Courageous

This is what the LORD says: 

   “Cursed are those who put their trust in mere humans, 

      who rely on human strength 

      and turn their hearts away from the LORD. 

  They are like stunted shrubs in the desert, 

      with no hope for the future. 

   They will live in the barren wilderness, 

      in an uninhabited salty land.

 blessed are those who trust in the LORD
      and have made the LORD their hope and confidence.
  They are like trees planted along a riverbank,
      with roots that reach deep into the water.
   Such trees are not bothered by the heat
      or worried by long months of drought.
   Their leaves stay green,
      and they never stop producing fruit.”  Jeremiah 17: 5-8

    In his book, Who Are You (When No One’s Looking), Pastor/leader Bill Hybels writes:

“Every single day we make choices that show whether we are courageous or cowardly. We choose between the right thing and the convenient thing, sticking to a conviction or caving in for the sake of comfort, greed or approval. We choose either to take a carefully thought-out risk or to crawl into a shrinking shell of safety, security and inactivity. We choose either to believe in God and trust him, even when we do not always understand his ways, or to second-guess him and cower in the corners of doubt and fear.”

Courageous or cowardly.   Convicted or caving.  Risk-taker or excuse maker.  

Do we trust God or does doubt run our lives?

Today’s verse looks at both types of people.  Two groups...both loved by God...but with decidedly different paths and outcomes.  The first, those who rely on people (or their own strength), are compared to a shrub in the desert.  Tumbleweed.  Dry...no destination...no hope.   Why?  Because people shift... their wisdom is finite...their loyalty seems ironclad but can rust away.   Even our closest most Godly friends are limited by the flesh they wear.  Can we trust them with a secret?  Sure.  Can we trust them to do what God can in our lives.  Impossible.   In fact, look at the first part of the passage... God says in His word that we are cursed when we put all of our trust in the creation rather than the Creator.  People are great but God is infinitely greater.  

So where should we place our trust?  Our hope?  Our confidence?  

“blessed are those who trust in the LORD
      and have made the LORD their hope and confidence.”

God is worthy of our trust.  Our faith in Him as we make decisions is vital in our effort to reaching our God potential.  He promises in today’s passage that if we trust and lean on Him, we will bear fruit... that no matter what happens... drought, loss, challenge, circumstance, sickness, pain, fear, separation, agony, confusion, arguments, or hurt... we will still bear fruit.  We will still shine in His light.  We will still overcome.  We will still be champions. 

We will still be His.  

No matter what.  

And we can still change the world for Christ... in spite of our circumstances.  The storms might be blowing, but, in Him, your roots go deep.  You are planted in the living water.  You are mightier than you think you are.  You are God’s child.  

This morning, when you turned off the alarm clock...God whispered something to you.  Most of us don’t hear it because our minds immediately start tracking the to-do list or checking our Twitter feed.  He does it every morning... and if you listen for it, I guarantee you’ll start to hear it.  It’s the same three short phrases.  Every single day your lungs take in air... God says to you:

I love you.

Let Me handle today.

You can trust Me. 

We CAN trust Him... in spite of circumstances and because of His greatness... we can bear fruit.

Get Active

“This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”  Joshua 1:9

Researchers have discovered that athletes have a higher pain tolerance than non-athletes. It seems both men and women who play team sports can stand more pain than those involved in other less intense activities.  Their recommendation?  If you deal with a lot of everyday pain... get active... you’ll feel healthier and more resistant to discomfort.  

Great advice!  But when it comes to the pains of life... many of us do the opposite.  When it hurts...we retreat... we become afraid.  Timid.  Unsure of what God can do or if the pain will ever end.  Scripture tells us in Joshua 1:9 to be strong!  Be courageous when it hurts because God is with us!   When life gets challenging, don’t shrink back or  just stand there in pain... step boldly forward... stay active and connected to God...  and soon you’ll find yourself stronger and more tolerant to what used to hurt you.  

The Babe

Babe Ruth had hit 714 home runs during his baseball career and was playing one of his last full major league games. It was the Braves versus the Reds in Cincinnati. But the great Ruth was no longer as agile as he had once been. He fumbled the ball and threw badly, and in one inning alone his errors were responsible for most of the five runs scored by Cincinnati. As the Babe walked off the field after the third out and headed toward the dugout, a crescendo of yelling and booing reached his ears.*

Some days we strike out.  We make errors.  We take our eyes off the ball or play hurt.  For whatever reason things don’t happen the way they are supposed to or even close to the way they did in times past.  It causes us to doubt our calling, snap at our closest family members, or wonder why God doesn’t seem to care.   

