Men Mixing With Men

February 13, 2014 by Phil Larson

Iron sharpens iron…men need men. You just have to accept that.

Men need men to study life, work, kids, relationships. There is a dynamic of living and walking the golf course or fishing or digging a fence. There is a dynamic of walking through Lowes or watching sports. There is a dynamic of discussing a good book or a disagreement with your wife or a work meltdown. Men need men.

Men need men to process growth. Kids turn into teens. Little girls become young ladies. Young men start families. Other men help take off the edge and laugh and cry with us. Some emotions of men just have to be shared with other men.

Men need men to talk through fears and failures and frustrations. That missed promotion. Grabbing 220volts because you did not throw the breaker. Car problems. You just need another man.

Snow in the Shadows

February 12, 2014 by Phil Larson

Snow gets in the shadows.

Ecclesiastes 4:11 Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm.
But how can one keep warm alone?

In Oklahoma and Texas, snow is a sometimes and someyears thing. Not often. But often enough. It can linger for a few hours or a few days and in rare occasions for a few weeks. Ice lingers longer.

The shadows keep the snow longer. The sun doesn’t reach there.

Normal winter temperatures daily climb into the 40’s and 50’s and many times 60’s and 70’s. Snow doesn’t last long in that warmth. Except in the shadows.

In the shadows, the warmth needs to linger a little longer.

Relationships are like that. Some cold spots tend to linger. Each relationship finds bad spots and good spots. The daily good warmth takes longer to remove the memory and the touchiness. Sometimes it is an icy block that takes weeks of warmth to remove.

You can speed up the process when the snow is in your shadow by moving whatever is blocking the sun and giving yourself adequate good time. We can’t change the weather outside, but we can change the weather conditions of a relationship through investment in good moments.

You can speed up the process when you deposited snow into the shadow of a loved one by investing in warm moments with them. Leave it to linger at risk of damage that may not heal.

Think of a few easy moments of warmth you can bring to a relationship. The odd coincidence of snow in the shadows of a relationship is that neither of you may realize that it lingers. You look to the front yard and clean streets and are grateful. It is easy to leave the shadows alone, but lingering snow and ice comes up at the most inappropriate moments.

Do some good. Do some gentle. Do some soft.

The beauty of having the warm moments is you don’t have to talk about the snow, it just goes away.

Snow in the Shadows

February 12, 2014 by Phil Larson

Snow gets in the shadows.

Ecclesiastes 4:11 Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm.
But how can one keep warm alone?

In Oklahoma and Texas, snow is a sometimes and someyears thing. Not often. But often enough. It can linger for a few hours or a few days and in rare occasions for a few weeks. Ice lingers longer.

The shadows keep the snow longer. The sun doesn’t reach there.

Normal winter temperatures daily climb into the 40’s and 50’s and many times 60’s and 70’s. Snow doesn’t last long in that warmth. Except in the shadows.

In the shadows, the warmth needs to linger a little longer.

You can speed up the process when you deposited snow into the shadow of a loved one by investing in warm moments with them. Leave it to linger at risk of damage that may not heal.

Do some good. Do some gentle. Do some soft.

The beauty of having the warm moments is you don’t have to talk about the snow, it just goes away.

Live the Call

December 7, 2013 by Phil Larson

Genesis 18:19 For I have known him, in order that he may command his children and his household after him, that they keep the way of the Lord, to do righteousness and justice, that the Lord may bring to Abraham what He has spoken to him.”

Live your call, friend. There is a specific destiny in each of us, a call, a voice waiting to be heard. May God give your voice words and actions for others to hear and see and follow.

A Specific Destiny

Abraham had a call. He had a way of righteousness and justice that was imbedded in all he did. It commanded itself into the lives of others. It commands itself into our lives. Without Abraham there would be no Isaac or Jacob or Israel or a tribe of Judah or Jesus born of man. He was selected to birth nations.

Abraham had specific promises. These promises were delivered as he lived his call. They were brought to him by God as he lived his call. In the path of obedience, he found all he needed and abundance for others.

A Christian Disciple

Live your call. There is a general call to obedience in Christ that applies to all of us. Prayer, meditation, witnessing, giving, service, thankfulness, gathering, and loving others are part of your call if you live in Christ. To not do them limits God’s ability to deliver His general promises. He places them in the path of living the call of a disciple of Christ.

