WE DON'T DESERVE THE GIFT OF CHRISTMAS

We may be listening to carefully and living the messages of Christmas, one in particular!

You better watch out. You better not cry. You better not pout, I'm telling you why. He's making a list, Checking it twice; Gonna find out who's naughty or nice. He sees you when you're sleeping. He knows when you're awake. He knows if you've been bad or good, So be good for goodness sake.

 From very young, we’ve been taught to believe that we receive Christmas gifts based on merit, i.e. the Naught and Nice list. If you’re good enough, you deserve presents. If you’re too bad, you deserve and get coal.

Conclusion – gifts are not gifts at all, but the consequence of a year spent in good or bad behavior.

How good do I have to be to land on the nice list and how naughty do I have to be to land on the naughty list? I mean, “How do you measure the good and the bad to decide?”

So, how GOOD IS GOOD ENOUGH? AND HOW BAD IS BAD ENOUGH?

Watch Lifehouse Church's Christmas message.

SOLA: Part 3 (Full Message) from Lifehouse Church on Vimeo.

Enjoy the message and be encouraged that the GIFT of CHRISTMAS is UNDESERVED! So, RECEIVE FREELY!

Fired up,
-Patrick

A Christmas wish from our family to yours...

Don't miss the video Christmas wish to you and your family from Laura and I. It's an honor to pastor Lifehouse Church and share our thoughts with those of you who follow this blog.

See my blogpost and video HERE.

Pastor/ Church Response to #DuckDynasty Controversy AND Why it's not about Homosexuality

Don't miss latest blog post on the Controversy over Phil Robertson's comments & Duck Dynasty HERE.

WHY is REVELATION in the BILE?

Check out my latest blog about Apocalyptic times and why the Book of Revelation is in the Bible:

http://www.patrickgrach.com/2013/04/why-of-book-of-revelation.html

Is God a means to your end?

This may be my favorite posts of all time.

Read my latest blog posts: "God is NOT a means to an End"

And my favorite: "God is both our MEANS and END"

OVERCOMING BURNOUT

Don't miss latest blog post on the CAUSE, SYMPTOMS, and CURE for BURNOUT:

http://www.patrickgrach.com/2013/04/overcoming-burnout-part-3-cure.html

BARE NAKED VALUE OF A CHRISTIAN

#CONNECT UPDATE - latest blogpost at www.patrickgrach.com.

WHAT IS THE VALUE OF A CHRISTIAN IN OUR CULTURE?

Don't miss this illustration from Shantung Compound.

DON'T FORGET - PLEASE SHARE

New Blog Post at www.PatrickGrach.com. Latest blog: http://www.patrickgrach.com/2013/03/dont-forget-very-important-please-share.html.

THE NAKED TRUTH ABOUT FIGHTING FAIR: Learning to dealing with Conflict by the Bible

Read NEW posts at www.PatrickGrach.com Blog. Most recent post "Dealing with CONFLICT."

Please SUBSCRIBE to my new blog, since this blog has been moved. Same author and content, just new location!

THE NAKED TRUTH ABOUT EARNING TRUST

Read NEW posts at www.PatrickGrach.com Blog. Most recent post "How to Earn Trust."

Please SUBSCRIBE to my new blog, since this blog has been moved. Same author and content, just new location!

21 Days of Prayer & Fasting: Week 3

God hasn’t called us to be busy, to maintain, or even to manage, but to join an unquenchable Cause.  God has a purpose for our lives that is bigger than mere existence.  His plan is that our lives would matter forever.  And don’t we all   want to leave a legacy and be part of something bigger than ourselves?  Jesus said, “In the same way that you gave me a mission in the world, I give them a mission in the world.” John 7:18, The Message

Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age. Matthew 28:19-20 (NIV)

