I talk a lot about going all in with God. Recently, I got a message from someone asking me, “What does it mean to go all in with God? What does that look like?” That’s a great question! I thought I’d share my thoughts here:

Don’t Worry About All of Your Junk – You don’t have to quit doing anything to go after God. The church won’t burn down when you walk in. Your only job is to be open and to pursue God. When you pursue God, He’ll clean up your junk.

Repent and ask Jesus to Come into Your Heart – This is where a relationship with God starts. It starts with you admitting you need a savior. Then believing in your heart and confessing with your mouth that you believe that Christ died for you and rose from the dead so that you could have a relationship with God and spend eternity with Him. Then asking Him to come into your life. It’s that simple. If you’ll pray that and truly mean it, I promise you that your life will never be the same.

Go to Church – This is extremely important. One of the best pieces of advice I can give you is to go to church as often as you can. If you don’t get anything out of church, odds are you haven’t found the right one yet. Go to a different church every week until you find one you really like. Once you start, don’t stop going to church.

Read Your Bible – If you’ve never read the Bible, start in the New Testament. Read a chapter a day. Pray before you read. Ask God to speak to you through His Word. Highlight verses that stand out to you.

Get a Spiritual Mentor – We should all have coaches in every area that we would like to grow in. Find someone who you look up to spiritually and ask them to help you grow in your walk with God.

Surround Yourself with Other Believers – Join a small group. Start serving in your church. You need strong Christians around you to help you throughout your journey.

Prepare for Persecution – When you truly go all in with God, people won’t understand. Your friends and family will think you’re nuts! Don’t worry, this is normal. Everyone I know who is walking with God has experienced this. In order to get through the persecution, remember this principle:

The Twenty Years Later Principle – My favorite preacher often talks about obeying God and says this, “In the beginning, everyone will make fun of you and say that you’re nuts. Oh… but twenty years later . . . who’s in a position to help who?!?! Twenty years later, they’ll pat you on the back and say, “You did good. I wish I would have done that earlier.” While I’ve only been walking with God seriously for ten years, I can absolutely say that this is true. Be willing to suffer some short-term persecution, in the long-term, you’ll be in a position to help all the people who persecuted you. They won’t be making fun of you, they’ll be asking you for help. Trust me.

Realize that Feelings Come and Go – Sometimes you’ll feel the presence of God everywhere you go, sometime you won’t feel anything. Don’t rely on feelings. You relationship with God isn’t built on feelings. Be consistent in pursuing God day in and day out, regardless of how you feel.

Surrender Your Will for God’s Will – Constantly ask God what He wants you to do with your life. He has a plan for your life and I promise you it’s a 100x better than any plan you could come up with for your life!

Serve – Get involved at your church! Volunteer someone! Give your life away. You’ll make friends with incredible people and you’ll experience the fulfillment that comes from serving people.

What other ways do you think there are to go all in with God? 

Which area that I mentioned do you need to act on? 

Thoughts? 

If this post helped you and you believe it could help others, please recommend it on Facebook, Twitter, Stumble Upon, and the other social media sites listed below. Also, I would love to hear your thoughts on this post. Leave a comment below! Thank you!

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The post Going All In With God appeared first on Doug Smith Live.

I recently finished listening to one of the best series I’ve heard in a while by Keith Moore called, “You Choose”. You can listen to it here. The series was based off of this scripture:

¹⁵ “Now listen! Today I am giving you a choice between life and death, between prosperity and disaster. ¹⁶ For I command you this day to love the Lord your God and to keep his commands, decrees, and regulations by walking in his ways. If you do this, you will live and multiply, and the Lord your God will bless you and the land you are about to enter and occupy. ¹⁷ “But if your heart turns away and you refuse to listen, and if you are drawn away to serve and worship other gods, ¹⁸ then I warn you now that you will certainly be destroyed. You will not live a long, good life in the land you are crossing the Jordan to occupy. ¹⁹ “Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. Now I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life, so that you and your descendants might live! ²⁰ You can make this choice by loving the Lord your God, obeying him, and committing yourself firmly to him. This is the key to your life. And if you love and obey the Lord, you will live long in the land the Lord swore to give your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.” ~Deut. 30:15-20

In this series Keith answers the questions:

• Is God sovereign?
• Is God really in control of everything?
• Will God’s will come to pass no matter what?
• Does God really send people to Hell?
• Is God in control of earthquakes, tornadoes, and hurricanes?

Ultimately, my big takeaways from the series were:

• God is not in control of everything. God has left a lot up to us. Our decisions matter more than we think.

