Firm Foundation with Bryan Hudson

The Nicodemus Factor | Spaces & Places

John 3:1-8 | Nicodemus was not so much looking for Jesus as he was looking for a change in his space. He was not content or satisfied with his place in life. He was looking for something different and something better.

The Best Things. The Best Plan. | Kingdom Best Practices

There are a lot of things to do in the world. There’s a lot of things to believe.
God’s kingdom is the best thing. God’s will is the best plan.
Matthew 4:16 The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light, And upon those who sat in the region and shadow of death Light has dawned.” 17 From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”  18 And Jesus, walking by the Sea of Galilee, saw two brothers, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. 19 Then He said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.” 20 They immediately left their nets and followed Him.
Following Jesus makes you better.
God’s kingdom is like light that shines. It is always the best and brightest light. I’ve told you many times that one of the first things we were told in art school was to discard dim lights and buy bright lights.
Daniel 3:24 “This is the interpretation, Your Majesty, and this is the decree the Most High has issued against my lord the king: 25 You will be driven away from people and will live with the wild animals; you will eat grass like the ox and be drenched with the dew of heaven. Seven times will pass by for you until you acknowledge that the Most High is sovereign over all kingdoms on earth and gives them to anyone he wishes. 26 The command to leave the stump of the tree with its roots means that your kingdom will be restored to you when you acknowledge that Heaven rules.
Nebuchadnezzar could not rule in his domain until he understood that “Heaven rules” (God’s domain or Kingdom). Dan. 3:26, “…Your kingdom will be restored to you when you acknowledge that Heaven rules.
Definition of best: Of the highest quality, excellence, or standing: the best work; the best students. most advantageous, suitable, or desirable: the best way, most productive of good :  offering or producing the greatest advantage, utility, or satisfaction
Definition of 'Best Practices: A set of guidelines, ethics or ideas that represent the most efficient or prudent course of action. Best practices are often set forth by an authority, such as a governing body or management, depending on the circumstances. While best practices generally dictate the recommended course of action, some situations require that such practices be followed.’
Kingdom best practice:
Following: Proverbs 16:20, Whoever gives heed to instruction prospers, and blessed is he who trusts in the LORD.
Praying: Philippians 4:6, Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
Caring: 1 Corinthians 12:24 But God composed the body, having given greater honor to that part which lacks it, 25 that there should be no schism in the body, but that the members should have the same care for one another.
Serving: Galatians 5:13 For you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters. But don’t use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love.
Giving: Prov. 3:9 Honor the Lord with your possessions, And with the firstfruits of all your increase
Honoring: Romans 12:9, Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good. 10 Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another; 11 not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord
Preaching: Luke 9:6, So they departed and went through the towns, preaching the gospel and healing everywhere.
Humility: Philippians 2:2 Complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. 

The Best Things. The Best Plan. Vision for 2014

"...Your kingdom come, your will be done, In EARTH [in me, in us, in my community and world] as it is in heaven!" Matthew 6:10

Going to the Next Level | "This Place of Grace"

Going to the Next Level, Part 3
This Place
Romans 5:1 (NLT) Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory. 3 We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. 4 And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. 5 And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love" ~ Romans 5:2 (NLT)
Your perception of “Your place” or “position” greatly affects your understanding of how God is working in your life. It also affects how you handle situations in your world.
Grace is that place: “Grace in which we stand.” The word he uses for introduction is prosagoge. It is a word with two great pictures in it.
1. It is the regular word for introducing or ushering someone into the presence of royalty; and it is the regular word for the approach of the worshipper to God. It is as if Paul was saying, "Jesus ushers us into the very presence of God. He opens the door for us to the presence of the King of Kings
2. It is the word for the place where ships come in, a harbor from a storm or long journey.
All this sounds good, but how does it help you deal with your difficult circumstances? Remember that when Paul wrote this, it was difficult to be a Christian in Rome. Paul himself faced very difficult circumstances.
The process of standing in your place and grace:
FROM:
Tribulations/Troubles: The Greek word doe trouble thlipis means “Pressure.” There are situations that press upon you.
TO:
Perseverance/Endurance/Fortitude: The Greek word for endurance is hupomone means more than endurance as in “hanging in there.” Hupomone means the spirit which can overcome the world; it means the spirit which does not passively endure but which actively overcomes the trials and tribulations of life.
In the 17th Century, Beethoven was threatened with deafness at the age of 26. Losing one’s hearing is tragic for a musician. Beethoven showed hupomone or fortitude by continued to compose and write great symphonies. He used devices such as an ear horn. He even placed in head on the piano to faintly hear and feel the notes.
TO:
Character: The Greek word for character is dokime. Dokime is a picture of metal which has been passed through the fire so that everything impure has been purged out. In your place of grace when trouble meets with fortitude, you emerges from the battle victorious, stronger, and purer, and better, and nearer God.
TO:
Hope
Two people can deal with the same situation. The difficulty can drive one of them to despair. For the person who dwells in the place of grace, the difficulty only drives him to triumphant action.
"I do not like crises," said Lord Reith, "but I do like the opportunities they provide."
Here is a strange statement: When you change, your circumstances will begin to change.
Ephesians 2:19 Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, 20 having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, 21 in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, 22 in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.

