What makes the difference in life is not the ferocity of the storm, but the depth of our character. Who, of us, gets the inside track to our God (Psalm 15)? What an incredible question. It is a question that begs an answer from us. I love the bible, because we actually gain the answer.

David writes, in Psalm 15, that the person who is blameless and who does what is right and who is a truth-teller and who refuses to gossip and who fosters healthy relationship and who handles his resources and who treats people with dignity. Those characteristics give an inside track to God. A person with 'character' is after the heart of God. A person gains character by going after the heart of God. Romans 12.1 - 2 are such amazing verses. Paul is writing and begging that the reader will allow Christ's character to be formed in his heart. This character will find outward, practical, expression. As we prioritize our lives around Christ and His values and His truth and His ways, there is a heightened sense of the reality of God in us. His presence is revealed for those who turn toward Him.

Emerson wrote wisely, when he wrote, 'what lies behind and what lies before are tiny matters compared to what lies within.' Christ lies within and his life must create reverb for His glory and for His Kingdom. Over the next few weeks, we are going to hang around the truth and the challenge of living a life based on character. Character is not defined by emotion or feeling, but forged in the fire of truth and conviction.

Character is the willingess to do what is right, as defined by God, regardless the cost - Stanley Character is predicate upon our passion for the Word; for Christ; and for a conviction to live in His truth. Wow, I am impassioned that we deeply root our lives in His life and that those who see us... who see our fellowship see deep water and deep lives and deep passion and see a taste of the depths of the Christ-life. I hope that they meet a group of people who have an inside track with God and because we love Him with our core, that inside track is changing all of who we are!

By Grace.... For Glory,

Mark

"Go for it!" Release your God-ordained passions and go for it for God's greatest glory. I love the story of Christ and His invitation to follow Him, played out over and over in Scripture. He asks and invites people to join with Him in this great Kingdom endeavor. His invitation is an invitation to follow-ship. He asked people to follow Him without regard for consequence or personal gain. But, with great irony, those that chose to follow Him will gain the greatest good on the planet... the thrill of being with Christ the the joy of eternal hope! They gained the opportunity to change the world... to join with God at work.... to live with passion for something that matters and that echoes (Reverb!) in eternity.

Example... Jesus asked a man to follow him. His response was the desire to bury the dead. Jesus read the man's heart and realized that he was creating a facade that hindered him from advancing the Kingdom. So, Jesus answers in the most audacious manner. He said, 'let the dead bury the dead, and let's go for it together in advancing the fame of the living God.' In other words, yes there are responsibilities that could hinder you from vesting in what really counts. So, let's be irresponsibly responsible instead and give chase to God's great glory and His Kingdom advance. Reverb.

I am asking God to use our fellowship in profound ways. I feel like I am joining with God as I step out of the 'Duster' and say to you guys, 'Go for it!' Go for your greatest passion which is the thrill of knowing God with all that you are. As you know God, He will place a profound love for your 'neighbor' within in. That love will find a unique God expression through you. Release that passion in this planet.

Speaking of passion... I am so excited to watch our fellowship continue to steward our resources in such a way that God gains great honor. The economy is challenging. Applying God's principles to your finances will give you GREAT peace at this time. It is awesome to watch more than 60 Total Money Makeover books head out the door of our building and into our homes. It is even more beautiful to consider the financial freedom that God will give as we handle our finances as if they are actually His. It will be phenomenal to launch Financial Peace in January of 09. It is amazing how 'wise' God seems as it concerns stewardship when economic challenge strikes. What would happen if the body of Christ had no credit card debt or car payment or debt.... if we owned homes that we could afford? Reverb! May the body of Christ steward well and may we leave great reverb for God's glory. Yeah!

Go for it!

By Grace... For Glory,

Mark

PS... Pray for an incredible team of bikers who will head to Daytona on Wednesday. God's glory creating reverb in Daytona is pretty sweet to consider!

Crash. I don't remember which book that I was reading that painted this incredible picture of rhino's. I learned that Rhino's move at 30 mph and they can only see 30 ft in front of them. Thus, a group of Rhino's are aptly called a 'Crash'..... They may not see very well, but they run straight toward what they do know and they seem to have very little concern about all that they do NOT know. Thirty feet in front of them should be pretty doggone aware that the crash of rhino's are on the move and coming their way! I am asking God to allow that to be true of us. Because we gather... because we worship.... because we teach and admonish....because Christ lives in us...because we love the church and we love Christ and we love His move in and through us, there is an impending crash as a result of our faith. Whatever is 31 feet ahead needs to care that we are coming, united in love and encouraged in heart and that there is an impending collision of the beauty and wonder of God.

Although the force of one person fully committed to God is tremendous, it pales in comparison to the force of God’s people moving together. One Christ-follower wandering through life can be described as nothing more than an oddity. But when members of this intense movement live as one, something amazing begins to happen. Dark kingdoms tremble; the dungeons and prisons that hold men, women, and children captive crumble; chains unlock; and multitudes come to freedom. When Christ-followers, en masse, walk through the city, the oppressed and the forgotten are soon found dancing in the street. How amazing to pray that there is dancing in the street and that there is great freedom because we are a community of faith!

So, I am really chewing on the last question from the weekend. What could happen if we move forward in what we do know? Thinking about our passion for the Word, what would happen if we moved forward with what we know in the Word? I have no doubt that there would be intense repentance and that there would be an intense crash of our lives advancing the Christ life. What if we moved forward in what we know about the love of Christ? What if we realized that there is hunger and thirst and trafficking of children and orphans and widows and lonely and oppressed? What if we unite in 'love'... the perfect love of Christ and that we move in that unity.

There will be a crash. Keith Green wrote, 'this generation of believers is responsible for this generation of souls.' May we be encouraged in heart and united in love and may we foster a collision of the need of this world with the grace and truth of Jesus, Messiah.

By Grace... For Glory,

Mark