• If you gave people the choice between life and death, everyone would choose life. However, when you don’t choose God, you choose death.

• The Bible says that if we choose God, we choose life. If we don’t choose God, we choose death and destruction.

• The Bible promises a lot of great things, but it doesn’t promise them to everyone. It promises great things for believers, for those who choose God.

• If it steal, kills, or destroys… it’s not God. If it’s good, it’s God!

• We shouldn’t be surprised that bad things happen to good people, but as believers we can believe God for protection.

• Often, the unfortunate circumstances that people find themselves in is not a result of God being in control, but of their own poor decisions.

• God’s will will ultimately be done, but it doesn’t mean that it’ll be done through you. If He can’t use you, He’ll use someone else.

Malachi 3:18 says, “¹⁸ Then you will again see the difference between the righteous and the wicked, between those who serve God and those who do not.”

There is and should be a significant difference between people who serve God and people who do not. Choosing to serve God with your life is the most important decision you’ll ever make. It not only affects you, but everyone you’ll ever interact with.

Choose God = Choose Life.

What will you choose? 

Thoughts?

If this post helped you and you believe it could help others, please recommend it on Facebook, Twitter, Stumble Upon, and the other social media sites listed below. Also, I would love to hear your thoughts on this post. Leave a comment below! Thank you!

I would also encourage you to subscribe to this blog via RSS feed or e-mail! You can sign-up for e-mail by typing your e-mail address in the box on the left hand side of this site that says “E-mail updates”.

The post You Choose appeared first on Doug Smith Live.

 ”The miracle isn’t that I finished. The miracle is that I had the courage to start.” -John Bingham

Do you ever wonder how people who achieve great things actually do them? Think about it, everyone has goals and dreams of who they would like to become or what they would like to accomplish, but not everyone achieves what they set out to achieve. So, what separates the achievers from the dreamers?  I have found that achievers dream, decide their going to do something, and take the first step. Dreamers just…dream.

Most people never become who they’d like to become or do what they would like to do because they do not decide to and even if they do, they do not know how to start.

Dreams are great but the question becomes, “How do I achieve this?”

• How do I become successful? 
• How do I become financially independent?
• How do I get into the best shape of my life?
• How I grow to my maximum potential?
• How can I run a marathon?
• How can I raise a great family?
• How do I ____(fill in your goal)?

First, you have to decide. Decide you’re going to be successful. Decide you’re going to be financially independent, decide you’re going to have a great relationship, decide you’re going to change your life, your health, your family, your career, and your relationships.

Second, you have to start. You start by taking one step:

• Having a great relationship with God starts with going to church.

• Getting in the best shape of your life starts with taking a walk around the neighborhood and reading an article on better eating habits.

• Doing well financially starts with educating yourself on personal finance. Reading a book or meeting with a financial planner.

• Running a marathon starts with running .25 of a mile

If you do not know what a simple first step is, ask someone who has accomplished what you would like to accomplish. There are hundreds and thousands of people who have done what you would like to do. They would love to help you.

Once you decide to change and take one step, you will begin to make progress. You won’t reach your goals overnight, but each day you take a step, you get one step closer. Your steps start to compound. Eventually, progress comes quickly. Before you know it, you’re accomplishing things you never thought you would.

Once you become a person who decides to change their life and takes the steps necessary to get there, you will never turn back.You’ll become a person who acts on their dreams. As a result, you’ll become a person whose dreams come true. Why? Because you decided to start. 

• What goals and dreams do you have that you just need to decide you’re going to go after them? 
• What are the first steps you need to get started? 

Write down the steps and then act. Start. Now.

Thoughts? 

If this post helped you and you believe it could help others, please recommend it on Facebook, Twitter, Stumble Upon, and the other social media sites listed below. Also, I would love to hear your thoughts on this post. Leave a comment below! Thank you!

I would also encourage you to subscribe to this blog via RSS feed or e-mail! You can sign-up for e-mail by typing your e-mail address in the box on the left hand side of this site that says “E-mail updates”.

The post How Great Achievement Always Start appeared first on Doug Smith Live.

“If you don’t start where you are, you stay where you are” -Keith Moore

The older I get, the more I value teachability. One of the determining factors of whether not you are teachable is how you respond to this questions:

• How do you respond when you are presented the truth?
•  How do you respond when you face reality? 
• What do you do when someone tells you an area that you need to grow in?
• What do you do when you realize you’re not as far along in life as you thought?
• How do you respond to constructive criticism?
• How do you respond when you have to face issues that you never realized you had? 

