lets-talk

The 4 Components of Man

Thu, 04 Jul 2013 14:41:33 +0100

This week we celebrated Father's Day at Chosen Generation Ministries and of course we did it in true CGM fashion. Pastor P used this time to reveal to us the 4 Components of Man. He explained that Jesus, our example, displayed each characteristic during his earthly ministry and that He sets the standard for men.
The 4 components are:

King
Warrior
Lover, and
Friend

Each component has a focus and if they are demonstrated out of proportion, they are distorted and may cause problems in relationships. The King, in balance is focused on righteousness and exhibits strong conviction. When out of balance King becomes tyrant or, on the other end of the spectrum, passive, The Warrior is full of conquering energy and drive. When this facet is out of balance they exhibit the characteristics of either a wimp or a destroyer. Everybody loves the Lover. The Lover is full of romance and tenderness with healthy doses of emotional availability. When on hyper drive, this facet becomes cold or critical. Last but certainly not least is the friend. This face abounds in loyalty, they love a challenge and are looking for fun. Out of balance they become users or loners.

So what's a guy to do? Well we're not saying you should change your whole personality but if you operate more in one characteristic, Pastor P mentioned that you could ask the Holy Spirit to consecrate it and bring it in line. Also he told us about Proverbs 27:17 where it says that "Iron sharpens iron...". Locate other men that are operating in the facet that you need more of and learn from them.

You know, much more was shared than what I can say here so why not do yourself the favor of checking our Happy Hour on Thursdays at 7 PM and Sunday Service at 12 PM.

It's Alive!

Fri, 14 Jun 2013 05:17:15 +0100

Ok. I usually end this with the thought that you might want to join us on Sunday but not this time. This week, I must start there. You see, each week I write an entry letting you all know what I heard at church the Sunday before. I think that’s cool but you must understand that, sure, I take pages and pages of notes but they all pass through my filter. What stands out to me may be because I am who I am.

I wouldn’t have given this a second thought. but for a conversation with my cousin after church. The young lady and I were at the same service. We both were in the room as we went over some pretty key points like.

Unhealthy people will distort healthy relationships to make them line up with what they already believe.
God the Father has made provision to be a Father to the fatherless (Psalm 68:5)
At the moment you are experiencing a reaction to someone's behavior, that is the time to reply with what God says about the individual instead of what you see - Utilizing the spiritual to affect change in the natural.

Yep, we were in the same room, hearing the same words but the word is alive. It spoke to our needs differently and the takeaway she received was quite different from mine. Each of us heard something for our own lives. Join us this coming Sunday and receive your own takeaway.See you there.

So, How Do You Know?

Wed, 05 Jun 2013 04:00:33 +0100

This week at Chosen Generation Ministries, we continued our study of unhealthy relationships. After a quick refresher of last week’s information we covered a bit more ground by discussing the question of responsibility in interactions. It was revealed that “I am responsible to you but not for you”. I am responsible to you, in the sense that I need to treat you with respect but I can’t be responsible for how you react to it. How freeing to know that, yes, I am required to treat you with respect but, no, what you do with that is not mine.

We then explored how to know when a relationship is about to cross over into unhealthy. Invariably, it starts with words. We have all heard the childhood chant of sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me. How wrong this is. Words can punch like a fist or cut like a knife and the damage is invisible to the naked eye. It is amazing though, how much your connection to the speaker has to do with how the spoken word is processed. If you have a close or love attachment with the speaker, it is not uncommon to first receive the words and then possibly filter them. If the person speaking is a mere acquaintance, it is usually filtered and then received. As we grow healthier, we will grow the capacity to first filter incoming words regardless of the source.

I would encourage you to join us as we take the time to really learn how to recognize and then process the prevalence of unhealthy and abusive relationships in our lives. I am enthused that not only am I gaining this knowledge but my tween son is being exposed to it at an early age. Then we can both be equipped to deal with the many different relationships that will enter (and some leave) our lives. See you next Sunday.

Relationships are hard…when they’re unhealthy.