Life seems to be booing at us from all sides.... from the bleachers to the box seats.  

Ever have a day [a month... a year...] like that?  Ever struggled to get out of bed in the morning for fear of rejection, ridicule, or retaliation?   

Even hall of famers have those feelings.  

Even the best have rough days.

Look at Paul... He wrote most of the New Testament... was the greatest Christian missionary the world has ever seen...  and he wrote what happened to him.

“But whatever they dare to boast about—I’m talking like a fool again—I dare to boast about it, too. Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they descendants of Abraham? So am I. Are they servants of Christ? I know I sound like a madman, but I have served him far more! I have worked harder, been put in prison more often, been whipped times without number, and faced death again and again.24 Five different times the Jewish leaders gave me thirty-nine lashes. Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked. Once I spent a whole night and a day adrift at sea. I have traveled on many long journeys. I have faced danger from rivers and from robbers. I have faced danger from my own people, the Jews, as well as from the Gentiles. I have faced danger in the cities, in the deserts, and on the seas. And I have faced danger from men who claim to be believers but are not.  I have worked hard and long, enduring many sleepless nights. I have been hungry and thirsty and have often gone without food. I have shivered in the cold, without enough clothing to keep me warm.”

All of us (even Paul) have challenges.  Sometimes the world hurts us... and sometimes we miss the ball on our own.  And what are the typical reactions? 

Stop trying.  No risk... no hurt.   

No body cares... so why should I?

No fair.  I’m trying to do the right thing and getting picked on because of it.

Sometimes we just need to be reminded that somebody cares.

Let’s look at the rest of the Babe’s story...

“Just then a boy jumped over the railing onto the playing field. With tears streaming down his face, he threw his arms around the legs of his hero. Ruth didn’t hesitate for one second. He picked up the boy, hugged him, and set him down on his feet, patting his head gently. The noise from the stands came to an abrupt halt. Suddenly there was no more booing. In fact, hush fell over the entire park. In those brief moments, the fans saw two heroes: Ruth, who in spite of his dismal day on the field could still care about a little boy; and the small lad, who cared about the feelings of another human being. Both had melted the hearts of the crowd.” *

Even though what Babe did at the plate was disappointing...

Even though what Paul suffered was crippling...

Even though what you woke up to seems too big to overcome...

Even though failure and pain happen... 

Someone cares.  

God cares. 

And He will walk with you every step of the way.

So many people need to know this… so many hurting in a world that tells them that they are alone.  Potential Church exists so that you, your friends, your neighbors, and those that you work with know that they matter to God.  It is our mission and vision to partner with people to help them reach their God potential.  We are here to show them that they are a masterpiece and not a mistake… valuable not victimized… and a child of the Most High God.  

I am honored to Pastor Potential Church and if you attend one of our campuses… thank you.  God is using you to make a difference in the world.  Let’s come together with loving and generous hearts to change the world for God’s glory.

Where Do You Run?

“This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”  Joshua 1:9

Researchers have discovered that athletes have a higher pain tolerance than non-athletes. It seems both men and women who play team sports can stand more pain than those involved in other less intense activities.  Their recommendation?  If you deal with a lot of everyday pain... get active... you’ll feel healthier and more resistant to discomfort.  

Great advice!  But when it comes to the pains of life... many of us do the opposite.  When it hurts...we retreat... we become afraid.  Timid.  Unsure of what God can do or if the pain will ever end.  Scripture tells us in Joshua 1:9 to be strong!  Be courageous when it hurts because God is with us!   When life gets challenging, don’t shrink back or  just stand there in pain... step boldly forward... stay active and connected to God...  and soon you’ll find yourself stronger and more tolerant to what used to hurt you.  

Bounce Back

Dr. Earl Warrick of the Dow Corning Corporation made an interesting discovery in 1943. As World War 2 raged on, he worked tirelessly to find a substitute for real (and much more expensive) rubber. The result? Something we played with as kids... the combination of boric acid and silicone... Silly Putty. You remember Silly Putty right? When you pushed on it, you could change it into any shape you wanted. And when you stretched it out too far... it would snap.

Have you ever felt like that? Pushed on... bent out of shape... pulled to the point of breaking? Many do. Scripture has good news for us... In Joshua 1:9, it says “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” Today I challenge you... for the next 24 hours... believe and live out this verse...

Believe that you are strong through God’s power.
Believe that you can be courageous because He protects those He loves.
Believe that you can live fearlessly because God holds the future.
Believe you are never alone because He is with you...even in the darkness.

Refuse to allow life to bend you to it’s shape.. Believe and let God mold you into the person you were created to be.