Thinking about Grace

I was talking to some friends yesterday about questions that bug me (in a good way) ... here are some more I found on the subject of Grace ... this came from another blog who's author is a fellow Pastor

He writes ....

In the church we like to talk about and sing about grace. But do we really believe in grace?

If we really believed in grace, we would quit acting as if everything depended upon our performance.

If we really believed in grace, we wouldn't hold people's past sins against them once they had repented.

If we really believed in grace, we wouldn't write people off as beyond redemption.

If we really believed in grace, we wouldn't be filled with pride that we are not like "them."

If we really believed in grace, we wouldn't be too proud to admit our shortcomings and struggles.

If we really believed in grace, we wouldn't be putting our trust in money, fame and power.

If we really believed in grace, we wouldn't be so consumed with anxiety and fear.

If we really believed in grace, we would be looking for the ways that God is already working among us instead of begging him to bless our grand strategies.

If we really believed in grace, other people would be able to tell by the way we live.

If we really believed in grace, we would be living lives of love, joy and peace.

If we really believed in grace, we would value people more than our theological system.

If we really believed in grace, we would be grateful for the abundant goodness that God showers upon us.

I think I believe in grace. I want to believe in grace. I need to believe in grace.

Think about it ...

Have a good day

David

A Question for you

Here is a question for you to think about.

What if for just one day Jesus was to become you?

What if He—

Wakes up in your bed
Walks in your shoes
Lives in your house
Assumes your schedule

With one exception, nothing changes — health, circumstances, schedule, problems.

He lives your life with His heart, yours gets the day off.
His priorities govern your actions.
His passions drive your decisions.
His love directs your behavior.

What would you be like?

Would people notice a change?
Family see something new?
Co-workers sense a difference?

Would you treat the less fortunate the same?
Would your friends detect more joy?
Would you your enemies receive more mercy from Christ’s heart than from yours?
Would you notice a change?

How would you feel?

What about your stress or mood swings?
Your temper?

Would you see sunsets, death, taxes differently?
Would you need fewer aspirin or sedatives?
Would you still dread what you are dreading?
Would you still do what you are doing or what you had planned for the next 24 hours?

Would anything change?

Think about it.

Have a great Day
David

Asking the Right Question

The importance of asking the right questions to get the right answers and therefore the right results is key to life. Most people ask lousy questions that cripple their results. Lousy questions turn your focus away from what you want and towards more of what you don’t want. And since we ask and answer mental questions every day, our questions wield great power over our results.

As far as the spiritual side of the equation ... I encourage you to come and hear our next sermon this Sunday (Oct 17)

Here is some idea's from a blog I read today ....

Here are some examples of weak questions vs. strong questions:

Upon waking up early

Weak: Can I fall back asleep again? Should I go back to bed?

Strong: What would be the best way to start my day? How can I energize myself? Where can I find something inspirational or motivational to read right now?

When contemplating exercise (and feeling unmotivated)

Weak: Is it too hot/cold to exercise? Can I skip it for today? What difference will it make if I just skip a day? Don’t I deserve a day off?

Strong: Won’t it feel great hitting the showers afterwards? What should I listen to while I workout? Won’t it be wonderful to achieve my fitness goals? How can I make this session more fun?

When considering a dietary improvement

Weak: What foods am I going to have to give up? How am I going to deal with the deprivation? Am I going to have to eat like this forever?

Strong: What foods that I like will I get to eat more of? What new foods can I experiment with? Won’t it be great when I reach my goal weight? Won’t it be wonderful to finally master this area of my life once and for all? Once I succeed at this, who else can I help?

Nearing the end of the workday

Weak: Have I done enough that I can justify quitting for the day? Is this a good time to stop? Can I finish this tomorrow?

Strong: What’s next? How can I complete one more task? How much more can I get done today?

When spending time with the kids

Weak: Why do I have to do so much childcare? How can I keep the kids from draining my energy this evening? What’s the bare minimum I can do to keep them out of my hair? How early can I put them to bed?

Strong: What can I do with the kids that will leave me feeling energized? What do I appreciate most about my kids? What would I enjoy doing with them this evening? What would happen if I let my kids direct how we spend our time together?

