further instruction

Listening to Dave Vaughan, from Faith Life Church, on serving God, and he further clarified something key: if you're serving God out of fear, it's because you don't trust Him. You're serving Him for the wrong reason. I need to serve Him because I love Him and for no other reason.

I make the further decision today to serve God not out of fear but out of love. Period.

Thank You, Father, for clarification. You're giving me a lot of that lately. :)

parable of the talents

I'd always had trouble with the parable of the talents, but I was listening to a Keith Moore message, and God showed me a different way of seeing it: why would God give you more of X when you're not using, or not properly using, what He's already given you? When you need more, when you're a good steward of what you have, He'll give you more. Only makes sense--it's hard to fund a billion-dollar corporation on a few bucks, but if you're not trustworthy with those few bucks, why should He trust you with billions?

I think this also applies to our witness--we're not to hide that we're Christians but to live our lives as witnesses and share it when we're led to; God will provide the opportunity and we take that opportunity.

All of this means we really have to listen to God, hear what He's saying (refer to previous post regarding this)--then we'll have proper instruction to do what He says to do, when, where and why (maybe) He says to do it. It's the best use of the resources we have and the best way to increase those resources. Sort of like a trainer, really, who is an absolute expert on getting your body to the goal you've set for it. If his knowledge is there and we hear him and don't do what he says, it's not his fault that we're still not in the shape we want to be in.

Thank You, Father, for Your continued insight and grace. :D
Thanks also for assuring me that I have been using my talents. :D

giving thanks--hearing from God

Listenig to a message on The Believer's Voice of Victory delivered by Keith Moore talking about hearing from God and how to do it: be thankful. Quit saying I can't hear from God, I don't know what He's saying, blah, blah, blah. Instead, be thankful and say, "I hear from God. I thank Him. Thank You, God. I will be in the right place, at the right time..." and so on. He (Keith) said if you pray that and mean it, you feel heaviness lifting. It's working. He's right. So simple, as he said. That's a load off. :D

Thank You, Father.

love vs. fear

I was listening to a message, "Called Out, Part 4" by Kenny Luck of Saddleback Church. Toward the end of it, he asked "What motivates your obedience to God?" I had to admit that the first thing that came to mind was fear--fear of consequences, hell, damnation, that sort of thing. That's understandable, and it's less so than it used to be, but I want to get to the point where the first thing that comes to mind in response to that question is love. Yes, I love God. Yes, I'm going to Heaven. But I had had my life so ruled by fear for so long--not that it's out, it's something I have to be vigilant about not letting it back in--God just reminded me to rely on Him and He'll remind me to keep the door shut when it fear comes calling. Sort of like not letting a skanky, toxic, diseased, Satan's minion of a boyfriend or girlfriend back into your heart.

Maybe it comes down, like so many things, to a simple decision not to let fear in, to obey God and fear not. If so, I make that decision now.

Thank You, Father, for the reminder and the clarity.

inspiration

Maybe I'm just in that mode, but I see this as a great metaphor for how to handle Satan when he attacks.

climate

I feel like God's shown me something very simple about the climate: I'm not going to save the earth. God will handle that situation (I take comfort in this), particularly verses 1-4. But that doesn't mean I have the right to trash it while I'm here. I believe in taking care of the resources God's put into my hands, but the earth is not my God.

Thank You, Father, for that insight.

without God

I'm thinking of what/who/how/where I'd be without God. It's not a pleasant thought. If God didn't exist, then neither would I. If I were to turn away from God, it's hard to even imagine, but the bottom line is I'd be damned: I might have financial success, friends, everything the world can offer and enjoy myself on certain levels, but in the end, I would have slid down the slope straight into the gates of Hell. Once there, there is no escape. Nothing is worth that. Thank You, Father, for my being Yours.

Slightly different subject: Keith Moore has been guest teaching on "The Believer's Voice of Victory" and mentioned that God long ago shared a phrase with him that long ago that really helped him, and it speaks to me as well: When it comes to people doing things for you, helping you out, presume nothing; be thankful for everything. That's something that's been on my heart do much for a bit now--people are so generous to me, but the key is never to _expect_ them to be so but to just be thankful. It's a great release and an invaluable key to remember. Thank You, Father, for the admonishment.

thankful

Today, I'm thankful for, among other things, a great, late birthday card from some very special people. I'm also thankful for time to chill and time to sleep and for things just working out well.

