Living Free From Excuses by Brent Phillips

We are living in a culture where everyone is told they are doing just fine. That won’t motivate us to do better. We have to have something to aspire to; to fight for. Life is not meant to be lived on the couch. God has a better purpose for us. The Bible talks about running a race not kicking back in your beach chair.
Speaker: Brent Phillips

We find all kinds of reasons why something can’t be done. When we make an excuse the only person who is being disadvantaged is ourselves. Just because the world accepts your excuse, don’t think it’s not a lame excuse. When there’s no room for excuse, you’ll make a plan. When you give up your excuses you can begin to experience the life God created for you. It’s time to let go of the excuses and burst out. Go for it! What excuse do you use that keeps you from all that God has for you? You are in bondage from your excuses. If you want to stay exactly as you are, God can do nothing for you. If you say “that’s just the way I am” you are denying God’s power to change you.

Why do we make excuses?

To avoid admitting guilt and fault, to avoid dealing with fear, to avoid doing something we don’t want to, to not have to grow and be stretched, to cover up a deeper insecurity, to avoid responsibilities.

When we always make excuses, we will apply it to God’s word and start to make excuses why He won’t do what He said He would. God does not make excuses. He does not lie. We need to stop making excuses and be what God called us to be. Don’t cross out the verses that talk about always and everything and no limits. We need no excuses because we can do all things through Christ. Don’t excuse yourself right out of the plan and purpose God has for you.

Psalm 34:19 A righteous man may have many troubles, but the Lord delivers him from them all.

Take God at His word. Whatever excuse is holding you back, God has a promise to destroy that excuse. But we have to want to grab hold of it. All things are possible.

Are you ready to give up excuses and fight for the life God created for you? Join us on Facebook to stay encouraged.Request a free prayer online for you, a loved one. Please leave a comment below on how God used this message.

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Growing Through Disappointment - Part 1

Living a Life of Faith Some Christians – some entire denominations in fact – do not believe in living a life of faith. Instead, they simply accept whatever comes their way in life. They don’t pray and believe that God will move; they don’t pray expecting to see miracles. This is not to put anyone down nor is it to belittle any person or group, but rather stating a fact. There is one major reason why people shy away from living a life of faith and that is the subject of this blog – disappointment. We find one of the best definitions of faith in this scripture from Hebrews: Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. Hebrews 11:1 Essentially, faith is when we believe something is there when, in the natural, it isn’t there. It’s when we believe for something to exist when, in the natural, it doesn’t exist. But there’s a downside to this type of faith-filled lifestyle. What is it that’s bound to happen when you trust God and stand on His Word? Disappointments may come. Teaching and Believing God’s Word If I never have the boldness to pray for someone to be healed, then I will never have someone come up to me and demand to know, “Why didn’t God heal so and so?” Instead, I’m off the hook. If I never teach people, “God will give you the desires of your heart…” then I never have to hear someone say, “I trusted God and believed and nothing happened. Why?” It’s much easier not to teach the truths that are in the Word, because then you will never have to deal with the disappointments that could come. An Act of Obedience But there is one major problem. If I skirt around these teachings just to play it safe, then I’m not teaching God’s Word. I’m not teaching what Jesus commanded. I’m not teaching how God has called us to live. He taught us to believe for the impossible and to live a life of faith. If we are going to live a life of faith, then we have to learn to deal with it in a healthy way. I have prayed for people who did not receive a healing; I have prayed for people who did receive a healing. Nevertheless, I have determined to hold on to the belief that when I pray miracles will happen, rather than to refuse to pray due to fear that nothing will happen. Jesus commands me to pray, so I pray. It’s an act of obedience. When Things Don’t Turn Out Our Way In II Samuel, we find an amazing story about King David. It gives a lesson in what to do when things don’t turn out the way we thought they were supposed to. What do we do when the thing we prayed for doesn't happen? How do we respond? How do we act? How do we continue? Look at David’s response. Bathsheba had a son by David and the son fell ill and David began to pray. David pleaded with God for the child. He fasted and spent the nights lying in sackcloth on the ground. The elders of his household stood beside him to get him up from the ground, but he refused, and he would not eat any food with them. On the seventh day the child died. David’s attendants were afraid to tell him that the child was dead, for they thought, “While the child was still living, he wouldn't listen to us when we spoke to him. How can we now tell him the child is dead? He may do something desperate.” David noticed that his attendants were whispering among themselves, and he realized the child was dead. “Is the child dead?” he asked. “Yes,” they replied, “he is dead.” Then David got up from the ground. After he had washed, put on lotions and changed his clothes, he went into the house of the Lord and worshiped. Then he went to his own house, and at his request they served him food, and he ate. His attendants asked him, “Why are you acting this way? While the child was alive, you fasted and wept, but now that the child is dead, you get up and eat!” He answered, “While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept. I thought, ‘Who knows? The Lord may be gracious to me and let the child live.’ But now that he is dead, why should I go on fasting? Can I bring him back again? I will go to him, but he will not return to me.” Then David comforted his wife Bathsheba, and he went to her and made love to her. She gave birth to a son, and they named him Solomon. II Samuel 12:16-24 Disappointed by God Have you ever been disappointed by God? You needed something to go a certain way. In fact, you were counting on it. You had been living the life of faith. You were standing and believing; you put the scriptures into practice. In other words, you were doing all you knew to do, but still things didn't turn out as you had thought they might. Disappointment is directly tied to trust. When I trust, I am able to weather the disappointment. When I trust I can say: Even though I cannot see the reason why, even though what has happened is contrary to what I have believed God for, I still choose to trust Him. Lord, I trust you. You know what’s in my future. You hold my life in your hands. If we do not take that attitude, disappointment will destroy our walk of faith. We’ll become people who just go through the motions of life. But is that the life we have been called to by God? In my next blog, Growing through Disappointment Part II, we’ll take an even closer look at how King David dealt with disappointment. By Brent Phillips What specific disappointments have you allowed to erode your faith-walk with Jesus? What current disappointments can you see as growth opportunities and part of God's loving plan? Leave your thoughts below. Join us on Facebook for daily messages. Request a prayer online for you or a loved one. Share this message via Facebook, Twitter or Goggle+