When facing an unfamiliar social situation

Weak: How can I avoid looking like an idiot? What should I talk about? How can I keep from being too nervous or shy? How did I get myself into this situation? Can I get out of going?

Strong: Won’t it be fun to meet some interesting new people? If I see someone there who’s a bit shy, what can I do to make him/her feel more comfortable? What can I expect others at this event to have in common with me?

When feeling depressed, anxious, or otherwise negative

Weak: Why do I feel so down? Why can’t I be happy? How come I never get any time to myself?

Strong: What can I do to energize myself? Who can I talk to that would help cheer me up? What can I read or listen to that would inspire me? Are these feelings trying to tell me something — should I go journal about them? How long can I hold a fake smile before it forces me to start feeling good again?

What’s the difference?

Weak questions are disempowering. They keep your focused on your own ego, your problems, and your shortcomings. Weak questions keep you focused on what’s wrong… on what isn’t working. That might seem like a good idea, but all it does is further reinforce the situation you’d like to change. Weak questions will lead your brain to come up with answers that are useless, circular, or even destructive.

Yet weak questions are addictive. At first glance they may even seem helpful, and that’s why they’re so insidious. You might think that if you’re depressed, the best thing you can do is to ask, “Why am I so depressed?” Perhaps if you could diagnose the problem, you could cure it. But it doesn’t work that way. When you’re in a negative state or situation, you aren’t thinking clearly to begin with. You’re in no position to accurately diagnose yourself. Effectively you’re blind. So the answers you get back will be worthless. At best you’ll merely come up with a temporary solution, but the underlying condition will remain, and the problem will simply submerge and crop up again later, sometimes in a different form. Asking why you’re depressed merely feeds your depression. In answering the why question, now you’ve added a story on top of your depression. That goes way beyond acknowledging your depression and trying to do something about it.

Strong questions are empowering. They keep you focused on solutions, on what you can control. When you focus on what you can do, you avoid falling into analysis paralysis. Ultimately the way out of any negative situation is right thinking. Wrong thinking leads you in circles. Right thinking leads to action.

Going back to the depression example, the first thing you need to do is to get yourself to a more positive emotional state. And with practice that can be done in a matter of minutes — even seconds if you’ve studied NLP. Strong questions will help you shift your focus away from depression and the thoughts that reinforce it and towards action. When you focus too much thought on what you can’t control and don’t like, depression is a natural consequence. When you ask different questions to focus on what you can control and what you like, depression will lift.

Mediocre results largely come about from asking mediocre questions. Great results come from asking great questions. If you don’t like the results you’re getting, try asking completely different questions from the ones you’re used to asking. Ask questions that turn your focus towards your goals instead of away from them. Ask questions that allow you to enhance the pleasure in your life instead of creating greater pain.

Have a great day

David

Break a Record today

We all have records posted in the wall of our mind ... form experiences, to actions, in many forms and fashion. Well, I would like you to break one of those records today. Which one? Well it's simple. I challenge you to go out and break the Record for the times you say THANK YOU to others.

Sometimes the simplest words of encouragement are the hardest to say, but they have huge in pack.

Many a task goes unappreciated. Many a favor goes unrecognized. But today, they will get noticed. Today they will be recognized.

Here are some suggestions to saying Thank you I picked up from a book I'm reading.

In Saying Thank You ...

* Put your sentiments in writing whenever appropriate.
* Be specific. Cite a specific moment, gift, attribute, deed. Refer to time and place. Tell what you enjoyed or Valued.
* Be timely. Don't wait until summer to write thank-you notes for gifts received in December!
* Be genuine. Don't overstate your case. Don't underplay your appreciation.

A simple "thank you" will go a long way to encourage a person and life up their day.

Go for it ... break a record.

Have a great day

David

The Compound Effect

Got this from another blog I read ... think about it!

While reading I recently encountered an idea called the principle of compound effect. The basic concept is that small but consistent habits and incremental changes add up to pay big dividends over time.

For example, putting a dollar a day into a mutual fund might not seem like a big investment. But over time, the accumulated deposits and their interest will add up to something exponentially greater than the initial investment itself.

