I think people seem to expect Bible college to give them everything they need for the ministry. I think that's a bit off. God is the source, Bible college only helps us have better tools, for example, knowing Hebrew. Just because someone knows Hebrew doesn't mean they are preaching what God would have them preach.

I'm excited...

So my hero (if I can possibly make a person other than Jesus a hero due to our incredible weekness) out of people in the ministry would have to be Robb Thompson. I don't know that I have heard anyone with the insightful applications that he has. So anyway I discovered his sermons online (since I can't take skyangel with me when I'm away from home). So if any of you want to hear some incredibly insightful preaching, I would go so far as to say life-changing messages (with possibly a bit of health and wealth preaching...), check it out. http://www.winninginlife.org/archives/previous.htm If you do, let me know what you think.

Peace, Joy, and Love

seem to be promised a lot by Christians when they give salvation invitations. But I know a lot of Christains that don't seem to have any of those 3. In fact, closer to home, there has been times that I didn't have any of those 3. So just because I prayed a prayer for salvation when I was four does not guarantee me peace, joy, and love. I would venture to say pursuing those three doesn't bring them either. In my life, they can be found, but only when having my focus being pursuing God. Joyce Meyer said, "We need to pursue God for His presence, not His presents." I would say that if we pursue God for His presence, He often showers down His presents. The Bible said it this way, "Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things will be added on to you." We don't seek the "these things," rather the one that brings them. Out of purity of heart, devotion, etc. Then watch how life changes, I GUARANTEE you, it will!

Awesome quotes

I was watching sky angel and got some good quotes from different sermons... I pulled a sentence out here and there from sermons...

I am the guy I could't become on my own.
- Stephen Baldwin

It is the people with little vision that attack those with big vision.
The right people are connected to God. The wrong people are discouraged because they aren't. If I look to wrong people for acceptance, I become one of them. If I am surrounded by the right people, they will connect me closer to God. So how do you know if they are the right people? Here's a few questions... Do they cause me to love God more? Do they have a passion for evangelism (the wrong people just turn inward, it looks like a football huddle, and who wants to see a lot of butts?)? Do they need to be in the right group? Do I trust them to make the call if I am not there? Do they celebrate God's blessing in my life or are they jealous? Do they bring the tithe (money reflects the heart)? What did they influence me to do that I wouldn't have done otherwise (positive or negative)?
-Ed Young

The more I become like Christ the more of me I become. - Chynna Phillips (my note: SO TRUE and the enemy's lie is that the more we become transformed the more fake we become. What a lie! I become authentic & real and less of a poser only as I become more like Christ)

Transformation happens when God's desires clash with ours, and God's wins. This is our duty - Rom. 12:1. Conformation is external, transformation is from within. You will NEVER be able to change what you are unwilling to confront. Satan can't destroy you, only distract you. Satan plans on YOU destroying you, because you didn't upgrade your mind by resisting. Inaccuracy and tollerance open the door for disappointment and destruction. - Rob Thompson

What you can walk away from, you have mastered. What you can't walk away from has mastered you. - Mike Murdock

Fear is wanting us to believe that what God promised in His Word won't come to pass. Boldness is fearless confidence in what is said in God's Word (Proverbs 28:1). Drama does not equal boldness. False humility/unworthiness in life (esp. prayer) is a slap in the face to God. He said to BOLDLY come before His throne (Heb. 4:16). - Creflo Dollar

Never forget how crippled you are. Forget Jesus and old habits come back. Faith is energized by dreaming about the future. Fear gets its strength by rehearsing the past. Before purpose sinks in, identity has to change. - Robb Thompson

Well, those are some GOOD quotes if you ask me. I'd recommend reading them again...

