2011-9
28

Too BLESSED to be StResSeD…

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Too BLESSED to be StResSeD…

Are you stressed?  Worried?  Frustrated?  Weighed down with life’s problems?  Want to give up?

About two years ago, I was there with you!  When you lose your job and your income, it is easy to be stressed.  I was and I’m sure those of you who have lost jobs feel the same way.  Some of you feel the burden of the next paycheck and you are worried to make it all work!  When life is full of problems and you can’t see you way through it, it is easy to to be weighed down.  You just want to give up!

God has something to say to all of us!

In Luke 10, Jesus tells the story of the Good Samaritan.  He tells us of a man who is robbed, beaten, left dying on the road.  The man needing help gets in from an unlikely source…a Samaritan!  He does everything he can to make sure that the man would be well.  It is an amazing story!

Here’s some lessons for you and I:

1.  God will always give you what you need! If you are beaten, robbed, and even left for dead…God can provide you a good Samaritan!

2.  God will make a way! The man lying on the road, couldn’t help himself!  He didn’t have the capacity to meet his own need!  It’s good news for all of us…when we come to a place in life when our own capacity cannot meet our needs…God makes a way!

3.  God is not concerned about what happened, He’s concerned about how can bless you!  WE are like the Samaritan…beaten, robbed, and left for dead on the roadside of life…but God finds a way to bless us!

4.  Blessed, so that I can bless!  You have each day and every opportunity to be a Samaritan to someone today.  It’s a matter of perspective and being sensitive.  Don’t let the car, the clothing, or even the smile throw you off!  Look past the facade and see the place of pain…you never know, you were blessed to be a blessing!

5.  Blessed to be generous!  THAT’S what the Samaritan did! He went beyond what was necessary…he picked up the man, took care of him, took him to an inn, and paid for everything.  He even told the innkeeper that he would be back another time and pay any other expense.  SO can YOU!  God intends for us to live a life of generosity!  WHEN you don’t, you cheat yourself of living the blessed life!

What would your LIFE look like if you live this kind of lifestyle?

YOU WOULD BE Too BLESSED to be StResSeD…

Come and join us on Sundays at 8:45 AM and 6 PM at GracePointe Community Church, Lee’s Summit, MO…we would love to see you and connect with you!

Too BLESSED to be StResSeD…

2011-9
5

Living for Others…

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Life is never complete if you are only concerned about yourself!

God showed His intent on life by showing us that He lives in community…God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit–The Trinity!

Jesus answers the question about the greatest commandment by stating that loving God is to also love your neighbor!  (Matthew 22 and Luke 20)  Why would Jesus add the second commandment to his answer.  It seems that the obvious is clear.  How can we love God whom we haven’t seen and hate the neighbor we see each day!

The challenge of each Christ follower is to flesh out the commands of Jesus each and everyday.  Each day gives us the opportunity to live for others, and not just for ourselves.  We are to love our neighbor as we love even ourselves.  Today, I challenge you to begin to live for others!

Let me give you some practical tips:

1.  Say hello, with a smile, even to the one you don’t really want to!

2.  Open a door, and be a gentleman!

3.  Be quick to listen and slow to respond!

4. Stop and look people in the eye…make eye contact when you speak!

5.  Say, “please” and “thank you!”

6.  Say something “nice”…be pleasant that is!

7.  Buy someone a drink at Starbucks!

If you are not busy this Sunday, come and join us at GracePointe Community Church, Lee’s Summit, MO at 8:45 AM as we continue our series, Living For Others!


2011-4
9

It’s Friday, But Sunday is Coming!

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Have you ever wondered why Saul didn’t last as the king of Israel?

Answer:  Saul is handpicked, anointed to be king, by God himself.  What happened?  Look at 1 Samuel 10 and 13.  When he started on the journey, God did some amazing things!  Samuel’s prophecy regarding three specific things came to pass and Saul was part of God’s amazing journey!  He was told to wait for the prophet for seven days and he neglected to do so.  Finally, he sacrificed and burnt offerings!  He was appointed and anointed to be the king, not the prophet!  Unfortunately, that was only the beginning.

Here’s three things you need to know:

1.  A new heart is a great start!  God wants you on a new journey that requires a new heart!

2.  Obedience keeps you on the right journey!  Detours always follows disobedience!

3.  Pride will take its toll!

It’s Friday, But Sunday is coming!  I’d like to invite you to GracePointe Community Church in Lee’s Summit, MO.  Hopefully you’ll have time to come and visit.  We begin with coffee and donuts from 8:30-8:45, then worship at 8:45 to 10 AM!  See you there!

