Dave’s Monday Blast – June 30, 2015

We had a wonderful time at Family Camp this last weekend. At our Sunday morning service I shared from 2 Chronicles 16:9. “For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to Him.” The topic of our conversation revolved around what Andy Stanley wrote about in “Confronting Casual Christianity”. Stanley writes, “Many of God’s people have made a decision about Jesus, but have never made a commitment to Him.” The bottom line is that God wants us to turn our decisions into our lifestyle. INTENTIONAL men understand the difference. We must be “duct-taped” to our commitments. I want to share over the next several weeks 3 Spiritual Growth Essentials…non-negotiables for true Christ Followers.

The first essential has to do with how we use or budget our TIME. I close this blast each week with the same mantra that challenges each of us to value our time. Joshua 1:8 reminds us that we must focus on the Lord and His Word “day and night”. In his book “The Reason for God”, Pastor and Author Tim Kellar writes, “Remember this — if you don’t live for Jesus, you will live for something else. If you live for career and you don’t do well, it may punish you all your life, and you will feel like a failure. If you live for your children and they don’t turn out right, you could be absolutely in torment because you feel worthless as a person. If Jesus is your center and Lord and you fail Him, He will forgive you. Your career can’t die for your sins. Everybody has to live for something. Whatever that something is becomes ‘Lord of your life’, whether you think of it that way or not. Jesus is the only Lord who, if you receive Him, will fulfill you completely, and, if you fail Him, will forgive you eternally.”

Look what being “duct-taped” to spending TIME with God will do for you:

• Reconnects you with God – James 4:8
• Restores your Hope – Isaiah 6:1
• Restores your Perspective – Psalm 34:4
• Restores your Joy – Nehemiah 8:10
• Releases your Anxieties – 2 Chronicles 20:1,12
• Recharges you for Service – Isaiah 6:8

Commit this week to spending TIME with our Heavenly Father. Make it a priority!!