Don't throw away your confidence!

Therefore do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. Hebrews 10:35

Over the last couple weeks I have found myself going through some difficult things and being involved in things that have caused me to ask God why? For me there is nothing worse than feeling like I’m wasting my time or doing something that does not add value to me or someone else. Selfish I know but just being honest. Following Jesus has been the greatest the decision of my life but anyone that tells you it’s always easy and problem free well, I would go as far to say that there really not following Jesus. Because following Jesus means denying yourself and of course becoming public enemy number 1 of the world and of course of satan.  

But the word I found God really to speaking to me this week over and over again was confidence. Now some may find it hard to believe but sometimes that’s an area that even people like me struggle in. Without going into complete detail about the events of the last few weeks I’ll just say people and situations really cause me to question myself and my ability to do certain things and be a part of certain things. There is  nothing worse than feeling like you don’t belong or that you can be the person that God has called you to be, or that you can’t do the very thing that God has called you to do and those are the very areas I believe the world and the enemy attacks the most. Because there have been many times I have found myself feeling like I was good only to have something happen that rocked my world and really caused me to question or second guess where God has me. Now there is nothing more the enemy wants than to have God and us at odds with each other because he wants to destroy us and the very relationship we have with God. But ultimately we make that choice if we allow that happen just like I would find out.

For the enemy he wants to cause doubt and make situations all about us and that’s exactly what happen to me. Once I allowed doubt to creep in I was no longer listening to Jesus and my attention was focused on me and what I thought instead of what Jesus wanted and what He says. By the attention being focused on me it allowed me to feel and believe like I was owed something or I was doing God a favor which is not the case at all. God doesn’t owe me a thing nor does He need me to accomplish or do anything because He is God and he can do whatever He chooses with whatever he wants. If anything I’m thankful God doesn’t give me what I deserve which is death and nothing more. The confidence I had in God turned towards arrogance which led to bitterness which lead to me becoming selfish and threating God I was going to quit. I’m very thankful God does not always take me seriously and that he has patience and mercy and that one word of his truth smashes a thousand lies. For me it changed when I took it to God in prayer instead of trying to think things out myself or trying to talk to other people about it.

God showed me he had me where I was for a reason even if I thought it was a waste of time and I didn’t benefit from it or if I had no say so in the matter. He showed me the people he had in my life where to keep me balanced and to keep me focused on what He has called me to do which takes all the attention off me and what I think or believe I deserve. I’m thankful for people in my life that speak truth to me even if it’s not easy. God showed me I belong because if I didn’t He would not have me where I was or doing what I was doing. He showed me that results are not up to me but to do only what He tells me to do and leave the results up to Him.  Lastly He showed me not to throw away my confidence because it has great reward and that sometimes that reward is not always seen immediately and that by making things all about me will mean I will always missed the reward that comes with having Godly confidence in him. So like I stated in the beginning don't throw away your Godly confidence because its has great reward. 

Lance

My next generation story

This Sunday Drew spoke on impacting the next generation and how by investing the things God gives us in other people not only could we impact people but we could impact and change future generations for years to come. His message was a reminder of God’s love for me and how thankful I am for the people that step in and believed in me and set the bar high for me even when I didn’t for myself. I am a walking testimony of just how doing that can impact not  only one person but it can spread like a wildfire into the lives of others. I grew up in church all my life and was around it all the time but I never took the time to really give Jesus a chance much less people that loved him and just wanted a chance to get to know me. I guess you could say it was going to take a special person to really be able to deal with me. I was in an out of the youth part because I thought I was to cool for it and the other part was because I wasn’t willing to give it half a chance.

Now it’s not that I didn’t go to a great church or there wasn’t a great youth program it was because at point in my life where there wasn’t anyone trying to invest in me. Now I don’t have the answers as to why but maybe it could have been my parents were Christians and they thought there were doing a good job or maybe because they didn’t think I would amount to anything who knows but at a young age there was not that one person who really considered me worth it or so I thought. 

My middle and high school years were spent going to Central Fellowship Christian Academy and of course that would be probably some of best and most trying times of my life. Now of course we still continued going to Christ Chapel. Now during these times there was this one guy named Drew Winters that was interning at the time at the church and this guy was so passionate about the Lord and the things of the Lord that he felt it would be a great idea to come to my school and eat lunch with me. Needless to say I didn’t think it was cool at all actually Drew was making it hard on me. You see he was doing something that many others didn’t want to do or maybe didn’t have the time to do and that was investing in teenagers that others thought were ok and or didn’t see any reason to invest in. Now I will say this Drew was persistent and he didn’t give up because I didn’t make it easy for him at all, actually I tried to avoid lunch and Drew like the plague because come on I couldn’t  be seen eating lunch with someone that was from my church that isn’t cool at all. But week after week he kept coming back.

