But it's about so much more than the tools - it's about the kingdom of God - it's about fulfilling the great commission - it's about changed lives!

"For which one of you, when he wants to build a tower, does not first sit down and calculate the cost to see if he has enough to complete it? Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who observe it begin to ridicule him, saying, 'This man began to build and was not able to finish.' Or what king, when he sets out to meet another king in battle, will not first sit down and consider whether he is strong enough with ten thousand men to encounter the one coming against him with twenty thousand? Or else, while the other is still far away, he sends a delegation and asks for terms of peace." -Luke 14:28-32

This is a parable about counting the cost for discipleship. It asks, "Can I afford to move forward?" and "Can I afford not to?" It's all about building and battles.

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I love being a part of a church that isn’t full of consumers, but that is full of generous people!  As we are getting ready for Day One, I began thinking about why I give.  I’ve been in the ministry for years now, and I’m hoping that by sharing some principles I live by, you’ll be inspired to live an extraordinary life in God!

I give because there is a cause.

Here is the truth:  we live for the greatest cause on the planet.  There is nothing on earth that has been as revolutionary as the church, as enduring as the church, or as helpful as the church.

“a woman with an alabaster vial of very costly perfume… broke the vial and poured it over [Jesus’] head.” –Mark 14:3

The advancement of the cause will cost us something.  The perfume cost over “three hundred denarii” – the equivalent of a year’s wages!  But this woman paid the cost.

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We have projects in mind – missions, media, next generation – but it’s really about giving to the mission, the vision, the cause!  Our church changes lives!  This is a clear, direct call to action.

Read through Mark 2:1-12 – the story of four guys bringing their paralyzed friend to Jesus’ house so he can be healed – and let’s look at what happened, and what it can mean for us.

When Jesus is in the house, great things happen!

“When He had come back to Capernaum several days afterward, it was heard that He was at home.” –Mark 2:1

Jesus was home – in the house – and these friends heard about it.  They were intent on getting their friend to Jesus, because they knew that when Jesus gets His hands on people, great things happen!

Here’s what we are all about:  getting people to Jesus.  Because we know He fixes, and forgives, and heals, and loves.  Our church changes lives because Jesus is in the house!

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Relationship with God; relationships with people

Understanding and developing your unique giftings

A growing mastery of money, and a growing mastery of time.

Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil. So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.
- Ephesians 5:15-17

How to make the most of your time:

1. Understand the value of time.

Look exactly at how you are spending your time.  It’s easy to fool ourselves with our intentions.

Family, career, having a great marriage, losing weight or getting fit: We have intentions for these things - But until we spend time on them, they remain intention only.

Look at your hours as dollar bills.  Everyone in this room is given 24 dollar bills to spend every day.  168 in a week; 720 in a month; 8760 in a year.

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Read through Ephesians 5:3-14, and notice all of the references to light and darkness.  “Light” is a revelation.  It’s God turning the lights on.

We don’t figure God out.  He reveals Himself.  He shines the light.

And here is the thing worth noting:  when the lights are on – when the revelation comes from God – things can’t stay the same.

Once the lights come on that the favor of the Lord surrounds us like a shield, our behavior changes.  Once the lights come on that Jesus bore stripes for our healing, our behavior changes.  Once the lights come on that God gives us peace beyond understanding, our behavior changes.

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Good models lift our lives.

“Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children.” –Ephesians 5:1 (NASB)

“Watch what God does, and then you do it, like children who learn proper behavior from their parents.” –Ephesians 5:1 (MSG)

In a day when originality is revered – and rightly so – let’s not lose the value of learning from good models.  Good qualities, good behaviors, good attitudes, good thinking.  Imitating good models is a good thing!

Sometimes we need a model – an example – a word made flesh – to show us the possibilities.

“Remember those who led you, who spoke the word of God to you; and considering the result of their conduct, imitate their faith.” –Hebrews 13:7 (NASB)

“Be imitators of me, just as I also am of Christ.” -1 Corinthians 11:1 (NASB)

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We don’t live extraordinary lives by just stopping what’s wrong.  We move into extraordinary by doing what’s right!

