"You want to know how big GOD is?"

I am absolutely amazed at how big God is.  All we have been through in the past year and where we are right now is like night and day.  It was about this time last year I finally decided to start a ministry and follow God's call on my life.  It wasn't long before all hell would break loose and God would show me exactly how he needed to use me in this world.  Up until the lowest point in my life, secluded from friends and family, my job, and what I thought was important,  I was going to use God to get what I wanted out of life.  I was going to use God to make a name for myself.  I was going to use God to get riches and glory from man….

I know none of you reading have ever thought that….I just hope lightning doesn't strike close to you….

So how big is God?  Let me tell you…

2 months ago I decided to raise money for kids in the Ada area who do not eat after they leave school.  The only meals they get are at school each and every day.  The schools are aware of the problem and every friday selected kids gets back pack to take home with enough food to last throughout the weekend so they won't go hungry.  I didn't know how, what, or when, but I did know God was calling me to raise money to feed hungry children.  I started reading my bible and praying about how we could do this?  What would it take?  What did I need to do?  One day as I read, I found a story where Jesus fed 5000 people strong.

The disciples were in the same place I was…How, Where, Why….they asked Jesus…He replied,"You go feed them…."

There was no debate…Then I read a little further in the scripture.  It says that Jesus took what they had and blessed it and it fed everyone and there was enough left over for 12 baskets full of fish and bread…

Wow, thats how big God is…

We just decided to go feed them….

Over the past few months, I have seen people donate money, time, energy, and effort they didn't have too for our cause.  I have seen God provide interviews on TV and in the newspaper so we didn't have to spend money and take away form the reason we are doing this.  I have seen God change peoples heart by bringing awareness of the needs in our own town.  I have seen God move in schools and groups of students who are donating time to help at our event.  I have seen churches donate without question of obligation or affiliation.  I have seen young children willing to give up money so they can help their friends that don't get to eat.  On Saturday night, November 23, God is going to bless our efforts to raise money for hungry children in our area…

Thats how big God is…

As I walked out of the Pontotoc County Agri Plex yesterday, I looked across the north parking lot and stopped and stared at the Pontotoc County Justice Center…where just 10 months ago, I sat in a jail cell at the lowest point in my life.  In an instant, I was brought back to how big God is.  How he provided a way for truth to shine through.  You see, God doesn't need any help doing His job…He is the boss, we just need to work…

I challenge you today, to make a difference…I challenge you today, to check yourself with God's word…I challenge you today, to let God take over…..

For more information on how you can help go to www.inoroutfaith.com or you can register for our event @ www.signmeup.com/95798

Truck or Trailer?????

This morning as I read my devotional, it was very interesting.  It talked about LOVE and how we are supposed to LOVE no matter what. It was also the same sermon I heard from Rusty yesterday at church...Weird how God does this kind of stuff.....

"If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.  If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.  If I give all I have to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing."
1 Corinthians 13:1-3

I went to the gym to work out this morning and I couldn't get the thought of what all this means out of my head....

I thought about all the times I must have sounded like a gong or a clanging cymbal.  You know what I am talking about.  I thought about all the times I have studied to figure things out and told myself I have a desired faith to serve God, but it was about me and not Him.  I thought about all the times we have given things to people waiting to see their response for self gratification.  I thought about all the times I have went through hardship and God has been faithful, only for me to use it to my advantage....

Then it hit me as I was hitching up the trailer after my workout.  Am I the truck or the trailer?  I said to myself, "what if i hitched up God everyday and took Him wherever I went, would I love then, NO MATTER WHAT?"

I sat in my truck wondering this easy question....Truck or Trailer?

Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life, no man comes to the Father but through me."

Jesus said to the disciples,"Come follow me, and I will make you fishers of men."

We have sang the words, "I have decided to follow Jesus..."

We have sang the words, "Wherever He leads, I'll go..."

So, I prayed to God and asked him to guide me in my decision.....


Challenge:

Are you the truck or the trailer?

THIRSTY???

As I sat in church today, I didn't realize how thirsty I was.  Not in the physical way, but a spiritual way.  I was challenged by the youth of our church which had just returned from Falls Creek.  The theme was "THIRST", and they spoke about how they were drinking from wells that would never fulfill their thirst and only God can quench that desire.  

