Does This Qualify as a Testimonial?

by | Mar 29, 2013 | discipleship, newsletter

     Every week, I sit eyeball to eyeball with guys and talk about what God is showing them in the word, where He’s moving them in their walk, and how they’re struggling or how I can pray for them (or both). Hopefully, the influence of one man and one God in his life makes an impact to the world around him.

     Recently, a guy told me that he called his wife to let her know he was praying for her. She unknowingly gave me the coolest complement in her response when she asked him, “Are you meeting with Aarron right now or something?”.
     “No, I’m just at work.”
     Honored. Humbled. Invigorated and encouraged.

Question for Men:
     What man (or, men) are so intentionally in your face and your life that their influence is clearly marked for the positive in your marriage, your conversation, and your witness in the marketplace?

Speaking Life to Those in Need

by | Mar 29, 2013 | news, speak life, support

     This year, God has kept the door open for us to serve between 7 and 10 families who are “working poor” and in need of a little relief. Donated food, money, gas cards, and a ton of prayer have provided a sustaining breath of life to dozens of men, women, and children from Fulton to Forsyth to Hall counties. One supporter pitched in $500 last quarter that helped one family keep their lights and gas on, as well as providing $200 in gas/food cards for two local families. “Karen”, a single mom of 5 with 2 jobs, was ecstatic. 

“[My ex-husband] is behind on child support this month and was $1,000 short last month and late the month before… I don’t know what we would have done [without this gift].”

     Thank you, to all who believe in this program and have by prayer or support contributed. You are truly speaking the life of Christ into tight circumstances.

     To support Speak Life specifically with a one time gift, click on the icons below. To support this program as a regular monthly or quarterly giver, use the same links, just enter “monthly” or “quarterly” in the notes field at checkout.

Financial Support – 3 Ways to Help Others

by | Mar 29, 2013 | newsletter, support

Status Update?

     As of today, God has funded the first quarter, 2013 more fully than ever before. In fact, historically, while we’ve hovered around 50% funding, this year, we’re less than $6,000 from meeting our projected need for the entire quarter. WOW. Normally, that’s closer to $7-8,000.

     As is often the case, God has also provided some matching funds ($2,250) to help us reach this need, available until April 15th. Total need is about $5,600 for the quarter.

What Does That Mean?
     Now is a great time to join us financially and in prayer: when matching funds are on the table, your giving counts doubly. $100 brings a $100 matching gift and provides $200 to help us realign lives with the Way, the Truth, and the Life of Jesus Christ. Discipleship matters. Your support counts. Until 4/15, it counts double.
  1. Support now. Click on any of the links or icons below to support online through our secure online giving portal.

    • To give by check, make check out to Seasons of Life Ministries and mail to us at:

              3482 Keith Bridge Rd., Suite 285, Cumming, GA 30041.

    • For strategic, planned giving through National Christian Foundation, go to www.nationalchristian.com or call them locally at 404.252.0100 or toll free at 800.681.6223 to open an account or inquire on giving and giving strategies.
  2. Pray: that God will raise up supporters to help meet the current need and maintain our current regular supporters.
  3. Spread the word: Invite your small group, business, or friends to join us in support by leading them to our blog, Facebook page, or website where they can learn more about one on one discipleship, Speak Life, That Day or other ministry outlets of Seasons of Life Ministries.

     To support at any level with a one time gift, click on the links or icons below. To support at any level as a regular monthly or quarterly supporter, use the same links, just enter “monthly” or “quarterly” in the notes field at checkout.

     A few specific, current needs include:

  • $48 for postage

  • $150 for diapers, gas, and childcare for a “Speak Life” single mom

  • $300 to scholarship 4 teens to an upcoming youth conference 

  • $1,200 for upcoming payroll and payroll tax needs for staff

Discipleship Update – Putting Clutter to Death

by | Mar 29, 2013 | clutter, discipleship, Men Step Up, newsletter, ONE TH1NG

 “Highly productive, well rested, God focused, and ready for anything.“
     Describe you? Last year, God began stirring in me a desire to break from a number of bad habits… or perhaps a lifestyle. Through a few secular books, he opened my eyes to productivity principles that had been “hiding in plain view” right there in the scriptures. After compiling weeks of study, hours of notes, months of application and “tweaking” and publishing several blog posts, I was invited to speak to two groups of men over the course of about 4 months: Men Step Up – Gwinnett, and ONE TH1NG in Alpharetta, GA.

Eliciting feedback from the men at the tables of ONE TH1NG

     The results are still to be calculated, having directly reached 90-100 men from 15 different churches, dozens of businesses, and an untold national impact through our blog and FB pages. Many of the men were struck between the eyes when it comes to the concepts of clutter, workflow management, organization, and the stewardship of ideas: “most of us have never been taught how God sees it.” Clutter and disorganization all come from one source: a divided heart. And, only a heart fully surrendered to one Master can keep from being caught up in the rat race.

