WEiRD Thoughts On Money

WEiRD: Because NORMAL still isn’t working.

Over the past two weeks two very sensitive topics have dominated everyone’s conversations in our community. From the Centralia High School, Body Shoppe, Beauty Shop, Schnucks, and even our local churches, everyone is talking about the quick high rising prices of gas and the possible closing of the Murray Center. Both topics have a huge, devastating economic impact on our community. Faced with uncertainty, we all face the fear, anxiety, frustration, and stress not knowing the outcome. We can begin to feel hopeless. As the church we must be willing to respond. I encourage everyone to get active and sign the petition to save the Murray Center, voice your concern, and do whatever you can. We need to keep in mind and prayer the residence and employees of the center and their families. Whatever the outcome our community will need our church more than ever. It makes our vision of connecting people to the love of Jesus Christ more important than ever. So it’s time to get WEiRD.

As last week we kicked off our sermon series WEiRD: Because Normal Isn’t Working we discovered that many of us are living a life that our society is telling us is normal but it’s leading us to a place in our life full of stress, anxiety, and fear. (If you missed the sermon, we strongly encourage you to watch it on Facebook or YouTube.) The fear we hold now is because we are living in a world that is trying hard to convince us that some things are normal. The normal view of money tells us that who has the most money wins. Those who don’t have a lot of money are losers. Normal says our money is our security. A normal view of money is that our money is disposable. We can do with it whatever we want. Normal tells us that if gas prices continue to rise and the Murray Center closes, along with jobs lost at the Post Office, we are doomed.

But what if there was another way? What if there was a WEiRD way of looking at money? While we may not have control over gas prices or facilities closing, we do have control over our attitude and view on money. What if we can adopt a WEiRD Biblical view on money? What if there was a WEiRD way we could take back control of the financial area of our life? What if we could reposition ourselves financially that we can face whatever awaits us in the future? Normal isn’t working. If you are stressed, confused, or obsessed over money join us as we explore WEiRD thoughts on money. We will uncover relevant Biblical principles that will change your life forever. As we face the uncertainties of tomorrow, we don’t face them alone. It’s time we get WEiRD because normal isn’t working.

Daniel replied, "No wise man, enchanter, magician or diviner can explain to the king the mystery he has asked about, but there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries." -- Daniel 2:27-28

See ya in church but until then take care of yourself and one another.
Peace. Love & Happiness,
Tommy

NORMAL still isn't working

Normal (adjective) – conforming to the standard or the common type; usual; not abnormal; regular; natural.


Normal is 48.5% of all American’s receiving some form of government assistances. Normal means it is easier to start a new church than transform an old one. Normal is criticizing instead of mentoring. Normal is judging others by their actions and our selves by our intentions. Normal is being happy because you’re married instead of striving to have a happy marriage. Normal is expecting a different outcome without a different approach or effort. Normal is focusing on our children’s achievements without caring about their character. Normal is more people attend Orphan basketball games than all the churches in our area combined. Normal is blaming others for our problems. Normal is waiting to be asked before stepping forward and leading. Normal is putting our own needs first. Normal is getting revenge for those who have hurt us. Normal is thinking we are not good enough. Normal is avoiding other people not like us. Normal is a church that has good food, decent worship service, and decorates well at Christmas. Normal is praying only when someone is sick or we need help. Normal is more people are more likely to invite a friend, co worker, or family member to a movie than to church. Normal is describing our relationship with Christ as lukewarm. Normal is going through the motions. Normal is consuming more calories than we burn. Normal is the grass is always greener some place else. Normal wants growth without change. Normal is 6 out of 10 churches in the US have an average worship attendance of less than 100 people.

