ON TRACK!

Have you thanked Him?

Have you praised Him?

Have you made it your priority to agree and cooperate with Him today?

Have you taken that deep breath and listened for what He has for you today?

1 Timothy 2:1 (The Message)

^1-3The first thing I want you to do is pray. Pray every way you know how, for everyone you know.

Ever experience those times when you are just “off track”?

Maybe there is something that trips you up constantly and as hard as try to avoid it, diffuse it, deflect it, or compartmentalize it, it gets the best of you again and again? What about certain situations or circumstances that continue to hamstring or hamper your walk. Ever struggle to deal with those?What about a pesky temptation that keeps incessantly popping up, showing up, calling up or acting up?

These types of things serve to take us off the track that GOD is trying to get us on and more importantly keep us on!

Philippians 3:15-16

those of us who want everything God has for us…God will clear (our) blurred vision—you’ll see it yet! Now that we’re on the right track, LETS STAY ON IT!

All of us face times when our spiritual sense of direction seems unclear; times when we make “blurry” and misguided choices.

Fortunately, GOD knows we are a “fleshy” and sinful bunch…

Romans 3:23

All have sinned…

And while GOD is not about condoning or accepting that sort of thing…

1 Corinthians 15:34

Come back to your right way of thinking and stop sinning…

He does offer a clear and available strategy for getting things back "on track"!

Hebrews 12:1

…lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us

GOD says we need to remove anything those things from our life that knock us off track. Bad relationships, tempting alternatives, flirtations and tempters need to go. He says we need to seek ways to reduce stress, guilt, fear, shame, and selfish indulgences. These “encumberances” derail us and detour us!

Moreover He implores that if you have a pesky “sin that entangles”, Uproot it!

It will grow like a wild vine if left unattended.

Never forget for a second that sin that starts small and innocently, unless rooted out early can completely overtake you.

James 1:14-15

…every person is tempted when he is drawn away, enticed and baited by his own evil desire (lust, passions). Then the evil desire, when it has conceived, gives birth to sin, and sin, when it is fully matured, brings forth death.

Once we have gotten rid of the roadblocks, reset the detours and set the sin aside, GOD says GET BACK ON TRACK and move forward!

Hebrews 12:3

…run with patient endurance and steady and active persistence the appointed course…Looking away [from all that will distract] to JESUS…

So let's do just that! Let's strive to get "on track" today!

Put down the baggage that encumbers! Ignores those detours, the sin-laced traps and stops laid by the enemy and press on staying on track; GOD’S track for today!

Proverbs 14:8

The wisdom of the wise keeps life on track;

I love you all!

Freedom Church

Pastor GDelaney

WANT CHANGE?

Have you thanked Him?

Have you praised Him?

Have you made it your priority to agree and cooperate with Him today?

Have you taken that deep breath and listened for what He has for you today?

1 Timothy 2:1 (The Message)

^1-3The first thing I want you to do is pray. Pray every way you know how, for everyone you know.

Without fail, almost daily, I sit down and work with folks who “want things to change”.

Yesterday at 9am, a good man who had fallen hard, back to his addiction, was seeking a change.

10:30am, a young mom, fresh off a second DUI, weary, hung-over and tired, was seeking a change.

12pm, a lifelong addict, so exhausted from the turmoil and crazy in her life, was tearfully wondering if “things were ever going to change”.

3pm, a phone call with a homeless dad and his 3 kids needing a little more food to make it today, wondering if living on the ministry dime at the local motel was ever going to change.

715pm, over a cup of coffee at a Panera in Kettering, a frazzled mom spills about her 18 year old addicted son, a pregnant girlfriend, a cloud of marijuana smoke and a cadre of bongs and paraphernalia asking HOW do I make HIM CHANGE?

All of them with very unique stories, yet all of them desiring the same thing in their lives

Change!

And while the stories were all quite different, the answer was the same. On our own, these seemingly impossible challenges would be just that, impossible. But if each of them would release those challenges to GOD and trust HIS endless and perfect provision for their lives, CHANGE WOULD BE POSSIBLE! CHANGE WOULD COME!

Philippians 4:13, 19

I (we) can do all things in CHRIST who strengthens me.

And my God will MEET ALL NEEDS according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus!

The Lord promises to strengthen us through Christ. The LORD promises the “impossible” when we CHANGE from self-reliance and self-derived solutions and submit, not just the “challenge” to Him, but ourselves to HIM! Provision and promise are waiting. The truth is when we STOP, GOD has always PROMISED to start and THAT IS WHEN CHANGE begins!

