Three Lessons Learned That Will Help You Surge Forward

Well, I think I'm going to break from my current series, because God has placed something on my heart that is just too good not to share! Please read on; we'll continue my Mixed Tape next time! 

As many of you know, a large group of men just returned from a weekend men's retreat. Now, I know that some of you may love going on retreats, while others could come up with a thousand reasons why you wouldn't want to go on a retreat. Regardless of your preconceived notions, a retreat is a great opportunity to get away from day-to-day life, get to know others better, and clear your head so you can hear more clearly from God. This retreat was no exception!

I went up on the mountain fully expecting to be encouraged by the Lord. I figured I would get to know some guys better, encourage them in their walks, and grow a little bit in my walk with the Lord. What actually happened up there was something completely unexpected. To be honest, I experienced God in a way that I have never experienced Him before... at least not that I can remember. God was vividly present up on that mountain, and His Spirit was moving greatly in the hearts of the men, myself included. I came back with pages of notes, way more than I can cram into a blog post, but I wanted to share with you three important lessons that God installed in my heart during this short time. Grab your coffee, and come along!

Lesson One: I am God's beloved child!

Over the course of the weekend, we heard multiple times about Joseph and the multi-colored tunic that his father made for him. This fine tunic signified Joseph's status as beloved child of his father (and of course that's one of the main reasons his brothers threw him into a pit and sold him into slavery). Just as Jacob made the tunic for Joseph, God has provided us with a prized "tunic" through the man, Jesus Christ. Did you catch that?! His sacrifice adorns us and allows us to come close to God -- His sacrifice is the tunic that tells us and everyone else that we are His beloved! When was the last time you thought of yourself in that way? As a beloved and coveted child of the Creator of all things, if we truly understand this part of God's heart, we can be unstoppable for Him. Once we fully own the truth, that we are God's beloved children, we will walk in courage, strength, and victory through all situations!

Lesson Two: I need to slow down and just spend time with God.

The first night of the retreat, I hiked around the camp looking for the perfect spot to watch the sunrise and study God's Word (cuz that's what you do at a retreat right?). I found a great spot that looked east over the valley, a perfect place to watch the sun pop up over the mountain tops. Clearly the camp directors knew this was a premium spot, because they conveniently set out rocking chairs looking over the valley.  The next morning I got up early, grabbed my Bible, and headed for my spot. I sat down in that rocking chair, spread open my Bible and gazed at the words, ready for God to miraculously download wisdom into me.

The next moment, I was struck with a truth that I wasn't expecting. God said, "I don't need you to study right now, I just want you to be with Me." In that second, I realized that I was too focused on learning more about God, and not focused enough on simply KNOWING God. 

MIND. BLOWN. 

I closed my Bible and spent the next half hour praying, talking to God, singing to Him, and simply being WITH Him. It was incredible! After that sweet time of prayer, I moved to another area where I did open the Word, and God led me through a fantastic study about the call on my life! It turns out, this time spent in prayer and just focusing on God didn't hinder my study of His Word. It accelerated it! We need to remember that this walk with the Lord is not just about studying to learn more about God (granted we do need to study God's Word to draw closer to Him). This walk is about growing to KNOW God, and in order to do that, we must get in the habit of slowing down and simply being WITH Him!     

Lesson Three: God's calling on my life is so much more than a formal ministry.

If I were to ask you to describe God's call on your life, many of you may have a hard time answering. You might be inclined to say it's to serve in children's ministry, maybe it's to help others, maybe you're not even sure. When thinking about God's "calling," most people default to some kind of formal ministry. Yet on this trip, God showed me very clearly that God's calling on my life is so much more than formal ministry. Joseph was a man who was thrown into a pit, sold into slavery, falsely accused, thrown into prison, and then... after all of that, he was given one of the highest positions of power in all of Egypt. Although we may say that God's calling was for Joseph to lead Egypt, I would submit to you that God's calling on Joseph's life was to honor Him every step of the way, and we see that so clearly in Joseph's story! God calls us to walk with Him, spend time with Him, and get to know Him. He calls us to be an example to everyone we encounter. He calls us to lead our families. He calls us to worship Him. He calls us to simply be His child. He calls us to all of this in the good times and the bad, in the times of prosperity and the days of famine. When it comes to God's calling, ministry is simply the by-product of following God's calling in every aspect of our lives. In fact, you'll find that if we try to run into formal ministry before following His call in the other areas of our lives, we will quickly become overwhelmed trying to do the "works" of being a Christian.  

