The Best This Christmas!

Only 18 days until Christmas! Sentences like that causes stress during the holidays... doesn't it? Why? Because it has been a hard year for many. Less jobs, less money, less opportunity! Many wonder what there Christmas will look like. People wonder how they will pay for Christmas.

Can I share something with you? The real gift behind Christmas is FREE! God gave us His Son. He gave us the opportunity of relationship. No cost involved for us, but a high cost for Him. Many times we take the high cost on ourselves during the Christmas season. We max out our credit cards, borrow money, beg, borrow, and some even steal to make sure Christmas is grand! Christmas is a reminder of what we have in God. If anything is given to family and friends this year... make sure it is the message of Jesus, first. Let us not be caught up in debt, but let us do the best we can with what we have with the intention of placing the greater emphasis on the Best Gift... not our gifts.

There is a generation that follows. Let us not forget to teach them what's important... His name is Jesus! He will be present at Christmas even when the money isn't! So whether your Christmas is large or small... prosperous or sparing... don't forget to place the premium on the Greatest Gift of all!

Courage

I had the privilege of being at a medical procedure this morning with one of our toddlers from the church. She had tubes put in her ears. As I watched her this morning, she amazed me by her courage. Without parent, relative or friend, she was wheeled to the back for her surgery.

I believe God is calling us to courage. Life can be very scary sometimes. The fear of the unknown seem to be present more than absent. However, that doesn't give us the license to hide and hope the horizon will change. The only way to face life is head on... much like this little lady did this morning. God is with us! He promised to never leave us or forsake us. So... face your future with certainty that not matter how bleak it may look, courage takes us to the other side.

Have faith in God!

Fill In The Blanks

As I look at this computer screen, I am drawing a blank. I've started by asking myself... "How do I want to start this post?" Isn't that how life can be sometimes! As you evaluate your life, your friendships, perhaps your family... there are some things that you just don't know what to do. You draw a blank. I have several of those moments before me now, but I am encouraged to know that when my resources run out, God's resources never do. Colossians 4:2 says, "Devote yourselves to prayer," I believe that is where we should start... prayer! He is always faithful and He will always be faithful to us. I encourage you to let God fill in the blanks of your life.

Prayer @ LFF

We are in day 37 of The PRAYER Project at Living Free Fellowship. We are hearing great reports of what God is doing in the lives of His people. Keep praying! Give a minimum of 7-14 minutes a day to prayer. Let God speak into your life. You will be glad you did.

Prayer opportunities for you...
Every Monday and Friday from 5 AM - 6 AM at LFF. Stop in before heading out to work and spend some time in prayer to the Lord. Also... every Thursday night from 6:30 PM - 7:30 PM at LFF is a prayer time. Take advantage of these opportunities.

The PRAYER Project at Living Free Fellowship

I'm excited about 'The PRAYER Project' at Living Free Fellowship. With only 9% of the local church reporting that they pray on a daily basis, LFF began The PRAYER Project on July 25th, a 160 Day Challenge to pray 7-14 minutes a day until December 31st. It is our desire to reconnect with the Lord through a calculated effort of spending time in prayer. As we align ourselves as a church, we are believing for God to do amazing things in the lives of our people and the community of Portland. I would like to invite you to join us. Let's seek God and His will for our lives together. Check out the link above for more information and for the opportunity to join us in this project.

Random

Life can be so random at times. You never know how a day will fall. You never know exactly what will happen when you walk out your front door. Sure, you have plans! Many of us have day planners that have set a schedule for the days events, but how easily those appointments can change! From the smallest appointments to the largest of plans, life happens.

How do you cope with life's unexpected? How do you process life's randomness? One word: Jesus! He is the one constant! He is faithful... He is true... He is there! In a world of randomness... don't be random with Him! Be faithful! Be true!

A Great Week

This has been a busy week. Vacation Bible School kicked off this past Monday and has been running each night. This evening will be night four... night four of The SonQuest Rainforest!