2 Timothy 2:22

Run away from infantile indulgence. Run after mature righteousness—faith, love, peace…

Ephesians 4:22-24

…put away the old person you used to be. Have nothing to do with your old sinful life. It was sinful because of being fooled into following bad desires. Let your minds and hearts be made new. You must become a new person and be God-like. Then you will be made right with God…

SEE THAT? You WILL be made what?

RIGHT!

Far too many times we want our CIRCUMSTANCES to change. Make the DUI go away, give me a house, fix my kid, etc. Instead GOD says, "I want to SEE CHANGE IN YOU, I need to see change in them!" "Put the old away and I will make things new", GOD says!

When we begin to make those changes away from the selfish and TO HIS sovereignty, when we inspire those in our life to do the same, GOD says the change that we so desperately wish to experience will most certainly come! Don’t think so? Think again!

Matthew 6:33

Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.

Perhaps today you are like my friends from yesterday, anxiously needing some things to change.

Seek after GOD; encourage those around you to do the same. Pursue righteous perspectives. Trust in GOD’s endless and perfect provision and goodness. Lean on HIS strength and capacity for the impossible! Let GOD have the problem. More importantly let GOD have you and HE promises that CHANGE is right around the corner!

1 Peter 5:10

After you have suffered for awhile, God Himself…will give you strength. He is the God of all loving-favor…

So you say you “want change”?

So does GOD and it starts with us.

I love you all!

Freedom Church

Pastor GDelaney

TWO EDGED TRUTH

 

 

Have you thanked Him?

Have you praised Him?

Have you made it your priority to agree and cooperate with Him today?

Have you taken that deep breath and listened for what He has for you today?

1 Timothy 2:1 (The Message)

^1-3The first thing I want you to do is pray. Pray every way you know how, for everyone you know.

For those of you who know a little of my “story” you know there was a time in my life, that time when alcohol was my primary and most important relationship, that I loathed Joyce Meyer.  (www.joycemeyer.org)

I mean LOATHED!

My wife would insist on watching her broadcast every morning while I was in the bed trying to sleep off the aftermath of a day with my buddy, alcohol.

I can recall cursing at Beth over and over again to turn that crazy, charismatic “so and so” off and let me be.  But those of you who know Beth, that wasn’t happening.  And thank GOD it didn’t.

GOD had a plan.  And GOD, through Joyce and a “little purple book” (http://www.joycemeyer.org/ProductDetail.aspx?id=000155), gave Beth the “stick-to-it-tiveness” to ignore my ranting and learn the truth; the truth about her, the truth about our situation, the truth about hope, but most importantly THE TRUTH.

Flash forward a few years and there I am with Beth, her little tattered purple book of truth in tow sitting at a Joyce Meyer conference in Indy.  Me and a smattering of others fellas sprinkled among nearly 6000 women getting a good hearty dose of TRUTH.  I will admit it; ask me in 2007 would I ever go to a Joyce Meyer event and I would have told you something like when “pigs fly” or worse.  Well “Porky” must have been flapping his wings last weekend because I was right there in section 3 of Bankers Life Arena like a groupie!

Now whether or not you are a “fan” like Beth (and me) and regardless if Joyce’s “matter of factness” rubs you the wrong way, one thing about her is undeniable.  She brings Truth.  Every teaching, every exhortation, every suggestion and every piece of counsel and advice is laced, backed up, and covered in truth.  And it is that truth, not Joyce that set me FREE!

John 8:31-32

If you abide in My word [hold fast to My teachings and live in accordance with them], you are truly My disciples. And you will know the Truth, and the Truth will set you free.

You see Joyce wields the Word for what it is; a two-edged sword that cuts through the nonsense and lies of this world, the fickleness of our feelings and the deception of the devil to the heart of matters.  She is unapologetic about it and never takes on LIFE without it!

And you know what?

Neither should we…here is why!

2 Timothy 3:16

Every Scripture is God-breathed (given by His inspiration) and profitable for instruction, for reproof and conviction of sin, for correction of error and discipline in obedience, [and] for training in righteousness (in holy living, in conformity to God’s will in thought, purpose, and action)…

The TRUTH “truly” is all we need for life!

Now when I look back I now know why I despised those hangover mornings with Joyce.  The Holy Spirit through her was bombarding me with TRUTH and CONVICTION.  That two-edged sword was cutting and was cutting deep.  That TRUTH was chipping at the calluses of my addiction and it HURT.

