TIME TO WAKE UP - Spiritual Sweat II, Part 1

February 27, 2017

"Break up your fallow ground, for it is time to seek the LORD till He comes and rains righteousness on you." Hosea 10:12

After a week off, I am BACK in action for the start of the highly anticipated Lent series - SPIRITUAL SWEAT II.

For those who don't remember, Spiritual Sweat I was a series we did in 2013 about getting "in shape" spiritually. The sequel is all about getting BACK in shape and reviving our hearts to the place where they once were. We're digging deep to shake up the "fallow ground" and the complacency that plagues so many of us.

LIVING RICHLY - Realizing Rich Part 3

December 20, 2016

"If you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon (wealth), who will commit to your trust the true riches?" Luke 16:12

We wrapped up the Realizing Rich series by looking at why this issue of money and riches is so important: because God uses riches to test you and He will hold you accountable to what you do with it.

The way to fail? BELIEVING THAT "MORE" IS ALWAYS FOR ME.

The way to pass? BECOMING INTENTIONAL AND ABOVE AVERAGE GIVERS.

THE DECEITFULNESS OF RICHES - Realizing Rich, Part 2

December 12, 2016

"...he who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the word, and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful." Matthew 13:22

What did Jesus mean by that? What does "the deceitfulness of riches" mean? There's no way that applies to me. Right???

Part 2 of Realizing Rich and this week we examine that question. What is "the deceitfulness or riches" and could it be possible that I am falling for it without evening realizing it? In the message, I speak about 3 ways to tell whether or not that "deceitfulness" is affecting me.

WHAT IS RICH? - Realizing Rich, Part 1

December 5, 2016

If I don’t FEEL RICH,
I’ll continually try to GET RICH,
Never recognizing that I am ALREADY RICH,
Which means I will always LIVE POOR.

We kicked off a new series yesterday called Realizing Rich and in it, we're trying to answer a question that you may never thought to answer before: WHAT IS RICH?

"Rich" is something we're all after right? So how do we know when we've gotten there? And is there any chance that we're actually already there and just don't know it yet?

How I’m Getting Ready for Christmas

November 30, 2016

Tis the season! It’s the last day of November and that pretty much makes it official: the Christmas season is here!

The music’s on the radio and lights are up everywhere you go. It’s just a matter of time before Christmas Day is upon us and we celebrate the single most important event in the history of all mankind – a day that divides history between BC and AD… the day that Jesus Christ was born.

If you’re in the Orthodox church, you know that we prepare to celebrate Christ’s birth by a 40-day period of fasting called Advent. Advent is to Christmas what Lent is to Easter – a time to prepare ourselves for the enormity and significance of what is about to happen.

When something is important (ie, wedding day, birth of a child, Super Bowl), it takes time to prepare. You can’t just show up on the day of the event without preparation; doing so would lead me to question the value you place on that day/event.

That’s why the church gives us this time of fasting – so we don’t just “show up” on Christmas without being prepared.

So what should our focus be during this time? How should we prepare ourselves? What should we be doing?

INTELLECTUALS - Finding Your Flavor, Part 6

November 14, 2016

"Changed lives happen through changed minds."

We wrapped up the Finding Your Flavor series with my favorite flavor: the INTELLECTUAL.
That doesn't mean someone who is smarter than everyone else (although in my case, it's obvious to see how people could make that assumption); it means people who realize that the best way to move their hearts is by engaging their minds.

ENTHUSIASTS AND CONTEMPLATIVES - Finding Your Flavor Part 5

November 7, 2016

Only two weeks left in our FINDING YOUR FLAVOR journey and this week we looked at the two spiritual flavors that I know quite a bit about.

ENTHUSIASTS: connecting with God through expectancy (that's me)
CONTEMPLATIVES: connecting with God through adoration (that's my wife)

Christianity is all about a relationship with a supernatural God and so therefore we shouldn't be surprised if that God works in supernatural ways. Enthusiasts and Contemplatives are all about connecting with God through mystery and wonder.

