Big

Title: Big

There was only one word to describe my father when I was 5 years old and that word was Big! I realized this truth on more than one occasion when I tried to walk in his shoes, put on his shirts and look like him. Maybe every boy does this at some time or another or possibly I’m just weird. Regardless, that’s when I understood there is a size differential between people.

According to one dictionary the word ‘BIG” means: large, sizable, substantial, great, huge, immense, enormous, extensive, colossal, massive, mammoth, vast, tremendous, monumental, mighty, gargantuan, gigantic, giant etc.

There is a contrast between big and small seen in a historical narrative within the books of the Bible and it’s about a boy named David and a man named Goliath. This might be one of the best-known accounts in the entire Bible.

It’s a story about a young boy who faced a crisis of mammoth proportions. A gigantic and massive person named Goliath challenged David to a battle that would ultimately determine the outcome of a war. If there were an Ultimate Fighting Championship, this would have been it! The results seemed predictable but even though Goliath was more powerful, more experienced and much larger in stature, David overcame the odds, rose to the occasion and triumphed convincingly. His victory opened the door for His country to experience freedom from persecution and provided an opportunity for unadulterated celebration.

When a person is confronted with things bigger than he or she is – the possibility of fear and a spirit of intimidation can grip the heart and cloud the thinking. Paul the Apostle said these words:

2Tim. 1:7 “For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid but gives us power love and self-discipline.”

David wasn’t afraid. Here are 3 reasons:

1. David walked in obedience because he loved God.

God used his obedience as His pen to write David’s future. Walking in obedience prepares you for battles bigger than you! When you follow God’s lead, give heed to His instruction and walk in accordance to His Word you will triumph over your gigantic challenges.

2. David walked in humility while his opponent stood in arrogance and pride.

James 4:6,  “God sets himself against the proud, but he shows favor to the humble.”

3. David depended upon God and not his own abilities.

Proverbs 3:5-6, Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.

David’s victory was not recorded to communicate mere information. It was written to help all of us gain insight and courage. Victory over the ‘bigger than you’ challenges is possible for you and me if we follow in David’s footsteps and place our confidence in the Lord.

Have you ever been confronted with things bigger than you? Maybe your debt has become a giant and seems insurmountable. Possibly you have lost your job and the very thought of training for a new career seems overwhelming.

We all encounter times when we feel like underdogs, facing insurmountable odds? If you humbly walk in obedience to God’s word, remain confident in His strength and stand in faith, you can face the big things in life with the assurance that God will fight on your behalf and show you the practical steps to victory. The ‘BIG’ things may be larger than you but they are smaller than God.

Live Different

by Andrew Cromwell

Dave Ramsey, the radio host and financial guru, says, “Live like no one else, so you can live like no one else.” There is a lot of truth in that statement. For his purposes, he is talking about handling your finances in a way that is different from how most people do. Most people borrow more than they can afford and then they spend it on things they don’t need only to spend the rest of their lives paying for it. But for those that decide to restrict their spending, get out of debt and invest wisely now — even though it is difficult to do and even though it might mean driving an older car, getting a second job, or living in a smaller house — there is a payoff on the other side.

Live differently and you get a different outcome.

But how you manage your money isn’t the only way we should live differently. Those who follow Christ should live differently in many ways. Jesus said to His followers, “I chose you to come out of this world.” And in Paul’s letter to the believers in Rome, he writes, “Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. “

It is pretty clear that Christians are supposed to be non-conformists. This doesn’t mean that they are supposed to disagree and get into arguments with everyone (which it seems some believe is their personal calling), but rather that they are to live their lives in a way that honors God. God wants ownership of every area of our lives and this means that as followers of Christ we should live differently in all areas, but we will name a few specifics.

For those that follow Christ, their thoughts, behaviors, and relationships should all be conducted in a way that honor God.

in thoughts…   We see over and over again in Scripture, God’s thoughts are different than humankind’s thoughts. It doesn’t take more than a few minutes reading Jesus’ Words that we begin to see how differently He wanted His followers to view the world and people. We are struck by His concepts of leadership, servanthood, forgiveness, and grace. These concepts are so different from our natural human concepts that we struggle to even hold them in our mind for longer than a few moments. But if we are to get them inside of us so they actually become the way we think, then our very thoughts about everything must be changed. The only way to get our thoughts in sync with His thoughts is by repeated exposure to the cleaning power of the Word (the Bible). This means we must read, memorize, think about and talk about it!

