God's Will - Part 6

Greetings Internet Campus,

This morning we wrap up our 6 day study of God's Will...have you found it yet? If not, that's OK. These tips were meant to help you in your search...not guarantee that God would reveal it to you within a week. I have spent the better part of my adult life wondering...am I doing what God wants me to do? Am I the man He made me to be? What is He yelling into my life that He wants me to change? God's will isn't an easy thing to find...but He wants us to keep searching. He's not hiding it...just the opposite... It is sitting right there - I just need to know where to find it...

Here is a quick recap of the tips we've been chatting about:

Step 1: Be obedient to what God has already shown you.

Step 2: Pray and continually seek God’s wisdom and guidance in everything you do.

Step 3: Rearrange your priorities so your primary motivation is to glorify God.

Step 4: Saturate yourself with the Word of God.

Step 5: Learn from the examples of others.

"For you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters. But don’t use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love."

Galatians 5:13

Here's Step 6

Step 6: Get involved in a variety of ministries

Exposing yourself to other ministries not only increases your spiritual vision, but it also gives God the opportunity to open and close doors. If you look at the lives of powerful Christians, you’ll find many of them got their start by "temporarily" helping out in a ministry which later became their life work.

Are you serving God and His people in some capacity? I've got to warn you...this might be hard to read...ready? You won't find God's will for your life if you aren't serving others. I know that sounds hard...but let's take it apart...

God commands us to serve His people. If we aren't...it is an act of disobedience. It is reasonable to conclude that if we are disobeying God...He can't bless our lives with the discovery of His will for it. I know God is God and He can do whatever He wishes. However, like a patient parent, He is waiting for us to obey Him because we love Him. Serving others is an act of worship....and the key to revealing what God wants us to do with the life He has given us.

Jump in! Get involved in serving those that God puts in your path... This isn't just church ministry...no matter where you are...God has called you to get involved with and serve others. We are "on call" 24/7 in all circumstances to put the needs of others before ourselves. As God-followers we aren't called to an easy life...just an obedient one that leads directly to our purpose.

I'm praying for each of you as you are seeking God's plan...it may feel like you'll never find it...trust me...better yet, trust Him...you will.

Pastor Brian

Monday

Good morning internet campus!

I hope you all joined us this weekend as Pastor Ray (our Hallandale Beach Campus Pastor) talked about Temptation....it was a GREAT weekend!

We are continuing our series on discovering God's will for our lives...here is today's verse:

1 Cor. 10:1-11
1 I don’t want you to forget, dear brothers and sisters, about our ancestors in the wilderness long ago. All of them were guided by a cloud that moved ahead of them, and all of them walked through the sea on dry ground. 2 In the cloud and in the sea, all of them were baptized as followers of Moses. 3 All of them ate the same spiritual food, 4 and all of them drank the same spiritual water. For they drank from the spiritual rock that traveled with them, and that rock was Christ. 5 Yet God was not pleased with most of them, and their bodies were scattered in the wilderness.

6 These things happened as a warning to us, so that we would not crave evil things as they did, 7 or worship idols as some of them did. As the Scriptures say, “The people celebrated with feasting and drinking, and they indulged in pagan revelry.” 8 And we must not engage in sexual immorality as some of them did, causing 23,000 of them to die in one day.

9 Nor should we put Christ to the test, as some of them did and then died from snakebites. 10 And don’t grumble as some of them did, and then were destroyed by the angel of death. 11 These things happened to them as examples for us. They were written down to warn us who live at the end of the age.

As Biblehelp.org states:

Step 5: Learn from the examples of others

The Bible tells us in verse 1 Cor. 10:1-11 we are to learn from the lives of the people in the Bible. Study their lives and see how God directed them. Learn from their mistakes and victories. The lives of believers who lived after the Bible was written can also be a rich source of examples. Think of these people as great teachers who will enlighten you in their area of expertise. Remember, of course, anything in their lives that contradicts the Bible should not be followed.

As we search for God's will for our lives..we would be well-served to study other people in the Bible... How did God communicate His will in their lives? When did God reveal His purpose in them...before or after trials?

As you start out this week...think about the lives of other strong Christians and those that have come before them. God gives so many wonderful (and poor) examples in His word about how we should act, what we should think, and what we can expect about the revelation of His will?

Here are a few questions to think about:
1) Who's life am I watching?
2) Does their life help me understand anything about what God wants from me?
3) Am I setting an example to others that are seeking God's will?

Until tomorrow...

Pastor Brian

Friday

Greetings Internet Campus, Welcome to Friday!

