The Me He Wants to Be

Tim Tebow, who many consider to be the greatest college football player ever, has a desire to be The ME He Wants to Be – and that is an NFL quarterback. He knows that he must make changes for this to become a reality, and he said he is willing to do whatever it takes. Here are some of Tim’s thoughts on becoming The ME I Want to Be:

"I'm not changing who I am or how I approach football," Tebow said Sunday night from Nashville, Tenn., where he has been busy remaking the style that was good enough to win one Heisman Trophy and two national championships at Florida, “but there are things that I can get a lot better at – my fundamentals. I've never been asked to shorten or quicken my release and not have a loop in it. The changes I'm making have gone very well and it's becoming more and more natural to me."

When asked if he would have embarked on such an extensive and exhausting process had his performance at the Senior Bowl not been so roundly criticized, Tebow said, "Probably, just because of the quarterback coaches I've been working with. I want to get better. I want to be around people who will push me. I will do anything to get better. Without hearing the criticism, I would have done it. It's made me more confident, more accurate.”

Here are some questions to ponder in making sure you are intentional in becoming The ME I Want to Be:

• What three changes in me would be most pleasing to God?
• What is the single best measureable indicator that I am making progress toward being the me I want to be?
• What three changes could I make to see a 50% difference in our morale as a family?
• What three landmines or roadblocks need my immediate attention? What three changes could reduce my “risk” by 50%?

 Click this link to check out an interview Tim Tebow gave:
http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=4937047

Is Your Passport Authentic?

I’m sure by now you heard about my passport being locked up in the bank’s safety-deposit box when I was trying to leave for the Middle East. It halted everything I had planned. I couldn’t make the trip without it even though I had lots of other paperwork proving who I was! That really made me think about another trip – the trip we will all take the day we die. I believe everybody spends forever somewhere. So this is the question: “IS YOUR PASSPORT AUTHENTIC?”

When I was in the Middle East, I constantly went through checkpoints where I had to show my passport. Only after it was verified as being authentic would they let me pass through. “Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you – unless, of course, you fail the test?” (2 Corinthians 13:5).

Your first checkpoint is to believe that Jesus is the Messiah and to received Him (1 John 5:1, Acts 4:12, Romans 10:13, 1 John 5:11-12). The second checkpoint is to repent of your sins. God saves through repentance; Acts 11:18 declares "repentance unto life." There is no eternal life without repentance; Acts 5:31 says Christ is exalted as a Savior “to give repentance and the forgiveness of sins.”

To repent means that you are willing to turn from the sins you have been living in. It means to have a change of heart and a change of mind. Have you really done that? Not just said a prayer, but repented? Here is the fruit of knowing that you have:

1. You desire to obey God’s Word (1 John 2:2-6)
2. You desire to know and do God’s will (1 John 2:15-17)
3. You have the desire to love people (1 John 4:7–8)

“These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God” (1 John 5:13, NKJV).

Desire For Something Different

Paul, probably the greatest follower (ever) of Christ, struggled with who he desired to be. Maybe you can identify with his words.

"I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do . . . For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me? Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!" (Romans 7:16-25)  We all have dealt with this, haven’t we?

• We want to be Genuine, but are Judgmental.
• We are Anxious, but desire to be Authentic.
• We are Resentful instead of Humble.
• We struggle with being Fake and not Alive.
• We feel Weak and not Strong.
• We want to be Real and Funny, but tend to be Greedy, Sad, and Selfish.
• We long to be Visionary, Loving and Kind but end up being Mad.
• We want a life that is Thriving, Successful, Respected, Free, Healthy, and Generous but find that life is more Empty, Angry, Deceitful, Careless, and Unkind.

We find this GAP between who we are and who we desire to be. If that sounds like you, join us starting this Sunday as we look at the foundational truth around the journey of closing that gap. If there is anyone who wants you to flourish it is God. He not only desires this for you, but is committed to making this a reality for all of us who will stay in the flow of His Spirit.

Join us Sunday at NewPointe, as we talk about “The Me I want to Be . . . becoming God’s best version of you”. It promises to be life changing.

Be an Example, Not a Message

Beside God teaching me thru my misplaced passport, he reminded me that often people don’t need a message about him, they need an example.

After sharing my passport story to the lady at the airline desk, she asked why I was traveling to the Middle East. After telling her I was a pastor and a little about what we do there, she told me that we’d have a hard time converting them. I told her she was right – we just want them to know we care. This triggered a response in her.

