The sun was setting on a perfect day and we had the pleasure of celebrating with amazing friends and family! We were especially honored that both of our parents could be here to see the dream become a reality!
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WEiRD Priorities… based on the Book “Weird” by Craig Groeschel
So many times, we are looking for more time… But here’s the truth, we have enough time for everything that God wants us to do! The problem is that many times we are more interested in doing what we want to do, or at the very least we are distracted by seemingly good things that become the enemy of the best things!
God’s plan for our lives includes “All these things” (see Matt. 6:33), but He demands that our priority is His “Kingdom” or His Plan. Our focus has to shift off the glaringly obvious, and rest squarely on Jesus. When this happens, we become less concerned with the superfluous and get more in tune with the heart of God for others and for our lives.
Here are five ways to shift your priorities starting today:
- Make a To-don’t List (What are 5 things you could stop doing today?)
- Make a list of things you’ve been neglecting… do they need to be higher on the list?
- Set 1 or 2 achievable and sustainable goals (START SMALL)
- Ask those closest to you what your priorities are… (WARNING: you might be surprised by their answers even a bit hurt)
- Make time for moments you’ll never get back.
I’m not suggesting that these five things will fix all your problems or even make you life totally different… right away, but I am convinced that over time with your focus shifted and your priorities straight, you will see a difference in how you feel, manage stress and relate with others. Most importantly your relationship with God will deepen and become more fulfilling, because you will start living to bring Him glory, rather than living to keep the glory for yourself.
#AwakeningToGRACE
Brian Zdrojowy
What are you setting your eyes on?
“Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God.”
Colossians 3:2 NASB
As a newbie church planter, I have been blown away at the shear number of marriages in our community that are at a tipping point or worse… already past the point of what seems like no return.
To counter that… As a ministry veteran, I have dealt with families in crisis. I have seen teens at their breaking point, not seeing a way out. I have spent sleepless nights comforting grieving mothers and fathers through loss and tragedy. I have counseled young adults in and out of relationships and through big life decisions.
However, none of those experiences prepared me for the all out onslaught on marriage that I am experiencing first hand. Which lead me to ask the question in my prayer time… “What are we setting our eyes on?”
Let’s be honest our lives, marriages, jobs, relationships are hard and at best complex. There are very few times in life when it all goes perfect. There is always more that could be done… another check to be made on our unending “To Do Lists”. However, the questions remains, what are we setting our eyes on?
Culture tells us to quit, when it’s too hard or doesn’t feel good anymore. Popular opinion is that we shouldn’t have to work hard for anything. I don’t understand how we’ve given in to this way of thinking so easily. “Easy come, easy go”, might be an admirable quality when it comes to stuff, but not our relationships. Things that are worth having, are worth working hard for.
We have to set our eyes on things above… not on earthly things. When people let you down, pray for them, don’t write them off. If we keep our fixed on Jesus… we won’t get bogged down with the minutia of life. It’s only when we take our eyes off Jesus and start focusing on our problems that we’ll sink.
Trust… The conduit for GRACE!
This past Sunday, I had the distinct privilege to see a dream come to life! We launched Awaken Church with 256 people in attendance and saw 6 people commit their hearts to Christ. We were blown away by God’s extravagance!
For our first sermon, I talked about trust and shared a piece of my personal testimony. I talked about learning to let go of our plans and instead follow His plan! As I have recounted our feelings and thoughts about the day to many friends and supporters, I have found myself being challenged all over again to TRUST. God’s grace is so deep and unending. We will never fully understand the breadth of his love and great thoughts towards us. Nevertheless, we are called to TRUST.
One of my personal favorite scripture passages comes from 1 John chapter 3, specifically verses 19-20…
We will know by this that we are of the truth, and will assure our heart before Him, in whatever our heart condemns us; for God is greater than our heart and knows all things.
Isn’t it wonderful to know that His heart is greater? He calls us to trust him, not just because He holds it all together, but because He is great, and because He loves us and “Knows all Things”. That has to be reassuring! God “Knows all Things”, and yet He chooses to love us and has great plans for our lives.
God doesn’t just love us, when we are living to please Him, He loves us no matter what! His love for us is not dependent upon us… it is dependent upon Him. He has to remain faithful to His Word. John’s encouragement to the believer in these verses is to remember that God looks at our hearts not just our actions! So if you’re feeling condemned today, maybe you blew it… God’s heart is greater and “He Knows all Things”. He knows that you love Him, so stop condemning yourself, stop beating yourself up and just Trust! Trust His love, trust His Grace, Trust His Heart!
