Five Things Generations Should Know From Their Pastor

Sunday at Generations was EPIC! We have started on a journey that will take each of us on a journey that we never dreamed of before. I know that you are ready for this EPIC journey. Faith and audacity will take our lives to new heights that only God dreamed we could attain.

FIVE THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW:


1. YOUR CITY NEEDS YOU - There are people in your neighborhood, on your job, in your family, and virtually everywhere you look that are DESPERATELY looking for love. YOU are the delivery mechanism for the love of God to be delivered to them. He (GOD) is pulling the trigger on HIS mechanism (YOU).


2. MIRACLES ARE IN MOTION - This is more than a slogan or the title to a cute sermon series. This is a BEDROCK conviction that Jesus is the same YESTERDAY, TODAY, & FOREVER (Hebrews 13:8). Jesus is positioning you in a MIRACLE PLACE of favor so that you can influence as many people as possible for the CAUSE of His Kingdom. This includes how your marriage and family functions to how that He is changing your position in the work force.


3. ARE YOU AS PREGNANT AS I AM? - By this I mean are you as full of VISION as I am? If you are you will begin to pray SUN STAND STILL prayers that will enable you and Generations to TOUCH THE CITY - TEACH THE NATIONS - TRAIN THE WORLD. Our VISION will give birth to thousands of people from all walks of life becoming Christ followers.

4. WE ARE BETTER TOGETHER - I am going to ask you to put aside anything in your life that is self exalting. YEAH! I know, where do I get off asking you to do this? WE can accomplish so much more together if we will focus on doing everything as a TEAM. If you are not a part of ministry team NOW is the time to get involved and serve. If you have a MINISTRY IDEA that you have been sitting on and wait for the go ahead DO NOT LET MONEY OR ANYTHING SMALL LIKE THAT HOLD YOU BACK. As long as it flows with our VISION to TOUCH - TEACH - TRAIN go for it. The only thing that I ask is that you refuse the mentality of a LONE RANGER Get a group of people to do it with you because WE ARE BETTER TOGETHER.

5. OUR GREATEST NEED - Is not money, a building, or even more people. OUR GREATEST NEED is more of Jesus in our hearts, lives, homes, & work place. Will you seek to involve Jesus in every area of your life? More money, more buildings, & more people will come if we have our priorities straight. Get so close to Jesus that you can hear Him give you a directive that can only be accomplished with HIM working through you by praying SUN STAND STILL prayers in FAITH.

Finally I pray that you are realizing that we are capturing some AMAZING MOMENTS each Sunday morning and turning them into MAJOR MOMENTUM which will eventually turn into a MONSTER MOVEMENT that will change lives for all eternity.

MFAS and BIMD

What? My Father Always Said and Back In My Day. I was the guy that would say to myself when I would hear someone else telling their old stories about their dad or the old days, "I WILL NEVER DO THAT."

First and foremost I do not feel like and old guy, but I guess I am because I quote my Dad all the time.
Just the other day I was speaking at a  High School to about 300 seniors and I told them that there are three ways to learn things.

THE EASY WAY - listen to those around you who have a better and more experience.

THE HARD WAY - ignoring those around you and going it on your own & then you find the hard lessons of reality. In some ways I think some people only learn things this way. SAD :-(


THE TRAGIC WAY - this is where someone gets hurt severely or dies & nobody wants this but it happens all the time.

The above is a direct quote from a conversation I had with my father when I was in Junior High. This is classic MFAS stuff and more than likely most of us have some great stuff our Fathers have taught us.

Prov 4:1-4
4 Hear, my children, the instruction of a father,
And give attention to know understanding;
2 For I give you good doctrine:
Do not forsake my law.
3 When I was my father's son,
Tender and the only one in the sight of my mother,
4 He also taught me, and said to me:
"Let your heart retain my words;
Keep my commands, and live.
NKJV

Wise words from Solomon.

BIMD Back In My Day. These are usually stories of greatness about ourselves or others that are stuck in our memory banks and usually get a little larger than life the older we get. I can remember telling someone many years ago that I would never tell BIMD STORIES. Well I lied!!!! I do it all the time, but I try to cloak them in some other cool way and not say BACK IN MY DAY.

I was waiting for a table in a restaurant recently and while I waited I stood at the bar to watch ESPN. Well ESPN had a replay of the the 1985 or 1986 (not sure which year) NBA SLAM DUNK CONTEST going. As I stood there watching it brought back such cool memories that I was enjoying. Dominque Wilkins & Dr. J lost to a really young Michael Jordan on the famous take off from the free throw line dunk. Right after one of Dominque Wilkins powerful dunks some young guy standing next to me said to know one in particular, "Who the heck was that guy?" Of course I knew the answer so I offered up my expertise with the following comment: "Back in my day Dominque Wilkins was probably as good as Michael Jordan but he never had the supporting cast or coaching that Michael had."  Of course I said it like I had lived it which of course I had only vicariously through TV and the comment was just one mans opinion.Which some would vehemently disagree with. After my meal I got in my car and I was driving away when it struck me that I had just said a BIMD comment and oh did it make me feel old.

