Overcome

Sometimes life can feel as if you have a series of 20-foot walls that you have to find your way over. All of us faces moments of truth when we confront obstacles that could slow us down, trip us up and seek to knock us out of the race. In these times we must be overcomers - to find God's strength in life's challenges.

Jesus may have said that we would have trouble in this world, but ath was not the end of the story. Jesus finished by saying, "Take heart, I have overcome the world." - John 16:33.

Join us at LifeSong this coming weekend as we kick-off a new series of messages entitled, "Overcome."

Courage in Everyday Life

There was a test conducted by a university where 10 students were placed in a room. 3 lines of varying length were drawn on a card. The students were told to raise their hands when the instructor pointed to the longest line. But 9 of the students had been instructed beforehand to raise their hands when the instructor pointed to the second longest line. 1 student was the stooge. The usual reaction of the stooge was to put his hand up, look around, and realizing he was all alone, pull it back down. This happened 75% of the time, with students from grade school through high school. The researchers concluded that many would rather be part of the crowd than be right.

I don't think the findings of this study are in any way unique to childhood or youth. It takes a great deal of courage to stand for what you know to be right when it seems that the rest of the world is going in a different direction.

The next time it seems everyone else is pointing in a different direction than the life that God has called you to live as a fully devoted follower of Christ remember these words from scripture, "For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline." - 2 Timothy 1:7

A Lesson in Patience

This past week, Joni and I took our girls to Washington D.C. for a quick get away. It was a wonderful to experience the many historical landmarks and museums found in our nation's capitol. Amongst the many things we did was make a visit to the National Archives where they keep original copies of the Declaration of Independence, Bill of Rights and Constitution on display. Because it was the height of tourist season in D.C. of course the waits were long to make in into the rotunda where these famous documents and others are on display. Only 100 people at a time are released to go into the rotunda. The police officer at the rotunda made it extremely clear to everyone before entering that you shouldn't form a single file line in front of any of the documents. So when our group was released to go into the room I walked directly up to the Declaration of Independence when all of the sudden a woman started yelling at me that I was cutting in line. I tried to explain that I was only doing what the officer had instructed us to do, but she didn't care. I feared that the headlines of the Orlando Sentinel were going to read, "Pastor Kicked Out of National Archives." My initial response was to engage and yell back at the woman, but I knew this wasn't going to be helpful to the situation. After she shoved her way in front of me while pushing her purse into my stomach, I thought I've got to disengage from this. The whole experience became a giant lesson in patience - patience in waiting to get in, patience with some loud woman I've never seen before and patience with my own feelings. I write all of this to make a larger point. The patience I had to exhibit that day is nothing compared to the patience that God has shown to you and me in life. He is patient with us when we make him wait. He is patient with us when we don't act right. He is patient with us even when we struggle with our emotions. I'm so glad that we serve a patient God. Knowing the patience He has shown to us, how can we not be patient with one another?

Insurance Against Regret

We buy inusrance for all kinds of things - homes, cars, health. You name it and you can probably buy insurance for it. Why not buy some insurance against future regret? No you can't purchase it with cash or a debit card. Insurance against regret comes from making good decisions on the front end of life. Here are some decisions we can easily make that will keep regret at bay:

1. Decide to say "I'm sorry" when you are wrong.
2. Decide to tell the truth when tempted no to.
3. Decide to give as best you can.

Which of these decisions would have the greatest impact on your life if you were to decide in advance to live by these principles?

Beyond Guilt

This past week was all about the difference between godly sorrow and guilt, with the belief that having a since of godly sorrow about our regrets allows to continue to move forward in life while guilt keeps us stuck in the past and focused upon ourselves. Listed below are some steps that will assit us in walking the path of godly, constructive sorrow.

1. Be honest.
2. Focus on the person who has been wronged.
3. Confess your misdeed.
4. Ask for forgiveness.
5. Make it right.
6. Accept forgiveness.
7. Look to the future.
8. Ask yourself why you want to change your behavior or attitude.
9. Rely on God's strength to help you overcome.
10. Respect who you are as a person.

For those of us who are willing to do the tough work required of godly sorrow there is a hope and a future.

