Tag Archives: brainflurry

The Important Work Of Waiting

Paul Luckett | Brainflurry.com - The Important Work Of Waiting

How we wait is as important as how we work.

What good is a spouse who’s only with you when things are moving and exciting?

A true spouse not only helps you move, but also helps you maintain.

It’s amazing when you can feel God moving and when you can see how you’re playing a part in what He’s doing.

But even when I can’t, while I’m longing for that wonderful intimacy again, I should be holding it down, providing for the day-to-day needs of His house and for those in His household (Matthew 24:45-46).

How I wait is an important work.

Lord, I expectantly wait on You.

I will be faithful.

“Moreover it is required in stewards that one be found faithful.”
— 1 Corinthians 4:2

Simply Preaching

Paul Luckett | Brainflurry.com - Simply Preaching

For the first time in 20+ years of preaching, I am not at all nervous about preaching.

It has been revealed to me that I’m unnecessarily complicating it –trying to perform, to prove and impress. I repent.

The essence of preaching is found in John 21:15-19 when Jesus asks Peter, “Do you love me?” Jesus then follows up with what the product should be if we love Him, “Feed my sheep. Tend my sheep. Feed my sheep.”

Preaching is simply sharing the Father’s Love with those He loves.

Preaching, like every ministry is simply giving what I received to those the Lord loves –Love that will develop them (feed them), keep them in good shape and safe places (tend them) and grow them (feed them).

At any given moment, without preparation, I can speak fluidly to my children about my love for them or even their Mom’s love for them. Because I know our heart.

Preaching is no different.

“For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God.” – 1 Corinthians 2:11

I believe I have the Spirit of God.

And I believe His Spirit has shared with me His heart for His beloved through the revelation of Scripture activated and made real in my life through faith in Jesus Christ and obedience (however imperfect) to Him. All I am doing, all I should be doing, is sharing that.

Preparation is the same as preaching. It’s seeking and walking with the Lord.

The aim of my preaching is to present to the Lord, the Chief Shepherd, plump (well-developed), healthy, and clean (undefiled) skipping (full of joy) little lambs.

Which I will do if the Spirit permits.

Please pray for me and for everyone seeking to share the heart of God through preaching Christ and Him crucified.

I’ve shared it’s been a difficult season.

I've shared it's been a difficult season. I asked myself a question similar to King David's in…

Originally posted on Facebook on Friday, June 21, 2024.

I've shared it's been a difficult season.

I asked myself a question similar to King David's in Psalm 42:5, "Why are you cast down, O my soul?"

As life bears down, producing feelings of discouragement, I asked, "Where is the Power? Where is the eternal life -the inextinguishable life I'm supposed to have right now (and in the life to come) [John 11:25-26]?"

Then I found 2 Corinthians 4:7-10 to be true,

"But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us.

We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair;

persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed–

always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body."
— 2 Corinthians 4:7-10

This season demonstrates "the excellence of the power", that despite circumstances that would normally crush me,

I am not crushed.
I am not in despair.
I am not forsaken.
I am not destroyed.

Because of power that is obviously not my own, so that God is glorified.

Life is hard right now, but I have it (inextinguishable life).

The proof is the joy of the hope I have in Him.

Thank you, Jesus.

My Focus Should Be His House

Paul Luckett | Brainflurry.com - My Focus Should Be His House

A

safe
loving
strong
healthy
joy filled
thriving

house (people under and bound by the Husband’s name)

is the focus of a wife.

I am the bride of Christ.

I should be focused on His house.

Why wouldn’t I be?

No. Let me be real.

Why am I not?

Because I’m too busy building my own.

Because I’m in the streets, an adulterous whore, chasing what my flesh (a mind conformed to the pursuits and the ways of operating of this world) believes is a better suitor: riches, popularity, power, and pleasure apart from my Husband for my satisfaction and fulfillment.

But having been out there before, I can tell you definitively, there is nothing good in the streets.

Not one good thing.

So, how did I get here?

By being entangled with unnecessary things and having the fruitfulness of the Word choked out in my life because of the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches (Mark 4:18-19).

By worry of what I will eat, what I will drink or what I will wear and not instead seeking first (foremost) the Kingdom of God (my Husband’s house) so that every other pursuit serves the first one (what it means to “seek first”, Matthew 6:25-34).

By having my mind conformed to this world, seeing myself and measuring myself according to the world’s standards, thereby becoming self-conscious and being seduced into pursuits that profit nothing —not one good thing (Romans 6:21, 12:2).

