God the Artist

Everytime I glance at the moon...I think, what an Artist God is. I don't understand how people can see this soft lit beautiful glowing ball, hanging just perfectly above us, softly lighting our sleep, and doubt there is a God?

He is so real in my life. I feel Him, see Him all around, sense His unconditional love, hear & see His direction for my life...I just wished everyone knew Him as I did.

This is a perfect weekend to invite people to Flamingo that are living far away from God. Their eternity at stake...so my suggestion? Do what ever it takes to get them there. They will thank you one day!

Eternity at stake

There is no doubt we are relentless about the lost lives doing life without Christ...to prepare for this weekend, Pastor T held our Global Leadership Meeting at a local cemetery for the full sense of death experience. Talk about Environment!

Death surrounds us on so many levels...there are some dead people in our midst with heartbeats...as some people choose to just "exist", rather than LIVE their lives. Others choose death over life when presented with the gospel...and the ones we really hurt for our those waiting to hear the Gospel - the lost. You may know some...

We all have an opportunity to impact people's eternities...by modeling a Christ centered life, by showing His love & mercy, and by inviting folks to hear the message...this is their weekend.

INVITE, INVITE, INVITE this weekend guys...people's eternities are at stake. What are you doing, or NOT doing to make an impact?

Love Dare Discussion Guide

40 Day Love Dare Discussion Guide Week Six

1. "Joined together, you are greater than your independent parts. You need each other. You complete each other." Have you let your spouse know that you value their input and want to include them in upcoming decisions?
2. "You are one of the most influential people in your spouse's life. Have you been using your influence to lead them to honor God, or to dishonor Him?" Find a specific example when your spouse demonstrated Christian character in a noticeable way - and commend them for it!
3. "Everyone needs wise counsel throughout life. Wise people constantly seek it and gladly receive it. Fools never ask for it and then ignore it when it's given to them." Did you find a marriage mentor? If not, are you working towards it? Discuss in the group the benefits of having someone like that in your lives.
4. "The Holy Spirit, who now lives in your heart by way of salvation, is an illuminator of truth. And because of His internal lamp, the Scriptures are now yours to read, absorb, comprehend, and live by." What parts of your life are in the greatest need of God's counsel? Have you committed to reading the Bible on a daily basis?
5. "...if told that shared prayer is a key ingredient in marital longevity and leads to a heightened sense of sexual intimacy, they would think you had really gone too far." Have you found a time to begin praying together? Have you faced obstacles when you try to pray together? Share some of these experiences with the group.
   
6. "Dreams and desires come in all shapes and sizes. But love takes careful notice of each one. Love that is from God is unending, unstoppable." Did you write a letter of commitment to your spouse? As you went through the process of writing it, how did it affect you?
7. "In marriage, your wedding ring represents your covenant vows - not merely commitments you hoped to keep but premeditated promises, publicly spoken and witnessed by others." As you reach the end of the 40 Day Love Dare, did any couple in your group choose to renew their wedding vows? Why or why not? Did you write out a renewal of your vows?

This is the last week of the Love Dare. Make sure every couple has a chance to reply to at least one of the discussion questions. Take a good amount of time to pray for one another as couples. Commit, as a group, to supporting and encouraging the marriages of the people in your lives.

Are you Hungry?

Pastor Troy (PT) challenged us in our Monthly Staff Meeting Tuesday night to get hard heads and to STAY HUNGRY!

Ive been craving cheeseburgers alot in this pregnancy...and naturally, my mind goes to O'Brady Cheeseburger Wraps, but PT encouraged a different kind of relentless insatiable hunger that interrupts even your sleep!!!

Passionate hunger, discontentment, and anger even over the lives we are not reaching for Christ. My Pastor spoke with such passion & hurt, it hurt to see him hurt. What are you doing to reach the lost? In your groups, in your daily life....time is running out & more & more churches it seems are becoming ineffective in this battle.

Pray for hunger of the lost type...pray for hard heads...meaning no matter what you encounter or the enemy throws your way, & how many times you hit your head on the ceiling, you will continue to jump & SOAR HIGH above the noise for Christ.

We start a new series this weekend....Heaven Yes, Hell NO!!! Because IT matters. Each life matters.

Love Dare Discussion Guide

40 Day Love Dare Discussion Guide
Week Five

1. "You must choose to live by encouragement rather than expectations... Instead of putting your mate in a position to rebel, love teaches you to give them room to be themselves." Were you able to communicate with each other regarding areas of unrealistic expectations in your relationship?
2. "Instead of sitting around upset that they're not treating you the way you think they should, let love pick you up out of your self-pity and turn your attention to their needs." Did you find new ways to meet your spouse's needs this week?
   
3. "In fact, this mystery is so compelling - and the love between husband and wife so intertwined and complete - that God uses the imagery of marriage to explain His love for the church." Did you isolate one area of division in your marriage? Without revealing too much, do you feel you have made progress in that area?
4. "Unity is a marriage quality to be guarded at great cost... If you're too tightly drawn to your parents, the singular identity of your marriage will not be able to come to flower." Discuss why it is so important to commit to your spouse and to God that you will make your marriage the top priority over every other human relationship, including your relationship with your parents.
5. "You are the one person called and designated by God to meet your spouse's sexual needs. If you allow distance to grow between you in this area... you are taking something that rightly (and exclusively) belongs to your spouse." Share what you learned from Day 32 of The Love Dare.

Remember to take time to pray together as a group as you finish your discussion this week.

Be still....how???

My devo verse this morning would read..."Be still in the presence of the Lord, and WAIT patiently for God to act", Psalm 37:7 NLT

For those of you who know me, know I have the HARDEST time "being still"....the hardest! Unless its by a cozy fireplace :)

I mean, don't get me wrong...I treasure my quiet times early in the mornings before beginning my Amazing Race with the kids...and look forward to watching most sunsets out in our backyard by the lake...those are moments you savor, but "be still", actually just be still for looong periods of times, or even harder yet, wait for God on a decision that is constantly on your mind.

Its soooo hard. But at the end of the day...like today, I am reminded that only He sees the bigger picture for my life, He knows His perfect plan, and waiting is the least I can do while I wait & trust that He will act.

-L

Psalm 40:8

"I take joy in doing your will, my God, for your instructions are written on my heart"...may we never lose that JOY.