Planning Goes a Long Way

Guest Blogger- Brian Heckman

Prior planning prevents poor performance.

Businesses, football teams and militaries have a well-thought-out plan. Hours, days and weeks go into putting these plans together, and exactly how to implement them for success.

This time of year is ripe with good intentions. From hitting the gym 3 times a week to getting out of debt…..from spending time with God every day to improving our marriage, we have these fleeting hopes that these things will be accomplished this year. But, by January’s end, most people will go back to the familiar grind without discipline and commitment to make those hopes into reality.

Nine years ago I started writing down personal goals with a good friend. We met once a year and shared our written goals in these areas:

1. Faith
2. Business
3. Finances
4. Relationships
5. Health
6. Fun

Neither of us was exactly successful at regularly reviewing our goals that year. But, we made the effort. We identified (and wrote down) our life-guiding principles, which immediately gave direction to choices we faced later that year.

Since then, I’ve sought-out, and found, other guys to share goals & plans with…and now we review them together every month. Now I have the accountability to keep the commitment to my goals and plans. The book of Proverbs is full of advice on having a plan, and having advisors to help you with working that plan.

I’ve also done this exercise with my wife, which has been extremely beneficial to discuss what we each want to accomplish in the coming months.

Start somewhere. Write it down and share it with someone.

Feetball!

We’re playing football @ 7:30 a.m. this Saturday, Jan. 2^nd

***Bring a DARK shirt & a WHITE shirt***

Email back, please, if you ARE playing…and/or are bringing friends (just no chicks, please).

Playing at Westwood Lakes fields:

From Veterans Expressway / 589:

WEST on Linebaugh, cross Sheldon Road into Westchase subdivision

RIGHT on Countryway, go about 1.2 miles on Countryway

STRAIGHT - Cross over Racetrack Rd., name changes to Nine Eagles Road…go 0.7 miles on Nine Eagles Rd.

LEFT on Westwood Lakes Blvd. into Westwood Lakes subdivision.

LEFT side will be fields (and a playground) as you enter Westwood Lakes Subdivision

Christmas in Repose

I was looking at some photos today on the wall in my office building. These photos were your typical sports team pictures: the football team lined up in 2 rows in the center of the picture, the coaches on either side of the team with their hands folded neatly behind their back, and the one loan kid waiving a peace sign to the camera. But what struck me was one of the coaches. Now, I saw him in multiple pictures of the teams he had coached over the years that my company had sponsored. As the history is laid out over those years, the one coach remains the same, but his demeanor changes in each picture as the years go by. It made me reflect on how we look at Christmas each year.
I kept asking myself as I looked at those pictures: what was he thinking about when that picture was taken? Was he having a bad day? Did he just win the lottery in another? I have no idea. What I do know is that it was a brief moment in time: a snapshot. Our culture’s Christmas season is always just a snapshot. We think about God a little more during this time of year, some people only go to church on this one day all year, or we may step up our game to make sure we talk with those people we know who might otherwise not think twice about coming to church. The other things we see are those signs that say “Jesus is the Reason for the Season.” How true that is, but what about how skewed that is?
There’s a quote from a man named Perry Noble, the lead pastor of Newspring Church in South Carolina, from a sermon he gave last year during this season. He said, “Jesus isn’t the reason for the season, Jesus is the reason for LIFE!” Wow, how true THAT is. What I pray for is that our focus remains the same as it is during the Christmas season, but during the other 11 months of the year. Just walk around and you will see during this shopping season, there are people all over who need Jesus Christ. The evidence lies in the woman who just yanked the last Wii game from another woman’s hand because her child needed it more than the other woman’s. The evidence lies in the man who just yelled at the waitress because he had to wait 10 minutes longer than he is used to for his food, and it wasn’t at the exact temperature he wanted it. The evidence lies in the teenager who works behind the counter at Wal-Mart having to deal with the frustrated person at the register when the item was on sale in the back, but the price that is ringing up isn’t correct.
This time of year can refocus our efforts, but let’s work to keep it focused all year round. I wish you all a joyous Christmas filled with love and peace.

Jeremiah

.

Servant Evangelism at Publix Across from Sickles HS

This Saturday, 19 December 2009, Church at the Bay has been given the opportunity to really reach out to those around our new home at Sickles HS. From 10 am to 5 pm, we need people out there at the Publix on the corner of Gunn Highway and Sheldon Rd (right across the street from Sickles HS) to hand out our Christmas Impact Cards to those coming in and out. We are planning on having a band out there to entertain and JP will be doing a rendition of Grandma Got Runover by a Reindeer every hour, on the hour! If you would like to volunteer to help hand out cards, please contact neal@churchatthebay.com. We hope to see you there and let’s work harder this Christmas season to kick a dent in Hell!