Mistaken Identity

I can make a good living and have many benefits as a salesperson. Give me the right product and right list with the right affinity and right relevance and right distinctive proposition and I can sell it for you. But, that is not my call. Sometimes, I help clients with marketing and sales. It is not my call, though it is a talent.

Mistaken identity can cause us to live full of financial and relational prosperity and think we are following a call. The evidence of a call is the delivery of promises related to that call. The evidence of a talent is the delivery of results of principles related to it. Present a well priced product with value to the right person at the right time and you have a sell. Be friendly and you will have friends.

Discerning the Difference

Live the call. It’s fine to live the talent as long as it does not rob the call. Most folks stumble through life with no thought of call whatsoever. As long as progress is being made we can ignore God’s voice forever. Humans are like that.

What is your call? Has the still voice of God talked to you in the night about influencing legislation or pastoring or starting a business or being a great administrator? Has He intimated promises along the path? The promises might not include the world’s success formula. They might include martyrdom or families being restored or they might include great wealth. They might. Have you listened? Have you stepped back from the rush and press of performance long enough to really listen and examine? It might seem too big. Usually His call exceeds our capability. It should look to big.

Live the call. God is speaking. You don’t need to doubt that. He is speaking your call. Maybe you have heard it. Maybe you have never listened. Maybe you’ve been too busy trying to live up to someone else’s call or your personal desires and need to sort through motivations and voices. Maybe it just seems to big to get started. No one hears your call for you. It is between you and God.

Prayer: Father, here is a friend. This one has a call. I call it out. I stir it up. Cause Your Holy Spirit to stir deep and make clear. That call, that voice, that destiny can awaken and change our world. As they obey and follow, Father, bring quickly those things you have spoken to them that they would have confidence and continue.

Have A Grand ThanksLiving

November 26, 2013 by Phil Larson

credit David Schweitzer

Develop a thankful attitude for the smallest blessings and contentment will be your reward. Phil Larson

Godliness with contentment is great gain. Paul of Tarsus circa 65a.d. to Timothy

When Paul, Timothy’s mentor, wrote this note to him, Timothy was under pressure as a leader. You have to read the whole letter to get the full gist. That can happen to all of us and does. We move out to lead and life presses. Delays onset. Goals seem to get further away instead of closer to reality.

Contentment keeps us on track with doing what we know is the “right thing”. Thankfulness for the daily small stuff produces contentment. Deferred hopes challenge peace and comfort. Enjoying past gains and present blessings with thankfulness produces an unshakable contentment.

Father, bless with a realization of present blessings and a thankfulness for each of them. Build contentment. Let us enjoy this most glorious of weeks where thankfulness is honored in tradition and living.

Approaching God

September 29, 2013 by Phil Larson

Design for Discipleship

Refreshing air fills my lungs and quiet consoles my soul.

The wind is gentle and the shifting season brings a certain odor.

Friends fill my mind. Ailing, hurting, smiling, transforming, new, old, uncertain, and depressed are they. One was run over by a car, another is run over by cancer, another’s heart is failing, one is losing hope, one is gaining life in new ways. They are friends and I care for them.

God cares for them. He cares for you. He cares for me. He is active and approachable.

Father, let me touch Your will and let it become my ways.

Father, change me so I might offer change to others with gentleness, and freshness.

Father, open Your storehouse of blessing and comfort for my friends. Touch and bring life. Breathe and bring healing. Hover over them like the Fall winds rustle through the trees over me and let them know You are here.

You are here.

You are hearing.

You are now.

You are present.

You are approachable.

Worldchangers Care.

September 19, 2013 by Phil Larson

The world won’t change if you stand and stare. It will only change when you stoop and care. Phil

Psalm 142:3-5 When my spirit grows faint within me, it is you who watch over my way.

In the path where I walk people have hidden a snare for me.

Look and see, there is no one at my right hand; no one is concerned for me.

I have no refuge; no one cares for my life.

I cry to you, Lord; I say, “You are my refuge,my portion in the land of the living.”

David was hiding in a cave when he wrote this psalm. Many of us live in caves. Maybe we live there for a week or a month or a lifetime. In the cave, we wonder if any really care. We block off hands that try to reach. All around us are others living in caves. They won’t put out their heads unless they know we care.

God cares. He cares for you. He is safe. He doesn’t lay traps. You don’t have to live in the cave. You can help others out of their cave.

Prayer: Father, the caves of life are dark and damp and fearful. You are full of light and warmth and care. Your care removes our fear. You allow us to see light in the darkest moments. You warm the coldness of despair. You open hope with care. Give us strength to do the same for others.

