Peekaboo I Regret YOU !
By Bryan | January 14, 2009
Regrets come in all shapes and size, some big, some small, and many larger then life.
So today whether you ruined your life with sexual sin, addictions you might have wrecked your bodies- in some way you may be hoping against hope that something this year can be the tipping point that will give you the courage to begin removing the regret that has been holding on to you for years.
We have a tendency to quickly say, give me the answer, but the answers we are looking for are not always found in answer form but in question form.
Ask yourself these questions about your regrets:
1) Was I where I should have been?
– Think about those regrets you have – those small, medium –supersized
Stupid, second best or sinful regrets and ask yourself where were you and follow it up with where should I have been instead?
- I shouldn’t have been alone in the car with that boy
- I shouldn’t have been in a dating relationship with someone with opposite prioritize because I was asking for trouble
- I shouldn’t have been on the computer late at night trying to get work done when there was no one around to keep me in check –never would I have seen what I saw and never would I have gotten hooked and ruined my marriage..
- I shouldn’t have been working late 6 nights a week while my wife was putting the kids to bed by herself – then there may not be this huge divide in our marriage and my kids
- I should have been instead involved in a church where there was deep community and accountability
- I should have been talking to that person about my problem with them rather than talking about them.
2) What did I get too close too?
3) What warning lights did I ignore?
I know nothing about cars, when the check engine light comes up I have 2 options 1) take it to a mechanic – because I can’t get under the hood it makes no sense 2) take a hammer to the dash and make sure that light never blinks at me again and many of us treat our conscious, provided by the Holy Spirit in that way – your just running rush shot all over the warnings God is giving you –
I know if we went back before the regret was even executed – I know that God had given you some kind of warning
- Student: parents gave you a warning – but you chose not to listen to them.
- You might have had a friend who gave you a heads up – but you didn’t like what they had to say and because you wanted to do what you wanted to do.
- I bet somewhere deep down inside of you , you knew but got the I don’t care attitude
What warning lights did I ignore?
4) Where did I pass the point of no return?
Living a life of no regret is impossible, but living a life of less regret is as easy as asking the right questions.
Further reading: II Samuel 11 – 12 The Story of David and Bathsheba
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Christmas Conspiracy
By Bryan | December 12, 2008
There are a lot of questions regarding Christmas: Where did we get it? How do we know that what we have is accurate? How do you know that Christmas is about this baby in a manger anyway?
The more people I talk too about Christmas there seems to be a big question mark. Christmas is probably the most controversial date on the calendar.
- Headlines read: a Florida school cancels a play due to the word Christmas
- Christmas break has recently been replaced with a holiday break
- We no longer have Christmas trees but holiday trees
- Instead of hearing Merry Christmas we hear happy holidays
There seems to be a conspiracy out there to rid the world of Christmas. That just brings up the question, why does Christmas bring up that much controversy?
Think about it :
-nobody gets upset over Columbus day right
- nobody gets upset at thanksgiving right ?
- Valentines day , St.Patricks day
What is it about Christmas that is so controversial ?
I believe what makes Christmas so controversial is focused solely on what is placed in the manger .
The controversy of Christmas is about Jesus being born in a manger.
If we are really honest Christmas is really about 2 things:
1) Jesus
2) Us
If it is about Jesus the focus is about Him, but if it is about Us the focus is off of him and onto Us.
If Christmas is about Jesus we live our life one way, but if it is about Us we treat it entirely different. What I have accepted is that Christmas is about Him and Jesus knows it is about Him and rightfully so:
-because a star marked his birth
- strangers showed up telling of an angel proclaiming the messiah
-eventually wise men show up to bring him gifts.
It’s really easy for us to crawl up in there and say it’s about me.
What is Christianty all about?
Ever since Jesus there has been a battle of who would be the center piece ,who will get the focus , who will get the attention at Christmas.
Is it going to be Jesus or us it can’t be both.
If we focus on Us, we blow right past Christmas and can’t believe it’s over, but if you focus on Jesus it’s something that does not end at Christmas it goes with us 365 days a year. When I think about Jesus it’s not necessarily the baby Jesus that is the controversial kid.
Baby Jesus is cute and cuddly, society is down with baby Jesus but I think it’s grown up Jesus that we have a problem with, it’s not cute, cuddly baby Jesus but its big Jesus, not baby Jesus laying in the manger but big Jesus hanging on the cross.
