The Present

Happy Friday, Friends!

I hope and trust this post finds y0u all having a great day on this glorious Friday morning in my Sweet Home Alabama!

I sincerely hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and that you are enjoying this special time between Christmas and the new year. There are a couple of things on my heart this morning that I want to share with you.

1.      Life is lived in the moment, and it is up to each one of us to see the beauty in each moment. As I reflect on Christmas Eve and Christmas day, I think about building gingerbread houses together, playing games, playing catch out front, watching movies together, working out together, and talking about life, hopes, and dreams. These are moments that I will forever cherish in my heart. You want to know the crazy thing? It wasn’t until the end of the day on Christmas day, when I sat back and reflected on the previous 24 hours, that I realized how truly blessed each and every moment had been. I hope you were fully present, that you enjoyed the moments, and that as you reflect on what happened, you have a genuine appreciation for the people in your life and the moments you got to share with them.

2.     At a little after 8:00 p.m. on Christmas Eve my phone rang. When I looked to see who was calling, I was shocked to see the name of a former boss who I had not spoken to in more than 5 years. We talked for more than 20 minutes – getting caught up on life. That call, completely unexpected, was such a great gift and one of the highlights of my Christmas. Do you have someone you need to call? Is there a name that pops into your head right now? No matter the amount of time that has passed, I want to encourage you to make that call. I can testify, it will richly bless the life of the one you call.

As we enjoy this week before the new year, I want to share a few quotes for us to ponder as we consider how we will live our lives in 2025…

“Be happy in the moment, that’s enough. Each moment is all we need, not more.”

– Mother Teresa

“Write on your heart that every day is the best day in the year.”

– Ralph Waldo Emerson 

“As soon as you honor the present moment, all unhappiness and struggle dissolve, and life begins to flow with joy and ease. When you act out the present moment aware, whatever you do becomes imbued with a sense of quality, care, and love – even the most simple action.”

– Eckhart Tolle 

“You must live in the present, launch yourself on every wave, find your eternity in each moment.”

– Henry David Thoreau

“One of the most tragic things I know about human nature is that all of us tend to put off living. We are all dreaming of some magical rose garden over the horizon instead of enjoying the roses that are blooming outside our windows today.”

– Dale Carnegie

Please don’t hesitate to contact me if there is ever anything I can do for you or your family. I will always help you any way I can. You can reach me at kevin@whatwillyourinfluencebe.com.

Have a great day, a wonderful weekend, please cherish your precious family, please stay well, and I wish you all a healthy and prosperous New Year!

Kev

I Want Love

Happy Friday, Friends!

I hope and trust this post finds you all having a great day as a glorious new day begins in my Sweet Home Alabama! This is going to be a great day…you can feel the excitement in the air!

 

Last night I was at the Big Brothers Big Sisters Christmas party. I was sitting with a bunch of kids while they were eating their pizza, and I asked one of them what they wanted for Christmas. He stammered around, not giving me an answer. I joked that I was pretty sure that he was going to get what he was asking for, nothing! And then a little boy who was sitting just off to the side said what I thought was “glove.” I clarified, “You want a glove for Christmas?” He responded, “No, I want love. I want my family to be together.”

 

I hope that strikes you as profoundly as it does me. We say the right things, however, have we truly been in a situation where that is genuinely our Christmas wish? Perhaps more importantly, do we live like love and our families being together is the most important thing?

 

My heart is not to guilt or shame anyone. Inspired by this sweet boy who this genuinely was his Christmas wish, I intend to honor him and the lesson he so innocently and yet powerfully taught all of us sitting around that table last night. Yes, gifts are nice and there is nothing wrong with giving and receiving them. However, I will intentionally cherish each family member and friend I get to spend time with and be fully present in every moment with them. I believe this will be the greatest gift for us all!

 

Please don’t hesitate to contact me if there is ever anything I can do for you or your family. I will always help you any way I can. You can reach me at kevin@whatwillyourinfluencebe.com.

 

Have a great day, a wonderful weekend, please cherish your precious family, please stay well, and Merry Christmas!

 

Kev

What Part Do You Believe?

Happy Friday, Friends!

