"I Give Up!" - Introduction - Luke 14:28-33

Giving up is something that comes easy when it involves something you do not care that much about.  Maybe it is because you lost your passion/interest in the area, so you decide to just give up.  There are factors that may contribute to the losing of interest.  Maybe it is because you thought you weren't good at doing something, so you gave up.  Maybe it is because you had been absent from your routine (going to a group gathering) so you gave up.

On the flip side, giving up is more difficult when it is something that you are more passionate.  Going on a "diet" could be difficult because you feel you must give up all the foods you used to like.  Quitting smoking, quitting drinking, or the cessation of drug use may sound good on the surface, but it is quite difficult to do when it comes to actually following through with it and sticking with the commitment.  Giving up on sedentary a lifestyle can be very difficult to give up as you have to take time to exercise, especially when your schedule has a hard time allowing you to fit in the exercise regimen.

Yesterday, we began a series called "I Give Up" where I challenged the people to think of something that they would be willing to give up, that was important, but wouldn't make them "moan and groan".  It is to try to realize that the void is to allow you to cause you to be drawn closer to Him.  Whether that void is described as not doing a certain activity or choosing not to eat something, let it be something that you can use to connect with Him.  Here are some applications to choose from to use this week...

1. Choose ~ First of all, you must decide what you will "give up" that falls under the parameters of "important, but won't make you moan and groan".  You are not doing it for others' benefit, but your's.
2. Pray ~ Whether or not it is that difficult, pray that you will be able to use this discipline for the purpose it was intended.  You will probably be a bit distracted throughout the time because you will be drawn to the thing you have given up, but use the times you are thinking about it to pray, as one option.
3. Encourage ~ Do you know of someone else that is participating in this discipline?  Take time to pray and encourage them as the go through the journey (even if you aren't participating).
4. Brainstorm ~ Think of alternatives from this discipline.  What can you do instead?
5. Don't give up ~ Sounds a bit like the opposite of the intent, but the point is that even if you mess up (hopefully accidentally) to keep up with it.  Don't quit the discipline even if you may make the occasional mistake.

Here are some options besides food to give up:

• Cell phone Usage - Certain time of day to turn off, unless emergency
• Profanity, Complaining, Gossiping - Watch your tongue - the little thing can do lots of damage!
• Internet Usage - Certain time of day to do something else or stay away from game sites (or worse)
• Television usage - Turn off either certain hours or days/nights so you can do something else

Maybe you can think of others. If so, please leave a comment with your idea.  I am looking forward to the journey to see what happens as I journey through this discipline.


You can also leave comments throughout the month to see how things are going as you journey through the next few weeks of this discipline.





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Bowing Before Battle - Joshua 5:10-15 - (2)

As you woke up this morning, got ready for the day, and, possibly, drove to work, what all did you observe? What were some of the things that you took in, not only, with your eyes, but ears, nose, even the sense of feel? Your experience was unique, so what you took in was probably much different than mine.

As you took things in, did it occur to you that they were things God had created, in one way or another. You might have woke up to your beautiful/handsome spouse. Saw your precious kids. Breathed in the fresh air. Ate a delicious breakfast. Saw the gorgeous fall colors. Communicated on your electronic device. Pounded the steering wheel in traffic. All things that allowed you to have the morning you've had.

As Joshua is getting ready for battle, he is confronted by the "commander of the Lord's army", and Joshua falls down and worships. The idea of worshiping is where we are going with revering God. As we revere Him we are tuning our senses to Him. Here are some applications to choose to use this week...

1. Gaze ~The writer of Hebrews instructs us to "fix our eyes on Jesus", and that goes right along with this. May we find ourselves gazing with Him in mind. When we find ourselves looking at something we think is good, we could give God a little shout out of praise.
   
2. Observe ~ Take time to observe people this week. Look at them as people who God loves and that Jesus died for. Allow that to open your eyes to the fact that they are worth your time and effort to share Jesus with them. Look for the tired, the weak, the lonely. For they are in need of your boost. Look for the vibrant, the strong, the crowd-drawers. For they are in need of your boost. Sometimes the ones in the second category are passed up because we think they're OK. Oftentimes they are the tired, weak, and lonely, in vibrant, strong, and crowd-drawing clothes. Observation takes effort. Put in the effort to see who you can be a positive influence toward. Even if they are not tired, weak, and lonely, they all need Jesus!
   
