Funny thing how a little kindness can influence lives far beyond a critical word. I received a note yesterday from a child that totally encouraged my heart. In a broken sentence with broken letters the young man wrote, "Pastor Michael, thank you for teaching us the word of God." Nothing fancy, just a simple note of encouragment with kind words, and I was off to the races being excited about what the Lord has for my life.

Contrast that to another note I received from an anonymous sender (ie. I would suggest never reading a note that someone is too cowardly to sign :-). The note started very curt with the statement, "Obviously you don't know how we do things around here." With whatever intent the writer had, the credibility of their request was shot. I found myself wanting to know who the coward was and why they had to be so rude. I was hoping there was a return address at least! In my flesh I would have liked the opportunity to return their poison to them. But what I realized more than anything was that their note was merely a discouraging shot from the bleachers of a corrupted and wounded heart. And ultimately, I had a choice to make. Would I let the negative words of someone influence my entire day, or would I dismiss the comments and move on with a more contagious attitude of building up those around me? If you know me at all, then you know that I chose the latter!

Words have power. They can ruin a life, or they can build one up! One of my great mentors taught me to live by this phrase, "Be Nice." He was right. Regardless of the conflicts and hard choices you have to make, one thing you can do is to be Nice. Being an encourager is not easy. There is a shortage of it in most of the places we work and spend our time. But it is a choice we can make. By the power of your tongue you can either tear someone down, or you can give them the hope that there are still some kind Christian people in this world today. Who will you bless today with your words?

Oh, and by the way, no need to try and figure out who the anonymous person was, or to worry about how I feel. I'm not. Someone somewhere will one day penetrate their life with kindness! It could be you.

~Michael~

Where does your healing begin? We all need some type of healing from the Lord, it's just a matter of where it starts. In our services yesterday we experienced healing from more than just the physical angle. To stop at only our physical needs is to sell short the healing that Christ offers to each of His children.

Are you broken? Acknowledging to the Lord our broken areas of life begins the process of healing inside you, whether physically, spiritually, or emotionally. Identifying the areas in our lives that are truly messed up opens the door for Christ to fix us. Truth is it is our brokenness that gives us the best picture of the power of Christ in us. He uses those times in our lives to get our attention and show us how close and powerful He truly is.

Are you seeking Jesus, or are you seeking a miracle? There is a big difference. Jesus is THE HEALER, but often we settle for a counterfeit and insufficient work in our lives because we are not looking for the Glory that is Christ! If it is not about the full glory of Jesus, it doesn't count! It will not last. Christ has a greater perspective for the healing of our lives and the details that we face each day. Seeking Him is the beginning of true healing. Jesus is our light, and many eyes were opened yesterday to that fact.

Healing is work! It is the work of God first, and then it is the work in you. More than an event, it is often a process of obedience to His voice leading us to break patterns. It is often more than a quick fix! My prayer for you as you read this is that the work of Christ becomes evident in you so that His name is magnified through the process of your healing.

~Michael~
John 9:1-5

Have you realized that you are gifted yet? Each one of us has been given a spiritual gift that is to be uniquely used in service to Christ. Thing is, we usually spend most of our time either working outside our giftedness, or we end up being too busy to identify our gift and use it. That's where most of our personal frustration, lack of inner motivation, ministry burn out, or relational challenges with others come into play. However, when we accept what comes naturally for us in ministry, and in like manner appreciate others whose gifts are different from ours, we find a greater satisfaction with ourselves and those around us. It eliminates much of the unnecessary frustration common in our church experiences.

When you came to know God personally through Christ, the use of your life began to change. Like the metamorphosis from a catepillar to butterfly, God's intention was for your life to change to reflect His glory in you. For some that change is ever so slight over periods of time, while for others it seems more natural and quick. In either case, as His Spirit guides you from the inside out, you find yourself yearning to be more like Him. One of the best avenues to reveal His work in us is in discovering the spiritual gifts we have and using them deliberately for His kingdom. Doing so reveals His change in you, gives you purpose, begins to eliminate "meishness" (my new word), and ultimately opens the door for your church to be healthy because you are healthy.

You are gifted. Why not try taking our online test on the website? See how you fare. I'll be testing the whole congregation on it in a few weeks, so go ahead and get the jump. Pursue what you are gifted to do!

~Michael~
Eph 4:12