Brad Liebe

Hope is such an interesting thing. How do you really describe “HOPE”?? What is the difference in those moments of life that we are hopeful and those periods that we feel hopeless? One gives so much joy, peace and anticipation… the other absolute despair, despondence and at times downright depression.

I am not an old man, but am getting older. I have experienced some pretty substantial public and private success; unfortunately, I have also experienced some major public and private failures. What I have found in life is that hope does not come from my present day circumstances, even though I have found it is easier at times to be hopeful when things are going well! Hope doesn’t lie in the moment, hope is a word used for the future. Do I have hope that things will turn out well? Do I have hope for tomorrow? Do I have hope that my life will matter? Do I have hope that the future will have happiness? Do I have hope that my children will have a future? Hope is about tomorrow, not today.

If it was up to the resources, relationships and abilities that I have I would find myself hopeless very often. What gives hope? Psalm 33:20 says, “We wait in hope for the LORD; he is our help and our shield.” Hope is not about what we have or where we are at. Hope is about perspective. Whether in the best seasons, or the most difficult of life, we can have hope. Why? Our Hope is in the Lord! Keep your perspective right today, and that will provide the hope we need!

Pastor Brad

The other day I was working on a project, an assignment I had for myself. Sometimes when I work, things just seem to happen easily, go better than I hoped for, and just click. Other times it is hard, difficult, and even painful. This was one of those days, hard and painful… and this task was definitely one of those assignments. I finally got to the point that I was done to an “acceptable” level. I had met the deadline, and the needed minimum was completed. I sat back and felt a sense of relief. I was done… I could move on. Then it hit me.

What I had done was “good enough”…. But it wasn’t great. It wasn’t all it could be. That twinge of conviction started to hit me… then my own voice was replayed in my mind. That voice that I hate to hear. It asked me this simple question: is the goal of your life to just make it? To just get it done? Or is the goal to excel and exceed? In that moment I had a choice to make. Tell the voice inside me to go away… this was good enough, or to turn the computer back on and get to work.

As you go about your day, your week, and ultimately your life my hope for you is that “good enough” will never be good enough. I can’t help but think of the words of Jesus as he looked at the thousands who needed to be fed after he had taught them all day. His trusted disciples looked at him and said… “Send them home! They are hungry and tired. We have nothing to give them. We have already done a lot.” Jesus looked back at his disciples and said, “No… that would be good enough for many, but not for me, and ultimately not for you my disciples. We can do better than that. You, you feed them”. After that the miracles happened and thousands were fed!!

How many miracles in your life are just waiting on the other side of “good enough”?? Push through…and move into the better than you could have ever imagined!

I believe in you!

Pastor Brad

I am sure I will hear arguments from many about this, but I really believe I love my children as much as, or more than, any other father has ever loved his kids. I have three children who genuinely brighten my day. They seem to all have a special gift that God has placed inside of them which I believe was put there specifically for me. My oldest daughter Karissa has an ability to nurture and take care of people, and Kourtney makes me laugh and brings energy to every room she walks into. Then there is Braxton. Braxton is my 9 year old son.

When Braxton was born, I was a little worried that being in a  house with his mother and two sisters all day would cause him to just morph into his sisters’ personality. He spent every day at home with his mother and sisters… what else would I expect? Wow… was I wrong! Braxton is his own “little man” as I call him. He is full of life, sees the best in everyone, and believes everything is possible. It has truly never occurred to him when he wakes up every morning that this won’t be the best day ever! He is an eternal, natural optimist in all things.

The single trait that may encourage me the most about Braxton is that he really is thankful for everything. He loves his dog Kenzy. He thinks his bowl of cereal and two pieces of toast in the morning with no butter and strawberry jam are incredible. Every day! If you ask him which of the 4 seasons of the year he likes the best, he truly cannot decide because he loves them all. He enjoys playing a game of tic-tac-toe as much as he loves a day at Disney World. He really is thankful for every moment of life.

