“A tree is recognized by its fruit.”

The title of this post is found here.  What does the fruit you are currently producing look like?  I know I have had to take a step back and look inward after hearing a sermon on this last Sunday.  In my own life, I would say that there is just a lack of fruit.  No good fruit or bad fruit.  Just no fruit at all.  But, I pose this question; if there is not any good fruit to be seen in your life, does that mean you’re producing bad fruit?  I say no, but it does give me (as it should every Christian) some motivation to have the discipline to make yourself readily available to the work of our redeeming Creator.  If we are not available to do His work, we will never produce good fruit on our own.  After all, we can have all the right words to say, but in the end it has to be God that speaks into someones heart…and it just might be through you…

Simple thought….tough Application

I was talking to my boy, Josh Meadows, the other day.  He was pretty much like a mentor to me and my closest friends in high school.  He made a great point in the course of our conversation when he said, “You know, why do I have to pray about doing stuff that God has commanded us to do?” 

Talk about a wake up call…

 

Any thoughts on this readers????

Whom will I serve?

The Spirit of Truth which dwells inside of me was starved in the shadows of what I wanted to do last week.  The war between Spirit and flesh that is constantly raging inside of me was dominated by my selfish desires last week.  Why?  I have no clue.  All I know is that I have to wake up every morning and have the discipline to put the Spirit in front of the flesh.  This is a timeless truth that will forever be applicable to me and every other Christian each day.  Galatians 5: 16-18 is pretty clear.  It says that the flesh and the Spirit set their desires against one another so that they are in opposition.  So where does that leave us?  Well, if we choose to try and fight the good fight on our own it leaves us with a big “L” on our foreheads.  But, if we choose to lay down our pride and call upon the great Power of our Savior then we cannot help but be victorious through our weakness and  His Strength.  I am seeing more and more each day how I am capable of doing nothing aside from sin.  When left to my own devices I have no hope.  My only hope is to feed the Spirit inside of me so much that the flesh is choked out.  How will you feed your Spirit each day???

Wow Coop…unreal sir

So check out this blog by a buddy of mine, Brad Cooper.  This could be one of the most challenging things I have read in a while.  It cut me deep; not going to lie.  When I read this and took an inventory of my life I really saw how much it is all about what I want to do.  Sometimes it is what I want to do for God, but even then, I should not strive to do things on my own for God.  To be lead by the Spirit means to abandon all things that I want.  Being lead by the Spirit is fighting against yourself to go the other way.

 

Thanks Coop….

Back

I got back to school yesterday, and as I stepped off the plane there was about 5 or 6 inches of fresh powder covering the ground.  A little bit different than when I left the 50’s of the North Carolina mountains.  I will be honest, I was not ready to come back to school in the least until I took off from Asheville.  For some reason, it just did not feel right.  I still cannot describe the feeling, but as soon as I left the ground the anticipation of being back in Iowa, playing baseball, and being around teammates began to build.  Since I have been back for about a day now, I can honestly say that I am ready for this semester.  I just do not want to miss anything that it may have to offer.  I know that it will fly by and be gone quicker than I can even imagine, but I do not want to miss glorifying God in any part of my life this semester.

Get Drilled

Yeah…I am still reading and studying through the book of James.  I am almost done, and everyday I study it I see something very big in my life that is VERY wrong.  Today as I was reading in the first part of Chapter 5 I just got dominated as I began to meditate and take a look at my life and how this section of scripture applies to it.  The basic summary of the passage is that rich people who store up treasures here on Earth are going to get it big time!  While it is talking about rich people who call themselves Christians and associate in Christian circles yet are truly not converted, there was still much application in my own life.  The definition of rich used in this passage is people who have more than they need to live.  I definitely fit the bill on that one.  I am so blessed it is unbelievable.  Anyways, let me explain how this fits into my life.  As I meditated on this one, I saw just how skewed my vision was on how I give glory to Jesus.  After all, that is the one goal of every Christians walk.  Lately I have been doing it all wrong, saying, “Look at me, look at me!  I am a Christian!”  That may not sound too bad, but I was not giving any glory and honor to God for what he had truly done in my life.  I want my life to reek of this saying, “Do not look at me.  Look at what God did to my life through the cross and through Jesus Christ.  I did nothing, and I want people to see that what I am now I do not deserve.  It is only through the grace of God that I have hope!”  That is what I think it means to store up your treasure in heaven.  In short, I was making much of myself as I made much of my Savior.  That is just bush league.

With that being said, what do I do with the treasure that God has blessed me with while I am on this earth?  I mean my talents, my abilities, my clothes, whatever I have more than I need to live.  What do I do with it?  Check out this video…my boy Brad Cooper has a pretty good idea!

Flow 3…

Quotable Sweetness

“True spiritual direction not only challenges; it comforts”

-Douglas Webster

…that is sick nasty

He may laugh at our plans…I think

I am reading through James right now and trying to study it pretty hard.  Anyways, I was reading about how we are not supposed to boast in our own plans for today, tomorrow, or the next day, for if they are our own plans then where does God fit into that picture?  As true Christians we are called to put down our own wills and submit to the will of God.  With that being said, do you think that God may get a slight giggle out of the plans we make for our own lives?  I was pondering on this one a little bit as I read.  I was trying to think as God would, and if I were God (which would be a sad day for the world to say the least) I do not think I could help but sit back and laugh at the plans that some people make.  I do not say that like I have it all figured out, but when I look at my life and some of the plans I had in the past and then what God brought into my life that was completely different than what I had planned, it makes me laugh.  It makes me laugh because what God brings into my life is so much better than what I had planned on.  It makes me wonder why I would ever settle for anything less than pursuing God’s will relentlessly every single day.

New Year…New Post

So I just woke up for the first time in 2009 because I did not get in bed last night until about 3:15am!  Anyways, as I sit here to think about this new year, I cannot help but think back on the one that just passed.  I praise God for everything and every part of the last year of my life; from hurting my back, to giving my family a new little brother, all of it was unreal!  2009 will be my first full year as an adopted son of the most high God.  That could possibly be the most exciting thing ever…SERIOUSLY!!!  I say that to say this, what are your goals for this next year?  Are your resolutions set for your glory and for your own selfish ambition, or are they so that your wonderful savior can have more glory than ever before?  If so, you may want to take a step back and reflect on that passage.  I know I get caught up in that everyday!  What can I do to satisfy me today?  What can I do to make me look good today?  Wow…This small section from James busted me! 

Just sayin…