Wed, 29 May 2013 13:55:39 +0100

A couple of weeks ago, Pastor P started a new series. At that time the law enforcement community asked pastors to take the time to confront the problem of domestic abuse. Because Chosen Generation Ministries is all about transforming, edifying and enriching lives, we couldn’t gloss over the subject by calling abusive behavior unacceptable and continuing business as usual. As pastor says, “Write this down: When loving you is hurting me, who has to change?”(Hint: the answer is “me”)

Sure, abusive behavior is horrendous but “People do what they do, because they believe what they believe” so consider that it really isn’t going to do much good waiting for someone who must believe they are right doing wrong to change their minds. So to that end, we are taking the time to really explore the differences between healthy and unhealthy relationships and quite frankly, I cannot blog all the knowledge that was dropped on us Sunday. Like how healthy relationships cultivate growth and unhealthy relationships seek to stifle growth because they see it as a threat. Wow. You have got to be there next Sunday and you’ll see what I mean.

Mother's Day Service

Thu, 16 May 2013 02:02:07 +0100

This Sunday at Chosen Generation Ministries(CGM) we were treated to a service led by Mrs. Gloria Cooley. Her unique journey gave us insights on what it means to be a mother and receive mothering. Gloria shared how her church, CGM offers her an environment of comfort and regardless of what she needed to say, that she (as well as the rest of us) would be treated with love and respect and allow healing to come.

The thing about motherhood is that it does not necessarily have to be your mother to offer it. Gloria lost her mom at a young age and she was surprised at how many different avenues God used to get her the guidance and love that she needed. Although specific memories of her Mom remain with her she was grateful for the aunts, cousins, girlfriends, and neighbors that would step into that needed position as she grew.

Gloria also shared with us the faith it took for her to become a mother and getting assistance in times of need continue to support her in her role. The service was touching, heartfelt and totally what a Mother’s Day service is all about. Hopefully you were able to spend some time with the mothers in your life last Sunday but if you didn’t why not pick them up and swing by Chosen Generations Sunday service this Sunday? You don’t want to miss it.

Chele

Guess Who Missed It.

Wed, 08 May 2013 04:27:08 +0100

This week at Chosen Generation Ministries we took the time to hear awesome testimonies from four of "God's Girls" who accompanied Pastor P & his family to a Women's Conference in Maryland on Saturday.

The Tree of Life Christian Ministries in Clinton Maryland held their Wilt Thou Be Made Whole Women's Conference and our very own pastor ministered. I would love to tell you how great it was first hand but alas, I was unable to attend but there is good news: during Sunday's service I heard from Chris Belton, Lisa Strange, Meredith Tisdale and Audrey Lisbon who were gracious enough to share what they experienced before, during & after the conference. Each woman brought their own perspective of the event and gave us a glimpse into what they witnessed. The overarching them that I received from their testimonies are these:

There are times that we see our situation through the lens of our own lives and we believe that we are the only ones going through what they are going through. By going to these types of gatherings that we can connect and see that we truly are not alone in our problems or our solutions.
We are truly blessed to be able to sit under the ministry of Pastor Paul Morgan. The vision he has for us along with the tools he gives us each week to truly seek the wholeness that God has purposed for us are something we dare not take for granted.

So even though I missed a great event, I have the opportunity to receive the type of teaching and healing I need on a weekly basis. Come to think of it, so do you. Why not join us on Sunday? See you there. Chele.

And so what we have learned applies to our lives today...

Wed, 24 Apr 2013 17:29:54 +0100

As some of you may know, I have a considerable commute every day (about an hour and twenty minutes one way) and when you have that kind of alone time, it becomes “time to think”. So this morning I am in my rolling fortress of solitude trying to figure out just how in the world I am going to sum up Sunday’s service. Miles pass as I drive that rural highway (of course doing the speed limit) and it dawns on me. I don’t have to figure this out.

You see Pastor P shared with us just how he envisions us. He shared that as we progress we should all be relying on the Holy Spirit to get things done rather than on our intellect or talents alone. He operates in this on a daily basis and wants us to be equipped that way too. Does that mean we stop preparing, learning and thinking. Of course not, but our sensitivity to the voice of the Holy Spirit and acting on His leading in real time could really make the difference in a situation.

