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