I cannot wait to write my next blog post…gonna be special.
Steve
Category Archives: Just sayin'
A NEW MAP
As the world changes, you need new maps to find where you are going and new ways of discovering your destiny.
You would not use a map that Lewis and Clark used back in 1805 to find your way through to your destination today.
In the same way, you don’t want to use tools that worked for you years ago to help you find your way today.
When I was a child, people would often ask me a question that they don’t ask me anymore for obvious reasons….they would say;
“Hey Steve, “What do you want to be when you grow up?”
An astronaut? A fireman? President of the United States? A rock star? A minister? A Policeman?
Maybe you’ve already grown up, but you still don’t know what you want to be. You just know you don’t want to be what you are. Somewhere along the line you took a wrong turn, or a series of wrong turns, and now you are so deep into the forest and you can’t seem to find your way out.
You need direction. You need a compass. You need a map to move by.
God has a plan & a purpose for your life. Here are a few thoughts that can help you find and discover your destiny:
1. What gets your attention?
I know that may seem like a no-brainer, but seriously, “What interests you?” What captures your attention? I promise you are not called to do something that does not interest you. When I was in high school I took an auto mechanics class because I thought I wanted to work on cars. Until one week when I spent five days under my car trying to replace 5th gear on a transmission with my dad. The interest in being a mechanic soon drifted and still lays in our garage floor somewhere. If it doesn’t interest you, you’re headed in the wrong direction.
2. What gets you energized?
There’s a difference in being interested in something and being energized by it. I am interested in politics, but I am definitely not energized by it. There is nothing within me that gets me energized about being politically correct or attempting to maneuver up the political later.. You may be interested in thousands of things, but within your sphere of interests, what energizes you? What makes your heart beat faster when you think about doing it?
3. What gets you to become good at something?
Just because something interests you & energizes you doesn’t mean you are good at it. I am interested in and energized by pro football. But I don’t stand a snowball’s chance at playing for a pro team. It’s just not gonna happen. So what are you good at? What are your natural abilities? What are your learned abilities? Can you acquire the skills and/or knowledge that you are lacking?
Do you have friends that are close enough and bold enough to tell you what you are NOT good at? Everyone needs a Simon Cowell in their life … . If you are not sure what you are good at, ask your friends & family members. They can probably tell you. Hopefully they will tell you the truth. …Whatever you are …be a good one.
4. What gets you frustrated ?
What bothers you about the world? Is there anything that causes you to lose sleep? What makes you think, “This isn’t right! Someone should do something about this!” Have you ever considered that someone could be you? Is it interesting to you? Would helping fix the situation energize you? Do you think you’d be good at it? Is it a burden? If so, then you are narrowing in on discovering your destiny.
If nothing burdens you, then you are not paying attention. I encourage you to pray and ask God to help you see the world through His eyes. I assure you there are enough broken things in this world that something will begin to burden you — if you are willing to see past yourself to the world around you. Hint: Your destiny doesn’t point to you; it points to the brokenness around you. If your life is going to have true meaning and significance, then you will have to use your life to help others. Sorry, there’s no way around it. What bothers you?..What frustrates you about the conditions around you?
5. What gets you going?
For some people, this is the toughest one to figure out, yet it’s the most important step in determining your destiny. In Christian circles, this is frequently referred to as a “calling.” A calling is an internal push (compulsion) that drives you to do something about the burden you feel. A divine calling (as in, “God is calling me to do this.”) feels like a moral imperative. In other words, there is something within you that forbids you from remaining complacent. You may think, “If I don’t do this, I am going to explode.” At that point, it doesn’t matter if you are paid or unpaid, recognized or unrecognized, you simply must act — that’s a calling. Andy Stanley says that complacency at this stage will begin to feel “tantamount to an act of disobedience [against God].” I totally agree.
If you feel lost or confused and have no idea what it is you should do with your life, these few thoughts can help you discover your destiny.
Life is like a coin….it is up to you how you spend it?
Steve Lummer
Lead Pastor PFA
THE END IS NEAR
I saw this guy the other day and just had to post this Sven and Ole humor.
Reverend Ole is the pastor of the local Norwegian Lutheran Church , and Pastor Sven is the minister of the Swedish Covenant Church across the road.
One day they were seen pounding a sign into the ground, that said:
DA END ISS NEAR! TURN YERSELF AROUND NOW BAFOR IT’S TOO LATE!
