1 Chronicles – The Family of David

Posted on May 11, 2011 by Dr. Matthew Lee Smith

Photo Credit: stickyjesus.com

Editor’s Note: We continue our series of blogs for those who are reading the Bible with us cover-to-cover this year. Interspersed with our thoughts on our daily reading, we want to provide some tips about reading the Bible in general.

1 Chronicles: The Spiritual Life of David (about 40 years)

In this section of the history of the Bible you can get a bit confused if you don’t realize that each pair of books – Samuel, Kings and Chronicles – were “stand alone” histories in their own right. When they were added to the Bible, they covered similar sections of history just as much as they revealed new material. 1 Chronicles takes us back to King David and shows us his spiritual life.

In this book we see the victories of King David. Missing are most of the failures we are more familiar with. Clearly the author intended for the reader to comprehend the cause-and-effect relationships between David’s spiritual lifestyle and his successes. We can break the book into six sections. Let’s look at section one today …

The Family of David (1-9)

In this section we can see:

  • The family traced from Adam to Jacob. (1)
  • The family traced from Jacob to David. (2)
  • The family traced from David to the captivity. (3)
  • The families of Israel traced. (4-8)
  • The families of the remnant from captivity traced. (9)

Remember the lesson of this section of God’s Word is similar to the end of 2 Kings, but with a different application: You are free to choose to follow God with all the passion of your life; and you are going to enjoy the rewards and blessings of a God who loves and lives in and through His people on Earth.

It is our hope that this background information helps a bit as you read on in the Bible.

For daily insights into the passage we are reading together each day, you can follow Dr. Smith on Twitter and on Facebook.

You can obtain more help from the FREE Bible reading schedule on our resource page. In His Image is a daily devotional that also follows our reading schedule and expresses the Biblical truth: “God Created You to Love You.” You can find this resource on the side bar of our website.

Host a “Reaching Your Community in Your Generation Weekend” in your area!

The world around us changes approximately every 18 months! Such change brings great challenges to our mission. Eagles In Leadership has designed a weekend to help you energize your congregation or organization to fulfill the Great Commission in your community. You can bring this weekend to your church or organization! You can learn more about how to do this here.


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H. Norman Wright Talks About Grief, Trauma and Loss

Posted on May 10, 2011 by Dr. Matthew Lee Smith

Mike Powers, Dr. H. Norman Wright, Jeanne Tropp (Mike’s Fiancee)

Our own Mike Powers caught up with Dr. H. Norman Wright recently and spoke to him about grief, trauma and loss and how it applies to our present situation as a nation and as God’s people.

H. Norman Wright is a licensed Marriage, Family and Child Therapist and he has taught in the Grad. Department of Biola University. He was former director of the Graduate Department of Marriage, Family and Child Counseling at Biola University, as well as an Associate Professor of Psychology. He was also Associate Professor of Christian Education and Director of the Graduate Department of Christian Education at the Talbot School of Theology. At the present time he is Research Professor of Christian Education at this same institution. He was in private practice for over thirty years.

Dr. Wright is a graduate of Westmont College, Fuller Theological Seminary (M.R.E.), Pepperdine University (M.A.). He has received two honorary doctorates, D.D. and D.LIT, from the Western Conservative Baptist Seminary and Biola University respectively.

He is the author of over seventy books including Experiencing Grief, The New Guide to Crisis and Trauma Counseling, Recovering From the Losses of Life, Quiet Times for Couples, and Before You Say I Do. Dr. Wright has pioneered Premarital Counseling programs throughout the country. He conducts seminars on Parenting, Recovering from the Losses of Life, Trauma and Crisis Counseling, and Marriage Enrichment.

His current focus is in grief and trauma counseling and critical incident debriefings. Part of his work is developing curriculum in loss, crisis and trauma as well as community wide Grief Recovery seminars. He is a Certified Trauma Specialist and a Certified Traumatologist. He is an ICISF trainer for the course, Trauma After Grief.