Take the time to read through Ephesians 4:25-32.

It doesn’t just stay to stop.  It says to start doing good instead.

Don’t just stop lying – Start telling the truth.
Don’t just stop stealing – Create enough to share.
Don’t just stop speaking unwholesome words – Speak words that build up.
Don’t just put away bitterness and anger – Be king, tender hearted, forgiving.

Christianity is not defined by what we stop doing!  True Christianity is found in actively pursuing great, noble, excellent thinking and behavior!

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Today, we’re looking at how our feelings form our future.

We are emotional creatures.  Our feelings are a part of who we are.  We can feel happiness, fear, sadness, disgust, surprise, acceptance, love.  Our emotions can be good, but they definitely need to be managed.

How many of us have made unwise decisions or reacted poorly based on an emotion?  We felt insecure, so we didn’t seize the opportunity.  We were worried, so we made the decision out of fear.  We were bummed out, so we didn’t respond at all.  We were mad, so we did something out of anger.

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Today, let’s look at how the force of our values forms our future:

It may seem like an obvious statement, but some things are more valuable to you than others.  Playing a round of gold at Augusta National would hold a huge value for me.  So would meeting the members of Coldplay or U2.  But going to the Daytona 500?  Hiking the Appalachian Trail?  Watching a chick flick?  Those don’t hold value for me.  I’m not clearing my schedule for them, and I’m not spending money on them.

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“Do not be transformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” –Romans 12:2

The word “transform” here means “entirely changed,” and the word “renewing” points to a continual ongoing process.  The only way to know the will of God is to know the Word of God, and to have understanding of it – to exchange our thoughts for God’s thoughts.

Make wisdom your best friend.

“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.” –James 1:5

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Nothing could be less true.

We are navigating through various forces that help form your future.  And “words” are one of those forces!

Words are powerful.  They can encourage you or discourage you.  They can make someone feel accepted or rejected.  They can change the atmosphere, create memories, save a life.

“If you could find someone whose speech was perfectly true, you’d have a perfect person, in perfect control of life.  A bit in the mouth of a horse controls the whole horse.  A small rudder on a huge ship in the hands of a skilled captain sets a course in the face of the strongest winds.  A word out of your mouth may seem of no account, but it can accomplish nearly anything – or destroy it!  It only takes a spark, remember, to set off a forest fire.  A careless or wrongly placed word out of your mouth can do that.  By our speech, we can ruin the world, turn harmony to chaos, throw mud on a reputation, send the whole world up in smoke and go up in smoke with it.” –James 3:2-6

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A dream gives us a whole new set of resources.

In Genesis 28, we find Jacob on a journey.  He stopped to rest and he had a dream.

“Jacob awoke from his [dream] and said, ‘Surely the Lord is in this place, and I did not know it." –Genesis 28:16

Did you catch that?  “When I looked before, I didn’t see God. But now, through the lens of a dream, I can tell the Lord is here!”

God – the Ultimate Resource – is here!  Once you know God is in it, you’ll know that anything is possible!  A dream will let you see what you have available.  Look through your dream lens!

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The Force of a Dream

A dream is a picture – or a vision – of a preferable future you carry within your soul.  Someone you want to be, something you want to do, some great challenge you want to accomplish.  Your dream is God revealing His plan for you!

A person with a dream lives a very different life than a person without one.  In Genesis 28:12, Jacob had a dream.  In Genesis 37:5, Joseph had a dream.  In 1 Kings 3:5, Solomon had a dream.

You were born with a great seed of potential.  Your dream is the picture of that potential fully realized.

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God has given us the power to choose an amazing life.

“I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. So choose life in order that you may live, you and your descendants.” –Deuteronomy 30:19

God says you get to choose!  Life or death, prosperity or adversity, blessing or curse.  The choice is yours.

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“In reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.” –Ephesians 4:22-24

Take off the old self, and put on the new self.  Take off what God has taken off of you, and put on what God has put on you.  In Christ, we have been given God’s likeness, His righteousness, His favor, His love, His blessing, His peace.  Put those things on!

