Broken Before Him

Lost a lot of sleep last night. Replaying Bil's Message on Sunday in my mind.

Broken sounds so final. So negative. God wants us to be happy, doesn't he? I guess being broken before God means exactly what it sounds like; being injured, or damaged, before the Lord. And I think that it means, pretty much, laying out everything that you have before God. Being broken, you give everything up to God. You set it before Him and say, "I don’t know what to do, please help me.”

Simply put, brokenness before God is just a complete surrendering of everything to God. The key word being everything, which is a tough pill to swallow (Thanks again God for that "free will" thing…LOL). A broken man comes before God resigned to the fact that all they have is God but also with the knowledge that all that they need is God. A broken man has nothing and hopes only in the Lord for glorious victory!

All we need is Him! Sorry prime time TV, cool electronics, social events, that hot new ride.

Side note: Please don't forget to bring your gift to Jesus Christ this season.

God is Great!!!

Jesus is Our Leader

”Don’t put your confidence in powerful people; there is no help for you there. When their breathing stops, they return to the earth, and in a moment all their plans come to an end. But happy are those who have the God of Israel as their helper, whose hope is in the LORD their God. He is the one who made heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them. He is the one who keeps every promise forever." (Psalm 146:3-6).

Obama Mocking the Bible

We need to get the word out to everyone who is of age to vote on November 4. Also, please don't forget to early vote!

Someone Needs to Strangle Chicken Little

I've had a number of phone calls over the past several months asking what to do about the stock market. I repeatedly tell them "Maintain a disciplined investment approach." Translation: don’t get spooked by market volatility.

Unfortunately, individual investors rarely heed that advice. What's up with that? Walmart has a 30% off sale and everyone flocks to the store. The stock market has the same sale and everyone avoids it like the plague.

Indeed, many studies show that investors often panic in the face of market uncertainty and sell at exactly the point when they should be buying. The news media certainly does its part to stir up anxiety about the markets. After all, "Market Crash of 2008!!!" sells more headlines than "Stay the course." This barrage of panic-inducing messages makes it that much harder for investors to remain calm and focused on their investment plan and their time horizon.

People need to be reminded again and again that during times of volatility, the best course of action is to stick to a well-designed game plan.

Instant Replay

"Our lives are a mere dot on the long line of eternity."

Driving in my truck this past weekend, my two backseat drivers (Emily, age 8 and Katelyn, age 7) noticed that I went through an intersection and when doing so, the light turned from amber to red. We had a short discussion as to whether or not I ran the red light. Jokingly, I told Emily that we could look at the “instant replay”. She innocently asked me if we really could. I told her that there was indeed instant replay, but we would not be able to see it until we get to heaven. Katelyn jumped in “like they have in NASCAR?” Emily quickly responded “yeah, but probably with a lot more cameras.”

What a great, but simple lesson that fell right into my lap that I was immediately able to teach my girls. Every action we take, whether or not there is someone there to see it, is recorded. God sees everything we do and hears everything we say. Before we take action, or react negatively to a situation, we need to ask ourselves…what is this going to look like on instant replay?

Simply take a count of five before reacting to a situation (if that doesn’t work, take a count of fifty!). As you will agree, most of us find it is hard enough to change ourselves. It is even more difficult to change others. So if you're getting stressed over other people's actions, change how you react, rather than expecting others to change. As you change, watch the people change around you! I promise you this will look exceptional on Heaven’s instant replay!

I Believe

Ann's sister send this to her and I think it deserves a good read. Enjoy!

Birth Certificate shows that we were born. A Death Certificate shows that we died. Pictures show that we lived! Have a seat, relax, and read this slowly .

I Believe...
That just because two people argue, it doesn't mean they don't love each other.
And just because they don't argue, it doesn't mean they do love each other.

I Believe...
That we don't have to change friends if we understand that friends change.

I Believe...
That no matter how good a friend is, they're going to hurt you every once in a while and you must forgive them for that.

I Believe...
That true friendship continues to grow, even over the longest distance. Same goes for true love.

I Believe...
That you can do something in an instant that will give you heartache for life.

I Believe...
That it's taking me a long time to become the person I want to be.

I Believe...
That you should always leave loved ones with loving words. It may be the last time you see them.

I Believe...
That you can keep going long after you think you can't.

I Believe...
That we are responsible for what we do, no matter how we feel.

I Believe...
That either you control your attitude or it controls you.

I Believe...
That heroes are the people who do what has to be done when it needs to be done, regardless of the consequences.

I Believe...
That money is a lousy way of keeping score.

I Believe...
That my best friend and I, can do anything, or nothing and have the best time.

I Believe...
That sometimes the people you expect to kick you when you're down, will be the ones to help you get back up.