She told me about two ladies that she works with who are Christians but are obnoxious and try to shove everything down her throat; she told me she doesn’t appreciate that. Then she told me about her sister who is always at church, helps with the music, and supports less fortunate kids; but they have a handicapped sister who she doesn’t want to help. She asked me, “What good is that?”

When she shared these stories with me, she was not being mean; she was displaying her hurt and rejection. To sum it up - people don’t want to be lectured, they want to be loved. I perceive that people believe in God, but they don’t have much use for the church. They need an example, not a message.

Happy Valentines Day

Can you believe it is February already? That means Easter and our 40-day fast are just around the corner. This year, I want to challenge our entire NewPointe community to participate in this fast.

Here’s why. I am convinced that when God's people fast with a proper, biblical motive (seeking God's face, not His hand) and with a broken, repentant and contrite spirit – God will move in our lives, our community, our church and our world. Through fasting and prayer, the Holy Spirit can transform our lives. We all know this is needed. Here are a few facts about the power and need of fasting:

• Fasting was an expected discipline in both the Old and New Testament eras. Jesus fasted 40 days and reminded His followers to fast; "When you fast . . ." (Matthew 6:16), not if you fast.
• Fasting and prayer can restore the loss of the "first love" for your Lord and result in a more intimate relationship with Christ.
• Fasting is a biblical way to truly humble yourself in the sight of God (Psalm 35:13; Ezra 8:21). King David said, "I humble myself through fasting."
• Fasting enables the Holy Spirit to reveal your true spiritual condition, resulting in brokenness, repentance, and a transformed life.
• Fasting can transform your prayer life into a richer and more personal experience.

Fasting is really all about positioning ourselves to hear from God and to announce to Him that we are totally depending on Him. Be sure to make extra time to get alone with God and ask Him to speak to you. Be sure to have a pen and pad along. I am sure He will have something to say.

There are many things we can fast from – it doesn’t have to be strictly food. You can fast from TV, sweets, media, meat, everything except vegetables and fruit, pop, or coffee. The list could go on and on. The fast runs from February 23 through April 3. If you’d like to read more on the fast, visit newpointe.org or stop by our information desks.

Hey, I love you. I’ll be praying for you through this community-wide fast. Please pray for me as well.

P.S. Happy Valentine’s Day! God wants you to know that HE LOVES YOU & IS CRAZY ABOUT YOU! Don’t miss Married Life Live on February 20. Check out this incredible love story:

I just wanted to write and tell you what a blessing NewPointe has been to my life. Since attending there I have grown in my relationship with Christ. Not only has NewPointe helped me grow – it has helped me weather some storms. With the help of my small group and Chad Stutzman, I not only survived my husband of 35 years leaving me – but God has done a mighty work in my ex’s heart. Chad will be remarrying us at the church!

Where's Your Passport?

In the top drawer of my dresser, right? Or, maybe filed in my desk? Where did I put it? These words filled my head as Patty and I searched for my passport. Now half a day late, and unable to travel together with my friends, I realized God was teaching me something.

God showed me that instead of focusing on what was out of my control (my passport was in the safety deposit box and the bank was closed until Monday!), I needed to focus on what I could do. The three P’s - PRAYER, PERSISTENCE, and PATIENCE.

I PRAYED that God would help me with this situation and help me make the trip. I was then PERSISTENT by trying to contact those who could help me. I made a ton of phone calls and sent emails to the travel agency, the airlines, and the bank. It was told it cost me an additional $3000 to make changes to my flight. Finally an agent suggested I have my travel friends who were already at the airport ask the guys at the counter to move my flight to the next day and pay $150. They got it moved to Monday and it cost nothing.

I had an opportunity to exercise PATIENCE. I had to wait until Monday, and it didn’t do me any good to be angry or blow up. Things don’t always work out like this – but when I learn to deal with things within my control, it’s amazing what can happen.

Characteristics of Great Teammates

What a great weekend we had! The free financial workshop we offered Saturday was attended by over 75 people. As Todd Colucy and I helped people understand the importance of taking control of their finances, we heard one story after another of how NewPointe has impacted their lives.

Also on Saturday, Jerry Vacha hosted a conference on church security attended by over 20 people. Attendees came from all the state, the furthest from ‘the place up north’ (Michigan), and some from a church as large as 10,000 in church attendance.

Everyone knows it takes great people to make great things happen. These are the characteristics that I desire for all of us. I believe in you! Remember, the people around us determine our level of success. Are you and those on your team a:

• People Developer
• Creative Thinker
• Team Player
• Gift Supporter
• People Lover
• Time Reliever
• Problem Solver
• Expectation Fulfiller
• Door Closer