Facing reality can be extremely difficult, especially if we thought everything we’ve been doing has been great. How you respond in moments where you are faced with truth that you don’t want to hear will determine whether or not you will go to the next level, grow to your maximum potential, and succeed in life.

If you haven’t watched the lesson, “The Wise, The Fool, and the Evil” by Dr. Henry Cloud, I would encourage you to take 20 minutes and watch it right now: http://vimeo.com/43777476 

Henry Cloud – “The Evil, the Foolish, the Wise” from TMCC on Vimeo.

So, after watching this, where do you find yourself most often?

Are you wise? – When facing reality? Do you accept it? Do you own it? Do you do whatever it takes to deal with the issue you are faced with? I have found that wise people are the happiest people. Why? Because growth = happiness! Show me someone who is willing to do whatever it takes to grow to their maximum potential and I’ll show you someone who is happy and hard to bring down! Be wise!

Are you a fool? – If you find yourself in this category, how you respond is critical. From here, you can become wise or you can ultimately become evil! Choose to become wise! It can be painful, but it’s worth it! Becoming everything you’re capable of becoming is what life is all about! Be willing to do whatever it takes to deal with the issues you’re faced with! Once this attitude becomes a way of life for you, you’ll find your life getting better and better!

On the other hand, if you do not choose to go the wise route, I’d encourage you to read Proverbs 1:20-33. It is a warning to fools. God is saying, listen, I’ve tried to correct you a million times, I’ve put so many people in your life to help you, and you’ve rejected everything. You’ve hardened you’re heart and ignored my correction so much that it’s too late. You’re ultimately going to have to deal with the consequences of your bad choices. Ultimately fools will find themselves isolated and start to feel hopeless when they face the consequences of ignoring the truth. In these moments, they can either repent and finally choose to deal with the truth as someone who is wise or they will go down a path that they would never have intentionally chose to go down, but in reality they’ve been choosing it all along, every time they rejected the truth.

Are you evil? – Odds are if you’re a fool, you’re not reading this post. However, if you do find yourself in this category, I can’t imagine you’re very happy with your life. If you have given up hope that you can ever live a good life, I’m here to tell you that there is NO hopeless situation. There is always hope. I would encourage you to get help! Go to church. Go to a therapist or counselor. Do whatever it takes to get out of this category.

How do you react when you have to face reality? Are you wise, a fool, or evil? 

Thoughts? 

If this post helped you and you believe it could help others, please recommend it on Facebook, Twitter, Stumble Upon, and the other social media sites listed below. Also, I would love to hear your thoughts on this post. Leave a comment below! Thank you!

I would also encourage you to subscribe to this blog via RSS feed or e-mail!You can sign-up for e-mail by typing your e-mail address in the box on the left hand side of this site that says “E-mail updates”.

The post The Wise, The Fool, and the Evil appeared first on Doug Smith Live.

A leader once taught me what he called the “Number on your back principle.” The principle is this: 
Often times, we don’t have a choice over who we influence, but we do have a choice over how we influence them.

For example, Sydney Crosby is the best hockey player in the world, because of this, he has influence of millions of people, regardless of whether or not he wants to. The question is, what will he do with that influence?

If a group of raging ten-year old fans see him in public and run up to him and ask him for autographs, how he reacts matters. In those moments, he establishes whether or not he is going to use his influence to make the world a better place.

Are moments like this convenient for him? Probably not. However, if he knows the power of his influence, he’ll use his influence for good, regardless of the cost.

So, let’s say you’re not the greatest hockey player in the world. How does this relate to you?

Ask yourself, “How do you use the influence you have been given at this moment in my life?”

Notice the question isn’t, “How do you become an influence?” but “how do you use the influence you have been given?”

You influence someone. You may influence a lot of people. How many people you influence isn’t important. In fact, I’ve found that if you are a good steward of the influence you have, God will give you more influence. In contrast, if you’re a poor steward of your influence, God will take your influence away.Influence isn’t about filling a stadium full of raging fans. It’s about making a difference in the lives of the individuals God brings right in front of you. Ask yourself:

• When you see someone you know that would love to talk to you while you’re grocery shopping, in your neighborhood, at church, or at Starbucks, do you duck and hide or do you engage them?

• When you have an opportunity to make a real difference in someone’s life, but you realize it will require a lot of time and sacrifice  what do you choose to do?

