God Habits

Depending on which 'expert' you listen to most say that it takes between 21 and 28 days to form a habit.
(One interesting analogy said: "For instance, It takes 28 days to replace the cells of a human being's epidermis completely. Women's menstrual cycle is 28 days, the lining of the stomach and intestins is new every 28 days...so on and so forth." Hmmm)

I don't think we can nail it down that easy, but one thing I am fairly certain of is that habits aren't fully formed until we can live them out through resistance. In other words, once the 'honeymoon' stage is over and the 'newness' wears off and we get a little weary - then what happens?

"Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up." (Galatians 6:9)

Many of you are about 22 days into the 60/60 Experiment. As we began seeking to make God part of every moment of our lives, it was really exciting the first week. But now you're not hearing your watch beep as much - or you're not really expecting it to beep. Maybe it doesn't seem quite as 'cool' as it did on day 4 . . . maybe your life hit a rough spot and as you think about it, you've started ignoring God again . . .

Don't give up and you will reap a harvest! Now more than ever it's important to ask God to help you recognize what He's doing, where He is working!

If you aren't getting the Creek Texts every day - click here and get that reminder. Go check out ocjourney.org (click here) and be encouraged by other folks stories and then share yours to encourage someone else (Your God story might change someone else's life!)

Don't give in to giving up! "But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." (Matthew 6:33)

Treasure Principle

"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." Matthew 6:19-21

On Sunday I talked about the elephant of greed and how it rots away our soul - from the inside out. BUT, how generosity loosens the grip of greed. How investments in eternity transfer our interests from earth to heaven, from self to God.

At the end of Celebration I gave everyone a book - The Treasure Principle by Randy Alcorn. One of the best, most concise, books I've ever read about our resources. One of my favorite sections says this:

"'Store up for yourselves.' Doesn't it seem strange that Jesus commands us to what's in our own best interests? Wouldn't that be selfish? No. God expects and commands us to act out of enlightened self-interest. He wants us to live to His glory, but what is to His glory is always to our good."

When we use our treasure for God's good . . . it's ALWAYS for OUR good!

If you weren't here on Sunday and want a copy of The Treasure Principle, stop by the office - or ask on Sunday - and we'd love to give you one.

FIRST

In one of my last blogs on Tuesday (click here to see it) I talked about challenging people to give God their lives so that world will be changed "instead of trying to 'sell God' based on the benefits He offers."

I've been thinking about that post and a missing ingredient. I wonder how much of the time many of us feel like WE'RE missing out on experiencing 'God's Adventure'?

I know sometimes I feel like I missed the boat. And it's hard to invite someone on a trip when you're just gonna stand on shore and push them out to sea. But the Truth is, as a follower of Jesus we haven't missed it, we've only taken our eyes off God and been distracted by all the noise around us.

I'm reading Soul Revolution by John Burke (which I Highly recommend) and he says:

"I hear people complain all the time about not feeling close to God, not sure they can trust Him, not sure God cares. But they never committed to staying connected to God in their daily life, and when they do take time to communicate, the communication is all one-sided. Rather than doing life with God, it's all religious, formal, ritualistic meeting for them. I'm convinced God desires an unrehearsed, gut-level, rigorously honest conversation throughout the moments of the day."

As I was reading Matthew 6 this morning, what Jesus says to end the chapter that talks about many of the distractions in following God, hit me in a fresh way. This is the heart of finding the adventure:

"But seek FIRST His Kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well."

Blessed or Not Blessed?

Following Jesus. As I talked about on Sunday, some of the most telling spiritual decisions we make on a daily basis are what we do with our wealth. Do we get in the pool with our wallet, or without?

“No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money." (Matthew 6:24).
If we are going to live ALL in, Jesus says we must serve Him with our money.

And this is such a HUGE area because it's a place where we are most tempted to separate the sacred and the secular. To say: 'This is MINE, and this is gods.' And when we do that it scrambles our spiritual lives! Why else did Jesus talk about money more than anything else, more even than prayer and faith?

It's ALL His. It's ALL spiritual.
Are you resisting? You're not resisting me. You're resisting God. If you weren't there on Sunday I encourage you to click here and listen to the message.

And I challenge you as God Himself did in Malachi 3: "Test Me in this . . . and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have enough room for it."

What are you waiting for? Get in the pool!