Surviving Christmas - Surviving Santa

Welcome messenger. We were glad to have you with us today. We have a special special day today that we really were kind of were not in studio. I guess we should say I mean how fun we get to eat pork and then record it if you guys don't know Pastor Jim if you haven't met Pastor Jim work with his church is work on Pastor Jim. But you don't know Jim, we talked about it. Jim is a really big man. He is late in something going on because he missed all the food 6'8" tall.

I understand in his heyday, and I don't want to know how much. Yes, there's a lot of pork to get there. It was very were very grateful to be here and were going to continue today to the series on surviving Christmas. If you miss some of that radically tell a little bit about what we've covered so far. Now I'll last week we we talked about how to survive. Write family changes like if you experience loss of a mother like you and I did last year or divorce. Those kind of things it at the holiday. How do you survive that when Christmas comes in that's going on in your life, but the week before that we talked about young on a blank to deliver what was really on Christmas dinner was that you had surviving Christmas is a fairly parenting parenting yes yeah that after my week this week you should have the days surviving Christmas is apparent. But this week I've been waiting for this for like three weeks. I'm very excited about it. Surviving Christmas surviving Santa what is that you know that's it that's it. Interesting question is a Christian you hear so many different takes on it, you know, is it okay to tell your kids or Suzanne, is it not okay what is it with Anna and what are some of those customs and there's just a lot of stuff right there. Same there isn't in is it necessarily or the good lessons that kids learn of the bad lessons, a kids learning or incentives.

Love has it relate to Christianity all sorts of things and a tie in there, but at some level you have to decide are you going to survive Santa through the holiday season and you might imagine, we have a clip along those lines running yeah we have clips for everything that we have a clear chemical clip you know that classic movie that I love to watch every year it's the Santa Claus because there was that little thing in the bottom of the contracting you know that kinda sets the stage with what is the deal was Santa and so let's hear what Tess got Calvin thought is under now Charlie Christmas got Calvin's getting only way he can be easy to find a bright red suit naughty very and health. Veronica very nice. There's a danger in that closet, the pound that the whole is not a nice think that that's when the kids are very familiar with and remember one time when the boys were young and Caleb was at was acting up. He must've been about five or six.

My wife decided it be good idea Dick to call Santa and she called my brother-in-law at the end he was Santa told Kayla to be good idea. He was terrified for like that can make you stand on the phone in thinking them not… Fake news. I think it's fake news because you know my story about when I was a kid in the BB gun and the I was out in the woods with my friends in one of my friends went to relieve himself and his I was looking for.

I saw things targets appear, but I couldn't resist that. She got me on the naughty list and because not only did I shoot him and he gave the got bread bloodcurdling but then then I took the little neighbor kid was about four and pulled in front of me as a human shield. When he returned fire and got pinned right between the eyes and you know I got my BB gun take away, but Santa did bring me cold my stockinette year, nor did I get a switch and so I personally believe the naughty list is frightening. Yeah, I think that we have used it to others. I've used at times to try to help control my care and I think there is so much danger and that that whole philosophy that that naughty list. You know, because there's none of us is there ever going to make the good list at the end of the day in set out every morning diction to try to do the right things and always do the best thing in hand and be Christlike in all the things you're supposed to do that yet to make it black and white and allow for a lot of grace, not knowing you probably had several days you made it all the way through all the way.

For now, again, not for me like that. The thing that stands out the most is whenever I do miss the mark gratis is that voice that comes immediately afterwards. Can't believe you did that your horrible person. I can't believe I missed it like that deftly not the voice of a loving father yeah yeah it's deathly voice you hear and but it's it's not the voice of God into an end to clarify kinda what were going to talk a little bit about today's talk about whether you should tell your kids or Santa not to your kids and Shannon and how do you reconcile that a Christian household that you can read a book on that you can go to smooth things over to show on another time but we are to talk about this whole Santa Claus philosophy right and John Lynch. You know you turned me onto this clip some time ago and it just really opened up my eyes to something that I had no clue that I bought into since I was little kid that you will will play here to second John Lynch is a pastor out in Phoenix Arizona. He and not the football player at the football player different John Lynch. He's got some great YouTube videos. This is actually from one of his YouTube videos were spoke to the navigators very, very well done today when I hear him talk about the Santa Claus philosophy and let's go ahead and listen to that clip as early as we can remember we have performed for acceptance if I'm good enough talented and diligent beautiful together are not right correct and I will be loved and accepted and blessed and happy, and if not, I will be rejected and receive a lousy life you know it is. It's the Santa Claus is coming to town theology. You see we created Santa Claus because we couldn't handle God's truth is we can handle Santa Claus only watch not tell you why Seneca has come to town making a list and checking it twice, maybe three times you can find out closest he knows when you've been sleeping which is wrong in my book. Write out a shoe that is not acceptable.