He belongs to the following professional organizations:

Academy of Bereavement
Critical Incident Stress Foundation, Inc.
Association of Traumatic Stress Specialists
Clinical Member of American Association of Christian Counselors
Clinical Member of California Association of Marriage and Family Therapist
Victim Chaplain Association of America

He has conducted workshops and training for various Health Departments, The Victim Chaplain and Counselor Association of America, Child Abuse Social Work Departments, Hospitals and Nurses organizations. Sudden death debriefings have been conducted at various facilities as well as Police and Fire Departments. He is the clinical coordinator for the debriefing teams for the Bakersfield Fire Department. He has traveled to New York five times since 9/11 conducting area wide Grief Recovery seminars as well as debriefings. Part of his specialty is working with parents of children or teenagers who have died or have been killed. He has also assisted in training seminars for Critical Incident Debriefings for the American Association of Christian Counselors.

He is a chaplain and counselor for The Victim Chaplain Association and has worked in the aftermath of Katrina in Louisiana.

He and his wife Joyce were married for forty-eight years and he lives in Bakersfield, California. His hobbies include bass fishing, gardening and training his Golden Retrievers, Shadow and Aspen, as therapy response dogs.

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Chicagoland Friends: How God Became My Hope Enabler!

Posted on May 9, 2011 by Dr. Matthew Lee Smith

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2 Kings – Fall of the Kingdom of Judah

Posted on May 8, 2011 by Dr. Matthew Lee Smith

Editor’s Note: We continue our series of blogs for those who are reading the Bible with us cover-to-cover this year. Interspersed with our thoughts on our daily reading, we want to provide some tips about reading the Bible in general.

The Fall of the Kingdom of Judah (2 Kings 12-22)

Unfortunately, as we complete the book of 2 Kings, we watch the last of God’s people head into captivity. The book ends with the great hopes and dreams of David and Solomon shattered and burned. The glory days of Solomon have turned into the gory days of a small remnant of people.

As you read through these pages you will see the last king taken into captivity because of their abandonment of a personal, vibrant relationship with God. This book closes with the burning of the Temple, thus showing all the consequences of living life with little regard for the God of the Universe. While you read this funeral for the nation you will be stunned by the completeness of God’s punishment of His people for their flagrant disregard of His fame and name.

In this section we can see:

  • The faith of King Hezekiah. (2 Kings 18-19)
  • The failure of King Hezekiah. (2 Kings 20)
  • The revival under King Josiah. (2 Kings 21-23)
  • The destruction of and fall of Judah. (2 Kings 24-25)

Remember the lesson of this section of God’s Word: You are free to choose to relegate God to the shadows of your life; but you must also be willing to live with the consequences of such a decision.

It is our hope that this background information helps a bit as you read on in the Bible.

For daily insights into the passage we are reading together each day, you can follow Dr. Smith on Twitter and on Facebook.

You can obtain more help from the FREE Bible reading schedule on our resource page. In His Image is a daily devotional that also follows our reading schedule and expresses the Biblical truth: “God Created You to Love You.” You can find this resource on the side bar of our website.

Host a “Reaching Your Community in Your Generation Weekend” in your area!

The world around us changes approximately every 18 months! Such change brings great challenges to our mission. Eagles In Leadership has designed a weekend to help you energize your congregation or organization to fulfill the Great Commission in your community. You can bring this weekend to your church or organization! You can learn more about how to do this here.


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Helpful Personal Disciplines

Posted on May 6, 2011 by Dr. Matthew Lee Smith


Artwork Credit: ineedtostopsoon.com

Every Eagle Leader knows the need to continue to grow if they are to make an impact for Christ. In our early ministry there is plenty to learn and we always know we are in deeper than our experience. However, over the years there is a tendency to feel like we “have arrived” spiritually.

