Derwin L. Gray's Blog, page 9
November 5, 2013
I AM The Bread of Life
In John 6:35 Jesus declares “I Am the Bread of Llfe.” However, when we don’t look to the Creator to satisfy our hunger pains, we end up turning to created things. Things like food, drugs or alcohol. Take a few moments and watch the incredibly powerful testimony of Brian. See how his life was transformed when he found his identity in the Creator, Jesus!
November 3, 2013
Failure Doesn’t Have To Define You
If you are human, you have failed at something.
And if you haven’t epically failed at something important, you will.
How we respond to failure is crucial.
In my own life, and from a decade of shepherding people, I have seen how failure either catapults someone to future success and character development, or drive them deeper into despair and self-loathing.
Here’s an excerpt from page 198-199 of my book, Limitless Life: You Are More Than Your Past When God Holds, where share one of the most embarrassing and painful experiences of my life. I pray that helps you.
Failure
In one week, I went from leading the team in tackles to being one of the main causes we lost the game. Personally, I lost more than just the game. I lost the trust of my teammates and the trust of the coaches. For the remainder of my career with the Colts, the coaches never trusted me with that level of responsibility again. Every year after that 1994 season, the coaches drafted college players to take my job. And every year I fought them off like a male lion fighting to keep his pride.
I lost millions of dollars too. Had I played up to my potential the remainder of the season, it would have placed me in a good position to sign a new, much bigger contract. Worst of all, I lost my confidence. In one week, I went from “Dang, this NFL stuff is easy! I’m the leading tackler on the team!” to “I’m not sure I can do this. Am I good enough to play at this level?” The rest of the 1994 season was a disaster for me. And there was no one to blame but me. Pride blinded me so badly that I tried to blame others for my lack of discipline.
I failed. But I wasn’t a failure. What I didn’t know in my early twenties was that the road to success goes through a dark valley called failure. God placed the seeds of success in my failure that one day to make me the man and leader I am today. And that failure would prepare me to live a life of faithfulness. Right now, my friend, in your greatest failure, God is preparing you for your future success.
Order your copy of Limitless Life by CLICKING HERE
Marinate on that,
Pastor Derwin
October 30, 2013
You Need to Check Under the Hood
At first glance it’s easy to be impressed by the way something looks. Whether it be a car, a house or even a person. But a wise person will take time to look past the outside and see what’s on the inside. Watch as Pastor Derwin explains.
October 27, 2013
Would Jesus Get Kicked Out of Our Churches?
What was it about Jesus that gave the outcast, the morally-fractured, and the poor hope that He could transform them?
I want to share an excerpt with from page 91 of my new book, Limitless Life: You Are More Than Your Past When God Holds Your Future, Page 91.
How do you and I look at damaged people? Do we look at them through the grace-colored eyes of Jesus, or the dehumanizing lenses of judgment? Sometimes I think Jesus would have been kicked out of many of our churches because of the damaged people He would bring to Sunday service. He would bring sex traffickers; HIV-infected IV drug users; greedy, Ponzi-scheming Wall Street investment bankers; adulterous politicians; crackheads; women who have had multiple abortions; alcoholics who cuss like pirates—and messed-up people like you and me.
As Jesus walked into our weekend services with His motley crew of damaged people, would we see potential trophies of grace? Or would we judge these people and pull back from them in disgust?
It is my prayer that our local churches will have the heart of Jesus for damaged people and be accused of loving the unlovable just as Jesus did. “The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look at him! A glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ ” (Matthew 11:19 esv).
I pray that they will attract damaged people the way Jesus did.
I’d like to invite you to learn more about my new book Limitless Life: You Are More Than Your Past When God Holds Your Future, CLICK HERE
October 23, 2013
Sacrifice
Have you ever wanted to know the secret to being a better leader in your home, your workplace, your school or your community? Take just two minutes to watch Pastor Derwin and discover how to make it happen.
October 21, 2013
Here’s How Was I Able To Forgive My Father?
Here’s an excerpt from my new book Limitless Life: You Are More Than Your Past When God Holds Your Future, on page 81-82, where I share how I was able to forgive my father.
I was able to reach out and forgive my father because God the Father reached out and forgave me. That’s what grace does. It pursues and reaches out to sinners like me. In a violent act of holy justice and unconditional love, on the cross my past, present, and future sins were forgiven. Ephesians 4:32 says, “Be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you” (nlt). Now I had to forgive my father in light of how God the Papa had forgiven me.
