The Truth About Lies

by Tim Howard

If you’ve ever been caught in a lie, then you know the awkward and precarious place you find yourself in. A  study done on the campuses of several High Schools revealed the majority of students believe lying and cheating is permissible as long as no one gets caught.

Even though I understand why a person might subscribe to this belief, the truth about lies makes this opinion deadly. Being caught in a lie provides an opportunity to correct a faulty decision and right a wrong. It clears the way for building a firm foundation for a life based upon truth. 

If a person thinks that ‘telling’ a lie is acceptable, what is to be said for those who think ‘believing’ a lie is non-damaging? What you believe will set the direction you take. Solomon records this truth in Proverbs 23:7. When you believe a lie, it’s like reading a faulty road map. We all know what happens when our GPS doesn’t work properly. You get lost!

There are a lot of lost people in the world! People who have lost their identity and fail to realize how significant they are to God. Many have lost a sense of purpose and direction. Always busy, accumulating more and more stuff but not really making any progress. They amble around but go in circles. Could it be caused by a faulty belief system?

We hear lies every day! Falsehoods are sung, shouted and whispered in our ears. Falsehoods hypnotize and cajole us to buy perfume, magazines, I-phones, dish detergent, condominiums, books, fly spray, laxatives, sewing lessons, electronic gadgets, beer, vacation cruises, dating services and on and on and on...

The insidious truth is: We are told what to think and are seduced into believing false notions about who we are, what we must have, where we must go and how we ought to live in order to be happy. Many of the things being offered on the idea market are lies.

The first recorded lie in the Bible was told to Eve in the Garden of Eden. Satan was the liar, which is no surprise because John 8 tells us that he is the father of all lies. In other words, when you confront a lie, you are in conflict with him because he is the source of all falsehood. Eve believed the lie and acted upon it. The consequences were catastrophic! When you listen to a lie, believe a lie and act upon a lie, you can expect the same results. 

According to God’s Word the truth about lies is very clear. Lies will lead you astray but truth will keep you on the right path. Lies will create a serious fault line in your character but truth will provide a solid foundation. Lies will lead to deception and destruction but truth will develop and deliver you from much unnecessary pain. Believing lies will shatter your life but truth will put it back together. 

There are many church families in Kings County that disseminate truth on a regular basis. Why not visit one of them this weekend and commit yourself to walking in the truth.

You Are A leader

by Andrew Cromwell

Most of us don’t feel like leaders. When it comes to the “L” word, we believe that it must apply to someone else, but certainly not to us. We think of leaders as the people who have an important title and are in charge of lots and lots of people. We think of them as the ones who are always sharply dressed, super smart and walk around with a take no prisoners attitude.

And while these things might be hallmarks of a leader (emphasis on “might”), the truth is there are leaders of all shapes and sizes. True, we are not all called to be leaders of thousands, but I do believe that we all can be leaders.

First, we must lead ourselves. This, above all is probably the most challenging of all leadership tasks. The Roman philosopher Seneca said, “Most powerful is he who has himself in his own power.” The day we stop blaming others for our lot in life and start taking charge of our own emotions and actions is the day we start taking up the role of a leader. 

People who lead themselves are constantly seeking to understand themselves more so that they are not hostages to their own out-of-control emotions. They seek out new experiences so that they can grow. They ask others to give them constructive feedback. They learn how to identify the warning signs of anger, depression and worry long before these destructive emotions have taken over, and they stop them dead in their tracks.

Second, we must lead the people around us. Don’t make the mistake of thinking that the only leaders are the ones that have titles on their door or business card. Leadership is simply the ability to influence those around you. You don’t need a title to influence your friends -- you just need their trust.

I can’t emphasize this point enough. Too many times, we take a backseat in situations that are crying out for leadership because we say something silly like, “it’s not my job.” We take ourselves out of the game and sit on the bench without ever taking a shot. 

This world is begging for people who will stand up and speak the truth. People who will say what needs to be said. People who will row against the current rather than just give up and float downstream. 

You don’t have to be the smartest person in the room (actually, all the research shows that it is not great intelligence that makes for great leadership). You don’t have to be the person with the biggest paycheck. And you certainly don’t have to be the person wearing the nicest suit. Instead, you need to be willing to step out and take a swing. 

The pastors in the Kings County would love to help you influence your family and community for the good.  Why don’t you give them a chance this weekend?

The Fight: Round 2

by Tim Howard


Have you ever had someone come at you with harm as his or her intent? If so, you’ve been confronted with a very important question. Is this a flight or fight situation?

I’ve heard people say they are lovers and not fighters. They want peace, not war. King David was that type of man. Psalm 120:7 clearly reveals his innermost desires. The problem however, was simple.  Those who wanted war surrounded David. They wanted to fight!  They didn’t want peace! David’s story reveals he was a man who loved God but was also a great warrior. He was both, a lover and a fighter!

