanding our value, but treating ourselves as though we are valuable.
I talked about how, when I was in elementary school, I got a 15 cent per week allowance. Even adjusted for inflation, it might be 30 cents today. That small allowance did a great job of teaching me to value things. I would literally have to save for 10 weeks to buy a Star Wars figure. Because I had to work so hard to earn and save the money for those toys, I truly valued them. I did not throw them all into a bin or let much of anyone play with them. I had each one in little cases along with all of the little guns, light sabers and accessories that came with them.
Maybe it also made me a little O.C.D. too, but I did learn to value my toys. I did not ever break my toys or leave them in dirt piles outside. In fact, I'm not sure they ever went outside the house -- event the Tonka dump trucks that were made for dirt.
OK, maybe I was a little anal retentive.
But the point is that when you value something, you treat it differently than when you do not. If we get hold of the concept of our value in God's eyes we will look at ourselves differently, we might think differently, eat differently or choose friends differently.
Romans 5 tells us that while we still sinners (read: messed up), Christ was crucified for us. What does that tell you about your value to God. In Romans 5:17 we find out that, through the work of Christ, we've been made to reign in THIS life.
Genesis 1:26 says we're made in the image and likeness of God. It also goes on to say that we have been made to have dominion and authority over this world. That doesn't mean over other people. But we were made to have dominion over our environment; over those things that mold and shape our image of who we are.
Finally, in Revelation 1:6, we are told that Jesus' redemptive power has made us kings and priests in this world. Kings are those who are successful and bring wealth into the Kingdom. The priests are those whose efforts directly expand the Kingdom. Any way you look at it, you are a valuable part of what God is doing in this world!
See you all next week!
I continued teaching this week on understanding our value in Christ; not only understanding our value, but treating ourselves as though we are valuable.
I talked about how, when I was in elementary school, I got a 15 cent per week allowance. Even adjusted for inflation, it might be 30 cents today. That small allowance did a great job of teaching me to value things. I would literally have to save for 10 weeks to buy a Star Wars figure. Because I had to work so hard to earn and save the money for those toys, I truly valued them. I did not throw them all into a bin or let much of anyone play with them. I had each one in little cases along with all of the little guns, light sabers and accessories that came with them.
Maybe it also made me a little O.C.D. too, but I did learn to value my toys. I did not ever break my toys or leave them in dirt piles outside. In fact, I'm not sure they ever went outside the house -- event the Tonka dump trucks that were made for dirt.
OK, maybe I was a little anal retentive.
But the point is that when you value something, you treat it differently than when you do not. If we get hold of the concept of our value in God's eyes we will look at ourselves differently, we might think differently, eat differently or choose friends differently.
Romans 5 tells us that while we still sinners (read: messed up), Christ was crucified for us. What does that tell you about your value to God. In Romans 5:17 we find out that, through the work of Christ, we've been made to reign in THIS life.
Genesis 1:26 says we're made in the image and likeness of God. It also goes on to say that we have been made to have dominion and authority over this world. That doesn't mean over other people. But we were made to have dominion over our environment; over those things that mold and shape our image of who we are.
Finally, in Revelation 1:6, we are told that Jesus' redemptive power has made us kings and priests in this world. Kings are those who are successful and bring wealth into the Kingdom. The priests are those whose efforts directly expand the Kingdom. Any way you look at it, you are a valuable part of what God is doing in this world!
See you all next week!
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Changing the Heart, Changing Your Life
This weekend Pastor Tammy taught us on how we go about changing our reality by changing our heart. Last week I challenged you to pay attention to your internal voice; what goes through your head when faced with a challenge or trial.
Final exam week was probably a good week to think about that. How did you think about yourself and your ability to get your desired grade on a difficult final. Did your internal voice say that you're going to just fail the algebra final because you're just not good at math? Or, did it tell you that you can do all things through Christ who strengthens you and that you have the mind of Christ and the Holy Spirit will bring to your remembrance those things that you have studied?
If you found that you tended to be more like the first example you need to re-program your internal thoughts about yourself. Pastor Tammy talked about some of the ways we can do that by meditating on the Word daily and nightly. Search the Word to find out what God says you are and what He says you can do. Get a true understanding of just who you are "In Christ."
In the example of final exams, you're still going to have to study and work hard. And you probably should not wait until the week before finals to start taking the class seriously. But, assuming you have done all the things you know to do, why would you sabotage all that hard work by telling yourself you'll probably fail anyway? The mind and body will take orders from the heart. If you have told the mind and body to expect failure, it will live up to that expectation.
Next week I will continue talking about finding our true identity in Christ.
Final exam week was probably a good week to think about that. How did you think about yourself and your ability to get your desired grade on a difficult final. Did your internal voice say that you're going to just fail the algebra final because you're just not good at math? Or, did it tell you that you can do all things through Christ who strengthens you and that you have the mind of Christ and the Holy Spirit will bring to your remembrance those things that you have studied?
If you found that you tended to be more like the first example you need to re-program your internal thoughts about yourself. Pastor Tammy talked about some of the ways we can do that by meditating on the Word daily and nightly. Search the Word to find out what God says you are and what He says you can do. Get a true understanding of just who you are "In Christ."
In the example of final exams, you're still going to have to study and work hard. And you probably should not wait until the week before finals to start taking the class seriously. But, assuming you have done all the things you know to do, why would you sabotage all that hard work by telling yourself you'll probably fail anyway? The mind and body will take orders from the heart. If you have told the mind and body to expect failure, it will live up to that expectation.
Next week I will continue talking about finding our true identity in Christ.
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