Your answers to these questions matter. These are the moments that can change someones live forever! Influence is a wonderful thing to have, but it comes with a price. The price of responsibility. The price of sacrifice. The price of choosing to use your influence for good, even when you don’t feel like it.

Bottom line: Your influence matters, use it to make the world a better place. It may not always be convenient, but if it is used correctly, it will always make a difference.

Thoughts? 

If this post helped you and you believe it could help others, please recommend it on Facebook, Twitter, Stumble Upon, and the other social media sites listed below. Also, I would love to hear your thoughts on this post. Leave a comment below! Thank you!

I would also encourage you to subscribe to this blog via RSS feed or e-mail!You can sign-up for e-mail by typing your e-mail address in the box on the left hand side of this site that says “E-mail updates”.

The post The Choice You Have With Your Influence appeared first on Doug Smith Live.

“What you get by achieving your goals is not as important as what you become by achieving your goals.” -Henry David Thoreau

In this post, I’ll share some reflections on the journey leading up to the Pittsburgh Marathon as well as reflections on the race itself. I’ll also try to share a lesson that I learned that can help you in your life. I have written several other posts throughout my journey of running five marathons. To read those posts, click here.

Running for a Charity – This year, I had the privilege of leading Light of Life’s Marathon team. It was the first year we’ve been a part of the Pittsburgh Marathon. I didn’t know what to expect. We ended up recruiting a team of over 40 runners and raising over $25,000 for Light of Life Rescue Mission. This was by far one of the most enjoyable parts of this marathon for me. I love putting together teams and going after goals together. We encouraged, inspired, and challenged each other throughout the entire journey. For me, getting a picture together the morning of the marathon, finding out we raised our goal of $25,000, and hearing about everyone finishing their races was one of the most fulfilling experiences I’ve had!

Accountability – Running for a charity definitely helped me stay accountable. Leading our team kept me accountable to raising money and training hard.  When training got tough, I  reminded myself that people have supported me financially to run this race for Light of Life and that my team would be looking to me to lead by example in raising money. That accountability kept me going when I wanted to stop.

The lessons:

1.) Going after goals with a team is a lot more fun than going after them by yourself. If you have personal goals, share them with some of your closest friends. Have them share their goals with you. Pursue your goals together. Encourage each other. Challenge each other. Hold each other accountable to achieving your goals.

2.) We all need accountability. Surround yourself with great people who aren’t afraid to call you out and challenge you, but will also encourage you to keep going when you want to quit, because you will want to! Make sure they are people that love you and that they are committed to helping you become everything you’re capable of becoming.

Setting a Personal Record – To be completely honest, I was not trying to get a personal record. I was actually trying to run a 4 hour marathon and I thought I’d be lucky if I hit that goal. My previous personal record was 3:53 which I ran in the Philly Marathon. How did I do it? I think several factors played into it:

1.) I didn’t have to go to the bathroom once!

2.) I took advantage of running downhill – Yes, there were a lot of hills, but there were as many downhills as there were uphill! I would try to run uphill at a 9 minute pace (4 hour marathon) and downhill as fast as I could (usually around a 7:30 pace). This helped me make up a lot of time.

3.) I didn’t stop running – This is the first marathon where I didn’t stop and walk one time. It was a miracle to be honest!

4.) I decided that no matter what I would PR – Up to mile 20, I was on pace to finish under 4 hours.  I was worried I was going to hit a wall. At mile 21, I still felt great. I decided then that no matter what, I was going to get a pr. The rest is history!

Shaving Almost an Hour off of my Marathon Time – If you look at the picture above, you’ll see that when I ran the Pittsburgh Marathon in 2009, I finished in 4:38:04. In 2013, I finished in 3:48:50. There are a lot of reasons for this, but one of the biggest reasons has been my training and nutrition. I eat 100x better now than I did in 2009. I am also in much better shape. On days when I don’t run, I would do P90X, P90X2, or Body Beast. Training 6 days a week and eating right 80% of the time played a huge role in my success.

The Lessons:

1.) It’s You vs. You – My friend, Matt Emge, told me that growing-up his dad always told him, “Matt, it’s Matt vs. Matt. Not Matt vs. anyone else. Compete against yourself. Always give your best and you will never have to worry about comparing.” I love that. No matter what goals you are pursuing, do the best you can. Don’t worry about what everyone else is doing. It’s always you vs. you.

2.) You Can Always Get Better - I would have NEVER thought I could shave almost an hour off of my time, but I did. Anything is possible if you’ll dream big and go for it.