Nothing could be farther from the truth. As we age in the ministry, we find our sword dulling from use. It is essential to stay sharp in order to be most effective for Christ. I have found the following disciplines most helpful at this time in my life and service to the Lord and His Church.

  • Prayer and Bible Reading – My habit of reading the Bible and prayer has been a source of great strength and understanding when it comes to leadership development. I read the Bible at least once per year cover-to-cover. I enjoy an intimate, spiritual walk with God, enjoying hundreds of answers to prayer every quarter, and hundreds of new insights monthly from God’s Word (having read it cover-to-cover some 28 times since 1993). It is my habit to label and file each insight topically for future retrieval for messages. Currently I have some 15,000+ topical observations from the Bible that are a direct result of God’s intimate work during my devotional time.
  • Fasting – Currently I fast three days a week, Tuesday starting after lunch until Friday lunchtime. The purpose of fasting at this level at this time is to discern God’s will and direction for our lives. I have been doing this for the past four months consistently. My usual plan for fasting is two days a week, Tuesday and Thursday. These times of fasting allow me to focus on Jesus and listen to the Spirit so that I am walking in step with him.
  • Exercise – I jog 4 miles a day on an aerobic course throughout the neighborhood. This allows me to get to know people, and witness as opportunities afford themselves. Recently I was given a bike and I am looking forward to once again starting up with it.
  • Physical Health – I started with The Daniel Plan (danielplan.com) through Saddleback on January 1 of this year. This plan is an entire lifestyle change including what we eat, from which we have received a number of great benefits. As of this date, I have lost 37 pounds on the plan.
  • Date Day – Melodee and I take an entire day for each other. I shut off my cell phone and we go away for a day of exploration and time alone. This continues to allow us to coordinate our calendars and our hearts, share our hopes and dreams, and care for each other in immeasurable ways.
  • Family Day – Throughout our days as a family, we would place a day with the family on the calendar every week. We have started to restore this as our oldest has moved back in with us as a result of being unemployed. This brings unity to our family and allows us to demonstrate our love for one another.
  • Weekly / Monthly Calendar Scheduling – With all that God calls us to do, I have found it invaluable to set aside time, usually Sunday night to schedule the week ahead with priorities and free spaces for God’s unannounced appointments. Taking a half-day each month to line out the weeks and the quarter ahead keeps the vision and mission in focus.
  • Quarterly Day Alone With God ­– I love to get away and spend a day alone with God each quarter, something I love teaching others to do. Hearing the voice of God and discerning God’s love and pleasure in us (Psalm 16.11) is one of the most de-stressing activities on my calendar. I haven’t done this enough in the last year or so, and have made it a priority again in 2011.

Each of these personal disciplines helps bring focus and purpose back into my hectic and harried life. Mission drift is removed because I am able to retarget those things that are essential, thus avoiding those things that are constantly urgent due to my neglect. The physical disciplines help provide the strength I need to accomplish the mission God has called me to.

Well, that’s my list. I would love to hear what disciplines you find to be most helpful? Feel free to post your thoughts below.

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Reaching Your Community in Your Generation Weekend

Posted on May 5, 2011 by Dr. Matthew Lee Smith

Artwork Credit: networkworld.com

The world around us changes approximately every 18 months! Such change brings great challenges to our mission. Eagles In Leadership has designed a weekend to help you energize your congregation or organization to fulfill the Great Commission in your community. You can bring this weekend to your church or organization! (More about that in a moment.) The weekend looks like this …

Reaching Your Community in Your Generation Seminar

Saturday

Breakfast gathering – around tables

Session 1: Help! My Community is Changing!

50 minutes – after breakfast

The community around our facilities has changed so much since we first started this ministry. Our mission has never changed – we are here to reach our community to Christ. So what’s happened and, better yet, what can we do to fix it? This session helps us understand the natural process of decline in a church and how to bring focus afresh on the mission so that we can reach our community in our generation!

Break

15-20 minutes

Enjoy some time with Dr. Smith, peruse the book table and get an autographed copy of one of his books!

