Article by Judy Mosley

It hit me today.  I’m hot!

We were eating lunch outside with our next door neighbors. There was little shade in their backyard and the sun shone brightly in the cloudless sky.  The humidity was high as we enjoyed the food and conversation … But, what I couldn’t keep from thinking about was that I was so hot!

What I haven’t mentioned is that I was wearing pants. I’ve been wearing pants for at least seven straight summers.  I own only one pair of shorts and those are for running. And the reason for refusing to wear shorts for at least seven years of my life is because, somewhere along the line, I decided that my knees were ugly … Read More »

God promises to renew your strength …

“But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.  They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary; they will walk and not be faint.”

Isaiah 40:31 (NIV)

Article by Dr. Les Hollon, Pastor, Trinity Baptist Church

This month has marked the 40th anniversary of when the first person walked on the moon. With his first step astronaut Neil Armstrong said these words which were listened to around the world, “one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.”  Before Buzz Aldrin, the second of the three astronauts on the Apollo 11 mission, joined in the moon walk - he had to complete several important tasks aboard the lunar module.  Among them was a personal celebration of communion.  Aldrin believed the historic greatness of that moment could best be grasped from understanding the accomplishment as a sign of God’s greatness.

Greatness is the gift of opportunity God provides for all of us.  God’s greatness includes us but is not just about us, which is what Armstrong’s quote revealed, and Aldrin’s worshipful act magnified. Greatness is the extension of God being at work in our lives. Living thru God’s power and for God’s purposes is how God defines greatness.

Freedom, true freedom, is the value & discipline of dedication to God being released thru servant leadership.  Our great yes to God sets us free from all the tyranny of lesser loyalties jockeying to become number one in our lives.  And the freedom to make other good commitments - ethical oaths, family & friendship loyalties, promise keeping, patriotism, etc. - are enriched by our lead soulful commitment to God.

The apostle Paul was incredulous that the Galatians were forsaking their gospel freedom by being deceived that the grace of God, which they had trusted for their salvation, was too good to be true. Consequently the tyranny of smaller commitments began to dominate their lives.  This disobedience, stemming from the desire to live by their own power, was disconnecting them from God’s power (Galatians 5:1).

We find ourselves freest as we allow ourselves to be focused godwardly.  As our body (including all the chemical reactions which physically ignite us), mind (with the various thought patterns which compete for our mental attention), and spirit (that which we worship controls us, “where your treasure is there is your heart also” as Jesus said) are unified in the power which comes by obediently loving God, we are then empowered to fulfill heavenly purposes on earth.  As our hearts embrace other people, what we do rises above personal glorification to become the eternal glorification of God’s best.

Jesus prophesied that we can experience the best future possible for us by yearning to hear God whisper into our ears, “well done good and faithful servant.”  These are the words that define true greatness.

We can hear these golden words as we freely focus our use of time, money, talents, and opportunity to connect with the Jesus way.  And with each hearing we know the joy of freedom’s call to be great.

Living in God’s greatness forms within us the divine spring of a sustained passion for excellence. From within us then grows the outward signs of true greatness: “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness faithfulness, gentleness, and self control; against such there is no law” (Galatians 5:22 -23). The outward work of these signs makes us successfully competitive in any arena where what really matters, matters (Galatians 5:13).

Greatness of this kind is what everyone in this world hungers for.  But deceptive forces masquerade as false sources to satisfy our hunger for genuine divine urgings toward greatness.  If we trust the deceptions we will never be satisfied for long.  Acting on deceptions becomes addictive because they cause us to crave more & more of what gives us less & less, which is why sin in the Hebrew is defined as “missing the mark.”  Deceptions drain away our freedom rather than adding to our greatness.  Our attempt for greatness instead becomes a great mess.

Paul knew the struggle we face because he faced it himself.  He described it this way, “I am crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live. Yet not I but Christ lives within me.  And the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me,” (Galatians 2:20).

When we seek greatness for its own sake, we pursue it in our own power.  But if we allow Christ to live within us and we seek to live our lives through Him, then His greatness is released from our time, talent, actions, and motivation.  Consequently we fulfill our freedom to be great by faithing, focusing, and finishing.

Are you using your opportunity in life to be truly great?

Pastor Les Hollon

“I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!”

-Galatians 2:20-21 (NIV)

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.”

-Galatians 5:22-26 (NIV)

This article was written by Les Hollon, Pastor of Trinity Baptist Church.  For more information about God and your place in His world, contact Dr. Hollon, click over to Trinity Baptist Church.

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Article By Kevin L. DeWitt

Most of us can remember many situations when we experienced change while on the job.  Whether it’s moving from one software system to another, relocating to a new office, or adjusting to a new boss, change is inevitable.

During the current economic turbulence, many of us find that the changes we encounter on the job are suddenly much more frequent and substantial than usual … unexpected layoffs, severe budget cuts, job responsibilities that are expanded overnight (many times to cover laid off workers) are now all too prevalent as we struggle to dig out of today’s recession.

For employees left in the wake of such changes, it can be difficult to set aside frustrations and anxiety to adjust to challenging new situations … when your company enacts change that represents some sort of threat or loss, the reflexive reaction for most people is denial.  You might tell yourself that it will never happen to me, however being resistant to change doesn’t stop it from happening and may even jeopardize your job security. Read More »

Article By Kevin L. DeWitt

An unknown author once wrote, “My goal in life is to be as good as my dog thinks I am.”  This person certainly sets a high standard.  You see, cynics will claim we love dogs because they cannot speak … or criticize.  I believe, however, we love dogs because they represent the best in us: eagerness, inspiration and selflessness.

In fact, we can learn much from dogs in our lives.  When we fall short or lose our way, maybe we should turn to our four-legged friends for motivation. They can help us remember four essential qualities that can be so easily lost:

Zest for life
Imagine waking up to a world filled with endless possibilities. Your senses tingle with every motion, scent and sound. You devote each day to indulging your natural curiosities, exploring and playing.

Unrealistic?  Perhaps, but consider the alternative.  Imagine a life driven by quotas and deadlines, late nights and commutes, iPhones or BlackBerrys and meetings. If that’s you, it might be time to re-examine. Read More »