10 Things About Honor

1. HONOR produces ANOINTING. Jesus honored His earthly father, Joseph.

2. HONOR will cause you to EMERGE from behind those you’ve served, without ECLIPSING who you’ve served. 

3. HONOR means I'm respecting what I'm becoming. #FatherSon 

4. What you HONOR, you attract. What you dishonor, you forfeit.

5. Refusing to HONOR the leaders you have chosen to serve under means you think little of yourself. If they're not worthy of honor, why are they leading you?

6. Young Preacher: Older preachers need your strength. You need our wisdom. Mutual HONOR creates an unbreakable bond. Seek covering. #FatherSon

7. Dear Pastor: HONOR God by blessing His people, whether it benefits you or not. He will see to it that you are duly rewarded.

8. If your leader bestows HONOR on you, don’t get the big head. Pride is an honor extinguisher! Stay humble & HONOR will seek you out. 

9. Sowing is an act of worship! "HONOR the LORD with thy substance & with the firstfruits of increase" Proverbs 3:9

10. No matter how righteous you think you are, if you can’t/won’t HONOR God by following basic instructions/requests from your leaders...HONOR will elude you. 

***BONUS***

God never asks us to submit, unless He is trying to position us to receive Greater Grace! 
• Humility attracts Grace. 
• Grace gives HONOR!

10 Things

1. I don't have to PREACH my convictions...I simply LIVE them.

2. UNEQUALLY YOKED = Partnership with a person who values this world's wisdom while you're trying to honor & live by God's wisdom.

3. Quit saying, "Don't be JUDGING me...you don't know me like that." Boo Boo, the WORD of God has already judged your actions irregardless of anyone else's witness to your lifestyle.

4. Amazed at the number of people that want to meet for one-on-one counseling who never bother to attend church. They got this backward.

5. Some believers need to download the new HOLY GHOST operating system. The version they have is missing commitment & devotion.

6. GRACE doesn't give me an excuse not to live right.

7. It is an OXYMORON to say, "I just want more of God's presence" while we're knowingly living in sin.

8. If the CHURCH was to ever get our "Jesus Doctrine" right the world would never dismiss us. They'd either love us or hate us...but they couldn't dismiss us!

9. Stop complaining about the COST & realize that you are being pulled UP. You don't have time to argue when you're a living sacrifice.

10. The REASON that you're THERE is more important than the SEASON that you're THERE. Stop complaining so you can GROW!

10 Things

1. Don't give up on God, yourself or your dream! There are angels, resources, & people on standby waiting on you to BELIEVE again.
2. Recalibrate your faith! Don't abandon your ASSIGNMENT because of your struggle!
3. If you serve in ministry, spend at least twice as much time FILLING up as you do POURING out.
4. The time you spend indulging in a VICE is wasted time. Put that time to better use.
5. Say about yourself only what GOD has determined about you thru the finished work of Christ!
6. God doesn't need great circumstances to make you great. All He needs from you is a RELENTLESS FAITH that refuses to give up!
7. Some people are repeatedly disappointed, so they give up. Others are repeatedly disappointed & become more DETERMINED than ever.
8. Even if your "WANT TO" and your "HOW TO" aren't in sync, don't be discouraged or give up hope! God is at work within you!
9. People usually give up when they fail to GIVE THOUGHT to God's integrity, faithfulness & power! THINK and then give THANKS!
10. We FIT where God has placed us, not where we feel we should be placed. Your assignment will not EXPIRE unto you do! Don't give up on it!

10 Things I Want To Say

I don’t ever want to FORGET the blessings of JESUS! One of the stories that both bothers AND convicts me in the Scriptures is found in Luke 17.

TEN lepers cried out to Jesus…TEN lepers were so desperate that they were willing to be ridiculed…TEN lepers knew that Jesus could heal their disease…TEN lepers heard His voice…and TEN lepers were cleansed.

But only ONE leper came back…ONE leper praised Him in a “loud voice”…ONE leper fell at His feet…ONE leper was truly thankful and ONE leper met and experienced Jesus on a level that the TEN should have.

What were those other NINE thinking? Before we get ANGRY at them for their lack of consideration…I wonder if we realize that we actually have more in common with them than the ONE who came back to give thanks.

QUESTION: When was the last time you stopped to thank Jesus for all He has done for you? (Honestly, I don’t do it enough!)

We are DESPERATE people when circumstances call for it. But what if we were as desperate for HIS PRESENCE and POWER when things are going well?

The Bible tells us in 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 that we should GIVE THANKS in all circumstances…

Perhaps we would walk in greater joy if we spent more time THANKING Him for all He has done rather than COMPLAINING to Him about all that we think He needs to do!

What do you need to thank Him for today?

• Your spouse…
• Your job…
• Your kids…
• Your money…
• Your health…
• Your friends…
• Your church...
• Your house…

The list could go on and on … and the WORSE mistake we could make is to ask Him for something…He blesses us with it…and then we act as if we DESERVED His kindness.

I hope this hits your right between the eyes like it’s hitting me this morning.

I challenge you to spend MORE TIME giving God THANKS for WHAT you have and WHO He is … RATHER than what you don’t have!

I challenge you to quit COMPLAINING, WHINING and DROPPING HINTS to everyone about how…unhappy, bored, discouraged, depressed and upset you are. GET A GRIP…NOT A GRIPE!

Hasn’t Jesus brought you through BEFORE? He deserves the GLORY…and He sure isn’t getting it when we MOPE around looking like a poster child for Quaker Oats.

• A change of location won’t fix what’s wrong on the inside…
• A change of spouses won’t fix what’s wrong on the inside...
• A change of churches won’t fix what’s wrong on the inside…
• A change of jobs won’t fix what’s wrong on the inside…

We “is” what we “is.”

