During the summer, the leaders in our men’s ministry have been teaching on Monday Nights. Each man has wrestled with what to prepare, how to prepare and the courage to stand before the other men and teach. Each man has done an outstanding job.

A week ago, John R shared a message on “Entitlement.” He taught a passage concerning Jesus telling the disciples He would be going to Jerusalem and would be spit on, beat and ultimately killed but he would rise. Two of the disciples response was, “Can we be seated at your right and left hands when you come into your kingdom!” The other disciples were irritated and they all got into a pissing contest! Then John R, said, the only really entitled person in the room got down and washed the feet of the others. He came to serve not to be served. John R sat down with a challenge, “Think about some way you feel entitled.” With that my life of the last decade or more was wrecked!

A decade ago, after 18 years of being the lead pastor in a church, Gayle and I moved to Florida. When we began attending Bay Life Church, my internal thought was I deserved something. Some special treatment, invited to leadership meetings and asked to speak on regular occasions because, “Apparently, you don’t know who I am.”

This entitlement mindset created in me an “armchair quarterback mentality.” I always knew better, wouldn’t have done something the way they did and basically made me a pain in the ass! Through John R’s talk and the Spirit’s ministry that mindset has been shattered. The Lord is showing me, I am here to serve and give away everything He has freely given me. I have no privilege. I have an opportunity to lend a hand, to serve where I can with no expectation of return. I have made some amends to those I needed to and am really excited about my role. It is amazing how much has changed in a week. The strange thing to me is nothing has changed outside of me but everything outside of me appears to be improved.

Blessings,

Scott