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Title: Day 4 of 21 Days of Prayer & Fasting

Matt. 8:18-22(NLT)

 ¹⁸ When Jesus saw the crowd around him, he instructed his disciples to cross to the other side of the lake.

 ¹⁹ Then one of the teachers of religious law said to him, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.”

 ²⁰ But Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens to live in, and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place even to lay his head.”

 ²¹ Another of his disciples said, “Lord, first let me return home and bury my father.”

 ²² But Jesus told him, “Follow me now. Let the spiritually dead bury their own dead.”

In Jesus' economy obedience is to be instantaneous!!  The Wow is in the Now!!  What step of obedience have you have called me to that I'm reluctant to obey?   

 

 

Daniel Fast Recipes

Garden Vegetable Soup (tried and true)

 

4 tbl olive oil

2 c of chopped leeks white prt only (about 3)

2 tbl minced garlic

Salt – to taste

2 c carrots, peeled and chopped (I got mine in the pkg to save time)

2 c potatoes peeled and diced

2 c fresh grn beans broken into ¾ pieces

2 qurts of veg broth (4 cans-14oz)

4 c peeled, seeded, and chopped tomatoes (4 medium)

2 ears of corn (kernels removed)

Pepper-to taste (I used about a tsp)

1 tsp parsley

3 tbl minced onions (or use fresh onions)

 

1. heat the olive oil in lg heavy pot over medium-low heat. Once hot add leeks, garlic and salt and sweat until they begin to soften. (about 5-7 min)
2. Add the carrots, potatoes, and green beans and continue to cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Add the stock, increase the heat to high, and bring to a simmer.
4. Once simmering, add the tomatoes, corn, and pepper. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook until the vegetables are tender (for us it was about 35 mintues)
5. Then remove from the heat add parsley and serve (you can add salt and pepper if you need).

 

My kids loved it!

 

Greek Vegetable Stew

 

2 tbl olive oil

2 onions chopped

1 lb grn string beans (broken in ½)

1 pkg of spinach (frozen or fresh)

4 c water

6 zuchini

4 yellow squash

2 c celery leaves (I like celery-so I used it all)

4 tomatoes, quartered

1 tsp salt

8 lemon, slices

1 tbl dried oregano

3 tbl fresh basil

2 cloves chopped garlic

2 tbl lemon juice

 

1. Lightly brown onions in a hot, dry skillet in 2 tbl oil
2. Add oregano and garlic, cook 1 min.
3. Add 4 c of water and tomatoes. Cook 10 minutes.
4. Add remaining ingredients. Cook covered for 40-45 minutes, stirring occasionally.
5. Serve with a lemon slice.

Day 3 of 21 Days of Prayer & Fasting

Matt. 9:10-11(NLT) "Later, Matthew invited Jesus and his disciples to his home as dinner guests, along with many tax collectors and other disreputable sinners.  But when the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, "Why does your teacher eat with such scum".

This verse deeply challenges me when I read it because this move by Jesus was unprecedented!  Rabbis didn't do this and if they did their teaching opportunity was trashed!  What step do you want me to take today Jesus, that leverages my reputation? 

Myths that Mangle Church Planters: Part 1

I believe in church planting and I love church planters!! I believe with all of my heart that it is the front lines of advancing the Kingdom of God.  Nine years ago my wife and I planted Lifepoint Church, and its been the ride of a lifetime! As church planters, we are constantly asking questions, because you live one week from extinction. We are hungry for ideas and helpful information, which can inspire you to take it to the next level in your leadership. Along with all the good, there are myths that sound so sexy and spiritual but they will MANGLE AND ENTANGLE YOUR MINISTRY!

THE MYTH OF FINANCIAL HINTS: We are planning a financial debt relief series and I will hint about tithing. Here's the upside, people won't give me pushback and they will begin to tithe.  WRONG!!!!  People don't get hints!!!! I bought this myth hook, line and sinker, and then one day I realized why Jesus taught about money so much...People don't get hints! If you want people to learn how to bring the tithe to God, you have to teach it clearly and consitently.