I think for some the problem with Christmas is that baby Jesus grew up
And made statements like :
-“I am the way, the only way to the father”, and when you make a statement like that watch out bullets are going to fly and you’re going to make somebody unhappy
Baby Jesus –cute
Big Jesus – controversial
So today we need to decide is Christmas about Jesus or is Christmas about Us.
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My Thoughts on the Election
By Bryan | November 7, 2008
I sat down to write a few reflections on the Election, and then I saw this post by Dr. J.D. Greear’s blog.
And he says everything I would have wanted to say, only he says it a lot smarter. So I refer you to his thoughts on the Election, which are also my thoughts on the election. Pretty much.
My thoughts on the election :
What I do want to do is make the following observations concerning our role as Christians in the culture in light of this election:
1. Whether you personally like it or not, Barack Obama is our president now. As such, he deserves the prayer, support and respect due to someone in that office. Paul commands us to honor and serve our rulers as the ministers of God (so far, of course, as conscience allows) Speaking disrespectfully of them is an offense against God and a bad testimony to the name of Christ. (1 Peter 2; Romans 13). He is our president and he has my prayer and respectful support.
2. Politics aside, I rejoice that our nation has elected an African-American man as president. In a nation scarred with the hideous sin of slavery, it marks an important milestone of healing in our country.
3. There will be a peaceable transfer of power, even though opinions on how to govern are at a fever pitch. Being here in S. Asia makes me realize just how rare that is in the world. That is a blessing we probably take for granted.
4. Abortion is an horrific practice, which, as John Piper says, “the true horrors of which are recognized by very few of us.” It is an unmitigated slaughter of the weak, and a worse scourge on our country than was slavery–it is more evil, and just as racist (it affects more African-American children than others. 12 million murdered African-American children since Roe vs Wade in 1973!)
I am troubled by President Obama’s stand on this issue, as up until now he has been the most pro-choice member of Congress and most pro-choice candidate to ever run for executive office. While I am grateful he is committed to reducing the number of abortions, I am troubled that he will not speak with conviction about the full humanity of the unborn baby and that he has pledged to ensure that the willful disposal of human life shall remain an option in our culture. I pray Obama will change his heart on this issue.
5. Our citizenship as Christians is not ultimately in the United States of America, but in heaven. Our hopes and our loyalties lie first and foremost there.
The work of the Gospel is not dependent on who is in office. I love our country and I desire her peace and prosperity. But I care more about the spread of the Gospel, and my first prayer about this election has been that it will result in the spiritual prosperity of the churches in America and the promulgation of the healing Gospel of Jesus into all the world. Paul told us to pray for freedom of speech (1 Tim 2:1-4) that we might freely teach the Gospel. Jeremiah tells us to pray for the prosperity of our city (Jer 29:7), which also contributes to the preaching of the Gospel. I pray for both continued freedom in our country and prosperity, not just as ends unto themselves, but as means to spread the Gospel. Ultimately, because I am a citizen of heaven it is the spread of the Gospel to which I am most committed. God promises that, to that end, He that begun a good work in us will complete it regardless of who is in office (Philippians 1:6).
If you are one of the ones that was discouraged by this election, don’t be. Our true King is always on the throne and His purposes He promises will go ever forward.
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Our Courage Muscles
By Bryan | October 27, 2008
Failure has a paralyzing effect on many of us and that is why many are satisfied with status quo. Because status quo is comfortable, non-threating and yes, you don’t have to worry about moving out of your comfort zone. But that is as far as you will ever grow, and your life will have minimual impact. That is not what you and I were purposed for, we were purposed for greatness and ultimate impact . But greatness does not come with out its challenges. Those who accomplish great things have developed their COURAGE MUSCLES.
David a boy who just went through puberty – never fought in a real battle , faced a giant named Goliath
Never did I read in this story :
David talking about his weakness – Im kind of young , I ‘ve never fought . What does He say, ”I have beaten a lion a bear.” He followed that up with , “God will give me the victory”.
God always gives us the resources we need when we face the fear of failure ,providing the stone and sling we need to slay the giant (fear of failure),but we are required to provide the courage.
See courage as a muscle :
If failure is a vehicle that can take you to success, then courage is the fuel …Courage is a muscle . And like any muscle , you must develop and strengthen it with lots of exercise.
As the saying goes : Use it , or lose it . Its no different with courage. Use and develop your “courage muscle” by looking fear in the eye and taking action anyway. Each time you take action, the courage muscle gets stronger. When you don’t it atrophies. And before you know it your courage is gone.
