October 19, 2013
Learning Process
No quality reveals a person’s true character more than integrity. It is the cornerstone of our life.
One thing I’ve learned is that just because God puts a dream in our hearts doesn’t mean it’s going to happen without any opposition. See, God is going to grow us up. He’s going to mature us. He’s going to prepare us to handle the destiny He has in store. I think about Joseph in the Bible. Starting out, he didn’t have a whole lot of wisdom. He was young and immature, and God had to do a work in his life. Joseph probably shouldn’t have told his brothers about his dream that they would one day serve him. Well his brothers were not nearly as excited about that as he was. Long story short, Joseph had to go through some things to grow up and be ready for the purpose and destiny God had for him. It’s the same way with us today. You may have a dream in your heart that seems a million miles away, but just like Joseph, God can take you from the prison to the palace in one step. During the growing process, keep yourself focused on Him and allow Him to do His work in your life. Keep a humble attitude of faith before Him, and He will lead you and guide you into the destiny He has prepared for you. Is your integrity keeping you on track today?
October 14, 2013
Still Passionate
Anything can become routine if we let it.
Anything can feel mundane after a while. Not long ago, I was talking to a professional baseball player. He has been in the big leagues about fifteen years. His life seems so exciting, far from routine, far from ordinary. He said, “No, Scott, it’s not what you think. We travel all the time. We’re always on the road, in hotels, eating out and away from our family.” The truth is that I’m sure he was excited about it all when he first started. There are probably things in your life that you were once excited about. When God opened the door and gave you that new job, that promotion, you were so excited. You called your friends. You knew it was God’s plan. Well, don’t let the passion wear off just because you’ve had it five years! When you met that person and fell in love you were on cloud nine. You knew it was God’s goodness. Don’t take it for granted. Are you still passionate about what God has done for you?
October 11, 2013
Look Out
So often we focus on what we don’t have, how big our obstacles are, and how bad the economy is.
“Scott, I don’t have the connections. I’ve got this problem, but I don’t have anybody to help me. I’ve got this dream, but I don’t have the resources.” No, here is what I’ve learned; everything you need to fulfill your destiny is within reach. God will always use something that’s close to you. It may not look extraordinary, but you have what it takes to fulfill your destiny. When David faced the giant, Goliath, all he had was a slingshot and five stones. It looked ordinary. He could have thought, “I’m not going to face Goliath. That would be foolish. I don’t have a chance.” No, David knew that with God on his side, those ordinary stones would be exactly what he needed. Sure enough, David defeated Goliath and made history. Today, remember, victory isn’t about what you have, it’s about God’s anointing on what you have. With God on your side, all things are possible! Focus on Him and what He can do in your life because He has extraordinary things in store for you. You ready for something big to happen in your life?
September 28, 2013
Dreams
Everyone has God-given dreams and desires.
We all have goals we want to accomplish and situations we are believing will be turned around. Sometimes it seems to take longer than we originally thought. Sometimes, things don’t work out the way we planned, and it’s easy to lose enthusiasm. If we’re not careful, we’ll get discouraged and end up just settling where we are. But God doesn’t want us to settle, He wants to take us higher. But many times, people miss out on God’s best simply because they give up too soon. They don’t realize how close they are to their victory. Don’t let that be you today. Don’t give up just because things seem hard. You’ve invested so much, and you never know, just a few more days of believing, another few weeks of doing the right thing, another few months of staying in faith, and you could see that situation turn around. Remember, God is on your side! Keep standing and keep believing because you are closer than you think to fulfilling every desire He’s placed inside of you. Are you standing strong in your dreams today?
September 22, 2013
Destiny Dreams
Oftentimes as children, we have dreams for the future, dreams of being ball players and actresses, super heroes and firemen.
However most of the time, they end up just being wishful thinking. As we get older, we grow out of them. It’s good to play and have dreams as children, but when we grow up, we have to know the difference between a God-given dream and a wish. I remember when I was a little boy, I dreamed of playing football for the New Orleans Saints. That was definitely a fantasy! Beyond our wishes though, we all have dreams placed inside of us by God. In fact, the Latin word for “desire” means “from the Father.” One way to tell if a dream is really from God is that the desire won’t go away. You may have had it for years, but you still can’t let it go. In fact, you may have tried to let it go, but it won’t let go of you. Today, I encourage you to search your heart and allow those God-given dreams to surface. He placed those desires inside of you for a purpose, and He’s going to use them to direct you into the destiny He has in store for you. Are you living your dream today?
