Choosing Your Line

It's not hard to understand that looking forward is important if we charge down a mountain on a bicycle. There are obstacles and pitfalls along mountain trails that could cause us to crash. The most notable obstacles are rocks and trees. In mountain biking, choosing your line, refers to a bikers attentiveness to the trail ahead as he mentally plots a course to stay on the trail and navigate around obstacles. It also refers to the process a person takes in designing a mountain biking trail to flow with the features of the mountain yet avoid the obstacles. Looking forward to evaluate the paths we are on in the important arenas of life requires just as much attentiveness and prudence, but sometimes we just don't evaluate and plan our paths as we should.

• The prudent see danger and take refuge, but the simple keep going and suffer for it. (Proverbs 27:12)

In part one of Destinations,we were introduced to the principle of the path; direction, not intention, determines destination. In part two, we discussed how looking forward is the answer towards staying the course and directing our lives to the place we want to be relationally, financially, spiritually, etc. Proverbs 27:12 teaches us that to stay on course, we can't ignore the warning signs. It takes courage to take the first steps to right our course, but relief will follow. One of the best ways to maintain personal guard rails in our lives is to connect ourselves to a small group. Another is to seek input from the people around you that care and have the courage to encourage you.

We can't wait for the next Longleaf LIVE and Part 3 of Destinations on March 14. We're excited about our new venue and the direction of our church! We are certainly applying the principle of the path as we plot the course of Longleaf Church. See you on March 14!

Destinations

The Destinations message series is one of the most penetrating and relevant that you'll ever hear. The Principle of The Path that Andy introduces in Part 1 of this series is an intuitive truth. Direction, NOT intention, determines destination. We know this. We just struggle to apply it sometimes. There is often a disconnect between where we want to end up and the path we choose. We all need to course correct sometimes and persevere through circumstances to get where we want to be.

Because grace and truth can set us free, we can focus on course correcting today rather than allowing the the past to hold us captive. Here are two important questions to process:

1. If you continue on your current course, where will you end up?
2. Has anyone tried to warn you lately? Your conscience? Do you know anyone who has walked your path and ended up where you want to be relationally?

Everyone around Longleaf Church that knows me well will not be surprised to hear me say that connecting yourself to a Community Group is one of the best ways to create guard rails in your life that will help you (and me) stay the course. If you're not connected, contact us about getting connected. Over the next couple of weeks, let's ask ourselves the two questions above, read through Proverbs 7:6-27 and process The Principle of The Path in our lives.

I can't wait to see everyone on 2/28! Stay tuned for details...

WHY WORRY Part 1

If you been around me very much, you've probably heard me pose the question "what does that look like?" when discussing concepts or principles. In other words, I want to understand the practical realities of turning concepts or principles into action. At Longleaf LIVE last Sunday, Andy discussed a healthy tension for us to wrestle with in Part 1 of the Why Worry series. That healthy tension is; Our worry points to what we are devoted to in our hearts.....so, what are we devoted to? Jesus teaches that we can't serve our stuff while also serving him (Matthew 6:24). Furthermore, Jesus reminds us that anxiety and worry will not add a single hour to our lives and instructs us that perhaps we simply need to reorder our priorities (Matthew 6:27 - 6:34)

I have read through Matthew 6:24 - 6:34 this week and processed how this tension plays out in my life. On issues or challenges where I have shifted my focus to the things that I can do and trusted God to do only what he can do, some good things have happened. Those good things often seem to be people that enter my life at particular times or particular moments and answer my prayers in profound and encouraging ways. So, "what this looks like" for me are catalyst relationships. I shouldn't be surprised by this because God has always worked this way. I can't wait for Longleaf LIVE on 11/22 and Why Worry Part 2!!