Leadership at its best!

“The Core of leadership is Hope.” -Nancy Ortberg

HOPE…
brings courage
creates change
dispels fear
readies us
redeems mistakes
prompts optimism
breeds confidence
removes doubt
restores belief
SUSTAINS US
changes everything
rids cynicism
works hard
BELIEVES
protects faith
causes movement
provides endurance
stabilizes pain
is GOD!

Romans 15:13 “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”

OK – so I am a slow blogger

It has been forever since I even came and check this blog.  For those who would love to see me write something, sorry and this one is for you.  It is not that I do not want to write here, it is just that many times I just do not have much I want to write.  Most ideas come out in my Sunday Teachings at church.

Anyways, here are a few things I have had on my mind lately…

1.  My children – Elli and Aubrey are growing up so fast.  I pray daily for them to grow up and follow God, but I wrestle daily with the thought “am I being a great dad?”

2.  The Lost – Daily as I speak with people all throughout this state that do not go to church or know God, I wonder, “Is the church (God’s people) really making a difference?”  I know that many people are going to church (the building and service), but often times I think we are just shifting the same people around.  Who is being the REAL Church to the lost and broken in our culture?

3.  Food and Fat – This is always my battle.  It is not that I am a glutton, I just like bad food and bad food likes to stick to me like glue.  Nothing like a hamburger over a salad!  Although the Tuna Salad I had today was really good.

4.  Football – This is my favorite time of the year.  In my opinion, the start of football season is the “most wonderful season of all.”  Cannot wait for the OU vs. BYU opener!  Boomer Sooner baby.  NOW all I need is a cable connection.

5.  Health Care – The Obama push is really making people angry.  Is this really the change we need?  This stuff is a mess!  I think it has to break before it can change.

6.  My wife - she is one of the most amazing women, but lately she has been sick.  If she goes out, it all goes out.  Pray for her to get better.

7.  Sunday’s Message – it is always on my mind.  This weekend will rock, be there.

8.  Fishing – my honey hole dried up at Lake Hefner.  I need them to let water come into the lake again.  The white bass were awesome.

9.  My extended family – Nephew Zachary was born with club feet and he had surgery today.  My Great Grandma and my Grandma, their health has not been good.

10.  God – everyday I need Him more and more.

Have a great night!

Choose Joy

“Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior.  

The Sovereign Lord is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to tread on the heights.”

-Habakkuk 3:17-19

First time situations are fun!

Yesterday, my youngest daughter took here first bite.  We all gathered around as a family and watched to see exactly what kind of face she would make, weather she would spit it right up or swallow it down, and finally to celebrate progress.  Whether we realize it or not, first time situations are fun.  God made us to experience newness every day.  2 Corinthians 5:17 says “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” Today are you experiencing new things for the first time?  If not, why?

Give to Live

Last weekend my wife organized a Garage Sale fundraiser for a little girl in our church named Ellie that needs a Liver Transplant.  We thank so many that came and gave.  Yet we do not want people to stop giving and praying.  God is in the miracle business and He can do more than we ever hope or imagine.  Please go to their web site and pray for this little girl and her family.

Here is the link:  http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/elliewehmuller

Complacency

How often do we become self-satisfied, that is complacent with our own life? 

Often times instead of praying and seeking, I settle for the knowledge I already know.  Instead of sharing Christ with one more soul, I have settled for doing life with the people who attend my church or who are currently in my life.  Instead of being creative in getting to know my wife and kids, I just allow life to happen.  Instead of working harder to be better at my job, I just go through the day.  It is so easy to settle into complacency in our life.  Yet the Bible declares, “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might…”  (Ecc. 9:10)  Hold out your hand right now and think about, what are you really doing that matters? 

Today is a chance to use our heads, our hearts, and our hands to change the world and all of eternity.  God is calling us to action, not complacency.  Francis Chan says “The world needs Christians who don’t tolerate the complacency of their own lives.” Today, what are you tolerating?  Also, what are you doing?

Wisdom

Where do you gain wisdom?  In our culture, most leaders gain wisdom from books, seminars, life experience and other leaders.  This wisdom is good, but is it great?

Jesus was filled with wisdom.  Luke 2:40 “And the child grew and became strong; he was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was upon him.” This wisdom came from an intimate relationship with God.  I believe we can learn a lot from others, but the greatest wisdom is learned from quiet moments in prayer and silence.  Then when we are actually leading others, we must allow the work of the Spirit in the moment.  Jesus promised in Luke 21:15 “For I will give you words and wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to resist or contradict.”

The greatest wisdom is a gift that God bestows on us for the work of His Kingdom.

1 Corinthians 1:19 “For it is written: “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.”  20 Where is the wise man? Where is the scholar? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?”

100-0 win (What???)

Maybe you heard about it or read about it this week.  If not, let me give you an update.

“The coach of a Texas high school basketball team (Covenant, a private Christian School) that beat another team 100-0 was fired Sunday, the same day he sent an e-mail to a newspaper saying he will not apologize “for a wide-margin victory when my girls played with honor and integrity.”

On its Web site last week, Covenant, a private Christian school, posted a statement regretting the outcome of its Jan. 13 shutout win over Dallas Academy. “It is shameful and an embarrassment that this happened. This clearly does not reflect a Christlike and honorable approach to competition,” said the statement, signed by Queal (headmaster of school) and board chair Todd Doshier.” -from the AP

When I read this article, it amazed me.  How does winning big not reflect Christ?  When Christians are beating someone in a game, are they suppose to just lay down and go easy?  As I think about the word of God, there are many times where God would totally and utterly destroy an enemy on the battlefield.  I know it is just a game and we are not conquering land and all, but really, why get so upset?  You go on a field to either win or lose.  As a coach, especially a Christian coach, should you not teach your kids “whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might?”   And I think there was another reference in scripture that states “do your work as unto the Lord.”  Would God want his people to not do their best just because it would mean winning big?

I know that God never wants us to be prideful and gloat over our opponents.  I was not at the game and maybe these girls were gloating over their opponents.  I do not know.  I have heard story’s that say they did and say they did not.  That is another subject and could be used for a lesson with the girls.

But on the other side, part of the problem with most Christians is that that have mistaken meekness for weakness.  We have lost our fire for competition and winning.  We have gone soft.  It is NOT shameful to dominant an opponent.  It is shameful to go out and NOT do your best whether you win or lose.  All we do should be done to honor God.  Honoring God means giving your best regardless!

I would love to hear your perspective.

Questions????

“Are you willing to say to God that He can have whatever He wants?

Do you believe that wholehearted commitment to Him is more important than any other thing or person in life?

Do you know that nothing you do in this life will ever matter, unless it is about loving God and loving the people He has made?”

“True faith means holding nothing back; it bets everything on the hope of eternity.”

-Francis Chan “Crazy Love”

When things are not working…

Oswald Chambers once said, “If God allows you to be stripped of the exterior portions of your life, He means for you to cultivate the interior.” I meet people all the time that live so discouraged because things are not working out the way they had hope. When things do not work, it is time for us to go to work. Not working on the other person, or on the dream, or on the job, or even on trying to figure out the problems, instead it is time for work on our personal walk with Christ. When things are all good and you get everything you want the way you wanted, it is easy to become complacent and even prideful. It is in the unmet expectation and the dashing of our dreams that we learn to lean deeper into Jesus. The true test of a great relationship with Christ is your ability to trust no matter if things are working out or not.

Proverbs 3:5 “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; 6 in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.”