Our Kid's Pastor has been doing a great job this week... proud of him! I've been especially excited about our volunteers. What a great job they have done. We have one lady who brought her kids on Monday and our volunteer for one of our groups didn't show up... so, she jumped in and has been there all week. Thanks to her for a commitment at the last minute. She has done a wonderful job along with all of our people.

Children are a blessing! I've watched our children sing, yell, listen, play, and laugh. It has been a joy this week to invest in their lives... teaching them about Jesus and watching them take hold of what the Bible says about Him. I'm humbled at the task. Thank you parents for bringing your children... thank you staff for giving your time to invest in kids... thank you God for being in our midst.

We have two nights left! I hope you can make it! See you there!

Moving Forward This Summer

I can't believe that summer is already here. My girls are getting out of school next Friday. They are excited!

With summer break comes a host of summer events. Youth Camp, Kid's Camp, VBS, and many others in between. Let me encourage you to stay involved this summer. Keep your kids plugged in. Support the various ministries of Living Free Fellowship. We are blessed to have great leadership with great vision. Let's keep moving forward. Don't take a vacation or 'summer break' from the things of the Lord. Volunteer... Attend... Invite... Let's move the Gospel forward this summer.

Sunday

What a day we had on Sunday! Thanks to Doug Smith for leading worship along with people who are willing to enter in. When the praise goes up... His presence comes down.

Let us be people with a vision for the lost (Acts 10:9-16). Remember it begins with prayer... it always includes YOU... and God will create opportunity. I encourage you to walk close to Him and watch what He will do in your life this week.

Thankful

I have been so thankful for what God has been doing at Living Free Fellowship. I am amazed every week by the new faces and new commitments that are being made as people respond to the Word of God. Faithfulness is key! Let us continue to trust God with our very lives. Let us be assured that God will perform in us something magnificent if we will only let Him. Keep moving forward LFF! Keep an open heart for the things of God and watch what God will do in you and through you... watch what He will do in our church and our community.

Faithful

Tonight is youth night at LFF! My daughter is now in the youth ministry (6th grade). So... I'm hanging out at church listening to the youth service, hearing their worship, and watching students interact with one another. Amazing! I love it when teenagers come together for really one purpose... to grow in their relationship with Jesus Christ. My daughter loves going to church! As a dad... I'm proud of her and my prayer is that she will never lose that desire to be in God's presense with other believers.

It makes me wonder why we have so much unfaithfulness in the church today (speaking generally). It seems like the least little thing can keep us home... we have to eat dinner, the kids need to go to bed early, my throat is sore, I'm tired, long day at work, I worked late, had 'other' plans, and the list goes on. What happened to sacrifice? What happened to commitment? What happened to faithfulness?

I truly believes it speaks to the heart. Matthew 6:21 says... "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." I believe we are guilty of letting other things take away from our relationship with God. We prize sleep. We prize money. We prize selfish things that turn our attention toward us instead of God. It is time to change. It is time to seek God! Get away from the excuses and fall in love with Jesus all over again!

Hebrews 10:25 says... "Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching." Whether we see it or not, coming together is important. We need one another. Start this weekend... carry it through to mid-week... and discipline yourself 'to be' the church!

It does my heart good to see our teens faithful. May it be with us adults as well!

A Forgotten Blog!

It's amazing how we can seem to get away from things at times. Take my blog for instance. It's been almost a month since I've posted. Even though I know I have a blog and have posted almost 300 times since I began... I haven't thought much about it over this past few weeks.

If we are not careful our walk with God can become the same way. We may have 'posted' many conversations over the years, but have you 'posted' one today? Have we taken the time to hear from His Word and communicate with Him on some level. Don't let God become a blog forgotten. Don't let him become a hobby that no longer draws your interest. Communicate! Protect the relationship you have with your God. Draw close to Him and watch Him draw close to you!

Jesus loves us and desires our company. Let us never forget that fact... so start 'typing'!

Trust God!

Wow... where has the time gone? You blink your eyes and the calendar is gone.

I'm reminded today... though the times change... God does not! He is the same yesterday, today and forever. We can put our assurance in an unchanging God that He will always be there for us and He will never forsake us. What have you put your trust in? Or, should I ask... who?