.

God Guides

“So, I’m single now. Everything’s changed. I hate it.” –Corey Flood, from the movie Say Anything

This quote sums up the point in life I found myself about a year ago. I was fresh out of a divorce, in the middle of a difficult graduate program, and about 1000 miles from my family, friends, and other support system. Luckily, my sister took an active interest in reminding me that getting myself back into relationship with God and a good church would be the wisest choice for me. That’s how I found CATB. Encouraged to grow in the Word, and to put my growth into action, I also realized I was surrounded by many positive influences for the next steps in my life - especially as a newly single guy. I was encouraged to seek from God what a true intimate relationship with a woman would look like. I was also reminded that to achieve this, sex was off the table. This is really nothing a newly single guy wants to hear. It has not been an easy challenge. But what I have come to know very well now is that God digs it when I obey His word. Obedience allows my authenticity and better sight of His faithfulness in my relationship with Him.
This has really become evident in my schooling experience. As a requirement to graduate, I had to write a paper about research in the world of healthcare. I felt the nudge to look away from classic topics in medicine and make my paper about the ways in which God was represented in healthcare. I was lead to write about studies involving prayer in the healthcare setting. The paper required a professional mentor. I sought out a local physician who I had heard took time to pray with his patients. He accepted my invitation to mentor the paper.
Then, on the very day I was going to meet with him about the structure and research of the paper, a position in his office had just become available. I sent in my resume and expressed interest in the position. Some time passed, but he eventually called me back for an interview. I interviewed and was offered the position.
To the secular world, this is just a great coincidence. I was once one of those people. Now that I see with the eyes of a renewed mind, I realize God has a plan far more detailed than simple coincidence.
I never truly knew or understood until now when some say God is always faithful. Now I do, and He is. When I reflect on where I have been, what I have done, and the many blessings in my life I should not have received, it is quite evident that He does have a particular plan for me. I am pretty sure I am getting hip to his faithfulness these days. I don’t need to know the details of every step, all I have to do is to be faithful to choose to trust and obey Him.

Guest blogger
Mike Warren

Linus’ Blanket

Everyone remembers Charlie Brown. Remember his little friend Linus? What did Linus always carry around with him? His blanket. You hardly ever saw Linus in a Charlie Brown cartoon without his “security” blanket.
When you travel, what item do you always have to take with you? For me, it’s my computer or a book. Even if I don’t ever touch them while I am gone, I always take comfort in knowing it is there if I need to get in touch with someone or escape to a quiet place. After Jesus had died and risen, he was traveling through towns on his way to Jerusalem just before He ascended into heaven. Luke Chapter 9 talks about this in detail, but if we look in verses 51-62, we see where Jesus is talking about the comforts of life. What exactly was He talking about? Our lives can become so comfortable, our houses so safe to us, that we leave no room for Jesus in those and many other parts of our lives. How can we call that comfortable?
Many of us have said that we would follow Jesus. Many of us have “sacrificed” things in our lives to follow them. But, what have we “really” sacrificed? Have we dropped our “security blankets” for Him? In verses 59 and 60, someone comes to Jesus and says he will follow, but throws a stipulation on it first. Sometimes as fathers and husbands, we hide behind our families and use them as a security blanket to shy away from doing what Christ wants us to. Have you ever felt pressure from your family to slow down on your commitment? What does Christ mean by “total” commitment when it comes to our family? I know that it doesn’t mean totally shutting them out. I have seen pastors, for example, completely ruin their families because they were not taking care of them.
Outside of the family, what other sacrifice is there? Leaders emerge when they are asked to sacrifice by serving in areas that are “beneath” them or outside their comfort zone. True friendship to others and loyalty to Christ are exemplified when it costs something. Ever helped someone at 1 am when they needed you? Or did you head back to bed? In our society, that is America specifically, sacrifice is hard to understand. It’s a foreign concept to a generation of “me” or “#1.” Think about this: when are you most tempted to quit following Christ and run back to the security of your “blanket?”
Half hearted sacrifice takes no risky steps of faith.

-Jeremiah McBride

.

Amazing Grace

Written by Jeremiah McBride

Ask yourself this question: How do you think God views you? Is He looking at you like a rebellious son and waiting to come down and squash you when you do something wrong? Or is He looking at you like the father or coach who wants to see you succeed even though you will inevitably screw things up?