I don't care who you are watching the wake up in the middle Santa what are you doing here my bedroom jolly and sassy knows anybody sleeping. He knows when you're awake knows when you bad or good for crying out loud something good for goodness sake. There is the culture created figure that out and Janet grabbed hold of it. Let that permeate your life and we sing it over and over because we believe it.

There is someone watching your value is on how much you do right and how little you do wrong and is constantly writing down the wrong that you've done for future reference, to bring up again to you if you're naughty no soup for you only. Coal is going to find out all in this omniscient controlling legalist he's coming to town you better watch out here this guy you better stop your crying and sniveling, you better not to put on a good face you better act like you're somebody different than you will you actually happen to be, no matter how you feel. You better put on a good show dog gonna just be better than who you are, for goodness sake, you knew when you listen to that. It's funny, John's very funny speaker but is also has a way of just opening your eyes to some things and in this really what I heard that for the first time I thought you know not about Santa obviously bit, but wow what a dangerous way to think right because we put God in that spot in our heart thinking he's watching me in out and in judgments common and in all that is and it's an interesting place to find yourself because you think I've got a perform in order to get acceptance in theirs and their stories in the Bible.

The you know you can take Tina somewhat out of context or whatever they would illustrate that in the ark because it's moving along and since the following summary reaches out to grab it a critter and is gone you respect anything wow that's that's God. Now obviously there's there's more to that story when I can talk about that today, but whole philosophy is vengeful in the overbearing watching God brass… Wait 90 to mess up in Asia smacking down in life can be horrible. I remember being in teenager had been saved had been a Christian now for probably five, six years and incense is incredibly stupid. As a teenager you don't have a brain that really works and I was thinking I can say that I have teenager I was supposed to have which was have some big volleyball thing with another youth group and and it started raining and I was mad and I was thinking well you thanks God is all that is are pretty girls church. I want to meet him, but you know I got mad and I was angry God now is no telling how angry I was with a mostly cleared up in a bit later that day I was out doing some chores of my family had been on me about to do my my mom and dad and I was burning some brush using some gasoline to burn some brush and got in a position that was not good. Fire took off equipment pretty bad happens again you can use gas but no you don't use gas. The but in my mind that became. I argued with God and now I'm in the hospital right and what a dangerous place that was in it and that was that way for many many years until God really talked about here Spoke to my heart.

It can, Jan stepped in and did some healing and did some of and did some things in a and I got to see him for his heart rate in should we fear God, yes, fear of God is healthy.

Not being afraid of God is something totally different ally with John because later on in this video but more in his book to true faith. He talks about do you see God when you look at God. You see God on the other side of your sin on this side of your sin, and he talks about being in the room, a good intentions were arm and it got on my side if I come to church enough to fight brave enough if I read my Bible and get on my side and everything is good Mike, what, and that person tends to see God. On the other side of their sin and trying to find a way to get over there versus seeing God on this side of my sin with his arm around me saying this is John Lynch's line G Robby that's a lot of sin, and will work it on it together in a working working to go after this thing but it's a matter of when you trust God or you can try to earn your way that and that's the difference tween the Santa Claus is coming to town theology and I think Grace did is grace coming for me and I was there. All of for a lot of years. That same feeling at all and when I started getting them. Seymour is the father that he really is begin to think okay. He's the ultimate father, so I'm a father now.

