who we serve

Today’s devotion was first shared in 2009.  Today I am at the Los Angeles Dream Center

meeting with some incredible people, preaching at the morning chapel service of the Discipleship program and seeking God.  It will be an incredible day, and I ask you to pray for me, my brother Steve who is with me and our friend Keith Fulcher who graduates from the Dream Center Discipleship program this coming Sunday.  I pray this devotion helps us refine and recommit to serve more! -----

Are you ever amazed like I am by what happened during the time of the early church (see Acts 2)? 

They dedicated themselves to God, His truth and to each other.  They helped people no matter what it took.  That is what the church is to be about.  That is what we are learning that we are to be and are going to be about.  It is a choice leaders have to make.  Not an easy choice, but it is one that will change who we are and where we are going as well as how effective we will be.  Does that make sense?

Maybe these quotes from Matthew Barnett will help us:

"build the dreams of others then your dream will become bigger than you ever imagined" ... "you now have God's dream"

"reach the people nobody wants you'll start seeing the people everybody wants"

Our calling is not to those who do not need God.  We are called to reach those reaching out for God.  Lets find them.  Lets do what we can with what we have and expect God to work in huge ways!

Proverbs 19:17 (nlt)

If you help the poor, you are lending to the Lord—and he will repay you!

Proverbs 21:13 (nlt)

Those who shut their ears to the cries of the poor will be ignored in their own time of need.

What are we willing to do to meet needs and see lives changed?  One of the pieces we miss in ministry and in life is when we try to do something we are not called to do or try to be someone or something we are not.

Be careful not to turn other people's lives into the mold for your own --- Oswald Chambers

If we are not finding ourselves seeing needs and having a desire to meet needs, maybe we are just not connecting to God.  What do you think?

James 1:26-27 (nlt)

If you claim to be religious but don't control your tongue, you are fooling yourself, and your religion is worthless.  Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you.

It is the right choice.  Following the example of others....

Matthew 9:36 (nlt)

When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them because they were confused and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.