Who was one of the most influential people in your life? I’d be willing to bet that person used the following two phrases often.

One of the most influential people in my life was a construction foreman. His name isn’t important, what is important is the fact that he knew the importance of these two phrases. He might not have always verbalized them, but his actions and attitude showed he was familiar with them. He was always willing to serve and if I didn’t need his help at the time, I knew I could depend on him to help in the future if necessary.

I’m going to guess that the most influential people in your life have been people who were willing to help you. Perhaps they never vocalized their offer, but you knew they’d assist you in any way possible if necessary.

Inexperienced leaders, on the other hand, are more concerned with what their followers can do for them. In their eyes, those under their leadership should do everything in their power to help them.

Jesus knew that and turned that whole way of thinking upside down. He emphasized serving others, not being served. “For the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many”. (Mark 10:45) NIV.

Let me illustrate. In the movie Glory, Matthew Broderick plays the role of Colonel Robert Gould Shaw, commander of the first all-African-American regiment, the 54th Massachusetts Voluntary Infantry, during the Civil War. Without spoiling the plot, Shaw was not a great leader to begin with. He was more concerned about himself and his legacy rather than the welfare of his men. A transformation begins to take place during the movie when he realizes his mens feet are raw due to poor footwear. You’ll have to watch the movie, to find out what happens….but here’s a take away.

The most influential people in our lives are the ones who know our needs.  Not only do they know our needs, they meet them.

The way they discover our needs is by watching and listening.

One particular way they listen is by asking questions, which leads us to the two transformational phrases. Before we look at them, there’s one more type of leadership we need to look at.

First there are reciprocal relationships. These are easy to monitor and you can easily predict when they are ‘headed south’. The kind we’re talking about are based on performance. You scratch my back, I scratch yours. I jump through the hoop, you give me a prize. I obey, you give me a treat.

This type of relationship is quite prevalent, especially in the working world today. How do you know when they’re beginning to sour? Somebody stops keeping their end of the bargain.

If you’re leadership is reciprocal, your influence begins to wane the minute you stop keeping your end of the bargain and/or others do the same.  With reciprocal leadership, you see, people get really good at keeping score.

Second, there is redemptive leadership. Redemptive leaders serve their people despite their performance.  Their aim is to redeem the people and organizations they are part of.  They understand that transformation takes time and they realize the importance of serving their people over the long haul. Rather than commanding people to obey them because of their title, they earn the loyalty of their people through continued service.

Here are the two questions they ask.

1. Is there anything you need? Quite often after we ask people to perform tasks, a long period of time passes during which their is little or no follow-up. During that time, you assume the person is having no difficulty whatsoever because they are achieving the intended results. In the meantime, that person may feel that although they are getting the results, you could care less about them. They may begin to believe you are more concerned with the results than you are with them as a person. Asking them if there is anything they need reminds them that you care and provides an opportunity to help them if necessary.

2. Please keep me informed. Surprisingly, most people do not need your help. When you volunteer your services, they will tell you things are going well. However, while they may not need your help at the time, it’s comforting for them to know that you are willing to help them in the future if they need it.

Again, maybe the people who were most influential in your life never asked you these two questions (verbally). However, you knew they were willing to help you if necessary.

So, are you a reciprocal type or redemptive? Don’t beat yourself up if you’re part of a system where every relationship is reciprocal. Being reciprocal is a necessary part of every relationship. If you don’t believe me, stop providing your family with food and a warm place to live.  Or go to the super market and try buying a banana with pocket lint.  Reciprocity is king in the consumer world.  However, reciprocal leadership, while vitally important, is not the whole deal.

It’s not surprising, but when people know that you care, their performance soars. Of course, that’s not the reason you care for them, however it’s not a bad bonus.

You know the saying ‘when the cat’s away, the mice will play”. Not always true. The people you serve will perform at their highest potential when you are absent because they know that you love them. To do otherwise is unloving on their part.

Maybe, just maybe you are serving others and looking for ways to serve them better. Great! In the meantime, just because you serve others it doesn’t necessarily mean they will serve you. People can be plain selfish, especially bosses.