When we look closely at the life and teaching of Jesus we discover that Jesus was not normal. Jesus was weird. Jesus taught us a different, non normal, way to live. We can choose to live our life anyway we wish, we can live a normal life, which cause us extreme anxiety, stress, and deterioration of relationships and health. Jesus shows us a better way. When compared to our society’s way to live, Jesus’ way just seems weird. The Apostle Paul writes to a faith community in Ephesus and says, “And so I insist—and God backs me up on this—that there be no going along with the crowd, the empty-headed, mindless crowd. They've refused for so long to deal with God that they've lost touch not only with God but with reality itself. They can't think straight anymore. Feeling no pain, they let themselves go..” Paul reminds us that a normal life can lead us to be unable to find reality. Normal has robbed us the ability to think straight. Maybe it’s time to reclaim our life, take control of things, not be influenced by others but be influenced by God. It’s time to stop being normal. It’s time to be weird. Invite someone to join you on this journey as we examine how be can break from the normal and get weird.
Peace, Love & Happiness
Tommy

it B time 2 get WEiRD because Normal just isn’t working…

Growing up I had always been that kid who accepted anyone. Call it my upbringing, essence of my faith, or my unique journey in life but I wanted to avoid being normal at all cost. I didn’t necessarily strive to be “cool” but I thought I was. (I had lines cut in my hair, two years before Vanilla Ice, Ice Baby!) Looking back, it seems I always had a very diverse group of friends. Deep down, I think I really wanted to stand out. I wanted to stand out not by being in one particular click, but by being in all groups. For better or worse, I never really wanted to be normal. Even today in ministry, I don’t want to be normal. I don’t want to serve a normal church.


What is normal? Normal (adjective) – conforming to the standard or the common type; usual; not abnormal; regular; natural.

Normal people are stressed, overwhelmed, and exhausted. Many of their relationships are, at best, strained and, in most cases, just surviving. Even though we live in one of the most prosperous places on earth, normal is still just living paycheck to paycheck and never getting ahead. In today’s world, lust, premarital sex, guilt, and shame are far more common than purity, virginity, and healthy married sex life. Normal is 75% of those people in the Centralia area do not attend a faith community on a regular basis, although 97% of them believe that Jesus was God’s son. Normal is parents waking up at 6:00 am in a weekend to drive their children to a sporting event or practice but will not drive them five minutes to church. Normal is individuals are working more hours for no increase in pay, although the cost of living is at its highest. Normal is Internet porn. Normal is the US government’s making the Catholic Church give out birth control but not letting kids pray in public at school events. Normal is being “broke”. Normal is not spending time with your children. Normal is spending more money than you make. Normal is an unbalanced budget. Normal is having to take off our shoes and go through x-ray machines to board an airplane. Normal is youth smoking bath salts and liquid drain cleaner to get high. Normal is growing up in a home that at least one parent is an addict. Normal is taking medication daily like Prozac, Paxil, Xanax, and Zoloft. Normal is cosmetic surgeries. Normal is teenagers having children out of wedlock. Normal is moving from church to church instead of lovingly working out our differences. Normal is communicating through Facebook, text messages, emails and not looking anyone in the eye or giving them a hug. Normal is spending more time with an electronic device than learning an art, skill, or hobby. Normal is eating in a car or on the couch instead of around a table. Normal is waiting for someone else to solve your problems. Normal is “it’s never my fault.” Normal is divorce. Normal is declining donations to non profits organizations and church offerings and increased revenue in gambling and lotteries. Normal is trying to get fame by being on a reality show. Normal is lay-offs, bankruptcies, and foreclosures. Normal is not telling your children daily how much you love them and are proud of who they are not their latest achievement. Normal is chasing true peace and happiness in all the wrong places.

And when it comes to God, the majority believes in him, but the teachings of Scripture rarely make it into their everyday lives. Simple put normal isn’t working anymore. If you do what normal people do, you’ll end up where normal people end up. These days, it’s normal to be stressed, overwhelmed, and exhausted but Jesus shows us a better way. We can do better than normal, we deserve better than normal, our lives can be better, we can be weird. I’m ready to be weird like Jesus. I am ready to have a weird relationship with Christ, serve a weird church, have a weird marriage, have a weird relationship with my children, I can't be normal anymore. I’ve ready to learn how to live a weird life by Jesus. Join me on this journey to be WEiRD..
Peace, Love & Happiness,
Tommy

"Not Good Enough"

There is a mean bully that lives deep inside of my conscious. I’m not sure exactly when he arrived, but I know he didn’t come from my parents or family. On most days I can ignore him. He lurks just behind my self esteem and feeds off my insecurities and defeats. He comes alive with that quiet voice inside of my head that says, “You’re not good enough.” Maybe you have experienced him too. Whenever we get the courage to try something new, begin a new project, establish new goals and objectives that bully shows up to say “you can try, but you know you are not good enough.” We hear those words over and over in our minds and before we know we begin to say the same thing to our children, our grandchildren, or even others in the church. We might not say them out loud of course because that would be rude, but we say them with our actions and lack of enthusiasm. There are times we can over come this voice and move forward but most of the time we listen to them and stand still. It freezes us from moving forward. It constantly has us compare ourselves to others.