I my daughter she would do those continue things and she just couldn't get it right at what point in time I would but I abandon her insight on that's not enough. Here you into it when you get it right. Come back and talk to me know if it's never gonna be that way. So I'm I'm a human. You know how much more she gonna love me and that right way to restore me and be by my side instead of holding out until I get it all right for me it is actually fairly quickly. He said it at boot camp spent some time ago I grew up with the father that wasn't quite so kind and loving and when I missed missed the mark he made sure to let me know.

But God's grace and his mercy near the grace that merited favor the love that he has for us is unconditional that I don't have to seek his approval. He arty approves of me. He is Artie called me. He already loves me he loves me because he loves me because he loves me because he loves me as it is really really awesome experience and I absolutely I just think about if you use the old adage imposing concert Easter to make a list of pros and cons and if the measurement really truly was on how good I can be here how much I cannot mess up while I'm done is just as readily love you and I and I try hard.

We all fall short in its amazing thing about God's grace in the sacrifice again made on the cross that that that he sent his son to die for us was, not just for the sins of the moment with the sins before the sins now.

The since the content right yeah we haven't have a repentant heart.

We have to do all the things that are part of it right. We don't have to be good enough in any way defined as of the we have an enemy, the less tell us all the time were on the naughty list yeah and I'll tell you this, we have a really creepy clip for you.

I found this is this is a kids movie. Believe it or not, and it's all animated with Santa and all the characters but the name of the movie is actually called the naughty list and Google that don't yeah when you hear this. I mean, it's got to give you an idea of what kids how they get that performance mentality. I'm heading to the Porsche nicely is coming, just checking it twice. Schedule is way more this year. It's more work, but all taken to Christmas time instituted a real-time system that checks up on Constantine's tantrums and proud to say that Christmas two point course.

Of course this creepy Christmas 2.0 is coming your way and it's it's it's a scary thing. You know how many years arrived labored under that thought that I've gotta earn my acceptance. My favorite so how'd you guys can you put some ways that you can know in the work for God's doing in your life right is he's trying to do this healing. This restoration things that he's always active on in your life versus voice of the enemy. It's trying to remind you, hey, you're in the naughty list on the naughty list and what's what some of the things that the enemy uses as his tools and his toolkit are in God's toolkit that makes 12 for bonded condemnation and you feel bad.

I mean, you know, wait a minute, condemnation, shame, God doesn't God's confronted me on things never once has God shamed me anything God doesn't do shame. Yeah, I think I read something the other day that a lot of times we make that synonymous with with guilt really different.

Guilt is just that, prompting that you done something wrong. Shame is like you dirty son of a gun.

What you doing you know it's really the opposite of that in one of Robby away from God was gonna pull you towards also taken to a place of loneliness and every of the one who feels like you're the only one who whose experiences he can signature interrogate you from other people and that isolation factor that the enemy tries to say we are the only one that struggles with this only parent that faces this issue are, you should be well beyond this now right somehow in life for even a Christian for how many years and only nine those kind of attacks.

The guys just trying to deny God the enemies is trying to isolate you from God and you know that's one of the things that for me the boot camps are that opportunity to get excited about having God confront you with something in one of those talks but then we have a covenant of silence where everybody has an opportunity to go out and get alone with God for usually 45 minutes an hour with the question that you feel this is my need to work on with no condemnation listening for God's voice to help you as you feel them on this side of your sin working with you and where I work, and we go from here what you know what direction you have for me daughter and a lot of times just affirmation is it's always amazing when you go out, we live at boot camp. We do these these toxins in which take turns.

God puts different talks on different people's hearts reach boot camp. He notes a similar similar topics that you give guys a list of things to God and kinda just ask out about the amazing thing is when God steps in and says whatever God wants to do in the midst of it you know it may just be something simple as God reminding you that he loves you in a way that you never felt before, and maybe didn't have a dad that ever said it and that's the only thing God wants you to know is you have the data says it every day and every day every day every day right and it's always amazing what a dozen and summoned a little bit of a shameless promo here.

It's exit on a shameless promo but were about a week away from Christmas and there's a perfect gift that you can give one but two men in your life or if humanity want to buy one for a friend were doing a photo.

Robby slips about.