Session 2: What’s Your Dream? (And How to Reach It!)

50 minutes

God has placed a specific dream in the heart of every church. That dream involves the mission of Jesus – to make disciples of all nations. In this exciting, informative and inspiring session, Dr. Smith will take you through specific steps to help you discover or rediscover the dream of God for your life as an individual and as a church body. You will come away from this session with fresh energy and hope as you seek to share your story of God’s glory to spread His name and fame!

Session 3: Healthy Churches Grow!

40 minutes

Healthy couples have children; sick ones don’t. The same is true for churches. Bringing people to faith is the birthing process within God’s Church. Understanding what happens that brings decline in American Churches is a key to helping us reach our community in our generation. Once you know what went wrong, you can begin to take steps, as a church, to fix those things! In this powerful session, Dr. Smith walks us through the natural life of a church and shows us how to bring fresh life and vitality to our congregation!

Lunch Break

30 minutes

Enjoy some time with Dr. Smith, peruse the book table and get an autographed copy of one of his books!

Session 4: Reaching Your Community In Your Generation (It’s All About the Mission)!

40 minutes

In order to reach our community in our generation we will need to focus on two key issues, according to Jesus. In this humorous, encouraging and insightful message, Dr. Smith will reinvigorate your faith and center your life on the two keys all growing churches focus upon.

Optional Q & A Session: What are the questions you would like an answer to?

15-30 minutes

In this informal setting, you will have an opportunity to ask any question about church growth, church health and how to reach your community in your generation!

>>>>>>

Of course, you can tailor this weekend to your specific need. Take a moment now and contact Dr. Smith (Admin[at]EaglesInLeadership.org) to bring this weekend to your church or organization and learn more about how you can reach your community in your generation.

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Daniel Plan a Great Aid in Health and Weight Loss

Posted on May 3, 2011 by Dr. Matthew Lee Smith

Clip Art Credit: lisastollmanrd.wordpress.com

What a shock – I am still in shock – today as I went to purchase new jeans! When I started the Daniel Plan on Jan 1, I was size 42 waist – Relaxed Cut (for fat people). I have given those pants away AND given away my size 40 pants, which I had in storage (previous photo posts on Facebook at The Daniel Plan). I have been in my size 38 jeans for a week or two and went to purchase some for an upcoming trip – and bought size 36 REGULAR cut! Praise God for the Daniel Plan!

On June 1st, 2010 I began a journey to lose 50 pounds in 50 weeks. I struggled throughout the summer, fall and into the holidays only losing 18 pounds – I was way behind in my weight loss and discouraged again over my inability to get off the excess weight.

Then my pastor, Rick Warren, shared his vision for the coming Decade of Destiny. The first major component of the coming decade was The Daniel Plan (Overview video). I was on board immediately.

While we have learned together as church, I have watched as the weigh has fallen off – to date I have lost close to 40 pounds in the first 4 months of the New Year! I am close to 60 pounds of weight loss since June 1st, 2010!

Among the amazing results of this new lifestyle (its not a diet) I have noticed:

  • Increased energy
  • Sleeping through the night (Had bouts of insomnia before)
  • Snoring stopped (Melodee, my wife, loves this one!)
  • No more use of antacids (used to pop these at night like candy)
  • Running half of my 4 mile daily exercise course now
  • Greater clarity of mind
  • New clothes (as mentioned above)
  • Mood swings have disappeared
  • Excited about God’s dream for my life for this Decade of Destiny and beyond!

I highly recommend that you check out The Daniel Plan (Website link) – you can start any time. (You will hear a LOT about this next year! Why not get a jump on others and demonstrate your Eagle Leadership again?)

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Want to Draw Closer to God?

Posted on May 2, 2011 by Dr. Matthew Lee Smith

Photo Credit: wordjourney.com

God can feel distant … even if we have come to know Him in a personal relationship.  Enjoying an intimate walk with God seems impossible, yet it is something God longs for with you, and that’s the focus of Dr. Matthew Lee Smith’s How to Have An Exciting Daily Devotional Seminar!

