Tracking down old Tracks

Yesterday, at The Chapel we talked about how we can use a old technec to share the story of Christ with others. It's called a Gospel Track. A small panthlet that give a quick shout about the story of Christ. Our church even invested atou 200.00 to have avalible for our people to use.

Here are some thoughts about tracks.

Why should a Christian use tracts? Simply because God uses them. He used a tract to save the great missionary Hudson Taylor, as well as many, many others. That fact alone should be enough incentive for a Christian to always use tracts to reach the lost, but there are even more reasons why we should use them. Here are a few:

Tracts can make an opening for us to share our faith. We can watch people's reaction as we give them a tract, and see if they are open to listen to spiritual things.

They can do the witnessing for us. If we are too timid to speak to someone about the things of God, we can at least give them a tract, or leave it lying around so that someone will pick it up.

They speak to the person when they are ready--i.e. they don't read it until they want to.

They can find their way into people's homes when we can't.

They don't get into argument. They just state their case.

If you want people to accept your tract from you, don't say, "Would you like this?" They will probably say, "What is it?" and then you're in trouble. Instead, say, "Did you get one of these?" That question has a two-fold effect. You stir up curiosity and make them ask "One of what?" That's when you pass it to them. That phrase also makes them feel as though they are missing out on something. And so they are.

Perhaps your whole life seems to pass before your eyes at the thought of giving someone a tract. Don't worry--you are not alone. We all battle fear. The answer to fear is found in the prayer closet. Ask God to give you a compassion that will swallow your fears. Meditate on the fate of the ungodly. Give Hell some deep thought. Confront what it is that you are so fearful of.

If you have never given out tracts, leave them in a shopping cart, or put them in the mail when you pay bills. Why not begin today? Then each night as you shut your eyes to go to sleep, you will have something very special to pray about...that God will use the tract you put somewhere. You will also have a deep sense of satisfaction, that you played a small part in carrying out the Great Commission...to reach this dying world with the gospel of everlasting life. Don't waste your life. Do something for the Kingdom of God while you are able to. Finally, always remember--treat every day as though it were your last...one day you will be right, so do something for God while you are able.

Have an Awesome Day

David

Divine Dissatifaction

Today, I had a few moments to read some of the most inspiring speeches delivered by a man and a moment that took place some 40 years ago. The man was Martin Luther King Jr. As he was concluding a speech at the 11th Convention of Southern Christian Leadership Conference, he said these words.

In conclude by saying today that we have a task, and let us go out with a divine dissatisfaction.

Let us be dissatisfied until America will no longer have a high blood pressure of creeds and an anemia of deeds.

Let us be dissatisfied until those who live on the outskirts of hope are brought into the metropolis of daily security.

Let us be dissatisfied until men and women, however black they may be, will be judged on the basis of the content of their character, not on the basis of the color of their skin. Let us be dissatisfied.

Let us be dissatisfied until that day when the lion and the lamb shall lie down together, and every man will sit under his own vine and fig tree, and none shall be afraid.

Let us be dissatisfied, and men will recognize that out of one blood God made all men to dwell upon the face of the earth us be dissatisfied until that day when nobody will shout, "White Power!" when nobody will shout, "Black Power!" but everybody will talk about God's power.

I have heard may Pastors use the phrase "divine dissatisfaction" before to inspire groups of people to move forward with the vision of the church. I was also surprised to find out that this phrase had been used by Dr. King some 40 years ago. But no mater how old this phrase is, it's power of it still remains.

How about it? Do you have a divine dissatisfaction with your life, your family our church? We all should be motivated to march with His spirit this next years and allow our divine dissatisfaction to help us accomplish the vision God has for your life.

Have an Awesome Day

David

I will Build my Church

Well, in a hour, I will be joining one of the design team members to talk to a plumber about doing some work at our new home.

Many of you know that our church is in the process of relocating into a 15,000 sq. Facility. It is a temp home very soon.