in behaviors…  The Apostle Paul reminds Christ-followers that their bodies don’t belong to them, but they belong to Christ. He compares the bodies of those who have given their hearts to Christ to temples of worship. Temples are cared for, kept clean, and are set apart for worship services. In the same way, the body of the believer should be cared for. What goes in it, how it is used, where it is taken, and what it does should all reflect that this body belongs to Christ.

in relationships…  The way we treat ALL other people should be characterized by kindness, patience, deference and humility. This includes the people we like and the people we don’t like. Interestingly, Jesus said the way we should treat even those who hate us is with love and goodness. So Christians shouldn’t go around cutting people down to size with their words, waving at people with that special finger, or losing their temper when other people are dumb. Instead, they are to treat every person as one who is valuable and precious (because they are).

Following Christ is not a recreational sport. It is a life-decision. But for those who choose this way of life, Jesus promised to give an enduring joy and a continuing strength to face all of life’s challenges.

Freedom

by Tim Howard

If you want to gather a large crowd around you, simply shout the word ‘FREE!’  People from every nook and cranny will come running because the very term itself suggests you will get something for nothing. Most people like a good sale but everyone loves to get something for free.

The truth, however, is just the opposite. Everything costs something! Nothing is FREE!  It may be at no expense to you personally but believe me when I say: Someone paid a price!

Today we celebrate our freedom as a nation. The idea of liberty that has kindled the fires of independence in this nation is firmly rooted in the Word of God. 
   
The cost for our nation to experience freedom from tyranny came at a very high price. Every year on Memorial Day we remember the fallen solders who made the ultimate sacrifice so others could experience liberty and independence. As we celebrate today, may we not pass the opportunity to pause and say Thank You!

We must never forget: The call to freedom is a privilege – not a right. It has been provided for us, by others and should be honored by those of us who have been entrusted with it.

We must never forget: We are free to choose but not free from the consequences of our choices. We are responsible for the decisions we make. It is not the right to choose but the privilege to choose what is right.

There is not victory without a fight! It’s one thing to get free and another thing to stay free. Since July 4, 1776 America has fought many wars to insure our continued freedom as country.

The freedom God brings to us goes far beyond a physical freedom, however. He sent Jesus to free us from selfishness, greed, hatred, lust and so much more. You don’t have to walk in depression or darkness because there is a light that leads to liberty. That light shines brightly wherever Jesus is exalted. Nations may leave their roots but to those who stay connected to the foundation will prosper.

Jesus said: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because He anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind, to set FREE those who are oppressed.” He died so we could live life to its fullest. He came to set us free!

People everywhere – living in a free nation but still bound and addicted to sin, drugs, alcohol, perversion, materialism, racism and a host of other things. Living in a free nation doesn’t guarantee your personal freedom.  

In John 8, Jesus made an incredibly profound statement.  He said, “You will know the truth and the truth will set you free.  And if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” We’re not truly free and cannot experience God’s ultimate freedom unless we accept the price that our Great Liberator has paid for our freedom.

Jesus tells us that we are slaves to whatever controls us. He came to liberate those who are bound and He is available to free you right now. Why live in a free nation and remain bound? Why not ask Him to set you free?  Make this weekend a time to celebrate – Not only our nations freedom but yours as well. God came to set you free!

Yield

by Andrew Cromwell

Of all the advice offered on how to succeed in life, yielding is not commonly found on the list. Almost anyone will tell you “be true to yourself” and always be sure to “pay yourself first.” Then there is the ever popular, “stand up for yourself” and “don’t let them see you sweat.”

In Christian circles, there is frequently a strong emphasis on the teaching that the man is in charge and should lead his family. This seems to imply that the man should have the final say in every area of family life, how the money is spent, the activities in which they engage, the children’s discipline, the family’s spiritual life, and everything else. Wives are told they should “submit to their husbands.”

This teaching is a distortion of what the Apostle Paul was saying in his letter to the church in the city of Ephesus. It is only half the story. But the directions given to the husbands are often de-emphasized or ignored completely.

Here are the two relevant verses side by side, Ephesians chapter five verses 22 and 25:

22 For wives, this means submit to your husbands as to the Lord.

25 For husbands, this means love your wives, just as Christ loved the church. He gave up his life for her.

Wives submitting to their husbands is only half of the story. The other half is that husbands are supposed to love their wife the same way that Christ loved the church. Specifically, Christ died for the church! That’s how much He loved her.

Paul was not advocating actual physical death for husbands (at least in most cases). But he was definitely advocating for a kind of death. This death is death to the self and to selfish motives and desires.