Week 3 Focus: Advancing God's Kingdom

• Sunday, Jan. 20: Pray for national and world leaders; pray for the President, Congress, and leading powers around the world. Pray for peace and wisdom as they lead the nation. 1 Timothy 2:1-2
• Monday, Jan. 21: Pray for our state, county and city leaders to have wisdom and focus fiscally and morally. Jeremiah 29:7
• Tuesday, Jan. 22: Pray for national and world events. Spend some time praying for current national and world events as mentioned on the news. Consider how Christ might be seen and glorified through these difficult times. Genesis 18:25
• Wednesday, Jan. 23: Pray for national and area renewal and for a greater awareness of the need of Jesus Christ. Psalm 85:6
• Thursday, Jan 24: Pray for peace among the nations. Pray for the nations of the world to experience the peace of Christ; that those who are experiencing chaos and turmoil would seek the glory and peace of Christ. Psalm 96:3
• Friday, Jan. 25: Pray for the spread of the gospel to foreign nations. Pray that the gospel would be shared to every nation, especially the unreached people groups of the world. Pray for church planters and missionaries to be sent to these far-reaching areas. 1 Thessalonians 1:8
• Saturday, Jan. 26: Pray for the persecuted church around the world. Consider and pray for our brothers and sisters facing persecution around the world. Pray for endurance and strength to stay faithful to the gospel. Hebrews 13:3

21 Days of Prayer & Fasting: Week 2

The Church is relentless as God anoints and appoints pastoral leaders to lead the Church to fulfill His purposes.  Only God calls leaders over the Church, but they must first respond in obedience with a reckless faith in God. May God raise up an army of servant-leaders who are willing to lay down their lives in order to advance the Cause of Christ.

And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ.  Ephesians 4:11-12, NKJV

Pastors often get distracted with the details of administrating a “machine” rather than boldly pursuing the “mission” of God to seek and save, that which was lost.  May God strength and renew the leadership of our church and call new leaders, pastors, and missionaries, so God’s Kingdom is radically advanced.

How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach unless they are sent? Romans 10:14-15, NKJV

Week 2 Focus: Leadership of the Church

• Sunday, Jan. 13: Pray for unity and harmony of the church, for our church and area churches to be unified in our purpose to make disciples. Ephesians 4:1-3
• Monday, Jan. 14: Pray for purpose and vision of the church. Pray for both the church’s purpose and vision of making disciples and putting campuses and churches throughout the tri-state area. Pray for your role in fulfilling that vision. Ephesians 4:15-16
• Tuesday, Jan. 15: Pray for wisdom and direction for church leaders. Pray for our Pastors, Elders, Deacons, that they would be filled with God’s wisdom and direction for the church; that they would have bold vision and strategic planning for the Kingdom of God. Hebrews 13:7
• Wednesday, Jan. 16: Pray from division, strife, and false doctrine. The reality is, all eyes are on the church. The potential for division and disruption is high. Pray for protection for the church family. 1 Chronicles 4:10
• Thursday, Jan. 17: Pray for marriages and families in the body of Christ. The health of the church is defined by the health of the family. Marriage and family are under grave attack. Pray also for families and marriages in our area. Ephesians 6:18
• Friday, Jan. 18: Pray that there would be an increase of both un-churched and de-churched people (the lost) making decisions for Christ and serving the body of Christ. 1 Timothy 2:3-4
• Saturday, Jan. 19: Pray for missionaries around the world. Pray that the gospel would be spread around the world; pray for missionaries on the front lines of church-planting, Biblical training, and compassion ministries. Matthew 28:18-20

21 Days of Prayer & Fasting: Week 1

Nothing can survive, let alone thrive, without water.  Does your spiritual life show symptoms of dehydration? Is it brittle, lacking luster, fragile, or crumbling? Does it look good on the outside, but inwardly feel dry?  The answer is to this dehydration is simple and accessible; spend daily time in prayer, Bible reading, worship, and devotion with God.

What does it take to be relentless in our spiritual life? To abandon empty rituals and dry religion? To live the vibrant spiritual life that God has purchased for each of us?  The abundant life is found only through a relationship with Jesus Christ.   Are you willing to take 21 days to discover and embrace the “extravagant dimensions of Christ’s love?”