Take Time to Battle

August 16, 2013 by Phil Larson

The Lord of Hosts is on Your Side. I would have lost heart had I not believed, The Lord of Hosts is on my side.

In Psalm 24, David declares the Lord of Hosts is Strong and Mighty in Battle. In Psalm 84, the sons of Korah declare the Lord of Hosts has a lovely dwelling place, answers prayer, and is worth our trust for blessing. In Psalm 89, Ethan the Ezrahite declares the Lord of Hosts is mighty and His faithfulness surrounds Him. No other mentions are made of this name of God in the Psalms. It is the most used name for God in all of the Old Testament.

Jehovah Tse-Bah-Wah – The Lord of Hosts, The Lord of the Armies Encamped for War, The Lord Almighty.
Many versions translate this name as the Lord Almighty. Literally, it means the Lord of the Armies Encamped for War. I have seen Him in the watchfires of an hundred circling camps. I have seen Him at Tulakes Elementary where over 97% are fatherless. I have seen Him at Epperly Heights Elementary in Del City where over 97% are fatherless. I have seen Him in West OKC around Eagles’ Crest where the fatherless are 65%. I have seen Him in Matamoros and Moquetito and Gualaneno and Praederas de Rioje in Mexico where anger and strife and drugs and alcohol strangle the citizenry. I have seen Him in East OKC at Tabitha and other congregations, where fatherless homes are 70-80% of the norm. I have seen Him at Life Church in Edmond with the Mentoring Project reaching out into the highways and byways. I have seen Him on the phone as I talk with man after man with fractured backgrounds wanting to help someone else. I have seen Him in Gainesville stirring souls to Christ and freedom. I have seen Him. I have seen Him.

He is the father to the fatherless and the supporter of the unmanned home and the liberator of the captive mind and heart and the One who sets the solitary into families. He is active. He is purposed. He has decided it is time. Enough is enough.

How long, Oh Lord of Hosts, will we turn to legislation and the noise of man to save us? Have we not trusted in the spear of economy and investments? Have they not failed us? Have we not trusted in political process and community action and been skewered in our dependence? Do we not resemble Israel of old-looking to Egypt and Syria and other nations, when You stand above all? Are you not the Lord of Heaven and Earth? Is not all of this subject to Your hand and Your action and Your influence? Has our gospel become so weak in our hearts and mouths that we have forgotten our Maker, our KIng, our Lord, our Warrior, our Salvation, our Banner, our Healer, our Righteousness, our Every Present, our Shepherd, our Provider, our Peace, and The LORD of HOSTS?

Save our hearts, Lord. Battle for our souls. We have become complacent and accepting that our nation and community is subject to statistic. Lord, my house is subject to Your LORDship. Lord over my home. Lord over our homes. Lord over us. Bring us to holiness and separation from statistic. Bury divorce. Bury abortion. Ban it from Your people. Bury fatherlessness. Bury drug and alcohol dependencies. Bury violence and anger. Bury our ills of dependency on anything or anyone else but YOUR UNFAILING LOVE AND POWERFUL PRESENCE.
Cleanse LORD of Hosts and prepare us for battle for Your Kingdom. Your will be done in Heaven and on Earth. Shake us. Stir us. Pull out from underneath us all of our strange gods we have set before You.

Daily Crosses Lift Easier With Faith

July 28, 2013 by Phil Larson

I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:14
And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. Luke 9:23

The Cross of Your LIfe:
The going home celebration of a friend of a few decades reminded me of the fragilility of life on this side of heaven. It is full of laughs and tears and comings and goings. None of us are guaranteed the next hour of breathing. None of us are guaranteed the next hour of financial prosperity. None of us are guaranteed the next hour of health. My friend lived with joy and endurance and love and all who knew her are stronger for it.
By faith, we embrace life with all of the uncertainty and instability.
By faith, we believe in a God that promises to never leave us or forsake us.
By faith, we hope in the glory of which we cannot see, but which changes us moment by moment.
By faith, we look to life and life more abundantly.
By faith, we are certain that He will see us through to completion.
By faith, we grasp the confidence that He is greater than any issue of the world.
By faith, we tackle issue after issue after issue.
But, there are no guarantees.
The cross of your life may include some time struggling through illness or disaster.
The cross of your life may include some days of uncertain financial footing.
The cross of your life may include some betrayals and unstable friends and family.
The cross of your life may include temptations to which you fall.
But, there are sure promises and continual blessings.
By promise, we understand that He owns this world and can move resource to our need at just the right momemt.
By promise, we hold to the faith of the Son of God, who loves us and gave Himself for us.
By promise, we have wisdom in Christ.
By promise, we are complete in Him.
By promise, we know those that follow Him will lack for no good thing.
By promise, we depend on His constant intercession.
By promise, we are filled with inestimable treasure of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self control.
By faith in the promises of a Living God we live with and through our crosses stronger for each moment and more like Him. And that is life. Live it. My friend did and all of us who knew her are stronger for it.