2011-2
10

love the one you’re with…

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love-the-one-youre-with

Ephesians 3:14-19 14When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, 15 the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth. 16 I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. 17 Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. 18 And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. 19 May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.

John Mark Mcmillan has written a very powerful song titled, How He Loves.  The song inspires us to comprehend the enormous love of the Father.  Paul does the same thing in Ephesians 3.  In his prayer, he gives us a 3D approach to the magnitude of God’s incredible love!

Here’s my take:

1.  God loves even when we are in…(you put in the blank!)

2.  God loves in spite of …shame, unforgiveness, self-sabotage, and a multitude of self-defeating lies…

3.  God loves when we don’t deserve love…

4.  God loves.

Aren’t you grateful for God’s love…Happy Valentine’s Day!

I want to invite you to GracePointe Community Church in Lee’s Summit, MO as we begin a new series titled:  Love the One You’re With…Sunday service begins at 8:45 AM…the Gathering with Starbucks coffee and Lamar’s Donuts at 8:30 AM…hope you can come and visit us!  We would love to see you!

2011-1
22

Transition

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Transition…

In the middle of January, some of us are still trying to transition out of 2010!  Just this afternoon, paying some bills, I still wrote 2010 instead of 2011…having a hard time transitioning…  Some of us couldn’t wait for 2010 to be done!  We hope that 2011 would be better!

We really need to be better with this idea of transition!  Life is full of transitions!  How we handle them will determine whether we transition to success or failure.

Let me give you a few thoughts:

1.  Don’t keep thinking about your problems, think about God’s promises! It is amazing what your mind can accomplish!  What you think about will either inspire you or cause you frustration!  If you keep thinking about your problems, you can never transition!  You’ll be stuck!  Remember God’s promises and think about them…Psalm 1

2.  Don’t keep wishing, start believing! Some of you might need to reevaluate your wish list for 2011!  It is important to put some feet to your wishes!  Wishing undermines belief!  There is a difference to “I wish…or I believe…something!”  Hebrews 11:1

3.  Don’t procrastinate, just move! You can never enjoy the thrill of transition if you procrastinate.  You must begin to move!  Movement is the key!  Motion in action…momentum!  You definitely need it!  James 2:19-21

If you’re in transition…we’d love to see you at GracePointe Community Church, Lee’s Summit, MO!  We’re finding out how to “live fully alive!”

Hopefully, we can transition well…

2011-1
1

The Event

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the-event

A brand new series…

A brand new year 2011…

A brand new beginning…

At GracePointe Community Church in Lee’s Summit, MO…8:30 for The Gathering, 8:45 Worship

Life is not a prison, not confinement, not drudgery, not mediocrity…you cannot just be getting by and if you are…you might just need a word from God!

Daniel lived in a time when all seemed lost.  The enemy had captured all of his people.  He and his friends were taken into captivity.  But all is not lost…The Event has just begun…

Come and hear the good news…when life seems totally lost, and you feel captured…there is good news for you!

Let’s begin 2011 and learn from Daniel…

See you at GracePointe Community Church!

2010-12
22

Christmas in Kansas City…

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christmas-lights-on-the-plazaIf there is any saving grace to the winter solstice, there is nothing better than Christmas in Kansas City…

I’m not hating on many of my friends and family who live in places like San Diego, Manila, Los Angeles, Kona, or even in Tampa, but Christmas in warm, sunny places doesn’t fit as well…mind you, I have been at those places during Christmas, but Santa seems a bit out of place next to a beach (rather than a snow covered street), the sleigh and reindeers look awkward next to your manicured green grass and palm trees (rather than the barren trees with snow flakes), christmas lights and decorations (are not  as bright as on a building on the Plaza), and you don’t enjoy a hot cup of hot chocolate and a burning fireplace on that Christmas morning when it is a bit chilly…and a “frosty air…”

Yes, Christmas in Kansas City…

So, to all of you…my wish is that you can experience once again…Christmas in Kansas City!

So here’s a video that hopefully helps you remember… http://youtu.be/86b3GW0Ovk8

Enjoy!

2010-12
15

The Clergy Food Critic…visits Siki

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angel-roll2

Have you been wondering where I have eaten lately?

