If I told you today that you could double, triple, even zillionoople (yes, I make that word up) your wealth in a secured future account, by doing just a few different actions here and there, would you want to know where the dotted line was to sign up for the program?  Of course you would!  We all want to increase our monetary, time, health, and quality of life “wealth,” so I don’t blame you for searching this blog for the dotted, John Hancock, line. 

Well, here’s the secret to the “secured wealth and quality life” program, which you can begin today.  There is no sign-up necessary, just act and then receive the benefits. The program is Generosity.  The secret is Giving.  That’s it… just be generous!  When you feel the inner urge to give, do it.  When you see a need that you can attend to, do it.

Here’s the best part… the benefits are guaranteed by the owner of the world.  In 1 Timothy 6:18-19, God promises us that if we are generous, then we will lay up a firm foundation of treasures for ourselves and will be able to then take hold of a richly blessed, quality life.  God gives us good things in life for us to enjoy, and if we are generous with what He has blessed us with and provided for us, then He will give us even more than we could ask for or imagine.

Generosity is contagious and it will radically change your life.  When God whispers in your ear to be generous, it’s because He has a big blessing that He wants to give to you in return.  Bless others so that you may be blessed.  So now, go give!             

Congratulations! You just won! You are now the most popular human being to walk the face of the earth! Everyone knows your name, people love you, and you have all the money in the world. How do you feel Mr. / Ms. _________________?

(Insert your name here)

Really… how do you feel? When you read that, did you wish that it were true? Is popularity something that you just have to have? Do you know how to be humble through your popularity? Maybe a better question is: Do you know how to be humble in the state you are in right now?

One of the number one causes for failure in an individual’s life is popularity, because people don’t know how to remain humble, when put in the spotlight. The “it’s all about me” mentality rules our nation. But tell me, if it’s all about you, then were does your power, fame, and fortune come from? God alone is the giver of all things. That alone should be a humbling thought for you. If it weren’t for Him, you would have nothing, be nothing and get absolutely nothing done because you wouldn’t be alive. Wait though… because He is alive and is a part of your life, the same power that He has and gave to His Son, is the same power that is in you. That’s exciting!

So if this power is in us, then why do we fail, fall, and flounder down in our faith from time to time? The answer is simple. It’s because we take credit for things that God does in our lives; and when this happens, our heart has to be broken so that He can put it back together with humble pieces that will praise Him instead of praise ourselves.

The broken heart part doesn’t have to occur. You can bypass that step by staying humble. Here are a few tips on staying humble. Check yourself and see if one or two of these might need to be applied to your life as you go through this 30 day challenge:

• Learn from your losses – Everyone fails, but it is the one’s that move on and learn from their experiences that become the champions.
• Take responsibility for your losses – Proverbs 28:13 (LB) says, “A man who refuses to admit his mistakes can never be successful. But if he confesses and forsakes them, he gets another chance.”
• Let go of your guilt – Guilt, held on to for too long, will blur your spiritual vision a little at a time and then before you know it, it will blind you completely to the love and forgiveness that God has for you. If a perfect God can forgive an imperfect human, then why in the world can’t an imperfect person forgive himself/herself? Humans are not better than God. We should follow His example.
• Surrender to God’s strength – The power to live this life powerfully and with hope comes from only God alone. Have you surrendered yourself and all you have to God? The more of you that’s in you, the less of God you can experience.
• Pursue God’s Path – Psalm 119:32 says, “I run in the path of Your commands, for You have set my heart free.” Find God, find forgiveness, find your passions, and then you will be able to find God’s path for your life!

Which one or two of these humbling tips might you need to work on the most this week? Each day our goal should be to grow closer to God in at least one way so that at the end of each day, we can say that we are closer to God that day than we were the day before.

Can you do that today? Have a great week. Go in humility and love and watch God shine through you. It really is a beautiful thing to see!

How often in a classified add have you ever seen the phrase “complete love required”? Often people seek after a superficial love or a counterfeit to love because they have no idea of how to love completely or how to be loved completely. Loving relationships require practice, endurance, and persistence and are connected to God. Don’t miss this… All relationships are connected to God. As we live out our horizontal relationships here on earth, we are connected to our vertical relationship with the Heavenly Father. If we aren’t experiencing a completely loving relationship vertically, then we stand no chance of giving or receiving a completely loving relationship with those that we are associated with.

Romans 15:7 says, “Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.” There comes a point in every relationship that one must decide whether or not they can overcome the mountains of misunderstandings and mistakes and accept the one they are with for who they are. If a perfect, holy, righteous God can accept me for who I am, then who am I to not accept someone else for who they are? It’s important that we stop trying to change those that we have relationships with and start cherishing them instead. Opposites attract because we lack what our opposite has to offer. Though the differences may bring frustrations at times, focusing on how those differences can benefit both parties can be of great value to the relationship.