Rather than embracing their reciprocal leadership, continue to serve them. Jesus said no matter what, don’t look for other people to serve you, you serve them!

When we stoop to the level of others, everyone loses. Despite how you are received, continue to serve.

The most influential people in your life were people who you knew were concerned with your well being and willing to help you whenever necessary.

Are you meeting the needs of others? Do others feel like you have their best future in mind?

Have you ever felt like there’s a lack of justice in the world? I bet you have. In fact, you may be feeling like that this week.

Many of us feel like things should be different in the world. Things should be more fair, easier. Often, we feel like we’re the only ones who are right and everyone else is wrong. Eventually we decide something must be done.

In fact, we can get to the point where we begin finding fault with everyone. This includes our spouses, our children, co-workers, the people at church, including the pastor. Before we know it we’re the only ones in the world who are right and everyone else is wrong.

I’ve got some news for you. It’s harsh.  Before you hit the unsubscribe button, please understand that although it’s painful, it actually turns out to be good medicine.

When you’ve got a problem with everyone, chances are you’re the problem.

I’m even going to go out on a limb and expound a bit more. I’d be willing to bet that you’re feeling it right now. Maybe you’re feeling it in the form of a strained marriage. Perhaps your child isn’t talking to you or things are a bit strained at work.

What happens is God uses other people as mirrors to help us see our own faults. He wants the faults of others to remind us of our own need for Him. That’s not to say we should get out our faultfinders and start waving them around others like the people at the airport security. The reverse is true. When we find ourselves finding faults with others, especially our loved ones, He wants us to be reminded how much we need him.

When we start seeing ourselves and our own need for grace and stop focusing on how others need to improve, an amazing shift takes place.  All of the ice around us begins to melt and we’re able to get back in the game.  Frozen relationships thaw.  Icebergs in our own hearts begin to melt.

You can’t go through life looking through a magnifying glass and see the big picture at the same time.

Imagine if you held up a newspaper article about an inch from your face and tried to read it. For that matter, try holding anything one inch away from your face and reading it. Unless you have really unusual eyesight, it’s impossible.

Focusing on details, especially faults, is not a bad thing. But if you want to see the big picture, you have to step back and take it in.

We know we shouldn’t go through life focusing on everyone else’s mistakes and sins, but if we’re not careful, it’s an easy trap to fall into, especially if we’re creative. Maybe you’ve been doing this for so long you don’t even realize it. Relax, it’s human nature.

Maybe you’ve even been praying for those people and asking God to change them. Wonderful!  Or you’ve been wondering “Will they ever get it?” Or “Don’t they realize how this is effecting our relationship?” In your most desperate moments you may even be wondering if they’re going to heaven.

To make things even more uncomfortable, God doesn’t seem to answer your prayers for the other person. In fact, sometimes it seems like things are getting worse. That very well could be.

Remember, at the end of the day, you can’t change anyone but yourself.

Let’s illustrate. Say you’re praying for the person in the cubicle next to you at work. You don’t just pray for them once, but quite often, especially when you are upset with them. This has been going on for months, but nothing has changed.

Maybe God isn’t looking to change someone else, maybe he’s trying to change you. Maybe when God allowed that person to criticize you last week it was so that you would change. Maybe the reason God gave you the kids or the spouse He did is because He doesn’t want you to change them, He wants you use them to change you.

Maybe God isn’t trying to change someone else, He’s trying to change you!

That may sound really harsh, but the truth is its good news! When all of the finger pointing stops and we focus on changing ourselves, wonderful changes begin.

Your constant criticism of others isn’t a reflection of them it’s a reflection of what is going on in your own heart. In the sarcastic but true words of a pastor/friend, “Prayer doesn’t change anything, it changes you!”

Of course we all know prayer can change lots of things. However, my friend may be onto something. Our prayers are meant to remind us that God wants to change us.

Whenever I find myself condemning others I ask myself this question. Who am I to exact a price for a penalty that has already been paid for in full?