Moving Beyond the Past

If you are like me at least once you've walked out the door of your house and come to the realization that you have your hands full of all sorts of things to bring with you, but you've forgotten to pick up the keys to your car. It doesn't matter how much you've brought along with you, none of us get anywhere fast without having the proper set of keys.

Moving beyond our regrets functions much the same way. Many of us attempt to grapple with our regrets, we even have our hands full of them, but without the right keys we will never be able to embrace the future we so desire to have.

Here are a couple of keys to moving beyond regret:
1. Healing Your Past Hurts.
2. Making Restitution.

Healing is most often a process. It takes time and intention. Most importantly it takes the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives. For some of us one of the tools the Holy Spirit might want to use is the assistance of a counselor. If you need this kind of assistance let me know I'd be happy to refer you to someone equipped to help you in the process of healing your past hurts.

Restitution is the process of going back and making things right. If we have wronged someone it is important for us to acknowledge it and ask for forgiveness. I realize that sometimes this is easier said than done, but it doesn't mean that it isn't worth doing. Once again, the Holy Spirit can help give you the power for this task.

Questions to Reflect Upon:
1. Where have you seen regret and guilt keep you from being fully present in life?
2. Where do you hurt? How do you handle this hurt?
3. What specific situations and relationships can you restore?
4. What are some concrete steps you can take toward healing your hurts and making restitution?

Shoulda, Coulda, Woulda

I find that past regrets is a subject I end up discussing with people quite often. For many of us it is difficult to learn from our past and move forward as we press on in faith. More often we replay the tapes of past circumstances over and over again in the back of our minds as we search for a way to reconcile the past with our present.

Will Rogers was once quoted as saying, "Don't let yesterday use up too much of today." Something about Rogers' statement rings true for those who struggle with regret. Left unattended our regrets wind up eating the energy we need to live life today.

What events from "yesterday" do you find using up your "today"? What would it mean for you to allow God to be the Lord of your past as well as your present and future?

How Can I Ever Change?

In terms of life's difficult questions, "How Can I Ever Change?" may be one of the toughest for us to grapple with in life. Transformation is something we long for, but the pathway to change is often difficult and time consuming. The story of Jacob from Genesis chapter 32 gives us hope that true change is possilble when we allow God to transform us through his power and with our cooperation.

Here are a few questions to think about when it comes to the prospect of change in our lives:

• Do I really want to do what it takes to change or do I just like the idea of change?
• What would it mean for me to start cooperating with God?
• What is one step I could take today that would move me toward change?

Another School Year Completed

Children all over Orange County are celebrating the fact that today marks the end of another school year. 2008-2009 is officially in the record books. Last night I attended the "Night of Excellence" at my daughter's school. Aftewards at the reception I was thanking one of her teachers when he responded to me by saying, "No, thank you for sending us great students." Of course I like to hear that kind of a thing as a father, but I was especially struck by the fact that my thanks was returned with his gratitude. All of this got me to thinking. I want to stop and give thanks to God for bringing the school year to completion. Here are a few of things I'm thankful for:

• Teachers who invest themselves in their students and for whom teaching is more than just a job, but a calling. The world could use more people with such a passion. I admire you.
• Wisdom gained, achievements accomplished, challenges met and lessons learned.
• Parents, community members and volunteers who give of themselves to enhance our schools.
• Principals, administrators and staff who lead our schools in both good times and bad. Something tells me that many of their countless hours are spent problem solving and managing people who aren't always happy.
• Our school board members who even though I don't agree with them some of the time are willing to step up to the plate and serve our community in what is quite often a thankless job.

This isn't to say that I don't have a list of complaints about things that happened this past school year because I do. I will not take the time to detail them for you. I don't think there would be much value in sharing them. Besides once I list the things I'm grateful for it has a way of making my complaints seem much smaller than they did before I began writing this blog post.

What about you? Anything you are grateful for that you want to take the time to acknowledge? Post a comment.