“You can’t worship two gods at once. Loving one god, you’ll end up hating the other. Adoration of one feeds contempt for the other. You can’t serve both God and [stuff]. (Mt. 6:24 MSG)”
     Conversations among the many men pinned this down: our schedules are the most clutter friendly arenas in life and regardless of the type of clutter we battle, the losers are most often and severely our families. 
     God’s word does not return void and did not for any of these men. Today, I’m still receiving occasional texts from guys to tell me that they’ve just eliminated hundreds (on guy, thousands) of emails from their inbox and have begun to experience what David Allen calls the freedom of “Captain and Commander” mode. This information may soon be available in eBook format and as a half day workshop for men in the marketplace. Inbox me or keep your eyes on our pages for details and updates.

Other Updates:

  • While our Facebook page now has over 150 “Likes”, the blog now has over 12,000 views, and our YouTube channel now has over 200 subscribers and more than 4,300 video views!

  • Aarron was recently asked to join Echo Ministries’ Board of Elders and will be serving a term as an elder for ministry leader, Greg Ford.

  • Aarron is currently rehearsing “That Day” in preparation for soon to be announced performances in the metro-Atlanta area. Stay tuned to Facebook and the blog for updates.

Gay Marriage and "Equality"

by | Mar 29, 2013 | Christ, Gay Marriage, grace

In the Shadow of the Gay Marriage Debate     In the shadow of the gay marriage debate is the shadow of something even bigger…  a pair of beams weighing over 100 lbs… tied together, stuffed into the earth, and casting a 10′ shadow… “What? What is he talking about?!” We’ll get there…

     A lot of us who profess the name of Christ are at risk of being distracted by a very emotional news story that just so happens to be going on at a time when our hearts and minds should be focused on the most important story of all… the Resurrection. Across America, people are talking about “marriage equality”… Apart from Christ, we already have equality – we’re equally wicked and guilty of eternal crimes against an eternal God… Bent on our own agenda, the agenda of the flesh: “me”. But, there’s good news… It’s “Good” Friday…

      Today, I’m not here today to comment on whether gay marriage should or should not be legal. Nor am I worried about the Supreme Court’s decision(s): I believe in a God who has seen these court cases’ outcomes before the world began and will not be thwarted in His plans either way. I’m not here to hate anyone or judge anyone outside the faith. Is homosexuality a sin? I firmly believe so, because of what God has said about it consistently throughout scripture. If you don’t believe scripture, you’re not the center of this discussion. 
 
     Actually, as a man who came out of that lifestyle, I pray you come to know the same peace, freedom, and joy available on the other side of the cross. I’m also grateful for God’s deliverance, knowing that only He could truly know or change my heart… or “theirs”. I’m here today to remind us all that it is Passion week. You’re either blind or not on Facebook if you haven’t seen the red banner with the equal sign standing for “marriage equality”. Once you discovered what it meant, some of you expressed annoyance at its ubiquity, others excitement. But, I’m here to remind you that however you see it, you have something even bigger to be annoyed about… or excited… or both:

We “all fall short.”
There you go. Equality, Romans 3:23 style.

Equally Short of the Glory of God
      One of the strengths of the one-on-one discipleship work I get to do is transparency. I’m honest about my faults and shortcomings. For example, this week I yelled at my wife once. Nothing I’m proud of. And it’s a sin. I called someone I didn’t know a moron (‘raca’). I told a “little white lie” to someone about how late I was going to be. I dwelled on a lustful thought for more than 1.5 seconds. Ok, it wasn’t this week, it was yesterday. But, I’m a Christian… not The Christ. I was distracted from the cross. Ever been there? Good news is, because of that red banner of blood, shed by the perfect Savior, casting that shadow on the hill of the skull – I’m acquitted. Ever been… there? Liberating.

My Responsibility, My Prayer
      Let me not forget this week… especially this week… that a man died a vicious death 2,000 years ago not so I could marry who I want… or so you could marry who you want… or so “they” could… But, to marry me – an otherwise wretched sinner – to a perfect, loving, Holy God from whom my sin estranges me and makes me irreconcilable. Let me not forget, while fingers are pointing at “them” that sin… my sin… made me a “them”, against God and put every nail into the Christ. Let me not simply repent next time I sin and move on to the next thing… Let me honor the cross… its Messiah… its stains… its shadow… its inequality that a man who did no wrong should suffer for my wrongs… Let me do that despite all that’s going on in the news… on the web… in my own heart. 

Our Responsibility
      Let us all not allow one, small shadow to overshadow the most important shadow: the shadow of the suffering Christ who reconciles us to Him despite our constant rebellion. Let us remember that “reconcile” means “to bring into agreement or harmony; make compatible or consistent”. We’ll never have equality with God, but in Christ, we’re finally… equally… compatible…

     Equality… achieved at Calvary. Available only to the penitent, in the shadow of the cross, for the price of a confession: “Jesus paid it all… for all who confess with their mouths that Christ is Lord and believe in their hearts that God raised Him from the dead. (see Rom. 10.9)“

Happy Resurrection Sunday.

in the shadow of the cross,

 
AP