"F" Words that destroy! Part 2

    FAMILIARITY!  Have you become so familiar with your surroundings that you begin to take for granted their greatness? When something is new we tend to care for it and be more thankful that it’s in our lives, but the more familiar we are the less we appreciate what we have. Have you become too familiar with your spouse? Kids? Job? Your church?  The Fact that Jesus has Saved your soul and made you brand new inside?

 

It happens to all of us, and it happened to the neighbors of Jesus. They took for granted that Jesus, the Son of God, was from their town. They had seen him play as a child and work as a carpenter. Now Jesus was performing these amazing miracles, and they just laughed it off. Look at what Jesus said:

 

 Mark 6:4(NLT) "...A prophet is honored everywhere except in his own hometown and among his relatives and his own family."

 

Here is the question that we need to ask ourselves, "Where have I become too familiar?" Has Jesus blessed your life with people and relationships, and you’re starting to laugh it off and explain it away?

 

Lets live today with a sense of wonder of how good Jesus is too us!!

 

 

 

 

"F" words that destroy! Part 1

   FIXATING! This one word has ruined a lot of potentially great moments in my life! My perspective, and yours, determines our focus, our passion, our decisions, etc. When I Fixate on things other than what Jesus called me to do, I get distracted and defeated. Here are a few of the things I have fixated on in my life:

 

1. How I compare as a Pastor to other Pastors.

2. How LifePoint compares to other churches.

3. Beating myself up for past decisions.

4. The approval of others.

 

There are many more, but I think you get the point. Satan loves it when I fixate on the wrong things!  I am to FIXATE ON FOLLOWING JESUS!! He gives me what I need to know for this moment and that's all I need. Jesus will lead you to a life of an "Open Hand", and His way will push against the places and people I fixate on! If your grip is tight, there is a good chance you’re FIXATING on the wrong things.

 

Psalms 145:15-16(NLT) ¹⁵ The eyes of all look to you in hope; you give them their food as they need it.  ¹⁶ When you open your hand, you satisfy the hunger and thirst of every living thing.

 

 Let's live in this moment with our hands open!

I LOVE THIS CHURCH!!

Today I want everyone to know how proud I am of Lifepoint Church!  This weekend was the best Easter ever for many reasons: 1. 126 adults invited Jesus into their hearts(Don't know how many kids until tomm). 2. 55 baptisms 3. Hundreds of people signing up to show Revolutionary Love to the Tampa Bay Area. 4. The diversity on stage and the worship! 5. the most amazing VOLUNTEEERS in the world!! 6. Record Easter Attendance of 3989 people!! I love being apart of this incredible, miraculous, movement of God!  Thank you for bringing your friends and family, for putting up with me ,and most of all for loving Jesus so radically!!  I believe this is going to be such a phenomenal series for our church and I can't wait to see what Jesus does this week!!  

Friend Day Weekend!

Stephanie and I have invited 8 of our friends who do not attend Lifepoint, and who do not go to church anywhere as far as we know, to Friend Day Weekend at Lifepoint.  Today, all of our staff team joined together to pray over every chair in every environment inside our faciltiy here in New Tampa.  I am leaving after this post to go pray at the Cobb Theatre for Lifepoint Wesley Chapel.  As I was walking through and praying in the Apex student area, I came across chair racks with the metal chairs from our days at the YMCA.  Our students use them now!  As I was praying over them, memories of people flooded my mind that Jesus changed their lives in those chairs.  This is an amazing movement of God that we are apart of, and this weekend Jesus will do it again!!  What is keeping you from the "Big Ask" from a friend for this weekend?  Rejection? A weird look?  Cussed Out? NO? Dry Mouth Syndrome? Your tongue will swell?  I get nervous just like you, it happened to me at the ballpark last night, but God blesses the Risky Steps.  He will infuse you with the courage and the words to say.  JUST ASK!  Please join me as well in praying and asking our Great God for Great Things to happen this weekend!  Check out this promise for Jesus: Matthew 21:21-22(NLT), " Then Jesus told them, "I tell you the truth, if you have faith and don't doubt, you can do things like this and much more. You can even say to this mountain,'May you be lifted up and thrown into the sea', and it will happen.  You can pray for anything, and if you have faith, you will receive it."  Let's take Him up on it!!