Joyous Thirst

When you made the decision to become a Christian....what was it that brought you there?  In my Bible study group last Sunday we are going through a book called Tactics  where it helps us be more productive when sharing the Gospels to others.  At the core of this book is the effort for which we are not there to change someone's mind right then and there, but we are to hopefully share with them the good news that places a small pebble in their shoe. Quick Blog Update: It's pretty amazing to see this blog and the outcomes that have come from just a little bit of sharing on a site.  I've had many people start conversations with me about Jesus that I never thought would happen.  It has also given me more opportunities to serve.  I haven't been writing as frequently because of these opportunities.  I am pursuing some leadership roles within my church and also pursuing more one on one ministry.  Plain and simple, my reason for starting this blog a year...

The past couple weeks I've been diving (pun intended) into the story of Jonah.  We all know that he spent three days in the belly of the beast, but do you know how he got there?  Jonah decided to disobey God by going towards another city.  Jonah got on a boat to run away from where God had told him to go.  Here are my three key takeaways from Jonah's story: 1) God will use "bumpers," 2) God can use you whether or not you're available, and 3) God is bigger than anything you can even dream of.  1)  God will use "Bumpers" Jonah decided not to go towards Nineveh, instead he headed towards Tarshish.  Jonah is on a boat with other sailors and as they are traveling they encounter a great storm.  The storm was so great that the ship "threatened to break up."  This storm and the risk to the ship was great enough for the sailors to start throwing cargo off of the ship and cry out to their own gods.  What was happening?  I am fortunate to k...

The past month my church group has been focusing on the Sermon on the Mount for which we get the Beatitudes from Jesus.  The cool thing about going through this has been that I learned that the order of the Beatitudes is important as Jesus was giving His people a road map of how to be transformed through Him.  Jesus lived His life perfectly and is our example for what we should strive for.  Two times Jesus talks about righteousness in the Beatitudes:  "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness for they will be satisfied" and "Blessed are those that are persecuted for the sake of righteousness for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."  As I learned more about this and dove deeper into my own prayer time it occurred to me that Jesus didn't say blessed are THE righteous, or blessed are those that are persecuted for THEIR righteousness.....no, Jesus said blessed are those who hunger and thirst, blessed are those that are persecuted for the sake of righte...

A quick google search of the word "safe" will come up with this definition: protected from or not exposed to danger or risk.  Not likely to be harmed or lost.  Fear is absolutely a tool used by the enemy to turn our focus away from God and towards our own perception.  I learned back when I used to play golf that there were two types of fears: Rational and Irrational.  Rational fear is a legitimate fear, for example:  If I am swimming in the ocean and sharks are circling me....that is a rational legitimate fear.  Irrational fear is one that has no merit or even reason to be there, for example:  If I'm scared to go for a run in my neighborhood because a plane could crash on top of me.  One of the fears has a place, but the other doesn't....That is if you are only seeing the situations from the context of the human perspective.  Let's change the context to the supernatural power of God! There are countless stories in the Bible in which fear...

I took a little break from writing the past couple weeks because I've been quite overwhelmed with "just life."  Do you ever get that?  The place where everything seems to sum up to the "I'm in over my head moment."  The interesting thing is that during these moments where I'm in over my head, the thing that is needed most is alone time with God, yet I just try harder to insulate myself with "busyness" or activities to take my mind off the circumstances.  It's like I try and create motions....just to go through them.  It must be frustrating for God to see me always try and take control of situations, even though I know full and well that the only thing I can control is the pouring of my focus onto him in any circumstance.  Unfortunately, sometimes during circumstances I'll almost point at God and ask "Why!?" instead of asking God: "Who?!" I could go down the list of things that have happened over the past month that...

"If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.  But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind." James 1:5-6 You know when you hear the same thing over and over again it seems to stick?  My dad used to tell my sisters and me "Don't do anything you can't take back."  Really I think he was mostly telling us to not steal, and to not jump out of an airplane, because in this life everything you do cannot be taken back.  That is why the Bible talks so much about the tongue and the wicked things that can happen from the inside.  Recently I can tell that God is telling me to focus on the internal.  At the end of the day, that is where it all begins.  What others see on the outside is direct result of what you have internally going on.  That's a pretty easy conclusion right?  Think of someone that is ...

We all get disappointed....don't we?  Something doesn't quite turn out the way that it was planned.  Maybe a job doesn't go how it was supposed to go.  Perhaps a person wrongs you or uses you.  Sometimes, the worst disappointment is in yourself and your own missteps.  Where does this disappointment come from?  As I was thinking about it, to me it comes because I look to the future expecting an outcome based on the information at hand.  Disappointment's root is the predetermination of an outcome, mixed with the desire for what you expect.  In scripture we can clearly see that God has His hand on every happening, every occurrence, every single second of all existence, and how He has used His creation for His will.  There are many stories in the Bible in which you see God's promises fulfilled.  Look at Noah, Moses, Abraham, Sarah....the list goes on and on.  So if we take in all this information that God's promises ALWAYS are fulfilled...

