Everyone has a story. For most of us our story has made us who we are, and is shaping who we want to be. The stories of our lives are usually not that far off from each other, yet we live life dealing with issues alone. God never intended for us to do life, or for that matter suffer through it alone.

That is the purpose of our fall kickoff series at Genesischurch.tv called “I Am Human.” This will be a series like no other. You will hear people’s stories, see their pain, and hear their ways to victory. Real stories from real people. Please be there this week as we seek to bring freedom to people, encourage some, and introduce new people to the amazing love of Christ.

Okay, so I have a confession to make and I need help from all you online shoppers out there. Everytime I purchase something, someone always comes behind me and says “Hey, you could have saved a hundred dollars if you would have bought that at youareanidiotfornotbuyingithere.com!”

So I have decided that I want a Kindle or Kindle 2. I carry roughly 4-5 books with me at all time and my shoulders could use the break. I know I am a nerd for carrying around that many books, and yes I am reading all of them. I jump around between books depending on my mood.

So, how do I get my hands on one for cheap? How do I fulfill my dream of carrying only one thing in my bag (besides my MacBook Pro, of course!) I have never bought anything on eBay, but my wife is a Craigslist addict and I have already enlisted her help.

Please help me in my quest for more technology in my life!!!! Email me at ben@genesischurch.tv or just leave a comment here. Kindle Here I come…

All of us have to make them. There is no way you will get through life without having to deal with them. Sometimes you have no choice and you are left to deal with the consequences of someone else’s. Sometimes they are easy, sometimes hard. They are DECISIONS.

As I deal with counseling people I find that often people that come to see me have made decisions, are looking for God’s guidance in decisions, or are dealing with the consequences of a bad decision. Our life is nothing more than a series of decisions we make added together to produce an equation that we call life. Sometimes they make sense and are easy, like, “Ben, do you like brussel sprouts?” The answer is easy, NOT AT ALL! I don’t have to think about it or even “pray” about it. Sometimes they are hard, and you have to deal with the good and bad of the choice. So what processes or things should you do before making a major decision? Here are a few things to consider:

1.              Seek God. Sounds cliché coming from a pastor, but the truth is many times people do not try to find what God would have them do. They react to circumstances and are left to deal with the ramifications of their impulsiveness. He might not answer right away, but I believe Jesus said something about “keep knocking.”

2.              Get counsel from someone you trust. I have a couple of people that all my decisions get filtered through. They are Godly, and they love me either way. They are not afraid to tell me the hard truth. Don’t surround yourself with people who only tickle your ears. People who love you tell you the hard stuff.

3.              Think. Use your head. Engage your mind. Andy Stanley wrote a book called “The Best Question Ever,” in which he said that before you make any decision you should ask yourself “what’s the wise thing to do?” This is a critical question you should ponder and marinate on.

4.              Go back and seek God again. You will never do this too much.

5.              Finally, don’t hesitate. Once you have gone through a logical sequence of things, and know what to do, pull the trigger. The more you wait, the more you will waver and never do what you know you re supposed to do. Once you do, don’t look back. It might be scary and might not make all the sense in the world, but own your decision.

May you be led by God through the travels of this life. May you not be afraid, but embrace the decisions you have before you because they reflect God’s working in your life. May you be full of wise, Godly people that will encourage yet challenge you. And may you forever lean on God for His direction in your life.

Grace.

Ben

I think that I have made it clear to everyone that I believe Pastor Brian is one of the most gifted communicators I have heard. He seems to always deliver a heartfelt, passionate, biblically sound message. (No, I am not saying this because he’s “The Boss” or any of that other stuff staff members do!) I usually walk away thinking about something God said through him that I can apply to life. But then there was this past Sunday…

I had the pleasure of sitting in church with my in-laws and for one Sunday, during the second service, I tried to just be a church attender. Not trying to evaluate, lead, or do anything other than try to see our church through a different lens. I lost myself in worship, which Pastor Scott did a tremendous job with, and just tried to “be normal.” (Hard for me to be normal, but cut me some slack!)

Then the message came. It rocked me to the core of who I am. (Here is the link to watch it, I HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT!) I was challenged to be a better follower of Christ, husband, father, and leader. I realized I had been going through the motions of life, mind you in a good way, but not one with a vision. Pastor Brian made the statement that since we know the end (talking about giving an account to God for our lives) we should work from there backwards. I do not think I will ever forget that statement. I spend time with God in the morning asking for wisdom to get through the day, order my steps, what do you want me to do, blah blah blah. But I know the answer because I know the end. Love God, love people, end of discussion. With this as the filter, things become clear. Everything we do is a reflection of how much we love God and people. This includes ourselves.

You have a vision for life. It’s that thing that keeps you up at night. The thing you would do if finances were not an issue. It’s what gets your heart beating a little faster when you talk about it. It’s there, what will you do about it? What keeps people from going after it? Here are mine…(you probably deal with the same ones…)

1.     Fear – We are scared to fail. We are scared of what people will think. We are scared because we don’t know all the answers.

2.     Lack of Confidence – I get this one! Why would God use me when there are so many people way more talented than me? God created you, gifted you, and has placed people in your life to teach you.

Be who God called you to be. Be the man or woman you know you can. Be the husband or wife, son or daughter, co-worker, student, whatever, but do it with the vision God has given you. But when you have the vision, MAKE NO APOLOGIES FOR IT! Not everyone is going to “get” your vision. Not everyone is going to be “on board.” People will try to change and manipulate it, but don’t sway. It’s what God has for you, and never lose sight of it…ever.

May God grip you in His grace. May His vision burn in you to the point you will have no choice but to see it fulfilled. May you be free from fear, and overflowing with confidence. May you be rock solid with your vision, never wavering or shifting. May God expand your vision, and allow you to know how much He wants you to change your world…and His.

Grace.

Ben