Studying for a new message series

Today I've been studying for a new message series titled: ICNU.

It's going to look at six biblical characters especially selected by God.  The series will show us that God hasn't only chosen these famous individuals for His work, but that we are also selected to do great things for His name and His glory. 
In order the messages will look at Abraham, Moses, Jonah, Joseph, Esther and David.

Week #2 of "Getting Out & Staying Out"

So we're in a three week message series on getting out and staying out of debt.  Last Sunday was more about the "getting out".  But I also spoke about something even more burdensome than being in debt: being personally enslaved to money.  We read Jesus' words in Matthew 6:24, "You can't serve both God and money."  It's like Jesus is saying the number one thing that will keep you from loving and serving God is being a servant or slave to money. Whether we're in debt to it or greedy for it, loving money is a killer to our relationship to God.
This week we'll be talking about the "staying out" of debt and the love for money.  You see, it's one thing to get out of something, it's another to stay out.  We'll explore what it looks like to be content with what we have.  And in studying for the message I was hit hard by this statement: 

To be more content with what I have, 

I have to become more and more discontent

 with what other people don’t have.

What a great phrase!  It's like saying I've got to become more satisfied with the "needs" God has taken care of in my life and then instead of using the excess for my "wants", I'm positioned to fill the needs of those He puts in my path.

Hope you can make it this Sunday.  

Click on the series logo below to hear last weeks message.

Tough workout @ Shred!

This morning was one of the toughest workouts ever at Shred Fitness. It's Labor Day Monday and 24 of us showed up to be put through the ringer. Often our workout time is under 20 minutes but this one took over an hour! The workout was called "Small" and Marcus, our trainer, partnered us up with a workout buddy.

Excited about a new three week message series

Tomorrow I'm beginning a short message series about money. It's titled:

God's Word speaks so much about money and our finances that it would be odd to not speak about it in our church services. 
I understand the awkwardness for some folks because of the tone TV preachers have and how the "health and wealth" movement presents the topic.
But the correlation between one's spiritual growth and how they spend their money cannot be denied. Take a peek at Matthew 6:24 and 33 to get a hint of what we'll be talking about.