Bonjour …I’m writing this blog from France!  Last Wednesday night you all prayed over me that God would bless our efforts in this incredible country.  I wanted to let you know that he has answered your prayers.  This past weekend I spoke to 1,200 young people at the PAJE Conference and over 200 surrendered to Jesus as their Savior!

This coming Sunday I will be speaking at Hillsong Paris  please be praying that God speaks thru me, that people are encouraged in their faith, and many move from death to life. I love and miss you guys …. can’t wait to get back and worship Jesus with you this coming Wednesday night.

HIS best to you…

Kevin

DO NOT MISS THIS NIGHT! Obviously the details are in the image above but we promise this to be a night to remember! Night begins at 8:30pm @ our Walnut Campus {3737 W Walnut Ave} – feel free to bring any friends between the ages 18-30yrs old {childcare is NOT provided for this night}.

Also – to text in anonymously use this:
Text message: “realtalk & qustion”
Phone Number: 63566

In case you missed it …. here are the main points from the message last night at YA ….

Things will make you happy for a while, but they will never give you what you are looking for.

 James 1:9-11

 Believers in humble circumstances ought to take pride in their high position. 10 But the rich should take pride in their humiliation—since they will pass away like a wild flower. For the sun rises with scorching heat and withers the plant; its blossom falls and its beauty is destroyed. In the same way, the rich will fade away even while they go about their business.

This is somewhat of a hard passage to understand.  So lets read it again – then try and break it down a little.

James 1:9-11

 Believers in humble circumstances ought to take pride in their high position. 10 But the rich should take pride in their humiliation—since they will pass away like a wild flower. For the sun rises with scorching heat and withers the plant; its blossom falls and its beauty is destroyed. In the same way, the rich will fade away even while they go about their business.

In reading some commentaries about this passage –what  James is saying to us is …

Believers without much should realize they are in a good position – but the rich will quickly realize they are in a bad position because everything they have will never bring them what they are looking for.  They (their happiness – their contentment) will quickly fade away even while they are working and making money.

Basically, James is telling us …

Things will make you happy for a while but they will never give you what you are looking for.

We see this in the Bible ….

In the old testament there was a guy that flat out had it all.  He was rich.  He was wise.  He had all the woman he wanted.  (He had 700 wives and 300 concubines) This man was the definition of “success”.  His name was Solomon.  Maybe you have heard of him before.  He was the son of King David and the King of Isreal.  The things he had amassed in his few years on earth were so vast that Kings and Queens from all over the world would come and give him money just to see his vast empire.

In one of King Solomon’s writings he penned these very profound, yet telling words.

Ecc 1:13-14

I, the Teacher, was king over Israel in Jerusalem. I applied my mind to study and to explore by wisdom all that is done under the heavens. What a heavy burden God has laid on mankind! I have seen all the things that are done under the sun; all of them are meaningless, a chasing after the wind.

To say this guy was a rich man would be the ultimate understatement.  King Solomon, was flat out loaded.  However, even while he was making money – even while he was still the King of this amazing Empire – even before he could spend or enjoy all of the wealth he had amassed – he said … it is all vanity.  Everything I have is meaningless …. I feel like I am chasing the wind.

Basically King Solomon was saying, Things have made me happy for a while … but they have not given me what I am looking for.

We see this in the Bible and we see this today in our culture  ….

This is Tom Brady – NFL quarterback – SuperBowl Champion – his estimated worth is 100 million dollars.  He is filthy rich.    Tom is unbelievably handsome and he is married to a Model …. Yes he is married to Gisele Bündchen.

But a few years ago Tom was interviewed by 60 minutes and this is what he said …

Things will make you happy for a while but they will never give you what you are looking for.

Hey Y/A -

We are currently taking a journey thru the book of James.  Each week we dissect, talk about it, and apply a passage of scripture found in this incredible book.  This book is full of incredible lessons that if we apply them our life will actually be pretty good and not suck.

So far we have walked thru two topics.

James 1:1-4  “Sometimes BAD is actually GOOD”

In this passage we learned that we need to be patient when tough or bad times come.  Because if we let patience have its perfect work, God will show himself real on our behalf and our needs will be met.

James 1:5-8  “Faith is the Key”

In this passage that God is not moved by “need” or “desire” if he was every overweight person would be thin and every poor person would be rich.  What moves God is our FAITH. Coming to God in unwavering faith is not “God I have so much faith in you  that I know you are going to do what I say.”  No, coming to God in faith is “God I have so much faith in you that I am going to do whatever YOU say.”.

This week we are going to take our next step on the journey and find another tip that will help our life not suck.

This week we are looking at James 1:9-11.

Here is the passage.

Believers in humble circumstances ought to take pride in their high position. But the rich should take pride in their humiliation – since they will pass away like a wild flower.  For the sun rises with scorching heat and withers the plant; its blossom falls and its beauty is destroyed. In the same way, the rich will fade away even while they go about their business.

This week – read this passage – dissect it – think about it and come to Y/A with some ideas on what this passage means to you personally.

Going to be a great night – see you at 8:30 on Wednesday.

HIS best,

Kevin

Hey what’s up Y/A -

A few weeks ago I did a message titled 13 things you need to do in 2013.  On this first edition of #throwbackthursday I thought I would recap the 8th thing you need to do this year.

In 2013 ….KEEP YOUR PANTS ON

I know it’s fun to take your pants off.  I know you say you are ready to take your pants off.  But the truth of the matter is even though it is kind of a good time when your pants are off … you are not really ready to proceed with this activity.  You may be ready to feel good.  You may be ready to enjoy yourself.  But at mid 20′s, single, and fairly broke you are not ready for what “taking your pants off” gets you … and that is a hot date on Friday Night walking down the “Diaper Isle” at Wal-Mart.

In 2013 taking your pants off may get you short term pleasure, but it may also get you a good dose of regret, stress in the relationship, and a kid.

Sex is not the answer to your relationship woes.  Think about it for a minute, more than 1/2 of all marriages end in divorce.  50% of all people that get married end up splitting up but I guarantee you that 100% of those people were having sex with their spouse.  So taking your pants off doesn’t answer your relationship woes even when you are married, let alone when you are single.

So this year …

Guys – focus on getting saved, getting a job, getting your life in order so that in the future you can get a woman, get married and then get busy.

Girls – why not spend more time in the next 12 months finding out who Jesus is and who you are in Him, more than finding a guy that you like.

This year, live the way God wants you too and keep your pants on.

HIS best

Kevin

THIS IS A NIGHT YOU WILL NOT WANT TO MISS!

WE WILL CONTINUE TO HAVE OUR NORMAL SERVICE TIMES EVERY WEDNESDAY NIGHT – SERVICE STARTING AT 8.30PM BUT BE SPREADING THE WORD ABOUT THIS HUGE NIGHT COMING JANUARY 30TH!

WE HOPE TO SEE YOU AGAIN THIS COMING WEDNESDAY NIGHT FOR ANOTHER PACKED HOUSE @ YOUNG ADULTS!