Training – This was probably the worst training season I’ve had for a marathon. I HATED training in the winter. I do not run on treadmills so that meant a lot of outdoor runs in the freezing cold. To be honest, I missed more training runs during this training season than I did training for any other marathon. I was actually worried that I wouldn’t be able to finish the marathon. However, I did run 20 miles 4 times and 23 miles once, so if nothing else, I figured that would get me by. It did.

The Lesson:

1.) Training isn’t always fun, Do it Anyway – One of my favorite quotes is, “Discipline is remembering what you want.” I had to constantly remind myself that I wanted to finish my 5th marathon and that I wanted to help raise $25,000 for Light of Life… When the process of achieving your goals gets tough, just remember the end result that you’re aiming for. It will give you the motivation required to do whatever it takes to get there!

Five Marathons – I’ve now run five marathons! Ten years ago, I could not run a half mile! Seriously! I never would have dreamed of running a marathon. Each marathon has been so special for me. The lessons learned, the memories made, and the fulfillment of achieving a goal that you worked so hard to earn have been absolutely priceless. My goal is to run at least 10 marathons in my lifetime! Five down. Five to go. I can’t wait!

The Lesson:
1.) You can do anything. Dream big. Set a goal that seems impossible and go after it. Don’t let anything hold you back. Achieving it will be one of the most fulfilling things you ever do.

Support- I am so grateful for all of the support I received through friends and family. The greatest support I had was from my wife! She is awesome! She is my biggest cheerleader! In fact, the entire week leading up to the marathon, she kept telling me, “Doug, you’re going to get a personal record. I know you are. You’re in the best shape of your life. You’re going to do it. I’m so proud of you.” Those words raced through my mind over and over again during those last 6 miles. There was no way I was going to let my wife down! I love her so much! I could not have done this without her!

The Lesson:

Surround Yourself with People who Love You – I talked about this in the accountability lesson. But I’m telling you… there is nothing like having great people around you that love you and want to see you succeed. In fact, if you don’t have great people surrounding you and supporting you, your odds for successfully achieving your goals go down dramatically!

Thank you to everyone who supported me as I ran this marathon for Light of Life! I could not have done it without you!

If this post helped you and you believe it could help others, please recommend it on Facebook, Twitter, Stumble Upon, and the other social media sites listed below. Also, I would love to hear your thoughts on this post. Leave a comment below! Thank you!

I would also encourage you to subscribe to this blog via RSS feed or e-mail! You can sign-up for e-mail by typing your e-mail address in the box on the left hand side of this site that says “E-mail updates”.

The post Reflections on the Pittsburgh Marathon appeared first on Doug Smith Live.

This month I sat down and interviewed Ed Glover, founder of Urban Impact. We talked about ministry, leadership, and how to make an impact in the inner city.

Here are links that we discuss in the podcast:

• Man-up Conference
• Urban Impact

If you would like to subscribe to the Learning to Lead podcast through iTunes, click here!

 To listen to past interviews, go to my podcast page. In addition to the monthly interview podcast, I will be teaching one leadership lesson as well as sending out two e-newsletters. The newsletter will be published 1-2 times a month with new leadership content not found on my blog, leadership quotes, leadership resources, and interviews with leaders. Subscribe to the newsletter by clicking here.

Episode #15: Ed Glover

Bio
Rev. Dr. Ed Glover, Founder and President of Urban Impact Foundation, along with his wife Tammy, has been involved in urban ministry on Pittsburgh’s North Side for the past twenty-one years.

In 1986, Ed became youth pastor at the Allegheny Center Alliance Church in Pittsburgh, PA and moved to the North Side community. His years of ministry and living in that community convinced him that the problems of the urban community could only be effectively addressed through a holistic approach. That conviction led to the development of Urban Impact Foundation, a ministry that has affected thousands of children, youth and families on the North Side of Pittsburgh and has been modeled in cities across the country. Urban Impact’s mission is to foster Christian community development. The way this mission is fleshed out is through reaching one person, one family, one block at a time through athletics, academics, performing arts and other relational ministries.

Ed is also the founder of Global Impact USA, Inc., a day long missions event designed to motivate and expose youth to missions both locally and globally. More than 50,000 youth and youth leaders have participated in Global Impact since its inception. Over the years, Ed has become a sought after speaker. He currently serves as Associate Preacher and Director of Urban Missions for Christ Church at Grove Farm in Sewickley, PA.

