Greg Lancaster

Everybody has sinned and fallen short of the glory of God, so quit being shocked when that reality shows up, and quit being shocked when things go wrong while you are doing what is right. Peter says that suffering for doing good is commendable before God. The heroes of the faith stepped out from the crowd and went against the grain, and until you are ready to die for something, you are not ready to live for anything. To be right with God often means being in trouble with men, and like Peter and the apostles, we must obey God rather than men.

In this teaching I talk about being non-conformists to the ways of this world. Romans 12:2 says do not conform any longer, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. That word transformed is the metamorphosis of a caterpillar into a butterfly, and it happens through discipleship: learning how God wants us to think, what He wants us to want, and what He wants us to feel. Some of us do not need a reboot or a defrag; we need to reformat our hearts. Let go of the religious programs and the things that made you miserable, humble yourself, and begin again with God. Every day can be a fresh start, because He is full of mercy and quick to forgive.

Takeaway: Do not try to integrate your old ways into your walk with God. Humble yourself, let it all go, reformat your heart, and begin again with Him every day.

Scripture (NIV)

- Romans 3:23: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

- 1 Peter 2:20: But how is it to your credit if you receive a beating for doing wrong and endure it? But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God.

- Galatians 6:1: Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted.

- Acts 5:28-29: "We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name," he said. "Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and are determined to make us guilty of this man's blood." Peter and the other apostles replied: "We must obey God rather than human beings!"

- John 5:19: Jesus gave them this answer: "Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by Himself; He can do only what He sees His Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does."

- John 8:31-32: To the Jews who had believed Him, Jesus said, "If you hold to My teaching, you are really My disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."

- Matthew 28:19-20: Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.

- Revelation 3:15-16: I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm, neither hot nor cold, I am about to spit you out of My mouth.

- Matthew 7:21-23: "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of My Father who is in heaven. Many will say to Me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?' Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from Me, you evildoers!'"

- Hebrews 13:8: Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.

- Psalm 8:4: what is mankind that You are mindful of them, human beings that You care for them?

- James 4:10: Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will lift you up.

- 2 Chronicles 7:14: if My people, who are called by My name, will humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.

Feelings are important, but they are fickle. So many people say they are being led by the Spirit when they are really just uncomfortable. You are a spirit, you have a body, and you possess a soul, and your soul is what you think, what you want, and what you feel. When you are born again your spirit is made new, but your soul has to be renewed, and there is a battle going on over it every day. Even Jesus, fully God and fully man, offered up prayers with loud cries and tears, yet He did not give in.

In this teaching I talk about getting off the feeling roller coaster before it changes your destiny. Whichever dog you feed wins the fight: feed your spirit with the Word, anointed worship, prayer, and godly friends, and your soul will line up. We look at why following your feelings leads you away from integrity, why vision is not optional, how to write the vision down and make it plain, and why your feelings do not get a vote. If you are burned out, do not make big decisions; enter the rest God offers. We close by recommitting our souls to God and praying for everyone who has been on an emotional roller coaster.

Takeaway: Do not let your feelings lead you. Decide to follow God, feed your spirit, get a vision, and your soul will line up with what He is doing in you.

Scripture (NIV)

- Romans 12:1-2: Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God, this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is, His good, pleasing and perfect will.

- Hebrews 5:7-8: During the days of Jesus' life on earth, He offered up prayers and petitions with fervent cries and tears to the one who could save Him from death, and He was heard because of His reverent submission. Son though He was, He learned obedience from what He suffered.

- John 4:24: God is spirit, and His worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.

- Hebrews 11:1: Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.

- Romans 8:14: For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God.

- Proverbs 29:18: Where there is no revelation, people cast off restraint; but blessed is the one who heeds wisdom's instruction.

- Habakkuk 2:2-3: Then the Lord replied: "Write down the revelation and make it plain on tablets so that a herald may run with it. For the revelation awaits an appointed time; it speaks of the end and will not prove false. Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay.

- Ephesians 6:12: For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

- Isaiah 28:12-13: to whom He said, "This is the resting place, let the weary rest"; and, "This is the place of repose", but they would not listen. So then, the word of the Lord to them will become: Do this, do that, a rule for this, a rule for that; a little here, a little there, so that as they go they will fall backward; they will be injured and snared and captured.

- Ephesians 5:25-26: Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word.