Many people stop short of their dreams because of disappointment along the way. When you get up and go again... so does your future By Brent Phillips

Using My Resources - Part 2

In Part I of "Using My Resources" we established that the resources that have been given to us by God are needed to advance the Kingdom. We further established that when we are unable to trust God fully, it’s more difficult to release those resources. This is especially true when it comes to our finances. Bubble of Comfort One of the ways the enemy causes us to move away from sharing the gospel is when we are wrapped up in a bubble of comfort. Throughout history, when persecution increases, the church grows and thrives. On the other hand, something that can stifle the growth is comfort and complacency. The gospel by its very design is to be shared. If it’s not shared, it’s not news – it’s a secret. (The gospel is not the good secret.) And God has given us the assignment of spreading that good news. As long as we are hesitant to step out and trust God and share not only the good news, but our resources to help make it happen, we will never experience the fullness of the joy of God’s presence in our lives. Total Obedience In the last post I alluded to the account of the rich young ruler (Matthew 19) and how he was unable to trust God with his resources. Now let’s look at another scenario and see a totally different reaction with regard to obedience. When Jesus had finished saying all this to the people who were listening, he entered Capernaum. There a centurion’s servant, whom his master valued highly, was sick and about to die. The centurion heard of Jesus and sent some elders of the Jews to him, asking him to come and heal his servant. When they came to Jesus, they pleaded earnestly with him, “This man deserves to have you do this, because he loves our nation and has built our synagogue.” So Jesus went with them. He was not far from the house when the centurion sent friends to say to him: “Lord, don’t trouble yourself, for I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. That is why I did not even consider myself worthy to come to you. But say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and that one, ‘Come,’ and he comes. I say to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” When Jesus heard this, he was amazed at him, and turning to the crowd following him, he said, “I tell you, I have not found such great faith even in Israel.” Then the men who had been sent returned to the house and found the servant well. Luke 7:1-10 This Roman soldier trusted Jesus fully and was ready to do whatever he was told to do and because of his obedience, his servant received his healing. This centurion recognized and respected Jesus’ authority. We know that because he addressed him as Lord. Acknowledge Jesus as Lord The gospel comes alive in us when we trust God with everything we have and truly make Him Lord of our lives. Many people attend church week after week but they are not being impacted by the Word. Their lives are never changed; their actions remain the same. It’s due to a failure to come Him acknowledging Jesus as Lord. We fail to come with an attitude of submission. An attitude that says, “God I know your Word is the final authority in my life, and whatever you tell me to do, Lord, I am willing to do it.” But such a commitment is scary. What if God sends us to Africa? Or to India? Or some other far-off scary place? It all comes down to faith. When I believe that God truly cares about every detail of my life; when I believe that all of his plans for me are only for good; then I can fully trust Him for everything. If I believe that I’m unimportant in the whole scheme of things and believe that God just wants me to be a little cog in a big machine, then I would be reluctant to trust Him with everything in my life. It’s time to become the believer that boldly declares, “Lord I trust you and I believe you. Whatever I have is yours, and whatever you want me to do, I’ll do. I know the only way I can accomplish what you have for me is by following you in total obedience.” You May be the Key to Someone’s Blessing A few years ago, I had to purchase a new watch because my little boy had flushed mine down the toilet. The new watch was beautiful. A few weeks later I was teaching in a Spanish church and just before I got up to preach I felt God tell me to give my new watch away to someone in the congregation. As I was preaching, I was totally focused on what I am saying so I dismissed the thought. After the service I again felt God telling me to give away my watch, and I knew who that individual was. I wasn’t too keen on being without a watch again; nevertheless, I removed the watch and approached the person and handed him the watch. I said, “This may seem strange to you, but God told me to give this watch to you and to tell you that your time has come.” His wife, who was standing there heard what I said, and she began to cry. She said, “You have no idea what this means. Because of the work he does my husband needs a watch. Just two days ago, he mentioned how much he needed a watch, but we just didn’t have the extra cash to get one. So we decided to pray and ask God for a watch.” None of us can ever know what God is up to. That watch wasn’t such a big deal, but God wanted to use it for the gospel. Do you think this couple’s faith was bolstered because of my hearing and obeying what God told me to do? It is good news for someone to know that God is thinking about them and loves them, even about something as small as a watch. Listen closely to what God is saying to you about your resources. You may be the key God uses to unlock someone's heart. By Brent Phillips What's God showing you these days concerning your resources? Leave your thoughts below. Join us on Facebook for daily messages. Request a prayer online for you or a loved one. Share this message via Facebook, Twitter or Goggle+