My "Good Samaritan" Moment

November 3, 2016

Below is a post I originally wrote back in 2013. I am reposting it today because a) it is one of my all-time favorites, b) I was speaking about the importance of caring for others this past Sunday, and c) God has been pounding this lesson into my head repeatedly over the past two weeks.

That's because I've spent more time in hospitals and emergency rooms in the past two weeks than the rest of my life combined - not for my sake, I am just fine, thanks be to God. I've been in and out of hospitals attempting to provide care for some loved ones - people who I love and care about deeply. That's actually the reason why I've been a little off-schedule with my posts and scopes recently.

And this experience has really taught me a lot - both about myself and about how God works in this world. Once things settle down and I get a chance to catch my breath, you can be sure that I'll be sharing those lessons - but for now, here's an important one to start off with: MY GOOD SAMARITAN MOMENT.

ACTIVISTS AND CAREGIVERS - Finding Your Flavor Part 4

October 31, 2016

Churches are supposed to be more like an army and less like a country club. We aren't here just to pray and socialize and that's it. We're supposed to be making a difference in the world.

If that idea strikes a chord with you, then you're going to enjoy Part 4 in Finding Your Flavor. This week we talked about the two "action-oriented" flavors: the Activist and the Caregiver.

TRADITIONALISTS AND ASCETICS - FINDING YOUR FLAVOR PART 3

October 24, 2016

"The goal of Christianity isn't just spiritual BIRTH; the goal is spiritual GROWTH."

And that's exactly why today's topic - Part 3 in our Finding Your Flavor series - is so important. While you may not by nature be a TRADITIONALIST (loving God through ritual) or an ASCETIC (loving God through self-denial), those are two aspects of spiritual growth that we all need to some degree. It may not be your "bread and butter", but it certainly needs to be part of your repertoire if you aim to grow towards spiritual maturity.

Why do I say that? Check out the video and see for yourself.

NATURALISTS AND SENSATES - FINDING YOUR FLAVOR PART 2

October 18, 2016

It's week 2 of FINDING YOUR FLAVOR and this week we are jumping in to the first two of 9 spiritual temperaments: the NATURALIST (connecting with God through nature) and the SENSATE (connecting with God through our senses).

If you never knew that you could actually worship God through either of those methods, then be sure to listen to the end and join in the weekly challenges that we'll be doing this week.

Enjoy!

One Size Doesn't Fit All - Finding Your Flavor Part 1

October 11, 2016

Kicked off a brand new series this Sunday and let me tell you: I AM PUMPED!!! I’ve been waiting for this series since the start of the year and it’s finally here!

It's called FINDING YOUR FLAVOR and the premise is this: there may be One Way to God (that is Jesus Christ), but there are many ways to the Way.

In other words, your way of drawing near to God doesn’t have to look exactly like mine. There’s no “one-size-fits-all” approach when it comes to the spiritual life. The ways of drawing near to God could be as varied as we are unique.

Trust me. This one could be a lifelong game-changer.

The Mind of the Martyrs

September 12, 2016

I may not be able to bring light to THE world;
but I can certainly bring light to MY world.

Yesterday we celebrated the start of a new year according the calendar of the Coptic Orthodox church. And during this yearly celebration, we always remember the martyrs who died for the sake of the Christian faith.

But what can we learn from those martyrs today? Do we just honor them for dying and that’s it? Or is there more?

That was our topic in The Well yesterday – as we looked at the mindset which the martyrs had and how we need to acquire a similar one. We also looked at a modern day example of someone who has that same mindset and is getting ready to display it in an AMAZING way.

Be sure to watch till the end so you see for yourself. Trust me; it’s a “once-in-a-lifetime” kind of thing.

Why Do We Feel So Bad about Feeling Good?

June 22, 2016

“If it looks good, feels good, tastes good, or smells good, STAY AWAY FROM IT! It’s probably sinful and from the devil.” ~ something Jesus never said

You may never have heard it said exactly that way before, but if you grew up in church, you’re probably familiar with that type of thinking. It’s the thinking that says you can either a) love God and hate everything in the world, or b) enjoy the world in sinful defiance of God… but you can’t do both!