The major thing I look forward to in church is learning something. I think it's great when I have that moment that I can tilt my head to the side and say “Oh!” This happens without fail every Sunday at Chosen Generation Ministries. This week we learned exactly how we are learning what we are being taught. The IDEA method was displayed by Jesus and is also the way we are learning. IDEA is an acronym that stands for (I) instruction, (D) demonstration, (E) experience, and (A) assessment. Jesus verbally taught His followers daily, using their daily routines to impart information. That covers the I. He modeled truth and let them observe his life as he lived it. Jesus never practiced the “Do as I say, not as I do” method because it simply doesn't work. His life was the proverbial “show and tell”. Pastor P and his wife demonstrate what they teach and are transparent to us. They are the same in the church as they are in the mall or their front yard, if you happen to drive by. (I find that most refreshing.) Jesus encouraged the disciples to participate in the ministry. They were not relegated to the side lines so everything could be done by one person. They experienced the ministry for themselves and were not spectators. Likewise, here at CGM, we are called to participate in different facets of ministry. Last but certainly not least was assessment. When things happened, there was a time when discussion between Jesus and His disciples took place, a debriefing, if you will, of what had happened and a question and answer session. I love that the disciples were able to ask Jesus questions when they needed more information. I also love that I don’t have to leave service confused by new concepts and ideas. I can ask my Pastor for clarification and information.

Whew. That seemed like a lot but it is truly amazing how much information you get from one service. Thank you VeggieTales for the title of this entry. I simply can't get QWERTY's song out of my head. See you next week!

Identity Theft of the Spiritual Kind.

Tue, 16 Apr 2013 21:04:36 +0100

I'm the mother of one video game loving young man so when the previews of Disney's Wreck It Ralph showed up last year I knew it was going to be must see viewing. Who knew there would be a lesson in it, similar to what we covered at Chosen Generation Ministries Sunday Service this week.

Pastor P went over how much identity has to do with every aspect of our lives. Seriously, everything we are, do, expect and experience flows out of our identity. We took a look at Luke 4:1-13 which details how when Jesus was tempted by Satan each attack started with a challenge to the identity of the Savior. The familiar refrain of “if you are the Son of God” must have been annoying but Jesus, knowing exactly who he was, remained unfazed. Pastor P reminded us that if we know who we are we simply don't have to prove it to anyone. Your identity is what everything flows through. Once you know who you really are in Christ you can live your life out of that knowledge rather than effort, works, and struggle.

So, what would your life look like if you were “God’s favorite”? Could you walk with confidence, knowing that all His anointing, favor, and power were on your side? Could you rest in the realization that you were the recipient of His unconditional love? Could you be sure of the fact that no one should be messing with you? On the other hand, what would the person who doesn't have that assurance of identity believe? If they thought they were a mistake, what kind of relationships would they attract? How about career choices? Would they be prone to success or self-sabotage?

No need for a spoiler alert, I won’t reveal the movie plot here but there is a character who has been lied to about who they are and that identity changes not only their outcomes but how others perceive them. Hmm, sounds familiar…Hey, I have to go but why not reset your own game and join us next week? This only covered about 10% of what went on this Sunday and the rest was awesome. See you next week.

That's What I Heard...

Tue, 09 Apr 2013 12:18:05 +0100

I might be the only one this has happened to but I doubt it. You go to a service, enjoy your time there but when asked, you can't rightly recall what the message was about (let alone how you can use what you learned). I know. just me, right? This used to happen but, I am happy to report, since attending services at Chosen Generation Ministries this "church amnesia" is a thing of the past.

This week, we continued our journey exploring "The Anatomy of a Thought” with Pastor P. I learned a while ago that I should mind what I say but without getting your thought life under control, the tongue is hard to tame. The bible does say in Matthew 12:24 that "out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks" [You know I had to Google it.]. Just like teens in high school enter a cafeteria and look for like-minded individuals to sit with, thoughts enter us through the door way of our senses and look for their “clique”. They have always said there is strength in numbers so we must be diligent to bring our thoughts captive. The force of those thoughts can get together and build structures (guardian lies if they happen to be bad thoughts) that can become a pretty strong influence on our conscious and sub-conscious beliefs.

We explored Deuteronomy30:19-20 as well as John 10:10-17 and were given the imprint equation (incident or data +emotional impact = imprint) that explains how incidents could have such an incredible hold without our acknowledging them. We also discussed how association of incidents and places can sometimes disrupt how we view or function in certain areas. For instance, your dining room table is for eating but if you find yourself paying your bills there, a residual of that sometimes less than pleasant task hangs out there waiting to disrupt next meal. Do you need to have a less than pleasant conversation? Don’t do it in your bed room if you want to have peaceful sleep or any other pleasant thing in there. Take that stuff to that restaurant you barely tolerate. That way you have two reasons to avoid it.

This was just a few of the things that went on. Next time, you just gotta be there so you can get it all. See you there!

What God tells me to do...

Sat, 03 Mar 2012 14:55:39 +0100