I hope and trust this post finds you all having a great day as a glorious new day begins to dawn in my Sweet Home Alabama! This day is sure to be a great one – I believe and declare this to be true!

As I begin this message, I am mindful that a person that does not believe the Bible might struggle with this message. 1 John 4: 6 says, “We are from God, and whoever knows God listens to us; but whoever is not from God does not listen to us. This is how we recognize the Spirit of truth and the spirit of falsehood.” It is o.k. if you don’t like or agree with this message; I respect you and your right to have your opinion. If you ever want to discuss why I believe the Bible, in Jesus, and the reason for the hope I have, I would be honored to have that conversation with you.

I am going to use the introduction from biblestudytools.com, when searching “Bible verses about serving” as my introduction to this message. Here is the introduction:

“Serving God is one of the most important principles of the Christian faith, as believers are expected to help the church with a joyful spirit. “Love one another.” “Care for one another.” “Pray for one another.” “Encourage one another.” “Help one another.” “Counsel one another.” “Support one another.” Scripture repeatedly tells us of our relationship to God and others through service.

The Bible teaches that serving God and others is not about doing great things but about doing small things with great love. We can serve God and others daily by being kind to our neighbors, volunteering our time to help others, and giving to those in need.

We must remember that serving others may not always be easy, but God's grace and strength will help us. Secondly, we must remember that nothing is too small that God will not use it. Nothing we do for God is in vain!”

I now want to share several scriptures:

Matthew 25:35-40 - "For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me. Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me."

Romans 12:10 - "Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves."

1 Peter 4:10-11 - "Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God's grace in its various forms. Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord."

Mark 10:45 - "For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.”

Galatians 5:13 - "For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another."

I have told you all before about Pastor Phil Tutor. You knew Pastor Phil was about ready to ring you up good when he would say, “What part of the Bible do you believe?” He would then smile, cackle a little bit and say, “The part you actually live out!” So Friends, the question for all of us this morning is “What part of the Bible do you believe?”

·       Are we giving the hungry something to eat, the thirsty something to drink, are we welcoming strangers, clothing the naked, visiting those that are sick and in prison? What part of the Bible do we believe?

·       Are we honoring one another above ourselves? What part of the Bible do we believe?

·       Are we using whatever gifts we have received to serve others? Are we slothful or fervent? What part of the Bible do we believe?

·       Are we here to serve or to be served? What part of the Bible do we believe?

·       Are we using our freedoms to benefit ourselves or to serve others? What part of the Bible do we believe?

I know, that stings a little…Happy Friday!

I truly believe that we are called to use our time, talents, and treasure to love, care for, and serve others. What do you believe? Let me ask it another way; what are you actually living? It is easy to say the “right thing” or to “give the Sunday school answer.” Unfortunately, lives are not changed and nothing meaningful happens through our words. It is only through the lives that we live, the things that we actually do on a consistent basis, that changes lives and produces meaningful fruit. Are you and I happy with the fruit that is being produced through the lives we are living? If so, I want to encourage you to keep going and never grow weary in doing good! If not, what changes do we need to make to bring our life into alignment with who and what we say we are, and who we want to be?

During this season of giving, I want to encourage us to live a life of giving. Not only will it positively impact every precious soul that crosses our path, it will also bless our souls in indescribable ways and it will lead to a joyful, fulfilling, life.

Please don’t hesitate to contact me at any time if there is ever anything I can do for you or your family. I will always help you any way I can. You can reach me at kevin@whatwillyourinfluencebe.com.

Have a great day, a wonderful weekend, please cherish your precious family, and please stay well!

Kev

Faithful Through It All

Happy Friday, Friends!

I hope and trust this email finds you all having had a great day as a glorious day draws to an end in my Sweet Home Alabama!

You all are in for a special treat this week! I had not yet written Happy Friday when, sitting in a meeting this morning, I got a text from Payton that said, "I'd like to write a Happy Friday before the end of the year." He graciously went ahead and put together today what the Lord had placed on his heart.

People always say, "You must be so proud of him," referencing his choice to serve in the military. Yes, I am proud that he is serving our country however there is nothing like the feeling - I truly don't know the proper word to describe it - to watch your son become the Godly man and husband he was created to become! Thank you, Jesus!