“The Pursuit”
In His letter to the Philippians, Paul expressed these thoughts…
12 Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect, but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus. 13 Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
The question for us this Holiday season is simply what are we pursuing? There are so many trappings to get caught in… racking up debt, trying to outdo the neighbors, running here and there to get the best deal, on and on it goes. Before we know it… we’ve missed the point! The Holiday season is about family, friends and time… to slow down and reflect on all that we have been given… life, health, blessings, etc.
Another way to look at it, is that the Holiday season has “laid hold of us” for the purpose of making life better. It’s up to us how we respond to the opportunity. Will we pursue peace and great memories, relaxation and relationships or will we squander another season on things that won’t last and actually bring us regret and frustration?
The same parallel can be made in our spiritual journey… Christ Jesus “apprehended” us (laid hold of us) for a purpose. Our “divine destiny”, if you will… You see, I believe that each of us has a specific plan or calling on our lives. I think that there is something that God intends us to do, in a way that no one else can. That is not to say that God’s ultimate plans and purposes won’t work out without our involvement… but it will look different if we “lay hold of that for which also we were laid hold of by Christ Jesus”.
We have to make a choice, just as we do with how we choose to spend our time and money during the Holiday season, about who will win the fight for our affections. Christ’s desire is that we will choose to pursue His plan for us and that our affections, in other words our heart, our drive and our desires will be designated as His at the end of each and every day. Make no mistake… there is a real battle for your affections going on. In fact, Jesus warned Peter of this battle in Luke 22:31-32… 31“Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has demanded permission to sift you like wheat; 32 but I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail;”.
The internal war that we all face is based on who wins our affections… Will we pursue the trappings of the world, selfish gain and blind ambition that Satan makes so enticing? Or, will we pursue the “prize of the upward call”? The choice is ours to make and my prayer is that we will choose wisely. The good news is this… even if we have made some regretful decisions, we can “forget what lies behind and reach for what lies ahead”! It’s never too late to begin pursuing God and His calling for our lives. Nor is ever too late to make new traditions with our families… so redeem this Holiday season and refocus “The Pursuit”!
#BeBlessed
~Brian
Extravagant Generosity
I attended The Shore in Sarasota, which has been our unofficial home church while we are in the launch process and listened to my friend T.J. Hankey deliver another inspiring message. He was talking about godly money management and one point that he made just jumped out at me and has stuck with me… “Give Extravagantly”.
He related the story of Solomon’s initial days as King of Israel and his worship at Gibeon. Solomon offered 1,000 burnt offerings on the bronze altar there. It was after this sacrificial worship that God asked Solomon what he wanted? Of course we know that Solomon asked for wisdom.
What is interesting in this story is that not only did Solomon receive wisdom, but he was also given riches, fame and long life. Great wisdom was enough… Unbelievable wealth would have been enough… Great fame would have been enough… Long life would have been enough… Instead he got them all! Why? The answer lies in the principle of extravagant giving. Solomon gave an extravagant sacrifice so God returned with extravagant blessings.
Some of you may be thinking that I’m proposing a prosperity gospel… you know sow seed and watch God multiply it 100 times, let me be clear… I’m NOT! God does not always repay in kind, He is not a cosmic bookie who always offers high stakes payouts. God is not impressed by our money, but rather by our hearts. The condition of the heart is why the story of the widow’s mite was included in scripture and why Solomon’s sacrifice received such great attention. God is impressed when His children take what they have and place it in His hands, trusting that their Heavenly Father will then do what is best for them.
The reality is that when we give extravagantly for God, it catches His attention, because our hearts are involved. When we give something that doesn’t cost us anything, it isn’t painful, and it doesn’t relate to the gift of Jesus’ work on the Cross. God gave us everything through the sacrifice of His only Son. Doesn’t it stand to reason that our gifts, to be deemed sacrificial, must cost us. It is not normal for humans to make sacrifices… in fact most people tend to shy away from sacrifice and in the rare occasions that people do sacrifice we usually call them heroes, when we’re made aware of the story.
The heart behind a sacrifice is one focused on someone or something other than self. When you couple that heart with extravagance… you get something extraordinary. Rather than just an act of obedience, you get the makings of a miracle.