It's been a fun and challenging week as we've learned the first 4 steps in seeking God's will for our lives: Let's review: 1) Be obedient to what God has already shown us 2) Pray and seek God's wisdom 3) Make glorifying God a priority

Here's step 4

Step 4: Saturate yourself with the Word of God.

Matthew 4:4 "Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.'"

There is no better way of knowing what’s important to God than by reading His Word. The Bible clearly states God’s position on a large number of issues and a systematic Bible study will reveal many of these to you. Picture a wheel on an old cowboy wagon. The hub keeps the wheel centered on the axle. The stronger the hub the greater pressure the wheel can withstand and still be correctly centered. The "hub" in our spiritual wheel is the Word of God. The more we saturate ourselves with the Word of God, the better we can stay centered.

Why does God want to us to read His word? Simple. It's His love letter to us...it contains instructions on how to live...deal with others...find comfort when we're down...even how to pray. As a Pastor, I am often asked two key questions about reading the Bible:

1) Which translation is the best?

2) How long should I read it for?

Here's the short answer. Choose a reliable translation of the Bible that you can understand and apply to your life. Some that are commonly used at Flamingo Road Church are: New Living Translation, The Message (paraphrase), and the New International Version. If you don't understand your translation...don't get frustrated...find a reliable, well-researched Bible version that you can understand. If we're challenged by scripture..let's be challenged by the verse's application to our lives and not by the translation.

The other answer is: as long as you need to. Some have time to read the Bible for 30 minutes to an hour or longer...some only a few minutes. The keys here are consistency and communication. Read consistently each day no matter what. Set aside a special time to get together with God reading His word. Maybe that time is right now. This blog/devotional may be helpful in your walk...but shouldn't replace the actual Bible reading that God wants us to do. The communication piece is this: read until God tells you something. That could be in your first verse. God may stop you and lead you to reread a passage...or paragraph...or chapter. Read expecting God to reveal something new and fresh (even in verses you may have read many times before).

Reading and studying God's word is critical if we want to grow in our walk with God. If you are truly seeking His will...and want to discover it in your own life...stay consistently connected to the source. See you Monday for the final step!

Pastor Brian

Thursday

Greetings Internet Campus,

Isaiah 43:7
"Bring all who claim me as their God,
for I have made them for my glory.
It was I who created them.’”

1 Corinthians 10:31 "So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God."

Why did you get up this morning? Why go to work? Why seek God's will for your life? The answer is always the same...to bring glory to God our Creator. Now some people falsely assume that if we are only created to bring God glory....He must be some kind of egomaniac. Why would God require our praises? Why does God even need us to glorify Him? In our search for God's will, Biblehelp.org says step three is:

Step 3: Rearrange your priorities so your primary motivation is to glorify God.

God created us for the purpose of bringing glory to Himself. Our primary goal and focus should be to bring Him glory. Everything we do should center around this.

There are two ways to bring glory to someone. The first is by making that person (or God in this case) glorious. That is not what this step is implying. God is already glorious. There is no creature on the Earth that can add to his glory. When we live our lives in a way that honors Him...that is God-targeted not me-targeted...that tries not to sin...that loves others...we are not adding to God's glory. We can't. He is already completely and fully glorious.

The second way to bring glory is by recognizing what is already there. When we rearrange our lives so that God is the center...that He is the reason we work, rest, or play...we are simply magnifying or revealing glory that is already there. It's recognizing the fact that none of what we do or who we are is by our own doing. We are God's creation. We were designed to live our lives so that He gets the credit..that He is lifted up...that God is responsible.

In my research, I ran across this guideline
"Love your wife, but love her less than the God who gave her to you. Enjoy your wealth, but far less than the God who placed it in your hand. Delight yourself in your children, but not more than you delight in the Lord who entrusted them to your care. Work hard to develop huge, glorious thoughts of God—" http://www.founders.org/FJ56/editorial.html

As you go through your day...and you are seeking God's will for your life...refocus your life so that God is revealed. We need to do this in all things, both spiritual and mundane. Can I glorify God by eating my lunch? Definitely. Thank Him for His provision...and share with others if necessary...

The challenge is to find ways to recognize God's glory in ways that many don't consider "spiritual". Your job...sitting in traffic...paying bills...all opportunities to focus on God's nature and not the ways of the world.

My challenge to you today is this...let others know that the source of your knowledge, beauty, strength, willpower, mercy, etc. is God and He alone. His honor...His reputation...His identity...His glory is far more important to show others than our own. We are created in His image...it is our responsibility to reflect and glorify our Maker.

Until tomorrow,

Pastor Brian

Wednesday

Good morning internet campus!

We continue our quest to find God's will for our lives with today's verse...

1 Thessalonians 16-18 "Be cheerful no matter what; pray all the time; thank God no matter what happens. This is the way God wants you who belong to Christ Jesus to live."