The How to Have an Exciting Daily Devotional Seminar has helped thousands regain the closeness and freshness their faith longed for. Pastor Matt is an experienced speaker and gives encouraging, energetic and helpful presentations based on his experiences alone with God.

Dr. Smith is available to speak to any size group. (He will provide a free autographed copy of one of his books to the host of the event.)

Invite author, pastor, leadership developer, professor and podcaster Dr. Matthew Lee Smith to speak to your church, men’s group, Sunday School class or retreat.

To Schedule: Admin[at]EaglesInLeadership.org

Can’t Wait For a Seminar?

Dr. Smith has written two daily devotional helps you can order today:

Daily Devotional Helps: In His Image and In His Presence

Each book walks the reader through a year-long journey with God. In His Image restores the truth that “God Created You to Love You!” In His Presence invites the reader to “enter into God’s presence with the joys and pleasures of intimacy!”

To Purchase: Copies available at –

Amazon.com or EaglesInLeadership.org

About Dr. Matthew Smith

Dr. Matthew Lee Smith is the executive director of EaglesInLeadership.org, a ministry dedicated to “Encouraging Achievement in Godly Leaders by Emphasizing Servanthood” (EAGLES). He has been a pastor, trained leaders, counseled and spoken at conferences across the USA and in Mexico.

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2 Kings – The Fall of Israel

Posted on May 1, 2011 by Dr. Matthew Lee Smith

Artwork Credit: biblesearch.com

Editor’s Note: We continue our series of blogs for those who are reading the Bible with us cover-to-cover this year. Interspersed with our thoughts on our daily reading, we want to provide some tips about reading the Bible in general.

2 Kings: The Invasion and Captivity of Israel By Assyria (about 300 years)

Second Kings is a recounting of the destruction of both sides involved in the Civil War of Israel. It demonstrates the constant warnings of God through His prophets, attempting to call His people back to Himself. Also shown is the limits of God’s grace to a people who are stubborn and rebellious. We will split the book into halves. First, we will read about …

The Fall of the Northern Kingdom (2 Kings 1-17)

In this section note …

  • The ministry of Elisha the prophet. (2 Kings 1-8)
  • The struggles of the Kings of Israel and Judah. (2 Kings 9-16)
  • The fall of Israel. (2 Kings 17)

It is our hope that this background information helps a bit as you read on in the Bible.

For daily insights into the passage we are reading together each day, you can follow Dr. Smith on Twitter and on Facebook.

You can obtain more help from the FREE Bible reading schedule on our resource page. In His Image is a daily devotional that also follows our reading schedule and expresses the Biblical truth: “God Created You to Love You.” You can find this resource on the side bar of our website.

Technical Difficulties Last Week

For those reading these blogs through our Emailer, we apologize for you missing the week’s posts. A technical error caused the posts not to feed into the Emailer. However, all of the posts are available at our website and you can read them all here.

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Why Do We Gather Each Week to Worship?

Posted on April 29, 2011 by Dr. Matthew Lee Smith

Photo Credit: risingsunchurch.org

Recently a church leadership team asked me the following question: “What is the purpose of the church weekly gatherings? “ As I thought about their question, I realized that the New Testament has much to say about the worship of God’s people on a weekly gathering. Among those statements,