So the question is this… Do you trust God enough to be extravagant in your generosity? Do you believe that God is waiting to bless you, to give you more than you deserve, simply because He can? The answer is… He is! He wants to extravagantly bless those whose hearts are set on giving extravagantly. What can you give to God that will cost you something? You might unlock a miracle that you never imagined was coming!
~Brian
Do You Still Believe?
At times life seems to be going so fast it is more easily described as a blur. It’s in these blurry moments that we must ask ourselves do we still believe? The question becomes what or who is your anchor point? When things feel out of control what is it for you that brings you back to center?
For me it is a number of things… praying when I don’t feel like it, music, my wife, my kids, I could go on. Sometimes just stopping long enough to look into the little faces in my life, or to listen to a song that speaks to my soul is all it takes to be reminded of the “why behind the what”!
Isn’t that what believing really boils down to… the “Why behind the what”? When you really understand the “why” behind “what” you’re doing… it will cause you to persevere, or it will cause you to reevaluate… either way, it is the motivation that drives us to believe!
Abraham “believed” God and it was credited to him as righteousness (Gen. 15:6). Abraham expressed his belief by acting on what God had spoken to him. Abraham knew, literally, the “Why”, or this case the “Who” behind the “what”. That fact made it easier for Abraham to go where he was led. That he knew God, coupled with his track record of obedience and blessing carried Abraham through some pretty tough times in his life.
I like that God’s method for working in our lives is the same today as it was then. He doesn’t change, but we must. God told Moses in Exodus 33:14 these words… “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you the rest.”
That is the “why” behind the “what”… We believe “what” God tells us and then express our belief in Him by acting on it, (“why”) because His presence goes with us, and He gives us the rest. God never has provided all of the answers or all of the directions at one time… He does however, give us all of Himself, then in His time, He gives us the rest.
What has God spoken to you regarding your life? He will surely see it through, if you believe! Maybe it’s time to stop… look, listen, reevaluate and believe all over again. I know that’s where I’m at.
Come to me
I have recently been blown away by a song. If you know me, that in itself isn’t all that surprising… but this is a little different. This is one of those songs that may well influence the next shift in my life and ministry. It is so simple and yet profound. It’s hard to explain how much of an impact music has had on my life and my relationship with God. There have always been specific songs at pivotal points along my journey, that have pushed me, reminded me, challenged me or in someway helped to recenter me on God’s voice and His plan for my life. God loves us so much that He uses whatever is most effective in our individual lives to clearly communicate what we need to hear in the moment!
For me it is most definitely music. I have often wondered why God didn’t give me the voice and the hands to lead worship, because it is my favorite thing to do :). Music touches my heart so easily…
The other day I was having a particularly hard day. Between juggling a church plant, part-time work, playing Mr. Mom, and being the leader / Rock for my family and the church, some days its all I can do to believe. To be honest sometimes I feel like David in Saul’s armor. Out of nowhere my wife shared a new song with me, I didn’t tell her at the time, but I had to really fight to hold back the tears. The words were directly from God to my heart, my situation and the fear and doubt that was clouding my mind. My iTunes counter tells me that I have listened to this song 30, make that 31 times today, yeah its that good.
By now you’re screaming… “What’s the Song?” It is “Come to Me” by Bethel Music, featuring Jenn Johnson. It’s right from scripture… Jesus said “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28) In Exodus 3:14 God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM”. Jesus also reminds us “I am the way, and the truth, and the life” John 14:6. (Also read John 14:1; Joshua 1:5; Matthew 8:27; Proverbs 4:27; Judges 6:24; Psalm 18; Psalm 121:5; Psalm 139; Isaiah 52:12)
Read these words and be reminded of the love and grace that God has for you… Be awakened to His greater plan and purpose for your life and find rest in His everlasting arms!
I am the Lord your God,
I go before you now.
