How Is True Love Demonstrated?

Love is demonstrated...


1) By the surrender of oneself.


 ⁷ Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is a child of God and knows God. ⁸ But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love.

 ⁹ God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. ¹⁰ This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins. (1 John 4:7:10)

2) By making the one who is loved feel safe.

¹³ And God has given us his Spirit as proof that we live in him and he in us. ¹⁴ Furthermore, we have seen with our own eyes and now testify that the Father sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. ¹⁵ All who confess that Jesus is the Son of God have God living in them, and they live in God. ¹⁶ We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love.
   God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them. ¹⁷ And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face him with confidence because we live like Jesus here in this world.
 ¹⁸ Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love.  (1 John 4:13-18)

3) When the one who is loved loves others.

¹¹ Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other. ¹² No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love is brought to full expression in us.

¹⁹ We love each other^[a] because he loved us first.  ²⁰ If someone says, “I love God,” but hates a Christian brother or sister,^[b] that person is a liar; for if we don’t love people we can see, how can we love God, whom we cannot see? ²¹ And he has given us this command: Those who love God must also love their Christian brothers and sisters.^[c]

Hot Hearts 2011 - Beaumont, Texas

FAMILY FORCE 5, KRISTIAN STANFILL, LIVING ILLUSIONS, TEDASHII, AND CLAYTON KING

What a great weekend spending time with students worshipping God, and having fun with each other.  Hot Hearts was blast this year and I was so blessed by all those who came with us!  Several students said that God was speaking to them about full-time ministry and many had life changing encounters with Holy Spirit!  I  am excited to see what God has in store for the junior high students!  GOD IS GOOD!

Risk Taking

1. If you don't take risks, you think your organization will stay the same, but in actuality, it will go backwards.
2. If you don't take risks, you won't accomplish anything great.

3. If you don't take risks, you won't attract big thinkers and leaders to your organization.

4. If you don't take risks, your vision is only a daydream.

5. If you don't take risks, you aren't leading your organization by faith, and we are called to be people of faith.

6. If you don't take risks, you never stretch your faith and trust in God.
7. If you don't take risks, you really don't believe God is BIG and can do BIG things through little people.
8. If you come to the conclusion that you aren't willing to take risks, get out of the way and let somebody else lead.
9. Taking risks means you don't know exactly how things will turn out, but you can't afford not to take the risk.
10. Go for it! Take the risk! Turn your vision into reality!



Posted by Herbert Cooper at Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Weekend Update

This past weekend I spent Friday, Saturday, and Sunday morning at Camp Clearwater in Cheneyville, Louisiana.  It was great to see old friends that I haven't seen in years.  I brought Billy Palmer and Blake Bridges along with me.  Billy played bass and I was on the drums as we helped lead the students in worship.  Blake was a huge help with video testimonies and he was a great roadie as well!

The students learned the importance of making every moment count to show God's love to the world and be an influence on those around them.  Kurt Moffitt of West Orange Christian Church brought the message and he did a fantastic job.

My wife and I spent Sunday night at the hospital in Lafayette seeing Chase Hogan.  He is recovering great from his wreck and we praise God for the miraculous healing.  I'm preparing for this week's message on using our failures as stepping stones in our lives, not as obstacles or blocks.  It's going to be a great week!

Happy MLK day!  God bless!

Our Words Direct Our Destiny

^"4 And a small rudder makes a huge ship turn wherever the pilot chooses to go, even though the winds are strong. ⁵ In the same way, the tongue is a small thing that makes grand speeches.  But a tiny spark can set a great forest on fire."

                                                  James 3:4-5 (New Living Translation)


Words are a powerful thing.  They can bring life - or the opposite.  One word in a single moment can cause happiness, sadness, anger, love, guilt, etc.  What is the driving force behind what we say?  Our heart.

 "³³ “A tree is identified by its fruit. If a tree is good, its fruit will be good. If a tree is bad, its fruit will be bad. ³⁴ You brood of snakes! How could evil men like you speak what is good and right? For whatever is in your heart determines what you say."

                                            Matthew 12:33-34 (New Living Translation)


What we are depositing into our hearts is what comes out in our words.  Want to know where you are/where you're going in your spiritual life, listen to your words.  How can you know if you're ready for the next level in God?  It's when your words speak faith, hope and love in the level you are in right now!  Intentionally deposit good things in your heart and speak godly truths.  



Our words direct our destiny.

^"35 A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart."

                                             Matthew 12:35 (New Living Translation)

Godly Wisdom from Lou Reeves

I was thinking about some things the other day and about myself when I was in high school and about some of the idiotic decisions I made.  And I was looking at my news feed on Facebook and some posts really made me sad.  The paths that people have chosen have led them down a road I'm sure they didn't want to go down when they were younger and now they are dealing with all sorts of issues.  I wanted to get the perspective from one of my old teachers.  What did she think about it?  Here is the question I asked her:


"What happens to a teenager's brain during their high school years that causes them to turn into alcoholic, sex crazy, baby makin', lazy, non-Jesus lovin' people?"


The response I received wasn't what I was expecting.  


She said:


First, call it sin. Satan gets them to start to realize that they can get by with things - that maybe sin won't catch up with them - that they are invincible. God's perfection for them isn't as alluring as the world's attention, activity, and well, fun. Why stay home, stay a virgin, mind your manners, and listen to your parents when the rest of the world isn't? I mean, look at what they are surrounded by - The Bachelor - pick whomever you like, she'll sleep with you and you can toss her aside; Lindsay Lohan - how many times can you get caught without consequences; Michael VIck - pay the price you STILL get the cash and fame - - - when they see you and me, they see boring, poor, really kind of sad. We budget to make the next paycheck, we sleep with the same person day after day, we don't have the luster of satan's world. That's part of it - old fashioned sin. Isn't that what the children of Israel saw in all the foreign gods they chased after? They even opted to return to slavery instead of sticking it out in the desert - - - sin - - we forget it's power without a constant walk with Christ. Like it or not, sin is just starting to take hold when we get the chance to think for ourselves.