The very first warning in the book of Proverbs is about money. My son, if sinful men entice you, do not give in to them. They lie in wait, they ambush the harmless, and they fill their houses with plunder, but such are the paths of all who go after ill-gotten gain; it takes away the life of those who get it. Wisdom is knowledge properly applied, and this wisdom applies to how we work and how we do business.

In this teaching I walk through Proverbs 1:10-19 and the questions every believer should ask: Is it legal? Are we taking advantage of people? Are our prices fair? Will the other person be better off or worse off after dealing with us? We talk about small print, hidden clauses, predatory lending, and bragging about "the deal" while someone else lost. God would rather you have a crumb of bread and integrity than prosper by making others struggle. When you openly lay things out, you are trusting God; when you hide them, you are trusting your own ways. God is the provider. Honor Him with the first fruits, be content with what He gives you, and let Him pour out the blessing.

Takeaway: How you do business matters to God. Do not set foot on the path of ill-gotten gain. Be honest, care about people, honor God with your first fruits, and trust Him as your provider.

Scripture (NIV)

- Proverbs 3:9-10: Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops; then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine.

- Malachi 3:10: Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house. Test Me in this," says the Lord Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it.

- Philippians 4:11-12: I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.

I tell how God gave me a dream of lying face down under His glory before it ever happened, how Pastor John Kilpatrick led his people to go after God, how the power of God touched our children, and how God took a broken spirit out of me and gave me a new one. If you read the Song of Songs, the beloved sometimes pulls back to see if you will come after Him. God is still looking for people who will go after His presence. Whatever has you tattered, torn, and weighed down with a spirit of heaviness, He can take it out of you and replace it with joy. We close in prayer for a fresh move of God.

Takeaway: Do not settle for a standard gathering. Go after God, ask Him for more, and let Him renew a right spirit within you.

Scripture (NIV)

- Song of Songs 5:6: I opened for my beloved, but my beloved had left; he was gone. My heart sank at his departure. I looked for him but did not find him. I called him but he did not answer.

- Isaiah 61:3: and provide for those who grieve in Zion, to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of His splendor.

In this short teaching I walk through what love looks like according to 1 Corinthians 13, and why gifts, wisdom, and ministry without love are just a clanging cymbal. Then we talk about faithfulness, a beautiful thing that is rare in a world where every commitment has a loophole. God is faithful even when we are faithless, and He calls us to imitate Him: to be faithful to Him with what He has entrusted to us, faithful in our relationships, and faithful where we work, leaving well and arriving well. If you have been wondering why you do not have favor, start here.

Takeaway: Favor follows faithfulness. Ask God to write love and faithfulness on your heart, and choose to be faithful right where you are.

Scripture (NIV)

- 1 Corinthians 13:1-2: If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.

- 1 Corinthians 13:4-8: Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.

- 2 Timothy 2:13: if we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot disown Himself.

- Matthew 6:21: For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Everything that gets built starts with a foundation, and if the foundation is wrong it does not matter what you put on top of it. Paul says no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ, and that every person's work will be tested by fire. Jesus said both the wise and the foolish builder faced the same storm. The difference was what they built on.

I talk about how shaking reveals what will remain, why that is actually a good thing, and why the middle of a storm is not the time for rash decisions. We look at Mark 7, where Jesus warns that our own traditions can nullify the Word of God in our marriages, churches, and businesses, and at the personal, abiding relationship with Jesus that John 15 says makes us fruitful. I also speak to the men: you are significant, and you were never meant to walk alone, because two are better than one and iron sharpens iron. We finish with five simple pillars for spending time with God: gratitude, the Word, stopping where God stops you, asking what He is saying to you, and remembering the cross.

Takeaway: Storms come to everyone. Build your life, your family, and your work on Jesus Christ through a daily, abiding relationship with Him, and what you build will stand.

Scripture (NIV)

- Matthew 7:24-27: "Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash."

- Mark 7:9-13: And He continued, "You have a fine way of setting aside the commands of God in order to observe your own traditions! For Moses said, 'Honor your father and mother,' and, 'Anyone who curses their father or mother is to be put to death.' But you say that if anyone declares that what might have been used to help their father or mother is Corban (that is, devoted to God), then you no longer let them do anything for their father or mother. Thus you nullify the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And you do many things like that."

- John 15:4-5: Remain in Me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in Me. "I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in Me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from Me you can do nothing.

- Malachi 4:6: He will turn the hearts of the parents to their children, and the hearts of the children to their parents; or else I will come and strike the land with total destruction."

- Ecclesiastes 4:9-12: Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up. Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.

- Proverbs 27:17: As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.

