Back up and running

Finally, we're back to publishing online again. The links below are to the series we did starting in July originally by Andy Stanly called Lo$t. Throughout this series, we'll be coming back around the idea that you can't be a fully devoted follower of Jesus Christ and stay lost in your finances - Jesus had too much to say about money and how we handle it for us to think its okay to just ignore what He said.

Week 1: Sudden Realization - All of us have started out on a journey with some self assurance that we knew where we were starting from and confidence in how to get where we wanted to go. But we've all found ourselves lost at some point, no matter how much self assurance and confidence we started with. These two can't prevent us from ever getting lost. The question is, are you lost when it comes to your finances?

Week 2: Moving to Higher Ground - After you've come to grips with the fact you are probably lost when it comes to your personal finances, now what? Let's take a look at how God views our stuff and get some perspective from Him. It may not be what you think...

Week 3: Flashback - The problem for most reading this isn't that you don't have much, but that you have way more than you really need and more than most people in the world have. Why? This message will help you as you try to understand why God has given you so much and what He wants you to do because of it.

Week 4: Finding Shelter - Discontentment can be a good thing - major movements in culture have happened because people became discontent with some groups in society not being treated fairly. When it comes to our finances, being discontent is what leads to a lot of our problems down the road, never being satisfied with what we have and always going after the next new thing. Listen in on this message - there is a better way.

Week 5: Rescued - Here's where the rubber meets the road. We've all been lost in one way or another during our lives, and many people spend most of their lives lost when it comes to their finances. In the conclusion to this series, we see that God's way is a better way, and we don't have to stay lost forever. Here are some real world steps to help you get back onto the road you might have thought you were on and a map that can get you there if you follow it.

Msg: Kingdom Rewards

I heard a speaker yesterday at the Big Ticket Festival say that Jesus was compelling. He spoke about the same passage of Scripture we talked about last week - Jesus telling His first disciples to follow Him and He would make them fishers of men. Today we advance the story a little further and listen to part of a message Jesus gave to a group of people that had gathered on a hillside to hear Him speak. Yeah, you could say He was compelling. And Jesus was still teaching His disciples how to be fishers of men.

You see, it's not about a gimmick or some special formula - it's about sharing the words of life that matter most. And Jesus spoke about the difference between doing things for the approval of others and what it means to have a kingdom mindset and operate out a heart for the Lord. Jesus taught that day about the rewards our Father in heaven has waiting for us when we do things to show our love to Him, not for what others might give us.

In the middle of all this is when Jesus taught on how to pray, not what to pray. And in that, he taught a truth we often forget about what blocks the blessings of our Father. But enough reading: click on the title above and hear it for yourself.

Msg: A Sea of Opportunities

Yesterday we started a new series at Northland on the Kingdom of Heaven. So many times, we get to thinking of heaven being a far off place we will be in someday. Jesus talked about it very differently. He said to change the way we think and act (now), because the kingdom of heaven is near. What did He mean? Take a listen and maybe your thoughts about heaven and your time here on earth may change. The story we looked at gave an example of four guys who changed their thinking and their lives were never the same. Sorry for the poor audio quality, one of the mics wasn't working correctly Sunday. If you're patient the sound gets better part way through.

Msg: Embracing the Negatives

It's a great feeling to know you can trust someone. As a pastor, it seems like you are always on the go. Last weekend, our denomination held it's National Conference that occurs every other year. The theme was XLR8 - Spread the Gospel quickly. You can read more by taking the link to the right for the Bishop's Blog. It was refreshing to know that I could trust God to take care of things at Northland while I was gone. It's not about me anyway.

Back home, Jeff Layman gave a great message about taking the approach God would like us to when dealing with situations in life that we would often rather not have to deal with. Give a listen and be encouraged to think about how you handle the tough stuff, and maybe you too will embrace the negatives next time.

Msg: Things to Remember - Future

Are you living for the moment, or are you living every day like you are preparing for death? I mean, death is a pretty sure thing - we just don't know when it will be. Are you ready? What do you think happens next? These are questions people wrestle with, and maybe you think you've got the answers. How do you know you are right? This message concluding our series on things to remember may make you stop and think about the answers you've come up with to these questions, and it may help you in your conversations with others you know who are wrestling with these same issues.

Msg: Things to Remember - Present

In week two of our series on Things to Remember, our focus question dealt with the opportunities or choices we face right now that have the potential to change or shape our lives the most. Like last weeks message, we may not always see the significance of an event before or even while it's happening.

The story we looked at this morning was of a woman who didn't know her life was going to change forever that day. She just go up like normal and planned to go about her business as usual when no one else would be at the well. Are you eyes open to the possibilities God has around you?

Msg: Things to Remember - Past

This message from Northland on 5/17/09 was the first in a three part series on "Things to Remember." Do you ever have a hard time remember things? In part one, we look at the idea of learning from our past and how that continues to help us look at the best question ever, "What is the WISE thing for me to do?" God never wastes a joy or a tear, and the the things we go through in life are a part of His plan for His glory.

We looked at a passage of Scripture from the book of Deuteronomy where God told Moses to remind parents to make their history and remembrance of God's deliverance a part of their everyday life and to be ready to explain to thier children what God has done.