When I look back into the Derwin Gray files, I think, How can God forgive a person like me? And I hear God whisper, How can I not forgive a person like you? You are exactly who I sent my precious Son to die for. When I forgave my father in response to my heavenly Father forgiving me, I escaped a dark prison cell of self-limitation. The prison doors are wide open! Jesus has paid the price and paved the way, so come on out of that dark prison cell of unforgiveness and walk in the light of freedom. It is time to forgive the person or persons who injured your heart.
CLICK HERE TO PICK UP YOUR COPY OF LIMITLESS LIFE
Marinate on that,
Pastor Derwin
October 16, 2013
Jesus’ Applause Is Enough
In today’s culture, it seems everyone has a desire to be a star. People crave attention and accolades, and let’s face it - some will do just about anything for five minutes of fame. Reality TV is a prime example. But really, the applause of ONE is truly enough. Watch as Pastor Derwin explains!
October 13, 2013
Pastors, Stop Worshiping the Idol Called “Success”
I CAN’T GET NO SATISFACTION
God, the Papa, blessed me by allowing me to see that the idol called success over-promises and under delivers. Not only does the idol called success under-deliver, idolatry is also disfigures our hearts.
At the age of 25, I was a team captain on the Indianapolis Colts. I had money, a beautiful wife, and things I didn’t even know I was allowed to even dream about. I was successful according to America. Yet success couldn’t fix what I needed fixed most, my heart.
My heart longed for love unconditional, beauty, satisfaction, and rest. Success was supposed bring me these things, but it didn’t.
PASTORAL IDOLATRY
Sadly, a whole bunch of pastors are worshiping the idol called “success.” In our hearts, we whisper to ourselves:
“If my church gets bigger, I’ll be successful.”
“If I get that book deal with the huge advance, I’ll be successful”.
“If I speak at all the big conferences, I’ll be successful.”
“If I can just get the cool people to attend my church, I’ll be successful.”
The consequence of worshiping the idol called success is that we hurt people, destroy our marriages, prostitute people, and drag the Name of Jesus through the mud.
A LITTLE HELP FROM MADONNA
Pop star Madonna describes the seduction of success in her own words:
“I have an iron will, and all of my will has always been to conquer some horrible feeling of inadequacy. I push past one spell of it and discover myself as a special human being and then I get to another stage and think I’m mediocre and uninteresting. Again and again. My drive in life is from this horrible fear of being mediocre. And that’s always pushing me, pushing me. Because even though I’ve become Somebody, I still have to prove that I’m Somebody. My struggle has never ended and it probably never will.’ (Lynn Hirshberg, “The Misfit,” Vanity Fair, April 1991, Volume 54, Issues 4, pp. 160-169, 196-202.)
I wonder how many pastors feel the same way?
SET YOUR HEART ON THE EPIC SUCCESS OF JESUS
1. BE HONEST WITH JESUS ABOUT YOUR HEART
As pastors, like all blood-ransomed sons and daughters of God, we bring heavy baggage filled with sin, hurt, and inadequacies to our vocation. And if we’re not careful we’ll try to self-medicate our hurts through ministry success instead of in Jesus, and His unsearchable riches.
2. DROWN YOURSELF IN JESUS’ SUCCESS
We focus too much on our failures (despair) and success (pride) instead of the EPIC success of Jesus on our behalf.
Jesus is our success. God the Father attributes all of Jesus success to us because we are “in” Christ. To be in Christ means that all that Jesus accomplishments have been accredited to us as a free gift. Jesus is our success.
We serve from a heart that’s satisfied in Jesus and accepted by God the Father, instead of a heart trying to be satisfied in ministry success and trying to be accepted by God the Father.
3. GROW IN GRACE
Early in my faith journey with Jesus, I came across a book entitled, The Search for Significance by Robert McGee. Then I read Emotionally Healthy Spirituality by Pete Scazzero, and recently Dangerous Calling by Paul David Tripp. And I’ve recently written a book entitled, Limitless Life: You Are More Than Your Past When God’s Holds Your Future. Click here to learn more about Limitless Life. These books are great resources. I’ve taken the Transformation Church staff through three of them.
WHAT MINISTRY SUCCESS?
True ministry success is found in being faithful to steward the Gospel, your calling, and walk with the Spirit so closely that we lavish everyone we meet with His fruit (Galatians 5:22-24).
Marinate on that,
Pastor Derwin
October 9, 2013
“If You’re Gonna Do It, Put Your Heart Into It”
Have you ever stopped to consider that your vocation is so much more than just a job? Do you wake up each morning excited with the opportunity to worship through your work? If not, there is hope! Watch as Pastor Derwin explains.
October 2, 2013
“Greatness Is Often Birthed In Obscurity”
Many people long to be known, to be seen, to be recognized. But often, it’s in times of obscurity that God will develop us for a time of future greatness. Please take two minutes to watch as Pastor Derwin explains!
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