I repent.

Focus on my Husband’s house is a constant work because the poisonous vines of the world are constantly trying to creep into my life to pull me away and overtake me.

Focus requires husbandry.

Focus requires constant pruning, a taking away of the dead, useless and invasive things that are harmful.

So then, focus requires a constant presenting myself to my Husband.

Focus requires what the Husband provides: sensitivity to the guidance of the Holy Spirit by the heart He gives and protection against its hardening by the washing in the water of the Word, and accountability through the fellowship of the beloved.

I am the bride of Christ.

I should be focused on His house.

When I have lost focus, I regain it by turning to Him.

Remembering His goodness, I return to Him.

But, if He so readily receives me again, does it even matter that I lose focus, that I am seduced away into sin (outside of the circle of love, outside the government of His house -the Kingdom of God [sin state])?

Yes.

Sin does not only offend God, it hurts me too. Sin hardens my heart, leaving scar tissue that decreases my sensitivity to His touch, His voice and His presence.

Yes, when we confess, He will forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9). But the cleansing, Him lifting that scar tissue in the washing of the water by His Word, is a process that takes time to return to the intimacy and fellowship I once enjoyed.

There is no thing better than intimacy with God. It’s too precious to lose, even for a moment.

There is no place better than the House of God.

Now, I remember by the Spirit God has sent forth in the hearts of all who love Him,

“For a day in your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness.”
— Psalm 84:10

In Your house, serving Your house, with You, is where I want to be.

Help me.

Cleanse my heart, O God.

Renew a steadfast spirit within me. (Psalm 51:10)

I miss You.

Thank God For Pressure

Paul Luckett | Brainflurry.com - Thank God For Pressure

“You don’t really know what you’ve got until it’s under pressure.”

“So, I thank God for pressure.”

It’s been a difficult season.

God’s getting me right this summer.

I am being prepared for the next assignment. He’s transforming me from glory to glory, more and more into the image of Christ (2 Corinthians 3:18).

I shouldn’t expect promotion without preparation.

Even Jesus learned obedience by the things that He suffered (Hebrews 5:8)

It’s been rough. I don’t like it.

But, I’m thankful.

This has long been a dream of mine that was harder than I expected…

Originally posted on Facebook on Thursday, May 30, 2024.

This has long been a dream of mine that was harder than I expected to make a reality. A friend of mine, @[6517195:2048:Macaulay Knight Whitaker], has done amazing work with an initiative called @[100067461153346:2048:FORGE] in onboarding students into careers in construction. She gave me a sage piece of advice.

"Start with one."

This is the result. I am so proud of these guys. I am also thankful to the @[100070940345691:2048:West Point Consolidated School District, MS] for providing the opportunity. My hope is that what Forge is for construction, #Upgrade can be for getting students interested, prepared, and connected to lucrative opportunities in tech.

#GreenWaveJuniorTech #FutureTechLeaders #STEMEducation #WorkBasedLearning #UpgradeYourLife

“Approaching credit cards as extra cash or as a cash advance is…

"Approaching credit cards as extra cash or as a cash advance is like donating blood from a baby…

Originally posted on Facebook on Wednesday, May 29, 2024.

"Approaching credit cards as extra cash or as a cash advance is like donating blood from a baby that's not born yet. You can kill it that way."

Too harsh?

I've got young adults that are going off into the world and they would tell you that we've discussed this as a family ad nauseum, that credit is for optimizing cash flow and is not a cash supplement. But, I wanted to communicate the concept in a way that would stick and that conveys how devastating misusing credit and going in debt can be to the "baby" —their potential wealth and future.

Does it accurately convey the point that the objective is to grow the baby (wealth) and that credit used improperly has the opposite effect of harming or even killing the baby ("being in the red" due to debt), or is there a more effective metaphor? #financialliteracy #parenting #youngmoney

I’ve been bullish on AI and have gone so far to say that our…

Originally posted on Facebook on Thursday, May 23, 2024.

I've been bullish on AI and have gone so far to say that our entire pedagogy needs to be restructured around it. I believe we need to retool public education around AI in the same way we did for the industrial revolution and again for the information age.

AI is a sea change technology, with both wonderful and horrifying potential: it can either be a rising tide that lifts all boats, improving resource accessibility —possibly even achieving the illusive equity: a healthy quality of life for everyone, or it can be the tide that crushes everything beneath it, resulting in greater impoverishing of the have-nots as wealth is transferred at an unprecedented scale to the haves. A determining factor will be who has the access and knowledge to reap the benefits of this powerful technology.