- Psalm 119:11: I have hidden Your word in my heart that I might not sin against You.

Are you going through a season so painful it does not make sense? In this life we will have trials, but when we lose sight of eternity, hardship can feel like rejection. Hebrews 12 says something different: endure hardship as discipline, because God is treating you as His children. A good father can be firm and loving at the same time, and our heavenly Father disciplines us for our good, so that we may share in His holiness.

I talk about how hardship can bring us to repentance and break the pull of pride, lust, and wrong relationships, why no discipline seems pleasant at the time but later produces a harvest of righteousness and peace, and how 2 Chronicles 7 shows that even when we have blown it badly, God will hear from heaven and heal when we humble ourselves and turn. If you are so hurt you feel frozen inside, God sees your pain, and a broken and contrite heart He will not despise. We look at rejoicing always, praying continually, and giving thanks in all circumstances, holding on to the promise of Romans 8:28, and the one question that matters most: did you learn to love? We close in prayer for your healing.

Takeaway: Your hardship is not proof that God has rejected you. He is treating you as His child. Humble yourself, keep talking to Him, give thanks in every circumstance, and let Him use this season to shape you.

Scripture (NIV)

- 2 Chronicles 7:13-14: "When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command locusts to devour the land or send a plague among My people, if My people, who are called by My name, will humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.

- Psalm 51:17: My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart You, God, will not despise.

- 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18: Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.

Peter asked Jesus how many times he had to forgive his brother. Seven times sounded generous. Jesus answered with a much bigger number and then told the story of a servant who was forgiven a debt he could never repay, only to go out and choke a man who owed him a few dollars. We walk through that parable in Matthew 18 and what it means when Jesus says this is how your heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive from your heart.

Unforgiveness promises to protect us, but it hands us over to torment in our minds, our emotions, our relationships, and even our finances. There is no plan B. The way out of that prison is to forgive. I share a vision Rick Joyner wrote about, of a man who learned that God in His mercy will let the pressure of our own pride and bitterness drive us to the cross before it is too late. We talk about living in view of God's mercy, why nobody owes us anything when we have been forgiven so much, how waiting for someone else to make it right hands them the keys to your future, and how blessing and praying for the people who hurt you changes your own heart.

Takeaway: You were freely forgiven, so freely forgive. Let it go, take it to the cross, and start blessing the person you have been holding in your heart.

Scripture (NIV)

- Matthew 18:23-35: "Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand bags of gold was brought to him. Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt. "At this the servant fell on his knees before him. 'Be patient with me,' he begged, 'and I will pay back everything.' The servant's master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go. "But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred silver coins. He grabbed him and began to choke him. 'Pay back what you owe me!' he demanded. "His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, 'Be patient with me, and I will pay it back.' "But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. When the other servants saw what had happened, they were outraged and went and told their master everything that had happened. "Then the master called the servant in. 'You wicked servant,' he said, 'I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. Shouldn't you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?' In anger his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed. "This is how My heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart."

- Matthew 6:14-15: For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.

- Romans 12:1: Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God, this is your true and proper worship.

- Matthew 10:8: Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give.

- Luke 6:27-28: "But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.

Israel once lived as one nation under God. Then the people asked for a king. First Samuel 8 records that this displeased Samuel, and the Lord said it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected Me as their king. That choice still echoes whenever a people prefers men's government over God's.

America's founding fathers chose another path. They declared independence from a king so a people could live one nation under God. When the Word of God was freed into common language, men could meet the living God and abide with Him. The fruit of that abiding helped shape a city on a hill. We can still choose Jesus as King. Get back to where we came from, and we can be that one nation under God again.

Takeaway: Israel rejected God as King for a man. The founding fathers chose God over a king. Choose Jesus as King again.

Scripture (NIV)

Rethinking church starts with a hard question. If what you practice is biblical, you will be encouraged. If it is not, change it in prayer, not in a committee. Many believers live like people institutionalized by religious captivity. Their bodies sit inside familiar walls while their hearts forget the outside Jesus sent them to.

Christ set us free for freedom. Stand firm and do not take the yoke of slavery again. Vision for the outside means learning to live free under God's family government, helping others transition out of captivity, and reading the book of Acts as the pattern of a free people under the leadership of Jesus. Dig the wells again. Pull out the foundation of what we are called to be: the go church, not only the come church.

Takeaway: Christ set you free for freedom. Get a vision for life outside religious captivity and be the church in the book of Acts.

Scripture (NIV)