If I look at how I use my resources... my priories and heart can clearly be seen. Do my finances show I am passionate to share the gospel? by Brent Philiips

Using My Resources - Part 1

Abuses with finances in the church have left it one of those subjects Christians least want to hear about but it is the very subject that Jesus spoke about the most in the Word. The subject of money has an uncanny way of making most Christians feel very uncomfortable. Money and Finances The past few blogs have addressed the subject of sharing the good news. In these next few posts, we’ll take a look at our resources (which includes our money) because they are crucial to the spreading of the gospel. In Matthew we find an interesting passage that has to do with wealth. Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly I tell you, it is hard for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” Matt. 19:23-24 It’s easy to read this quickly and miss the meaning entirely. Notice Jesus did not say that the rich will not enter into heaven, but just that it’s more difficult. In verse 25 we learn that Jesus’ statement astonished the disciples, so they must have considered themselves rich as well. Of course, it’s obvious what Jesus is referring to here is not money itself, but where a person’s faith and trust lie. It’s easy to fall into the trap of trusting wealth. Who is Wealthy? I’ve heard sermons that use this verse as a threat to those who are wealthy. It’s used to condemn rather than to constructively teach. But that’s unfair. It’s important to notice that Jesus quickly adds that, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” (Matt. 19:26) Putting our trust in Him is crucial. I was talking one day with a gentleman whom I knew to be wealthy. I asked him how those verses in Matthew made him feel. His answer was, “You should ask a rich person.” This tells us that wealth, or having things is all a matter of perspective. If you have a roof over your head, clothes to wear and food to eat, compared to some areas of the world, you are wealthy. However, we humans are prone to minimalize what we have to offer God which causes us to become tight-fisted and disqualify ourselves. Complete trust in God, on the other hand promotes generosity and a belief that God can use us to make a difference. To illustrate this point more clearly, I will again refer to the account of the rich young ruler found just prior to the passage mentioned above. (I referred to this interesting young man in a previous blog.) Just then a man came up to Jesus and asked, “Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?” “Why do you ask me about what is good?” Jesus replied. “There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, keep the commandments.” “Which ones?” he inquired. Jesus replied, “ ‘You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, honor your father and mother,’ and ‘love your neighbor as yourself.’ ” “All these I have kept,” the young man said. “What do I still lack?” Jesus answered, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth. Matt. 19:16-22 Verse 22 says this man had great wealth; but in reality his wealth had him. The exact amount of his net worth is immaterial. The fact is, he was controlled by what he owned. While he may have had wealth in the natural, in the spiritual realm, he was poor. Where Our Security Lies My family and I have moved back and forth between countries three times now, and if you want to know how to destroy your finances, just move countries. It is extremely expensive. But we knew we were doing what God told us to do. We chose to trust Him, and because of that we saw Him do amazing things. What we think is security, as far as the world is concerned, we find out that it’s not security at all. The only true security is being in the center of God’s will and being obedient to His leading. When we think about the many Old Testament stories we learned about as children – Joseph, Daniel, David, Gideon, Nehemiah, and Esther – each one of these individuals accomplished great feats because of one thing – complete faith in God. They continued on even when things became difficult. They were totally committed to following God’s leading. Consider what resources you have to give. Can you bake cookies? If so, whip up a batch and take them to a neighbor and tell them you wanted to bless them and let them know that God loves them. Do you have a dining room table? If so, invite someone over and use the occasion to tell them how Jesus changed your life. Ask God to open your eyes to new ways to share your resources that He has given you. You’ll never regret taking that first step. By Brent Phillips What resources has God provided for you to use for His kindgom? Leave your thoughts below. Join us on Facebook for daily messages. Request a prayer online for you or a loved one. Share this message via Facebook, Twitter or Goggle+