Satan get off me I'll slap you in the throat

Have you been set free? No, I mean really free. For the longest time I never understood the concept of actually being set free by the work of Jesus on the cross. I knew that He died for our sins and came to restore and redeem the world back to himself, and I am grateful for that and for God's plan in choosing me and for saving me from an eternal life without Him. I remember talking with significant spiritual people in my life and I would ask the question, "Will I always struggle? Will it ever go away?" I remember their response...."Yes, it will always be a struggle." This messed me up, for real! A life long struggle with no victory? This will sux. Bad. I remember this being the worst news I ever received. Its like telling a cancer patient that you will always have cancer and nothing will ever cure you, no matter what. After many years of my own personal study and desire to be holy, I am confidant that there is freedom. Freedom from anything. No matter what. Complete Freedom. Jesus died so that we will be FREE, not so that we will be good for a few weeks only to fall again. If we placed our trust and our life in the hands of a god who can't cure or cant provide freedom, than that is not much of a god at all. That is an idea which in the end wont accomplish or provide much of anything for you.

1 Corinthians 7:21-24
Were you a slave when you were called? Don’t let it trouble you—although if you can gain your freedom, do so. For the one who was a slave when called to faith in the Lord is the Lord’s freed person; similarly, the one who was free when called is Christ’s slave. You were bought at a price; do not become slaves of human beings. Brothers and sisters, each person, as responsible to God, should remain in the situation they were in when God called them.

John 8:36
So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.

Romans 6:14
For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace.

2 Corinthians 3:17
Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.

Galatians 3:22
But Scripture has locked up everything under the control of sin, so that what was promised, being given through faith in Jesus Christ, might be given to those who believe.

Galatians 5:13
You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love.

Freedom is not you trying to be free. It is nothing that you can do. It is a gift and it is something that you have to depend completely on Jesus to provide for you.

I feel like there is so much that you can try to do to be free. For the first time I have realized that if I really want to walk in freedom, than I have to focus my attention on Jesus and some how, some way, I end up walking in freedom. You don't get better by focusing on the bad. Meaning that you don't conquer your sin by focusing on your sin, instead you get "good" by focusing on the "good". You don't focus on sin, you focus on Jesus.

God spoke to me the other day and he gave me the picture of Peter walking out on the water and in this vision I had, I was Peter and God said take the first step...Just trust me. Meaning just try this way of becoming free by focusing on Him and making Him my focus, not my sin and He will take care of the rest. When you take a step, you look up so you know where you are going. You don't look down. You look up and your feet follow. He said to me, "Don't take your eyes off me!"

Look up at Jesus. Trust Him. Focus on Him. And He will some how guide and direct you into freedom. Complete...sin conquering...I love life...Satan get off me I'll slap you in the throat...Freedom.

Goose Bumps

Why is it that we are so entertained by simply watching people go about their daily lives? For instance, my wife and I love to go out together. We talk and engage in great conversation with each other, but it never fails, we always find ourselves watching other people be...well, people. There is just something strangely entertaining about watching other people, and I wonder if while I am people watching, there are some other weird-o's across the way watching me watch others.

This is not a new idea for me to ponder, actually it is one that I think of often and have thought of for the past several years. I actually wonder if I missed the boat somewhere and was actually supposed to study Anthropology. I love to watch the way people carry themselves, the way they interact with other people and oddly enough, the way people help out other people. I know this is a bit crazy, but I honestly get goose bumps when I see one human being helping out another. Not the I'm cold goose bumps, but the same kind of goose bumps that come over you in a time of worship. There is something so "God-like" and "Holy" when a total stranger goes out of their way to help out another stranger.

I was listening to a Pastor who I respect on a Podcast yesterday and he said this quote, "We are eternal spiritual beings having a temporary human experience. We are not eternal humans having a temporary spiritual experience." This really got me thinking again more about what moves me most, the interaction between humans. It makes total sense, we are these spiritual beings who have been created by a perfect and holy God and we were created to help and bless other people. But man fell and sin entered the world. Yet., the fact still remains that we are spiritual beings and that we were created by a perfect and a holy God. We were created to interact and to encounter and to help random people, and when we do this, we get a little glimpse of that perfect state in which God created us. It's a Holy moment.

So could it be said that when we "people watch", we are actually witnessing a holy moment? Maybe this is why it is so captivating and somehow draws us in. Maybe this is why I get the goose bumps.

God is LOVE.

The 36

Last night was our first Wednesday night at Frisco. I am used to having about 150 students in the audience...last night there were 36. This only solidifies our calling. God has not called us to a developed ministry, he has called us to get our hands dirty and to get a few headaches. And man, I am grateful that he has chosen us for this mountainous task. He has surrounded us with great mentors and people pouring into us and we are ready for the challenge. Seeing the kids last night really got me excited to bust open the doors in Frisco and it all starts with the 36. The 36 will be the core who develops this ministry. The 36 will be the ones who bring their friends. The 36 will make a difference. The 36 will be world changers. The 36 will be the ones who will change their school and who slap Frisco in the face.... (that's a good thing).

God thank you for the 36!

God is Love.

Connect Conference Gateway Church 2011

Every year Gateway hosts a conference for Pastors entitled the "Connect Conference". Although this is my first conference with Gateway, being that this is only my second week at Gateway as a Pastor, it really hit me that I am at an AMAZING church. The fact that we are on staff at a Church that has an honorable reputation with the Church as a whole, and can teach the Church how to be healthy blows my mind. I am so grateful to God for sending me to this place and for allowing me to minister to people as I get blessed in return. I am excited for the weeks, months, and years ahead as I get paid to live out my dream, doing what God has called me to do at the place where God has strategically and divinely placed me.

God is Love.

New Adventure

February 14th I started a new job as the Student Pastor at the Frisco Campus of Gateway Church. Our time at the Met Church came to an end after 5 great years as God called us to Gateway. We are so grateful for our time at the Met and for all the relationships that were established. God definitely works in mysterious ways and I am the product of that. Our time at the Met was a time of development, understanding, and growth. I am very confidant that the skills and ministry experience that I learned at the Met will serve as a spring board in my next position.

Here's to the future and to the path that God has us all on.

Tear Down These Walls

It is only appropriate that today's blog has a Hillsong United twist to it...since I wish I could have gone to their concert tonight and everyone else is there enjoying them tonight. Of course today was filled with much Hillsong music. I love how God can use music to speak to you and to show you things in your life. YAH GOD!

Tear down the walls see the world

Is there something we have missed

Turn from ourselves

Look beyond

There is so much more than this

Look to the skies hope arise
See His majesty revealed
More than this life there is love
There is hope and this is real

Cause I don't need to see it to believe it
I don't need to see it to believe it
Cause I can't shake this fire burning
Deep inside my heart

This life is Yours and hope is rising
As Your glory floods our hearts
Let love tear down these walls
That all creation would
Come back to You
It's all for You

Oh for all the sons and daughters
Who are walking in the darkness
You are calling us to lead them back to You
We will see Your spirit rising
As the lost come out of hiding
Every heart will see this hope we have in You

Your Name is glorious
Glorious
Your love is changing us
Calling us
To worship in spirit and in truth
As all creation returns to You

What it do!

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