From my experience, this principle isn’t just limited to the realm of finances or business practices. It applies to every area of life. Your work ethic. Your relationships. Your personal development. Even your walk with God.

Most people tend to take the approach of trying to make large, periodic investments in order to initiate growth in these areas. And usually because they have fallen behind. You get behind on your work, so you wake up every morning at four for a week to get caught up. Your marriage is struggling, so you go to a conference. You feel distant from God, so you rededicate your life.

Sometimes it’s necessary to do these things. But rather than having to periodically overhaul your life to make up for deficiencies, adopting the smallest daily habits might be the best path towards excellence and long-term sustainable growth. Anyone can put in a lot of work for a short amount of time to get their game back up to par. But the people who do this usually slip afterwards because they did not learn to do the small things that could have kept them up to par and moving forward the whole time.

I’ve recently challenged my staff to begin improving their areas of responsibility by just one percent every day. To be one percent better in their communication. Their efficiency. Their performance. And to then in turn challenge the people they lead to do the same.

One percent is manageable, identifiable, and attainable. And it’s a daily increase and deposit that over time will take our church to an exponentially greater level than the work we’re putting in to get there. And without us ever losing a step and having to make up ground.

In your own life, imagine what would happen if you committed to improving yourself by one percent a day every day for the next year. If you committed to improving your parenting abilities. Or the way you love and honor your spouse. Or your eating habits. Or your spiritual disciplines.

Nothing would be drastically different initially. But a year from now you would discover that you would be a completely new person.

And that’s because it’s often the smallest things done consistently that have the greatest potential to change everything.

Have a Great Day

David

How many ways can you Suffer

In preparing for this Sundays talk ... I came across this from a church in Seattle Washington ... a very good read.

The following fifteen categories of biblical suffering include both kinds of suffering that Peter mentions. Before proceeding, three items merit noting.

Some suffering will be impossible to categorize. Human life is more complex and less clear than theological categorization, so whereas this series of blog posts may be helpful, there is no way for those of us who formally or informally counsel others to correctly categorize everyone’s suffering.

The suffering of one person rarely fits into just one category. So, when counseling someone, it is often necessary to explain multiple categories of suffering

When there is widespread suffering (e.g., flood, famine), multiple, if not all, categories of suffering are in effect and are being applied to different people differently.

All of this to say, while there is no way to answer all of the questions surrounding suffering, this series of blog posts is a humble and simple introduction offered in an effort to help those who are suffering and help those who help those who are suffering.

1. Adamic Suffering – Because Adam is our first father, representative, and head, when he sinned all of us were implicated; we inherited a sin nature (Rom. 5:12–21) and were born into a fallen world (Rom. 8:18–23), so there is some suffering that is simply the result of being part of Adam’s race. Practically speaking, this means that everyone will suffer to varying degrees and in varying ways because of Adam’s sin, our sin, the sins of others, and the curse that permeates all of creation. This will remain the case until Jesus returns, removes the presence of all sin and its effects, resurrects Christians from death, and ushers in a new creation. Subsequently, Christians must accept that suffering is part of life on this side of the Kingdom; instead of questioning the existence or goodness of God, they must devote their energies to not wasting their suffering but rather using it for God’s glory, their joy, and others’ good.

2. Punishment Suffering – God judges unbelievers and punishes them for sin. Biblical examples include Sodom and Gomorrah, and God’s judgment on Pharaoh and Egypt. This kind of punishment serves many purposes. First, it reveals the justice of God. Second, it brings the work of horrendous sin to an end so that those people suffering at the hands of evildoers are given reprieve. Third, it reveals to unbelievers the urgent need to repent of sin and place their faith in God to avoid eternal punishment. Fourth, it encourages believers that God will not be mocked and that faith in him is not in vain. Lastly, God does not punish Christians in the same sense that he punishes non-Christians. This is because Jesus already paid the penalty for the sins of a Christian and therefore God would be unjust to also punish Christians. Subsequently, even though a Christian and a non-Christian may endure the same suffering, there is a different cause and consequence for each.

