#jimmyvaughn

[pastorjimmyvaughn]

Building a Strong Family Builds a Strong Community

I was fortunate; after being orphaned at 11, my sister and I were received into a “his, mine, and ours family.” Long story short, it was three families living, loving, sharing, and working to become one strong, stable family. I owe my family the world for all it has afforded me throughout my life. A University of Delaware study gives us many simple yet important insights. Our society thrives on strong families. Our family teaches us how to function in the world. It should provide love and warmth to all of its members. A strong family gives its members the support they need to make it through life’s toughest spots. Strong families have good communication; they build open lines of communication -- where all family members feel heard and respected. One of the best ways to strengthen your family is to increase your listening skills and those of other family members. Until we can hear each other, we cannot build strong relationships.

To build strong family relationships, listen actively to each other. Give the person your full attention, turn off the TV or put down your phone. Focus on what the person is telling you rather than thinking about your reaction or response to what is being said. Resist giving advice or reacting until you are certain you have fully understood what the person was saying to you (this is a difficult one for me).

Encourage all family members to share their thoughts and feelings. Strong families allow all family members, no matter how young or small, to talk about their thoughts and feelings. This does not mean that members are not respectful of one another, but rather that feelings and ideas are respected. Everyone should be expected to express themselves in appropriate ways. When people feel heard and respected, they feel better about themselves, are more open to solving problems, and are more likely to allow others to express themselves.

Strong families spend time together. In today’s busy world it can be difficult for families to find time to be together. All relationships need attention -- and this includes the family as a whole. Family rituals help define who we are as a family. It allows time for the family to get together, to share experiences with one another, and to reconnect with each other.

Making, Maintaining, & Mending a strong family takes hard work and commitment. A wise person will invest in themselves, their relationships, and their marriages. There is an upcoming opportunity for just such an investment. On Saturday, March 28th Authentic Life Fellowship will host a free “Marriage & Family Tune Up Conference,” lead by Robert Duckworth, a Licensed Professional Counselor and board approved supervisor in the state of Texas. If you’re in need of help now, you can contact Mr. Duckworth at [phone]. He has a few slots open for free, private counseling.

Rev. Jimmy Vaughn Pastor of Authentic Life Fellowship

[marylmartinez]

Dinner at Sicilia's Kitchen and the the Buddy Guy concert. #buddyguy #buddyguylegends #jimmyvaughn #music (at Eccles Theater) https://www.instagram.com/p/Bvp2VuKg51a/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1okqu4bnh6t3j

[mrjimpatterson]

Stevie Ray and Jimmy Vaughn. #stevierayvaughan #jimmyvaughn #doubletrouble #fabulousthunderbirds

[ajweiner3]

#JimmyVaughn #TheForum (at The Forum)

[pastorjimmyvaughn]

Believers & Ballots

Don’t sell your salt or snuff your candle. Jesus said in Matthew 5:13-16, “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.  “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.”

I know the political diversity of those who may read this is pretty broad and that in the heat of a political season emotions can run pretty high. But I want to remind us Christ Followers that we have a responsibility and a privilege during this contentious time. The privilege is to be able to participate in the shaping of our Government through the peaceful process called the ballot box. Oh how many in our world would cherish such an opportunity, and how many have given their one and only life to try and acquire the right? As believers we have a responsibility to be engage, knowing that our Government isn’t the answer to most of our country’s needs, Jesus is, but the Government does have its responsibilities and we should hope and work towards having our leaders be moral, ethical, and if possible people of faith.

That being said, we also have a responsibility, and it supersedes everything else. We are saved, equipped, and called to be the delivery system of God’s love and truth to our neighbor, to our nation, and ultimately to our world. This responsibility will reach far beyond this November and will be needed regardless of who is ultimately elected. The challenge we face is this, “will we allow our feelings, our conduct, and our political leaning cost us our salt and light?” I’m deeply concerned that The Church, and I’m not referring to Denominations, but rather individuals, are slaughtering their relationships, influence, and lines of communication with both fellow believers and those who they have yet earned a sharing of The Gospel with on the altar of politics.  Am I suggesting that God’s people should abandon their passion, and politics? Absolutely not! But if you can’t have one without sacrificing the other, well my friend, change is in order because our citizenship begins in Heaven and Christ died so that you might have it; you are not your own The Scripture says.

