Recharge (sermon notes)

Always have to start my sermon with a funny:
A visiting minister was very long-winded. Worse, every time he would make a good point during his sermon and a member of the congregation responded with "Amen" or "That's right, preacher" he would get wound up even more and launch into another lengthy discourse. Finally, the host pastor started responding to every few sentences with "Amen, Pharaoh!" The guest minister wasn't sure what that meant, but after several more "Amen, Pharaohs" he finally concluded his very lengthy sermon. After the service concluded and the congregation had left, the visiting minister turned to his host and asked, "What exactly did you mean when you said "Amen, Pharaoh?" His host replied, "I was telling you to let my people go!"

Thank you so much for allowing your pastor to get away on vacation with my lovely wife and son…

SO GRATEFUL for all those who filled in for us while we were away, especially Matt Sweeney from Youth for Christ...
We also attended the OMN summit (formerly known as: district council). I wish I could somehow transplant the recharge I received into your hearts but of course it doesn’t work that way…
But I will be sharing some things I learned at the summit in the next days, weeks, months to come.
God stopped whispering and mega-phoned me some clear direction, clear vision on important areas of the church!

Today's message is entitled: RECHARGE
It’s vital to your spiritual, physical, emotional life to get away from time to time…
To RECHARGE
Even God rested…why are you running yourself ragged?
Are you overwhelmed? Do you feel inadequate? Are you ready to blow at any moment? You can't love others in a godly way when you're at the end of your emotional rope. How many relationships have been ripped apart because the people involved failed to take care of themselves emotionally?

God's Word gives us three habits that can help us recharge

1. Solitude. Mark 6:31 says, "So many people were coming and going...[Jesus] said to them [the disciples], 'Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest'" (NIV). Jesus understood that your emotions are like a battery. If you plug one lightbulb into a battery, it will last for a fairly long time. If you plug in 100 lights, the battery will drain very quickly. Many of you have so many lights plugged in, your battery is shot. You can't recharge anybody else—you can't give love—if your own battery is drained. You recharge when you get away by yourself.

This also speaks to the wisdom of doing a few things well instead of overflowing the calendar…that applies to the checkbook too…

Solitude, Rest helps your perspective, your attitude, your contentment…
Here’s my sermon within a sermon:
One of my heroes, Rick Warren teaches wonderful Lessons in Contentment

The Apostle Paul says: I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.

Philippians 4:11

Here are four steps to develop contentment in your life.
1. Stop comparing yourself to others. When you compare your life with someone else’s, the only place it can lead is toward discontentment. There will always be people who appear to be better off than you, but you don’t know their real circumstances.
That’s why the Bible teaches it is unwise to compare: 2 Cor. 10:12…For we dare not class ourselves or compare ourselves with those who commend themselves. But they, measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise…
2. Be grateful for who you are and what you have. Learning to be content requires that you stop any “when and then” thinking – “When I am ___________, then I’ll be happy.” (You fill in the blank.)
The reason we fall into this trap is that we may actually be content for a little while but it won’t last. But, more than likely, someone else or something else will come along and drain the contentment from your life.
But listen, you are unique. God created you to be like nobody else, so why would you want to be anyone else. God is perfect, and you were his perfect choice to be you. Understanding that is a huge step toward being content with your life.
And then look at all the things God has given you. So often we allow what we don’t have to so dominate our focus that we forget the many wonderful things we already have, not only material blessing, but far more important things, such as family and friends.

I believe these thoughts on contentment also speak to something that has concerned your pastor deeply… Tithes and Offerings in churches all over the states are plummeting, yes some of this may be because of job loss and hardship, but some of it is Christians practicing fear! First of all, if the checkbook is looking dry, that’s when I should be even more diligent with putting God first…I desperately need His blessing! Holly and I write our tithe check before we pay the bills! Secondly, If Christians practice fear instead of faith, if we trust in money more than God…no wonder the rug’s being pulled out from underneath us…I trust in God’s economy: My God will supply all my needs according to His riches in Glory…He’s about to open up the floodgates of blessing and pour out more than I can imagine because I live Malachi chapter 3 and practice wise stewardship, Christian budgeting…

Let’s return to the developing contentment steps…
3. Give yourself to others. If you will begin giving yourself to others, sharing what things you do have, sharing your time and your talents, you will find yourself learning to be content. Helping others will give you an appreciation for what you have and who you are, but more importantly, you will find yourself growing content. Why? Because God designed us to serve and share with others, and until we do that, we will feel great discontent.
4. Focus on things with eternal value. The real secret to becoming content is to focus on the things that have eternal value. It may be a familiar teaching to you, but Jesus said we should store up our treasures in heaven, and not on earth “where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal”, Matthew 6.
Think about the things in your life: What will last forever? What will last at least for your lifetime? What will last a few short years, or months, or days? Based on eternal value, what things are most important in your life? Where – and with whom – should you put your most time and energy?
By re-organizing your life around eternal priorities, you’ll find yourself growing in contentment as you live according to God’s design and purpose.