Ed graduated from Lambuth University in Tennessee, and received his Master’s of Divinity from Alliance Theological Seminary in Nyack, NY. In 2001, Ed received an honorary doctorate from Toccoa Falls College in Toccoa Falls, GA for his work in the urban setting. Ed has been an adjunct professor at both Alliance Theological Seminary and Nyack College. Ed and his wife Tammy also have the distinction of being the only urban missionaries in the Christian and Missionary Alliance.

Ed and his wife Tammy live on the North Side with their children Nathan, Joshua, Jonathan, and Abigail.

Questions

Tell us about yourself, your family, your passions, and what you do at Urban Impact.

Personal Leadership:

• Walk us through your leadership journey . . . did you always aspire to be a leader wherever you were? How did you learn leadership? Did someone teach you?
• Can you name a person who has had a tremendous impact on you as a leader? Maybe some one who has been a mentor to you? Why and how did this person impact your life?
• What are you doing and what have you done to ensure you continue to grow and develop as a leader?
• What books have you read that have made a great impact on you that you would recommend?
• Could you talk about one or two of your greatest leadership failures? What did you learn from them?

Ministry:

• What are some common assumptions you hear people make about the inner city that aren’t true? How can we break down these assumptions?
• How can churches really make a difference in the inner city?
• How can individuals or families make a difference?
• Walk us through the process of being a mentor, what have you found to be the most effective way to mentor/disciple someone?
• Talk to young leaders about ministry and learning what they are called to do.
• How can people partner with Urban Impact?

Organizational Leadership:

• What qualities do you look for in up and coming leaders?
• In your leadership experience, what have you learned about building a great team?
• What does mentoring and development young leaders look like in your organization?
• What do you think is the biggest challenge facing leaders today?

Closing Questions:

• Where is Ed Glover in 15 years? What do you want your legacy to be?
• Any closing advice for young leaders?

If this post helped you and you believe it could help others, please recommend it on Facebook, Twitter, Stumble Upon, and the other social media sites listed below. Also, I would love to hear your thoughts on this post. Leave a comment below! Thank you!

I would also encourage you to subscribe to this blog via RSS feed or e-mail! You can sign-up for e-mail by typing your e-mail address in the box on the left hand side of this site that says “E-mail updates”.

The post Learning to Lead Episode #15: Ed Glover appeared first on Doug Smith Live.

“He is the God who made the world and everything in it. Since he is Lord of heaven and earth, he doesn’t live in man-made temples, and human hands can’t serve his needs—for he has no needs. He himself gives life and breath to everything, and he satisfies every need. From one man  he created all the nations throughout the whole earth. He decided beforehand when they should rise and fall, and he determined their boundaries His purpose was for the nations to seek after God and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him—though he is not far from any one of us. For in him we live and move and exist.  - Acts 17:24-27

Throughout my years in high school, I basically tried to be in every clique I could be in. I was a cowboy, a clubber, a druggie, partier, and an athlete…If you name a clique, odds are at one point I went through a stage where I tried it.

When I was 17 years old, I made the decision to go all in with God. I remember my friends and family saying, “Here comes another “Bubba phase”… we’ll see how long this one lasts.”

Well, it’s lasted ten years and I don’t plan on it ever stopping! Why? Ultimately, I’m still a Christian because God is real, I have a relationship with Him, and nothing in this life can compare to knowing Him and living for Him.

• God is what I was looking for in the drugs and alcohol.
• God is what I was looking for by trying to be all things to all people.
• God is what I was looking for, period.

As my friend David Faulk likes to say, “I tried everything the world had to offer and it still didn’t satisfy me.” 

God made me. He loves me. He sent His Son to die for me. He has a plan for me. He knows the best way for me to live. He gave me a roadmap for life (His Word). He helps me become everything I am capable of becoming. He made everything I enjoy. He made our planet. He made the universe. Everything good in life comes from Him. He is always there for me. He can get me through anything.

A relationship with God is what we were all created for and ultimately, it’s what we’re all looking for. Every one of us has a God shaped hole inside of us and until we fill it with God, we will never be fully satisfied. 

The older I get and the further I go with God, the more I wonder how people get through life without a relationship with God. If people only knew what’s available to them in a relationship with God, they would stop messing around. They would go all in.

That’s my challenge to you today. If you have a relationship with God, go all in. If you don’t have a relationship with God, you’re one decision away from one! Feel free to e-mail me or message me to talk about that.

Stop settling for a mediocre existence. God created you for so much more. Nothing in this world will satisfy you. There is no end to the fulfillment that a relationship with God brings. What are you waiting for?

Thoughts? 