3. Consequential Suffering – Suffering is reaped because of foolish decisions. Examples are littered throughout Proverbs: the lazy become hungry, those who choose evil friends suffer the consequences, people who enjoy the company of adulterers sin, fools suffer harm, and poor financial stewards are not blessed by God. Practically, much of the suffering that people deal with is consequential suffering as a result of foolish life decisions. Examples of suffering from my own recent pastoral experience are largely consequential suffering. A Christian woman was dating a non-Christian and got pregnant by him and was unsure what to do. A man did not live off of a budget for many years; his home was in foreclosure, his credit cards were seized, and he found himself destitute despite the fact that he had earned over $100,000 a year for many years. Another man had eaten poorly and not exercised for many years, neglected his doctor’s counsel, and found himself in chronic pain and continual sickness with no one to blame but himself. The sad reality of consequential sin is that many people do not repent of their lifestyle sins with any sense of urgency until they have done such great damage to their own well-being and the well-being of others that they are in crisis.

4. Demonic Suffering – Because Satan is alive and at work in the world, he and the demons in his service cause very real suffering. This includes torment (Acts 5:16), physical injury (Acts 8:4–8), false miracles (2 Thess. 2:9–10), accusation (Rev. 12:10), and even death (John 8:44). Sometimes demonic suffering can be difficult to discern, and, sadly, Satan is too often blamed for seemingly all suffering so that people are not held responsible for any part they may also play in their suffering. Nonetheless, demonic suffering is real for some and therefore should not be neglected just because some people wrongly blame shift everything to Satan.

5. Victim Suffering – This is the pain endured by someone who has not sinned but rather has been sinned against. In pastoral ministry, this is a constant and heavy part of the work. Since I started Mars Hill Church in the fall of 1996, I cannot recall a week in which I have not heard about someone in our flock who was beaten, raped, molested, stolen from, cheated on, and the like. A recent example is a woman who lost her virginity at the hands of her father who raped her. All I could do was bawl my eyes out as she told me of the violence she endured. Those who are not on the front lines of ministry cannot imagine the amount of painful suffering people are carrying inside them as a result of sin committed against them and how evil evil truly is.

6. Collective Suffering – This is what happens by virtue of being part of a people who are suffering. One obvious biblical example is the Old Testament prophets’ frequent repentance of not only their own sins, but also the sins of their forefathers and nation as they lamented the suffering God had permitted to come upon them for chastisement. The truth is that we are not isolated, autonomous individuals. We are born into this world as members of families, nations, and cultures. Subsequently, some suffering is experienced simply because of who your family is or what your nation is. Practical examples in our day would be Christian children born into nations and cultures hostile to the gospel; they will suffer by virtue of their parents’ devotion to Jesus in a place opposed to him. Likewise, those born into poverty, famine, hardship, war, conflict, and the like experience suffering simply because of where and when they were born.

7. Apocalyptic Suffering – This is increased suffering that signals the end of this age. Examples include the prophecies of the Old Testament (e.g., Isaiah 24–27; Jeremiah 30–33; Ezekiel 33–48; Daniel 2–12; Zechariah 12–14) and Jesus (Matthew 24–25; Mark 13). While we do not know when the end of this age will be, or when Jesus will return, we do know that Christians living in that season will suffer greatly as a result of their devotion to the forward progress of the gospel of Jesus Christ. While we should not live in fear of this future, nor seek to predict its timing, these sections of Scripture will serve as a particularly helpful guide when they are needed most.

8. Disciplinary Suffering – God chastens believers in order to mature them. Examples can be found in such places as Proverbs (3:11; 13:24; 15:5), the prophets (Zeph. 3:7), and the New Testament (Heb. 12:7). The Scriptures are clear that this kind of disciplinary suffering comes from God who loves us and operates in a way that is akin to an honorable father who corrects and matures his children. While this kind of suffering is not pleasant at the time, later we see the effects of God’s work and thank him for loving us so much that he continually works for our growth in holiness and fruitfulness.

9. Vicarious Suffering – Servants of God suffer because the ungodly oppose them. Examples include the Old Testament prophets, the New Testament apostles, the Christians who received 1 and 2 Peter, and Jesus Christ. This kind of suffering is sometimes physical, but more often verbal. Physical suffering causes some to painfully die for Christ, whereas those who experience verbal suffering painfully live for Christ as they are maligned, lied about, falsely accused, mocked, and harassed.