God may never change the people around you, but if he does He may just begin with you. The great news is you don’t have to wait! You can start right now where ever you are.

You can’t change the way others act, think or speak but you can change the way you respond.

The teenaged child who’s rocking your world right now and pushing the boundaries is a gift! Rather than wishing away the next five years, what if you simply start responding differently? What if you continue to tell her that you love her, despite her bad behavior.  Better yet, while she’s misbehaving.

God loves you enough to not leave you the way He found you! He is not only in the process of changing you, he wants the transformation to be as extreme as the difference between night and day. If you’ve been critical of others it’s not because you’re a fiend, it’s because you are growing and learning what it feels like to be effected by other people’s bad behavior.

The sooner you accept the diagnosis that you’re the one with the problem, the sooner you’ll become a Dr. who’s able to help others.

“I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners and need to repent.” Luke 5:32 NLT

Are you part of something bigger than yourself, or are you trying to do life on your own? Believe it or not, your answer to this question may even affect the length of your life!

I’ll be the first one to admit, I have no problem being alone. In fact, I even went to a concert by myself one time because nobody else wanted to go. Being an introvert by personality has its perks, but over the years I’ve come to the realization that we’re all designed for connection.

In fact, the apostle Paul says the church isn’t like a body, it is a body. Made up of members with diverse gifts who work together interdependently. That means we depend on each other for overall life and health.

Consider this illustration. Whenever any part of the body is separated from the rest, it shrivels and dies. Gross, yes, but true.

How about you? Are you actively involved in a local body of believers? If not, here are three things to look for.

1. Connection to the head. Jesus said the greatest commandment is to love God and others. One of the primary ways of loving God and others is spending time with them. Daily. You’re deceived if you say you love God and others but you’re not carving out time to spend time with them. You’re even crazier if you say you love God, but can’t stand people. Jesus put loving God and others on the same plane. So as you consider a church to attend, there should be evidence that the people there love God and others. Remember, a body disconnected from a head cannot live for very long. However, if a body is to be healthy, it must stay connected to the head.

2. Members connect with each other. You remember the song, right? The thigh bone’s connected to the shin bone, the shin bones connected to the foot bone. Common sense. People cannot stay healthy unless they are connected to others. The more members connect with each other, the healthier the body.  You can have a pile of body parts but they’ll have no value unless they’re connected to one another.  Likewise, you can have all of the gifts in the world and still be lacking if you are not sharing with others. Good luck if you’re looking for the perfect church. Just like every other organization, the church is made up of imperfect people. Rather than finding fault with every church you visit, why don’t you find a place to plug in and make a contribution? Maybe it’s time to stop focusing on what’s wrong with the church and start focusing on what’s right. Again, healthy bodies are made up of members who connect with each other regularly in meaningful ways.

3. Healthy churches exercise. Specifically, they are on mission. Jesus left us with the command to ‘make disciples’. We do so in three ways. 1) As we go. 2) Teaching them to observe everything that he commanded us. 3) Baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Ironically, while he gave us these specific instructions, he did not give us specific methods. Why? Because though our message never changes, our methods do. As you consider a church, the methods are not as important as the mission. Mission trumps methods every time. Church members can be connected to the head and each other, but if they are not on mission, they are not healthy.  While we’re at it, part 2 (teaching them to observe whatsoever I have commanded you) is the great omission of the Great Commission.  I’ll leave you to think about that.

Meanwhile, another metaphor Paul uses to describe the body of Christ is an army. Again, there is no such thing as an army of one.

Let me say this as lovingly as possible….If you think you can carry out your earthly assignment on your own, you’re wrong. That was never God’s design regardless of how talented you think you are. He has designed us to need and love one another. Until you find a group of like minded people to connect and serve with, you’re going to be miserable. In fact, according to research, there is a good possibility that if you don’t connect with something bigger than yourself, you’ll be dead within the next two years!

A word for….

Pastors.  If you want to revitalize the church you lead, begin by focusing on these three areas. Help people to connect with God, each other, and the mission. If you’ll focus on those three areas, your church will grow healthier.