Please don't hesitate to contact me if there is ever anything I can do for you or your family. I will always help you any way I can. You can reach me at kevin@whatwillyourinfluencebe.com.

Have a great evening, a wonderful weekend, please cherish your precious family, and please stay well!

Kev

Happy Friday Everyone! I have been off the grid for quite some time, and as I have been settling back into reality I have been feeling prompted to write a Happy Friday message, which speaks to the heart of my message as you will see. 

So most of you who read this every week know of the journey that me, Halla, and our entire family have been on with our recent transition to military life. It has been nothing short of God-ordained, challenging, and rewarding, all at the same time. However, I want to spend today talking about faithfulness to God in every area of our lives, but in particular, with our giving.

Our church, Faith Church (igotofaith.com), is an incredible home that has molded our family, counseled us in many ways, and assisted our growth in our relationships with the Lord. Every year, right before the end of the year, they do a week of “Capstone Offerings” where they encourage people to go above and beyond their monthly giving and focus on an area of the church that they would like to see develop (this year is the Kid’s Ministry). As I was thinking about this year’s capstone offering, it caused me to reflect on last year’s and how that was the first time I had truly given a full tithe, and subsequently, carried that into this year of faithfully tithing every month. At first, I was completely scared - giving way to thoughts of “losing” what was mine, not having enough for myself afterwards, worried about what others might do with the money, etc etc - essentially, came up with every excuse in the book as to why I could not give or why it wasn’t the right time. Thankfully, it was the best decision that I never wanted to make, but jumped off the deep end, did anyway, and will never again second guess following what the Lord places on my heart. 

Malachi 3:10 says:

“Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this, says the Lord Almighty, and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it.” 

If you noticed, I put bold around the words “test me in this” because in this verse, God clearly instructs us to challenge Him, because on the other side of your faithfulness, God will pour out blessings, far more than you could ever ask or imagine - and the way my 2024 has unfolded is nothing short of a testimony to this faithfulness. 

You see, to me, being faithful in the tithe is not just about getting money back in return, but in experiencing the true blessings from the Lord on the other side of it. Below, I would just like to offer a few of those blessings I have experienced, along with my wife Halla, and hope to offer you the opportunity to truly give from your heart, be faithful to the Lord, and watch Him bless you beyond comprehension. 

In my journal, I have a section each week titled “blessings after tithing”, and here are the highlights from 2024:

• Married the woman of my dreams (Halla would be proud to be #1)

• Had the opportunity to work with my dad and live in the same town as my family for the last 2 years

• Joined the Navy and commissioned as an Officer 

• Bought a home in Florida 

• Adopted the sweetest black lab

• Had the opportunity to pour into and be poured into spiritually by great people

• Financially: received a higher paying job, was able to pay for my wedding with my wife, received endless wedding gifts and blessings, received money back at the closing of our home, and the list could go on.

The point in sharing this was not to brag, but to simply testify to the ways that the Lord has blessed Halla and I beyond comprehension in so many different ways during this season of life. One of the scriptures that we live by is Joshua 24:15: “But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve… but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”

We have made that commitment to the Lord, to each other, and every day, we look for opportunities to serve others, be great stewards of our resources, and follow God’s promptings in our lives. It is no coincidence to me that things have come together this year far better than we could have ever scripted on our own. 

“We are motivated not by what others think about us, but by how God sees us. We make a difference not by what we wear or what we own, but by living out each day in a way that brings glory to Him.” - Tim Tebow, Mission Possible 

With all this, I would simply like to challenge you to think about what you can give - your time, your money, your resources - and ask God where He would like you to direct whatever it is - and then watch Him bless you. You see, at the end of our lives, we will all give an account to the Lord - and I hope that at the end of my life He will say, “well done, my good and faithful servant.”

Thank you for taking the time to read this message. Enjoy your weekend, enjoy your Holidays with your family, and Merry Christmas!

Payton 

The Life I Am Committed to Living

Happy Friday, Friends!

I hope and trust this post finds you all having a great day as a glorious new day has dawned in my Sweet Home Alabama! I also sincerely hope that you had a wonderful Thanksgiving with your loved ones yesterday! May we all live every day with a heart of gratitude!

