As we approach the new year...

... I want you to prayerfully prepare yourself for our annual 21 days of fasting and prayer.  We believe God going to do wonderful things here at Life Church and we want to make sure that we are in the absolute center of God’s will.  God is pretty clear about how He wants us to fast...about what our intentions are as we fast. Isaiah 58:6 7 (NIV) "Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter    when you see the naked, to clothe him, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?”

Our desire should be that through our fasting and praying that we see chains broken, addictions abolished, the cords that are tightly around the necks of the oppressed loosed, and to see them set free.  When Jesus sets someone free...they are free. This is the goal of our prayer and fasting. It is having compassion for the poor and hungry and helping those who cannot help themselves. Understanding that our families have to be of utmost importance to us. Our fasting should renew our love for God and for each other!

What can we expect when we fast in sincerity and according to God’s will?  Isaiah 58:8 11 (NIV)   “Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear; then your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the LORD will be your rear guard.  Then you will call, and the LORD will answer; you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I. "If you do away with the yoke of oppression, with the pointing finger and malicious talk, and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday.  The LORD will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail.” Come on, Life Church, let us fast together and see God grow Life Church to one thousand plus and start a new campus!

As we approach Christmas...

       ... my prayer is that all of us will keep the main thing the main thing.  We all know this but sometimes we need to be reminded that Christmas is about the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. He left the splendor and glory of heaven to be born in a manger, live His life among us, go to the cross, and be raised from the dead that we might have the most awesome gift of eternal life with God. It should never be hard for us to worship Him at Christmas time when you consider all He has done for us. A few years ago I preached a message “Wake Up! The Gifts Are Under the Tree!” That is what my parents used to say to us on Christmas morning.  My sermon said for us to wake up because our gifts are under the tree...the cross!

Many get caught up with the pressure of making sure everyone gets a gift and unfortunately many go into debt to do so. Christian financial expert Dave Ramsey says that we should never go into debt for Christmas but that we keep the main thing the main thing.  He said we spend what we have on those we can and trust that everyone will understand. He goes on and tells parents not to get all stressed out over this issue but to sit down with their children and explain to them the best they can their situation.  He also says it is a great opportunity to share with them that the most important things in life are our relationship with God and each other.

  Mary (the mother of Jesus) had to learn Christmas was gaining and losing...how so?  She gained by being chosen to have the Christ-child conceived in her. She had to be willing to lose her reputation and almost her husband. Luke 1:35 38 (NIV) “The angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month.  For nothing is impossible with God." "I am the Lord's servant," Mary answered. "May it be to me as you have said." Then the angel left her.” As we choose this Christmas to be the Lord’s servants let us choose like Mary to be the Lord’s servants!