I Believe...
That sometimes when I'm angry I have the right to be angry, but that doesn't give me the right to be cruel.

I Believe...
That maturity has more to do with what types of experiences you've had and what you've learned from them and less to do with how many birthdays you've celebrated.

I Believe...
That it isn't always enough, to be forgiven by others. Sometimes, you have to learn to forgive yourself.

I Believe...
That no matter how bad your heart is broken the world doesn't stop for your grief.

I Believe...
That our background and circumstances may have influenced who we are, but, we are responsible for who we become.

I Believe...
That you shouldn't be so eager to find out a secret. It could change your life Forever.

I Believe...
Two people can look at the exact same thing and see something totally different.

I Believe...
That your life can be changed in a matter of hours by people who don't even know you.

I Believe...
That even when you think you have no more to give, when a friend cries out to you - you will find the strength to help.

I Believe...
That credentials on the wall do not make you a decent human being.

I Believe...
That the people you care about most in life are taken from you too soon.

I Believe...
The happiest of people don't necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the most of everything.

Not “When”, but “How”

This week I lost two great individuals who played a part in my life who I greatly admired. One an American, and one a Canadian. One a great teacher, and one a great business man. One a complete stranger, and one a good friend. Both created by God with a predetermined number of days on this earth.

Randy Pausch, an American Carnegie Mellon University computer scientist whose "last lecture" about facing terminal cancer became an Internet sensation and a best-selling book, died Friday. He was 47. Pausch was diagnosed with incurable pancreatic cancer in September 2006. His popular last lecture at Carnegie Mellon in September 2007 garnered international attention. In the lecture, Pausch celebrated living the life he had always dreamed of instead of concentrating on impending death.

George Voisin, a Canadian attorney and real estate genius that when not spending time serving his clients played golf and spent quality time with his spouse Elaine, and their four children. If you could look in the dictionary under healthy, you would see his picture. He passed away most unexpectedly while enjoying a round of golf with friends Tuesday afternoon.

These two gentlemen did not live their lives “When”, but “How”. None of us know how long we are here on this earth. But Jesus certainly gave us the blueprint on how to live while we are here.

Life is too short not to make the best and the most of everything that comes your way everyday of your life. Do what you love to do and give it your very best. Whether it's business or golf, or spending time with the people you love. If you don't love what you're doing and you can't give it your best, then get out of it.

Hug your kids. Help your neighbor. Kiss your wife. Share God’s word. Forgive that person. Don’t hold on to that vintage bottle of wine. Quit putting things off. Go fishing. Share a meal. Keep all promises. Don’t regret. And Carpe Diem! (Seize the Day!).

Home Team Leaders

A great letter to Home Team leaders (and prospective leaders!) written by Dave Cotham, Associate Pastor of Home Teams at BAF...

Leaders,

I wanted to give a huge “Thank You” to all of you for hanging in there in leading your Home Team or other small group, even during these summer doldrums. I understand that some of you receiving this email are no longer leading a group, but, I also understand that doesn’t preclude you from starting another one in the future!

For those of you who have been leading a group for a while, you already understand all the difficult and frustrating times that go along with it:
like calling dozens of referrals, leaving messages, and not getting anyone to answer,
like calling dozens of referrals and finally getting a few to say they will attend, only to not show up,
like having people attend once and then never hearing from them again.

But, for those of you who have been leading a group for a while, you will also remember the times when you felt the Holy Spirit flowing through the group and saw lives truly transformed through the love and trust that was shared there. If you haven’t experienced that yet,,, just hang in there, it will happen, if you continue to open your home and truly open your hearts. I know from experience that the lives that will be transformed the most are the ones of the people leading the group. Christ came to serve and we experience His Love most when we emulate Him by serving.

Since Bay Area Fellowship is a church that reaches out to pagans, heathens, and scoundrels, (I know I fell into all of those categories at one time or another), we can expect some of the same qualities that surround those character types to be reflected in those considering joining a Home Team or other ministry. That means we should expect them to not answer, not show up, and then not come back again. But the great thing about it is when one of these lost soul’s heart gets touched by the love of Christ, demonstrated by you and your group, an incredible transformation can take place. (Again, I speak about this from experience).

I want to ask each of you to please just take a moment and thank God that He has poured out His Mercy, His Grace, and His Love upon your life and has found you worthy to open your home and offer to feed His flock. No one ever said it was going to be easy, most of the things that are truly worthwhile in this life are not easy. But I can assure you that if you hang in there and persevere, it will be rewarding, to you, and to those who God brings your way.