This morning, I want to share a scripture that convicted me in a powerful way this week and a quote that, to me, is tied to this scripture. I will share a few thoughts on each and then wrap this thing up.

The Scripture:

1 Peter 4:8-11

8 Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. 9 Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. 10 Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. 11 If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.

I have found what I believe will be my life verse. I want to be a 1 Peter 4: 8-11 man, husband, father, leader, and friend!

Thoughts:

·       “Above all, love each other deeply.” No matter the season, situation, or circumstance, love. Whether you are like me, believe what I believe, or if I agree with what you are doing, love. This is also affirmed by Matthew 22:36-39 which says, “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law? “Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ Don’t know what to say or do? Love.

·       “Offer hospitality to one another.” I truly believe that the things the Lord has blessed me with like a home and food are to be used to love, care for, and serve others. I can, and should, be more intentional about this one. When I was a coach, I used to have players over all the time for dinner. We would sit and visit for hours. There are so many opportunities…give me eyes to see and ears to hear, Lord.

·       “Use whatever gifts you have received to serve others.” What am I doing with the gifts and abilities God has given me? Am I simply using them for selfish gain? It is quite clear that they are to be used to serve others.

·       “Speak as one who speaks the very words of God.” Whoa, this one is powerful! The only way I can speak the very words of God is if I have a relationship with God, a mind that has been renewed by Him, and a heart that has been transformed by Him. There is no faking this one!

·       “Serve with the strength that God provides.” How many times have I tried to do things in my own knowledge, wisdom, strength, and courage? Sadly, far to many! When I serve with the strength God provides, the source is limitless, and the outcomes are transformational!

·       “So that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever.” Amen! Not that the light would shine on me but rather it would shine through me and that it would bring glory, honor, and praise to Jesus! It! Is! Not! About! Me!

Yes, I want to be, and I am fully committed to being, a 1 Peter 4: 8 – 11 man, husband, father, leader, and friend!

The quote I am going to share comes from the book I am currently reading titled, High Road Leadership: Bringing People Together In A World That Divides by John C. Maxwell. It is a phenomenal book, and I offer it my highest possible recommendation.

The Quote:

“This is something that’s super-important for young people to understand, and for parents to preach to young people. It’s really easy for a talented young person to take pride in their gifts. They say, “I’m really athletic,” or “I’m really smart,” or “I’m really good at math.” And that’s fine. You should celebrate your gifts. You should be happy. But you can’t be proud of them because they’re gifts, after all. They were given to you.

What you can be proud of is your choices. How did you decide to use your gifts? Did you study hard? Did you work hard? Did you practice? The people who really excel combine gifts and hard work, and the hard work part is a choice. You get to decide that. And that is something that when you’re looking back on your life, you will be very proud of.” – Jeff Bezos

Thought:

Whatever gifts God has given me I want to develop them to their fullest, to fulfill my potential in every aspect of my life, and then I want to use all that I am – time, talent, and treasure – to love, care for, and serve others.

Please don’t hesitate to contact me if there is ever anything I can do for you or your family. I will always help you any way I can. You can reach me at kevin@whatwillyourinfluencebe.com.

Have a great day, a wonderful weekend, please cherish your precious family, and please stay well!

Kev

Hmmm

 Happy Friday, Friends!

I hope and trust this post finds you all having a great day as a glorious new day begins to dawn in my Sweet Home Alabama! You do realize that we are never going to experience this great gift – today! – again, right? Let’s make it a masterpiece!

This week I want to share a few things that make me go, “Hmmm.” You know, those moments when you hear or think about something, it strikes you as profound, and you spend some time thinking about it. Yes, that is my hope; to share some thought-provoking things with you and let you think and pray about them.

We talk about “What will your influence be?” all the time. Let me ask you a question this morning; what is influencing you? What are you pouring into your heart, mind, and spirit every day? Perhaps, if you don’t like your attitude, the way things are going, etc., there would be wisdom in looking at what you are pouring into yourself every day.