September 21, 2013
Dream Time
It’s good to be passionate about your dreams, but did you know a dream can actually become an idol?
If it’s all you think about, and you’re not going to be happy unless it happens your way, that’s out of balance. The fact is, sometimes you have to release that dream back to God. Sometimes we can get frustrated because we are trying to force things to happen on our timetable. Sometimes we hold on to things so tightly, but when we finally are willing to let them go, that’s when God can make it happen. If you’ll choose to release that frustration and not let it become the center of your attention, but instead, use that same time and energy to thank God that He’s directing your steps, you open the door for God to give you the desires of your heart. We have to remember, God already knows what we want and what we need. He’s the One who put those desires in us. We shouldn’t be consumed by trying to make things happen. Instead, a greater act of faith is to be happy right where you are; to stay open and trust God because He has good plans in store for your future. Are you allowing God to work in your dreams today?
September 4, 2013
Really Alive
Are you really alive?
A couple of years ago, I was watching the news when Captain Sullenberger successfully landed a jet airplane in the Hudson River. All 155 passengers survived. It’s known as “The Miracle on the Hudson.” A reporter asked one passenger what he thought about it all. He was soaking wet, freezing cold, a little bit frazzled, but he had this incredible glow about him, an excitement in his voice. I’ll never forget what he told the reporter, “I was alive before, but now I’m really alive.” My question today is, “Are you really alive?” Are you passionate about the life God has given you? Do you get up every morning with enthusiasm, pursuing your dreams? God doesn’t want you to just “be alive” or just exist or endure. He wants you to be really alive! You have seeds of greatness on the inside. There is something more for you to accomplish. Get excited about what God is doing! Lift up your eyes of faith to Him. Keep hoping, keep believing, keep trusting and keep living because God has a wonderful plan in store for you! Are you sure you’re really alive?
July 21, 2013
Time
It’s not too late for you and your purpose.
Sometimes, it’s easy to look at your circumstances in the natural and think, “I’ve missed my opportunity. I’m too old. It’s too late. I’ve messed up too much.” But with God, there’s always another opportunity. He created you on purpose and for a purpose. He’s the one who placed those dreams and desires on the inside of you. He hasn’t given up on those dreams, and you shouldn’t either! It’s never too late for God, which means it’s never too late for you! I don’t know about you, but I have never heard of a single story where God gave someone a dream and fulfilled it on the same day. No, our lives are designed with seasons and processes to build our faith and prepare us for the next step. It takes faith, it takes obedience, and it takes patience to see God’s promises come to pass. Today, no matter where you are in your journey of faith, just focus on moving forward. God hasn’t given up on you! Trust that He has you in the right place at the right time. Trust that He is working all things together for your good. Trust that new doors are opening. Choose faith and patience, and you will inherit His promises because it’s never too late for you to embrace the good things God has in store for you. Are you willing to wait out your dreams?
July 19, 2013
Convicted
Conviction is your strong belief in what you are doing. It is the reason you are committed, the purpose behind your sacrifice.
Have you noticed when you have a dream in our heart, you start off strong. You head down the trail toward your goal, and you’re so excited! But along the way, you hit some roadblocks and encounter some adversity. Many times, people will just give up and take the easy way out. But you have to remember, it’s not how you start that counts; it’s how you finish. Anybody can be fired up at the beginning, but I’m encouraging you to stick with it until the end! Have the determination to go all the way through. Don’t stop at the halfway mark just because times are tough. Don’t quit because you don’t see anything happening. Today, if there’s a dream in your heart, something you’re believing for — a relationship to turn around, a business opportunity or to overcome an addiction — keep pursuing it! Run your race to win the prize! Don’t settle until you see the fullness of what God has placed in your heart. As you stand strong in your faith, I believe God will pour out His favor and blessing upon you, and you will see the victory He has in store for you! Are you standing strong in your conviction today?
July 12, 2013
Expectations
Align your expectations with reality; do your part and watch God do His.
God wants to exceed your expectations! He has amazing things stored up for you. He wants to take you places that you’ve never dreamed and do things in your life that you’ve never imagined. Things are going to fall into place so that you can accomplish what God has placed in your heart. Even the hidden dreams that you’ve given up on, God has not given up on. He is going to do exceedingly abundantly above and beyond all you could ask, think or imagine. Your mind may try to talk you out of it, but if you’ll listen with your heart, it will resonate on the inside of you. Don’t let discouragement hold you back or keep you down. Are your expectations lining up with God’s?