I am fortunate to work under leadership with the ability to see the changing landscape and the willingness to make investments to meet the challenges head-on.

I also count myself blessed to work daily with amazing people who dedicate themselves to helping our children prosper in an exciting future rich with new opportunities made possible through AI.

I am proud to be a part of the @[100070940345691:2048:West Point Consolidated School District, MS] family.

Leading With The Need: How We Get More From Church

Paul Luckett | Brainflurry.com - Leading With The Need: How We Get More From Church

Why can church seem plastic and empty?

Because I come to the King’s treasury laden with debt but I pretend like I’m rich.

I only leave empty because my pride prevents me from taking advantage of the King’s debt forgiveness program.

In order to do that I have to openly declare bankruptcy.

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
— Matthew 5:3

In James 5:16, the author writes,

“Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.”

Notice that confession of our sin PRECEDES healing —the establishment of healthy function.

Very often I get nothing from church because I pretend that I have it all together.

A pastor and mentor of mine, Pearson Liddell, advised me regarding ministry, “get real as quickly as possible, otherwise you’re wasting people’s time”.

When we don’t confess our sin, we leave money (healing) on the table.

So, for me, moving forward, every church service, fellowship, Bible study will begin with this question, “Where is the sin in my life?”

And what is sin?

Missing the mark.

It’s being outside the circle of love, outside the Kingdom of God. (sin state)

The result is always that we don’t love properly. (sin action)

Leading with the confession of our sin requires humility, looking into the mirror of the perfect law of liberty, turning the sword of the Word (which is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart -Hebrews 4:12) on myself (rather than against others as we so often like to do) and praying, “Lord, show me where I’m apart from You. Show me the areas where Satan sits on the throne in my life. Show me where I’m failing to love properly.”

There will always be something to confess, always an area where we can be healed, always a place where God can make us more glorious.

“If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.”
— 1 John 1:8

There’s no sense in being sick, coming to the hospital and pretending that I’m OK.

I come to Christ through fellowship because I’m in need.

We should lead with our need.

I’ll start:

One of the greatest hindrances to my loving properly and to God’s glory being expressed in my life is that my regard for many things in this world have not yet descended to the level of trash.

“Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ”
— Philippians 3:8

I am preoccupied with my appearance and have burdened myself with debt and unnecessary things to bolster it which keeps me from fellowship and hinders me from following Jesus completely and fearlessly.

Please pray for me.

Maintaining Focus On The Mission: A Task Evaluation Workflow

Paul Luckett | Brainflurry.com - Maintaining Focus On The Mission: A Task Evaluation Workflow

My plate has been overflowing as of late and I find myself tremendously stressed and my internal dialogue dominated by, “I have to do “.

But after a moment of prayer and bringing the thought captive to Christ, it occurred to me that the phrase “I have to do…” sounds like a great way to identify an idol.

Why do I feel like “I have to do” these things?

In many ways fear is the reason. I’m afraid that if I don’t do these things I’ll lose some security: income, a client, a job, approval, or that I won’t be loved. This fear enslaves me and drives me to do things that are neither profitable or healthy.

Also, there are times in my life when I felt “stuck” and it is usually due to me not sticking to a course of action that progresses my mission. Instead, I allow myself to be distracted and allow my time and resources to be diverted to someone else’s mission.

So, I’m starting to push back and examine the assertion that I have to do anything besides what God has commissioned me to do.

Jesus was constantly approached with the desires and priorities of others, but Jesus was singular in His focus,

“For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me.”
— John 6:38

As my example, I want to be like Jesus and be successful in my mission. To do that I must first be focused on His will and secondly be centered in the security that God provides:

“And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.”
— 2 Corinthians 9:8

I believe that when I work on behalf of God, and unburden myself from debt and unnecessary things, that God will provide everything I need.

Operating from this confidence, I hope to be more intentional about what I do and more courageous about rejecting activities that do not further my mission.

There are dozens of new potential tasks that I am confronted with everyday. So, I’ve developed the following decision tree to help evaluate which of the following responses are most appropriate: Delete, Delegate, Delay, Date (schedule), Do.

And as far as advancing the mission goes, there’s a sixth “D” or category of activity: Discipline. There are some activities that I should be doing routinely (such as prayer, Bible study, communication with my wife or going to the gym) that perhaps more than anything else, contributes to progress.
#thriveday