The other day I came home after a particularly difficult day. I was mentally and physically fatigued. I was emotionally shot and frankly was not at the peak of my spiritual strength if truth be known. As I walked in the door I was greeted by my son yelling, “Daddy is home!” He came and gave me an unsolicited hug and then looked into my eyes and said, “Dad, I am so thankful you are my dad.” Why would he say that I thought??? I hadn’t done anything. And then it hit me…  He wasn’t thankful because I had done anything. He was thankful because being thankful is who he is.

The Bible tells us to learn to give thanks in all things. Are we thankful only when we get what we want? Or are we thankful because it is who we are? My son is only 9 but he has much to teach his father. I am working to be my like my little man.

Brad Liebe

The start of every year brings the wonderful custom of New Year’s resolutions. The thought is that this will be the year when all of the goals, aspirations, and dreams you had last year, and most likely for some years prior, will somehow be attained in the next 365 days.  Simply writing these elusive desires on a piece of paper, or speaking them into existence, seems to cause us to believe that this may be the year!

I have no desire to crush your hopes or be a pessimistic voice in your life. Frankly my goal is to be the opposite. I wish to be a beacon of hope and an encouragement to you so that you can truly accomplish all that you set your mind to. In truth, the vast majority of New Year’s resolutions not only do not take place, but they have fizzled and failed well before the month of January is over, let alone the year itself. Why is this so? Because so many of us have the great ability to hope and dream about things, but we do not invest the time, energy and resources into making these dreams,  desires, and resolutions come to reality.

Most resolutions I hear people say (meaning not the proverbial end to world hunger, but instead the desires for personal betterment, the desires for education, the desires to tell more friends about Christ… whatever it may be), are attainable dreams. Why have they not already happened? Perhaps it is because we have yet to be willing to pay the price to make them happen.

Maybe instead of asking “What is your New Year’s resolution or desire for this year?”  A better question would be “What price are you willing to pay this year that you were not last year in order to see your goals attained?”

Is this the year you are willing to set the alarm clock 30 minutes earlier and not hit the snooze?

Is this the year that you are willing to give up a day every month to donate your time to the food shelter?

Is this the year that you turn the TV off one night a week and legitimately engage your children in meaningful conversation?

Is this the year that you are willing to change the golf day to Saturday so you really can attend church every week and honor the Sabbath?

Is this the year that you are willing to cut up the credit cards and deny yourself the instant gratification of the purchase?

I think the reason why we have New Year’s resolutions is because it sounds so nice and the statement is filled with hope and optimism. Maybe this year what you and I should consider is the thought that hope and optimism is wonderful, but most great strides forward in life will also include sacrifice and dedication.

What will you dedicate yourself to this year? That is a question that is much harder to answer, but when answered honestly has a much greater success rate!

Praying and believing for great success for you this year!

Pastor Brad

I admit that some people think I am a little different in many ways. I am not the greatest at spending time reflecting on things of the past. My personality is such that I am much more engaged and excited about the things that are coming. I love to plan, strategize and dream about the possibilities of the future.

As we approach the end of this year, I am reminded of the multiple times in scripture that God is clear about the importance of taking time to remember. Not only does remembering what has happened teach you and guide you, it really does give you strength. If your memories this time of the year cause you great joy I encourage you to take a moment and give thanks. Thank God, thank those around you, thank your new employer… whoever it may be. If your memories are of struggle and difficulty, as much has those things are painful, they prove to you that God will sustain you and you truly can make it. Those memories give you the confidence that you can make it through the obstacles of your future.

The reality is that life is filled with all kinds of memories and all kinds of experiences. As we reflect on the memories of this last year, we should feel hopeful and confident that we can and will move into this next year with the ability to make it through all that life throws at us. We should feel excitement knowing that with every new day comes new opportunities and new possibilities.

Don’t let 2011 leave without taking moments to reflect. Then go into 2012 filled with excitement and determination that this coming year will be one of excitement, accomplishment and fulfillment. Maybe not all as we hope, but definitely more than we could hope for!!