So for you who will definitely indulge this Christmas season, I offer my favorite restaurant for your eating pleasure.  As most of you might have figured out, especially if you know me, food is definitely on top of my indulge list.

Here it is…if you live near, close to, or in Lee’s Summit…you must make a stop at Siki!  Located at 601 NW Blue Parkway, next to Bob Sight Ford, Siki is surely on top of my dining experiences.

If you love sushi, you will definitely enjoy what they offer at Siki.  The sushi pieces are wonderful and extremely fresh.  My favorite is Aji, a Spanish mackerel fish, which has a slight hint of mackerel, which makes a great bite!  There are phenomenal rolls like the Dynamite (a mix of fresh fish in a spicy sauce), Spicy Salmon or Scallops, Daikon Maki, or my wife’s favorite, Salmon Skin.

If you’re not into sushi, their teppanyaki or dinner combo offering is quite delicious and my boys love their shrimp fried rice.  On my recent trip, I tried to venture out of my sushi box and found one of the best seafood soup dishes in all of Kansas City.  Particularly on these cold winter days in Lee’s Summit, Siki offers their seafood noodle house special called, Seafood Champon.  Japanese egg noodles with shrimp, mussels, scallops, crabmeat and stir-friend vegetables is amazing!  Served in probably the biggerst soup bowl anywhere, you will leave with one thought…when can I come back and eat this amazing soup again!

So if you are around town in Lee’s Summit, you must make a pit stop at my favorite restaurant…say hello to Thomas and tell him Fel sent you…oh, by the way, make sure you order the spicy crab salad!

Enjoy!

2010-11
26

All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth…(not really)….

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check this out

Some of you are really geared up for the Christmas season…you have mastered the art of shopping and hit it hard already today!  Black Friday…

You know what is on your Christmas list and you are off and running!

So…what is on your Christmas list?

Here’s mine:

1.  Don’t worry, be happy…don’t let the busyness of the Christmas season get you down!  Don’t allow the spirit of the giving be misplaced by the spirit of self-satisfaction and greed!  Remember this great truth…”for to you is born this day a Savior, who is Christ the Lord!  Luke 2:11

2.  Be grateful, don’t be hateful…don’t get crazy over over zealous shoppers who have lost sight of the spirit of Christmas!  Don’t get hateful about what you don’t have, but be grateful with what you do!  In all things give thanks for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.  I Thessalonians 5:18

3.  Love God, not the gifts…remember that all good things come from the God!  Our first duty is to love God with all our hearts, mind, soul, and strength.  Mark 12:30

4.  Christmas is all about Jesus and His gift to us…as much as you might want to make it about gifts, spending time with the family, traditions, and all of that…Christmas is about God sending His son Jesus to give us the greatest gift…a way back to God through Jesus, His son!  John 14:6

So, that’s my Christmas list for you…my family, friends, and GracePointe Community Church!

Live the Blessed Life!

2010-11
13

Live the Blessed Life…

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blessedlifewk21

Do feel like your life is blessed?

Are you living the blessed life?

In the middle of a depressed economy, when some of you are experiencing the agony of layoffs, having multiple jobs to make it, blended families, marital problems, dealing with family issues, and a culture at war with your children and our  values…this question is one that can plague each one of us?

How does God react to each of us and how does He deal with our lives and the situations we face?  In John 6, we see Jesus respond to the need of a hungry crowd.  With a crowd of 5000 people, including women and children, that crowd would likely be around 20,000 people.  The need was great!

Their best response to the need is five loaves and two fish.  That would barely feed you and I.  However, when there is a great need; there is even a greater God! He thrives in meeting the need and blessing people!

Here’s a couple of lessons I found in this text:

  1. In order for something to be blessed, it must first be given to God.
  2. In order for something to be multiplied; it must first be blessed by God.

Let me suggest to you that God wants more for you than what you can want for yourself.  Don’t listen to the lie of the enemy of your soul, “God is not mad at you, He’s mad about you!”

You can live the blessed life…that is God’s plan from the very beginning!  Jesus said, “I come to give them a rich and satisfying life…” John 10:10

Do you believe that?  If not, that doesn’t change God’s intent.  Come and join Him…He’s working behind the scenes so that He can fulfill His plan and destiny for your life!

Live the Blessed Life…see you at GracePointe Community Church, Lee’s Summit, MO at 8:45 AM for worship… Come and join us at the Gathering 8:30 for Starbucks coffee and Lamar’s donuts!