I figure many of you are just like me when it comes to comparing ourselves to the woman at the well.  Many of us are or were just like her.  Living in sin and just going from well to well to find what we think will quench our thirst.

I started thinking about all the wells in our lives we are trying to quench our thirst...

Wealth - Fame - Desire - Children - Lust - Friends - Acceptance - Addiction - Rage - Baseball -  Basketball - Work - Reputation - Cars - Mortgage - Exercise - Vanity - Food - Family - Facebook - Twitter - Instagram - Love - Sex - Pornography - Material Things -

I began to think about how much time we spend trying to quench our thirst at other wells?  

I wonder why many of us Christians spend time judging people who are standing at the same well we are?  

I wonder why we think can even quench our thirst on our own? 

 

I wonder what it will take for us to get serious about drinking from the well that will never run dry?

John 4:13-14 says

"Jesus answered,"Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst.  Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water willing up to eternal life."

I, just like many of you reading this, have spent many wasted hours of my life sitting at a well thinking I  could find what I was desiring.  I chased dreams I dreamed up all on my own.  I even fell in love with some of those wells and spent so much time there nothing else mattered.  I have desired some of the wells so much, they became idols to me without me even knowing.  When I look at the list above, I am guilty of spending wasted time and effort trying to quench my thirst at those wells.  

It really is gut wrenching when you think about it.  We go and stand at other wells, wells that do not have living water, and look God in the face and tell him, "You aren't enough..."

Hard to think about it that way.  

We even in the midst of drinking from those wells, say to ourselves, "I am forgiven..."  I will talk to God about it later....

I know none of you have ever thought that...just me...

What will it take?  How many more wells will we dig or try to find?

Today as I rode my bike, this song came on by Casting Crowns.....

Come to the Well...

I have what you need, 
But you keep on searchin, 
I've done all the work, 
But you keep on workin, 
When you're runnin on empty, 
And you can't find the remedy, 
Just come to the well.

You can spend your whole life, 
Chasin what's missing, 
But that empty inside, 
It just ain't gonna listen.
When nothing can satisfy, 
And the world leaves you high and dry, 
Just come to the well

And all who thirst will thirst no more, 
And all who search will find what their souls long for, 
The world will try, but it can never fill, 
So leave it all behind, and come to the well

So bring me your heart
No matter how broken, 
Just come as you are, 
When your last prayer is spoken, 
Just rest in my arms a while, 
You'll feel the change my child, 
When you come to the well

Leave it all behind
The world will try, but it can never fill... leave it all behind

And now that you're full, 
Of love beyond measure, 
Your joy's gonna flow, 
Like a stream in the desert, 
Soon all the world will see that living water is found in me, 
Cuz you came to the well

CHALLENGE:

1.  Write down the wells in your life?

2.  Compare them to Jesus....

We got to be BOLD!!!!

As I read my bible this morning, I was reminded of how bold the disciples were.  I read where Peter addressed the crowd after Jesus went to heaven and over 3000 people were saved.  After I read that passage, I began to think about all the others in the bible and in life that were bold.  I thought about Stephen.   I thought about John the Baptist.  I thought about Elijah.  I thought about the young lady from Columbine who said there is a God.  I thought about my grandmother who has always looked to heaven for direction.  I thought about David taking down Goliath.  I thought about Shadrach, Meshach, and Abendigo.  I thought about how bold it was for Mary to birth the King of Kings.  I thought about how bold it was for Jesus to come to earth to be just like us only to die on a cross for each of our sins.

I thought about all the times I have had the chance to be bold for Christ and I have not took the opportunity.  Why do we, as followers of Christ, not want to be bold every day?  Why do we not want to listen to the call of God on our life?  Why do we not want to let our light shine?  Why do we not want to bring our God to a lost and dying world?

All of us have our own excuses and cop outs to not take responsibility for not being bold.  I know until recently being bold wasn't something I even thought about.  I felt like God was there for me to use to get by daily when I needed Him.  I thought God was there for me to call on when I needed something. Maybe talk to him when something or someone was sick or even died. I thought God was at church and thats where we meet him each week and then we leave Him there and go back home.  I think there are several reasons we are afraid to be bold for Christ....

Here are some of my reasons....

1. I didn't want people to know the real me.
2. I was scared it might not be as cool as joking around all the time.
3. I didn't fear God like I should.
4. I was focused on me.