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Each one of us is uniquely gifted by god

“Out of the generosity of Christ, each of us is given his own gift.” –Ephesians 4:7

Another translation says, “to each one a grace was given.”

Each person has a unique gift.  Uniquely made and gifted by God.  That’s why comparisons are unhealthy.  You don’t compare apples to oranges – birds to fish.  We’re each uniquely gifted, with a story of our own, wired to fulfill it.

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Greater days are ahead for you!

“Now to him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us.” –Ephesians 3:20

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“to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God.” –Ephesians 3:19

God does not want us to barely scrape by in life.  He wants us to be filled to His fullness!  He wants us to rest in plenty and overflow – not to live on fumes.

This is one of my favorite verses:

“God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed.” -2 Corinthians 9:8

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“that He would grant you according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man.” –Ephesians 3:16

Live from the inside out

What’s going on inside of you is way more important than what’s happening outside of you. 

You can strengthen your inner man day by day.  The body might be getting older, but the inner man can be fresh alive.  Old is an attitude.

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But then Paul had a revelation - his Damascus Road experience.  It was this:  because of Jesus' death and resurrection, the Gentiles now had access to all God had to offer.

Because Paul had a revelation, the revelation gave him a grace.

Wherever you have a revelation, you will have a grace.

Give yourself opportunities for revelations to come

"By revelation, there was made known to me the mystery." -Ephesians 3:3

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The Old Testament was based on law and performance.  The New Testament is based on believing.

Reading through the book of Ephesians, we see some of the extraordinary differences the covenant of Christ provides us!

The New Covenant gives us promise, hope and God-with-us in the world

"Remember that you were at that time separate from Christ, excluded from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world." -Ephesians 2:12

Jesus changed everything.  Because of Christ, the "who can" and "how to" of connecting with God opened up to everyone.  Now, we can build our lives on promise, hope and the fact that, because of Christ, God is with us!

The spirit of the New Covenant is to build bridges, not walls

"For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall." -Ephesians 2:14

God breaks down the walls that separate and builds bridges that connect.  He tears down the walls between us and Him - but He also tears down the walls between us.

It's the church's job to build bridges and tear down walls!

The New Covenant brings us together

"So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God's household." -Ephesians 2:19

"The Message" translation says it this way: "You belong here."

Church is not just a place to believe.  It's a place to belong.

The church moves forward - together

"Having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the corner stone." -Ephesians 2:20

With Jesus as the corner stone, the church moves forward on apostolic and prophetic foundations.

We are moving.  We are advancing.  We are growing.  Together!

Together, we house the presence of God

"In whom the whole building, being fitted together, is growing into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit." -Ephesians 2:21-22

We are greater together than we are separated!  God lives in our "together" - that's why corporate worship is such an important part of the Christian life.  Show up on time, ready to praise, joined together!

Without Jesus, we are worse off than we imagine.

“You were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience.  Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were mature children of wrath, even as the rest.” –Ephesians 2:1-3

We are not good people who only need a little help from God.  We are absolutely lost – at every level.

A realization of how “dead in our trespasses and sins” we are will give us an even greater appreciation for the grace of God!  A revelation of how bad sin really is gives us a greater appreciation of our forgiveness.

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The book of Ephesians gives us a sense of identity - tells us who God says we are, what He says about life.  And God has extraordinary things to say!

Jesus is in charge of everything

"He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominon, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come." -Ephesians 1:20-21

Jesus is in charge of everything - and He is not worried.  It's good to know that Someone, who knows what He's doing, is in charge of everything.

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We wouldn’t be pushing it too far to say that most of us are living far below the potential of life God has designed for us.  As we read through the book of Ephesians, we see the extraordinary life God has designed for us.  It’s not about trying harder – it’s about realizing more!

You don’t have to figure God out – He reveals Himself

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We are walking through the book of Ephesians together this summer – allowing is to lift our thinking above our circumstances to extraordinary places.

God’s bent toward us is kindness.