I found myself the other day talking with a woman who was grieving. She was pouring her heart out to me, stopped, and looked up into my eyes. She was searching for answers. She wanted to know what I could do to help her heal. You know what I found myself thinking....

All I can do is pray.

Is prayer enough? Is there ever something that I shouldn't bother God with? Read on from Biblehelp.org...

Step 2: Pray and continually seek God’s wisdom and guidance in everything you do.

It has been said, "A Christian is no greater than his prayer life." We should continually pray and ask God to bless and energize each area of our ministry. We must commit all rights and control to God with every issue we encounter. Besides asking God for His power, we should continually ask God to give us wisdom and guidance in everything we do.

Many people make the mistake of thinking since God already knows my needs, He will automatically meet them. As I mentioned in earlier chapters, this couldn’t be further from the truth. God wants you to continually come to Him and be specific about all your needs.

I try to make it a point at the beginning of each day to ask God to provide me with wisdom and guidance for everything I will encounter throughout the day. During the day, when I am faced with a new issue or concern, I ask God for wisdom and direction. Although I don’t seek God’s wisdom for everything I do, such as, "What gas pump should I use?" I try to cultivate my heart so it will be open to His leading even on small "insignificant" things.


When I was talking with that hurting woman it wasn't an issue of "All I can do is pray..." it was actually..."The strongest thing I can do is pray." Never forget that. If you are truly seeking what God's will is for your life... commit to strengthening your prayer life. He will answer.

Pastor Brian

Tuesday, October 16

Finding the Will of God

Luke 16:10 “If you are faithful in little things, you will be faithful in large ones. But if you are dishonest in little things, you won’t be honest with greater responsibilities.

Greetings internet campus! I have prayed for you all in your search for God's will. For today's devotion...and for the next few days...I will be posting a study I found on Biblehelp.org. It has greatly benefited me in my search for God's will and I hope it does the same for you. Essentially, there are 5 steps to finding the will of God for your life...This morning - Step One

Step 1: Be obedient to what God has already shown you.

The first thing we should do is become obedient to the obvious things, the things we know we should already be doing. These are the commonsense things clearly spelled out in the Bible. For example, we know we should not lie, cheat or steal. We cannot expect God to reveal more to us when we haven’t followed what He has already shown us.

Before God gives you direction in the "important" things, you must first be obedient with the small things he has already shown you. This is the area where most of us Christians fail. We don’t realize God has already revealed His desire for us in so many areas. If we are not obedient with the small tasks, how can we be trusted with the larger tasks?

Probably most Christians feel they are already obedient to the basic things God has shown them. Yet, in reality, many of us fall short. For example, do we always speak the truth or do we sometimes conveniently leave out vital information to mislead someone? Are we completely truthful when we fill out our tax returns? Do we report errors when mistakes have been made in our favor, such as being given too much change? Do we obey the laws of the land, such as speed limits? Do we tithe?

When we are at work, do we give our employers their money’s worth or do we take extended coffee breaks and make personal calls on company time? How do we treat our mates? Is the time and attention we give our family honoring to God or does our work or ministry command a higher priority? How is your thought life?

The list could go on and on, but I think you get the point. We must be faithful with what we already have. Obviously, because of our fallen nature, being perfect in these areas is an impossibility. Yet, to the extent we are faithful to what He has shown us, He will reveal more of His will.

Here's my question for today...How obedient are we to what we already know God wants for out lives? It is when we answer this question honestly that we take our first steps toward discovering God's will. Until tomorrow...

Pastor Brian

Monday, October 15

"“Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” - Romans 12:2

Last week, we talked at length about discovering God's will for your life. This week...let's dig in to making that happen. We start with this great verse from Romans. It says that we need to renew our minds in order to discover what God's will is...

How do we do that?

How do we "renew" our minds? Here's a Monday morning thought...as you sit there and prepare for what is going to be an unbelievable week....just meditate. Focus. That's all meditation is...focused thinking. Now the challenge is - what do we focus on? Let's look back at the verse...

It tells us not to focus on the pattern of the world. What does that mean? Some translations say the "customs and behavior of the world". Many of us are going to leave the house this morning and instantly think about the tough week we are going to have, the difficult people we have to face, the teacher we don't like, the business that's struggling, and so on. I believe that God wants us to be different...to have different minds. We've got to choose to focus on God's power and abilities...and less of what the world has to offer.

I'm going to warn you, the renewing of your mind might have to take place several times today...maybe even every few minutes. But God promises that we can find His will for our lives when our minds are renewed and we are focusing on His ways. If we ever hope to find God's will for our lives - we have to think differently about the world. We don't get to decide what will happen to us today...the world does. But if we renew our thoughts and focus on God - He will reveal His perfect will for our life...guaranteed.