As a car sped past them, the driver leaned out his window and yelled, “Leave me alone, you Skandihoovian religious nuts!”
From the curve they heard screeching tires and a big splash…
Rev. Ole turns to Pastor Sven and asks, “Do ya tink maybe da sign should yust say, “Bridge Out?”
got to love it.
Steve Lummer
lead pastor PFA north
GOD HATER IN THE WOODS TEACHES ME SOME THINGS
I know some of my blog readers and facebook friends might disagree with my blog post tonight but here it goes.
Tonight, I did my usual bike ride through the forest after work. I usually run into a few people along the way and sometimes we talk but most of the time we just do the “woods wave” and move on.
Tonight, the guy I came across was a person that I occasionally stop and talk to for a few minutes and this evening was no different.
I was sorry to hear that he had lost his long time companion and dog that I usually see him walking with.
He was quick to blame God for the death of his animal friend and continued to explain that the death of his dog was a “cruel joke played by God.”
He also claimed that “Satan is God’s hit man and Jesus is God’s con man.”
Our conversation ended with me looking at his 45 caliber hand gun on his hip while he expressed he was “fine with burning in a lake of fire for all of eternity”….that was “just fine with him” he said.
My thought was, I hope he doesn’t take his 45 caliber anger toward God on me because I am a minister. ( I did survive).
It seemed to me that he was going to attempt to pay God back for “letting him down his whole life” by hating God as much as he possibly could for the rest of his life.
Wow, dog dies and God is at fault. While he is going off on God and on about his hate for God, I’m thinking, dogs, cats, and bunches of other animals as well as thousands of humans die every hour on the globe. In fact, About 250,000 – 300,000 people die per day.
I know this is a negative and some what morbid blog but there are tons of God haters walking around us everyday and we need to be aware of that.
I have learned that when I cross paths with a God hater it is crucial to not cast judgment but rather just listen. To not be offended but to offer kindness. To not attempt to defend God, but to show God’s love to the unlovely.
I am sorry the man lost his pet to death this week. That is a difficult thing for most of us who love our pets.
The fact is though, death comes to us all not as a cruel joke by God but as just part of life. Death is the beginning of eternal life.
“It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment” Hebrews 9:27.
Today’s chance meeting taught me some things about my self.
1. Pain comes to others not just me.
2. Suffering and loss can shape me to become bitter or better.
3. Loss of family and friends in this life is tough but encourages me to love God not to hate him.
4. We can get so self consumed in our pain that we can often self destruct.
5. When things go wrong, hating God will not make things get better. Conversely things will most likely get worse by choosing to hate and seek revenge.
Our relationship with others and God can become better and richer if we will just choose to not hate, not harbor bitterness and allow God to show us how to turn hurt into healing and pain into love and joy while we have a living opportunity.
Only God can help us do that. That why we need him so.
He will provide for those who grieve —
He will bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes,
He will give the oil of gladness instead of mourning,
and He will give a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. Isaiah 61:1-3
Pastor Steve
Lead Pastor
Prescott First Assembly
AGING OR SAGING?
I woke up early this morning thinking about an old friend who is living in a assisted care home today.
Harvey Smith used to say, “I’m not aging …I’m Saging.”
Harvey and his wife Jean came to my church in Lake Saint Louis Missouri on my birthday in 1995 and they have been a gift ever since.
I can’t stop thinking about this guy and his amazing zest for life. He is a wizz at making you feel like there is more to do and more to accomplish.
Harvey would on more than one occasion say, “Steve, we never run out of vision ….we just run out of time.”
That statement reminds me of a great quote I read by Michael Jordan;
“Even when I’m old and gray, I won’t be able to play it, but I’ll still love the game.”
And another great said it this way; ” Let us not dread old age. Let us grow old graciously since the Lord Himself is with us in fullness of grace. …CH Spurgeon
A challenge to us Baby Boomers
I am 51 years old—. I am surrounded by 78 million boomers, ages 43 to 61. Over 10,000 turn sixty every day. If you read the research, we are a self-centered generation.
* Likes: working from home, anti-aging supplements, climate control
* Dislikes: wrinkles, Millennial sleeping habits, Social Security, insecurity
* Hobbies: low-impact sports, uberparenting, wining and dining
* Hangouts: farmer’s markets, tailgate parties, backyards
* Resources: $2.1 trillion
* We are over weight and soft.