3. Devote/Devotion ~ Complacency is the absence of devotion. When you do not have any devotion, you will become complacent. As you are looking at the things God has done, let it spur you on and lift you up to be more devoted than you were before were revering Him.
   

Joshua revered God before he was going into battle. He looked at Him and was devoted. Then, he removed his shoes, for the place he was standing was holy.

God is worth the effort of gazing, observing, and devoting. Use the effort and opportunities that He's given you to honor Him before you go into "battle".

Looking forward to the battle (aka big event) that is before me...

A New Found...Praise - Acts 2:47

How many times did you say "thanks" to God today? One, two, three...a dozen, maybe more!? How many times have you told other people how great your life is since you have God in your life? Any?

As we've been examining Acts 2:42-47 lately, we've been looking at some of the "new" things that the early church was about. Sunday, we concluded with the concept of praise and how that led to them finding favor with the people and God blessing them with growth.

God is an awesome God! He is SO worthy of our praise. As I am finishing redoing many things in our bathroom, I have had several "Thank You, God" moments. For instance, I bought this tool for a little more than $3.00, that is supposed to help with making your caulking look nice. You know how "gadgets" can be...well, I didn't have much faith in it. Mostly because its accompanying gadget was a caulk removing tool - that didn't work out as well as I thought. Anyway, this tool was well worth the money! It made it look nice and it cut down a lot of time..."Thank You, God!" was my response!

Here are some applications to choose from to apply from Sunday's sermon...

1. Let God know you are thankful that you are able to read this sentence.
   
2. Let God know you are thankful for giving you another day to see His creation (Fall is a beautiful time of the year!!!)
3. Let God know you are thankful for _______. You fill in the blank.
4. Let someone know (outside of your household and family tree) today, somehow, how much you are thankful for being a part of God's family - could be through a testimony, a direct statement, a text, e-mail, or some other way.
5. Say a prayer that is all about praise to God - not mentioning anything but a list of things you are thankful for.

What we could be praising Him for could go on and on. I was just thinking about how great our assemblies were today and for the guests we had. And, then to set up a study with a lady who has recently overcome almost all the cancer in her body...the cure...she attributes almost all to prayer! The doctors have been amazed...with no answer for her why she went in one time with cancerous areas and the next time those areas are gone - without treatment! "Thank You, God!" This has been one of those "God's timing" studies. I've known this lady for about 2 to 3 years because she is a friend of one of our members. She is finally open to wanting to find out more about the Jesus that her friend and I have in common...God is Good!

Hope your week has gotten off to a great start...mine has!

Praising Him...in my speech...to Him and others...

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A New Found...Devotion - Acts 2:42

We all really like to do something. Some would categorize it as "loving" to do something. It could be going to eat somewhere, a hobby, a vacation spot, etc. We are devoted to these things. We tend to think about them often and may put them into practice as much as we have time for. You may be devoted to a certain team, local or otherwise. Devotion comes in different forms, but the overall concept is still the same. As we think about devotion, here are some applications to choose from to use this week...

1. As Christians, we must be devoted to God. He is a jealous God and wants us to not have any devotion to anything else above Him. Think about your priorities, are they putting Him first? Do you need to re-examine where He is on the list? The next time you are finding yourself putting prayer, bible reading, going to church/assembly below other things, you might want to re-examine your priorities and your devotion to Him.
   
2. Be a Kindergartner. Treat each day, each time you open your Bible, and each time you hear the Message as a chance to soak in all that you can. There is so much to learn when it comes to being a Christian and a disciple of the Word. What will God teach you today?
3. Fellowship is so important to me. I enjoy the opportunities to spend time with others. It is such a bonding experience. Look for ways you can get in touch with someone else and get to know them a bit deeper.
   
4. Pray...not because you "have" to, but because you can't go on another day without talking to God. Give Him your praises and petitions.
   

It was great to get together and sense the excitement of people. It has been great to see the transformation in people as they are getting out of their comfort zones and doing things they have done in the past. It is amazing how God works with different situations to allow His people to flourish in using their talents!

Devoted...and Excited...