10. Empathetic Suffering – This is the suffering that comes when someone we love is hurting. The Bible says this will be common in the church (Rom. 12:15; 2 Cor. 2:4). As I write this, one particular woman comes to mind. She is home recovering from her roughly tenth major surgery and is bedridden for the next month after years of debilitating pain. She loves Jesus, loves her husband, loves her children, and serves others faithfully. Because my wife, Grace, and I are close friends of hers, we are both heavy hearted and in frequent prayer for her and her family.

11. Testimonial Suffering – This is suffering that tests and proves a believer’s faith, thereby confirming to them they are true believers, strengthening fellow Christians, and serving as an evangelistic testimony to unbelievers. Examples include the list of faith in Hebrews 11 and the recipients of 1 and 2 Peter. One practical example comes from the Acts 29 church planting network of which Mars Hill is a part. A church planter felt called by God to begin a new church in a poor and historically dangerous urban neighborhood. Upon moving into the neighborhood, he and his family were threatened with violence. As they planted the church, their home and property were vandalized. As their church was established and started growing, someone put a rag in the gas tank of their vehicle parked in front of their home and set it on fire. God in his grace woke up the pastor so that he was able to pull the rag from his vehicle before it exploded, perhaps even killing his family. Rather than moving, he and his family continue to reach that neighborhood and their church is growing both in breadth and depth.

12. Revelation Suffering – Some suffering is a demonstration of the gospel so that a deeper appreciation and understanding of Jesus Christ occurs. The classic example is Hosea’s marriage to Gomer. This kind of suffering is very rare, but real nonetheless.

13. Doxological Suffering – This suffering is not because of sin, but rather is to teach a lesson about God so that worship of him would increase. Examples include Joseph’s imprisonment in Egypt and the man born blind in John 9:1–3. The truth is that God can have more purposes for allowing some suffering than can be easily discerned at first glance. Over time, God’s purposes for some suffering become clearer to those who suspend judgment while waiting in faith for God to use it for his glory and our good.

14. Preventative Suffering – Sometimes suffering warns us of greater suffering that will happen if we do not heed the warnings God is giving us. Examples include the common grace gift of physical pain that God gives us to warn us that we are in danger, as C.S. Lewis wrote about often. This kind of suffering is indicative of the very loving nature of God, who created humanity and our world in such a way so as to permit us lesser degrees of pain (e.g., an ache in our side) in order to warn us of greater degrees of pain (e.g., a burst appendix).

15. Mysterious Suffering – There is suffering that we simply do not know the details about because God, in his providence, has chosen not to reveal them to us; as Scripture says, we know in part. Job is the most obvious example of this kind of suffering because during his suffering he was unaware of what was occurring between God and Satan. I believe that this category is incredibly important because, if we are humble and honest, the truth is that life is not as clear as the taxonomy of suffering that constitutes this series of blog posts. As one example, my wife, Grace, and I are close friends with a couple who are new Christians and wonderful parents. They desperately wanted to have more children. After suffering multiple miscarriages, the wife called me one day, weeping heavily, and asked, “Why does God kill our babies?” My heart broke for her. I was empathetic to the pain she was suffering because when Grace and I suffered a miscarriage some years ago, I was devastated, and I still choke up if I ponder that loss. I told her that I was unsure what category of suffering she was enduring because in a fallen and cursed world, there is some suffering about which God alone has an objective perspective, while the rest of us have only varying degrees of clarity. I prayed for her, tried not to give a trite or simplistic answer, assured her that God is good, and quoted 1 Corinthians 13:12, which says, “For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.” When we do not know the answer, the most loving and honest thing we can tell a suffering person is that what we do know is that they need God and we love them, are sorry, grieve with them, and will walk with them.

Something to think about!

Have a great day

David

Things that deepen our Relationship with Christ and includes others


Here are some questions I will be asking our leadership tonight.

1. What did I learn in God’s word this week?
Did you write it down?
Who did you tell?

2. Is my burden for prayer growing or diminishing?
Notice it said burden first
A burden that is not acted on is buried.

3. Does my heart break for the things that break the heart of God?
Does God’s heart break for the same things in every city
What about your city, what are the top three things in our area?