Every morning, as I eat breakfast, my Beautiful Bride and I listen to Inky Johnson’s message of the day. If you don’t know who Inky Johnson is, I want to strongly encourage you to look him up and make it a habit of listening to what he has to say. A Christian, husband, and Dad, Inky is a former college football player who is an exceptional speaker and inspirational speaker. I love Inky!

To kick off my things that make you go, “Hmmm,” I want to summarize his messages of the last couple of days.

Wednesday

·       “The ability to learn is a gift, even when pain is your teacher.”

·       “Don’t miss the lesson. Get the lesson when you fail.”

Thursday

·      Be grateful for the problems that you have.

·       Your problems are specifically designed for you, your growth, your development, and the things that you need to possess as an individual in order to grow and become the individual you are destined to become.

I was listening to the radio earlier this week and one of the announcers was talking about a conversation he had with his young son. His son asked, “Are we rich?” I remember when my boys asked me that question. The announcer went on to talk about the difference between being rich and being wealthy. If you are a person of character, if you have someone you love and someone who loves you, if you have a place to call home…if you have these things, you are incredibly rich. If you have a lot of money, you are wealthy.

I have been thinking about this one for quite a while. During my prayer several weeks ago, I was thinking about Psalms 37:4. It says, “Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.” Here is the thing that makes me go, “Hmmm.”

·       Does it mean that if I take delight in the Lord, he will give me the things I desire? He will give me the things I think I want.

Or

·       Does it mean that if I take delight in the Lord, He will give me my desires? That He will give me the things in my heart to desire.

I believe it is the later…I pray for that. That my heart would be pure, that my heart would be broken for what breaks His, that as I allow Him to lead me, He will inspire and convict my Spirit to fulfill the calling He has on my life, not my wish list.

I had an epiphany at my Bible Study on Wednesday morning. We listened to a Craig Groeschel sermon, and he was preaching on Daniel. Real quick summary: the king ordered that nobody could pray to anyone but him. Daniel prayed as he always had – that is a really key point…need to write a Happy Friday about that! – and therefore the king had him thrown in the lion's den. Daniel survived, without a scratch, because, according to Daniel 6:22, “My God sent his angel, and he shut the mouths of the lions.”

My epiphany was around the fact that Daniel was set-up. But here’s the thing, he didn’t worry about the set-up. I think of how many times I try to play it safe. According to biblestudytools.com, the term “fear not” is stated in the Bible 365 times. According to christianfaithguide.com, courage is mentioned 33 times in the Bible, and, according to multiple sources, “be strong and courageous” is stated 13 times. What would happen if we actually lived fearless and were strong and courageous? What would our lives look like then? As Pastor Craig said in a completely different sermon that I listened to last week, “At some point you have to determine, is He God, or are you?" 

Please don’t hesitate to contact me if there is ever anything I can do for you or your family. I will always help you any way I can. You can reach me at kevin@whatwillyourinfluencebe.com.

Have a great day, a wonderful weekend, please cherish your precious family, and please stay well!

Kev

I Am Just Going to Leave This Right Here

Happy Friday, Friends!

I hope and trust this post finds you all having a great day as a glorious new day begins to dawn in my Sweet Home Alabama! I am so excited to live THIS day…it will surely be a great one!

This week’s Happy Friday is going to be short and sweet. I am going to share a quote and poem, place them right here for you to read, and let them speak to you however they will.

The quote:

“It is possible to be honest every day. It is possible to live so that others can trust us - can trust our words, our motives, and our actions. Our examples are vital to those who sit at our feet as well as those who watch from a distance. Our own constant self-improvement will become as a polar star to those within our individual spheres of influence. They will remember longer what they saw in us than what they heard from us. Our attitude, our point of view, can make a tremendous difference.” - Gordon B. Hinckley

And the poem:

Anyway

“People are often unreasonable, illogical and self-centered;

Forgive them anyway.

If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives;

Be kind anyway.

If you are successful, you will win some false friends and some true enemies;

Succeed anyway.

If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you;

Be honest and frank anyway.

What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight;

Build anyway.

If you find serenity and happiness, they may be jealous;

Be happy anyway.

The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow;

Do good anyway.

Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough;

Give the world the best you've got anyway. 

