ARCHIVEhttp://www.socofca.orgTue, 22 May 2012 21:42:14 GMTThu, 19 Jan 2012 16:17:59 GMTRetreat to Winhttp://www.socofca.org/retreat-to-winThu, 19 Jan 2012 06:00:00 GMTAndrew PowellLast week I had the privilege and opportunity to go on a prayer and fasting retreat.  This was the largest I had been on as 23 men gathered to worship and seek God.  Included in the 23 were some very successful and might I add busy men.  Their message to the young men was steady and clear... "The greatest habit a man or woman can develop in life is the habit of spending time in the secret place with God."  The secret place is the place where we pray, worship, seek, and most importantly listen to the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. The God we serve is a speaking God and he's talking, but are we listening?  We live in noisy world and unless we are intent on listening to Jesus' voice He can slowly be drowned out.  "You can't skip steps to greatness" is a saying of an NBA champion coach and the most important step a believer can take every day is to spend time in the secret place. 

]]>http://www.socofca.org/retreat-to-winVictory is Certainhttp://www.socofca.org/victory-is-certainTue, 29 Nov 2011 06:00:00 GMTAndrew PowellIf you've watched any sort of news over
the past month, it has been hard to miss
the success that Tim Tebow has had as
the Broncos starting quarterback. Sports
commentators affectionately refer to the 
fourth quarter of a game that Tebow is
playing in as "Tebow Time".  "Tebow Time"
is when after struggling, or just trying to
keep hope alive for three and a half quarters
Tim Tebow mounts a comeback that is
seemingly impossible.  Recently, Tim
Tebow, when commenting on yet another 
comeback victory, said "I like winning...I just wish it wasn't this stressful." Oftentimes we feel like that as Believers.  We know in the end we win, but the day to day pressures of dealing with school, sports, our future, family, and relationships can be very stressful.  Paul desribed this well in Corinthians:

2 Corinthians 4:8-9

"In every way we are troubled, be we aren't crushed by our troubles, we're frustrated, but we don't give up."

I encourage you to stay in the fight beacause even though it may not look like it...victory is certain.

]]>http://www.socofca.org/victory-is-certainSimplify Your Lifehttp://www.socofca.org/simplify-your-lifeThu, 03 Nov 2011 05:00:00 GMTAndrew PowellDuring the 1970s and 1980s the Bulgarians dominated the sport of Olympic weightlifting. After the Berlin Wall fell the training logs of the Soviets were finally opened up.  To everyones surprise the training programs that allowed the Bulgarians to dominate revolved around...a few basic lifts.

Isn’t it the same in our walk with Christ? We can get so focused on the peripheral that we miss the foundational.  If we really want to prevail you can’t get around the basics of bible study, prayer, and relationship building.  This training regimen is detailed in the New Testament:

Acts 2:42-43

"So those who accepted his message were baptized, and that day 3,000 people were added to them. And they devoted themselves to the apostles teaching, to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayers."

 

]]>http://www.socofca.org/simplify-your-life