This bully carries over into our faith as well. When we think about how God’s loves us, how Christ sacrificed himself of our mistakes, how at the end of the day, with all our mess ups, God still forgives us, loves us, and desires a close relationship with us, we hear that voice of “you’re not good enough.” The truth is that we are not good enough to save ourselves. That can only come through the love, grace, and mercy of our Savior Jesus Christ. But we allow the bully’s voice to keep us from moving forward in our faith: “I’m not good enough to get involved in our faith community; I don’t have any gifts to offer.” “I’m not good enough to invite people to church, because my life is not perfect.” “I’m not good enough to lead a new ministry in the church, I don’t have much time.” “I’m not good enough to talk about my faith.” “I’m not good enough to serve God in a public role in the faith community.” We have heard these voices and they have kept us from growing in our faith and relationship with God and others. Through out scripture, Christ’s tells us many times that we are good enough. The gifts that we bring will be sanctified and bring honor and glory to God. But we must be willing to bring them and not horde them or keep them hidden. It is the way we live out our love for Christ. It is recognizing that we are all children of God, valued, accepted, and desired by God to give what we have.
When we are willing to stop listening to the bully in our heads, we begin to grow, mature, and become stronger for the journey ahead. When we step forward with our gifts and take that risk, God blesses us beyond measure. We face life with a confidence that only comes from up above. We might not feel we are good enough, but God has the confidence in us to use us, if we are willing to defeat the bully inside of us.
Peace, Love & Happiness.
Tommy

“Position is Everything”

If you have ever played sports, I am confident you have heard your coach say, “Put yourself in position to make the play.” If you have participated in marching band or theater, you have heard your director say, “Position your self here or position yourself there, just don’t get out of position, it can throw everyone else off.” Later in life as we climb the corporate ladder we strive to position ourselves for promotions, advancements, and achieving our goals. As parents, we want to position ourselves to be the most positive influence in the lives of our children. Positioning is everything.

Joshua knew the importance of  positioning. Immediately after Joshua takes over leadership of the Israelites after the death of Moses, he is faced with huge obstacles. The people have been wondering around for forty years, the leader who freed them is dead, they are cranky and loosing hope, and they have been waiting impatiently for God to fulfill His promise and get them to the place where they can settle down and transition from being wondering newly free slaves to a great nation. Joshua made a subtle moving that had a huge impact on the people. He told the people when the art of the covenant passed by they were to follow it. The people believed the ark was where God was so they kept it at the back of the people so they could protect it, guard it, and kept it safe from whatever was ahead of them. Joshua positioned the ark in the front, so the people went from protecting God to following God. When they followed God, they were successful in reaching their final destination, their dreams were fulfilled, and the found their home. It was all in the positioning.
How many of us are like that in our own life’s journey. We feel strongly that we have to in some way protect God, keep our faith in God guarded, or poses a need to constantly defend our faith. We position God at the back of our decisions, actions, and words. We hold on tightly to our possession of God. We want to fight for God in such areas as prayer in school, posting the Ten commandments, or bring God into our political arenas. Maybe we are intentions are good but we are just in the wrong position. I believe that the God who created the universe, all of humanity, and who defeated death can handle the Supreme Court, the West Baptist Church, or any school board without my help. When things in life happen to us, we are sometimes quick to say, “God was behind me” instead of “God is leading me.” It might not seem a big deal but it is where we position God in our lives that we begin to see drastic changes in our results. Faith is placing God at the front, following His directions for our life. Faith is putting God before us trusting and following Him, instead of us discerning where we want to take God. Leading God and following God are two very different distinct positions. As we journey through the ups and downs of life, as we discern through the decision we make for the future, as we move forward, are we allowing God to lead us or we trying to protect what we have. In our personal life and in the life of our faith family position really is everything.
Peace, Love & Happiness
Tommy

Is Tim Tebow really Jesus wearing #15

People all day have been asking me if I believe that #15 Tim Tebow for the Denver Broncos is really Jesus returning to play football. I don’t really know but I have done some unofficial, non- theological, non sanctioned research. Here are some compelling non objective facts.