This perspective drives how we live our lives for Christ. Paul wrote Romans during one of the hardest times in Christian history: there was infighting, there was corruption, there was persecution, there was death. But in Romans 8, Paul talks about God in a way we may not fully understand. “….nothing can ever separate us from God’s love………….-not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love.” Are we separating ourselves from God’s grace?

God loves us unconditionally, which is a far cry from what we as humans can comprehend at times. His love is not tied to our behavior, but to our hearts. Do you remember a time when you were growing up where you felt like your parent’s approval was tied to your behavior? What conditions have you put on a relationship with someone else?

Think back to the Old Testament for a minute. Even though Israel failed over and over, God always forgave them. Israel normally repented after they had been caught and were suffering the consequences. Guilt and condemnation are the worst motivators for doing what is right. But, kindness from you or someone you have hurt can turn guilt from a motivator to an avoider. “Can’t you see that His kindness is intended to turn you from your sin?” (Romans 2:4).

Recall an experience when you were granted huge amounts of grace for a huge screw-up. How did that affect your attitude? Tie this back to Matthew 18 when Peter asked how many times we should forgive. What is 70 times 7? It doesn’t stop there. Is God worth us working at showing the grace He has shown us? Unconditional grace is a choice, not an emotional reaction.

So, who do you need to show grace to?

.

thoughts from Jeff Allinder

So fellas, we talk at Frat House about a lot of things relevant to the daily walk of a Christian man, but I submit that the most important thing for those of us who are married to do well (outside of our faith) is to love our wives. Ephesians 5 tells us to “love our wives like Christ loved the church.” The context of that is agape love, or “self-sacrificing” love. What does it mean to love your wife that way? Here are my thoughts:

- Since there are thousands of ways and all relationships are different, here are just a few:
• Listen to her even when you don’t want to/heard it before/know how to solve the problem
• Go to the chick-flick
• Cook for her
• Watch HGTV
• Give her mom’s-night-out (bathe the kids and pick up the house before she gets home)

You get the idea – the point is to put her needs first. Then do it again. And again. Get joy out of serving her with no expectations for quid pro quo.

Now, let’s move on to the “how” part of the equation. You know that you should be spending time in prayer and reading your Bible on a daily basis. But my best tip for loving your wife outside of that is to choose your friends wisely. Doesn’t make sense? Check this out – you all know that this isn’t behavior you’ll see in a movie, on a HBO series, or anywhere else in our culture. The way to get really good at this is to have friends that are chasing after Jesus every day and working hard to love their wives as He tells us to. You’ll hear their stories and see them putting their wife’s happiness at the top of their priority list. Most of all, you’ll see the results and be challenged to be that kind of husband. As we heard previously from Hal, choose the right events and you’ll have chosen the right path.

Forgive and Be Forgiven- Jeremiah McBride

Why is it so hard to forgive ourselves sometimes? Why is it so hard to forgive others at times?

These two questions can haunt us day and night and it is just the spiritual enemy getting in the way of our one on one with Christ. To examine the depths of these questions, we have to examine ourselves and what David sang about in Psalm 32. Why are we sorry? Is it because we were caught in something we did wrong, are we just sorry because we have to face the consequences, or are we truly sorry for causing pain to someone?

When we don’t forgive ourselves, it begs this question: do we truly believe in the healing and forgiveness of Christ? We are cleaned of our guilt so why do we hold on to it?

Guilt can be a task master if we do not control it. It soon becomes a mechanism against our ability to listen to the Holy Spirit. When we commit the same sin again, and maybe sometimes again, why do we let guilt take hold? We are not strong enough to beat our sin alone. We must rely on the amazing grace of Christ to cleanse us. When we get into habitual sin, that is something we cannot battle by ourselves, the guilt can become that task master and prevent us from truly moving forward to beat the repeat.

Confession is the biggest part of getting over our guilt, of beating the temptation to beat ourselves up. But it is bigger than mere words. It is an attitude change. It is a change in our focus from the guilt of the sin to the wonderful forgiveness and grace of Christ. It also comes down to us owning our sin, and then having the willingness to let it go.

So where do you see yourself? Are you struggling with guilt or struggling with forgiving? Try this:

- Instead of saying I’m sorry (which is easy to do), say, “Will you forgive me?”

- Instead of brooding over your guilt, confess the sin, get it off your chest, and move forward by not remaining stagnant

- Also, check out these other passages to help you this week:

§ Psalm 51- The How of Repentance

§ 1 John 1:9- The Promise of Forgiveness

§ Matthew 18:21-35- A Parable about Forgiveness (for those of us who need illustrations)