As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?  Psalm 42:1-2, NIV

Week 1 Focus: Spiritual Health & Growth

• Sunday, Jan. 6: As you begin fasting, prayer that you would have a hunger for the things of God – His Word, His righteousness, His will. Matthew 5:6
• Monday, Jan. 7: Pray that we will be bold and faithful in this season of prayer, that God will raise up faithful intercessors and praying Jesus-followers. Joel 1:13-14; 2:12-18
• Tuesday, Jan. 8: Focus on repentance from sin and turning to holiness. Pray for corporate repentance of sin and that God’s righteousness would be a safeguard for our church. Isaiah 58; Psalm 51
• Wednesday, Jan. 9: Pray for Jesus-followers to grow in godly character, lay aside ungodly habits, and become spiritually mature; for sexual purity among pastors, leaders, Christians, and to guard against perversion, immorality, and sexual strongholds, broken marriages. Matthew 6:16-18; Ephesians 4:14-32
• Thursday, Jan. 10: Focus on the church community: that there would be a growing desire among Jesus-followers and within the church for relationships and “building one another up in love.” 1 Corinthians 12; Romans 12
• Friday, Jan. 11: Pray for the heart of worship personally and corporately as a church; that we would desire to make God smile, fear God and fear nothing else. Psalm 95 and 150
• Saturday, Jan 12: Pray that as Jesus-followers grow in maturity, they will give obediently and generously to God through the church; that there will be an abundance to advance the Cause of Christ. Malachi 3:6-18

My Challenge for 2013...

At the end of each year, we Americans go through a New Year’s ritual. We evaluate the previous year, and set resolutions to change our habits and lifestyles. We make the same resolutions we’ve made for years, each time failing to follow through with our commitments.

Resolutions start with good intentions: We set goals, we make commitments, we tell our friends, and then we start.  Then, as quickly as the new year begins, our resolve wanes. Busyness kicks in and old habits find new life. What was once comfortable becomes comfortable again.  Then, we justify our lack of follow-through: the resolution was unrealistic, the timing was bad, and our schedule had too many unexpected demands.

But what really happened to our resolutions?  Frankly, we maintained our motivation until the comfort of normal outweighed the discomfort of change. We got busy. Daily life distracted us. Deadlines and demands zapped our energy and quieted our enthusiasm.

The same happens with our spiritual life.  We intend to follow God, and really want to. But then life happens, and we don’t follow through!  Instead, we follow the crowd; we follow comfort; we follow the path of least resistance.   We find our identity and significance in so many empty things, only to leave us longing for more.

For this reason, I’m calling all supporters and Ministry Partners of Lifehouse Church to 21 Days of Prayer & Fasting, January 6-27.  This is a call to live “INSIDE OUT.”  This is a call to step away from the routine of everyday life and discover once and for all, “I am empty, and nothing can fill me or complete me! I need to be transformed by Christ from the inside out!” If we have Christ plus nothing, we have all; if we have everything without Christ, we have nothing.

Why fasting?  Don’t ask me why, but the discipline of fasting works. When we use our physical appetites as a constant reminder to pray, read the Bible or meditate, we grow desperate for God and realize how consumed we are with consuming.  Fasting gets our priorities back into right order.

Why 21 days?  In Daniel 10:2-13, Daniel prayed and fasted 21 days, during which time a spiritual battle was fought.  After his 21-day fast, there was breakthrough and Daniel received the answers to his prayers.  These 21 days will be a time for us to get reconnected with the Creator of the universe and the Savior of our souls.

Why now?  Throughout the year, things distract and dampen our passion for God, but we want to start off the New Year by clearing out the cobwebs in our hearts and by refocusing the “lens” of our spirit.   We don’t want to wander through 2012 haplessly going about our business.  Nor do we want to attempt God-sized dreams without God’s presence going before us.  We want God-led strategies that will accomplish HIS will in HIS time through HIS power. 

Why me?  Together, we can accomplish something so much greater and more powerful than any one of us could as an individual.  Lifehouse Church doesn’t go through this ritual to earn a spiritual merit badge or prove how devoted we are to God.  Rather, we partner together in prayer & fasting as a way to partner with God in HIS purposes, His will, and His Cause for the Church and for every Jesus-follower. 

I guarantee this season of fasting and prayer will be the most exciting, challenging, and intense time of the year—both for you individually, and for our entire church and community.  As always, thank you for your partnership with Lifehouse and for taking the time to read this heartfelt message.  Let’s stop the endless pursuit & begin living from the INSIDE OUT!

For more information and resources for the 21 Days of Prayer and Fasting, visit our website.