Pastor Brian

Hebrews 10:35-36 Part 3

"Then you will receive all that he has promised."

I remember growing up...my uncle came to my house and promised me that he was going to take me out and buy me a new bass guitar. My old one was almost unplayable and I really needed something new. I waited patiently through he and my dad's conversation...I knew at last we would go to the guitar store and pick out the axe of my dreams. A shiny red bass guitar...with new strings and everything!

The time came for my uncle to leave and as he stood up, I stood with him. He turned...walked out the door...and drove away. I couldn't believe it. I had nothing. I was left with bitter disappointment. Have you ever felt like that?

Has anybody ever promised you something and then not delivered? Have you ever been let down because you chose to put your trust in somebody? Have you ever been told that a reward was coming that never came? If so...I have good news and bad news.

First the bad news....people hurt people. They don't mean to sometimes...but it happens. Promises are broken....commitments are made and not followed through...people are hurt. I don't like it any more than you do. Truly. That day with my uncle didn't stop me from trusting people forever....but it did confirm the fact that this kind of life disappointment is sometime going to happen.

Now the good news...God isn't like that. He delivers each and every time. Look at this passage closely...it says that if we maintain patient endurance and follow His will...we will receive all that He has promised! God is the original promise keeper. The hard part is knowing what God's will for our life is...do you know? Over the weekend...take some time to pray for that. Really ask God what He wants you to do in and through your life. Then...go after it with patient endurance..and then watch Him keep all of His promises for your life....

Take some time this weekend and read all of Hebrews 10. It is a great passage of scripture that I pray reveals God's promises to you and the freedom that comes in following His Son.

See you this weekend!

Pastor Brian

Hebrews 10:35-36 Part 2

Good Morning Internet Campus,

"...Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God's will."

Today's section of Hebrews 10 is pretty tough. I'm talking life-changing tough. Those two first words, on their own, are challenging at best.

Patience...how was yesterday? Were you more patient or impatient. Did you wait cheerfully or with anger? How is that prayer life going? Getting a little frustrated at the lack of response from God? Relax. I do too. We all do if we want to get naked for a minute. Patience is one of those things that just doesn't come naturally. But I love what Pastor Troy shared with us a few weeks back:

"Patience is the kind of thing that gets easier every time we choose it."

Chew on that a second. If we demonstrate patience when it feels tough to do so, it will be easier the next time. Don't believe me? Try it!

Now let's look at that second word...endurance. Feel like throwing in the towel? Giving up? How about slowing down? Sometimes the enemy doesn't want us to give up...he just wants us to focus on failing over finishing. Defeat over Deliverance. The water table over the finish line. I've felt that way. Many times. More times than I'd care to admit.

So, if you're keeping score at home that's Brian the Pastor 0 for 2. Patience and Endurance....tough on their own. How about together like this verse states?

God wants us to keep on when it's tough and have a patient spirit while we go through it. A tall order to be sure. Why? Let's read on... because it is the key to doing God's will. Sometimes God's will for our lives doesn't always lead us through beautiful meadows and clearly marked pathways. Sometimes you feel lost...tested...burned out....forgotten....alone....wondering....

You aren't alone. Life isn't easy. But the great thoughts to take with you today are these.....

1) God's will is discoverable
2) He tells us how to stay on the path to achieving His will for our lives.
3) God will give us the strength, courage, and wisdom when we need it....to stay patient and endure the trials we face.

We serve an awesome, loving God. Never forget that. See you tomorrow.

Pastor Brian

Hebrews 10:35-36

"So do not throw away this confident trust in the Lord. Remember the great reward it brings you! Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God's will. Then you will receive all that he has promised."

Have you ever wanted to give up? Have you ever felt that life is just treating you unfairly? Is seeking God's will for your life worth the trouble it takes to find it?

I invite you to fall in love with this passage from Hebrews just like I have. Let's look at the first part of this verse...

"So do not throw away this confident trust in the Lord."

What does it mean to have "confident trust?"

I believe that God wants us to be confident in three truths:
1) He knows more than we do
2) He loves us more than we love ourselves
3) We can fall into Him when we can't stand on our own.

My challenge for you today.... internalize those three thoughts. Be confident in those three facts and start your morning off with the knowledge that our confident trust in God's abilities is well-founded. No matter what you are going to face (or have already faced) today...God is bigger. No matter what sorrow or pain you are feeling...God has felt it. Struggling to trust Him? Tell Him, He can handle it. We won't always understand what God allows to enter our lives...we just have to trust that He will lead us through it.

We'll dig a little deeper into this passage tomorrow...

Pastor Brian