• Officially, Tebow passed for 316 yards against the Steelers, completing 10 of 21 pass attempts -- meaning he passed for 31.6 yards per completion- John Elway was a legendary Bronco QB. Take Elway’s first name and Tebow average John 3:16 anyone-
• Tebow has been trashed by the media- Jesus was trashed by the Pharisees.
• Tebow is very poplar in the eyes of some who like and adore him but despised by those who didn’t. Jesus drew huge crowds who wanted to be near him but entrapped by those who didn’t like him.
• Tebow prays a lot - even while on the grassy field- Jesus prayed a lot in a garden full of green grass.
• After a miracle play, Tebow gave God all the glory. Jesus said after each miracle, "Your faith has made you well” giving God the glory.
• People doubt Tebow’s ability to be a “true” quarterback. People doubted Jesus was the “true” Messiah.
• Tebow surrounds himself with 12 other men to assist him- 10 other players + 1 head Coach + 1 Offensive Coordinator = 12) Jesus had 12 apostles to assist him.
• Tebow has five letters, Jesus has five letters.
• Tebow plays in Mile High stadium, Jesus’ sermon on the mountain top.
• Tebow bounces off defenders, Jesus bounced the money changers out of the temple.
• Tebow rose to the occasion at the most crucial time after a three game skid. Jesus rose from the grave after three days at a crucial time for all humanity.

Of course, I truly don’t believe that Tebow really is the Messiah wearing #15 for the Broncos but in the end aren’t we all God’s children, shouldn’t we all not be ashamed to express our faith, and when criticized for our performance shouldn’t we too stand firm in our convictions and faith. Besides if Jesus came back as a QB, wouldn’t he resurrect a horrible team with a more meaningfull mascot, (like the Rams as mentioned in the Old Testament)  and he would definitely be a better drop back passer with a cannon arm.

HOW TO HAVE YOUR best YEAR EVER!!

"Happy New Year everybody, I love a New Year."

It means we have made it through another year and there is no controversy, you don’t offend anyone by saying Happy New Year, and you keep the politically corrent police off your back, and everyone wants a good year. This is the season of our life when we close the door on one year and open it up for another. As many of you know, 2011 represented for me a year of death, I lost friends that were close and dear to me, and we lost individuals that meant a lot to our faith family as well. I have told Kellie over the last few months, “If we could just make it to another year without anyone else dying. We need a new year.” Some of you reading this may be feeling the same way. You also may be longing for a new year, ready for a new start, and need to close the door on last year and begin again. So call it resolution, call it goals, call it dreams, call it fresh start, call it whatever word you want to put on it, but every one of us has inside of us a hope that says 2012 will be better than last year. I will make a bold statement. I believe that the coming year will be the best year ever for our faith community and I believe that next twelve months will be the very best year of our lives. I believe that. I believe that next year has the ability, the potential, and the power to be the greatest year in our whole existence. I believe that this year can be the best year ever for every aspect of our lives. (ok that was more than just one bold statement)

So how do we position ourselves to have the best New Year ever?
Paul writes in Philippians 3:12-14. Not that I have already obtained this or have already reached the goal; but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Beloved, I do not consider that I have made my own, but this one thing I do, forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead.
I press on toward the goal for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus. The Apostle Paul says forget what was behind you, and press on to what is ahead. To have the best year ever Paul has it right. First of all we have to forget what was behind us. The interesting thing about Paul was he not only a person who had a lot of pain, persecution, and struggles in his life but he had many successes. Even in the midst of it all the highs and lows, Paul writes we must forget what is behind us. I think that as you and I turn over one year into the next, I think one of the greatest things we can do in our life is to forget what’s behind. For some of us it is regret. We look back on last year and we regret decisions we made, decisions that were made and forced upon us, or things we should or shouldn’t have done. For some of us, we look back and see mistakes. For some of us when we look back on last year we see pain, an illness that attacked us or our family member, we see a relationship that exploded or imploded, and when we look back on last year that is what we see pain and hurt and grief. For some of us when we look back we see mountain tops, we see experiences where we see tremendous success, tremendous accolades accomplishments, we see moments where we were at our best. In the midst of all that the Apostle Paul says forget it.