Prov 22:28
28 Do not remove the ancient landmark
Which your fathers have set.
NKJV

I hope there are more important lessons that I learned from BIMD and I hope that I will share them freely when I have the opportunity. I pray that they are as quick to my mind and heart as the memory of a SLAM DUNK CONTEST and even quicker off of my tongue and into those whom I lead.

BIMD & MFAS THOUGHTS ARE VALUABLE FOR THE LESSONS LEARNED BUT WE CANNOT LIVE THERE OR GET BOXED IN BY THEM. LEARN THE PRINCIPLE AND MOVE ON.

“The past is behind, learn from it.
The future is ahead, prepare for it.
The present is here, live it.”

by Thomas S. Monson

Praying that you are encouraged today.

Ed

Ok I am piggy backing . . .

I read Pastor Steven Furtick's blog yesterday and I cannot get these thoughts out of my head. So after you read this or before you may want to read it at: http://www.stevenfurtick.com/personal-development/stop-the-hop/  Awesome Pastor with some very helpful thoughts.

Ok I understand there are not any perfect churches out there. We all have short comings and downfalls. Why? Churches are full of human beings which includes the Pastor.

A little background. I pastor in a city of just under 250,000 people that has one major university (Texas Tech) and three smaller colleges (South Plains College, Lubbock Christian University, & Wayland Baptist). As you can see two of them have Christianity as their foundation. Which adds to my point. We also have more than 350 churches in our city. Lubbock is a lot like Charlotte, NC which has 720 churches for a population of just over a million which is where Pastor Steven Furtick pastors.

Could we all just stop dating the church:

1. The prettiest or most handsome.

2. The most popular.

3. The one that will get us noticed.

4. The one that is the most fun.

If we could all just find a place to put down some roots and go M. A. D. (make a difference) not get mad. Lord knows there is enough of that going around.

Why plug into one local church?

1. Jesus said that is what He was going to build. 

2. We are better together. 

3. Unity (not sameness) is where the blessings are.

4. Isolation is dangerous.

5. That church needs you and you need them. (community)

Church hopping is just going to stunt your growth. Get in one place and get F. A. T. (FAITHFUL AVAILABLE TEACHABLE). That is why I believe that church hopping is a form of rebellion. I know that may be radical for some of you, but why else would people continually go from one place to the next?

1. Consumers
2. Celebrity search
3. Needs not met
4. Hurt
5. It is too big

GET IN ONE PLACE AND USE THE THOSE KEYS OF THE KINGDOM THAT HE HAS GIVEN YOU!! Fall in love with Jesus and His family.

The simple thoughts of :

Ed

SHUT UP ACCUSER!!!!!

You may be familiar with this Bible verse. If so let it be a reminder of something you know. If not I think you will be encouraged today.

Rev 12:10

10 Then I heard a loud voice shouting across the heavens,

"It has come at last—

salvation and power

and the Kingdom of our God,

and the authority of his Christ.

For the accuser of our brothers and sisters
has been thrown down to earth—
the one who accuses them
before our God day and night. NLT

FOUR KINDS OF ACCUSATION:

1. INHERITED - We have all sinned because we are descendants of Adam. Rom.3:23

2. IMPOSED - This put on us by others choices and actions that we are connected with.

3. ACTUAL - Yes, we did we are guilty. REPENT 1 John 1:9

4. INTERNAL - We refuse to forgive ourselves.

Look at this picture of how Jesus would take care of the ACCUSER.

Zech 3:1-2

3 Then the angel showed me Jeshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord. The Accuser, Satan, was there at the angel's right hand, making accusations against Jeshua. 2 And the Lord said to Satan, "I, the Lord, reject your accusations, Satan. Yes, the Lord, who has chosen Jerusalem, rebukes you. This man is like a burning stick that has been snatched from the fire." NLT

Then Jesus actually did it in the New Testament:

John 8:10-11

10 Then Jesus stood up again and said to the woman, "Where are your accusers? Didn't even one of them condemn you?" 11 "No, Lord," she said. And Jesus said, "Neither do I. Go and sin no more." NLT

TELL THE ACCUSER IN YOUR LIFE TO SHUT UP AND THE LORD REBUKE YOU!!!

Be Blessed,

Ed

Keeping Christ In CHRISTmas - A Heart for ONE

(Pictures are from Generations Church 12/19/2010)

And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus,t for he will save his people from their sins.”

 http://read.ly/Matt1.21.NLT

Jesus came to SAVE US from our sins! WOW!! I know this is no heavy revy for most of us, but it is worth reminding us why He came. Guess what? It was not so that we could receive gifts because HE IS THE GIFT. Do not get me wrong I love to receive gifts at CHRISTmas but the point of CHRISTmas is way beyond gift giving.