4. Have I grown accustomed to or accepted sin in my life?
Sin must be seen before we do something about it.
Without others inputting into our lives …acceptance will be easy

5. Am I doing ministry out of an overflow of God’s work in my heart or out of my own strength?
Our change will bring change in others.
Are we at a point that there is no other way it will happen without Him?

6. Has my leadership and ministry deepened, changed, or evolved in a positive way in the last year?
Without attention to details, change will not happen
Outside influences helps as well.

7. Do I have a sincere peace that I’m living an authentic life of spiritual integrity?
Peace is when things look the same in the entrance way as it does in the closet.
Who sees that peace?

8. Is my heart growing larger for people and God or is it shrinking?
Larger doesn’t always mean more time.
Larger does mean more people will see the heart of God in us.

9. Am I closer to God today than I was a year ago?
What does “closer” mean to you? …define it and go for it.
Who see’s the growth?

10. Do others comment that they can clearly see evidence of God’s work in my life?
Are these people outsiders or insiders?
Most the time it’s dealing with dirt when others see it clearly.

Talk among yourselves

Have a great day

David

Sorry this took so long

So I have been slacking a lot lately ... so sorry .. .I hope you will forgive me. Laughter has a way to make it easier to forgive ... so please read the following and think about forgiving me ... in fact, if you read this without laughing out loud, there is something wrong with you. This is dedicated to everyone who ever attempted to get into a regular workout routine.

Dear Diary,

For my birthday this year, my husband gave me a week of personal training at the local health club. Although I am still in great shape since being a high school football cheerleader 43 years ago, I decided it would be a good idea to go ahead and give it a try. I called the club and made my reservations with a personal trainer named Christo, who identified himself as a 26-year-old aerobics instructor and model for athletic clothing and swim wear. Friends seemed pleased with my enthusiasm to get started! The club encouraged me to keep a diary to chart my progress. So, here goes!

MONDAY:
Started my day at 6:00 a.m. Tough to get out of bed, but found it was well worth it when I arrived at the health club to find Christo waiting for me. He is something of a Greek god — with blond hair, dancing eyes, and a dazzling white smile. Woo Hoo!! Christo gave me a tour and showed me the machines. I enjoyed watching the skillful way in which he conducted his aerobics class after my workout today. Very inspiring! Christo was encouraging as I did my sit-ups, although my gut was already aching from holding it in the whole time he was around. This is going to be a FANTASTIC week!!

TUESDAY:
I drank a whole pot of coffee, but I finally made it out the door. Christo made me lie on my back and push a heavy iron bar into the air, then he put weights on it! My legs were a little wobbly on the treadmill, but I made the full mile. His rewarding smile made it all worthwhile. I feel GREAT! It’s a whole new life for me.

WEDNESDAY:
The only way I can brush my teeth is by laying the toothbrush on the counter and moving my mouth back and forth over it. I believe I have a hernia in both pectorals. Driving was OK as long as I didn’t try to steer or stop. I parked on top of a GEO in the club parking lot. Christo was impatient with me, insisting that my screams bothered other club members. His voice is a little too perky for that early in the morning and when he scolds, he gets this nasally whine that is VERY annoying. My chest hurt when I got on the treadmill, so Christo put me on the stair monster. Why would anyone invent a machine to simulate an activity rendered obsolete by elevators? Christo told me it would help me get in shape and enjoy life. He said some other stuff too.

THURSDAY:
Christo was waiting for me with his vampire-like teeth exposed as his thin, cruel lips were pulled back in a full snarl. I couldn’t help being a half an hour late — it took me that long to tie my shoes. He took me to work out with dumbbells. When he was not looking, I ran and hid in the restroom. He sent some skinny girl to find me. Then, as punishment, he put me on the rowing machine — which I sank.

FRIDAY:
I hate that jerk Christo more than any human being has ever hated any other human being in the history of the world. Stupid, skinny, anemic, anorexic, little aerobic instructor. If there was a part of my body I could move without unbearable pain, I would beat him with it. Christo wanted me to work on my triceps. I don’t have any triceps! And if you don’t want dents in the floor, don’t hand me the barbells or anything that weighs more than a sandwich. The treadmill flung me off and I landed on a health and nutrition teacher. Why couldn’t it have been someone softer, like a drama coach or a choir director?