A Lesson in Problem Solving

This past week we looked at the question "How can I overcome my problems?" and we examined the story of King Jehoshaphat found in 2 Chronicles 20. Jehoshaphat had three different enemies coming at him and all of them were seeking his downfall. I would call this a substantial problem. The amazing thing is that despite the odds he was facing God led Jehoshaphat and the Israelites to victory. This was possible because Jehoshaphat did five things - five things that we can also do in dealing with our own problems. Jehoshaphat...
... identified the enemy.
... took his problem to the Lord.
... admited his inadequacy.
... rested in his faith.
... thanked God in advance.

We all have to deal with problems from time to time and within Jehoshaphat's example is a framework for us to apply to our own life situations when problems come our way. Take a moment and ask yourself how your current problems would change if you applied these principles in your life. What difference would it make?

Here are a few questions you might ask yourself:
1. Is my attitude about my situation the true "enemy" I battle?
2. Have I consulted with God about my problem by using prayer?
3. Am I trying to handle this in my own power, rather than asking for God's power?
4. Do I live with the confidence that comes from being a person of faith?
5. Do I believe that God's purposes will prevail and if so am I taking the opportunity to thank him for that in advance?

LifeSong Mother's Morning Out Summer Program

For all of you in East Orlando, I want to take this opportunity to help get the word out about LifeSong's Mother's Morning Out Summer Program. We have an awesome group of teachers assembled to nurture and love on little ones ages 1-5 this summer. We have several openings for the summer that we would love to fill. If you know someone who could benefit from LifeSong MMO this summer pass the word along. For more information go to www.mylifesongchurch.com and click on the MMO link.

Why Is This Happening to Me?

We've all gone through difficult experiences. We've all had moments when we've wondered "Why is this happening to me?" It seems to be part of the human experience. Scripture is full of stories of people who faced adversity and difficult circumstances only to later find that God redeemed their hurt, pain and frustration. No story better illustrates this point than the story of Joseph from the Old Testament book of Genesis.

The complaint list that Joseph could have brought before God was lengthy. It included things like nearly being killed, being sold into slavery, allegations of rape and being confined to prison. Key to Joseph's ability to see God's redemption come to fruition in his life were three key understandings:

1. God sees everything that happens to me and He cares.
2. God has given everybody a free will.
3. God is in ultimate control of the final outcome.

Do you believe these three things? How would it impact your life if you took these three key understandings to heart?

May God redeem all of your past hurts and pain. May God work together all things for your good. May God take what others have meant for harm and use them for his purposes in your life.

Summer Reading Recommendations

With summer quickly approaching I thought I would take a moment to recommend some books. Often time people are looking for a good read as they head out to the beach, while they are on a road trip or like the past couple of days stuck inside because of the rain. Here a few books I thought you might enjoy. (I promise I'm not getting any kickbacks off of the sales of these books.) Let me know if you read any of these. Post a comment on the blog. I would love to hear your thoughts about these books.

Jesus, CEO: Using Ancient Wisdom for Visionary Leadership by Laurie Beth Jones
I would especially recommend this to anyone in the business world. This is a practical, step by step guide to communicating with and motivating people. It is based upon the self-mastery, action and relationship skills that Jesus used to train and motivate his team. It can be applied to any business, service or endeavor that depends on more than one person to accomplish a goal.

Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers
This is a historical romance novel set in the 1850s Gold Rush in California. The story is taken from the book of Hosea from the Bible. Its central theme is to portray the redeeming love of God towards sinners. I haven't read this one yet, but it is on my list of summer reads. Everyone I know that has read it tells me that I should read it and that once you pick it up that it is very difficult to put back down. If any of you have already read it why don't you post a comment about it on the blog.

Wide Awake: The Future Is Waiting within You by Erwin McMannus
Are you living the life of your dreams? Or are you shuffling around still half asleep? McManus reveals eight attributes that will help you discover and develop your God-given gifts and talents. Learn how to dream, explore, adapt, create, invest, enjoy, focus, and expect---then tap into and achieve your reason for living.

Boundaries by Drs. Henry Cloud & John Townsend
This best seller delivers biblically based methods on how to set healthy limits with a parent, spouse, child, friend, co-worker and even yourself while still being a loving person. This book identifies how boundaries are developed, and how they become injured. It also shows Christian misconceptions of the function and purpose of boundaries, and provides a program for developing and maintaining healthy limits. As a pastor I find myself recommending this book to people over and over again. It is extremely practical for help with relational issues. It is also a very quick read.

