You matter & the church – the body of Christ

Please take a moment to read and pray over this. You matter to me and you matter to God. I know life may feel or be nuts right now, but please come to church, where ever your church home is.

God wants you and loves you; he made a way for you no matter how broken, battered, depressed, anxious, burnout, busy, overworked, successful, happy, blessed you are. He chose you in Christ to be His beloved adopted child (John 1, Ephesians 1) and in Christ no matter how much we struggle with sin; our hearts, our heads, our lives; God the Father considers us His beloved sons and daughters. We are good gifts to Him and to others when we are present with Him and others in corporate worship, hearing of His word, the good news of the gospel, participating in communion and baptism and fellowship with the saints, which we all are in Christ. Watching online services only offers you 1 facet and you are really missing out from being blessed by corporate worship, communion and fellowship with others. On top of that you are keeping others from experiencing the good gift that you are! You matter; no matter what state your heart or life is in! God can bless you and others through you because of who you are, what you are dealing with and wherever you are at. Someone may be going through the exact thing. The Holy Spirit knows. Allow him to lead you.

I just feel this message and the one below is worth hearing and where possible following:

Church is hard.

Church is hard for the person walking through the doors, afraid of judgement.

Church is hard for the pastor’s family, under the microscope of an entire body.

Church is hard for the prodigal soul returning home, broken and battered by the world.

Church is hard for the girl who looks like she has it all together, but doesn’t.

Church is hard for the couple who fought the entire ride to service.

Church is hard for the single mom, surrounded by couples holding hands, and seemingly perfect families.

Church is hard for the widow and widower with no invitation to lunch after service.

Church is hard for the deacon with an estranged child.

Church is hard for the person singing worship songs, overwhelmed by the weight of the lyrics.

Church is hard for the man insecure in his role as a leader.

Church is hard for the wife who longs to be led by a righteous man.

Church is hard for the nursery volunteer who desperately longs for a baby to love.

Church is hard for the single woman and single man, praying God brings them a mate.

Church is hard for the teenage girl, wearing a scarlet letter, ashamed of her mistakes.

Church is hard for the sinners.

Church is hard for me.

It’s hard because on the outside it all looks shiny and perfect. Sunday best in behavior and dress.

However, underneath those layers, you find a body of imperfect people, carnal souls, selfish motives.

But, here is the beauty of church—

Church isn’t a building, mentality, or expectation.

Church is a body.

Church is a group of sinners, saved by grace, living in fellowship as saints.

Church is a body of believers bound as brothers and sisters by an eternal love.

Church is a holy ground where sinners stand as equals before the Throne of Grace.

Church is a refuge for broken hearts and a training ground for mighty warriors.

Church is a converging of confrontation and invitation. Where sin is confronted and hearts are invited to seek restoration.

Church is a lesson in faith and trust.

Church is a bearer of burdens and a giver of hope.

Church is a family. A family coming together, setting aside differences, forgetting past mistakes, rejoicing in the smallest of victories.

Church, the body, and the circle of sinners-turned-saints, is where He resides, and if we ask, He is faithful to come.

So even on the hard days at church—

The days when I am at odds with a friend, When I’ve fought with my spouse because we’re late once again. When I’ve walked in bearing burdens heavier than my heart can handle, yet masking the pain with a smile on my face. When I’ve worn a scarlet letter, under the microscope. When I’ve longed for a baby to hold, or fought tears as the lyrics were sung. When I’ve walked back in, afraid and broken, after walking away.

I’ll remember, He has never failed to meet me there.

Jacob Waldron

Using Our Individual Gifts

Romans 12:4-8
4 For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, 5 so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. 6 We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your[a] faith; 7 if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; 8 if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.

Pastors, please forgive me for not sending you an encouraging word before church today, but I’m sure you were exceptional.

I read this passage last night. I hope it resonates with everyone the way it resonated with me.

We all have individual strengths and gifts. We were perfectly designed, but we live in an imperfect world full of sin.

That doesn’t have to keep us from using our gifts and our strengths in a way that glorifies God. It should actually motivate us to use them more effectively in a world that needs us the most.

I hope you’ve had a great day in the trenches. I’m sure you’ve been exceptional today.

Love,

Yancey

26 Years

1 Thessalonians 5:11
11 Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.

I had a really neat experience yesterday. I saw a friend, someone who I’d looked up to, and still do, someone who influences me even to this day. I worked with this gentleman when I was in high school. He’s ten years older than me or so, but I respected him tremendously.

He is now one of the best in his profession in the nation. I hadn’t seen him in 26 years, but we’d had some text or Facebook messenger conversations through the years, but I hadn’t seen him.

The reason for that story, yes it had a point, was that when I worked with him, he held me accountable and encouraged me. He is one of the people who taught me the value of striving for perfection.

I told him yesterday in person that without him, the teams that I’ve coached would not have had our success on the basketball court and he has nothing to do with basketball.

He encouraged me and built me up. My hope for anyone reading this is that others say that about us.

Make it a great day in the trenches. Be exceptional at being you.

Love,

Yancey

Control the Controllables

Matthew 24:36
36 “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.