Growing up, Christmas was always my favorite holiday.  I loved almost everything about it. I loved the presents, I loved the meals, I loved being together with all of my family and friends, and I loved getting out of school for an extended break. I loved the music, I loved the lights on the houses, I loved decorating the tree, and I even loved the church services with songs I liked. I loved the nativity scenes and the thought that I could hold my very own candle at the Christmas Eve candlelight services. I loved it all! Even as I write this, I can’t think of anything that I didn’t love and anticipate in the whole season of Christmas!

It is interesting for me to think about, because the simple reality is that not much of what I loved actually lived up to the excitement and the anticipation. The gifts were nice, but to be honest I don’t think Cornish hen is the best tasting meat and I could never eat the whole thing. I was never allowed use the candles at the candlelight service the way I wanted with my buddies, I could never actually do what I wanted with the flame. Christmas break from school was very nice, but I always got some extra chores around the house to fill some of the available time, and I always began to miss my friends from school. The time with extended family always had interesting moments, not the least of which was the 8 or 9 hour drive in the car with my sister to visit my grandparents in South Dakota.  We never did that well stuck in the car that long and always seemed to invoke the wonderful words from my father, “Don’t make me pull this car over”!

If truth be known, the reason many adults don’t have the same spirit and wonder in the Christmas season that we did as a child, is because we have lived through this season many times. The anticipation that we had as children has now been replaced by the knowledge of reality.

Reality is when we focus on those things that are real, those things that are worthy of the anticipation. When our focus is on the food, the gifts and the candles, (all wonderful in their own tradition, but all eerily hollow), we will find ourselves disappointed. However, when we find the truth of Christ we will never leave the Christmas season disappointed. Our anticipation will not only be rewarded with excitement, but also with wonder and awe! The reality is that God loved you and me so much, that He sent His Son to us. Wow! Just like the shepherds over 2,000 years ago who left their moments with the infant Jesus filled with awe, wonder and rejoicing, because as they left everything was just as they had anticipated (Luke 2:20).

Praying your Christmas is everything you anticipate it to be, and much more!

Pastor Brad

I am sitting here in my office Friday morning, excited to be home after a wonderful but long trip to Southeast Asia. As I sit here today, I realize I enjoy some of the routines of life very much. I come into the office, many days quite early. I love getting a cup of coffee, turning on my computer and getting my music going, (I have to admit I also like good candles!). The aroma and flavor of the coffee, the comfort of the music, (this morning is a soft classical Christmas medley) and the peacefulness of this environment are absolutely wonderful and soothing yet invigorating to me. I am thankful for the privilege of starting my day this way.

 As I sit here, my mind goes to the hundreds of Pastors and believers that I had the privilege to speak to and spend time with this last week in Northern Thailand. They came from all over Southeast Asia such as Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Burma, and other countries. They told stories of persecution, hardship, imprisonment, separation from families and loved ones, and difficulties I have never personally experienced. One Pastor talked of entire Buddhist villages that would not speak to him in any way. Yet as these Pastors spoke, as they sang, as they prayed, they did so with the most radiant smiles and appreciation for God’s goodness I have ever seen. They cried tears of joy when they talked of God’s provision and His blessings to them! This morning as I sit in this office, with all of the comforts that this wonderful country and this wonderful church provide me, those brothers and sisters in Christ have returned to their homes. They have returned to the difficulties and the persecution they live with everyday… and they have done so with joy! Their lives and their attitudes speak to me today… teach me this morning.

 As we go through this wonderful season of Christmas, let us never forget that the joy of the Lord is not, and was never meant to be, because of the blessings God could give us. It is because of the blessing He already gave us.  Two thousand years ago His incredible love to you and me was manifested when He sent His Son. That is the spirit of Christmas, the reality that we celebrate what God has already done for you, and for me. As you go through the realities of this life today, remember that you have reason to rejoice, to celebrate and to give thanks! Let the joy and the peace of Christmas permeate through you and me today as we remember that!