Balance

I think there is balance... if I (we) only pursue God and the principles that He teaches I can become either a) arrogant, or b) just wanting to use God for the next incredible (at least it seems incredible to me) thing he'll teach me. On the flip side if I only pursue experiencing God (through worship or whatever) without learning about Him and the principles of His Word I can come up with some weird ideas on my own, not only that I don't see how transformation can occur (Romans 12:2 - renewed mind brings transformation), and complacency and shallowness in the spiritual walk are BOUND to occur... that said, by pursuing and experiencing God His holiness shines down and shows the discrepencies in my life that don't line up with Him. Then off to apply the principles of His Word... I guess what I'm trying to say is that there is balance and both are needed. To just experience God and not let Him transform (I almost wonder if that is possible, but sadly it is), is no better than to just glean the meat from the Word. We need both.

Pride

So it seems people like to preach against pride. But does making people feel guilty about being prideful really cause people to change? I think a lot of people would try to not be proud, they just don't know HOW. So what does pride look like. Pride says, I can do it myself and I want people to recognize me for doing it. Humility says, "God, I need help... and even if I don't need help, I still want your hand in the situation." I might be able to add 2+2 without God, but most anything that matters, I want God's hand on. Maybe I could do it on my own. Maybe I couldn't. But I know I would much rather have God's hand on it, even if I could do it on my own. Humility says, I am going to do things for God's honor and glory. Period. Not so that people recognize me, but that they see my God working through me so that He receives the glory. It is astounding what God can do through me if I don't care that I get credit. And it is astoundingly small what I can do on my own if I try to get recognition and admiration for it. If I (or most anyone) spend their life trying to get respect/honor/admiration from people, I can often not be taken seriously (disrespected). But if I don't care what people think and only care what God thinks and do what He wants done, sometimes I get the positives... but I know that they aren't towards me, they are towards what God did through me. So I HAVE to give Him the glory. I have to be thankful to Him. Cuz on my own it never would have happened. Humility and thankfulness are intimately linked in my opinion. Because pride says I did it on my own and I want to be recognized, humility says, thank you God for working through me.

Wild at Heart (a great book) talks about how every man has the burning question, "Do I have what it takes?" Oh, that was so me. I felt this compulsion that I had to prove myself to every single person. Well, how many people is enough? When can I stop? I've heard Mark Lasser talk on the topic of sex addiction say, how much sex is enough? Or I've heard Derek Rust talk on money, how much money is enough? It NEVER is enough. Greed, lust, etc. can't be met by money, sex, etc. They are a bottomless pit. Same with the need for approval from others. It never is enough. I couldn't prove myself to enough people for them to accept me. So ultimately, that question became answered in the midst of cancer. Do I have what it takes? Definately not. I couldn't beat cancer on my own. But with God's strength and when I live for His honor and glory, I do have what it takes. But He makes it so that I don't need to have this obsession with proving myself. Because of His acceptance, it gives strength. So while I might be inadequate on my own, I never need to feel inadequate if I am abiding in Him (John 15).

I have to start each day saying, "God, I'm empty. I have absolutely nothing for today. If you don't show up, I'm in big trouble." But the beauty is, God does show up. While I think I can do it on my own, God will let me. And I'll invariably fall on my face. Because God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble (James 4:6), I CAN NOT afford to be opposed by God. I need His answers to prayer, His hand on me, etc. So I HAVE to walk with Him.

As a side point... there is no joy in proving yourself. While pride is there, joy is absent. Do you want some joy? Thank God out loud for 50 things. I think it would be about impossible not to have a smile on your face when you are done. Thankfulness and pride are virtually opposite.

Another curse of pride for me was the inability to learn much of anything that mattered. Because I thought I knew everything I had no reason to listen to anyone. I had no reason to hear what anyone else was saying. If I let God help me to be humble (note: I can know some of this stuff, but I can't apply it on my own. John 15, I can only apply it through His strength. The Christian life is impossible to be lived on one's own strength. Only through His. So I can't make myself have right motives. Only He can.) But when I do, by God's strength and by abiding in Him walk in humility, it is incredible what can be learned. It is incredible how God will bless too.

Well, I think I'm done with this message... gotta work on my paper.