Hebrews 4:12

…His powerful Word is sharp as a surgeon’s scalpel, cutting through everything, whether doubt or defense, laying us open to listen and obey. Nothing and no one is impervious to God’s Word. WE CAN’T GET AWAY FROM IT-NO MATTER WHAT…

And that was so very true. I couldn’t get away from it! 

Thank GOD I couldn’t.

So today I thank GOD, Beth, her little purple book, and Joyce for never ceasing to spout that TRUTH.

For it indeed “set me free”.

And guess what?  It will do the same for you!

And that is THE TRUTH.

 

I love you all!

Freedom Church

 

Pastor GDelaney

HITS HOME

Have you thanked Him?

Have you praised Him?

Have you made it your priority to agree and cooperate with Him today?

Have you taken that deep breath and listened for what He has for you today?

1 Timothy 2:1 (The Message)

^1-3The first thing I want you to do is pray. Pray every way you know how, for everyone you know.

Odd couple of days; those kind of days where those around me were dealing with some pretty challenging and life-changing things and all I could do was watch and pray.

North Side Christian Church, the church where I grew up and where many of my family still serve lost their Pastor, Gary. Gary was a faithful servant.

A “super” man and those who knew him will agree with that little play on words.

He and I shared the stage and lots of conversations. I share with him just a few weeks ago in a golf cart at an outing. He was tired, but not short on wit and wisdom. I am reminded today how he supported and held me up when I was at my worst; came to my hospital room when I was struggling. He never quit on me. Cancer took him yesterday. He is home. But his loss hits home.

The day before 2500 miles away, my buddy Jason lost his mom. Cancer took her too. Jason, a good son, dropped everything and went to be by her side to the end. She is home. But her loss hits home.

Ten o’clock yesterday morning I share with my friends Angel and Greg as Mamaw, after 92 years of life and love, was laid to rest. She is home. But her loss hits home.

6pm later that day I share a hug and a hope with the family of Dorothy; soon to be laid to rest after 93 years; a wonderful matriarch and inspiration in her family. She is home. But her loss hits home.

Life is fragile. But such is the pattern of life.

Ecclesiastes 3

There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens: a time to be born and a time to die…

But it is days like today, when the losses seem to be piling up that we rejoice in the LORD! For these friends, these loved ones, are "home".

And home is right where they belong.

John 14:2-3

…There is plenty of room for you in my Father’s home. If that weren’t so, would I have told you that I’m on my way to get a room ready for you? And if I’m on my way to get your room ready, I’ll come back and get you so you can live where I live.

So today is not a goodbye; it is just “until then” for these my friends.

Can you take a second today to pray for these families, these friends? Perhaps there are losses in your world and sphere today too.

I will pray for you as well; thankful and praying that they too are home.

Be blessed this weekend.

I love you all!

Freedom Church

Pastor GDelaney

SELFISHLY LAZY

Have you thanked Him?

Have you praised Him?

Have you made it your priority to agree and cooperate with Him today?

Have you taken that deep breath and listened for what He has for you today?

1 Timothy 2:1 (The Message)

^1-3The first thing I want you to do is pray. Pray every way you know how, for everyone you know.

How did you do yesterday?

“It was ok”, you say?

“Just another day” “Nothing special”

"How was mine", you ask?

My day had some less than stellar moments let's say.

I had a little idle time in the middle of the day and instead of staying focused, instead of looking for a way to serve, instead of pressing ahead, I found myself “distracted”. Now I don’t know about you, but when I get “distracted” I could easy translate that as “non-productive” or dare I say “selfishly lazy”.

Thankfully, there were some things on the schedule later in the afternoon that required focus and attention and that snapped me out of my funk and cleared my foggy head.

But I bring it up today to ask if you ever struggle with that?

Getting distracted?

Getting a little “selfishly lazy”?

Now before you go and say, “Well don’t we all deserve a break now and then or what is wrong with a little time for you, Pastor”, let me clarify.

When I get “distracted”, when I indulge in the “selfishly lazy” it usually is on things that don’t deserve the time spent. Surfing the internet, (which can be playground of problems), watching that same old movie for the 43^rd time instead of making a call to a friend who could use it, firing up the XBOX instead of writing a chapter in “the book”.

That kind of distraction for me is well, dangerous. I mean GOD tries to warn me and you about that sort of thing.