Now fast forward a little bit I’ve given my life to the Lord and I’m trying to figure out what God wants me to do and where he wants me to be. A few guys and myself where playing basketball at the church one night and as were going to leave in walks in the next youth Pastor of Christ Chapel and can you guess who that guy is? If you said Chuck Norris you are wrong. That’s right it was Drew Winters the guy I thought was weird because he came to eat lunch with me at my school. Funny part is at first I didn’t recognize who he was I though he was someone I had sold a camera to at my prior job. 

Fast forward again to today this June will mark one year since I’ve been interning at Christ Chapel Sportstowne under you guessed it the youth Pastor Drew Winters. The craziest part about this whole journey I’ve been on is Drew pick up right where he left off with me. You see it was that initial connection and investment he made that allow me to trust and believe the things he told me. Over this last year I’ve had the opportunity to do things I never thought possible or believed I could or would do but with strength and love of Jesus Christ and the support and direction of my mentor Drew Winters I find myself becoming a better Man of God first, a husband and father second, and investing my life loving and preaching the gospel to young people which is something I was born to do. See the gift and call was already there because God had already given it to me. But it took a young reckless and wild intern who loved Jesus and didn’t allow discouragement and frustration to stop him from loving me to bring it out. See I believe Jesus laughs at me every day because the very man I spent my teens years running from I now spend my adult years helping love and grow ECHO youth ministry. I know Drew well enough that I know he’s not a guy that needs or looks to be celebrated for anything he does but I believe God laid this blog on my heart to confirm the message he shared today but also to show others that investing and loving others for the sake and glory of Jesus Christ never goes wasted because this wild reckless failure of teenager is here today trying to stand in the gap for othesr just like myself who need to be invested in. So I ECHO my mentor and my brother in Christ message today INVEST IN THE NEXT GENERATION!!!! Then watch what Jesus will do. Here are some pictures that are memories for me from this last year.

-Lance 

Just a few thoughts

As I had a moment to reflect on last night’s service once I got home I found God pointing out a few things to me that I wanted to share. On side note Cassia was awesome and that oceans song is the jam. Ok one of the biggest battles that I faced as a Christian and even before Jesus found me was it always seemed like other Christians never struggled or had a past like I did and because of that It was always so hard for me to believe Jesus would accept me much less want me. Well I hope last night I painted the picture that Jesus is for everybody and that he loves everyone and that ever person has a past and a story and sometimes you might not always hear it or see it but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist. I’m where I’m at today because I took Jesus up on his offer and traded all my shame and past for his love and forgiveness. Here is the best part that same gift and love is always available but just like me you have to take him up on it and accept it.

Also when I think about my family life even though there were struggles and hard times  Jesus has shown me the choice is up to me if I’m to repeat or continue those same deadly  and awful patterns that were set before me. Most families have bad things that get past down to them from previous generations, for me it was alcohol, failed marriages, abandonment, and sexual sin. Now according to the world and people that’s what my life should look like and be like and be the very thing that gets pasted on to my kids as well but I’m so thankful that Jesus Christ provided another way not only for me but for my babies as well. I really want to encourage anyone that finds there selves in a tough family situation or feels that they can’t get out or escape a certain thing to trust Jesus and allow him to get you out and let him change you because Jesus makes all things new. I say this with a confidence and because of past experience you don’t have to do things others in your family do or have done. You also don’t have to be what others in your family were. Jesus Christ has a plan for your life and all he wants you to do is bring to him.

Finally my teen and church life. What can I say I was a bad teenager and with a messed up view of who Jesus was. I thought I could ride the coat tails of other peoples relationships with Jesus and I would be ok. But I found out quickly that would not work and it did not work because there was still something missing and there was still that void and hurt in my life. One of the things that bothers me the most when I look back at my older teens years is that fact that people ‘s idea of who Jesus was and what he was about was scared because I lived like hell and slapped the name of Jesus and the title of Christians with it. The biggest advantage you have over me is your still a teen and you still have the opportunity to change and do something about it right now. For many of you there will be people and friends that the only idea or image of who Jesus is will be painted by you and I pray that you give them the real Jesus not the one they world portraits him to be. When comes to a relationship you would not allow another person to tell you how great your girlfriend or boyfriend was you would want to know and find out yourself. But sadly we do this very thing when it comes a relationship with Jesus were ok with hearing how great he is from somebody else instead of finding for ourselves. But just like you can’t receive a real kiss from an imaginary girlfriend or boyfriend neither can you full receive and experience a real relationship with Jesus Christ from someone else. Find out who Jesus is and what he is about for yourself, read his word and pray, allow him to show who exactly what he can do and what he is all about. I promise you, you will never be the same.

Last thing as a quick reminder I feel impressed upon my heart to say this. There is nothing past, present, or future that you can’t be forgiven of. Don’t believe that lie from people or the enemy that says otherwise because it is simply false. Jesus paid for it all and he loves and forgives freely all you have to do is ask and receive.

-Lance