Christ died for the church so that the church would have everything it needed in order to be the best and most beautiful that it could be. The only way for that to happen was for Him to give His life. In the same way, husbands should so love their wives that they are willing to do whatever needs to be done to help their wives be the best and most beautiful that they can be inside and out.

And this is where “yield” comes in. Very often, what is best for a wife is not what is most convenient or easiest for the husband. It requires the husband to yield his desires to the greater desire required by love.

We yield to demonstrate our love for them. We yield to serve them. We yield because our preferences don’t always need to be in first place.

When we choose to yield to the other out of love, then we are giving up our desires for their good. The goal isn’t to make someone happy, the goal is to love them in a way that demonstrates to them how much they matter.

The difficulty is that we don’t like to yield. We like to be the boss. We like it our way. We have saying’s like, “my way or the highway.” This phrase communicates power, authority, and determination.

Yielding is not about losing, it is about releasing. When we yield out of love, we release the need to always have our way. We give up the need to always be right. We gain freedom from our own selfish desires as we yield to the desires of another. We also gain relationship capital with the other person for we have demonstrated that we actually care about them.

What will yielding do to you? Hurt your pride? Make you feel second? Force you to wait? I can’t think of a better reason for you to yield.

Up

by Tim Howard

Have you ever met someone intriguing? Someone who made you feel better – just for being around them? You may have encountered them while things were dark and difficult but their presence, their words and their actions cheered you up. I’ve met people like that and they were a joy to be with.

John Maxwell – in one of his books talks about the “Elevator Principle.’
This principle says people are like elevators. Some bring you up and others bring you down. I can’t speak for you but I enjoy being with those who are going up and tend to bring others along with them. When you are with that type of person you are encouraged, enlightened and elevated to a higher place.

The Apostle Paul met a man like this when he first started to follow Jesus. His name was Joseph but the Apostles nicknamed him Barnabas because of his characteristics. He was a man who encouraged people and influenced them to see things in a positive light. He lived out the admonition found in 1 Thessalonians 5:11 “Therefore encourage one another and build each other up ...”

As a young man I struggled with Dysthymia, which is sometimes called chronic depression. It seems to be less severe than deep depression but still has long-lasting symptoms. I liken it to putting something on the back burner. You can still function in life but there is always something in the background that keeps dragging you into a state of discouragement, which triggers depression. If it weren’t for caring and compassionate people encouraging me along the way – I don’t know where I would be today!

Discouragement in the dictionary means to lose confidence and enthusiasm. In fact, it is closely connected to the word courage. When you lose courage to move on and pursue life to its fullest – you are experiencing discouragement.

Throughout the Bible we see this happening to people over and over again. They lose their courage and people come to their aid with a specific word, a helping hand, a letter or a visit that brings encouragement. The Apostle Paul might have learned this art form from Barnabas because he modeled this form of motivation throughout the New Testament.

Many doors allow discouragement to enter into our personal world. Failure is one of them. It is a major reason for discouragement and when it knocks on your door watch out – especially if the door is open and it finds easy access. The level of failure will greatly determine the depth of discouragement. Loss of something or someone – Chronic pain – Betrayal – Broken relations and grief are just a few of those experiences that fuel discouragement but many more exist.
         
Sometimes we hurt and it has nothing to do with us personally. We haven’t failed – we haven’t been a contributor – it just happens! We may hurt because our children hurt. Possibly a friend is going through a difficult time and because of our closeness to them, we feel their pain. When pain comes in it’s various forms  it helps to have an encourager by your side. Why? Because encouragement is the antidote to discouragement and we all need a shot of support now and again.

The author of Hebrews tells people not to neglect meeting together because connecting with others is a great source of strength. You will be amazed at the number of people desiring to be with you if you are an elevator person who likes to go ‘up’

People called Joseph – Barnabas because he lifted people up. What do people call you?

Understand

by Andrew Cromwell

Understanding is a valuable commodity. If there was a way to miraculously increase the amount of understanding between people, it would certainly result in drastic improvements in our world. Because misunderstanding is universal it is hardly necessary to point out examples of the way this affects all of our daily lives. But we will nevertheless.

Misunderstandings are so common we take them for granted. In business, we put clauses in our contracts and endorsements on our insurance policies to help cover the very real costs that accompany failures to communicate. Universities offer degrees in conflict resolution and counselors all over the country have thriving practices because people can’t seem to figure each other out.

If only there was some easy way to solve the problem. If there was an “understanding” pill, we’d swallow it daily without question. Or if there was elective surgery that fixed relationship misunderstandings, it would be more popular than chin tucks and mommy makeovers, guaranteed.