Out of Comfort Zone...Into the Blessing Zone

Out of the Comfort Zone, Into the Blessing Zone
1 John 3:18 "Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.”
Colossians 3:23 And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, 24 knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ.
I want to encourage us today. We are into something that is actually rare among churches today. We are doing something around Christian-time that is very odd.
That rare something is actually ministering to people outside the walls of our church building.
That odd thing about Christmas is that we are making Christmas about Jesus.
Remember the term "Comfort Zone?" We used to talk about staying out of Comfort Zones, because it was a place of operating below God's best and outside our highest purpose. The best way I know to get out of a Comfort Zone, and into the middle of God's will, is to pray then go serve and help people through love.
In the Bible, we see Jesus operating outside of Comfort Zones, praying and ministering to people in all kinds of places. As a matter of fact, if Jesus had stayed in His Comfort Zone, we could never have been saved! If someone did not leave their Comfort Zone to talk to me about Christ, I would not be saved and serving God in ministry for 30+ years!
Don’t underestimate the impact of popular culture and religious mindsets. Even Jesus dealt with it.
Mark 7:1, Then the Pharisees and some of the scribes came together to Him, having come from Jerusalem. 2 Now when they saw some of His disciples eat bread with defiled, that is, with unwashed hands, they found fault. 3 For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they wash their hands in a special way, holding the tradition of the elders. 4 When they come from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they wash. And there are many other things which they have received and hold, like the washing of cups, pitchers, copper vessels, and couches.
5 Then the Pharisees and scribes asked Him, “Why do Your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashed hands?” 6 He answered and said to them, “Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written: ‘This people honors Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me. 7 And in vain they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’ 8 For laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men —the washing of pitchers and cups, and many other such things you do.” 9 He said to them, “All too well you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition.
The Pharisees were the standard bearers of the religious culture of their day. The started out defending the Word of God, but in time began to substitute their traditions for the Word of God.
Today, we’ve substituted church service for serving God. Listen, this is NOT service. This is a church meeting. This is our time to gather for worship, celebration, community, learning, fellowship, and blessing. What we call the “church service,” but this is not where we fully serve God.
However, today in church culture, the church service is where nearly everything happens, especially on Sunday morning. We’ve trained people to totally focus all their preparation, efforts, training, rehearsals, prayers, and serving on the Sunday church service, because that is the pinnacle of our service to God. The problem is, this is not something we find in the Bible. It is not something we see in the ministry of Jesus Christ, or in Books of Acts, or something taught in the epistles.
We think that every problem can be solved by an anointed sermon and laying of hands...at church.
While in Africa, I spoke with the pastor who operates the orphanage that we visited. This brother runs an excellent ministry for children who have been abandoned by or have lost their parents. We met a brother and sister they had recently taken in, who saw the father kill their mother and then kill himself. I asked about how he organizes if orphanage and gets sponsorship for children. He works with people around the world, including the USA. I asked how many sponsors are African American. He said, “none.” There has never been a black person or church to sponsor one of his children.
I thought to myself, “I understand that.” In our culture, we don’t do outreach. We don’t do missions. We don’t sponsor orphans. The only we do, by in large, is have church. We too busy trying to add blessing to our blessing.
We can easily think of many examples of how moving out of a Comfort Zone positively impacted our lives, or the lives of others.
2 Corinthians 4:5 (NLT) You see, we don’t go around preaching about ourselves. We preach that Jesus Christ is Lord, and we ourselves are your servants for Jesus’ sake.
Serving advances God’s Kingdom

5 Life-Altering Benefits of Giving Thanks

Giving Thanks is the container that allows us to hold blessings, benefits and responsibilities
If a store gave you the gift of a 30 minute shopping spree, you don’t want use a little shopping basket. Get the biggest shopping cart they have.
Eph. 5:15 See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, 16 redeeming the time, because the days are evil. 17 Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is. [Giving Thanks] 18 And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit, 19 speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, 20 giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, 21 submitting to one another in the fear of God.[c]

Let Your Seasons Sing | Patricia Hudson

Isaiah 55:12 For you shall go out with joy, And be led out with peace; The mountains and the hills shall break forth into singing before you, And all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.

Go Join Yourself to The Chariot

Acts 8: 29 Then the Spirit said to Philip, “Go near and overtake this chariot.” 30 So Philip ran to him, and heard him reading the prophet Isaiah, and said, “Do you understand what you are reading?” 31 And he said, “How can I, unless someone guides me?”

From Emptiness to Fullness: "Let Down Your Nets"

Jesus: The Turnaround Specialist
Part, 4 - Turning Emptiness into Fulness
Luke 5:1 So it was, as the multitude pressed about Him to hear the word of God, that He stood by the Lake of Gennesaret, 2 and saw two boats standing by the lake; but the fishermen had gone from them and were washing their nets. 3 Then He got into one of the boats, which was Simon’s, and asked him to put out a little from the land. And He sat down and taught the multitudes from the boat. 4 When He had stopped speaking, He said to Simon, “Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.” 5 But Simon answered and said to Him, “Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing; nevertheless at Your word I will let down the net.” 6 And when they had done this, they caught a great number of fish, and their net was breaking. 7 So they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink. 8 When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!” 9 For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish which they had taken; 10 and so also were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid. From now on you will catch men.” 11 So when they had brought their boats to land, they forsook all and followed Him.
There is a greater purpose for us in the plan of God than we have realized. The unfolding of this purpose awaits a Challenge of Faith to awaken it. We need a rhema word from God to issue that challenge. In the midst of the challenge, we need to look for the larger purpose of God. Once it is found, we must give ourselves completely to it _ since it will become our destiny.
PDF of notes: http://www.newcovenant.org/mp3/Emptiness_to_Fullness.pdf

Jesus' Fullness, Grace for Grace | Wednesday Bible Study 10-16-13

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. John bore witness of Him and cried out, saying, “This was He of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me is preferred before me, for He was before me.’” And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace. For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. (John 1:14-17)