MANY CHOICES – ONE WAY

“…Wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction,
and many enter through it.
But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life;
and only a few find it.”
(Matthew 7:13-14)

Variety is the spice of life.  And, we Americans love our choices.  For instance, there used to be 3 or 4 basic cereals you could buy for breakfast – Corn Flakes, Rice Krispies, Cheerios, and Shredded Wheat.   Now, there is a whole aisle of cereals at the grocery store with dozens of choices.  There used to be 3 television networks to choose from – ABC, CBS, and NBC.   Now, with cable and satellite, there are hundreds of channels from which to choose.

I’ve been getting ready for the Grand Opening of our Café at NMC this weekend.  I just returned from buying drinks for our beverage cooler – bottled water, Snapple, energy drinks, Orange Juice, Gatorade, Frappuccinos, and more – and that’s in addition to the many varieties of pop we already have.  We also installed a Coffee Brewer, and ordered about a dozen different varieties or blends of coffee and tea.  We certainly do love choices in life. 

There are also many choices for your spiritual journey through life.  Jesus said there is a wide road with many lanes you can choose for your journey – humanism, atheism, morality, Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, and many other religions.  Unfortunately, the wide road leads to destruction.  If you want to have a relationship with the true God and enjoy eternal life with Him, you need to get on a different road.  It’s a narrow road with only one lane.  That lane is Jesus Christ.  Contrary to popular belief today, all paths do not lead to God.  Jesus is the only path to God.

I trust you have chosen that one-lane road for your spiritual journey.  I trust you have chosen Jesus!

 Dear Heavenly Father,
Thank you for your Son, Jesus!
Even with all the choices in life today, I choose to follow Him.
May my life continue to reflect Jesus in all I do.
And may His love flow through me to help others find the way.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.

SURVIVOR: THE ECONOMY

“But godliness with contentment is great gain.
For we brought nothing into the world and we can take nothing out of it.
But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that.”
(I Timothy 6:6-8) 

Last Sunday was the season finale of “Survivor: Tocantins.”  We also began our own series, entitled “Survivor: The Economy.”  Let’s be honest:  we’re living in tough economic times.  Whether pay cuts, investment losses, upside-down mortgages, job losses, or foreclosures; we have all felt the impact of our economy.  So, I’d like to quickly review one point from last Sunday’s message – I believe one of the keys to surviving our economy is contentment.  We must learn to be content with what God has provided; whether a little or a lot. 

Unfortunately, contentment is not easy.  Thousands of advertisements bombard us every day with the exact opposite message – “you can’t be content until you get …”   So, what’s the secret to contentment?   I believe the answer is in our perspective.  We need to refocus on what really matters and on what brings true happiness.  We must…

• Focus on people rather than possessions.
• Focus on relationships rather than riches.

Think about this for a moment.  How much does it cost to acquire more possessions?  A lot – there is no end to how much money we can spend on things.  But, how much does it cost to build a meaningful relationship?  Very little – in fact, we can build a relationship without spending a dime.  Now, which will last longer – possessions or relationships?  Which is most meaningful?  And, which is most valuable?

You can survive and even thrive in our present economy by refocusing on three relationships in your life:  (1) your relationship with God, (2) your relationship with family, and (3) your relationships with friends.  When you refocus on relationships, contentment is not far behind. 

Dear Heavenly Father,
Thank you for all that You have provided.
Help me learn to be content with a little or a lot.
Keep me focused on what really matters in life,
beginning with my relationship with You.
And, thank you for the family and friends You have given me.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.

A STRATEGY FOR VICTORY

“You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them,
because the one who is in you is greater
than the one who is in the world.”
(I John 4:4)

America has been engaged in wars and skirmishes around the world for years.  Today, we are fighting on two primary fronts:  Afghanistan and Iraq.  It’s been a difficult war because the enemy we are fighting doesn’t always fight fair.  They don’t adhere to standard rules of engagement.   Our soldiers might encounter the enemy any time, any place, and in any circumstance.

Whether we know it or not, as Christians, we are engaged in a war ourselves.  The difficult aspect of this war is that we can’t see our enemy.  Our enemy is spiritual.  We are fighting a spiritual battle.  And we might encounter our enemy any time, any place, and in any circumstance.

So, let me suggest an 8-fold strategy for spiritual warfare…

• Know your enemy – Satan. 
• Know your enemy’s tactics – temptation, selfishness, pride, divisiveness, apathy, etc.
• Know your own areas of vulnerability – anger, greed, lust, pride, etc.
• Stand firm in your faith! – Always remember you are a child of God!
• Saturate your mind with God’s Word – The Bible is your primary spiritual weapon!
• When tempted, RUN!   (II Timothy 2:22)
• When you blow it, CONFESS! – Keep short accounts with God!   (I John 1:9)
• Pray!  Pray!!  Pray!!!

The good news is that Jesus defeated Satan at the cross.  You & I are on the winning side!  The one in us (Jesus) is far greater than the one in the world (Satan).  Victory is ours through Jesus Christ!

 Dear Heavenly Father,
Thank you that He who is in us is greater than he who is in the world.
I recognize that I am in a spiritual war, and I can’t fight the battle alone.
I need your wisdom.  I need your guidance.  I need your strength.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.

MOMS ARE THE BEST!

“A wife of noble character; who can find?
She is worth far more than rubies.
Her children arise and call her blessed;
her husband also, and he praises her.
Give her the reward she has earned…”
(Proverbs 31:10-31) 

This Sunday is Mother’s Day.  It is certainly appropriate to take some time to honor moms.  Here are a few thoughts from a book by Max Lucado entitled, “God Thinks You’re Wonderful, Mom!”

Some things only a mom can do…

• Only a mother can powder a baby’s behind with one hand and hold the phone with the other.
• Only a mom can discern which teen is entering the door just by the sound of the key in lock.
• Only a mom can spend a day wiping noses, laundering enough socks for the Yankees, balancing a checkbook down to $1.27, and still mean it when she thanks God for her kids.

Some things only a mom can fix…

• Like Hamburger Helper without the hamburger
• Like the cabinet door her husband couldn’t & his bruised ego when he found out she could.
• Broken shoelace?  Broken heart?  Breaking out on your face?  Breaking up with your sweetheart?  Moms can handle that.

Some things only a mom can know…

• The time it takes to drive from piano lessons to Little League practice.
• How many pizzas you need for a middle school sleepover.
• How many weight watcher points are left in a day and days are left in the semester.

Moms are a breed apart!

God certainly did his best creative work when He created moms.  Be sure to take some time to honor your mom this week.  And, if you are a mom – thanks for your unselfish, unconditional, and undying love.  May God richly bless you! 

Dear Heavenly Father,
Thanks for your perfect plan of marriage and family.
Thanks for my mom.  May you bless her this week in some special way.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.