Proverbs 15:19

The path of lazy people is overgrown with briers; the diligent walk down a smooth road.

But right now some of you might be wondering why “out myself” about yesterday afternoon? Well confession is healthy and I am going to go out on a limb and guess that I am not alone in this little challenge of the occasional bout with selfish laziness. I will venture to say that perhaps one or two of you have been in that same boat with me or have booked a ticket for the future.

So I bring it up not so much for the power of its confession but to rather reset MY focus for this day and thought maybe someone else needed to hear it too.

Romans 13:11

…make sure that you don’t get so absorbed and exhausted in taking care of all your day-by-day obligations that you lose track of the time and doze off, oblivious to God…Be up and awake to what God is doing! We can’t afford to waste a minute, must not squander these precious daylight hours in frivolity and indulgence…

You see GOD encourages rest and rejuvenation for the His work that needs to be done, but He clearly warns “squandering” our time in the things and distractions of this world. So we have to stay alert, stay focused, stay centered! At least I know I do.

Colossians 1:22

…stay grounded and steady…constantly tuned in to the Message, careful not to be distracted or diverted.

So today I am going to reset. I am going to identify my “distractions” and make every effort to ignore and avoid them. I am already awake and ready today to see what GOD is going to do and watch for what He wants me to do.

Want to join me?

For if you are like me, easily distracted; then a little “re-centering”and “re-focus” might be just the ticket to a more productive day filled with “selflessly loving" moments rather than "selfishly lazy" ones.

Proverbs 4:24-27

Keep your eyes straight ahead; ignore all sideshow distractions. Watch your step...

I love you all!

Freedom Church

Pastor GDelaney

BANANAS? NO, BLESSING!

Have you thanked Him?

Have you praised Him?

Have you made it your priority to agree and cooperate with Him today?

Have you taken that deep breath and listened for what He has for you today?

1 Timothy 2:1 (The Message)

^1-3The first thing I want you to do is pray. Pray every way you know how, for everyone you know.

1 Peter 3:9-10

…bless—that’s your job, to bless. You’ll be a blessing and also get a blessing. Whoever wants to embrace life and see the day fill up with good, Here’s what you do…cultivate good…

Yesterday is was, in a word, BANANAS at the JEREMIAH TREE. We had people moving furniture from across the street and for a FREEDOMER who just was blessed with a new apartment. (THANKS TP and BL!)

A homeless woman stopped by to do laundry. We had conference calls with our benevolence teams and our wonderful St. Vincent ladies and more appointments than I care to count. W and N came through once again and fed over a dozen hungry folks an awesome lunch! We delivered food, kept a few lights on for folks in crisis. It was rapid-fire; like I said BANANAS!

But after I got home late last night and unpacked the text messages I missed, I was grateful for my day in the “banana TREE".

Here is why.

It was the message from LL. And that message was a blessing that made all the “bananas” bearable!

LL walked in a beaten down and very tired lady. Several nights in a row sleeping on the floor will zap the life out of the most energetic let alone one who was exhausted to begin with. She shared a story of chronic addiction, an estranged family, missed opportunities and trial. Through the tears and the sniffles it was obvious she had hit the wall. She grew up knowing Jesus, but had been running from Him for years. Now she was back; a prodigal daughter at the end of the driveway looking for her Father.

Now I will be honest, her problems were much more than we could possibly have begun to unpack or solve alone, but like we say in the TREE, “How do you eat an elephant?”

“One bite at a time”.

So we bit on the “sleeping on the floor” part.

And GOD made a way for us to “bless” her!

Through the help of our wonderful team, a real treasure in TS, a group of ladies from Hawker Road United Church of Christ and a little creative thinking, LL is no longer sleeping on the floor and neither is TL her daughter! GOD provided. In this case He provided what she really needed; REST! But we shouldn’t be surprised.

GOD does that sort of thing!

Matthew 11:28

Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you REST.

Yesterday GOD said it this way, “Come to me all who are heavy laden and I will arrange an air mattress and a sleeping bag for you!”

I know that sounds crazy, but it is true. GOD provided. We blessed and we received an amazing blessing! GOD was (and always is) true to His WORD!

Philippians 4:19

…God will supply every need…

LL had come in looking for a handout, but what she received was so much more. She received a blessing from GOD and so did my team at the TREE.

LL realized that GOD was invested in her and if she trusted Him to go where He was leading her to go (BACK TO HIM) He would begin to change things for her. I’m convinced this morning that is why I was open yesterday; to be a messenger of GOD’S rest.