SATURDAY:
Satan left a message on my answering machine in his grating, shrilly voice wondering why I did not show up today. Just hearing his voice made me want to smash the machine with my planner; however, I lacked the strength to even use the TV remote and ended up catching eleven straight hours of the Weather Channel.

SUNDAY:
I’m having the Church van pick me up for services today so I can go and thank God that this week is over. I will also pray that next year my husband will choose a gift for me that is fun — like a root canal or a hysterectomy. I still say, if God had wanted me to bend over, he would have sprinkled the floor with diamonds!!!

Have a Great Day

David

Old news is Good News

Here is a quoit from Rick Warren’s, The Purpose Driven Life …

It’s not about you. The purpose of your life is far greater than your own personal fulfillment, your peace of mind, or even your happiness. It’s far greater than your family, your career, or even your wildest dreams and ambitions. If you want to know why you were placed on this planet, you must begin with God.

Here are some thoughts from another blog I read this morning ...

In James 4:13-14, we see that our life is short, that life is brief, and that it is up to us to make the most of it for God. On page 42, Chan gives us definitions for stress and worry. “Worry implies that we don’t quite trust that God is big enough, or powerful enough, or loving enough to take care of what’s happening in our lives. Stress says that the things we are involved in are important enough to merit our impatience, our lack of grace toward others, or out tight grip of control.”

So the question ... How much are you worrying and stressing about things that aren’t important in life. God is directing the best moving ever ... our role is an extra in the story and we only appear for a split-second. We are not the star! We are not the center of the whole universe?

Frances Chang in his book "Crazy Love" says this ...“Friends, we need to stop living selfish lives, forgetful of our God.”

Have a Great Day
David

Memories or Dreams?

I ran across an article that contained a quote from Howard Hendricks:

“When your memories are more exciting than your dreams, you’ve begun to die.”

Do you know anyone that spends way more time thinking on their past than on “dreaming” about what our incomprehensible God is able to do.

If you think about it ... we tend to hold on to our memories. As churches, we tend to hold on to “the way we used to do it.” The problem is this ... if we hold onto the past to the exclusion of dreaming about God’s ability to do great and different things, are we not heading down the road to death? Are we not placing a roadblock in God’s desire to use us to accomplish something for His glory?

I would hope that at The Chapel, we can forget what is behind, and press on toward the upward call of God in Christ Jesus (see Philippians 3:13). I would hope that we can dream a bit about what our almighty God can accomplish through our willingness. Any takers?

Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly
above anything that we ask or think,
according to the power that works in us,
to Him be glory in the church by Jesus Christ to all generations,
forever and ever. Amen.
Ephesians 3:20-21

Have a Great Day
David

A Week of Words

In my attempt to stay connected with with family, friends and the flock .. I do the twitter and facebook thing ... now don't hold it against me ... it's just really good to stay connected ... and that's why I do it.

There are also some really funny and really thought provoking ... here are some ...

If you want to be rich- GIVE! If you want to be poor- GRASP! If you want abundance- SCATTER! If you want to be needy- HOARD!

Being ignorant is not so much a shame, as being unwilling to learn. Benjamin Franklin

If you want to reach people nobody is reaching, you’ve got to do things nobody is doing” – Craig Groeschel

Associate with leaders as often as you can! When you are around them, carry a note pad and write things down!

A river cuts through rock, not because of its power, but because of its persistence. - Jim Watkins

There is never any real joy in revenge--or stooping to the level of those who wound us. I try to think about how tortured people must already be to do the things they do. I want to forgive and move on with my life, not stay stuck in the past. It takes awhile, though, to get over betrayal. Don't try to "get over it" too... quickly, just don't let your pain become an evil motivation to do wicked things to others.

"Nothing is a waste of time if you use the experience wisely." - Auguste Rodin

Leaders goal: To be comfortable in WHO you are, but uncomfortable with WHERE you're at! - Can't STRIVE - Won't SETTLE!