 Love you very much!
Pastor Brad

Wow! What a few days it has been!

I flew out the beginning of this week to spend some time both in Laos in ministry with Joe Gordon, and now teaching at a Pastors Conference in Northern Thailand. I write today very tired physically, but extremely excited with all that I have seen and been part of.

 Joe is doing an incredible job in Laos and throughout this whole region of Asia. I cannot tell you how extremely moved and motivated I was to see him and his family and the dedication they have to the Lord, and to do what God has called them to do. In the last couple of years they have seen hundreds of people not only come to Christ but also step up and follow Jesus in baptism. One of the highlights of my time there was the opportunity to speak to and pray with almost 40 leaders of the Bible groups they have all through the city.

 Laos is almost exclusively a Buddhist country and everywhere you turn there are Buddhist statues, temples and places of worship. Joe and I went out early one morning to see the Buddhist monks, many as young as 8 or 9, participate in their daily activity of walking through the town collecting food. They do this not only to supply the Temple and themselves with food and meet the needs of some of the needy, but also, and more importantly, to give the people the opportunity to get “good merits” by giving. There are lines of monks walking through the streets, and people sitting on their steps with pots of rice and food giving to every monk that passes by. This doesn’t take place once a week… but every day!

 I couldn’t help but feel a major sense of conviction. The commitment of those who have come to Christ to literally lose it all for the sake of Jesus is humbling. To be, in many cases, kicked out of their homes and ostracized by their family simply because they chose to follow this Jesus Christ of Nazareth. The sacrifice of the people of the community who had so little to still wake up every day and cook food, in most cases doing so when they themselves had so little, and to sacrificially give to the monks that came by, is amazing.

 I was surrounded by people who are more committed than me. Who sacrifice more than I sacrifice, and who are more dedicated than I am. God gave me a wonderful privilege to be stretched, broken, and challenged when I came to speak and to encourage.

 In this season of Christmas, the reality of Jesus has to be a whole lot more significant than a simple tradition and the festivities of the Holiday. The reality is that the King of Kings and Lord of Lords chose to make Himself one of us. To reach into the depths of where He found me… What commitment, sacrifice and dedication Jesus showed to me. How could I possibly give him less?

 Reflecting on my time in Laos… anticipating the days ahead!

As I approach this day of Thanksgiving I cannot help but find myself reflecting on how good God has been and is every day, both to me and to us. I love all the food, the activities, the food, and the football and especially the food! But what really stands out the most to me is how good God has been.

As I reflect for a moment my mind goes to the passage of scripture: Psalm 107:1 ”Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; His love endures forever.” This simple, short, yet powerful verse makes three things very clear.

The first thing it states is that we should give Thanks to the Lord. It doesn’t start with how we should be asking or expecting anything. What God has done for you already is worthy of your thanks. Not for only the provision or any other blessing, but for the fact that He is God, the fact that He sent His son to die for us, and to pay the price for our sin. If God never did another thing for us, He has already established He is worthy of our gratitude.

The second thing this scripture points out is that God is good. Have you ever stopped to reflect and meditate on the fact of just how good God is? It’s so easy to get so immersed in our daily life, and the needs and stresses of all that we live with that if we are not careful we have a tendency to forget, yes forget, that God is good. WE can find so much strength in the knowledge and the reminder that God is good!

The last thing this short verse says to us is that God is eternal. He not only always has been, but He will always be. The temporary difficulties, struggles and disappointments only pale in comparison to how good and how strong God is. He will outlive those hardships! He will be victorious!!

This Thanksgiving season, as you take a moment to reflect, remember to give thanks to the Lord for what He has already done. Take time to reflect on all the good things He has done, and allow yourself to become consumed with the fact that God is eternal… He is bigger than anything and everything we can and ever will face!

With those thoughts on our mind, it should become much easier to find ourselves not just being “thankful” but legitimately grateful! And a grateful heart is a happy heart!

I love you and am praying for you!!

Pastor Brad