What will it mean to get old to the and still be a fully devoted follower of Christ as a baby boomer in America? It will mean a radical break with the mindset of our peers. Especially a break with the typical consumer dream of retirement. Ralph Winter was the founder of the U. S. Center for World Missions and is in his early eighties, traveling, speaking, and writing wrote an article titled “The Retirement Booby Trap” almost 25 years ago when he was about 60. In it he said,
“Most men don’t die of old age, they die of retirement. I read somewhere that half the men retiring in the state of New York die within two years. Save your life and you’ll lose it. Just like other drugs, other psychological addictions, retirement is a virulent disease, not a blessing. . . . Where in the Bible do they see that? Did Moses retire? Did Paul retire? Peter? John? Do military officers retire in the middle of a war?”
Millions of Christian men and women are finishing their formal careers in their fifties and sixties, and for most of them there will be a good twenty years before their physical and mental powers fail. What will it mean to live those final years for the glory of God? How will we live them in such a way as to show that Christ is our highest Treasure?
King David said it way before Michael Jordan did when he said;
Even when I am old and gray, do not abandon me, O God. Let me live to tell the people of this age what your strength has accomplished, to tell about your power to all who will come. Psalm 71:18
I guess David is saying is that it is his desire to make God look great to the younger generation.
Harvey Smith has sure done that for me and I hope to visit him this June when I visit friends in Missouri.
Thank you Harvey for every encourging word and your unending zeal.
Steve (lead pastor Prescott First Assembly)
Baking on a Stone
The other day Brenda and I went treasure hunting at the goodwill here in Prescott.
She walked out with a smile saying that she hit the jackpot by finding a pampered chef pizza stone for three bucks.
We couldn’t wait to get the ingredients and try it out.
Baking on stoneware is one of the oldest methods around and yet is still virtually unknown. Stoneware has been used in bakeries and pizzerias for years and now we brought the art into our home. There are many advantages to stones.
Baking stones and bricks produce an even amount of heat throughout the stone so you won’t burn the edges while leaving the middle raw. They wick moisture away from the surface as well, always leaving your pizzas, cookies and bread a perfect golden brown. The stones retain the heat, keeping your food warm longer than your normal metal pans.
I have got to say that this was the best home made pizza Brenda has made in 30 years of amazing marriage.
We are sold on stone.. maybe someday we will go for the brick oven.
Steve is happy 🙂
KEEPER OF THE VINEYARDS
“They made me the keeper of the vineyards; but mine own vineyard have I not kept”. Song of Solomon 1:6
Do you think it is possible that we can become so caught up in doing things for other people that we neglect our own lives? Let me be a little more personal. Can we become so caught up in looking after others, that our relationship with God and our relationship with our own family suffers from neglect? The Bible says in Song of Solomon 1:6 (KJV), “They have made me the keeper of vineyards; but mine own vineyard have I not kept”.
Let’s be honest here for a minute. People who have conviction and take responsibility for others, more often than we would like to admit, get too busy caring for everyone else and can end up neglecting their own lives.
If we are not careful we can end up buried in everyone’s “situations” like the guy in Proverbs 24 – “The vineyard ….I saw that it was overgrown with nettles. It was covered with weeds, and its walls were broken down. “
No one wants to be in that situation.
STAYING FREE FROM THE BARRENNESS OF THE BUSY LIFE:
1. Get rid of the WEEDS by planting some SEEDS.
2. Rebuild the WALL with some BOUNDARIES .
3. CULTIVATE the fruit and enjoy some of it YOURSELF.
Here is a classic closing scripture to let you know just how easy it can happen.
1 Corinthians 9:27 tells it like this. – Don’t you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win! 25 All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize. 26 So I run with purpose in every step. I am not just shadowboxing. 27 I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified.
Amazing isn’t it? Even some spiritual heavy hitters realized the importance of keeping it all in order.
Just one more short illustration from a spiritual giant. I love the story Leonard Ravenhill tells about a group of tourists visiting a picturesque village who walk by an old man sitting beside a fence. In a rather patronizing way, one tourist asked, “Were any great men born in this village?” The old man replied, “Nope, only babies.” A frothy question brought a profound answer. There are no instant heroes–whether in this world or in the kingdom of God. Growth takes time and effort…
Don’t neglect your own vineyard while taking care of everyone else.
“They made me the keeper of the vineyards; but mine own vineyard have I not kept”. Song of Solomon 1:6
Feeling Forsaken?
Does it seem like God has left you alone in this world?
