Illuminate

Who changed the thermostat again? Sometimes it can be almost like a battle setting the thermostat in our home. I like it a little cooler and Sarah does not mind it being a little warmer in our home. Either way once you set the thermostat no matter how cool or hot the house gets the thermostat heats or cools the house to whatever the thermostat is set to. Think of your heart and mind as a home and in that home you have a thermostat that sets who you are. A lot of times we desire our heart to be ablaze for God but it always seems to be cold in our heart. At times (maybe after camp or momentum) our heart fills warmed up as if we opened the door to him but yet it cools down again. Why is this? Have you looked at your thermostat? What is setting the temperature in your heart and mind? Here is the profound truth that I discovered recently in a book called "Good or God" by John Bevere. What you seek is what you set your heart and mind on.  What if instead of see...

During the Olympics I saw this commercial and it really struck a cord with me. It was incredible to watch such a dominate athlete do it one more time around and showcase his abilities. It is easy to forget all the time, effort, and sacrifice it took for him to win those medals. It was the dedication to working out, his diet, waking up early in the morning time after time, that got him to where he is at. For as a Christians the same is also true. What you do when no one else is looking, or giving you credit for, will eventually be shown. Luke 8:17 says "There is nothing hidden that will not be revealed, and nothing concealed that will not be known and illuminated." What we do to honor God when no one sees, God sees it and will honor it. I believe God will use those whom honor him in everything that they do. Put in the hard work of obedience and submission to God every day in the dark and see how God will use you in the light.  

It seems like today you go to social media and everyone has an opinion about everything. Whether it is about politics, religion, what you think about Pokemon Go, and who should win the Bachelorette. In a world where everyone feels like their voice matters and you need to hear what they have to say, who do you listen to? Not only that but are we adding to the noise that is my opinion. First what is an opinion. It is a thought that is formed that is not based on facts or knowledge or truth. It is someones perspective on a situation. The Bible says in Proverbs 18:2 "Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their opinions." In James 1:19 it says that we should be "...quick to listen and slow to speak..." yet so many people post or say what comes to their mind right away without knowing facts or the truth, so therefore it is their opinion. Now their opinion may be found to be true with time but we have to be careful to not accept opinion...

The year is 1964 and Muhammad Ali was about ready to face his biggest challenge to date in the World Heavy Weight title against Sonny Liston. At the time Ali was the underdog and they asked him what he thought of the fight. He proclaimed in the moment to Sonny and to the world that he was the greatest. He not only talked the talk but he also walked the walk when he knocked out Sonny in the 7th round and became the world champion. In Isaiah 6 there we are able to look behind the curtains and see what it may look like around heavens throne. Isaiah says that he saw the Lord high and lifted up and His train filled the temple. Now as a kid when I first heard this verse I thought of a giant train that had lots of smoke going around the temple, haha. In actuality the train of a king was a big robe. Every time that a king would defeat another king they would take the train of that king and add it to their train. It was a way to show how many other kings they defeated and how great they we...

Bang, the gun went off and I was off for my 1 mile race. I was in 8th grade, not the fastest kid on the team, but I enjoyed staying in shape as I ran with the team. As I was running my second lap of four some of my teammates began to point at me like something was wrong. I thought they were laughing because I was near the back of the pack but then I looked down and notice my shoe had come untied. I still had this lap and another two to go! I had two choices. I could either stop and quit or I could keep going and finish strong. Too many times we quit right before we are about ready to finish. Whether it is taking it too easy the last few weeks (or months) of school, we stop praying for someone God has laid on our heart, or we give up on something that God has called us too. No one gets a prize for running hard for half the race then quitting, you have to finish strong. Not only that but if we quit in the middle of what we are doing it is like all the hard work that you just p...

This past week a new album from NF just dropped called Therapy Session. I downloaded the album looking forward to listening to it in my car. While listening to his music I came across a song called, " How Could You Leave Us ". In this song NF describes how his mother was so addicted to drugs that she never had time for him and eventually her life was taken because of her addiction. Her is a couple lines from his song. "I don't get it Mom, don't you wanna watch your babies grow? I guess pills are more important, all you have to say is NO. But you won't do it will you? You gon' keep popping 'till them pills kill you!" "I got a picture in my room, and it kills me. But I don't I need a picture of my mom, I need the real thing." "What you don't understand and what you're not grasping, I was nothing but a kid who couldn't understand it, I ain't gon' say that I forgive you 'cause it hasn't happened....