But there is no simple solution to this challenge! Understanding, real understanding, requires sustained effort, deep humility and a sense of humor. The great news is that it is possible. Like any skill that can be honed and improved upon over time, the skill of communicating for understanding is one that can be learned and improved upon.

As with so many other important parts of life, this one functions best if our launching pad is love. When we are grounded in a true and deep loving concern for others, our goal is to understand and not just to dominate.

Whether we are communicating with our children, our spouse, our boss, our best friend, or someone we just met, getting to understanding should always be our goal. And while we may never score a perfect ten when it comes to understanding, following these simple reminders will certainly keep our scores improving.

...keep the goal in mind. If your goal is to win every conversation, then getting to understanding will always take second place. The goal is understanding. Don’t make the conversation about you, but instead about good communication. Worry less about image management (looking good to the other person) and more about understanding management (connecting with the other person). If this is our main goal, then we will naturally slow down and take the time necessary for good communication.

...listen for what they are trying to say, not just how they are saying it. There is no doubt that how something is said is very important, but when listening if we fail to take into account the whole picture, we will constantly jump to the wrong conclusion. Especially when it comes to meaningful, emotion-filled communication, often people use the wrong words or the wrong tone. But a skilled listener focuses on the heart of the communicator and seeks first their meaning and intention, not their tone and word choice.

...assume the best and stop being suspicious! Too many of us pre-judge the person we are listening too. We listen with an ear that is already full—full of preconceived assumptions, judgements, and prejudice. It is a wonder we can hear anything except what we expect to hear! Our condition tends to be the worst when we are listening to people that we have a history with. History tends to clog the ears because “we’ve heard it before” and we expect history to repeat itself.

Next time you approach a conversation, especially one that you know will be emotionally charged, take a moment to clean your ears. Intentionally wipe the slate clean and decide to give the other person the benefit of the doubt. Actually decide to think the best about them and about what they are going to say to you. This simple act will go a long way to help you actually “hear” what they are saying.

If we are motivated by love and we follow these simple principles, then we can certainly grow in our ability to both understand and be understood!

X-Ray Vision

by Tim Howard

When I was I grammar school I loved Superman. He was my favorite Super Hero. He could jump tall buildings; run faster than a locomotive and best of all – he had x-ray vision, which gave him the power to see through almost everything.

I wanted that ability!  Since my hormones were in transition, however, I’m not sure the rationale behind this desire was all that noble.

Technology has advanced greatly over the years and now we have the ability to see with x-ray vision in some areas. My grandson had an x-ray some time ago because of a broken arm and it was amazing to see how different the view is when a person looks beneath the surface.

In the real world people tend to look at the outward and ignore the inward. Too often they draw conclusions on the basis of what they see rather than investigating all the facts. If the car looks pretty they buy it – not checking to see if the engine needs attention. I know this to be true because I’ve done it – more than once. Shame on me!

This isn’t a new phenomenon because back in Old Testament times God spoke to Samuel when he was searching for the next king.

1Sam. 16:7 But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance but the LORD looks at the heart. NIV

Life is not just about the external. A tennis star of years past said that ‘Image is everything’ but that statement is not true.

Jesus said: Matt. 23:25 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and the plate, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence.”

Character is to be the foundation for life and it starts on the inside. People may be drawn to a person’s outward charm or the magnetism but if there is no character fueling the presentation – shallowness exists. Beware!

To build character and a firm foundation you must take some time to look inside – you must examine yourself – you must look beneath the surface – you must take an x-ray.  Real beauty is more than skin deep!

This is a difficult assignment because what we see inside isn’t always pretty. As mystifying and perplexing as this may be – it must be done because living a full life – demands an awareness of what’s going on inside.

There are people walking around today unaware they have a ticking bomb inside them. A tumor that may be cancerous – a aneurism that is ready to explode or a heart condition that needs attention. Without an X-ray they can’t deal with the problem because they are not aware a problem exists.

The Apostle Paul tells us to test ourselves.
2Cor. 13:5 “Test yourselves to make sure you are solid in the faith. Don’t drift along taking everything for granted. Give yourselves regular checkups. You need firsthand evidence, not mere hearsay that Jesus Christ is in you. Test it out. If you fail the test, do something about it.”  MSG

We all need teachers to teach us and test us. We all need doctors to examine and check on our well being from time to time but you must not wait for others. You must test yourself! If you know how to take a ‘Selfie’ on your phone – You must learn to take an X-ray of your heart.