What are you reading? Let me hear from you.

God's Best to You,

Pastor Lyndol

Having Confidence in the Midst of Life's Storms

Today's difficult question was "How can I be confident in a crisis?" At some point in life we all have to deal with difficult situations and it is then that our faith is revealed.

I'll never forget a time several years ago when I was about 45 minutes from home in a nearby town. I had taken a bulk mailing for my church to the post office and the whole process took much longer than I had anticipated. When I went to get in my car I looked up and the sky was turning an ominus dark shade. A wise person would have looked at the sky and decided to find a place for shelter and wait out the storm, but evidently wisdom wasn't prevailing in my mind that day. Instead of seeking shelter I decided to go ahead and drive home. I was frustrated from my experience at the post office and felt impatient to get back home so I could do other things I had on my list of things to get accomplished. This was a huge mistake.

About fifteen minutes into my trip home I went straight into a driving rain that made it very difficult to see. The rain eventually gave way to hail stones - first pea size, then golf ball size and even a couple of baseball size hail stones that I would later see on the evening news. I was trying to stay on the road. My car was taking a beating and ultimately I was doing some of my best praying ever!

I hope you never have to go through a similar experience. It wasn't pleasant and even though it has made for good blog material I would just as soon be able to say this had never happened to me. It was terrifying.

Here are a few things I learned from this storm (crisis) experience:
1. Had I been more patient this wouldn't have happened to me.
2. In a storm it is easy to allow fear to take over rather than faith.
3. While the storm felt like an eternity during the experience, the storm eventually passed.

It has been said that character is developed in the day to day routine of life, but that character is revealed in a crisis. The question I have been contemplating is this - "What have I been developing in my life recently and what will this produce when I face a storm?"

God's Best to You,

Pastor Lyndol

P.S. - On a totally different note I have to acknowledge that today is my oldest daughter's 13th birthday. The Loyd's officially have a teenager in the house. If I'm completely candid, I have to say that God has used my girls to further develop his character in my life. In many ways I understand more about God's love for us than I did thirteen years ago.

How Did I Get in This Mess?

Today's "Difficult Question" was "How did I get into this mess?" As we examined the life of Samson it became clear that when he decided to disregard God's principles for living that his life became a mess. For Samson his big blind spots involved:
1. Failing to learn from his mistakes.
2. Failing to choose his friends wisely.
3. Failing to take God seriously.
In the end, Samson turned to God and found that God's belief in redemption was bigger than his past failures.

Here are some questions for further thought:
1. Do I have any big blind spots in my life?
2. How have I learned from my mistakes?
3. How do my relationships enhance or detract from my life?
4. What would it mean for me to do a better job of taking God seriously?
5. How would my life be different if I allowed God to redeem my past?

Why Start a Blog???

Today begins a new experiment of sorts. I've decided to establish a blog and I must confess that I'm excited about the possibilities that come along with it. Allow me to explain why.

As a preacher I have the privilege of speaking every Sunday. Sermons by nature are a rather one sided means of communication. I talk and you listen. At best I'm left with reading your body language as a response. Rather than having a monologue relationship, it occurs to me that it is much more relational if we live in dialogue with each other. My hope is that this blog will serve as a tool to help make that happen.

Sometimes after worship is over people offer me various comments or questions that would be of great benefit to a wider audience. Usually by the time I receive the feedback the moment has passed and the opportunity for broader discussion is lost. Blogging along with the opportunity for you to post comments and questions allows us to be more interactive.

Othter times a headline will come up in the news which grabs our attention and begs for comment, but doesn't necessarily fit within the context of the next Sunday's sermon. The blog will give us the opportunity to discuss these kinds of issues as well.

I invite you to sign on as a follower of the blog. I also invite you to post your comments, thoughts and questions. All I ask is that you be respectful of the thoughts and opinions of others when you post comments or questions. I'm looking forward to how this blogging process unfolds for all of us.