Matthew 6:34
34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

I was having a conversation with my wife about some upcoming plans … some of them long range plans. That conversation sparked today’s message.

So what should our approach for each day be? My last message was about the work and the long range planning that goes into harvest. On top of that, I had plans going into a heart catheter appointment in March and I was going into surgery March 14th … things can change.

All we can do each day is control the controllables. Love, pray, guide, provide, care, show grace, be productive, grow the kingdom, and if we’re blessed enough to get to wake up again the next day … repeat the process.

Make it a great day in the trenches. Be exceptional at being you.

Love,

Yancey

PS Please keep a friend of mine in your prayers. He was diagnosed with cancer recently.

Walk the Walk

Ephesians 5:15-16 ESV — Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.

This is not a performance based message. But, we must understand that as Christians, our hearts should be transformed, and we are to behave differently than others. Its hard for me at night when I have to pray for forgiveness from the Lord, where I am fully aware of situations that day that I didn’t walk the walk, and show others that I follow Jesus.

We all fail, especially in the flesh. So, we must ask for the guidance of the Holy Spirit. My good Pastor friend use to say he lives by the acronym HALT. Be very cautious and ask for the Holy Spirit when you are Hungry, Angry, Lonely, or Tired.

Jesus help us!

Have a blessed day men!

with love, dlp

M.I.T.T.

I’ve Got One!

I woke up on the last day of our vacation and asked the Lord “please, make this a special day. ” It wasn’t but an hour later 4 of my kids and I hit the honey hole of all honey holes and caught some 50 crappie in a very short time frame! I was so busy removing fish and helping the kids get their poles back in the water that I only managed 3 of those! Which is exactly how I wanted it. I heard over and over, with excitement the words “I’ve got one!” It was an amazing experience and an awesome memory.

I am so grateful to Jesus, the Father who says “I’ve got one” to me, and how He has made me understand that He is the ONLY ONE! Thank you Lord for an incredible ending to a great vacation.

With love, dlp

M.I.T.T.

Harvest Fields

Proverbs 10:5
5 He who gathers crops in summer is a prudent son, but he who sleeps during harvest is a disgraceful son.

This has been an interesting harvest in our area. Seemed like it wouldn’t ever start and then it seemed like it wouldn’t end because of the rain and humidity.

It’s always amazing to me how much time and effort have gone into each field. There for awhile, some of the fields looked as though they weren’t going to make it.

The faith involved with crops is incredible to me. It is like our own faith … plant the seed, nourish it, grow it, harvest it.

If our faith is taken care of, it will grow and nourish others. If not, the opposite would happen.

Make sure our faith produces a bountiful harvest.

Hope it’s been a great day in the trenches. Keep being exceptional at being you.

Love,

Yancey

King of Glory

From my morning devotional at DailyLiturgy.com which has been such a blessing to me in feeding my soul daily:

Psalm 24

“The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein, for he has founded it upon the seas and established it upon the rivers. Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord? And who shall stand in his holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to what is false and does not swear deceitfully. He will receive blessing from the Lord and righteousness from the God of his salvation. Such is the generation of those who seek him, who seek the face of the God of Jacob. Selah Lift up your heads, O gates! And be lifted up, O ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. Who is this King of glory? The Lord, strong and mighty, the Lord, mighty in battle! Lift up your heads, O gates! And lift them up, O ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. Who is this King of glory? The Lord of hosts, he is the King of glory! Selah”
‭‭Psalm‬ ‭24‬:‭1‬-‭10‬ ‭ESV‬‬

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Prayer of Consecration

O God: the earth is yours. You are the King of Glory who rules over everything. And that means you know everything that will come my way today… and you are in control of it all. I don’t need to doubt, worry, or be afraid, because I am yours, and you are mine. Today I want to be the person this Psalm speaks of: the one who has clean hands and a pure heart. Left to myself, this is NOT who I am. But Jesus ascended the hill of the Lord in my place; and through him, I am changed, forgiven, and transformed. He has sent the Holy Spirit to help me walk in truth and freedom. So today, blessed Spirit, I surrender myself to you. Fill me, heal me, use me, for the glory of your name.

A Message From a Phone Battery

Isaiah 40:31
31 but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. Romans 12:2
2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

Pastors, we lift you up in prayer. It’s your day to be exceptional. We’re sorry when we take you for granted.

I would be willing to bet that everyone readying this post has a mobile phone. It’s honestly crazy how much it connects us to the our everyday lives.

I am no different, I have a phone that’s several years old, maybe even four or five years old. We all know what happens to a phone that is that old, the battery starts to. It last as long.

So there is the motivation for today’s message … a phone battery.

Our faith has to be recharged from time to time. Maybe we skip a day of church, maybe we don’t read the Bible that day, maybe this, and maybe that.

It is then that our faith could enter Low Power Mode and we still have faith, but it not as crisp or it’s not as in depth as it would normally be.

We need to recharge our faith batter. We need to plug in. Of all things in our lives, our faith is something that shouldn’t suffer.

Keep plugged in.

Make it a great week in the trenches. Be exceptional at being you.

Love,

Yancey