“If it feels good, it’s sinful. If it makes you happy, it’s not God’s will for your life. God wants you to have self-control and not to fulfill your desires with earthly things. If you love Jesus, then He should be enough to fulfill you and anything more is idolatrous and sinful.”

Well apparently Gary Thomas, the author of several best-sellers such as Sacred Marriage and A Lifelong Love, disagrees with that idea (and I do too!).

IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT YOU BELIEVE - Things Jesus Never Said Part 5

June 13, 2016

"It doesn't matter what you believe, as long as you're sincere." Right??? WRONG!

We wrapped up the Things Jesus Never Said series yesterday and we talked about how sincerity isn't enough when it comes to belief. We need more than sincerity; we need TRUTH! Why? Because it isn’t enough to believe if what I "believe in" isn’t the truth.

And that's exactly what Jesus came to reveal to us. "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” John 14:6

Hope you've enjoyed this series as much as I have. Stay tuned for more fun next week as start a new series titled "BRINGING AN ANCIENT TO A MODERN WORLD". Stay tuned for more...

EVERYTHING HAPPENS FOR A REASON - Things Jesus Never Said Part 4

June 6, 2016

Week 4 of the Things Jesus Never Said series and this week we talked about one of the most common misquotes of Jesus that Christians say all the time - "EVERYTHING HAPPENS FOR A REASON".

"What's wrong with that?" you ask. "Isn't that the right thing to say? Aren't we supposed to trust that God is in control of everything? It certainly seems like something that's probably in the Bible somewhere right?"

WRONG! Check out the video above and listen to my thoughts on why this statement is not only untrue, but also so dangerous when used in the wrong context.

How Did Jesus Make Decisions?

May 25, 2016

Decisions, decisions, decisions. Should I accept this job? Should I marry this person? Should I listen to that person’s advice? How do I know what to do?

If I had a dollar for every time I get asked that question, I’d be a rich man. Young and old, rich and poor, married and single, spiritual and non-spiritual people – all struggle with the same question: how do I know the “right” thing to do in the situation I’m in?

WHEN YOU FORGIVE, YOU MUST FORGET - Things Jesus Never Said Part 3

May 23, 2016

Wait a minute...are you saying that I do NOT need to forget in order to forgive? That I can forgive someone even though I still feel hurt and pain?

Absolutely! Why? Because forgiving and forgetting are not the same thing!

Not only do I believe that you don't need to forget in order to forgive, I believe that in some cases, you CAN NOT forget no matter how hard you try! But that doesn't mean you can't forgive.

How? Check out Part 3 of Things Jesus Never Said and find out for yourself. If you struggle with forgiveness and resentment and anger, you MUST listen to this message.

I'll Never Give You More than You Can Handle - THINGS JESUS NEVER SAID Part 2

May 16, 2016

We hear it all the time, but is it actually true? Did Jesus ever actually say it? Isn't it in the Bible somewhere? Or did we just make it up?

Week 2 of Things Jesus Never Said and this week we talked about a phrase that hear (and probably say) all the time: GOD WILL NEVER GIVE YOU MORE THAN YOU CAN HANDLE.

In this message, we talk about why God does allow us to endure trials and what the purpose of those trials might be. More importantly, we talk also talk about what our response to them should be. Enjoy!

Our Vending Machine Who Art in Heaven

May 11, 2016

Today’s post is a recap of the first half of this past Sunday’s message – which unfortunately failed to record. To get the full message, read the post below and then follow it up by watching the second half here.

Wait a minute…are you serious…Jesus never said that? Are you sure? You’re saying God doesn’t want me to be happy? He doesn’t want me to be fulfilled? Why would He give me a desire and then refuse to fulfill it???

You may not realize it, but we live in a world that worships happiness. Yep, you heard me right. We worship happiness and we have given ourselves permission to pursue it at all costs