WHO ARE WE FOOLING?

10 Things I Want to Say:

1. Pick yourself up by your own boot straps…
• Get up…Clean up…Straighten up…you’ll feel better!
2. Anoint your own head with oil…
• Lay hands on your forehead and declare that you are a CHILD of GOD and REDEEMED by the BLOOD!
3. Spend less time on social networks and more time on your “face” in prayer…
• Good night!!! QUIT posting all your MESS all over the internet for people to see…trying to get a reaction and a sense of relief. Take it to the Lord in prayer.
4. Go to church…
• It amazes me the people that have a boatload of dysfunction, critical spirits, think they know it all, got lost kids, serious issues and THINK they know how to manage their life on their own…and have the audacity to THINK they don’t have to go to church.
• Sadly, all you have to do is watch their track record…what they’ve done before…they’ll do again.
• They’ll give prayer request after prayer request for the church to pray for their spouse and their kids to get saved…and then they end up acting goofy and losing all respect anyone had for them.
• You can lose your testimony in one minute!
• As my dear sister in Christ would say… “SPANK the devil!”
5. Surround yourself with people of integrity…
• You’ll either cluck with the chickens or soar with the eagles.
6. Read your BIBLE…
• Start with one chapter a day.
7. Study and speak the Scriptures over your life…
• If God says you’re healed…then claim your healing!
• If God says you’re blessed…then claim your blessing!
• If God calls you His friend…then claim your friendship!
8. Partake in Holy Communion…
• You don’t have to wait till you come to church to partake in Holy Communion. You can have it in your HOME every day if you desire.
• Ask the Lord to cleanse you of all sin.
• Focus on remembering His death, burial & resurrection.
• Read the Scripture “out loud” where Jesus administered communion to His disciples. (Matthew 26:26-28; Mark 14:22-24; Luke 22:19-20; also 1 Corinthians 11:24-26)
• Partake of the elements (bread & juice)
• Thank Him for His finished work while laying your hand upon your forehead and claiming your healing!
9. Volunteer at your church…
• Don’t be a S.M.O. (Sunday Morning Only). Give of your TIME, TALENT and TREASURE … EVERY week!
10. Be a disciple FIRST!
• Sunday’s & Wednesday’s are not OPTIONAL.
• These two days in particular (and more when needed) are part of your spiritual routine.
• Committing to be at church on Sunday’s & Wednesday’s (or whenever your local church is offering scheduled services) is merely “reasonable service.”
• You won’t get any awards, ribbons or credit in Heaven for doing it.
• It’s YOUR PART to do.
• Four hours a week isn’t even a TITHE of your week. (Actually it would be 16.8 hours if you were counting.)

Let’s be like the ONE leper who returned to GIVE thanks! May your week be filled with GRATITUDE, REFLECTION, TRANSFORMATION and SUPERNATURAL INCREASE!

10 Things I've Learned About Pastoring

I truly enjoy my assignment.  Beverly and I have been pastoring for 12 years and I believe we have some of the finest people in the world!  We both grew up in a pastor's home - which has afforded us experience and understanding to the ministry.  Regardless of how much formal training you receive in the ministry, there is nothing that can take the place of experience.

If you're a new pastor or have just stepped up to serve in ministry in any capacity - allow me to humbly share a few things I've learned along the way.

1. Learn how to relax in your own skin.  God called you to be who you are and not someone else.  Resist the urge to compare yourself to other pastors or leaders.
2. It takes time to feel like you're actually "pastoring" the church.  People may call you pastor, out of respect for your office, but there will come a definite moment when you'll feel like you're actually pastoring the church.  Don't rush this...it will happen naturally.  Some people will only trust you after a really long time of proving yourself, and another group will never trust you no matter what you do.
3. You'll only have as much spiritual authority as you're willing to submit yourself to. 
   Submission brings freedom and promotion.  Independence is a train wreck waiting to happen.  You cannot ask your people to submit to your leadership if you are unwilling to submit to those over you.  A good soldier can take orders from any commander.
4. Wolves aren't the only ones who bite.  Sheep bite too.  Although their bite don't kill...the gnawing can make life miserable sometimes.  Don't let your emotions get the best of you.  Walk out in front of your flock...pushing from behind will frustrate you and exhaust your energy.  Expect to be bitten. Stay focused on your vision and do not exhaust your efforts trying to put out fires and giving ear to murmuring.
5. The life of a minister can be lonely at times.  If you are called to lead people, you cannot be their best friend too.  God will give you strength during the lonely times and send you relational encouragement.  Cherish the friends God gives you and nourish those relationships.
6. Don't make hasty decisions on Monday mornings.  Sometimes your brain will feel like oatmeal after a weekend of ministry.  You'll be tempted to double guess your message, leadership and capability.  The good news is...Monday will pass!
7. Keep on preaching the truth regardless of how many people get upset at you.  You're called to proclaim the Word - not necessarily to defend or debate it.  Preach with passion and leave the results to God.
8. Take a vacation.  You're not superman.  You'll be no good to your family or church if you're beat down.  Schedule a day during the week when you can unwind, get out of the office and avoid dealing with church issues if at all possible.  Sitting on the couch and watching a movie with your family can do you a world of good!
9. Make wise hiring choices.When looking for potential staff members, loyalty & integrity are the most important characteristics.  You will also want to consider people who have a great work ethic and who ask "why not?" instead of "why?"
10. Celebrate the victories.After you've completed a big assignment CELEBRATE.  Giving everyone an ice cream cone is a fun way to say "thank you!"  Send thank you cards or appreciation to your key leaders and try to take a breather before the next big event.