There is so much more to share, but that's enough for now. This retreat was fantastic. I pray the next time an opportunity comes along to go on such a trip, that you take it! Go, even if it seems out of place for what you like to do. Break away from your day-to-day, and put some extra focus on the Lord. Remember, you are God's beloved child, spend time just hanging out with Him, and remember that His calling on your life is so much more than some formal ministry. Once you grasp a hold of these realities, you'll surge forward in your walk with God!

God bless! See you next time!

Mixed Tape Vol. I Track 4 - All in All

Do you have any songs that have stuck with you for years? I know, my series is all about my Worship mix tape, so obviously these are songs I love. Yet, so far, these have been songs that I've grown to love over the last 4-5 years. The next song on my mix tape is a little different; it has been around for nearly 30 years...and it takes me straight back to a small church camp in central Missouri that I attended for several years as a young boy.

The smell of the paneling in the chapel, the sweet aroma of the spaghetti served multiple times during each session (which for some reason I absolutely loved), and the sounds of young voices singing to the Lord, harmonizing with the crackle of the bonfire--all rush back as I hear these words again. However, until about two years ago, this song had sunken far into my memory as a distant remembrance of those summer days. 

Then one day, I was working and listening to worship music in the background when that sweet memory returned. As often happens, I stopped dead in my tracks, my mind flooded with emotion, thoughts, memories, and utter wonder at what God has done!

That song is "All in All" by Dennis Jernigan, a classic from the early 90's--a simple, sweet tune that brought my heart close to God, and brought me peace, comfort, and tears all at the same time. And this version...is just outrageous. The duo that put this arrangement together have done an AMAZING job bringing life to this song.

WOW! What a powerful anthem to our Lord and Savior!

This song is about more than just memories of church camp for me. You see, I grew up in church. I have MANY memories of Sunday school, plays, VBS, church camp, youth group, and on and on. Yes, I'm grateful for those memories. I'm grateful that my parents pushed us to go to church, and I'm grateful that we had family friends around to encourage us in the Lord.

But most of all, I'm grateful that God did not let go of me!

As an older teenager and young adult, I let go of all the things I knew when I was young. I thought I could make decisions on my own. I thought I could plan my life better than anyone else (especially God), and I did it all of it under the disguise of a Christian young man. I can't tell you why I turned my heart away (aside from pride...go figure). I didn't hate God. I didn't have any desire to fight against God. I just thought that I didn't NEED God. Man, was I wrong!

All that time I spent living life the way I wanted to, I failed to realize that God was right there. His hand was reaching out to touch mine. His heart was wrapping itself around me, and quite honestly it breaks my heart to think about how many tears He may have shed watching me destroy my life one sin at a time.

That little boy that sang, "You are my strength when I am weak...Lord to give up I'd be a fool...You are my all in all," had become a grown up boy, completely lost to sin and shame. But GOD was still there, reaching out to me. 

You see, God's Word tells us that He is sufficient for all of our needs: 

Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God.
2 Corinthians 3:5

 

I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.
Philippians 4:13

 

And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work.
2 Corinthians 9:8

One day I finally realized that there is nothing I can do apart from God. I realized that Jesus was the strength that I was missing. He was the peace that I was searching for!

When I try to live this life on my own, I end up frustrated, overwhelmed, and searching. When I live this life with God, I am filled with peace, encouragement, and contentment--just like I was during those days at camp. Even though I had turned away, God never did. He always saw that little boy reaching out for Him, and He stayed right by my side, waiting for the day when I would turn back to Him.

I tell you this to encourage you! For those who feel lost, God is right there. Simply turn and open your heart to Him.

For those who have a child, friend, or family member who is lost, just know that God is watching them. His heart is for them to trust in Him, and He will never turn away, even when they do. Keep praying, keep loving them, keep pointing them to the Lord, because He truly is our All in All.

God Bless You!