Ok back to my first sermon…we recharge with 1.solitude and
2. Play. The Bible says, "Jesus came enjoying life", Matthew 11:19. He was the most people-focused, ministry-intensive person who ever lived, yet he took the time to have fun. Certain activities recharge you emotionally; they literally re-create your energy and enthusiasm for life. We all have different activities that recharge us because we're all made differently. Find out what recharges you emotionally and make time for it.
I’ve been really missing Grandma West lately. We used to spend hours playing that game Yahtzee, she always won and if she started to lose, she would cheat. She loved that game so much I bet she’s taught Jesus the game up in heaven… I told Holly about it, so she went and bought the game, such a sweet wife… Turns out my wife loves it, I taught her how to play and now she’s beating me, we’ve been playing Yahtzee like crazy…it’s a triple recharge: time with my luv, memories of my grandma, and play time!
What do you do to play?
Never stop playing!
I think once you stop playing you start dying…
I don’t wanna grow up…

I don’t know who’s responsible for this saying but they’ve got it right… “Life is too short for drama and petty things, so kiss slowly, laugh insanely, love truly and forgive quickly!”

Recharge: solitude, play &

3. Laughter. Proverbs 17:22 says, "Being cheerful keeps you healthy". Studies prove that when you laugh, it increases your number of T-cells, which raises your immunity level. Laughter is good for your health. Humor is God's gift to us. Remember, God has a sense of humor—he made you! To be emotionally balanced, take God very seriously but don't take yourself seriously. Learn to laugh at your limitations. There is plenty of material. If you only laugh and enjoy life when your problems are all solved, you'll never enjoy life.
When I really want to recharge all I gotta do is meditate on the gospel!
"For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 6:23).
The good news is you're able to enter into a relationship with God through an attitude of trust in Jesus Christ; not through religion, rules, regulations, or rituals.When we trust our lives to Jesus Christ we're given three incredible, fabulous, wonderful benefits. God forgives your past; he gives you purpose in the present; and, he offers you a future.

God forgives your past. None of us are perfect. Everybody has made mistakes. Everyone has skeletons in the closet—things he or she wishes had never happened. God comes along and says, "When you trust Jesus Christ with your life, I take everything you've ever done and wipe the slate clean. You get to start over with a brand-new life."Now, is that good news?

God gives you purpose in the present. You are not an accident. God created you for a purpose. But you're never going to know God's purpose for your life until you first get to know God. When you get to know God, you're going to know who you are. When you figure out God, you're going to figure out yourself.I meet people all the time who say, "I'm just trying to find myself." You know what—you probably aren't going to like yourself once you find yourself!These people say, "There's something missing in my life." God's missing! You weren't made to live and go through life just on your own power.God offers you a future.

God gives you a future, a home in heaven. Most people hope they're going to heaven, but they're not sure. Most people think if you do more good in your life than bad, then maybe God will grade on a curve and say, "Okay, you can come in."
Wrong! It doesn't work that way. You won't get into heaven on your own power because you're just not good enough.There's only one way we can get into heaven—on somebody else's ticket. Since none of us are perfect, God came to earth in human form as Jesus. Jesus lived a life of perfection. He died on the cross, paid for our sin, and then rose from the dead and went back to heaven. Now you get into heaven on his ticket, if you trust him.Romans 6:23 (NCV) says, "God gives us a free gift—life forever in Christ Jesus our Lord." It's a gift. That means you can't earn it, you can't work for it, and you can't own it in any way.God says, "If you trust My Son with your life, you get forgiveness for your past, a purpose for living in your present, and a home in heaven in the future."Is that good news?Do you think anybody you know would be interested in that?The world is hungry for good news.

No matter where you’ve been!
No matter what you’ve done!
You can begin again!
Come to Jesus!