Just Continue That Thought...

A thought by Darren Whitehead and Jon Tyson (2011-07-19) from their book, Rumors of God: Experience the Kind of Faith You´ve Only Heard About (Kindle Location 1351). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition. Now it is a gift for them, the one who has hurt you.  It will free them if they ask for it but it is also a gift for you. It will also free you from their hold on you.   But you also need to see if you don’t forgive then God won’t forgive you.  His forgiveness is also a gift that is given to those who meet the requirements.  One is confession and then asking for it and the other is forgiving those who have hurt you.  Of course it’s not easy.  You have to die to yourself, to taking revenge, to your getting back at them, to make them hurt like you did.  You have to die.  But also remember, Jesus had to die so you could have His forgiveness.  He showed us what it means to forgive when He said on the cross, “Father forgive them because t...

A thought by Andy Stanley (2009-08-22) from his book, It Came from Within!: The Shocking Truth of What Lurks in the Heart (p. 102). Multnomah Books. Kindle Edition. What habit do you need to break?  I go to Starbucks every day for breakfast.  For years I got a tall black pike, a grande ice water and a maple oat scone.  I really loved my scone until I changed to something healthier.  I now eat oatmeal with nuts.  That’s what I now get every day.  It is my new habit.  I had to break a habit by starting another habit. Now I know we would like to just decide that we need to quite doing whatever it is that we know isn’t good for us but it doesn’t work that way.  It took a long time to make the habit and it will take time to stop it. So what habit do you need to break?  Then what habit do you need to make to break it?  It is never easy to break a habit but if it is a harmful one then it will be worth the effort. So go for it...

A thought by Mark Batterson (2011-01-18) in his book, Soulprint: Discovering Your Divine Destiny (p. 154). Multnomah Books. Kindle Edition . We strive to do what we can to define who we are.  We drive the right car, we wear the right clothes.  We live in the right place.  We even put our kids in the right activities, the right school but we feel like we still come up short. Maybe it is because of something that we did when we were younger that no matter what we do or what we have we just can’t get away from it.  That thing defines us in our mind. Maybe it is what someone said about you.  That is what defines you.  Maybe it is because of an unpleaseable person in your life.  No matter what you did, it was always wrong.  You got an A but you should have gotten an A+.   No matter what it was it wasn’t enough so you always felt like you were a failure or you were told you were and because they were an adult you believed them. ...

A thought by Andy Stanley (2009-08-22) from his book, It Came from Within!: The Shocking Truth of What Lurks in the Heart (pp. 88-90). Multnomah Books. Kindle Edition. But the major problem is they are never going to get enough.  What a horrible existence but so many people live it.  We think that is a responsible thing to do to acquire and maintain but it can be greed if it’s for the wrong reason. Now the basic premise of greed is very simple.  It means that I don’t trust God to meet my needs.  And this lack of trust seems to get greater and greater the older we get.  It really does but worrying about retirement is a good thing isn’t it?  Is it?  Listen, worry is never a good thing.  It says I don’t trust you God. Now it is important to be a responsible person, to make sure that we save and plan for our future.  It really is but to worry and worry and live in fear of not having enough is not what God wants from us.  I als...

A thought by Greg Darley (2010-11-15) from his book, Passion Is Not Enough: Four Elements to Change the World (Kindle Location 1103). Backstage Publishing. Kindle Edition . Well we are truly in uncertain times.  And uncertain times show us where we have really put our trust.  For many it is in God.  Their faith comes to the front.  For others it’s the government.  It is so important to them what party is in power.  Their trust is totally in who the President is and what party controls Congress.  For others it’s their job.  Their total trust is in what they make and if something would happen to their job then their life would go down the tubes.  For others it’s their mate, their relationships. Now the only thing that is a sure thing to have your faith in is God.  He is the only one who will be their when all else fails.  Yes, all those other things have their place in your life and God uses them even during the difficult ...

A thought by Greg Darley (2010-11-15) from his book, Passion Is Not Enough: Four Elements to Change the World (Kindle Locations 914-915). Backstage Publishing. Kindle Edition . There are people who have an opinion about what everyone else is doing but they don’t want anyone to have an opinion about what they are doing.  I have tended to not have an opinion but also don’t want anyone else’s opinion.  But Solomon in his book of Proverbs in the OT says that there is safety in many counselors.  He is saying that in making decisions don’t do it on your own.   Now we do need to have confidence in our abilities but real confidence can withstand other views, other thoughts, and other experiences.  The truth is we have only lived the one life that we are living and that is the only experience we have and taping into other people’s experiences gives us a greater view of the situation.  Of course we may not want other perspectives.  They may just...

A thought by Greg Darley (2010-11-15) from his book, Passion Is Not Enough: Four Elements to Change the World (Kindle Location 620). Backstage Publishing. Kindle Edition. I have met some people who don’t believe that.  To them they have no strengths.  Somebody somewhere has emphasized that fact into them.  They could tell you all their weaknesses but they don’t have any idea what their strengths are.  But God doesn’t work that way.  Every one of us came into this world with a purpose on His mind.  He built into us strengths with that purpose in mind.  Granted life can chisel away at those strengths but they are still there to be developed.  Now they are there not to be misused on us but to be used in making a difference on others and on the world.  People say but I don’t have any strengths but you do.  You just need to believe you do and then do some real self-investigation.    There are a number of good te...

A thought by Seth Godin (2011-03-01) in his book, Poke the Box (p. 61). The Domino Project. Kindle Edition . That is the difficult thing isn’t it?  We all it seems have at some moment come up with that idea that will make a major difference.  We are sure that no one else has ever thought of it but we don’t do anything with it and it is lost. Whether you believe it or not you have a tremendous idea about your task at work there in the inner workings of your mind.   It is that idea that will make your task more effective.  It may be that just right idea that will make your office more successful.  You may not realize it but by doing what you do every day you are the person to come up with that needed idea.  But you are afraid of rejection or being laughed at so you keep it to yourself.  It probably isn’t that good any way you think.  So the idea is lost. Now someone somewhere is going to come up with the idea and he is going to ...

A thought by Andy Stanley (2009-03-31) in his book, The Principle of the Path: How to Get from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be (p. 104). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition. If I really want it then it must be the right thing to get it.  Have you ever had that go through your mind?   I know, all the time.  I’m sitting in a Starbucks close to Louisville, Kentucky seeing all these people outside with their 32 flavors cups of ice cream and I want so much to go get some.  I want it so bad so it must mean that it is God’s will for me to have it?  Right?  Wrong.  I got up early this morning to walk my 4+ miles and I’m not going to blow it.  But so many times what we really, really want tempts us to get off the path that we have chosen.  For me I was in the car yesterday for nearly 15 hours and it seems that I should be rewarded but that reward would set me back from the daily task that I have chosen to get below 200 lbs. by 2012...

A thought by Greg Darley (2010-11-15) from his book, Passion Is Not Enough: Four Elements to Change the World (Kindle Locations 572-573). Backstage Publishing. Kindle Edition . It has been said that God speaks loudly through pain and softly through pleasure.  We don’t seek answers when everything is going right for us but when trouble is upon us. The truth is in times of trouble there are three things that we can do.  We can do nothing.  Just roll with the flow.  Or we can gripe, complain, and play the blame game.  That’s what it seems we are doing right now in our country.  Even Christians are blaming everyone they can think of about what is happening.  To me it seems like we are all to blame because of our greed but that is for another time.  Blame does nothing to solve problems.  It just keeps us from turning to God and us to solve the problem which is the third way to deal with trouble. Did you see the story last week of th...