Take a moment to consider the relationships you are in. Read the following three seeds of loving actions and answer each question honestly. Take baby steps to make changes, but make them quickly. Your honest answers and loving changes just might save you from losing one you desire to love completely.

• Have Consideration – take time to figure out other people’s needs and then meet them to the best of your abilities.
  • What do those closest to you need? (ie. time with you, an encouraging word, your acceptance, assistance with a task or physical activity?) Jesus washed people’s feet. How can you make a conscious effort, starting today, to meet your loved one’s needs daily? Remember, God meets our needs daily. (We are breathing and alive today, right?) Therefore, we need to meet other people’s needs daily.
  • “And look out for one another’s interests, not just for your own.” Philippians 2:4 (GN)
• Show Cooperation – You can not have cooperation without humility.
  • Though we all think we are right all the time, there may be a time when someone thinks differently than us. How can you cooperate during a time when your loved one’s “opposite characteristic” disagrees with your ideas or actions? Set up an action plan for disagreements before a time of cooperation is in need. Remember this plan when a time of cooperation arises.
• Commit to Commitment – “For God is working in you, giving you the desire to obey him and the power to do what pleases him.” Philippians 2:13 (NLT)
  • It is God’s desire that you commit to love Him and others with a complete love. If you let God, He will give you the desire and power to love completely. Pray for this desire and power! Above all, this will change your relationships drastically. continue reading » »

Have you ever gone on a trip and though you were excited to be there and had a clear purpose for the journey, you still had that feeling of homesickness inside you?  How did you deal with it?  Did you call home every 2 hours? Jump on the computer and look at pictures of your friends?  Make a count-down chart to cross off the days before you’d return?

I wonder what kind of homesickness Jesus felt.  Oh how He must have longed to go back to the streets of gold, glorious praise, angelic friends, and heavenly music.  He traded a home of perfection and glory for an earth of sickness, death, betrayal, and needs, yet every day He was here, He lived a focused life, with purpose and direction. 

There is a dash between the dates of your birth and death.  How are you living that dash?  In John 10:10 it says that if we have Christ, then we can live life abundantly.  What would your life look like if you truly lived it abundantly?  What’s holding you back from living it to the fullest?  No matter how rich, poor, famous, unknown, pretty or ugly you are, you have something in common with everyone else: you have 24 hrs. in a day.  Are you living life all out in those 24 hours?  What distracts you from living like you only have a few days left to live?

In Kerry and Chris Shook’s book, “One Month to Live” they encourage us to live the “one-month-to-live” lifestyle: to live passionately, to love completely, to learn humbly, and to leave boldly.  Our lives should be more than just day to day routines.  When we leave this life, we want to leave a legacy that will endure.  What drastic or gradual changes do you need to make, starting today, that will help you live that life of abundance and set you up to leave a legacy that will live on long after you are gone?   

Ok, before you read this entry I must first defend my position as the Ministry Assistant to the Lead Pastor (ya, that’s Pastor Rob)…. I do not have anything to do with his wardrobe! For those of you who have said something to me about firing me on the spot due to his “get-up” suit on Sunday, please reconsider! I have no explanation for the wardrobe from Brooks and Dunn, but hey, it’s nice to know that our leader has a since of humor and can express it in speech and in fashion. What a God-given gift!

Now that we have that covered, let’s move on to the fashionable leader’s words about doors. A door is such a common object in our daily lives, but for those of us who were there on Sunday, we will never be able to look at a door the same again. Doors are among those things that fall into the “everyday stuff taken for granted” category of life, but really, doors matter.

Whenever you walk through a door you’re going from one place to another and as you walk through a door you have certain emotions, depending on what’s on the other side of the door. For the massive crowds of people that were there on Sunday, and especially for the 146 new believers from Sunday’s services, all now understand that Easter is all about a door.

Two thousand years ago, God walked through the door of human history. In Matthew 28:5-6 “The angel said … ‘Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; He has risen.’ That’s what separates Christianity form all other religions. That’s what separates Easter day form all other celebrations. Jesus isn’t dead. He’s alive! And we have the opportunity to walk through His door and stay on His side of it for the rest of eternity.

Whether you walked through the door of salvation and accepted Christ years ago, are new to his presence in your life or are still considering what’s on the other side of this Christian door that we speak of, know that God put a door of love there for us all and He wants nothing more than for us to walk through it every day and accept all that He has on the other side for us. During the next 30 days, we as a church are taking the challenge to live life as though these days are our last. Every moment is a gift and every person you come into contact with it a treasure. Share your doors of love, forgiveness, and reconciliation and walk through Christ’s doors each day. Life will then not only make since, it will also have a new perspective of purpose and meaning. Happy door entering! I love and pray for you all. Have a great week.