Over the past few months, God has shown me several things.  One thing He has challenged me to do is BE BOLD!  He has challenged me to tell my story of how He has changed my life and continues to do so.  He has challenged me to be REAL.  He has challenged me to be BOLD about my faith with everyone I can.  He has taught me to fear him.  He has challenged me to focus on others and not myself.  He has challenged me to do something I never thought would happen.  

Start a ministry!!

 I ask you to be bold and pray as Heather and I, along with several others, develop a ministry designed to be the hands and feet of the body Christ to serve a lost and dying world.

"Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess."

Hebrews 4:14

We are planning an "Community Wide Candle Light Service" at Kerr Dome in Ada, Oklahoma on Easter evening.  We ask you pray that God will move across our community and teach all of us to be Bold....

Details will follow as they develop....If you would like to help and be involved, please email us @

 In or Out Faith Ministries, Inc.

 

our ways are not His ways....

As I set this morning, I reflect over the past 7 weeks of my life.  How much we have been through.  I think about the emotional roller coaster we are still on.  I remember the initial shock as if it were happening right now.  I can still feel the lump in my throat and the nerves in my stomach just bring me to my knees.  I can remember the loneliness and isolation I felt.  I find myself still dealing with emotions and sometimes wanting to scream out and then immediately turning to tears.  I remember how cold and alone I was as I waited to go home.  I remember worrying about money, pride, home, reputation, job, career, and a host of other things running through my mind.  It was at that very moment I heard God clearer than I have ever heard Him before..."None of that matters..."

Something inside me broke that very instant.  God began to speak to me in a way I never knew possible.  You see, when He is all you have and all you may end up with, He is more than enough.  I laid there secluded from the world not knowing any outcome or what the future held for me.  I knew I was innocent, God knew I was innocent, and my family knew I was innocent.  What God revealed to me in my darkest hour was, He was enough.  I started talking to Him and discussing what did matter.  He began to reveal to me what was between me and Him making Him unable to work in my life.  He began to reveal to me why He needed to get my attention.  It was not pretty.  It was not politically correct.  It was the cold hard TRUTH.  I was a "sinner christian", hypocrite, or just a church goer! I sang the song we know, "I'll go to the darkest places, I'll go to the hurting faces, I'll go to the orphaned children, I'll go to the world they live in..." and then I would GO get in my car and GO eat lunch and GO back to the life I wanted to live and GO back to being a casual christian and GO back to being concerned about my needs and GO back to being what everyone expected me to be...... I had a plan to use God to get what I wanted.  He had a plan to use me to get what HE needed.  I had allowed so many things to get in between me and God, no wonder he needed to get my attention.  The crazy things was, it was every day sin that had become the norm.  I was so callused I had become accustomed to allowing sin to be a part of my daily routine.  I was broken and spill out before God.

My prayer to Him changed in an instant.  I began to pray for my wife.  I couldn't imagine what she was going through.  I prayed for Parker as he wondered why so many people were at our house and everyone was crying.  I prayed for Faith as she had no idea what was going on.  I prayed for Ethan and Emma that they would understand someday how powerful God is.  I prayed that they would depend on God and I prayed that I had been a good enough example for them to know who to turn too.  I began to  feel a peace and a presence I have never felt.

My life has been forever changed.  It will never be the same.  As I set here now, feeling much like Jonah as he was spit up on dry land.  I am pretty sure I know where my Ninevah is, but I know where I'll GO as soon as he gives the word...

My first Ninevah was my HOME....

There are 3 things I now strive to be the most important in my life....

1.  God
2.  Heather
3.  Parker, Faith, Ethan, & Emma

Its weird that my name is no longer on top....It's scary to think "I" stood in the way of my family, myself and what God needed of me.....

This is the scripture that got me through the tough times.  I read it every day for 7 weeks...I read it this morning...It still rings true and will forever....

Psalm 91

¹ Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High
    will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.^[a]
2 I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress,
    my God, in whom I trust.”

³ Surely he will save you
    from the fowler’s snare
    and from the deadly pestilence.
⁴ He will cover you with his feathers,
    and under his wings you will find refuge;
    his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.
⁵ You will not fear the terror of night,
    nor the arrow that flies by day,
⁶ nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness,
    nor the plague that destroys at midday.
⁷ A thousand may fall at your side,
    ten thousand at your right hand,
    but it will not come near you.
⁸ You will only observe with your eyes
    and see the punishment of the wicked.