Home Teams are about relationships, and I would bet that you aren’t batting 100% on the other relationships in your life either. It takes some chemistry, some effort, and some of God’s blessings to have a relationship that is something special. Odds are you made some calls, had some no shows, and had a few that didn’t work out in your other relationships also. But I hope you didn’t give up. Because those special, God ordained relationships are out there. We just have to be determined enough to find them. Also, consider this, the enemy would like nothing more than to cause as much frustration and discouragement as possible to deter you from finding those relationships that would draw you and others closer to God. So don’t give him even one small victory, hang in there, keep trying, keep calling, and keep praying.

We will be trying to do our part here to help. We don’t try to do a lot of new things during the summer, simply because it’s SUMMER. Our efforts would not show much fruit during a time when people’s schedules are even more hectic than usual. But we are gearing up to start promoting Home Teams and other ministries again for the fall and to encourage new leaders and enlist new referrals. We will be letting everyone know what we have coming up and I will be asking a few of you out there to help me with some things, so once more, “Thank You” and I look forward to working with you to continue to grow this awesome ministry.
Please let me know if I can help you in any way.
Blessings, Dave

Give Your Kids the Freedom to be Kids

It's summer. Time to sign the kids up for a bunch of activities so that they won't get bored, right?

Maybe. To an extent, perhaps.

Or maybe it's better to give them some time to be kids. For having fun on their own terms. And yes, to be bored.

I'm not entirely against signing kids up for activities. I'm for limiting them. That's because I don't think children need to grow up having someone else always directing them in what they should be doing.

I certainly don't blame kids for getting bored when they're told to get out and play. Too many have too few chances to do just that. Most parents today are far more protective than our own parents were of us. And sometime it is the other way around.

One of my favorite things to do is to tell my girls to just go outside and play. They are normally very receptive to the idea. Then, all I have to do is sit back and keep an ear open for the occasional screams. Meanwhile they're playing kickball, exploring in the garden, digging, getting filthy and having fun.

Encourage your kids to settle their own arguments. And tell them to decide for themselves what is fun. Play with them some of the time, of course, but encourage your kids to take the lead and to not always need you to play in order to have fun. It makes them independent.

Just think about the things you remember most about growing up. Was it the classes you took, the activities you signed up for? Or was it the stuff you did on your own?

Chances are, it's a combination, but doing things all on your own is probably a big part of your favorite childhood memories. No pressure, just time to be you.

Stop listening to all the people talking about all the activities their kids do. Plan any activities based on what will work for your family Let your child learn what it is to win, to lose, to be creative, to get hurt at least a little, to be independent, and to just be a kid!

Are Your Prayers Successful?

Steve Kroening writes for Success Magazine and wrote the following regarding prayer:

Have you ever grown frustrated with your prayer life because it just doesn't seem like God is answering your prayers? Does it sometimes feel like God just doesn't hear anything you pray for? Maybe you even think He doesn't care about your prayers. I know I've been there. Many of us have.

But what you're about to read is what I believe is the number one reason our prayers fail. And what you can do to help bring success to your prayers.

Remember, your only priority is God. And that one priority determines how you treat everything else in life. When you love your spouse, it is because it's God's priority for you to love him or her. When you work hard, it is because it's God's priority for you to do so.

The same truth applies to prayer. When most of us pray, we have our priorities as the main topic of discussion. We ask for things that we want, that we hope for, that we need. However, few of us have learned to pray according to God's priorities.

If you notice the Lord's Prayer, the first request is for God's name to be proclaimed holy (hallowed be thy name). And then it requests His Kingdom to come and His will to be done.

The key here is that the Lord's Prayer is focused on God's priorities. First, that His name be proclaimed holy. Second, that His Kingdom come. And, third, that His will be done.

All of those are God's top priorities. And, so, they need to be our top priorities in prayer.

Of course, we are part of God's priorities. We aren't neglected in the Lord's Prayer. In fact, we are told to pray for our basic needs, forgiveness and the ability to forgive, and our righteousness. These are all God's priorities for us. And we should pray for these.

So any time you see a priority of God in Scripture, start praying that He would manifest that priority in your life. When you see that the greatest commandment is to love God, ask Him to enable you to love Him. You should also pray that He would enable you to love your neighbor. And, while you're at it, ask for help to love your enemies.

God's purposes will always succeed, and His priorities are based on His purposes. So when we pray according to His priorities, we are guaranteed success.

Don't let life get bigger than your God

I am finishing up my "busy" time of year this week. I have to confess that over the past several weeks, I have not felt God's presence. Sitting listening to the preacher yesterday, I heard something very profound. We've all had moments where we knew that God was speaking to us through our pastor. Preaching "straight at us" if you will.

He said, "Don't let life (whether it be a task at hand, your job, your family, etc.) get bigger than your God. By concentrating primarily on my work, and not God, I felt somewhat separated from Him.

