Author: Addis Andy

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There’s no losing, just not winning

I’m not the kind of guy who is willing to settle. In fact, when I hear someone announce victoriously, “Well, at least it’s a wash,” it literally makes my skin crawl.

Maybe its an overabundance of testosterone. Maybe I have an over developed sense of confidence. Maybe I am unapologetically competitive and can’t stand the thought of not winning (you see, there is no losing, just not winning).

In some circles I’m sure they would call it pride and arrogance, yet in others they would call it perseverance and determination. Whatever you might label it, I simply know me, and I know that unless we are moving forward I feel like we’re moving backward.  And, that is not acceptable.

I’m that way in all my relationships, work projects and hobbies. Maybe that’s why the enthusiastic tone I felt whilel reading an article on church growth kind of left me queasy. Continue reading “There’s no losing, just not winning”

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Get in the Spirit

I have a very religious sounding question for you.

What is a religious sounding question? It’s the kind of question that only churchgoing folks really ask each other.

There are several things that could be brought up in this genre:

  • Does God predestine everyone to their fate, or does He allow human beings to have free will
  • Are contemporary versions of Scripture legitimate, or should we only trust the oldest most reliable versions… King James ,of course (please, note the sarcasm)
  • Can you really worship if there are drums in worship, because you know what drums lead to… dancing. And you know what dancing leads to… of course you don’t, you were raised to be good Christian children, you’d have none of that dancing stuff

Yes, unfortunately the list is potentially endless. There are so many in-house debates it’s kind of scary. But, here is the religious sounding question I have for you.

What’s the deal with the “filling” of the Holy Spirit? Continue reading “Get in the Spirit”

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Are You Ready To Rumble?

A great Passage from the book of Judges speaks to our lives today:

The Test from Andy Addis on Vimeo.

Judges 3

1 These are the nations the LORD left to test all those Israelites who had not experienced any of the wars in Canaan 2 (he did this only to teach warfare to the descendants of the Israelites who had not had previous battle experience)

What are the lessons here?

1. Sometimes its not the devil

2. God will test His own

3. God wants us ready to fight

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Hide and Seek Anyone?

Where is your hiding place? Wherever it is, is it safe? Is it really a place of refuge?

As believers, we are allowed to have a safe place for difficult times, but we need to make sure it is really the refuge that God intends for our protection and safety.

This quick study of Psalm 11 reminds us of where we need to go when we need a hiding place.

A Little Hide And Seek, Anyone? from Andy Addis on Vimeo.

The Lord Is in His Holy Temple

Psalm 11 To the choirmaster. Of David.

1 In the Lord I take refuge;

how can you say to my soul,

“Flee like a bird to your mountain,

2 for behold, the wicked bend the bow;

they have fitted their arrow to the string

to shoot in the dark at the upright in heart;

3 if the foundations are destroyed,

what can the righteous do?”

4 The Lord is in his holy temple;

the Lord’s throne is in heaven;

his eyes see, his eyelids test the children of man.

5 The Lord tests the righteous,

but his soul hates the wicked and the one who loves violence.

6 Let him rain coals on the wicked;

fire and sulfur and a scorching wind shall be the portion of their cup.

7 For the Lord is righteous;

he loves righteous deeds;

the upright shall behold his face.


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Sticks and Stones

Last week at our midweek Bible study called SURGE, we deviated from our normal study of the book of Acts. I took us on a journey of dealing with conflicts and attacks in an Old Testament story.

I’ve been asked more than a dozen times since then if we had that teaching on video. Sorry, we haven’t been recording that midweek service. But, I will do my best to report the essential elements from that teaching in today’s blog. I hope it’s a blessing to you, like it has been to me.

Dealing with conflict and difficult people are part of everyone’s life, but the problem is everyone thinks in their situation or line of work that they have it the worst!

And, unless you’re a pastor, that’s just not true… did you sense the sarcasm?

Every experience in every situation is different, and the truth is that no matter where you come from or who you are dealing with conflict and conflicting people and one of the toughest things in life. Continue reading “Sticks and Stones”

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It may be deadly, but at least we’re rested

A couple of weeks ago I was asked to speak at the chapel service for Hesston College. I always love speaking to college students as they are the next generation and all that, but I was asked to speak on a unique issue.

They were going through the Seven Deadly Sins this semester and wondered if I’d speak to one of them. I couldn’t resist… I picked sloth.

I said I was passionate about sloth… and I get right to work on it… I would diligently pour myself into sloth… if you aren’t getting the humor here, text a friend and ask for help.

In case you are wondering, the Seven Deadly Sins are not a Biblical grouping, but a teaching of the ancient/Catholic church include:

  • Pride
  • Avarice
  • Luxury
  • Envy
  • Appetite
  • Anger
  • Sloth

If you are really interested, you can always learn more about it at WIKIPEDIA, and usually half of what you find there is accurate.

If you are a regular in our faith community I am sure you have heard these illustrations before, but it was a fun challenge to speak on such a unique and narrow subject. Hope you enjoy!
Continue reading “It may be deadly, but at least we’re rested”

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Between you, me and the bedpost…

I love expressions. You know, the things people say so that they can drop just the right cliché at the right time and appear wise.

We’ve all got them. Some we read from a book, others came through generational transmission (from your parents, that is), and still others found their way into the storehouse of our collective memory via the world’s greatest resource of miscellaneous knowledge… email forwards.

Here are a few you might recognize:

  • If you can’t beat them, join them. This works pretty well until you’re talking about the IRS. They’re really not looking for recruits.
  • Give them an inch and they’ll take a mile. Actually, this one works for the IRS, too. No further comment (Just kidding IRS guys, I don’t mind paying taxes to be a part of this great country… please don’t audit me).
  • Give them enough rope to hang themselves. To me, this one is just a little too morbid comment on, and it just doesn’t make sense. Isn’t a shorter rope better for hanging. Not that I ever want to find out! Continue reading “Between you, me and the bedpost…”
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Getting degunkified

Cleaning out the muck and mire of our lives, we need to remove the junk that flowed into, but never flowed out of our lives.

It’s a process called confession that comes with a promise from God: He is faithful, He will forgive, He will heal.

Don’t miss out on the incredible Christian discipline called confession. It’s how we get degunkified!

Untitled from Andy Addis on Vimeo.

1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

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Don’t come up short

I’ve been really excited about the possibilities that I feel God has planted in my heart. It’s a been a real season of risk, faith, hope and awesomecrediblephenomness. Yes, thats what you do when you don’t have a word for it.

In this season I have recognized a pattern in me that I have also seen in others and in many Scriptural stories. I’d like to share it with you.

The Dream Process from Andy Addis on Vimeo.

Here’s the process…

1. God plants a dream in you

2. Hope is you believing in what is yet unseen, and you go public with the dream

3. Faith gets you through the hard times as you trust the arm of the Lord is not too short

4. Reality comes when the dream arrives

Don’t bailout in any part of this process! Its too important to give up.

Numbers 11:23 The Lord answered Moses, “Is the Lord’s arm too short? You will now see whether or not what I say will come true for you.”

Isaiah 59:1 Surely the arm of the Lord is not too short to save, nor his ear too dull to hear.

Isaiah 50:2 When I came, why was there no one? When I called, why was there no one to answer? Was my arm too short to ransom you? Do I lack the strength to rescue you?