"We live in an age when unnecessary things are our only necessities"-Oscar Wilde I don't know when Mr. Wilde said this, but I do know that he lived during the 1800s which is far removed from the year 2019 that we currently reside in.  The time might be well off, but this quote is still applicable, maybe even more so today than in the 1800s.  How does this quote apply to your life?  What unnecessary things are necessities to you?  What are the necessities of life that lead to true joy? I don't know how to describe it, but you just have to trust me on this from my own experience:  When you are in good relationship and continuously feeding from the vine of Jesus, you will see your life and the lives of others just as God sees.  The things of this world will be just that: things.  The accomplishments of this world will only have meaning if they are in line with the will of God.  This does not mean that you will not have problems, but your perspect...

The weather was perfect and the ball field was prepared.  The Marlins were in the World Series and it was the final game.  The bats came alive early and they went up, but soon the Royals clawed back.  The perfect season was put on the line.  In the last inning, with the sun shining down into the first baseman's eyes, the Royals hit a beamer right down the first base line that got lost in the sun.  The Royals have won the World Series.  This wasn't supposed to happen!  The Marlins had prepared, the Marlins were ready for this and were playing great.  The Marlins were the best team all season long! None of us are immune to defeat.  It is a part of life and something that can either hinder your development or teach you far greater lessons than winning will.  Why is it sometimes though that certain defeats feel worse than others?  Is it because we put pressure on a situation, an event, or even a person?  Many times in the Bible w...

This past weekend I was blessed to get to go down to Orlando to meet with an advisory board for College Golf Fellowship.  CGF is a group that ministers to college golfers and being a past college golfer I certainly know the importance of having people around you in such a major time in your life to lead you spiritually and help you seek out the Lord.  I got to play golf with 2-time U.S. Open Champion Lee Janzen, and of course I asked him question upon question.  There is something about seeing someone in their "element" that I just truly love.  At dinner one evening I asked Lee: "What is the difference between a really good golfer and one who makes it?"  He told me that there is one major difference:  Great Self Image Great Self Image I am fortunate enough to have been teammates and roommates with Dustin Johnson in college.  I can tell you this, there is no one more positive in himself than that man.  In anything he does, he believes with 100%...

"Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize?  Run in such a way that you may obtain it.  And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things.  Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown.  Therefore I run thus:  not with uncertainty.  Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air.  But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified. " 1 Corinthians 9:25-27. This past week, I've really been in the state of finishing.  It could be because I'm remodeling my house, but my focus has been on completion.  But why is it that we want to finish something?  Is it to show ourselves that we can do it?  Is it to achieve a level of accomplishment or prize?  Above in the passage, Paul is sharing to the Corinthians that we all are in a race, but the reason for the competition is the ...

As I stood on the 4th tee at Jacksonville Golf and Country Club playing with at the time one of the best professionals on the PGA Tour, I learned one of the most important lessons in golf.  For most of my golf career I always liked curving the ball from right to left.  The 4th hole requires you however to hit it from left to right.  After knocking my golf ball into the woods, Len Mattiace asked me why I didn't play my golf ball from left to right to avoid the trouble.  I replied that I don't do that and that I don't like that shot.  He then asked me:  "What do you do on holes that you have to hit that shot?"  I replied that I typically don't like those holes and I hope to not do too much damage to my round on them.  He then showed me that I needed a "go-to" shot.  A go-to shot is one that you can always rely on.  It is one that if you're under pressure and you have to hit a shot that you know you can always hit, this is the one to use....

Jesus said:  "You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them.  Not so with you.  Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all.  For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." Being a leader is a difficult thing to do.  Can you think back at some of the leaders you have had in your life?  What made them so different?  For me, the leaders that I look back to all have one thing in common:  They do for me what I can't, and because of that, they instill a confidence that my holes are filled with their skill and effort.  Great leaders don't tell you how to do something, they show you it can be done.   Jesus in this story is talking with James and John. To put it into context, James and John are asking Jesus if ...

"Remember how He told you, while he was still with you in Galilee:  "The Son of Man must be delivered over to the hands of sinners, be crucified and on the third day be raised again."-Luke 24:5-7 Today marks the most important day in all of existence.  Today and what happened on this day in regards to the resurrection of Jesus is the most pivotal occurrence from the author of salvation.  Had Jesus not risen from the dead, and on top of that done it on the third day, he would have just been a "good guy."  I hope you understand that it is this pivotal moment that connects all of the dots for our salvation.   I took a week off of writing as I spent some vacation time with my family.  Over the past two weeks I've been really thinking about two things:  What gets in our way from experiencing the fullness of a relationship with Christ, and what is the strength of the confidence I have in Jesus.  First, what is it that gets in the way of us ...