⁹ If you say, “The Lord is my refuge,”
    and you make the Most High your dwelling,
¹⁰ no harm will overtake you,
    no disaster will come near your tent.
¹¹ For he will command his angels concerning you
    to guard you in all your ways;
¹² they will lift you up in their hands,
    so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.
¹³ You will tread on the lion and the cobra;
    you will trample the great lion and the serpent.

¹⁴ “Because he^[b] loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him;
    I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.
¹⁵ He will call on me, and I will answer him;
    I will be with him in trouble,
    I will deliver him and honor him.
¹⁶ With long life I will satisfy him
    and show him my salvation.”

The Beginning or The End - Day 30

Day 30


You are done with your family action plan.  You are done and today I just want you to reflect on the past 30 days.  I want you to remember the feelings you had as you held your children, you saw your spouse walking down the aisle, any commitments you have made in life, and any brutally honest feelings you have in your heart when it comes to serving God.

I remember the first time I held each of my children.  Each one them looked at me and their mother as we held them in our arms and they knew.  You could see the peace that would come over them as we picked them up.  As they have gotten older, that hasn't changed.  They still come to us for comfort.  They still need us to pick them up and hold them for a broken arm.  They may need to tell us a story for 30 minutes at a time.  They may need us to sign their homework or change their diaper.  They may need to come over and eat because they don't have enough money to get by until payday.  They may need to ask us about our mortgage rate or how to fix a pilot light on the hot water heater that keeps going out.  (Yes, I am speaking from experience.)

I remember watching Heather and Faith walk down the aisle as Parker and I were waiting to join them in marriage.  I was scared and happy all at the same time.  Our lives would forever be different.  Going into our relationship, it was evident we would have some obstacles to overcome.  We were blending 2 families together.  We had our different ways of doing things as single parents and our ways were right.  Our kids were accustomed to a specific way of life.  It was amazing how God brought us together and when we thought it was too much at times, God held us together.  Even when we thought it was all our doing, it was really His.

I remember telling our families Heather and I were having a baby.  That would be 3 kids total.  Everyone was just as happy as they could be.  Ethan would be the final chapter in our relationship before raising our family.  Then when the Emma bomb fell, once again, God had different plans.  I was scared.  I didn't know how.  I didn't know why.  I didn't know what we would do.  God was doing what he does.  His choices for us were already made.  4 kids are what He felt we needed.  Whether we thought so or not.

Well, God thought 5 kids would be better.  In the past few months, God has laid it on our hearts to be parents for someone else when we can.  Due to circumstances beyond our control, God has saw us fit to add another child to the mix.  If only for a few days a week, we have a responsibility to do what we can to provide stability in this child's life.

I remember 33 days ago when I made the commitment to start a blog over Faith and Family.  I didn't know how.   I didn't know when.  I really didn't even know why.  The only thing I did know, God wanted me too.  I will be the first to tell you I was scared every time I sat down at my computer.  I was also scared when I saw several of you face to face.  I didn't know how the blog would be taken or if it would be beneficial to anyone.  I felt a sense of accountability from the blog.  Things that would be a normal occurrence in my life, have became less important.  I understand people are watching me and the way I live my life.  Most importantly, I am aware of my kids watching me.  They are making their future plans on how we raise them right now.  You may think they aren't but they are.  I also understand my wife needs me to be the husband and father God has called me to be.

I want to be completely honest with you.  I had to make a choice to be a Christian Husband/Father.  It wasn't easy.  It sucks working to make the right decisions all the time.  It is devastating when you fail.  It's uncomfortable leading your family the way Jesus would have you to.  In no way am I an expert on raising a family or a theologian, I am just doing what I feel God has called me to do.  I honestly just want the opportunity to speak about what God is doing in our family and hopefully it will help someone else do what God has called them to do.  I want the chance to start a ministry for the family to get information and ideas to put God 1st in their lives and home.

What is the cost of your family?  How much would they be worth?  Is your family worth seeing when you get to heaven?

Let me tell you what the cost is....It has been paid...Jesus died for you and your family.  He paid the price and all we have to do is choose to follow Him....

It's your choice.  You are either IN or OUT...  It's your choice.

Joshua 24:15

"But if serving the Lord is undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living.  But for me and my house we will serve the Lord."