Start working your courage muscles because when you do success is sure to follow.
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Creative Leader
By Bryan | October 3, 2008
Just recently I completed a book I’ve been reading called, The Creative Leader- Unleashing the Power of Your Creative Potential, and I came across a story of what can happen if you watch and listen creatively at a Chick-filet.
The Chick filet experience:
”We(Ed) bought a couple of chicken sandwiches at one of the restaurants and sat down at one of the tables. After a few minutes, Lisa looked over my shoulder and said, “Baby , check that out. ” I expected her to point out yet another rare piece of art or some bargain that we had somehow missed. However, as I turned around, I noticed an employee of the restaurant carrying a tray of samples. Normally, a restaurant would hand out samples to potential customers. But, this girl was weaving in and out of the picnic tables, handing out chicken-sandwhices samples to those of us who were already stuffing our faces with these same chicken sandwiches.
That is hilarious . I mean, all she has to do is walk about fifteen paces and offer those samples to the people who haven’t eaten yet. Hundreds of starving shopaholics were nearby, but she was obviously content to feed the already fed.
Then it hit me, that is the local church in a nutshell.
Many church leaders are so content weaving in and out of the church aisles handing out samples to the already-fed that we have missed the countless opportunities to offer the food, the very Bread of life, to a lost and dying world.”
We are missing opportunities to reach people for Christ because we’ve got to get a little bit dirty to get out there among the people who are truly hungry. You have to perspire a little bit when you weave through the long lines of starving seekers. It takes a committment to working harder and smarter then you’ve ever worked before. You might even discover that you will have to completely revamp the way you have done church for a long, long time. I’ve made a goal for myself and it goes like this: When I die (kind of a morbid start, but the odds havent changed on this topic still 100 % ) I do not want to die with any potential left in me. I want to have poured it all out while on this planet but in order to accomplish this I have to live like I have nothing to lose and everything to gain. This requires being able to move when one needs to move, make changes where changes need to be made and not fearing a little hard work. That is why we are here-To reach those who are far from God and to fill them with life in Christ- and that may require new ways of thinking creativily. Creativity is not a cuss word its who Christ was, is and always will be.
Its time to feed the hungry… not the already stuffed…
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New Series :
By Bryan | September 15, 2008
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Small is the New Big
By Bryan | September 5, 2008
We are starting a New series : Small is the New Big !
I have attached a teaser for you (picture above). Lets just say that these small, insiginificant, overlooked items changed the way I think about small. Do you have a BIG dream, idea, ambition, goal,then grab a dinosaur and get ready for God to change the way you look at the small things in your life.
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Lifetime Opportunities
By Bryan | August 29, 2008
Blogging : VCF HAS COME A LONG WAY
When we first introduced this idea of Blogging to the Staff we were met with a number of different responses:
Some thought blogging was a new game “those teens” played. When we asked them if they would want to be apart of the blogging community , the look on some of their faces, one would have thought I said a durogatory word. Others looked at us like we were from a different planet. But in the end we are all on the same page, and they seemed to be having fun with it. All of them except yours trully, who had such a hard time figuring out what to name my blog. If you were in the office on August 26 , you would have heard Colby (our media guy) and I throwing out some , lets just say, off the wall names. If he would have chose my blog name it would have been titled : Bryan’s happy sunshine page, or Bryan’s Awesome internet page of Awesome-ness. Of course those ideas were thrown out, and we (or I) just picked Bryan’s blog. That is until I change it, because that is the one certain thing in life, change, and I embrace it.
So here it is my First Blog:
Let me give you a blog from a blogger about lifetime opportunities.
We have an opportunity that has been given to us right here , right now for this lifetime.
Leonard Ravenhill made a quote:
“ The opportunity of a lifetime must be seized in the lifetime of the opportunity. “
Every opportunity has an expiration date. Exceptional people, churches and businesses posses the agility to move at the speed of God. This usually means merging into oncoming traffic at breakneck speeds.
A lot of people I know are more fearful of making wrong moves then making no move at all. NOT ME, I’ve been alive long enough to know that if I just sit at the intersection after God has given a green light , He’ll only honk a few times before he passes me by in the other lane ; doesnt mean He will stop loving me or stop using me, It just means that that opportunity is gone.
If you are currently considering a great , godly , risky, opportunity consider this: the cost of missing out can be greater then the cost of messing up. Our opportunity is to Reach the Generations and VCF is positioned for this “Lifetime Opportunity.”
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