The FATHER'S HEART WAS ON DISPLAY in the CHRISTmas story. I preached about it on Sunday (you can listen at www.generationslubbock.com). Just click on the sermon player on the home page or go to Generations Church in itunes and you can listen to the podcast.

A HEART FOR ONE LOST SHEEP:

• owner left 99 and went after one
• how much time, energy, and money do we spend on the 99 versus the one that is lost
• more joy in heaven over ONE lost - found.

A HEART FOR ONE LOST COIN:

• of what value was it???
• she moved furniture and swept
• until she found it (determination)
• called, texted, emailed all her friends about the joy of what was lost is now found

A HEART FOR ONE LOST SON (daughter)

• he thought it was about "ME" (we do this)
• wasted it on PRODIGAL LIVING (use your imagination)
• humbled
• confessed - WHEN WE MESS UP WE NEED TO FESS UP
• Dad was waiting (so is God)
• cut covenant "here" v. 23 (significant because he did not have to clean up) God does not care where you have been, what you have been doing, nor does He care who you have been doing it with. All He cares about is where you are going which is why he sent us a SAVIOR, MESSIAH, KING.

Do you know one who is LOST but needs to be FOUND? Our assignment from heaven this CHRISTmas is to go after ONE and that will KEEP THE CHRIST IN CHRISTmas.

 

Ed

ALL IN THE FAMILY

I AM LIVING A BLESSED LIFE!! Thanking God for the greatest gift of all HIS SON JESUS CHRIST. 

Matthew 1:21 And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus,t for he will save his people from their sins.”

Along the way I have been blessed, and continue to be blessed. 

• March 4, 1976 I came to know Jesus
• June 1977 Called to ministry - continuing in the present
• July 15, 1978 Married a great gift of God - Connie Cassell
• July 7, 1979 My first born Jeff (strong with a sense of justice about him)
• May 6, 1982 My first and only daughter Denae (most like me)
• September 15, 1984 Lance (the sneaky one in a good way)
• Son in law (Chris) and Daughter in laws (Lacey & Olivia) the greatest!! 
• Grand Kids . . . the best!!

I could write so many more dates down here of significant times in my life but I will refrain. Let me ask you a question. What are your numbers? No, not the lotto! Recall your significant dates and count your blessings from the Lord. This verse was mine and Connie's memory verse for the year. WOW!! What a year!

Psalms 40

5 O Lord my God, you have performed many wonders for us.
Your plans for us are too numerous to list.
You have no equal.
If I tried to recite all your wonderful deeds,
I would never come to the end of them.NLT

I get the privilege of pastoring a GREAT church Generations Church (www.generationslubbock.com). We are young and we are not what we were and we are not what we are going to be. 

I am still amazed at how God has opened doors for me to travel the country and the world to share His love. Regardless whether I am standing in front of a group of 20 or 2000 I am still very humbled by the opportunity I have in schools and churches across the country and around the world. Humbling!!

I was in Barnes Noble reading yesterday when a lady asked if she could sit opposite me? Of course I said yes and I just continued to read in my NOOK and drink my tea. She had a stack of books that I guess she was trying to decide what to buy. In a moment she struck up a conversation about the NOOK. It was obvious that she was an avid reader, so I shared with her all about my NOOK. 

Our conversation continued and I found out that she was a retired English teacher at Monterey High School (I graduated from there). I knew of her but I never took one of her classes. We had shared wonderful memories of common friends. She (Joann Corbett) is still so full of passion for teaching that in her retired state she now oversees 12 student teachers out of the Texas Tech school of Education. It fired me up to see her passion at her age.There was nothing dramatic that happened in our conversation except her PASSION FOR LIFE and her continued sense of MISSION influenced me greatly.

Check your numbers and see who has influenced you and who you are influencing.

Have a BLESSED CHRISTmas SEASON

Ed

Lets ALL have LAUGH

Prov 17:22

22 A cheerful heart is good medicine,
but a broken spirit saps a person's strength.NLT


Laughter is such a powerful key that unlocks and opens the door to our hearts.

There is always a lot of laughter in my house. My wife is known for her laugh and her sense of humor. Here are some thoughts about laughter. I HOPE THEY ENCOURAGE YOU TODAY! The picture here is in our house.

• Laughter is contagious
• Laughing with others is a release
• Laughing at yourself keeps you humble
• Laughing at someone can be dangerous
• Laughing at others expense is rude
• Laughing in adversity can bring you hope

Ps 126:5-6
5 Those who plant in tears
will harvest with shouts of joy.
6 They weep as they go to plant their seed,
but they sing as they return with the harvest. NLT