“If God knows that you’re going to honor Him with the outcome, I believe He is delighted to doubly bless.”

A thought by Mark Batterson from his book, Double Blessing (p. 36). The Crown Publishing Group. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.)

God is delighted to doubly bless if we honor Him with the outcome. We need to really see this.

Mark says, “Does the success of Messiah have anything to do with the fact that it debuted at a benefit concert or that the concert’s proceeds were bequeathed to Foundling Hospital? I know there are those who would argue that correlation doesn’t equal causation. And while I understand that logical fallacy, it’s trumped by a theological conviction. If God knows that you’re going to honor Him with the outcome, I believe He is delighted to doubly bless. Sure, the success of Messiah has a lot to do with the musical score. But there is another factor at play, an X factor.”

Mark goes on, “Can I tell you why God has blessed our coffeehouse on Capitol Hill? It’s more than our honey lavender latte, even though I must say, it’s delicious. And while our coffeehouse sits one block from Union Station and kitty-corner to the Securities and Exchange Commission, it’s more than just location, location, location.

“Why, then? I believe it’s because Ebenezers Coffeehouse gives every penny of profit to kingdom causes. What is there not to bless?

“Our coffee doesn’t just taste good; it does good, and it feels good. Why? Because it’s coffee with a cause! More than $1.2 million in net profits have funded dozens of causes that are near and dear to the heart of God. We also leverage Ebenezers for the Living Room, a ministry to our friends experiencing homelessness. We have a core conviction as a church: God will bless us in proportion to how we give to missions and care for the poor in our city. If we invest our time, talent, and treasure in things that are near and dear to the heart of God, I’m not worried about our bottom line! Why? Because God’s got our back.

“Ebenezers Coffeehouse has been voted the number one coffeehouse in Washington, DC, multiple times, against pretty stiff competition. Again, some might consider this correlation without causation. That said, I honestly believe that God has blessed our coffeehouse because He knows that the buck doesn’t stop with us, literally! The X factor is the favor of God, and the favor of God is the by-product of flipping the blessing with every cup of coffee we serve.”

Mark continues, “We have a double bottom line at Ebenezers. Like any business, we want to generate a net profit while employing best business practices. We love five-star reviews, and we know that product quality and customer service are a huge part of that equation. But net profit isn’t our end goal. There is a second bottom line when you do business as mission. Our ultimate goal is to give it all away!

“If you cultivate a double-blessing mindset that is focused on flipping every blessing, you better buckle your seat belt. Why? Because God is going to open the windows of heaven and pour out more blessing than you can contain. Am I talking about only material blessings? Of course not. Giving produces joy, and more joy is just what the world needs!”

Mark then says, “When you flip the blessing, it takes the pressure off you and puts the ball in God’s court. It enables you to live with holy anticipation, waiting to see what God does next.”

And there it is, are you ready to flip what God is blessing in your life? Are you ready to see what God does next?

Yes, yes!

"Lie 2: The more you worry about it, the better your odds of avoiding it."

A thought by Louie Giglio in his book, Winning the War on Worry (p. 5). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon to buy the book.) Here is another lie that the Enemy uses with us. And Louie says, "This is a tricky lie. Yes, we often have cause for concern and preparation. But the Enemy wants you to believe that if you worry or fret over a certain outcome long enough, you can keep something bad from happening." But this is so important to realize. He says, "The reality is worrying has never once prevented something negative from happening. Planning might. Prayer has. But worry never will." He continues, "The Enemy tells you that by worrying about a situation (or every situation) you can make your tomorrow better. Really, worry just robs you of today. Jesus implored us: 'I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body mor...

“There’s a big difference between building a castle and building a kingdom.”

A thought by Bob Goff from his book, Everybody, Always: Becoming Love in a World Full of Setbacks and Difficult People ( p. 41). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.) Have you ever built a sand castle or maybe a Lego castle? Have you? Bob says, “We actually build castles all the time, out of our jobs and our families and the things we’ve purchased. Sometimes we even make them out of each other. Some of these castles are impressive too. Lots of people come to admire what we’ve built over the course of our lives and tell us what great castles we have. But Jesus told His friends we weren’t supposed to spend our lives building castles. He said He wanted us to build a kingdom, and there’s a big difference between building a castle and building a kingdom.” Bob goes on, “You see, castles have moats to keep creepy people out, but kingdoms have bridges to let everyone in. Castles have dungeons for people who ha...

"To put it simply, worry isn’t just a bad habit."

A thought by Louie Giglio in his book, Winning the War on Worry (p. 1). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon to buy the book.) Ok, that is interesting. Louie says, "Worry is an Enemy tactic—a strategy built on lies that are designed to rob you of peace and tear your mind to pieces. "That’s why it’s crucial that you are able to spot the lies worry tells." He goes on, "Not long ago while on safari in South Africa, Shelley and I were really wanting to see a leopard in the wild. Early and late on our game drives our eyes were set on every tree limb, bush, grassy hill, and river path in hopes of finding one of several leopards that were known to frequent this particular area. But here’s the thing: leopards aren’t bright orange with tall, sparkly antennae on their backs. They are designed to blend into the surroundings, like the bark of a baobab tree where they might be lounging on one of its mighty branches. "In the same way, ...

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