Last Challenge:

I need your feedback.  I need to honestly know what you have thought about this blog and the material and challenges in each day.  I don't care if you read one day or all days.  I need your feedback.

Please email me @ justinpresley1977@gmail.com and tell me your thoughts or just comment on the blog....


justin presley

Finishing Touches - Day 29

Day 29


After our family fun day, I am wore out.  Somehow we ended up at the Byng Track playing kickball in the grass.  I think the kids had some serious fun.  Of course, Parker and I just slaughtered the girls.  It is funny how God works.  It seems like more and more everyday I am learning how to enjoy my family.  We laughed and had so much fun today.  It didn't cost anything.  It was just making the decision to go and do.

Several times I have gotten to this point working with groups and organizations.  This is the point where the rubber meets the road.  You have worked so hard to get your family action plan set up.  Hopefully, you have had input from your family and you are seeing changes start to happen.  I am not just talking about changes in your family, but a greater awareness in you.

The changes and awareness you may be experiencing are how we can measure the success of your plan.  You see every objective needs to be measured.  Some of them can be measured in days.  Some of them may be measured indefinitely.  Some of them may be measured just by being an ongoing activity your family will continue to do.

To many times, and I have experienced this first hand, we get a plan and work out all the details only to have everything fall through the cracks because we don't have any way of measuring how successful we were as we start working.

So far we have:

1. Set the objectives
2. Identified the initiatives needed in order to complete the task.
3. Combined initiatives that were overlapping.

Now we are moving on to the final steps.  Measures and Time Frame.  Everything needs to have some type of time frame for a start and an end.  If you have objectives that will be started immediately, use the date you start.  Some of your objectives may be ongoing or only for a few months and thats fine, just make sure you give yourself enough time to complete your tasks.  I will show you what this looks like with my examples.

As you identify the time frame, you can also set the measurement.  Measurement are easy for the most part.  The only reason for them is to make sure what we are doing has a positive affect on what we are trying to accomplish.  Do not get hung up on the measurements if they throw you for a loop.  I will show you what this looks like in my examples.

Section 3: Step 1

Take your papers out again.  This is for the last time for anything I am guiding you through.  Once you are ready you will begin to go through your objectives and initiatives putting a time frame and measurement on them if possible.  The time frame could be days, months, and even TBD (to be determined).  The measurements could be completion of the task or even it could be ongoing growth.

Here are some examples:

Objective 1: Church member at Trinity Baptist

• Always make time to attend as a family
• Begin 10-28-12 End Indefinitely(Timeframe)
• Attending anytime we are together(Measurement)

1. Making sure we are always together on Sunday morning - Sacrifice
2. Commit as a family to attending together and teach our children the importance of this. - Commitment
3. Mom and Dad - Responsibility

• Continue to help out with the kids activities at church
• Started 8-21-12 Ending 5-29-13(Timeframe)
• Attending church and teaching(measurement)

1. Being available with our schedules and possible baby sitting arrangements. - Sacrifice
2. Commit to the Youth Minister we are available to help and explain to our kids why we want to be there. - Commitment
3. Mom and Dad - Responsibility

What We Need To Do Better:

Objective 1: Family Devotions

• Decide how many days a week we want to do them.
• Begin 10-29-12 End 4-29-13(Timeframe)
• Completing one per week for 6 months(Measurement)

1. Identify which day is best for us and the devotion we will use. - Sacrifice

• Find by 11-12(Timeframe)
• Start devotions(Measurement)

1. Commit to 1 day a week. - Commitment
2. Mom and Dad - Responsibility

I hope this is easy enough to understand.  It is just going the extra mile to assure success on the objectives you have set.

Once you get all the timeframes and Measurements in place, take the time to go through and make sure it all is going to work.  Some of your timeframes may be a little extreme or they may be too lax.  You just have to decide how committed you are to the process.

You may be asking yourself why this step is even important.  If you really study the word, there are several timeframes and measurements that were made in order for everything to work properly.  Ultimately, Christ's measurement of the grave was He would be raised again in 3 days.  If this would not have happened, it would not be worth the time we have invested in this program.  However, he did do what he said he was going to do.  He is alive.  He is wanting to be number 1 in your life and your families life.

I hope you choose to do what he has called us to do.......


justinpresley1977@gmail.com