Parents.  As a leader in your family, your primary goal is to help your kids connect in each of these three areas. It’s important, especially if they’re not old enough to decide themselves, to provide an atmosphere where they have repeated, and continual, opportunities to connect with God, others and the mission. If they’re struggling in one of these areas, that’s a good place to start.

Leaders.  Don’t think for a minute that this doesn’t apply to you and the organization you lead. If you’re a Christian and you’re more concerned with your employees productivity rather than their soul, somethings wrong. When’s the last time you sat down with a struggling employee to help them rather than demand better performance. Maybe God has allowed their poor performance so that they get the care they need.

It would be wonderful if our lives ran like finely tuned Swiss watches. The reality is, churches, organizations and families have their fair share of problems. However, rather than being discouraged by the problems you’re currently facing, look at them as opportunities to improve and succeed. Take some time to diagnose each of these three vital connections.  The feeling of accomplishment you feel, will far outweigh your current pain.

Basket Weaving or Pottery.  My advisor looked back at me in astonishment.  We were planning my final semester of college and clearly a change was needed.  He asked me if I’d ever thought of studying abroad.  I lept.

It’s easy to forget how much courage or carelessness the walk of faith takes.  There are always good reasons, sound reasons, why you should stay.  The real question is how important are you?

On a scale of 1 to 10, how important are you?

Maybe you’re really important.  In fact, so much so that your organization can’t run without you.  You reason that if you were to take a month off, everything would be in shambles when you returned.  You may be right.  Or, you may find you were wrong.

Yes, my decision to study in England for six months was made out of desperation, but it was also probably the best decision I ever made.  The town where the University was located was surrounded by a Roman wall that was built so that horses and chariots could ride UPON it!  Amazing people with funny accents lived there.  I discovered Sausage Rolls and the English baste all of their cakes and pies in Vanilla Custard!  I even met an AMAZING English girl who has been a soulmate ever since as well as the loving mother of three beautiful kids!

It often pays to take a peek over the wall.  If you’re too important to take a month off, you and your organization may just stay right where you are and never experience growth.  While some measure of self-importance is vital, it can be a vine that will completely choke any potential for growth and expansion.  For you as an individual and your organization.

Similarly, believing you aren’t very important is just as deadly.  People who feel they are unimportant miss out.  It’s easy to go through life imagining you are unworthy for greatness.  There is all kinds of evidence to support your belief system.  There is your background, your family, your lack of finances, your social networks, your average job….Did it ever occur to you that you may be more important than you think?

Most of the influential people I know have one thing in common….they see themselves as neither too important or unimportant.  Said another way, leaders are careful not to overestimate or underestimate their worth.

Until you have a healthy estimate of your value, you will miss out on tremendous opportunities to thrive and grow.

So which is it for you.  Is there a next step you need to take, but you feel like it will sabotage all that you’ve built up and accumulated over the years?  Or, are you waiting for someone to come along and give you permission to take the next step?

Here’s the bad news.  Nobody is coming.  The good news is you can go!

God gave us an awesome poem to remind us of his provision.  It’s found in Psalm 124.  The just of it is there were many threats to Israel’s well being throughout history- both real and imagined.  But the writer of the poem concludes, “God’s strong name is our help, the same God who made heaven and earth” (Psalm 124:8, The Message).  How awesome is that?  Pure goosebumps.

Regardless of how important you feel you are, God wants you to know that he loves you and he’s got your back!  He’s the same one who made heaven and earth.  Imagine what he has in store for you as you step out in faith.

It’s been said that a Lion leading a flock of sheep will conquer a Sheep leading a pack of Lions.  So what message are you sending your followers?  Do they see you as someone who has great confidence in God or someone who is quaking in your shoes?

To recap, maybe a month off to rest and recalibrate isn’t in your immediate future.  That’s o.k.  However, what would it hurt to start planning a month off next year?  Once you have that goal in mind, you can begin to plan the steps necessary to make it happen.