Prayer: Father, when I started this morning life looked glum. I have to be honest with You.

In Your promises, I find life is a joy.

In Your love, I find life is happiness.

In Your support, I find life is enchanting.

Take me though this day with all the crosses to bear and let life be more abundant.

Life Can Be Frightening, Friend.

July 20, 2013 by Phil Larson

But then, God did not give you a spirit of fear, but of love and power and a sound, well-disciplined mind. The Father dispenses right knowledge and wisdom and equipage to get your life lived with a smile and a dance in your step. He does. Really, He does.

It is frightening to face life without a loving Father’s protection and insight. This morning as I prayed for my friends, my guideline was the book of Ephesians. Yes, I read through the entire letter and prayed. It usually takes about an hour these days, sometimes two hours or more. Martin Luther, the great reformation leader, and others are quoted as saying, “I had so much to do today, I had to start with 3 hours of prayer.” I get it. There is no time to waste. Every minute has to count and prayer puts the power in the punch.

It is frightening to look into tomorrow and realize the threats and opportunities to fail and opportunities to succeed. Failure and success are not distant partners. Each brings an element of pain and cleanup. Each creates a next step that has to be addressed. Plan for success and handle the failure.

It is frightening to go it alone. Living alongside the King of Kings and Lord of Lords is a fearsome task. He really does get things done. Boy, am I glad I don’t work in the kingdom alone. It would be hell. Yes, I believe hell on earth is trying to do the work of living without family and friends and partners in work and ministry and life. When I make a list of co-laborers, I never get to the end. There are thousands. What a blessing.

It is frightening to trust my own hand. Friend, never trust yourself to get it done. When you stretch out with God, you will find yourself in situations that are impossible. They take impossible strength, impossible faith, impossible love, and impossible energy. He has a ready supply of all four.

My prayer for friends.

Father take the hand of my friend and bring impossible strength, impossible faith, impossible love, and impossible energy into the path. As You walk with my friend enable with everything necessary to live abundantly, faithfully, and effectively. Let life be changed. Let fear be put into the street. Let faith shine so bright those around my friend will lose fear and find faith.

Other’s Need – God’s Supply – Your Hand and Heart

Remember to pray for the Community Transformation Initiative and all those that are helping and joining. After taking a few months of prep and collaboration, you would not believe the demands of the next six weeks at the Community Transformation Initiative. We are actively engaged in East OKC, North OKC, Stillwater, Del City, St. Louis, Matamoros, Mexico, and online around the world. Every one of these engagements results in life change. Our goal for 2013 was to impact 1000 families face to face. In the last 30 days, we’ve exceeded 300 and expect to pass that goal in the next six weeks. Much of this is 1-1.In the next six weeks, we will be presenting live for over 60 hours. The average pastor will present 10 hours in the same period. Much of our presentation will be bilingual and all of it will occur outside my personal cultural background. The average pastor/leader never does either of these because they are ten times more exhausting than staying within your personal culture zone or niche. The Community Transformation Initiative is not called to be average. Our aim is transformation.

Our commitment and high level schedule:

General Ministerial Conference – Dallas July 24-26

East Zion Men’s Leadership – July 26th 7pm

Telemundo Radio 33.1 – July 27th Interview on Matamoros outreach 2:30pm to 3pm

Rewrite – Mentoring – Life Church July 31st

Fearless Weekend – Tabitha Baptist East OKC Aug 2,3,4

Fearless Weekend – Regrese de Clase – CAREVI – Matamoros, Mex Aug 8-12

Watch DOG Launch – Back to School – Tulakes NW OKCAug 16

Watch DOG Launch – Epperly Heights – Del City – date tba

Outreach Planters Training – OKC Aug 23-25

Schools of Prayer – West OKC – Aug 7, Sept 4

Dad’s University – Online Fall Semester Aug 20-end of term