How do we do that? How do you and I followers of Jesus to press onto what God has in store for us in the next year. Here are five steps to position your self to have the best year ever.

1) Write the vision down. Whatever those dream are, whatever that vision is, there is something powerful about writing that vision down. We are 80% more likely to accomplish something if we write it down. Habakkuk 2:2-3 Then the Lord answered me and said; “Write the vision; make it plain on tablets, so that a runner may read it. For there is a vision for the appointed time; it speaks of the end, and does not lie. If it seems to tarry, wait for it; it will surely come, it will not delay.” Habakkuk says write the vision down. For some of you the most courageous thing you will do is write the vision down. You got to write it down. For some of you just hearing me say that freaks you out. Listen as long as a dream, a vision, or goal lives in our mind it is less real. The minute we put it on paper, out of idea and out into our world it becomes more real. There is power in writing a vision, a dream or a goal down. Whatever you want out of your life, write it down. Whatever you want to accomplish write it down. Write the vision down today.

2) Don’t let anyone cut in on you. If we are going to accomplish everything our goals, if we want to see our vision come to completion, if we want to live out our dreams, then we cannot let anyone cut in on us.
The Apostle Paul writes of another church in Galati. Paul writes in Galatians 5:7 You were running superbly! Who cut in on you, deflecting you from the true course of obedience? We have to be careful to not allow others to cut in on us. Whatever that vision is, that dream is, and that goal is, that God has placed in your heart, don’t let anyone cut in on you. We all know dream killers. There are people who you share your dream with and they are poking holes in it as soon as the words come out of your mouth. You have to guard against them. They are going to cut off your dreams. And if we are going to become everything God wants us to become we cannot allow naysayers to cut us off.

3) We must be confident that Jesus will be faithful to complete it. Philippians 1:6 being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. Paul is saying that if this is a God vision, if this is a God goal, a God dream then it is Christ who brings it into our life. We have to stand confident. Any good thing that happens in our life, brings with it some insecurities and fears. Confidence will be extremely rare when moving forward.

4) Know it’s going to be a fight. Timothy 6:12 Fight the good fight of faith.
Look if we are going to have the best year ever, accomplish everything God has for us, it is going to be a fight. Anything good or from God in our life will always bring resistance. We can expect resistance. We are not living in a spiritual neutral world. We live in a world that desires to see us fail. We got a battle and the problem is for most of us, when we are faced with a battle, we just shut down. I have found that most of the time, when I have fear, I know its God wanting me to do it. Why is it that we only think that the easy stuff is what God wants us to do? Can we win this battle on our own? Absolutely not but we can with God’s strength. But with God all things are possible. We can do this.

5) Trust God. If we are going to have the best year ever, we must be willing to trust God. Trust God with the plan and the path. Proverbs 16:9 In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps. I can’t think of  one plan for my life that came out the exact way I planned. God wants us to plan but at the end of the day we must submit our plan to His path. That is when we move forward. Never has God taken me on the exact journey that I had planned for my life. Not once. God allows deviations to teach me stuff, what if God wants to do a work in us, greater than what He wants to do a work through us. Everyone paths n life are different, we can’t compare our journey with anyone else’s. When compare our path in life to someone else, one we are probably not getting the whole story from them, and two it builds up unhealthy jealousy, and resentment. Resentment causes us not to learn anything from our own trials and struggles. Resentment causes us not to learn. What I have learned in my life is the moment I stopped resenting my path in life, I started to learn in the midst of it, and I began to trust God. The moment we embrace our journey and learn from our journey, we will see that our journey can be a platform for healing others.

I think that this year has the potential to be the best year of every one of our lives. Without a doubt but we have to forget what is behind and press on to what is ahead. This leaves us with two questions. Questions #1 what do you need to forget? Question #2 What do you need to do to press on?
So what has God put in your heart, your goal, your dream, your vision, what has God placed in your heart for you to have the best year ever.?

Happy New Year,
Peace Love & Light,
Tommy