I stand beside you
I’m all around you
And though you feel I’m far away
I’m closer than your breath
I am with you
More than you know
I am the Lord your peace
No evil will conquer you
Steady now your heart and mind
Come into my rest
And oh, let your faith arise
And lift up your weary head
I am with you
Wherever you go
Come to me, I’m all you need
Come to me, I’m everything
Come to me, I’m all you need
Come to me, I’m your everything
I am your anchor, in the wind and the waves
And I am your steadfast, so don’t be afraid
Though your heart and flesh may fail you
I’m your faithful strength
And I am with you
Wherever you go
Come to me, I’m all you need
Come to me, I’m your everything
Come to me, I’m all you need
Come to me, I’m your everything
Don’t look to the right or to the left, keep your eyes on me
You will not be shaken, you will not be moved
Ohhhh
I am the hand to hold, I am the truth, I am the way
Heyyyy
Just come to me, come to me
Cause I’m all that you need
My prayer for you… May the light of His glory overshadow your darkness. May the grace of God’s love be lavished upon you. May the Holy Spirit whisper your name and remind you that you are not alone. May you be Awakened to God’s best for your life! God is for you, He is on your side and you are victorious!
What do you know… 32 times :). He’s all that we need!
God does that stuff!
A couple of days ago, my daughter taught me another great spiritual lesson, when she announced… “God does that Stuff!” We were sitting around the kitchen counter, she was drawing and I was making a list of my daily chores. She turned and looked at a toy of hers lying on the ground and asked if I had put any batteries in it for her. I told her that I had not had a chance yet.
Her response caught me off guard… she said “I guess God did it”. “Why do you think that” I said. “Well He knows how much I like to play with it, and it wasn’t working, so I guess He fixed it… He does that stuff.”
My mature, logical mind wanted to respond with… “No, the batteries built a slight charge overnight, because you turned off the toy”; but my heart said “No, don’t diminish her faith!” My heart won out, and then began convicting me.
Why don’t we believe that “God does that stuff”? Why do we always try to rationalize and explain away the good things in our lives? When bad things happen, we are quick to blame God, or at the very least we feel like he forsook us in the moment. We rarely give Him thanks in the midst of trials, yet He tells us in His word that “He is working all things for our good”.
“ALL Things”. I don’t know about you but I don’t like “ALL Things”. I can’t even say that I like most things :). Nevertheless, God uses the ins and outs of our everyday to teach us how to be more like Him. He allows us to endure trials to help stretch us and deepen our resolve. It is in these seasons of testing that God prepares our hearts to be instruments of His Grace to others. Without the tests, we wouldn’t have a place to stand, from which we can help people up. In other words… If you’ve never had a problem, you can never really understand what others are going through. You wouldn’t have a basis for encouragement or hope for the hurting, if you had not endured a dark night.
If we really believed that “God does this stuff”… then we would live differently. I believe God is involved in the intricate details of our lives. That doesn’t mean we should use spirituality as an excuse for being indecisive or non-productive, ie. always waiting on God to move. In fact, I think God is most honored when we trust Him enough to pray about our decisions but then act on them even when we are unsure of the outcomes. I’ll say it again… If we really believe that “God does this stuff”, we’ll live differently.
So what about you… Are you truly trusting and believing that God is working all things for your good, and that as His child it’s His greatest desire to bless you and give you good things? Are you thanking Him and praising Him for the trials as well as the triumphs? Are you giving God credit for the little things in your life or are you like me… guilty of taking them for-granted?
As I look around my life, I really excited to be able to say “God does this stuff!” It’s not about me or my abilities, it’s about Him and His goodness. Simply put it’s all about Grace!
Giver of Life…
We marked the beginning of another new year in the best fashion possible… Church! As we began the second morning service yesterday, our Lead Pastor, pointed out that it was “The Year of Our Lord… 2012”. I was captivated by that thought… Our Lord’s Year. Not Our year, Not the US year, Not a pagan calendar year… His Year! Soon after that proclamation, we sang a a song entitled “No Other Name” by Unhindered. I love the the line that says “Giver of Life, Light of the World…” It is such a great reminder that He is the “Giver of Life”, no other name brings peace, speaks hope or offers Grace, like His name. No other Name gives healing, ends depression or calms fears, like His name. Jesus is the Lord of 2012. He is not rattled by the News, the economy or any political statement or agenda that is being pushed.
Most of you have heard about the great news I received from the Dr. regarding my Crohn’s disease, but just in case… I was told that the disease was in remission. He also stated that the tissue looked almost normal! Jesus is the “Giver of Life”!
I want to encourage anyone who reads this to put Him first in 2012. Discover your purpose and passionately pursue His calling on your life. When it looks or seems impossible, or when others tell you “there’s no way”… That is probably the time that you are exactly where God wants you to be. He is the Lord of our lives and the Giver of Life. He takes great pleasure in doing the impossible, so surrender your plans to His and see where you wind up at the end of the Journey.
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