You see, in the final analysis, it is between you and your God;

It was never between you and them anyway.” ― Mother Teresa

Inscribed on the wall of Mother Teresa's children's home in Calcutta.

A couple of quick notes:

1.      With regards to the quote, What will YOUR influence be?

2.     With regards to the poem, I pray we will never forget that in the final analysis, it is between us and our God.

Please don’t hesitate to contact me if there is ever anything I can do for you or your family. I will always help you any way I can. You can reach me at kevin@whatwillyourinfluencebe.com.

Have a great day, a wonderful weekend, please cherish your precious family, and please stay well!

Kev

Keep Living

Happy Friday, Friends!

I hope and trust this post finds you all having a great day as this very special day begins to dawn! Let’s choose to live this day fully – being grateful for it, cherishing every moment of it, and emptying it of every last drop of potential that it contains within it!

I have two things in my heart this morning that I believe I will be able to summarize rather succinctly.

On Tuesday I took a trip to Memphis. As I was driving along, listening to Christian radio, a song came on that I have written a Happy Friday about before. It is titled Dream Small, and it was sung by Josh Wilson. Here are the lyrics to the song.

Dream Small

Song by

Josh Wilson

It's a mama singin' songs about the Lord

It's a daddy spendin' family time, the world says he cannot afford

These simple moments change the world

It's a pastor at a tiny little church

40 years of lovin' on the broken and the hurt

These simple moments change the world

Dream small

Don't buy the lie, you've got to do it all

Just let Jesus use you where you are

One day at a time

Live well

Lovin' God and others as yourself

Find little ways where only you can help

With His great love

A tiny rock can make a giant fall

Dream small

It's visiting the widow down the street

Or dancin' on a Friday with your friend with special needs

These simple moments change the world

Of course, there's nothin' wrong with bigger dreams

Just don't miss the minutes on your way to bigger things, no

'Cause these simple moments change the world

So dream small

Don't buy the lie, you've got to do it all

Just let Jesus use you where you are

One day at a time

Live well

Lovin' God and others as yourself

Find little ways where only you can help

With His great love

A tiny rock can make a giant fall

So dream small

Keep lovin', keep servin', keep listenin', keep learnin'

Keep prayin', keep hopin', keep seekin', keep searchin'

Add up the small things and watch them grow bigger

The God who does all things makes oceans from rivers

So dream small

Don't buy the lie, you've got to do it all

Just let Jesus use you where you are

One day at a time

Live well

Lovin' God and others as yourself (others as yourself)

Find little ways where only you can help (only you can help)

With His great love (his great love)

A tiny rock can make a giant fall

Yeah, five loaves and two fish can feed them all

So dream small

Dream small

Mm-mm

It is that part that I put in bold that really hit me; what if, no matter the day, situation, or circumstance, we really did that? What if you and I kept loving, serving, listening, praying, hoping, seeking, and searching no matter what? As I listened to those words my spirit convicted me strongly; these are the orders. This is how life is to be lived! Yes, we may have goals, dreams, hopes, and desires – and there is absolutely nothing wrong with pursuing them! – however these are the principles, the foundation, upon which all else is to be built…at least that is the way I understand it and how I am determined to live my life! How about you?

The other thing that is on my mind this morning is time…such a precious thing. It is all any of us really have, the most valuable of all our resources.

My oldest Tender Warrior, Payton, has been going through a pretty intense season of life for the last 13+ weeks. It has been so interesting to me to hear so many people say, “That went fast” or “It doesn’t seem that long.” I would offer that they are both right and wrong – just depends on what seat you were sitting in.

The thing I want to point out to all of us this morning however is this; God willing, time is going to pass. The question each of us must answer is what will we do with that time? Some never pursue goals or dreams because it will take too long…the time will pass anyway. Some choose to have a bad attitude because they have a busy day or a hectic week…the time will pass anyway. The only thing any of us have is this moment, this time…what are we going to do with it?

So, in an effort to put a perfect bow on this Happy Friday, I am going to say it this way; I intend to spend every day, the rest of my life loving, serving, listening, praying, hoping, seeking, and searching as I courageously and relentlessly pursue all that that the Lord created me to be. I don’t want to get to the end of this blessed journey called life and have anything left in the tank. I don’t want to have just been alive for a long time, I want to be fully alive and living every day! How about you, Friend?

