Dropping Heavenly Calls

"Prayerlessness is a spirit of independence from God." -Adrian Rogers

It's so awkward.

Terry had been listening to me talk for 30 seconds non-stop when I realized, "I'm not that interesting." Sure enough, I pulled the phone from my head to see those disheartening words:

Call Failed.

Lots of people have failed calls when it comes to God. It's not because He switched to Sprint or Boost Mobile. The problem is on your end.

So how can you connect with God through your prayers? Remember first that it's not an equation....

On knees + eyes closed = God's answer

But there are some important scriptures to remember as you attempt to connect with God through prayer.

James 5:16 (NIV)
"...the prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective."

Isaiah 59:2 (NIV)
"But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear."

The point: If you're not close to God, stop blaming Him for the silence.

If I fail to show love to my wife, should I expect quick and favorable responses from her? Probably not. She may still give them because she's just a great person, but there comes a point that she has to get my attention when I'm failing to truly connect with her.

So check yourself before you go blaming God for dropping your heavenly calls. Prayer isn't a puzzle. It's conversation with a God who wants to hear from you. So make the call, and admit to God that the shallow prayers and/or prayerlessness was a problem on your end. God is ready to hear!

Gone on Mission!

I doubt you're going to die...

But I'm not writing a blog for this week. I've been working on messages for the worship services of our World Changers mission trip to Muncie, IN. Honestly, I didn't have the brain power for anything else after that.

This is the first mission trip for our youth and I'd appreciate your prayers for their effectiveness for the gospel.

Thanks for hanging with me, and I hope to transition everything over to Pastortibbs.com very soon. If you subscribe, nothing will change for you, and I'll ensure that you can still find these articles if you care!

Exchanging achieve for believe!

I hate learning. 

Maybe I should qualify that statement. I really hate learning how little I know.

I have been listening to lots of church leadership podcasts as I go on bike rides or drive, and there are so many issues being brought up before me.

• Does our parking meet the needs of our sanctuary seating?
• Do we have 80% of our worship attendance involved in small group Bible studies?
• And roughly 50 billion other things to remember.

I'm a teacher probably more than I'm a pastor. I love leading people to depth in Jesus, and I hate the logistics of ministry. Where's UPS on that one?

So when I read Genesis 15:6 in my devotional time recently, the Holy Spirit gave me a great comfort.

"Abraham believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness." (Genesis 15:6)

God didn't credit Abraham for working harder, but believing harder! So I'm reminded that what God wants to do in my church is not about my ability to plan. It's not about my ability to achieve.

It's about my ability to believe.

Jesus said to seek His Kingdom and righteousness first. And seeking requires belief in a God who's ready to work if we'll stop trying to do so much of it by ourselves. 

Can You Question God?

"Because answers exist only to questions." -Mungara Krishnamurti

Second Sermon is changing. It's been a great opportunity to sharpen my skill and focus on where my writing should go.

My passion is to drive myself and you to a greater devotion to the Bible and to prayer. So my writing will direct that way, and I hope you find it to be a benefit. In fact, this entire site will get a face lift and update very soon. So thanks for your comments and with that....

Is it OK to question God? Reading in Job 38, God begins His response to many of Job's questions and complaints with a pretty strong response:

"Dress for action like a man; I will question you, and you make it known to me." Job 38:3

God's response to Job doesn't mean you should never ask God questions. The test is whether you are asking questions of God, or simply questioning God.

Asking questions of God is prudent, but questioning God is prideful. Be sure you make the distinction. Job 38:2-3

— Heath Tibbetts (@HeathTibbetts) July 6, 2015

For example, the prophet Habakkuk asked God questions. Job questioned what in the heck God was thinking!

We all go through trials and difficulties as a believer, and when those days come, it's OK to be honest with God and ask Him questions. But be careful that you are seeking answers instead of assigning blame.