Deep Roots of Faith

by | Nov 30, 2015 | Proverbs

Proverbs 12: 3-4

 

3 Wickedness never brings stability, but the godly have deep roots.

What is stability? One definition is to have the strength to stand or endure. To be grounded.

The wicked are unstable or flighty in all there ways, but the godly have roots that go deep. In Colossians 2:7 we read,”Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness.” As we seek God and His word in our lives, our roots grow deep. Just as a tree that is healthy and strong with deep roots that hold it strong in battering wind and rain, we can hold steadfast in the faith. We will be grounded in godly living and thrive in our abundant lives. Even though we may be persecuted, tempted or shaken by life circumstances we do not waver but sink our roots even deeper into God’s love,

4 A worthy wife is a crown for her husband, but a disgraceful woman is like cancer in his bones.

A worthy wife is one also that has her roots buried deep in Christ Jesus. She looks to God for her strength and wisdom. As she experiences God’s love for her she is able to live her life in a way that she is a shining crown for her husband. On the other hand, if a wife is living her own life and seeking her own way, she becomes disgraceful in her walk with God. She gives up her righteous living for second best. She is like a cancer to her husband, it is a pain that aches to his very bones. What a sad state to be in. Thankfully God has given each one of us a choice to either let our actions eat like a cancer to someone we love or to choose to sink our roots deep in our great God and Father, and to be a shining crown to those around us.

 

Learning to Love Discipline

by | Nov 28, 2015 | Proverbs

Proverbs 12: 1-2

1 To learn, you must love discipline; it is stupid to hate correction 

This is probably one of the most difficult, yet accurate verses in the bible. It sounds so silly to love discipline. I don’t know if I’ve ever met anyone that could say that they love discipline. Discipline is hard, and there is no getting around it, but with correction and discipline come knowledge. In order to learn well, we must make mistakes. In fact, it is inevitable that we will make mistakes. The guidance that comes after we mess up is the key to keeping us from messing up again. Obviously, we will mess up again at some point, but we will have a better understanding of what not to do, and that will make a difference. So yes, discipline is hard and it isn’t always fun, but to love discipline is to love to learn.

2 The Lord approves of those who are good, ​but he condemns those who plan wickedness. 

When we decide that it is better to learn to love discipline than to try and figure life out on our own, we begin the journey to choosing the good over the wicked. When we learn more about how God sees the world and how he wants us to live in the world, then we will have an understanding of what is good and what is evil. God will approve the good and their willingness to learn and to serve. He will condemn the wicked who choose not to be disciplined and who take matters into their own hands.​

Righteous Rewards

by | Nov 28, 2015 | Proverbs

Proverbs 11:30-31

The bible perhaps can be best understood by having a grasp of its major covenants, also known as the Old Testament and the New Testament. To be sure there are seven major covenants in the bible, but these two bring understanding to the others. In the New Covenant we now live in the age of grace whereas in the Old Covenant they lived in the age of the law. The covenants dictate how God related to us and it is vital that in these times we view our relationship with God through the lens of grace even when we are reading from the Old Testament.

 

30 The seeds of good deeds become a tree of life; a wise person wins friends.

There are three primary ways that you can “sow a seed” – thoughts, words, and deeds. When seeds are planted there will always be a harvest in accordance with what was planted. You will never reap a harvest of something that you did not plant. Whatever you sow you will reap. When you sow seeds of good deeds, those deeds become a tree of life. In Psalm 34:8 David says, “Taste and see that the LORD is good. Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in him.” When we perform acts of kindness, smile to those who frown at us, feed the homeless, visit the sick, assist the disenfranchised, etc., we become trees of life that others can “taste” and “see” (through demonstration) that the Lord is good.

 

31 If the righteous are rewarded here on earth, what will happen to wicked sinners?

Although as saints we have been given the gift of righteousness through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross and are daily recipients of his grace this does not exempt us from the temporary consequences of decisions that do not expressed or specific will of God for our lives. God disciplines us because he loves us, but what about those who do not know God through Jesus Christ. The literal Greek rendering of this verse says, “If the righteous are barely saved, what will happen to godless sinners.” The grace and faith to be in relationship with God has been extended to all and if those that are righteous (or better yet have been made righteous by Jesus) if they are only righteous not because of what they have done, but because of what Jesus has done, what will happen to those who have yet to trust in Him? I think we all know the answer and that’s why it’s so important that we become trees of life, cities of refuge, and water in the desert to those that are lonely and lost.

3 Lessons God Taught Me About Money.

by | Nov 27, 2015 | Proverbs

“Trust in your money and down you go!
But the godly flourish like leaves in spring.”
—
Proverbs 11:28 NLT

I want to be real. I’m 25 and I started a non-profit, which means I’m broke. Well, not anymore, but I’ll get there. I’m married, I have bills, and a life insurance policy so there’s expectations on me. I want to quickly share some lessons God taught me on my journey from an empty bank account to a comfortable monthly income.