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The post Why I’m Still a Christian appeared first on Doug Smith Live.

Your Part in a Broken World

This is a message I spoke at Slipper Rock CRU. I hope it challenges you and inspires you to do something great:

Notes:

 The Reality of the Time We’re Living In 

#1 – We Live In A Fallen World Where Evil Is Not Just A Mere Concept But Rather A Harsh Reality

i.e. Billy Ghraham Speaking at TED – Evil, Suffering, and Death – > Jesus solved all of them

#2 – This World Needs Jesus More Than Ever Before.

People have asked me after seeing this tragedy take place, “why doesn’t God just wipe out all evil and suffering in this world?”  And my response has been, “He’s going to!  One day He’s going to return and change it all.  There will be no more suffering, no more tragic school shootings, no more sex slave trade and human trafficking, no more political corruption…one day!”

BUT…until that time comes it is up to those of us who know Christ to do whatever it takes to get the message of the Gospel out to this world…because while the government can change laws only JESUS can change a heart. ONLY JESUS can bring about the change that this world desperately needs and longs for!!

#3 – People Are Still Interested In The Local Church–And The Church Has More Work To Do Than Ever Before.

When this tragedy took place people did not flock to the local chapter of skeptics and atheists but rather local churches!!!  And while many of them came confused, hurt and with questions…they STILL came to the church!!

The church has been commanded by God to take the message of the GOSPEL to a world that is desperate, hurting and confused when it comes to events such as these.  And during times like this the church should not back down but should rise up and be the hands and feet of Jesus.

I believe in Jesus and His church more than ever before…and believe that the churches calling has NEVER been more obvious and important!  

So the Question is, What Can We Do? 

What burdens God? The lost, the poor, the oppressed, the broken, the addicted, the needy, His Children!

What burdens me? Human trafficking? The lost? The rich? The poor? College students?

What makes me pound the table and cry? What are you willing to fight for?

What makes me sing? What do you love to do?

God’s Will is Whatever!

Jonah 1:1 Get up and go to the City of Ninevah. Announce my judgement, but Jonah got up and went in the opposite direction to get away from the Lord.

Jonah 3:1 – Then the Lord spoke to Jonah a second time ”Get up and go to the great city of Ninevah, and deliver the message I gave you. This time, Jonah obeyed the Lord’s command.

Jonah 4:10-11 And the Lord said, “You pity the plant, for which you did not labor, nor did you make it grow, which came into being in a night and perished in a night. ¹¹ And should not I pity ⁽N⁾Nineveh, that great city, in which there are more than 120,000 persons who do not know their right hand from their left.

God’s will is Whatever He tells you to do right now!

Too often, we get our eyes off  of what is important to God. We get our eyes on our needs and our desires. God promised He’ll take care of all of that. He wants you to focus on what burdens Him! People!!!!

Jesus didn’t do what He wanted to do. Jesus did and said everything He saw the Father do!

God’s will isn’t always sexy. It’s not always having the mic. It’s not always being up front. So many of us want to be used by God. Sometimes, He starts using us and all of a sudden we say, “I feel used! They’re using me!” You asked for it!

Recently, we had a family situation come up, God spoke to our hearts, this is your ministry right now. Minister to your family. That’s it guys! That’s what it’s all about.

Ministry is WHO you are WHERE you are! Ask God what he’s doing and what you can do to be a part of it! Wake up everyday and say, “God use me today. Send me to people. Whatever you want to do, do it through me!” 

Yes, God has a specific plan for your life. He will tell you what to do, but you have to act! God can’t steer a parked car! God will say, “Go do this! Go do that! Talk to this person! Buy this person lunch! Call this person. Encourage this person. Start this company. Plant a church. Serve in this ministry”

Walk in the light you have! The bible says if you know you should do something, and you don’t, it’s sin!

Bring Heaven to Earth Everywhere You Go 

Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. -Matthew 6:10

Right now, the Kingdom is here in part. One day it will be in here full, until them, we are the Kingdom of God on the earth.

The more you become like Christ, the more you show the world what Heaven will look like in the future.

In whatever God calls you to do, He calls you to show the world what the future will look like when the Kingdom is here in full. What will it look like to be a Godly student? Intern? Banker? Engineer? If you are a sinner saved by grace, how should that influence your civic life?

Warning: Doing Something will Cost You Something

We see this imbalance and think that’s not right, that’s not fair, but all too often that’s all we do. Because for us to do any more, it is actually going to cost us something. And if that’s where it ends, perhaps it’s fair to say that:

When we ignore the prostituted child, we actually lend our hand to their abuse.