C.S. Lewis wrote in Mere Christianity that "Each of us is progressing to one state or the other."  It's a very simple statement, but one that has tremendous depth.  Each and every day you have a choice between good or evil, yourself first or God first, moving towards righteousness or moving away.  Do you rate how good you are based on your decisions to follow the word of God or do you base how good you are based on you being a compliment to the social environment you find yourself in?  This is a very difficult subject for many people, especially "good" people.  I have met many people in my life that do not believe in Jesus, yet they embody and showcase more similarities to Jesus than most of my Christian friends.  So what is the difference?  Why is it that they will unfortunately suffer the unimaginable pain and torture of hell when they have been so good and kind to everyone?  It comes down to this:  Our salvation is not based on performance...

Do Not Worry:  Then Jesus said to His disciples:  "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat, or about your body, what you will wear.  For life is more than food, and the body more than clothes.  Consider the ravens:  They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them.  And how much more valuable you are than birds!" Luke 12:22-24 Context! Context! Context!  Jesus just said this after sharing with His disciples a story about a rich man that stored up all his extra harvest.  Essentially, Jesus tells that the man in the story is saving up but he is not saved up in terms of his relationship with God. The rich man was worried about his life and his safety, but was not focused on God.  The rich man was concerned about his life, but not His. What is it right now that is keeping you focused on your life here and not your eternal life?  I truly believe that as I read the Gospels the more a...

"Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good, his love endures forever." Psalm 107:1 Psalms are certainly a wonderful place to really get to know how God can work through a person.  David, the writer of many of the Psalms is a man after God's own heart, but he certainly had his fair share of failures in his life.  We can learn a lot from people who have been on the mountaintop and also in the valley.   This week I really had it on my heart to talk about "lists."  I'm talking about all kinds of lists.  For example:  Your list of things you want to accomplish this year, your list of tasks you have for work tomorrow, your lists of the seven things you need to do to be a happy and healthier you.  Lists can be both motivating and discouraging.  I find that when I have a long list of things to do, I can get discouraged when it feels like I don't make a dent in the tasks at hand.  However, lists can certainly be motivating when you get to draw ...

"Lord, the one you love is sick."  When He heard this, Jesus said, "This sickness will not end in death.  No, it is for God's glory so that God's Son may be glorified through it. -John 11:4  I've been wanting to write about this topic for many weeks, but just haven't quite gotten to it.  I felt it on my heart to share, but didn't exactly have the words to say until they came to me during my men's group session this week.  For a while you have heard me talk about the vertical relationship and the horizontal relationship.  The vertical is your relationship with God while the horizontal is your relationship with God's creation.  Visually, you need to think of the Cross.  When we are pursuing and in relationship with God, His being and His grace and glory is passed through you like a conduit into those around you.  What I want to talk about today is specifically how valleys are where you experience the most growth and where you can have the ...

"When they found him on the other side of the lake, they asked him, "Rabbi, when did you get here?  Jesus answered, "Very truly I tell you, you are looking for me not because you saw the signs I performed but because you ate the loaves and had your fill.  Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life."-John 6:25-27 It is a terrible feeling the moment you untie the metal wiring around your bread bag to find that the sandwich you were about to make would be impossible due to moldy bread.  Everything in our lives spoils....seriously, everything.  Time will spoil, relationships will spoil, food spoils, even our very bodies will spoil, but there is one thing that endures forever:  Jesus.  I've been really reflecting this past week on the season of Lent and how many of my friends and family participate in Lent.  Full disclosure, I'm not Catholic.  I think that the season of Lent is a wonderful thing.  Anything that f...

"For the word of God is full of living power.  It is sharper than the sharpest knife, cutting deep into our innermost thoughts and desires.  It exposes us for what we really are."-Hebrews 4:12. Have you ever noticed that it's the people that love you the most that are able to cut you deeper and sharper with their words?  I can only remember a few times when I actually got grounded (me going to my room was no big deal, I'd just putt in there for hours or watch old golf videos).  What hurt more though and really had lasting impact/correction was when I could just tell they were disappointed.  If someone that I knew only a little bit was disappointed in me, no big deal.  We don't care about those that are out of our "circles," but we do care about those inside our circle, and more importantly what they think about us. Since we are created by God, for God's purpose, when we are not focusing on Him, we are not actually being ourselves.  This verse fro...