The idea that you were made for more isn’t just a daydream or a figment of your imagination.  Part of growing up involves moving out with the ever expanding circles if you are going to be all God has made you to be.  So don’t be afraid.  Stepping away from the wheel for awhile may feel counter productive, but it’s the only way if you’re going to mature as a leader and a human being.  You’re not serving a charlatan, but a God who loves you and wants to take you further than you could ever imagine.  However, often the only way to get there is to trust him and embrace an experience that few leaders have the courage to experience.

England was more than just six months of my life.  It’s an experience I reflect upon quite often.  The ways it changed my course and destiny are mind boggling.  So what adventure is calling you away from the shore?  You’re not going to get to London by thinking about not going to Los Angeles.  Determine your destination.  Devise a strategy and set your sail!

“The promise of “arrival” and “rest” is still there for God’s people. God himself is at rest. And at the end of the journey we’ll surely rest with God.  So let’s keep at it and eventually arrive at the place of rest, not drop out through some sort of disobedience” (Hebrews 4:9-11, The Message).

Foundations aren’t just good ideas, they take time. So, what if there was a simple principle to help you lay a strong foundation to build upon?

Jesus said if a man wants a house to last, he needs a solid foundation. The same can be said of a life, if you want to be successful, you need to take the time necessary to lay a good foundation. Jesus said, “These words I speak to you are not incidental additions to your life, homeowner improvements to your standard of living. They are foundational words, words to build a life on. If you work these words into your life, you are like a smart carpenter who built his house on solid rock. Rain poured down, the river flooded, a tornado hit- but nothing moved that house. It was fixed to the rock.” Matthew 7:24-25 The Message.

Now for a principle which captures a truth found in this verse….Successful people make up their mind quickly and are slow to change it. Amateurs, however, take forever to make up their minds, but are quick to change them.

This principle is helpful, especially if you’re considering a move, a new position, kids….you name it. Regardless of what you decide, you have two options- you can decide quickly or take time to decide. However, if you take too much time to decide, the opportunity may pass. The biological clock stops for no one. Seasons change and you may have to wait even longer than you anticipated if you don’t seize new and exciting opportunities relatively quickly. In some cases, they may elude you forever if you don’t act on them.

But there’s more. Whatever you decide, commit to the long haul. If you decide to have more children, decide ahead of time that you’ll do whatever it takes to carry through and raise them through the good and bad. Remember, it’s one thing to start digging and quite another to continue building through rain and shine. But that’s what successful people do. They seize opportunities and follow through.

Immature people are just the opposite. They take forever to decide and then bail out quickly. Society calls them ‘Fairweather Johnson’s’. As soon as the sun starts beating down or the heavens open up and pour, they’re onto their next venture. Surely, they reason, it shouldn’t have to be this hard. Successful people, on the other hand, anticipate difficulties and embrace challenge for the long haul.  Successful people run toward fires and stick around to put them out.

Instead of picking up their roots and moving every time difficulties come along, successful people dig deep and hunker down where they are. They weather the storm. The time they take to decide quickly and stay committed, pays off in spades. Meanwhile, the fools who rush and cut corners pay dearly for their indecision and fickleness and when it gets hot in the kitchen, they’re the first to bail out.

The choice is always ours. We can pay now and play later or play now and pay later. Sometimes we tell our selves our decision to delay is wise, but in reality we’re just squandering precious time and the results can be deadly both in personal and kingdom losses. “A double minded man is unstable in all his ways,” James 1:8.

If you have a decision to make, why not give yourself a deadline? Pray and ask God for wisdom. “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him,” James 1:5.

Here’s a sentence to get you started. I will make a decision about _________________________by_______________.

Have you ever wondered about anything?  There’s something I’ve always wondered about Jesus.  In fact, as long as I live, I’ll probably still always wonder.

Before I tell you all about one of the major things that makes me wonder, lets talk about some of my minor wonders.  For instance, I’m amazed by technology.  I know it’s all evolved and improved, but still I’m left to wonder.  Last week, for example, I replaced a gasket on our front-loader washer and I thought to myself “the aliens must’ve designed this thing.”  You get the idea.  Not really amazing, right?