Please don’t hesitate to contact me if there is ever anything I can do for you or your family. I will always help you any way I can. You can reach me at kevin@whatwillyourinfluencebe.com.

Have a great day, a wonderful weekend, please cherish your precious family, and please stay well!

Kev

What Do You Say to Yourself?

Happy Friday, Friends!

I hope and trust this post finds you all having a great day as a glorious new day begins to dawn in my Sweet Home Alabama!

Last Sunday Pastor Steve wrapped up our sermon series on the words we speak. This time, though, the focus was on the words we speak to ourselves. One of the best, most needed – at least by me! – sermons I have ever heard. The question is, what do you say to yourself?

I want to encourage you to go watch the sermon. You can find it here: https://www.igotofaith.com/sermons

I am going to share the notes I took and close with the homework that Pastor Steve gave all of us.

My notes:

·       Our words can be constructive or destructive

o   The words we speak over and to ourselves

o   Many of us speak words to ourselves that are mean, condemning, and hurtful.

o   Something HAS to change.

·       We should protest the negative words that we speak to ourselves but instead we profess them.

·       The words we speak to ourselves are either moving us forward in our purpose or pulling us back.

·       You can’t be who God has called you to be if you believe and speak the lies Satan says about you.

·       Some don’t have what God has promised because you are speaking lies over yourself.

·       Who is right? God or you?

·       How do you see yourself? Like God sees you or how the enemy lies to you?

·       To confess, homologio, is to say the same thing God says.

·       The most important thing you will confess out of your mouth is who Jesus is. The second most important thing you will confess is what God says about you.

·       It is not about what you think or feel, it is what God says.

·       If we speak truth to ourselves, it will be easier to speak truth to others.

Pastor Steve then gave us a homework assignment. He challenged us, before we get out of bed, to confess these 5 things every morning for a week. He stated that if we will repeat the truth, we will defeat the lies. So, here are the 5 truths, backed by scripture:

1.     I AM VALUABLE

I am fearfully and wonderfully made in God’s image and worth Jesus dying for.

·        Genesis 1:27-28 27 So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. 28 God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.”

·        Psalm 139:14 14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;

·            your works are wonderful, I know that full well.

·        Ephesians 1:4-5 4 For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love 5 he[a] predestined us for adoption to sonship[b] through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will—

2.    I HAVE A PURPOSE

I am God’s masterpiece, with God-ordained plans to accomplish and He has given me gifts, abilities, and anointings to see them through.

·        Ephesians 2:10 10 For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

·        1 John 2:20 20 But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth.

·        1 Peter 4:10 10 Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.

·        Romans 12:6-8 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,[b] do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.

3.    I AM NOT ALONE

God will never leave me nor forsake me and His Holy Spirit lives in me and is always with me.

·        Hebrews 13:5 5 Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”[a]

·        John 14:17 17 the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be[a] in you.

·        Matthew 28:20 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

4.    I AM NOT CONDEMNED

I have been set free by God’s immeasurable grace that is greater than all my sin and I now have peace with God through Jesus.

·        Romans 5:1 5 Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we[a] have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,

·        Romans 5:20 20 The law was brought in so that the trespass might increase. But where sin increased, grace increased all the more,

·        Romans 12:1 12 Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper              worship.

5.    I HAVE PEACE

I am not anxious or worried because I have a Heavenly Father that cares for me and will meet my needs.

·        Matthew 6:25-34 25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life[a]?

28 “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? 31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

·        Philippians 4:6-7 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

·        John 14:27 27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

·        Psalm 23:1 1 The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.

Friends, you, your life, and your purpose are far too valuable to believe or speak lies to yourself. Please, thoughtfully consider what you confess about yourself, and I sincerely hope you speak these Biblical truths over your life every day.

Please don’t hesitate to contact me if there is ever anything I can do for you or your family. I will always help you any way I can. You can reach me at kevin@whatwillyourinfluencebe.com.

Have a great day, a wonderful weekend, please cherish your precious family, and please stay well!

Kev