: If you knew what God had planned for you, your knees would buckle, your heart would skip and your mind do summersaults

"Excellence is more fun than mediocrity."- Leonard Berry

"Success is not the destination; it's a way to travel." - Denis Waitley

"It is amazing what you can accomplish if you do not care who gets the credit." - Harry S Truman

And you thought Facebook and twitter has a bunch of surface stuff ...not really

Have a Great Day

David

10 Questions that just might change your Year

Don Whitney, professor at Southern Seminary and author of Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life, has 10 good questions to ask at the start of the new year:

1. What’s one thing you could do this year to increase your enjoyment of God?

2. What’s the most humanly impossible thing you will ask God to do this year?

3. What’s the single most important thing you could do to improve the quality of your family life this year?

4. In which spiritual discipline do you most want to make progress this year, and what will you do about it?

5. What is the single biggest time-waster in your life, and what will you do about it this year?

6. What is the most helpful new way you could strengthen your church?

7. For whose salvation will you pray most fervently this year?

8. What’s the most important way you will, by God’s grace, try to make this year different from last year?

9. What one thing could you do to improve your prayer life this year?

10. What single thing that you plan to do this year will matter most in ten years? In eternity?

Have a great day

David

What makes Jesus Christ go WOW?

Luke 7: 1 – 10 “When Jesus heard this he was amazed at him, and turning to the crowd following him, he said, “I tell you, I have not found such great faith even in Israel”.

Mark 6:6 “And he was amazed at their lack of faith”.

I reckon for something to wow Jesus, it must be pretty amazing! It baffles and amuses me that Jesus would ever be amazed, it seems to me that he has seen it all. Yet, what makes the son of God marvel? Faith…and lack of faith!

Our circumstances can make it hard to have faith. Life constantly presents us with the “why it won’t work”.

* ‘Your dreams are too crazy’
* ‘There is just no money for that’
* ‘We’ve already tried praying for that, and it has never come to pass’

Maybe the ‘facts’ are all stacked against you, and all you see are barriers. But the greatest men believed in God for what they could not see and so He gave it to them.

Do I amaze God with my level of belief or lack of it?

What ‘impossible’ situations might God be asking you to have faith for today?

Have a Great Day
David

360

So have you heard 360 reviews. A 360 review is a chance for direct reports, peers, and overseers to have the chance to review one another. They are encouraged to rate each person on issues ranging from teachability, willingness to sacrifice, interpersonal relationships, integrity, and dozens of other core values and attributes.

Giving people around you a chance to increase you is a good thing. Many have found that this is the best way to become more self-aware and make positive changes to impact the whole church.

If it can work for church leadership ... maybe it can work for you and your own personal pursuits ... What about giving it a try. Find a mentor to give you a yearly check up ... ask those you minister with to chime in. And give those you are mentoring a chance as well

Have a Great Day

David

Church Idol

Love this Blog entry from someone I read often ... here it is ... In the beginning, God created us in His image. We've been creating Him in our image ever since. Instead of worshiping the Creator, we settle for something less. We find a substitute god, small g. And here's the tricky thing. Most idols are good things, but those good things become bad things because they take the place of God. Instead of being the Ultimate End, God become a means to an end. We want something more than we want God. And we try to use God to get it. So how do you identify an idol? Here are four idol identifiers:

1) What consumes your thoughts? Your daydreams are idol clues. If it's something you think about more than God then it may be an idol

. 2) What bad habits do you struggle with? Your addictions are idol clues. An idol is something you cannot control. It controls you.

3) What do you spend too much money on? Your spending habits are idol clues. Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also!

4) What produces your strongest emotions? Your intense emotions are idol clues. If you want to identify an idol, all you have to do is identify your emotional attachments.

Good things to think about

Have a Great Day

David

6 Things that Guarantee an Un-Happy New Year

A friend of mine shared this list with me ... I thought I would pass it on to you

Six things for an Un-Happy New Year

1) Worry A lot
2) Fix your Attention and effort on Getting Rich
3) Compare yourselves with others
4) Lengthen the list of your enemies
5) Set and Cling to unrealistic Expectations
6) Hold on to unforgiveness.

So .. do these things and you will have a un-happy year ... or maybe just not do these things ..what do you think?

Have a great day

David