Where there is Jesus, there is a crowd:

Since the days that Jesus walked the earth, we have seen the power of the public mouth.  After seeing Lazarus raised from the dead, believers and skeptics alike caused the name of Jesus Christ to go viral.  While on the way to Jerusalem for the Passover, eye-witnesses of Jesus’ miracles were eagerly awaiting His arrival to the city.  Those that laid palm branches and sang His praises were in for a treat as he made His way through the city on a young colt, fulfilling many Old Testament prophecies.

A King, coming in on a colt, not a chariot or thrown?  Who would have ever thought?  No grand entry, no trumpets to announce His presence, but yet the crowd had gathered and in that moment, it seemed as though they loved Him.

Five days later, the crowd changed.  Though the same palm-branch-laying people  were in attendance, their hearts and attitudes toward our Messiah had changed.  The same mouths that sang the praises of ‘Hosanna’ where now yelling, ‘CRUCIFY HIM! CRUCIFY HIM!’

Why the change of heart?  How could that many people change their minds in such a short period of time? The Power of the Word of Mouth!  Outsiders observed the crowd with reluctance, but wanted to see what the hype was all about.  Show-seekers desired entertainment and drama is what they sought, but unfortunately for them, a show was not going to change their lives.  The “religious” knew the prophecies, and wherever there was a competition for their spotlight, they were present to try to steal it back.

So was there anyone in attendance who wasn’t incorrectly motivated or lead to this fiasco due to what they heard from someone’s gossiping words?  Yes!  Two groups truly meant it when they shouted ‘Hosanna: Salvation is here! Save Us Now!’  These two groups were those who wanted to see Jesus and those who were there to prepare the way.

As Christ followers today we have many choices as to which group we will fall under.  Are we following the crowd and being lead by words or are we truly saying, ‘Hosanna’?  Are we desiring to See Jesus and prepare the way for others to enter into His kingdom, or are we just looking for lights and a show?  The word of mouth is powerful!  Whose words are you so quick to follow and how are you spreading the name of Jesus today?

Make a fist… go ahead, do it right now as you read this next revelation - The Tighter the Fist, the Fewer the Blessings. Often we hold onto our money for safety and security, but the Bible encourages us to open up our fist and let go of the money that binds us and prevents us from the freedom and blessings we should have in Christ. See, we must have our hands OPEN so God can take out AND PUT IN as He pleases. Bet you never though of it that way, did you? If our hands are clinched tightly in a balled-up fist around our finances, then God CAN’T put EXTRA wealth into our hands when He’d like to.

In Matthew 25:34-40 and John 21:16-17 Jesus addresses the topic of BLESSINGS and how we can go about receiving blessings from Him. Our human brains assume that if we hold onto our money and keep our wealth for ourselves, then we will be in control and have what we need. The opposite is true though. Jesus says, “GIVE,” “FEED MY SHEEP,” and “TURST ME WITH YOUR FINANCES,” and He relates these comments to promises of ABUNDANT BLESSINGS!

So give and then I will receive? YES! The more our hands are open to giving, the more opportunities God will have to put blessings into our hands. So go, do as Jesus said, “GIVE!” You’ll be glad you did!!!

For more of Southbrook, check out the following:

The Southbrook Church Website (www.southbrookchurch.com)

Church Planting Talk (www.plantingbythebrook.com)

Pastor Rob (www.robsingleton.net)

So, the Friends with Benefits road isn’t the way to go; we can all agree with that after hearing the last few messages spell out the hurt, deception, guilt, and lies that come along with this counterfeit to love.  We know true love is like that found in I Corinthians 13, but how do we deal with the constant bombardments of the “free love,” “if it makes you feel good, do it,” “live free” attitudes that face us each day?  The answer is simple: DON’T BE LAZY! THINK!!! USE YOUR NOGGIN! Sadly, we Americans are known for being the most gullible people on the face of the earth.  Answers to the grandest and most delegate questions, facts, and figures are instantly at our fingertips via our American technology, but instead of taking a few minutes to seek out answers AND to intelligently reason through the answers we have found, we would rather click on the boo tube and side with the first infomercial that comes on the screen. HOW PATHETIC! 

This past weekend we got a far different taste of “Sex Ed” than what most of us received via an ‘anatomically correct’ slideshow and “the talk” from one of the coaches. 

Get much out of that?

Not many did.

This weekend was different as pastor Rob made it very clear that God is all for sex! He’s the inventor of it afterall. So how likely is it that God would have created something flawed?

Not likely.

No, as is always the case, God does the shaping and molding and mankind does the screwing up.

Pastor Rob shared about how “Friends with Benefits” is neither (beneficial or friendly). Instead these ‘friendships’ bring heartache and some other things—things that are a far cry from ‘benefits.’ Perhaps the worst thing is a life of devastating loneliness—the very thing we hope our friends will help us avoid.

The scripture used was from I Corinthians 6:18-21 and there Paul (the apostle) talks about the real ramifications for playing with fire outside God’s safe and reasonable boundaries.

To listen to more log on to www.southbrookchurch.com and get the podcast of the message. Or visit pastor Rob’s blog at www.robsingleton.net