In fact, this was her text back to the TREE late last night.

Thank you Pastor Delaney my daughters coming home tomorrow and that is all due to the fact that you donated an air mattress for her to sleepon. maybe all those people i let aleep at my house in the past IS being paid forward... thank you for being part of that I won't forget it…I know its kinda late but I want you to know that you were the messenger today thanks:-) we will probably talking again goodnight…

I share this little story to encourage you today. All of us have “banana days”, days where chaos and craziness rule. But keep your eyes open. In the midst of the crazy may be the opportunity for you to pause and be GOD’s messenger of hope, possibility and blessing. Don’t get so busy that you miss it. Look for those chances to bless. It doesn’t have to be a huge deal. It can be a sleeping bag or a cup of coffee.

You will be a blessing and as the passage promises, you most certainly will be blessed; even rewarded!

Matthew 10:42

And if you give even a cup of cold water to one of the least of my followers, you will surely be rewarded.

I love you all!

Freedom Church

Pastor GDelaney

FAITH FARMING

Have you thanked Him?

Have you praised Him?

Have you made it your priority to agree and cooperate with Him today?

Have you taken that deep breath and listened for what He has for you today?

1 Timothy 2:1 (The Message)

^1-3The first thing I want you to do is pray. Pray every way you know how, for everyone you know.

Monday’s are staff meeting day and while most Monday’s are spent practically; going over the plans for the coming weeks, discussing upcoming events or outreaches, yesterday Pastor Mark opted to open the table for some discussion on “seed planting”; sowing.

He began the discussion by reading from this passage:

Parable of the Farmer Scattering Seed

Luke 8

4 One day Jesus told a story in the form of a parable to a large crowd that had gathered from many towns to hear him: 5 “A farmer went out to plant his seed. As he scattered it across his field, some seed fell on a footpath, where it was stepped on, and the birds ate it. 6 Other seed fell among rocks. It began to grow, but the plant soon wilted and died for lack of moisture. 7 Other seed fell among thorns that grew up with it and choked out the tender plants. 8 Still other seed fell on fertile soil. This seed grew and produced a crop that was a hundred times as much as had been planted!”

While Pastor paused here, I want you to continue today to get the full word.

When he had said this, he called out, “Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand.”

9 His disciples asked him what this parable meant. 10 He replied,“You are permitted to understand the secrets[a] of the Kingdom of God. But I use parables to teach the others so that the Scriptures might be fulfilled:

‘When they look, they won’t really see.

When they hear, they won’t understand.’[b]

11 “This is the meaning of the parable: The seed is God’s word. 12 The seeds that fell on the footpath represent those who hear the message, only to have the devil come and take it away from their hearts and prevent them from believing and being saved. 13 The seeds on the rocky soil represent those who hear the message and receive it with joy. But since they don’t have deep roots, they believe for a while, then they fall away when they face temptation. 14 The seeds that fell among the thorns represent those who hear the message, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the cares and riches and pleasures of this life. And so they never grow into maturity. 15 And the seeds that fell on the good soil represent honest, good-hearted people who hear God’s word, cling to it, and patiently produce a huge harvest.

For those on the staff this was a familiar strain, but the discussion that followed was pretty enlightening. We discussed our role as “seed planters”. We revealed that planting is a continuous activity; a calling and that accurately identifying and working the "ground" was crucial for a “good harvest”.

It was a good discussion.

I share it with you today to inspire some of the same thoughts and questions in you. What kind of seed are you sowing? Is your life and speech reflective of one familiar with GOD’s word? Do you have that WORD (those seeds) handy to share? What about “your soil”; rocky and rebellious or fertile and ready for the next planting? Is your soil susceptible to “weeds”, being choked out by culture or primed and ready for a GODLY deposit?

Be mindful that GOD has entrusted us to sow and REAP the seeds of HIS TRUTH, LOVE and MESSAGE to and with those who are around us. Sharing our faith, living a lifestyle that matches it, being messengers of the “message” is our calling as believers; as HIS faith farmers!!

So examine yourself today. Do you have seeds to sow? Could you’re “ground” use a little freshening, tilling or weeding? Remember GOD has entrusted us with this effort!

1 Timothy 2:3

…This is the way our Savior God wants us to live...

Let’s make sure we are “farming our faith” and "sowing good seed" today!

I love you all!

Freedom Church

Pastor GDelaney