Just Continue That Thought...

A thought by Kyle Idleman, (2011-05-24) from his book, Not a Fan: Becoming a Completely Committed Follower of Jesus (p. 135). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. I love my son, Brett and my daughter, Stefanie.   I really do.   There is nothing that I wouldn’t do for them.   Now I know that they love me but in one sense there love for me was kind of forced on them.   I mean Margaret and I acted on a desire we had and nine months later they each were born.   It all happened through no chose of theirs.   They each woke up one day and there we were.   But Margaret is difference.   She definitely chose to love me.   I wasn’t forced on her.   She didn’t have to love me, she just does.   Now there have been some difficult days in our life together but she still chooses to love me.   She doesn’t have to love me but she does and she didn’t have to marry me but she did.   I really do love her.   Now Brett and Stefanie made their choices of loving Marissa and Andrew and making their lifetim

A thought by Kyle Idleman, (2011-05-24) from his book, Not a Fan: Becoming a Completely Committed Follower of Jesus (p. 82). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. It might be very enlightening to know what Jesus really thinks is important.   I know a lot of people think they know by what they are griping about on Facebook.   That is one reason why I am reading and rereading the Gospels.   I want to really know what Jesus thinks is important then I want to do it or not do it. Now I’m not really sure why we spend so much of our Facebook time on how the government deals with Health Care or the other issues like the taking Christ out of Christmas.   Maybe it is because that makes us feel Christian without doing Christian.   We seem to think all of these stands we take are the Christian way. But is it really? When I read the Gospels I find that His Kingdom in us is important, taking care of the sick is important, feeding people is important, right priorities in the church is important

A thought by Kyle Idleman (2011-05-24) from his book, Not a Fan: Becoming a Completely Committed Follower of Jesus (p. 62). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. Kyle gives an illustration that really emphasizes this point.   Let’s say you are taking your son fishing.   He is going to be with you and he is so excited.   But as the day goes by the fish aren’t biting and you slowly grow frustrated and disappointed.   As you are going home you are quiet and clearly upset.   Now what that shows is that catching fish not spending time with your son is clearly more important to you.   That is clearly a wrong priority. Now to the son, just being with his dad is exciting no matter how many fish he or his dad catches.   His only disappointment possibly would be in realizing what was important to his dad, catching fish, not being with him. What do your disappointments show is clearly a priority to you?   Is it a misplaced or a correct priority?   Now this is a great way to search out and

A thought by Kyle Idleman (2011-05-24) from his book, Not a Fan: Becoming a Completely Committed Follower of Jesus (p. 106). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. I read a chapter in the book of Psalms every day and I found a verse that really spoke to me this week.  The New Century Version says verse 7 of Psalm 112 this way, “ They won't be afraid of bad news; their hearts are steady because they trust the Lord .”  The story behind how you handle bad news goes a long way to prove you have faith.  How you handle bad news shows that your faith makes a difference more than how much you go to church.  Now feelings go a long way to show your lack of faith but your actions goes a long way to show your faith.  Are there stories in your life that shows you putting your trust in God through difficult times?  Now remembering those stories and retelling them during a difficult time also strengthens your faith.  It shows where God has taken care of you in your past.  And will help you dur

A thought by Kyle Idleman (2011-05-24) from hid book, Not a Fan: Becoming a Completely Committed Follower of Jesus (p. 80). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. Back when I was a Minister of Youth and Music in a church in Phoenix, Arizona I had with a group of friends season tickets to Arizona State University football games.  The football coach at that time was a very negative coach.  He used fear as his motivator.  It seemed his team was always looking over their shoulder wondering if they were doing it wrong so they were just a half a step behind. And that is the way it is when the church uses guilt to motivate.  It seems they are always living in fear and looking over their shoulder wondering what they are doing wrong.  But that is not the motivation of the New Testament.  Through Christ’s death on the cross we have been forgiven of our load of guilt.  That is why He came. We no longer live by rules but by a relationship which is fueled by love.  We serve Him out of love not o

A thought by Kyle Idleman (2011-05-24) from his book, Not a Fan: Becoming a Completely Committed Follower of Jesus (p. 80). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. Kyle tells the story of a man who came into a bank to finalize a business transaction and he had jeans on.  The teller let him know that the person he needed to see wasn’t there and he would need to come back the next day.  The man then asked the teller if she would validate his parking and she said she couldn’t because bank policy said that you hadn’t technically completed a financial transaction.  The man, whose name was John emphasize that it wasn’t his fault that the man wasn't in but the teller wouldn’t budge. So John whose last name was Akers decided to make a financial transaction.  John who was at the time the chairman of IBM decided to close his account and he withdrew one-and-a-half millions dollars.  And he then asked if the teller was then able to validate the parking ticket. That is when rules become more

A thought by Kyle Idleman (2011-05-24) from his book, Not a Fan: Becoming a Completely Committed Follower of Jesus (p. 62). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. Kyle gives an illustration that really emphasizes this point.  Let’s say you are taking your son fishing.  He is going to be with you and he is so excited.  But as the day goes by the fish aren’t biting and you slowly grow frustrated and disappointed.  As you are going home you are quiet and clearly upset.  Now what that shows is that catching fish not spending time with your son is clearly more important to you.  That is clearly a wrong priority. What your disappointments show is clearly a priority to you?  Is it a misplaced or a correct priority?

A thought by Kyle Idleman (2011-05-24) in his book, Not a Fan: Becoming a Completely Committed Follower of Jesus (p. 30). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. That is true of anyone who is important to me.  Almost 37 years ago a girl named Margaret started interfering with my life the day I fell in love with her and the day she became my wife.  The same was true when our son Brett came to live with us in Phoenix, Arizona and Stefanie our daughter in Valparaiso, Indiana.  But along with the interfering comes so much enjoyment and pleasure.  I wouldn’t trade the life I have had since each one of then came into my life.  It is also true of Andrew, Stef’s husband and Marissa, Brett’s wife and of course Ashlyn and Addison my two granddaughters.  My life has only gotten better and better. Love has a way of interfering doesn’t it?  So I welcome the fact that when I fell in love with Jesus He interfered with my life to the point that I am sitting here in a Starbucks writing this to you becaus