“He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His kind intention which He purposed in Him.” –Ephesians 1:9

“God is kinder than you think.” –Mother Teresa

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Our world is just a speck in the universe.  Our lives and the issues of them – which seem so big to us – are actually very, very small.  The book of Ephesians helps us lift our thinking beyond the issues of our lives to the grand, eternal and extraordinary heart and purpose of God!

God’s plan and purpose is summed up in Jesus

“He made known to us the mystery of His will,… the summing up of all things in Christ.” –Ephesians 1:9-10

Everything is summed up in Christ.  He is the center of all of God’s plans and purposes.  We are not.

You, me, our preferences, our opinions, our feelings – are not the center of the universe.  Your marriage, family, career, job, kids, stuff – not the center of the universe.

The hard part:  really understanding “I am not the most important being on the planet.”

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God’s blessings manifest from the inside out

“…seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and goodness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence.” -2 Peter 1:3

All the blessings of God are spiritual in nature.  They start in the spiritual realm – in your spirit.  They start in the spiritual, but then manifest in the natural.

What’s the difference between worldly provision and God’s blessing?  It’s understanding this concept of inside out.  We don’t figure God out – He reveals Himself to us.  It starts in the spirit.

God’s blessings flow from heaven

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1. beyond what is usual, ordinary, regular, or established
2. exceptional in character, amount, extent, degree, etc.; noteworthy; remarkable

We are reading through Ephesians together, discovering God’s desire for us to live a blessed life!

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ.” –Ephesians 1:3

A blessed life is God’s intention for you.

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Aim for extraordinary in everything:  life, church, marriage, family, career, ministry, everything.  Even if you aim for extraordinary and slightly miss, you still end up with something incredible!

We each pay the price for the kind of life we live – either up front now or later down the line.  Pay the price for extraordinary up front or pay the price for mediocrity down the line.

Mediocrity sneaks its way in, and can easily take over.  It’s called cognitive dissonance.

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If you take a look at 2 Kings chapter six, you’ll read about the city of Samaria being under a state of siege – nothing coming in or going out.  In the same way, poverty and small-mindedness can lock us up with no room to breathe.

A word from God – declared – is the beginning of your turn around.

Samaria was in financial distress – and then Elisha declared a word from God:

“Then Elisha said, ‘Listen to the word of the LORD; thus says the LORD, “Tomorrow about this time a measure of fine flour will be sold for a shekel, and two measures of barley for a shekel.”’” -2 Kings 7:1

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“Joseph had a dream, and even when he told it to his brothers, they hated him even more.” –Genesis 37:5

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“Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his sons, because he was the son of his old age; and he made him a varicolored tunic.” –Genesis 37:3

Joseph’s father put a mantle of blessing on him that signified his love and blessing.  Joseph did nothing to earn it – it was given to him solely because of who is father was.

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“God is able to make all grace about to you, so that always, having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for very good deed. Now He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness; you will be enriched in everything for all liberality, which through us is producing thanksgiving to God.” -2 Corinthians 9:8;10-11

God gives us everything we need to live a full and blessed life in order to be a blessing to others.

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A question worth asking is, "What are we going to do about it?" 
There comes a time to act.

Decide.  Commit.  Succeed.

Anything worthwhile takes these three steps.

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The Bible is full of stories about leaders. Whenever God wanted to do anything on the earth, He raised up a leader.

Our vision is to raise up a church full of leaders. We honor leaders, we follow leaders, we develop leaders, we take the lead. We don’t make it hard on leaders, because we know what leadership can accomplish.

Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they keep watch over your souls as those who will give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with grief, for this would be unprofitable for you (Hebrews 13:17)

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As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. (John 17:18)

We have a ministry in the church, and a mission in the world. Ministry to believers, and a mission to the world. 

And He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. (Mark 16:15)

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So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God's household, (Ephesians 2:19)

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"Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?" And He said to him, "'YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.' "This is the great and foremost commandment. "The second is like it,'YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.'"On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets."(Matthew 22:36-40)

We show our love by embracing people just like they are, and then helping them become everything God created them to be.

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And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. (Matt 16:18-19)

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