Oh yeah . . . take that!

A couple of weeks ago a NFL player, Odell Beckham of the New York Giants had an interesting and almost toxic game.  As a wide receiver he clearly lost control.  From spearing corner back Josh Norman to slapping him across his helmet.  Norman wasn't completely innocent either.  Beckham's action cost him a one game suspension; Norman was fined $26,000 for his part.

We've all experienced situations - young and old alike - moments when frustration gets the better of us and we suddenly feel like we're losing our minds.

Temper tantrums
Eating the entire jar of jellybeans.
Fighting on the playground
Throwing a video game controller across the room.
Yelling at the kids in frustration.

I wish I could say that I am always in complete control of my emotions and actions.  But none of us are.

Throughout the Bible, God talks about a lot about self-control.  As a fruit of the Spirit, self-control is a response to the change that God is making in our lives.  With our own willpower we are helpless to control anything, but with God's power we have strength.  We have the power of the Holy Spirit living within us and are able to do what we should do even when it's not what we want to do.

The book of Proverbs includes several verses where God gives us wisdom to practice for those moments when we'd rather do anything but show self-control.  Proverbs are not merely wise sayings.  Rather, they are part of God's story where He whispers to us: "here's how you should live."  Over the next few weeks in Inspire Kids, we'll look at self-control through God's lens and explore four truths that Solomon captured in the book of Proverbs.

Let’s all learn together this month to pause, select the right words and actions, and most importantly tap into God’s power to show some self-control.

It's Not for Me!

There are some things in life that are not for me.  Beans and Rice. Skydiving.  Being a Seahwaks Fan.  Playing any musical instrument. Dunking a basketball.

Unfortunately, when it comes to Prayer and Fasting, many of us say the same thing.

It's not for me.  

You might be thinking . . . the only thing good about fasting is it will help me to lose some weight.  You might be asking . . . isn't fasting only for emergencies or for the really holy people?  No, fasting is for every follower of Jesus.

You can pray.  You can fast.  But it's more than that.  It's about making God a priority.

Here's the truth. God must be first. He cannot not be first. When God is first in every area of your life, the rest of your life will be filled with order. If God isn't first in any area of your life, I would argue that your life will be full of disorder.

In the book, "Awakening," pastor and author Stovaal Weems says "This will be your best year ever, if it is your best year spiritually."  

Fasting can jump start your year towards being spiritually consumed.  It can set the tone for your entire year.

I'm looking forward to this Sunday as I'll be teaching on prayer and fasting as we prepare for our 21 Days of Prayer and Fasting at Inspire Church starting on January 3rd.

If you have never fasted before, I want to challenge you to try it this January.  If you want what you've always had, do what you've always done.  But if you are tired of being spiritually apathetic or inconsistent, then do something you haven't done.

Be sure to check out the Inspire Church blog during those 21 days in January for daily devotionals from the gospel of John and for a daily prayer emphasis.

You may also want to prepare you heart early for this Sunday by reading Joel 1:14 and Matthew 6:16-18.

Ugh! So many choices!

Choices!  Life is full of choices.  I am always overwhelmed when my wife asks me to go to the drug store for some cold medicine.  It takes me forever to choose what I think is the right one.  I'm ra . . . 

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