Difference Between Jesus and the World We live in a culture that tells you to grow up fast and get work done quickly, but we serve a God that asks us to be still, and learn from the way that children live life. Life can have a way of bogging down our spiritual connection with God because of how busy we feel. Our spiritual practice this week invites us to let all the extra stuff in life fade away and to simply let yourself enjoy a moment with God. See The Gift       All the th

The focus of the message yesterday was challenging our Idea of faith and learning to not only grow in faith but also live out our faith. This week's practice is a culmination of all of that, sharing with people the story of Gods kingdom(the gospel) by sharing our faith..... specifically without embarrassment. It should come as no surprise that the goal of this week's practice is to....share your faith .....with someone ....without embarrassment.   All that is left is to disce

Can I Deepen My Worship? The term “True Worship” is what I used to describe this week’s discipline, and for some that may be difficult. I am not implying that anyone’s worship is lacking heart, I am simply saying we can be disciplined in the way that we worship . For most people the busyness of day to day can be a tedious activity that takes up the bulk of your day. Believe it or not as a pastor I also have to be intentional about my time with God…. Or I just won’t have any.

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As we move forward with this month here at CCLC we continue JOYFULLY SHARING JESUS' KINGDOM and as we said yesterday, we need to BE THANKFUL FOR WHAT WE HAVE. This of course is something that should be noticed on a regular basis and not something that we only do once. This week's discipline is one that will allow you to practically see Gods PROVISION IN LIFE without consuming a lot of your time or effort each day. What Is Blessing?      If we are going to count our "blessings

Yesterday we discussed the posture of Jesus and the importance of walking in humility so we can accept the kings invitation, so if we want to be able to practice this kind of lifestyle effectively we will need to lean into Gods invitation to "Sabbath Rest". As our lives get busier and the world's pressures continue to increase, so does the need for us to be diligent in practicing the spiritual discipline of rest. The Discipline of Rest God knew from the very beginning of crea

Are You Free? Freedom is a gift from almighty God. Any gift that is offered has to be accepted and opened before it can be enjoyed to the fullest. A major hindrance to people experiencing the freedom that Christ paid for is not allowing God to take the weight of guilt and shame off your shoulders. Guilt and shame can be such a heavy chain, and keeping yourself attached to that chain only eliminates your ability to enjoy the life that God intended you to have. "does that re

What's Stewardship? When we are Frugal (responsible) with our resources, we create opportunity for us to be generous to other people. Frugal does not mean stingy…. Frugal means that we are wise about where and how we use our resources. Be Frugal…. Then be generous. What Does Jesus Say?         There is a very interesting passage of scripture that addresses this topic. In this passage of Luke 14 Jesus has been invited to a meal by some of the leaders in the village he is in an

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Why Serve Someone? Yesterday we discussed how being Father Focused has a transformative nature and we begin to see other the way he does as we participate in the Love and Mission of Christ our Lord. Have you ever been in a tough place and wished someone would have lend you a helping hand?..... of course you have! It is in that spirit that we offer to someone that we know an opportunity for one less thing to worry about. What Can I Do? The EMPOWERING practice that we are work

Why Examine? Yesterday we discussed "Being Present" with God and others and "Repenting" from our failures to "love someone" the way God loves us. this is not new to the human condition, To illustrate how Israel had failed to measure up to his standard, God gives Amos a vision: This is what he showed me: The Lord was standing by a wall that had been built true to plumb, with a plumb line in his hand. And the LORD asked me, “What do you see, Amos?” “A plumb line,” I replied.

Yesterday we discussed "Recognizing The Truth" that Jesus is trying to reveal in our lives, but maybe you are struggling to see that the truth of the "good news" is actually an active reality in your own life. This week's practice is one that is relatively straight forward but if done correctly it can really help you focus. Start this practice by thinking about letters to people in your life and what you might say to them. Consider what the purpose of a letter is and why you

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What is Psalm 23? We can see and feel the difference between our God and what is happening in this world, Psalm 23 is one of the most beautiful expressions of the God we serve and His kingdom found in scripture. It shows God caring for us, providing for us, blessing us, and leading us even in trying circumstances. The God of psalm 23 is generous. Because of Gods generous provision, protection and care we have nothing that we lack. God invites us to find rest, to be refreshed

"As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God." Psalm 42:1 You may ask yourself, why is it important for Christians to participate in regular devotions? I have found, when we are committed to the pursuit of something and want to be steadfast and faithful to it, we must be devoted to it. The most important thing we have to be devoted to is our relationship with God. Maybe you need to start living your live "Devoted to God" or maybe you are tying to

There is a spiritual gift that comes from the Spirit called hospitality, maybe you can think of someone who is exceptionally gifted in that area, someone who sets the example for you. One of the realities of spiritual gifts is that in some way  each of us carries each of the gifts  they just may not be as dominant as the others in our lives. So for me personally I am gifted with teaching, preaching, and prayer as my dominant gifts and hospitality is most certainly not in my t

Why Examine? To illustrate how Israel had failed to measure up to his standard, God gives Amos a vision: This is what he showed me: The Lord was standing by a wall that had been built true to plumb, with a plumb line in his hand. And the LORD asked me, “What do you see, Amos?” “A plumb line,” I replied. Then the Lord said, “Look, I am setting a plumb line among my people Israel; I will spare them no longer. ( Amos 7:7-8 ) The Decisions We Make Every day we are required to mak

What Is Invitation? There is a spiritual gift that comes from the Spirit called hospitality, maybe you can think of someone who is exceptionally gifted in that area, someone who sets the example for you. One of the realities of spiritual gifts is that in some way each of us carries each of the gifts they just may not be as dominant as the others in our lives. So for me personally I am gifted with teaching, preaching, and prayer as my dominant gifts and hospitality is most cer

The focus of advent season is centered on story, specifically the story of God moving and working and the importance of it. This week's practice is a culmination of what advent is all about, giving people the story of God by sharing our faith..... specifically without embarrassment. It should come as no surprise that the goal of this week's practice is to....share your faith .....with someone ....without embarrassment.   All that is left is to discern Why? How? When?   What D