Jesus, on the other hand is truly amazing!  I know some of you have a hard time with him.  Well, not really him, but people who claimed to know him.  Ex-bosses, fellow workers, family members the guys who knocked on your door.  In a lot of cases these people had good intentions, yet they turned you off in some way through their business approaches, attitudes, actions and behaviors.  Some of you said, “If that guy’s a Christian, count me out!”  I get that.  I’ve been both of those guys at times.  Maybe you have too.  So, lets forget about ‘that guy’ for awhile and talk.  Lets talk about what the big deal is about Jesus.

We’ve all been wronged at one time or another.  In some cases we’ve been wronged by Christians.  There’s no denying that.  The question is how do we respond when we’re wronged.  That’s where Jesus turned the tables.  He said if you treat people the way they treat you, you’re average.  Jesus said, “You have heard the law that says, ‘Love your neighbor’ and hate your enemy.  But I say, love your enemies!  Pray for those who persecute you!” (Matt. 5:43-44).  He follows up by saying God waters the crops of the evil and the good.  He makes the sun shine on both of them.

But that’s not the way most people respond, right?  The Old Testament Law prescribed ‘an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth’.  That was a leap ahead of other cultures at the time!  What usually happens today, however,  is you do me wrong and I own you.  You kill my brother and I kill your whole village.  You don’t respond to my text, I erase you from my contacts.  You dis my post, I unfriend you.  You yell at me over dinner and I don’t talk to you for a week.  Lets face it, forgiveness isn’t one of our strongest traits.

The idea that God loves you regardless of what you’ve done is pretty amazing!  In many pulpits around the world this week, there will be strong cases made to support the fact that Jesus was crucified, buried and rose again after three days.  Is that amazing?  Yes.  But doesn’t it make perfect sense that God is able to do that if he’s truly God?  What truly sets Jesus apart is the fact that after all he went through for us- ultimately the loss of his own life- he is willing to forgive!  That’s a big deal.  The bible says, “According to the law of Moses, nearly everything was purified with blood.  For without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness” (Hebrews 9:22).

Because you’re forgiven, you are able to forgive others.  That’s not natural.  Remember how we talked about Matt. 5:43-44?  Because you’ve been forgiven, you are able to forgive others, including your co-workers, friends, your boss, even your spouse.  Not just once in a while, but daily!  Why?  Because Jesus lives in you.

Imagine if you decided today, I’m going to start keeping short accounts.  Everyday’s a new day.  Starting today, I’m going to forget about everything people owe me from the past.  That has the potential to be life changing, right?

Chances are you know someone right now who needs to know that regardless of what they’ve done, God can forgive them.  It’s simple.  We’ve all sinned.  God sent his son Jesus to die for our sins.  He was buried and rose from the dead on the third day.  If we repent and believe, he will forgive us and give us eternal life.  It really is that simple.

Chances are you know someone right now who needs your forgiveness.  It might be the parent who abandoned you at a young age.  The person who molested you as a child.  Someone who hurt your family.  A boss.  Your spouse.  It’s your choice, but if God forgives you for all that you’ve done, doesn’t it make sense to forgive that person.  After all, they may have done a cruel, wicked thing to you, but they didn’t kill you, right?  Jesus, on the other hand, died because of what you and I did, yet he still forgives us.  Maybe you need to forgive yourself.

Don’t take this the wrong way, but the real wonder of the world is not that Jesus rose from the dead.  That had been predicted for centuries.  He was the Son of God.  God could do that as easily as you or I get out of bed.  He’s all powerful.  The real wonder of the world is that….he forgives sins!  We killed his son, we put him through hell, yet…. he’s willing to forgive us….heal us….love us like sons and daughters, brothers and sisters.  That’s Good News!