  • Whatever else is done, worship must be done in spirit and in truth. (John 4.23-24) Many churches worship with lots of spirit but little truth – this can lead to fanatical heresy. Many other churches worship with lots of truth and little spirit – this can lead to Phariseeism. Every worship celebration should be a time of raving worship in spirit and passionate application of truth.
  • Whatever else is done, worship should provide an opportunity for the following elements from time to time. The following is exemplary, not exhaustive …

o   Explanation of our justification in Jesus (Romans 1-4; Galatians 3; Ephesians 1-3)

o   Encouragement in our sanctification process (Romans 5-8)

o   Reminder of the consequences of rejecting Christ (Romans 9-11; Galatians 4)

o   Call to total commitment to Christ (Romans 12)

o   Honoring of government in all we do (Romans 13)

o   Joy / responsibility of our liberty in Christ (Romans 14; Galatians 5)

o   Commitment to the nurture and unity of the congregation (Romans 15-16; 1 Corinthians 1; 3;  Ephesians 4.1-16; Galatians 6; Ephesians 4)

o   Focus on the pathway of humility as Christ’s follower (1 Corinthians 2; 8-9)

o   Calling of the congregation to maturity (1 Corinthians 3; Ephesians 5)

o   Reminder of the mission we are on (1 Corinthians 4)

o   Call to individual spiritual purity (1 Corinthians 5-7; 2 Corinthians 6-7)

o   Honoring of marriage and families (1 Corinthians 7; Romans 9; Ephesians 5-6; Hebrews 13)

o   Communion (1 Corinthians 12.17-26)

o   Spiritual examination (1 Corinthians 12.27-34)

o   Opportunity to utilize spiritual gifts when they are appropriate to the worship experience (1 Corinthians 12.1-11)

o   Diversity in worship expression (1 Corinthians 12.12-31; 14)

o   Centrality of loving God and all members by sacrificing one’s personal desires for the benefit of others (1 Corinthians 13)

o   Focus on the resurrected Lord (1 Corinthians 15; 2 Corinthians 2-5)

o   Generosity in giving (1 Corinthians 16; 2 Corinthians 8-9)

o   Forgiveness of the repentant (2 Corinthians 2)

o   Equipping for daily spiritual warfare (2 Corinthians 10; Ephesians 6)

o   Reminders of the glory in suffering (2 Corinthians 11-12)

o   Emphasis on God grace as the measure of life (Galatians 2)

So why do we worship? Here is a partial list of the purposes of worship from my worship pastor, Rick Munchow of Saddleback Church …

  • Worship is a time to be informed – so the message must clarify God’s purposes. (1 John 5.13; Luke 5.27-28; John 16.12)
  • Worship is a time to be inspired – so the messenger must cast the vision and raise the bar. (1 Corinthians 4.16)
  • Worship is a time to be influenced – so the worship team must lead them to their next spiritual step. (1 Corinthians 18.6; John 14.5-6; Mark 5.18-19; Proverbs 13.20)
  • Worship is a time to be invigorated – so the service must empower those who have gathered in Jesus’ name. (Matthew 18.20; 1 Thessalonians 2.11)
  • Worship is a time to be invested in – so the service must equip our people for purposeful living. (Acts 1.8; Romans 15.13; Proverbs 14.12; Ephesians 3.16, 20-21
  • Worship is a time to integrate faith and practice – so people need to be able to see practical application of biblical principles. (James 1.22-24; 1 Corinthians 4.20; 1 John 3.18; 2 Peter 1.7)
  • Worship is a time to initiate newcomers into the community – so we need to welcome guests and tell them they can belong here. (Romans 15.7; Ephesians 1.3; Romans 6.3-4; 2 Peter 1.12-13
  • In worship, we are trying to create an atmosphere of: 1) Expectation (Matthew 9.29); 2) Celebration (Psalm 100.2); 3) Affirmation (Hebrews 10.25); 4) Incorporation (1 Peter 3.8); 5) Restoration (Psalm 51.10, 12); and 6) Liberation (2 Corinthians 3.17).

When you gather this weekend, with God’s people, remember YOU are not the audience. We come to address an audience of ONE! Since He knows all about you, go ahead and share ALL of you with Him in the worship center. He will so appreciate your testimony of intimacy.

If you would like help with designing worship, leadership development or the discipleship process, we are here to help you with all of your leadership needs. Contact us for individual, leadership team or corporate consultation.

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