Are you close to giving up because you feel like you’ve failed so many times? Does it seem like God has left you alone in this world? Do the promises in the Bible seem empty and broken to you?
These are the types of feelings, doubt and discouragement that Satan our enemy uses to defeat us from really exhibiting the abundant life during turbulent times. Ironically, it is in these times of adversity that we are able to shine the brightest for our Lord and He for us. Anybody can smile and be happy when things are going well!
The faith of the true Believer grows with every season of adversity encountered. As we mature and learn more about Jesus and His love through the trials of adversity, we can joyfully profess to others- “
Don’t quit now because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” Hebrews 13:5
Spiritual Life Traps
In Ephesians 6:11, the apostle Paul instructs the Saints of God to do the following: “Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil” (NKJV).
Interestingly enough, the New International Version says, “Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.”.
As New Testament believers, we know that satan (our enemy) desires to destroy our lives and keep us from the great purposes God has for us (I Peter 5:8). In doing so, the enemy is extremely cunning and strategic in how he attempts to wreck our lives!
Today, I would like to share with you some of the “spiritual life traps” I have seen the enemy use over the course of my Christian life… things he uses in order to plot against God’s people.
7 Spiritual Life Traps
1. Pride – I Peter 5:5 says, “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” For God to resist the proud, He is not only displeased with them, but is also actively working against them. Pride is the root to all sin, and we must humbly submit ourselves to the Lordship of Jesus and ask Him to eradicate any residue of pride in our lives.
2. Offense – This is a root of spiritual cancer that will keep us from the blessings God has for us. Paul admonished the church of Philippi to “…approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ” (Philippians 1:10). We must choose everyday to walk in forgiveness of those who have wronged us and continue to bless those who curse us.
3. Greed/Lust – This is a by-product of pride. When greed influences a man or woman of God, it causes them to have wrong motives about why they desire the blessing of God in their lives. The Bible instructs us to walk free of greed and lust so that we keep our thoughts and actions pure before the Lord.
4. Lack of Discipline – Many in the body lose focus on why they do what they do. The enemy would desire to push you away from God’s purposes for your life! Don’t get caught up in just doing for God; enjoy being with God. Remember that your identity is rooted in God’s love for you, not your accomplishments! Develop a passion for being a lover of God. Keep your eyes on the prize (being Jesus), who for the joy set before Him endured the cross and rescued mankind from death (Hebrews 12:2). Stay focused on what’s important!
5. Division – Once he has driven you away from those God placed you with, the devil always seeks to separate you from the strength of your unity into a place of weakness. Stay planted with those whom God has called you to serve with!
6. Fear – The spirit of fear will cause the gift of God to lay dormant in our lives. That’s why Paul commands Timothy to stir up the gift of God within him. Immediately after Paul gives this instruction, he reminds Timothy, “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind” (2 Tim. 1:6-7). Timothy was a young pastor, and he was allowing himself to be intimidated by those who were older than he. The gift of God was lying dormant in his life! As believers, we must serve the Lord and fear Him only! You will serve whom you fear.
7. False Doctrine – The apostle Paul prophesies in 1 Timothy 4:1, “Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons.” Truth is very important to the Lord. In Ephesians, we see the armor of God, and the “belt of truth” is listed as part of this armor. The Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God, hangs on the belt of truth. The great apostle was illustrating that truth holds things together, just like a belt holds your clothes in place! Continue to hold the truth of God’s word above all that you do.
If you are going to win over your enemy. you need to know your enemy.
Ed-onomics and “THE BOOK”.
This blog post is about “sustainable communities”.
Sustainable communities are built on sustainable relationships.
If you are old enough, you might remember the local country store where you could be “On the tab”.
The store owner would allow you to purchase a limited amount of goods on credit based not on your credit score but rather the relationship you had with the owner.
I love living in a town and doing business at a local vender who allows me to be “IN THE BOOK”.
Good local relationships are the best. That is called “community” and economics are so much better when the people you do business with are your friends.
If I could personally choose , I would not go for Reaganomics or Obamanomis…I would love to live in a Relational/economic society called EDonomics .
That in part, is what we are missing on the globe. Connectable and sustainable relationships with people we do business with who you trust and who trust you. The relationship you have with someone is much more valuable than the goods you buy from them.
I just had to grab a pic of THE BOOK with my name along with other locals who are in THE BOOK.
I have faded out the dollar amounts to respect their privacy ….but I couldn’t resist posting such a cool group to be with in THE BOOK.
Edonomics rule.
stevelummer.com 