Backstory:

I started Press Bible when I was 21. I had no clue about building apps, an organization, and especially earning money. I made the leap and began doing Press Bible full-time after college. During the leap, I got married. Enter RESPONSIBILITY. I was working like crazy building a nonprofit, but there was no steady income coming in. My wife was the one bringing in all the money. I had myself a world class Sugar Mama.

There was nothing wrong with this for a short season, but this season was off-and-on for about 2 years. Also, we were financially supporting our non profit—remember it was bringing in no money. So we’re trying to sustain something that wasn’t sustainable. Things needed to change.

After an intervention with my wife and business partner, I finally began to explore ways I could make money. I discovered that all these computers skills I had been learning could make me some cash. I started doing freelance video, web, and project management. My income has grown from $0 to anywhere from $2000-$4000 a month in last 6 months! Yes, I work over 40 hours a week. I work stinking hard. Full time on projects that are not Press Bible related, and full time on Press Bible. Also, please understand I’m sharing these things to brag, but to be TRANSPARENT, which is a great segue.

 

1. Get Real About Your Financial Position.

For some reason I fell into this weird, heinous habit of not talking about my financial position. When people asked me what / or how much I made, I couldn’t look them in the eyes. I was ashamed. I would mumble a bunch of nonsense like, “Well I’m in the process of looking for a job,” or “God has me in this learning ‘season’ right now.” Lies. Thankfully, God introduced me to people that could see past my BS. They challenged me to man up and stop hiding behind Christianese. Stop making excuses. Do whatever it takes to financially support your wife. They were right, but beneath all of this, was a crippling thought that prevented me from taking the next step…

 

2. Making Money is Not Evil.

I couldn’t go out and make money because I viewed making money as a shady thing. I am a CHRISTIAN, I don’t want “money to be my idol.” Stupid. I thought “selling” was synonymous with trickery. I didn’t want to pressure someone to buy my product / service they didn’t need. The problem was that I had no concept of value. Here’s what I eventually learned…

Money is the result of creating VALUE for people. Think about the products, services you pay for. Why do you pay for them? It’s because they add value to your life.

We hire designers, plumbers, tutors, counselors, because they’re solving a specific problem. You pay money so that a problem (that is important to you) can be solved. So I started to ask: “What problem am I trying to solve for another human being?” “What uniques gifts do I possess and how can I use my gifts to add value to someone else’s life?”

This mentality is all about PEOPLE. It’s all about solving people’s problems. Creating a positive difference in their lives! So if money is about solving problems, then why wouldn’t I want to be a part of this process? Why wouldn’t I try to help as many people as I possible! Making money is not evil, It’s a unique gift God has given you!

 

3. Money Has Trust Issues.

Over the course of the last year, I have met people that have A LOT of money. Like, pay for their nice cars / houses with cash kind of money. But here’s the lesson they’ve taught me:

Money creates the illusion of security, but true security comes from the Lord!

Here’s where they got that from:

“Trust in your money and down you go!
But the godly flourish like leaves in spring.”
—
Proverbs 11:28 NLT

Money doesn’t bring security. Sure you can pay your bills, but there is much more to life than having your physical needs met. Like I said earlier, I’m currently making more than ever, but let me tell you, that hasn’t made my relationships with anyone better. Nobody cares how much I make. You think my wife shows me more love because my monthly income has grown? My wife shows me love whenever I pray before we go to bed; Whenever God is directing my family’s decisions.

Here’s the secret I learned: the number in your bank account won’t make you sleep better at night. Maybe it does for a short season, but you will flourish whenever you turn your trust from money and focus on the one who gave it to you! You see, money-focused individuals have trust issues.

 

Takeaway:

Work hard to create value for people and once you have been paid, put your trust into the one who gave you it to you!

Feasting on Hope

by | Nov 26, 2015 | Proverbs

Proverbs 11:26-27

Sometimes it is so easy to focus on the evil going on in the world.  It seems extremely justifiable to continually look at all the negative things that are happening. Media is constantly shoving all the things wrong with mankind down our throats, but we have a unique responsibility as believers to bring hope and life to a seemingly darkened world. We have a light that all will see, and we can’t keep it to ourselves any longer.

I rarely watch the news, because every time I do all I see is more hurt, pain, and fear. Those may be the facts, but we believe in a truth higher than the facts. Our culture is in need of a light and a hope, and it’s about time we stop keeping it to ourselves and give them the very thing they’ve been waiting for.

The more focus we place on evil, the more we will see it take place and the more it will become present in our lives. That’s why James 4 says to resist the devil and he will flee from you. We only need our sights on him long enough to pull the trigger. But the Devil hates when we refuse to give him the attention he is so constantly begging for, and place our adoration on God alone. Searching for goodness means searching for God. When we search for God, he returns favor and lavishes love on us. It’s time we pull our focus from the negativity we are fed every day and feast on the fact that this generation is in the midst of the greatest revival ever to take place in history.  Miracles, signs and wonders are pouring out all over the world, the dead are being raised, and God is on the move.