I plan Lord willing to live, love, and lead long after the ballots are cast and I for one will not sell my salt cheaply. I desperately hope to see the home town that I love come to know Christ and no Government or Politician is called to lead them their I am, and you are, let’s live with eternity in mind.

Pastor Jimmy Vaughn Authentic Life Fellowship of Greenville

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[pastorjimmyvaughn]

Growth is Life!

“Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness.” Colossians 2:7

I love thunderstorms, and if you can add in some lightening I’m twice as happy so long as it’s not the damaging type. But to watch and listen to the raw power of the event and to know that the rain bore through the storm will bring life to all the vegetation including the roots. During a recent storm I watched the tree tops whip and swirl at the mercy of the wind, but the further down the tree I looked the less submission I saw until finally at the base of the tree you couldn’t detect anything at all.

This is much like our own spiritual lives; our most vulnerable times are at our point of growth. A young believer can be tossed by so many winds of life. The winds of spiritual discovery and its effect on how we view and interact with our day to day world. The winds of temptation, especially those we once held dear but now seek repentance from. The winds of the worlds thoughts and feelings towards faith and the people of faith. The spiritual “sapling” is the most vulnerable of all.

The growing believer continually reaches toward “The Son” and it’s the newest grow that is most vulnerable to the storms wind. The difficulty is to keep the growth straight and true, not yielding to the storm because of the strength of our trunk and roots. The challenge is to continue to grow even if the storm damages us or sets us back because growth means life!

The tree without growth often indicates trouble, so does the life of a believer; If we come to a place where we stop growing, we’ve begun to die. The tree begins losing its foliage from the top down, life giving nourishment no long reaches them, the tree slowly transitions to “survival mode” and begins to shed all of its non-essentials. Soon it stands bare to the storm, it looks strong and tall but when in fact it’s frail, sick, and in great jeopardy. In the end the very roots that once feed life and gave stability falters under the power of a whisper of wind, no true storm is needed.

Such is the life of a tree, and such is the life of a believer. For both continued nourishment and growth are essential for a long and productive life. For the tree it gives us beauty, shade, adventure in being climbed, and a gathering place in the rain. For the believer it produces joy, purpose, strength, and thankfulness. For both it is the storm that both feeds and tests, thank God for the storm, and stand strong in Him, by Him, and for Him!

[pastorjimmyvaughn]

More Connection, Less Communication

We live in a time where people have the opportunity to be more connected than ever. Not that long ago if you had a phone it was located on a wall and it was possible that you might share the phone line with your neighbors, a “party line”. But today everyone has their own phone that is with them 24-7 and through Social Media you can “connect”, Wikipedia list 210 social media platforms by which we can connect and that didn’t include email or texting. Connection points are not the problem in today’s society, it’s communication, real communication. There are I believe three primary obstacles today. The first is fear, we’re fearful of what the other is thinking or might say, we hole the conversation in our heads and each time it turns out poorly. I have heard this said that fear is, “False Appearing As Real”. Our second hurdle is Time, we just don’t have the time, or if we were truly honest we won’t make the time for a real conversation, not another “snap chat” or “tweet” type of hit and run interaction. The challenge with many social media “critical conversations” is that you can’t see the other person’s context clues like body language, facial exasperation, or hear the tone of their voice. Instead you translate it through your preconceived thoughts, feeling, and emotions which is a sure recipe for disaster. The third hurdle is Inflexibility, we as a society have become so inflexible and, “it’s my way or the highway” about things that a true, quality conversation is very difficult to have unless you are both lock-step in your thoughts, ideas, and feelings. A real conversation must have time for and space for listening to the other person and allowing them the safety to be different than where you are in their thoughts. Then you must be willing to contemplate what they have said, I mean really give it some thought. We are so quick to dismiss or even villainize those who differ from us as uneducated, narrow minded, or perhaps bigoted. Lastly one must save room for possible compromise. It could be that one or both people may see the need to readjust their positions. To compromise is not equal to weakness, we all change it’s a natural part of life. But at times…we will find that we will have to agree to disagree and that’s okay. You can leave this conversation with respect, friendship, and even appreciation for the person’s position even it’s not your own. In The Book of Galatians, the second chapter there was a critical conversation that needed to be held regarding church doctrine and practices. Thanks be to God that it was held, truth and wisdom won the day! My dear friends let’s commit to bettering our communications, our world is in desperate need of all the productive benefits.