When we ignore the widow and the orphan in their distress that we actually add to their pain.

When we ignore the slave that remains captive, it’s us that is entrapping them.

When we ignore the refugee, then it’s us who is displacing them.

That when we choose not to help the poor and the needy, we actually rob them.

Perhaps the only fair thing to say is that when we forsake the lives of others, we actually forsake our own.

Jonathan Edwards:

Now, dear Christians, some of you pray night and day to be branches of the true Vine; you pray to be made all over in the image of Christ. If so, you must be like him in giving . . . “Though he was rich, yet for our sakes he became poor” . . . Objection 1. “My money is my own.” Answer: Christ might have said, “My blood is my own, my life is my own” . . . then where should we have been? Objection 2. “The poor are undeserving.” Answer: Christ might have said, “They are wicked rebels . . . shall I lay down my life for these? I will give to the good angels.” But no, he left the ninety-nine, and came after the lost. He gave his blood for the undeserving. Objection 3. “The poor may abuse it.” Answer: Christ might have said the same; yea, with far greater truth. Christ knew that thousands would trample his blood under their feet; that most would despise it; that many would make it an excuse for sinning more; yet he gave his own blood. Oh, my dear Christians! If you would be like Christ, give much, give often, give freely, to the vile and poor, the thankless and the undeserving. Christ is glorious and happy and so will you be. It is not your money I want, but your happiness. Remember his own word, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.”91

 For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! -Romans 5:10 

My Challenge to you is to DO SUMPIN! I want to know what you’re going to do! I want to know the answers to these questions!

Two books: Generous Justice by Tim Keller and When Helping Hurts 

If this post helped you and you believe it could help others, please recommend it on Facebook, Twitter, Stumble Upon, and the other social media sites listed below. Also, I would love to hear your thoughts on this post. Leave a comment below! Thank you!

I would also encourage you to subscribe to this blog via RSS feed or e-mail! You can sign-up for e-mail by typing your e-mail address in the box on the left hand side of this site that says “E-mail updates”.

The post Your Part in a Broken World appeared first on Doug Smith Live.

About a month ago, we were celebrating Easter at Light of Life. Our staff gathered together with the men, women, and children we serve. We asked them, “What does the resurrection (Easter) mean to you?” As the men and women shared their responses and their stories, over and over again I would hear this statement: “God has given me a second chance.”

After hearing what these men and women have gone through, to hear that they know God has given them a second chance to get their lives together was a huge blessing. It made me reflect on my life and all the second chances God has given me.

The book of Jonah starts out by saying, “The Lord gave this message to Jonah son of Amittai: ² “Get up and go to the great city of Nineveh. Announce my judgment against it because I have seen how wicked its people are. ³ But Jonah got up and went in the opposite direction to get away from the Lord.” Jonah 1:1-3

I think there are times in all of our lives when we have been in this same situation. God told us to do something or to not do something, and yet, we got up and went in the opposite direction. We chose our own path and we ended up going places we never wanted to go. After Jonah walked away, he ended up the the belly of a whale! However, after that, this is what happened:

“Then the Lord spoke to Jonah a second time: ² “Get up and go to the great city of Nineveh, and deliver the message I have given you.” ³ This time Jonah obeyed the Lord’s command and went to Nineveh, a city so large that it took three days to see it all.” Jonah 3:1

I love that! God spoke to Jonah a SECOND time. God gave Jonah a second chance. He does the same for us. In fact, I heard Steven Furtick speak on this scripture and he said, “And God just doesn’t give you second chances, but third and fourth and fifth, etc. chances!”

• If you’ve ever walked away from God, He’ll give you a second chance.

• If you’ve messed up and you can’t ever see yourself getting your life back, I’m telling you, God will give you a second chance.

• If God spoke something to your heart a long time ago and you’ve never obeyed, He’ll give you a second chance to obey Him.

God has already decided to give you a second chance. He loves you. The question is, when you get your second chance, what will you do with it? 

Thoughts?

If this post helped you and you believe it could help others, please recommend it on Facebook, Twitter, Stumble Upon, and the other social media sites listed below. Also, I would love to hear your thoughts on this post. Leave a comment below! Thank you!

I would also encourage you to subscribe to this blog via RSS feed or e-mail! You can sign-up for e-mail by typing your e-mail address in the box on the left hand side of this site that says “E-mail updates”.

The post God of Second Chances appeared first on Doug Smith Live.