When Jesus said, "I will build my church" I'm sure he was talking a lot more then plumbers. But I can't help to think that as we do "real construction" some "spiritual construction" will be going on as well. This thought was also confirmed by what a friend of mine shared with me the other day. He shared that as we build the physical walls, the building of deeper friendships would also accrue. I believe this as will!

Lord, let us start the building.

Have an Awesome Day

David

Addition by Subtraction

In October, we conducted a survey of our church family asking some very key questions connected to some Thematic Goals of our church. WE harvested some very key conpontents.

One of those was the fact that we really needed to advance the time that our church spent reading the bible. Not that our the amount of our reading was critcally low, but were we are right now needed some advancement.

We also saw a direct connection between the amount people spend reading their bible and the times the shared the reason for them being a Christain to others. Simply put, the more reading, the more sharing. Other the other components had little or no effect on sharing faith.

With that in mind, our leadership team set out to give tools to our church to help the increase bible reading. One of the changes you will find on our site in the future will be daily bible readings. We will be connecting the readings with the topics of our Sunday messages to amplify our spiritual growth. Please come back often to get your list of bible readings.

I would also like to sugguest to increase time for bible reading, you might want to concider taking on some fast in order to make time for more bible reading.

In an artical writen by Jane Johnson Struck, I found some fast that would acomplish this very thing.

Fast from Worry

Psalm 94:19 (TLB): "Lord, when doubts fill my mind, when my heart is in turmoil, quiet me and give me renewed hope and cheer." I determinedly tried to "take captive" every negative thought "to make it obedient to Christ" (2 Cor. 10:5).

If someone told me to just stop worrying, I'd say impossible. But I decided to try it for a week—with the help of God's Spirit and his Word. While I didn't become perfectly peaceful, for those seven days I felt healthier and more optimistic than I had for quite a while. This is one fast I've repeated when certain situations start feeding my fretful nature

If worry's something you'd like to change about your life, try switching stations for a week. It will transform the way you feel.

Fast from Fast Food

Do you love Wendy's? We've all been told to cut down on the fat in our diet. But I only set myself up for failure with an all-or-nothing mentality. So this time, I tried the incremental approach. Instead of that Greek Pita or Big Combo, we need to eat more healthy.

Fast from the Media

No, I'm not talking about abstaining from all television, newspapers, and magazines entirely for a week—or from renting and watching a family video that lifts your spirits and makes you laugh.
What I am suggesting is a fast from all the bad news floating out there. Pick up the latest magazine from the grocery-store newsstand and cover copy fairly shouts at you: "Will skin-eating bacteria endanger your family?" "E.coli is out to get you!" or "What silent symptoms are YOU ignoring?" Grim financial outlooks, children killing children, white-collar crime—it seems that in today's world, nobody's honest, nobody's to be trusted, and nobody's sure we're going to survive into the next century!

That's why it's important to keep a balanced view. Yes, real life is sometimes hard, scary, tragic. But it's also filled with hope, God's grace, and people who are loving, kind, and self-sacrificing. Life isn't all bad, dangerous, hazardous, brimming with imminent disease, disaster, or death—but on a steady diet of the daily paper or the evening news, you can often feel as though it is.

This year, join me in taking a break from the doom-and-gloom for seven days—you'll start looking up!

Fast from Criticism

I once read an article about a woman who decided to button her lip for a week and refrain from criticizing her husband when he forgot to take out the garbage or failed to call when he was coming home late. Would he notice the difference in her behavior—and would it make their marriage more loving? It did.

There's power in what you say—but also in what you don't say. Fast from criticism for a week; it will impact the way you relate to others.

Fast from Noise Overload

I don't know about you, but when I'm in my car, I turn on the radio. When I'm home, a stereo's always pounding away up in one of my daughters' bedrooms, a telephone's ringing, a dog's barking, a television's blasting, and a hairdryer's blowing.

What would an "unplugged" life be like? And how does the noise I invite into my life, not to mention the unavoidable background drone of technology, traffic, and people, affect me? All those decibels, I decided, make me tense, tired, and crabby.

Have an Awesome Day

David