Thinking back over the past several weeks, I realize my criteria for being stressed didn’t rank very high on what we would call a crises list! It’s amazing how problems we face in the moment loom larger than they really are. Have you ever been faced with what you thought was a huge trouble, only to learn in due time, that it wasn’t such a big deal? I certainly have.

I am developing a motto to fall back upon during times I feel overwhelmed. I am going to say "God is bigger than this problem!" Then, I am going to be still and listen for a solution.

Christ Jesus has served as my model for human action in times of trial. When he didn’t know what to do, he’d listen for God’s guidance. He knew God’s wisdom was always bigger than any dilemma he faced.

One time, when pondering the direction his ministry should take, he spent forty days in the wilderness fasting and praying. The devil tempted him severely. Jesus resisted the temptations with his final proclamation of, "’Away from me, Satan!" For it is written: Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only. Rather than to give in to the devil’s pressure tactics, Jesus persisted in prayer until spiritual light broke through. He did not yield to discouragement.

If we ever come upon an unexpected hardship we too can resist despair and anger by remembering that we’re not alone. God is with us! God is bigger than the trouble we face. Listening for a little inspiration from above can calm alarm, dissolve despair, and keep our life moving in a progressive happy direction.

All Things New Again - Happy Easter

Video and Music by Brad Paisley & Sara Evans

Uncle Sam, Friend or Foe?

I am trying to get out the word on the tax rebates many of you are expecting. People ask me if it free money. Friend, there is only one thing in this life that is free, but that free gift comes from God. Here is my best explanation. Take it for what you feel its worth.

While the rebate you may receive depends on your 2007 income, it is actually a rebate toward your 2008 taxes. According to the proposed plan, in 2008, taxes would be cut from 10 percent to zero percent on the first $6,000 dollars of taxable income for individual taxpayers. Of course the new zero percent tax bracket is larger for married couples.

It's like a one time tax cut for 2008, but you get the rebate now instead of waiting to file your 2008 taxes. Be aware that because this is an advance payment on your 2008 income taxes, your refund next year could be more (buy probably less!) depending on your 2008 income.

Let's Call it a "Work in Progress"

This week I happened to stumble on an article that really made a lot of sense. It concentrated on a statement Christians often use that might become their self filling prophecy (no doubt created by the enemy). The enemy knows that he cannot change your citizenship in heavenly places or in our relationship to Christ (Ephesians 2:1-7); but he can certainly try and make us feel like second-class citizens. What is this devilish statement? "I'm just a sinner saved by grace."

The Grace of God saved you, but you are a "sinner" no more. That is the enemy's lie to keep you in a defeated place. Nowhere in the New Testament do the writers call those who have a relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ "sinners". We have the living God within us and Paul and the other New Testament writers call believers "Saints". Just think about the repercussions of that statement, "I am just a sinner saved by grace". If you think of yourself as a sinner, how you will act? Lowered expectations cause you to act like you think. If you think you are a "sinner" then you will act like a sinner. So congrats, you Saint!

Don't worry, be happy

Following a very bad experience I had with a reputable online store, I found myself really needing some positive energy to get me through the week. The situation made me take a step back and reflect.

What is the one of the biggest obstacles that we face in living a Christ like life and achieving our personal best?

Our mind and our thoughts. Begin to master them, and we can begin to live more satisfying lives. Then there would be little we could not accomplish over time. Happiness, love, character, success – they all begin in the mind.

The moment we begin paying attention to our thoughts we discover how unruly they are. Estimates place the number of thoughts we have each day at 40 to 60 thousand, and we really don’t have more than a very basic control over them. Increasing this control is often said to be the hardest work of all, but the rewards are priceless. The good news is; even the slightest increase in gaining this control is well worth it.

Joel Osteen talks about thoughts in his most recent book "Become a Better You". To over simplify, Joel says that if we would decide to automatically react to a bad situation by mentally "tagging" it with something positive, our attitude and demeanor will improve drastically.

Here are some things I try to do my best at to rid my mind of negative thoughts: Change the radio station. If the song or the talk is negative or depressing, find something else. Leave the water cooler or lunch room if conversation turns to gossip or something similarly unproductive. Don't use your autopilot to automatically react to everything. Take a minute to set up every situation that comes across your path with a positive thought.

David

Starting anew in 2008

It was great to see new faces in our home team gathering Monday evening (01/07/08). Welcome Brenda, Brandy, Mike and Simon (and kiddos!). Thanks for making us your BAF Home Team! We humbly come into 2008 knowing God is doing great things in the background of each and every one of our lives. He is going to take us places we never could dream possible. God is great!