Second, my wise friend, is hormones. I know it's a re-run of all you've heard before, but honestly, these kids are starting to realize that sex is fun, losing yourself in alcohol is fun, fitting in is fun. Their bodies, their needs, their wants an their desires are changing, so- - - their values and morals do as well. Sex is nice and I feel loved for this moment. Alcohol makes me forget and for this moment I fit in. I even think there have been studies done that shows a teen ager's brain does change it's precess through this time.

Third, I think is pressure. When you think of the pressure they are under to perform at school, to fit in to the crowd, to please mom, step-mom, dad, step-dad, and a multitide of teachers, get into college, get elected to anything at school, fit in to some crowd AND please their youth minister ;), well, it's overwhelming. There's pressure to succeed, there's pressure to be part of the crowd, there's pressure everywhere. Often they feel there's no where to turn but to the world. God isn't real to them. He can't sit beside them and hold them and make their world right, but the gay druggie next door can. They often are not taught to think for themselves. I always hated trying to "teach to the test" - Remember? Write like this and you'll pass TAKS, TAAS, TAPS - whatever the test of the year was. Kids are not taught to think and reason - they aren't allowed to work through the process. Memorize, think this way, walk this way, and you will pass, fit in, succeed. We don't teach them problem solving, consequences, and step-by-step planning. We bail them out, we buy them out and in doing so we sell them out. Parents, teachers, friends, we all see them as some kind of throw-away commodity we can simply train and they will succeed. We have to start helping them think for themselves. That's what I loved about the Teen Leadership class they let me teach. Even though it wasn't scripturally based (until I went out on my own) it taught consequences, thinking skills, reasoning skills, and sound decision making. I still have kids write or e-mail asking for advice, remembering that class. Invaluable skills we forget they need.

Finally, my brother in Christ - don't be discouraged. While they may wander through the wilderness, if we train them in the way they should go, we are promised they will not depart from it. Help them see the consequences of their choices - don't tell them. Accept them no matter what and help them reason out the choices they have. Teach them the power of a walk with Christ and let them see it in all you do. You aren't going to change or influence them by preaching, teaching, or beating them over the head with a Bible - I raised three boys, that doesn't work - tried it. Live if before them. Remind them that even when they make choices - whether to find themselves (and for some reason professing your homosexual tendencies seems to be hot right now) - to explore their options (and sex and drugs seem to running neck and neck here) - or just fitting in - you accept them and Jesus loves them. They have to see that their choices make affect them, but can't keep them from HIM. They need to see the simple joys of being in His will - living by His laws - and abiding in His grace. I always used to tell the boys while bad choices have consequences, ultimately you will always be my son - same with them. Despite what they do, they will always be God's child. Help the see that the realtionship may be affected, they may miss an opportunity to witness, but they will always, always be His. 




Thank you Mrs. Reeves for sharing your thoughts and heart on this matter.  God is truly using you to impact students even though you are no longer in the classroom!  


FYI - I learned more from her Journalism/Teen Leadership class than any other class in my Jr./Sr. High years!

My One Word

WHAT IS IT?

Every New Year we hope this will finally be the year that things will change. We make promises about the new person we're going to become, pledging to get a grip on our finances, get in shape, become a better parent, spouse, even a nicer human being! But there’s one problem: our resolutions seldom work. The busy pace of life gets the better of us, and suddenly, the year is over with little to no personal growth having occurred in our lives.

“My One Word” is an experiment designed to move you beyond the past and look ahead. The challenge is simple: lose the long list of changes you want to make this year and instead pick ONE WORD. This process provides clarity by taking all of your big plans for life change and narrowing them down into a single thing. One word focuses on your character and creates a vision for your future. So, we invite you to join us and pick one word in 2011! (www.myoneword.org)

MY WORD

Preparation

God has placed this word on my heart to help challenge me in 2011.  And, He has also given the same word to my wife without us even talking to each other about our words.  It has been prophesied over me that God has bigger things in store for my ministry and life.  This year, he wants me more than ever moving in a much more focused direction.  I'm so excited about what 2011 has for me!  Will you join me in the My One Word challenge?

Congrats

Oath of office ceremony on Saturday included County Judge Carl Thibodeaux taking office for his fifth term. Other newcomers are Precinct 1 Justice of the Peace David Peck (above), Precinct 4 County Commissioner Jody Crump and County Treasurer Christy Khouri.

Building Godly Relationships in 2011

A theme that will resonate throughout the year - building GODLY relationships.  How will this idea change your life?  Or will it?  The fact is that we were created for relationship.  Every part of our being longs for relationship.  But to build GODLY relationships - that can and will change the world!

This week I'm speaking to the jr. high about this very thing.  Sometimes when the world comes at us with the lies of the enemy, we can feel insignificant.  Maybe we feel like we can't accomplish something because of who we are, where we came from, the amount of skills/talents we may possess, etc.  But know this - GOD WANTS TO USE YOU IN 2011 TO CHANGE THIS WORLD!  HE VALUES YOU!  YOU ARE A TREASURE TO HIM!  And now, you need to take that love and share it with the world!  Even though you may be just one person in the middle of hundreds of thousands of people in the world, you may end up meaning the world to one of those people.

Stop and take a look around you.  God is providing you with opportunities to spread His goodness and show the world that He loves and cares for them.  Don't get too busy doing life that you forget why you're living here in the first place.  It only takes a second to show God's love to someone and it may be the spark needed to light a fire for a godly friendship that could last forever!

Be real.  Be the light.