I’m a promoter of the ‘flight’ response if at all possible but realize there are times when the ‘fight’ response is necessary. I say this not out of cowardice but wisdom. If a fight can be avoided and the right goals succeed, it is best. 

When you must fight, however, the right weapons can bring victory. 

Paul the Apostle addresses this issue in 2 Corinthians 10:3-6. “The world is unprincipled. It's dog-eat-dog out there! The world doesn't fight fair. But we don't live or fight our battles that way—never have and never will. The tools of our trade aren't for marketing or manipulation, but they are for demolishing that entire massively corrupt culture. We use our powerful God-tools for smashing warped philosophies, tearing down barriers erected against the truth of God…Our tools are ready at hand for clearing the ground of every obstruction and building lives of obedience into maturity.” MSG

The tools or weapons God uses aren’t your typical type. They aren’t designed to help you carry out revenge like Dirty Harry. They won’t help you to fight fire with fire and they can’t be used for your own personal vendettas. The weapons given by God will bring forgiveness, freedom and fullness when used properly.

Of all the weapons we have received, I think ‘Truth’ is among the top ten. In Ephesians 6 when Paul is talking about warfare he tells us to make sure we have truth on our side whenever we encounter opposition and need to fight. He likens it to a belt which when buckled around the waist keeps everything together and in place. 

A marriage between a man and woman will fall apart if truth doesn’t reign in the relationship. A business venture will fail if it isn’t based upon truth. An argument founded upon a lie will never turn out well. 

“Speak the ’truth’ in love” is what the Bible tells us to do. When you speak the truth, it has the power to break through the opponent’s facade. When you speak the ‘truth in love’ it has the power to build the opponent’s character. Everyone wins.

Truth can hurt but in the end it’s worth embracing. A doctor’s knife may cause pain but when the cancer is removed, the joy is overwhelming. 

When you speak the truth at the right time, in the right way and with the right attitude the results will be freedom. It may not stop the battle but it will free you in the midst of the battle.  

We all live in a world that requires us to fight. You must fight against depression, which comes frequently. You must fight the overwhelming feeling of hopelessness that comes when you hear the daily news. You must fight to keep your head above water when your dreams are shattered and disappointments abound. When you fight, make sure you know the truth about God. He’s on your side.

The Gift that No One Wants

by Andrew Cromwell

As we enter the Christmas season much of our attention is focused on the gifts we will be giving to friends and family. Whether you are the type of person that wakes at an ungodly hour to crash the stores on the day after Thanksgiving or the person that waits until the last minute to fight for parking spaces and wait in line, all of us want to match up the right gift to the right person.

And each year we both give and receive a myriad of novelty gifts — the tie that blinks and sings, the chachki that was oh so carefully selected in the dollar aisle, the dreaded and much lampooned fruitcake. No one wants these gifts. And yet we continue to give them because we feel obligated to go through the ritual even if the gifts have long ago ceased to be significant.

Do something different this year! Break the mold, save money, and instead write a card or a note. Take that five or ten dollars and give it to charity in the name of that person who would normally get a junk gift. Our church has helped people do this for the last couple of years and we have discovered that people LOVE to receive these types of gifts. You can find out more info on what we are doing this year at our website at kcfchurch.org.

There is one gift that no one wants, but we all need. This is a gift that communicates true love and concern but is one of the most difficult to give. It costs no money. It involves no trips to the mall. You don’t even have to wrestle with the scotch tape and wrapping paper.

It is the gift of honest conversation.

For a close friend or loved family member, an honest conversation can be the most difficult and yet the most rewarding gift that you can give. The truth is, honest conversations are uncomfortable. They usually involve talking about things that we would rather not bring up. It might involve talking about the person’s bad behavior or their inability to see the way their actions are damaging to others. It might mean telling a spouse the way you really feel and revealing a part of your heart that hasn’t been shared in a long time. For all of these reasons and more, honest conversations are usually avoided at all costs.

And yet, when we avoid having honest conversations with the people we love, we actually keep our relationships from growing deeper and more significant. We avoid talking straight with people because we are afraid of hurting their feelings and damaging our relationship with them. But when we do that we actually refuse to believe that a deeper relationship is possible.

What we forget is that honest conversations are the key to growth. We need each other to speak truth so that we can get better. The question is, do we love someone enough to tell them the truth? I believe if we all took time to have some serious conversations this Christmas, we might actually learn something and grow deeper.

The pastors in Kings County would love to get a chance to help you have an honest conversation with Father God. When is the last time you two talked? Grab your family and get in church this weekend, there’s no better time than the present.