Thanks for all of this, Father, and for this blog. I love You. :D

This is such a great way of sharing/witnessing of what God's doing in my life. Thank you, Reader, for reading this and for letting it or what I'm sharing, or what God's sharing through me to you, affect you, whenever it does, in a positive way. That's kinda the point. One of them anyway. :)

If anybody reading this is not saved, I encourage you to look into it--to take the gift that God's offering you, the one and only way into Heaven--as a pastor friend of mine says, "We don't earn it, we don't work for it; we just receive it." I like this article on the subject.

If you feel led (drawn) to, pray this prayer out loud so you can hear it, and mean it: "God, take my life and do something with it." Then share it with somebody and find a good church, one where the Word of God (the Bible) is preached and get in it. God will see you through. :)

the day

Today, I'm grateful for a great day of filming. Great results, great people to work with, great grace shown by the cemetery and by my sister. Thank you all, and thank You, Father, for bringing it all together. :D

things for which I'm grateful

1) we film tomorrow. :)
2) good potential deal on a printer from Sam's Club
3) healing in my eye (it had gotten red and sore, from staying up too long, I think)
4) overtime check
5) 401K check came and is re-deposited now
6) wardrobe for tomorrow's shoot
7) good, cheap gloves--$20 at Dillard's. :D

Thank You, Father, for all of this. :)

-Sean

it works out

The stuff I'd been having difficulty with yesterday? That looks like it's gonna work out. Praise and thank God for that! :D

grace

Some stuff didn't work out so well today, yet it, through the grace of God, might have been the right thing: I had a script turned down, which was not a surprise given the type of company to which I sent it, but in the note I got, the person who read it said they admire me as a writer. I think that's pretty cool. I'm also grateful to God for the grace to accept the rejection of the script, as I'm more actor than writer anyway. Thank You, Father, for grace on both sides.

"finisher"

Jesus is the "author and finisher" of my faith. I'd had trouble with that. A lot. Until this morning, when God, in a message through Jerry Savelle (I believe in these messages that God speaks through various people), made it clear to me: another word for "finisher" is "perfecter". That crystallised it for me: like finishing a chair--putting the final touches onto it. Another phrase might be complete developer. As to author: God wrote the Bible, which is where we get the stuff in which to put faith; His Word. So, Author--starter and Finisher--completer. God's showing me now how it is that He gets us through and is with us all the way as our faith grows and develops to maturity. Remarkable stuff--what is in what one thinks of as a little phrase...

Thank You for the insight, Father.

time

Listening to a message delivered by Keith Moore--just realised on a deeper level that God's helping me redeem time by working at my main job rather than two jobs--I can get so much more in such a shorter time by doing overtime at the main job--so I have a bit more free time but still without losing money. Glory to God for that! Thank You, Father.

notes

There was something I was to blog about, but I didn't note what it was--shoulda done that.

Anyway, God's been dealing with me tonight through the messages I'm listening to about how to find your place, what to do, to step out in faith. So I'm making it public right now: I've asked God to show me what to do with my life-- I think He already has shown me, long ago, and has just been waiting for me to grab hold of this tiger of film acting and let 'er rip. I mean, get out to L.A. by any means necessary, but also be prepared as much as possible--so prepare however I can here and then get out there. So that starts today. I'm not putting on any hard deadlines--it's going to happen in God's time. I'll just be going along and one fine day, God'll say, "It's time", and because I've been preparing, not just sitting around wondering, I'll be ready and able to go.

Thank You, Father, for the encouragement to go.

good call

Sometimes we see things that are wrong and let them go. None of our business. Our help might not be appreciated. That sort of thing. And yet we can't let it go because seeing the wrong makes it our business. God just helped me point out something wrong, something potentially VERY important, to somebody, hoping they would take it in and do something about it. They, appreciated it, and I've every reason to believe they'll correct it. In His still, sweet voice, the Holy Spirit impressed on me the knowledge that not to do what I could would make me, at least in my mind, culpaple. Thank You, Father, for the spur, the confidence to present the situation and words to make it clear.