It's a buy one give one free so if you buy one boot camp at hundred $99. Then working to give you a second one for you to bring somebody else to help them get their heart back.

It's a weekend starts on a Thursday and so from a Thursday night fry all day Friday all day Saturday and Sunday morning is a lot of time to get some restoration because so many men see life is to go out there and do the battle but like the Delta flight. They never bring the oxygen mask down to work on their into this boot camp this weekend and is is a vital time for men to get their hearts back in. I think that all the gifts that God's given me in life is give me some tremendous gifts. My family my kids and all those things.

But for me personally, and that made a difference even to them of the greatest was my heart rate, given recent things in my heart I can tell you only boot camps have been to anymore.

It's well over in the 20s somewhere, probably in each one is been uniquely different from the standpoint of what gets done in my heart there in the gifts that he was getting not just a Christmas but all year long. When I know you been to several big camps in anion and several of them actually brought other is with me so if anyone enters thinking that they might come in might not think there may be someone to come along. Go ahead now and return Glidden can do that going get the tickets now while you can because there's always almost always someone in your life that got point out to encourage you to bring them to the camp that you had been 13 challenge and and some other things. Can you comment there you were walking with Christ as you came into that, but it still impacted you can you share that habit actually. So the first two boot camps that I came to I was still in it and got it spoke to me there that think next the reader of, with the boot camp is been for me is is it started that relationship. As mentioned earlier and atomically had that there a lot of Christians to get saved and can stop there than they haven't been shown how you can actually have a relationship with God that he wants to speak to you that he wants to talk with you and we get caught up in the doing so much think about Martha and Mary never came together whenever Jesus came into town, Jesus came and Mary sat at his feet, and she heard from the master while Martha was busy about you cooking dinner and you, which was the greater thing there if if it starts with relationship needs to start their but as far as what I learned there again, just that hearing from God that he actually wants to talk to me that you can ask such a small question and he cares about that little list of things to answer, just began to poke your heart a little bit to say them here that I do love you and have some 40 yeah I guess coming the ones that I went to the end of probably 1210 or 12.1 Ocala Colorado this year and I was really good and I realize from that experience how much what you're getting is spot on with the content and the spirit that it started in Colorado and I was quite frank, I came back, these guys said you guys replicated this the credit valve quickly defer to God though but anything. This is a message that meant a lot of men need to hear there's things that they didn't have the father figure that they needed it will help you with those kinds of things. This is something that you're going to get it will just deepen your walk the distance. Talk a little bit more about how they replicated it here again. It's been a dependence on God is taken that framework that, the other boot camps come from, but they've also added flavor.

There's things I've seen this boot camp anything Colorado so it is unique it is custom to what God is wanting to do with his people in this area so and Karen is it's really really fun to be here with these guys at the bridge and the be able to do this in this format. In this way in a boot camp.

If you were there. We not only have the body over movie clips. We have him up on screen and you know Jesus talked in parables because stories speak to your heart and that's where God's. That's where the action is. It's in your heart and God comes after through those movie clips and those stories and in the end that one of the neat things about the boot camp is that you you're in this intimate sex setting and God's coming after your heart with stories absolutely, it would begin his show talking about in Santa Ana surviving Christmas and in the whole philosophy of that that naughty list and what were not talking about here is God calls us to go do servant go do you know but it's a whole mindset of God outweigh my naughty list staff with Goodstein because of some spiritual balance sheet and having that God's keeping on whether were going in and find his favor, his love here. That's a whole dangerous philosophy were talking about in these boot camps got me to him want you to go do this, but it's really honestly if he does that to me something that's awakening your heart something that you can find passion in the of all the boot camps have been to God is not really only once said him want you to go do this as far as I can ministry thing.

It's all been gifts and restoration ways to love my family better in on those types of gifts that he's given me along the way. Yeah.

And then that spawns passions and spines things that makes you want to go do an given serve rights were not saying that that's not right.

It's just getting the sequence of events right giving out of the overflow of God's heart. Thank you for listening to the show this week will be back up. Have a great Christmas and then I don't know what time the next time you were still surviving Christmas surviving leftovers and so you figure out what that looks like. Have a great week