So congratulations!  If you’re a Christian, you’ve been forgiven.  And if you’re not, Congratulations! Jesus forgives sins!  There’s still time.  That’s the wonder of the world.  Someone who never sinned himself, was willing to pay for ours.  For yours.  For mine.  In fact, someone who was injured and killed because of you and I, is willing to forgive us and spare our souls for all of eternity.  We can get off Scott-free, because of this unspeakable gift, you can have a life that matters.  Your love is not in vain.  You will be reunited someday with your friends and loved ones forever.  What are you waiting for?  Who do you need to forgive?

This week is a great opportunity to share with someone the fact that God is willing to forgive their sins.  Think about that.  God forgives my sins.  God forgives my sins.  Wow!

One of life’s ironies is that you need to exercise confidence when you least possess it most.  I don’t know if that’s good English, but it’s true.  If you look back in your own life, you’ll see it’s true.  Maybe it was the loss of a loved one.  You had no idea how you were going to keep going, but you did and now look how far you’ve come.  So lets talk about that!

Barney Fife was a walking contradiction because though he clearly lacked confidence, he was courageous in that he still saddled up despite all of his fear and weaknesses.  And we loved him for it, right?  Then there was Andy.  He was always calm, cool and collected.  The opposite of Barney, he had every reason to be confident, but his confidence clearly flowed from a deep hidden recess invisible to the naked eye.

Last week we said confident people don’t depend on their own strengths, they depend on the strengths of others.  The Leper knows he cannot heal himself, but knows one who can.

FIRST, THE ONE WHO CAN  Picking up from last week.  The one who can is Jesus!  And this is what Jesus has to say about the man you’re going to meet this week, “Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel (Matthew 8:10)”.  Quite a compliment coming from Jesus, wouldn’t you say?  You can read the whole story in Matthew 8:5-13.  Long story short, the guy Jesus was talking about was a powerful leader in the Roman military who had a sick servant and he knew Jesus could help him.  Chances are you want to learn more about the one who can if you’re reading this post.  So, what are you needing right now?  Not yesterday or tomorrow, but right now.  Why not trust and ask the one who can?

BUT HOW?  Ironically, like the Leper, the Centurion simply stated his case, “Lord, my servant leith at home sick of the palsy, grievously tormented.  And Jesus saith unto him, I will come and heal him.  The centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed (Matt. 8:6-8)”.  The centurion goes on to explain that as a leader he understands the power structure.  A leader gives an order and the servant or soldier carries it out.  Again, his confidence is not in himself, but a GREATER leader!

BRAGGING RIGHTS  Imagine if Jesus bragged on you because your confidence in him was so great!  Look what he said about the centurion, “When Jesus heard it, he marveled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel.  And I say unto you, That many shall come from the east and the west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 8:10-11).  Wow!  Imagine if the same could be said of you or me?  Chances are this story isn’t included just to highlight the centurion’s faith.  Most likely, his story is an example of what happens when you trust God for great things!

A GLOWING FUTURE Carey Nieuwhof recently said “The past is your future with the lights on”, or something along those lines.  Apparently it’s a quote from a song.  Anyway, think about that!  You designed the life you’re living right now, in the past.   In other words, the choices and habits you exercise today determine the quality of the life you’ll live tomorrow!  Powerful thought, isn’t it.  But before you start beating yourself up, why not decide to start changing the future today.  Pray.  This is what Jesus had to say about those who choose not to exercise faith like the centurion did, “But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Matt. 8:12).  I don’t really know what all of that looks like and I don’t want to know!  But….if you look around, it’s quite obvious many people are suffering today as a result of the poor choices they or someone close to them made in the past.  It’s called the principle of sowing and reaping.

FRESH FRUIT “And Jesus said unto the centurion, Go thy way; and as thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee. And his servant was healed in the selfsame hour” (Matt. 8:13).  Instant results!  But before you get too excited, you need to understand this isn’t the way it always works.  Still, who can tell?  God may just answer your prayer as quickly as he did for the centurion.

SO.  What’s stopping you from trusting the one who can?  Is it because your case is impossible?  What’s more impossible looking than an incurable disease and looming death?  Only one thing.  Jesus.  Imagine.  The actions you take today have the potential to change your life for all of eternity.  Why not go to him and state your confidence in his abilities and watch what happens?