Just Continue That Thought...

A thought by Christine Cane, from her book,  How Did I Get Here?   (p. xxiv). Thomas Nelson, Kindle Edition.  (Click on the book title to go to Amazon to buy the book.) Drifting can be a real problem when you are swimming where there is a strong undertow and also in our Christian lives. Christine says, " He also knew there was an even greater danger if we did." She goes on, "No matter how good a swimmer each of us kids was, no matter how confident, how strong, how knowledgeable we were of the sea and her currents, if we drifted too far, then drowning was the real threat. "As the old saying goes, 'It’s the strong swimmers who drown.' Dad understood the meaning of this saying all too well: those you think would never drown, could never drown, are the least likely to drown, are actually the ones who do. Those who think they are impervious to the power of the water and take the risky chances that a novice never would are more likely to perish. And once they star...

A thought by Christine Cane, from her book, How Did I Get Here?   (p. xxi). Thomas Nelson, Kindle Edition.  (Click on the book title to go to Amazon to buy the book.) And that would be a yes, wouldn't it?  Christine says, " Don’t we all lose loved ones? Don’t we all grow weary in our callings and careers? Don’t we all experience disappointments? And struggle with being disillusioned? Don’t we all want to walk away from time to time?" She goes on, "Truth be told, I’ve lost count of the number of times I thought of walking away from it all and opening a small café in Santorini, Greece. Just Nick and me and our girls tucked away in my favorite corner of the world. Can’t you picture me suggesting another cup of coffee to go with your baklava? I imagine we all run to our own little escape destinations in our minds. To the lives we thought we might have but never will. Because deep down we love Jesus and his plans more." She then says, "Instead of letting myself ...

A thought by Louie Giglio, from his book,  Never Too Far   (p. 90). Thomas Nelson, Kindle Edition.  (Click on the book title to go to Amazon to buy the book.) And that is such good news! Louie asks, " Did you catch that? We’re not out. "We’re not out because the thing we need most is not to be perfect but to be in love with Jesus." He says, "Sure, there are consequences to our decisions, and Scripture says that whatever we sow, we reap. But guess what? Grace overwhelms consequences. Even with consequences, there is love and grace and the mercy of God in Christ. God is bigger. Even if you’ve denied Christ, he will still use you to build his church." He goes on, "The Bible promises that God’s faithfulness is great and his mercies are new every morning (Lamentations 3:23). That means Jesus’ breakfast is served and served and served and served and served, again and again. And the meal comes first. Mercy is served as the first course, before any problems are s...

  A thought by Louie Giglio, from his book,  Never Too Far   (p. 88). Thomas Nelson, Kindle Edition.  (Click on the book title to go to Amazon to buy the book.) And that is true of us too. Louie says, " Peter needed to depend on Jesus first. "Here’s this same truth taught earlier in John’s gospel. Jesus said, 'Apart from me you can do nothing. . . . If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.' (15:5–7)" Louie goes on, "Peter had forgotten that. But Jesus was teaching this truth to Peter all over again, saying, 'You went out and did your thing, but that didn’t work. Yet if you follow me and my ways and put the net where I say, then look—the net is full of fish.' "When the disciples landed on shore, they saw a fire with fish on it and some bread. Don’t you just love a campfire on a beach? It’s in this environment of gentle wood smoke and crackling warmth and relaxed vibrancy that Jesus began t...

A thought by Louie Giglio, from his book,  Never Too Far   (p. 78). Thomas Nelson, Kindle Edition.  (Click on the book title to go to Amazon to buy the book.) Yes He does. Louie earlier shares, " My dad was disabled for a long while before he died. Before that, he worked as a graphic designer and did a lot of commercial work for Coca-Cola and other companies. He also had a penchant for painting, particularly abstract art. "He painted an amazing abstract of a magician. The whole painting was huge, taller and wider than a door. My mom never liked the painting that much; it just wasn’t her style. But Dad loved it and wanted to display it. So they reached a compromise. Dad and I cut the bottom off the length of it and an eight-inch strip off the side. Then he and I reframed the reduced painting and hung it in the landing of the stairwell in our townhouse. Because it was abstract art, it still looked cool—at least my dad and I thought so." He goes on, "Before he died, I ...

A thought by Louie Giglio, from his book,  Never Too Far   (p. 63). Thomas Nelson, Kindle Edition.  (Click on the book title to go to Amazon to buy the book.) Louis says, " You can be a champion." And that may be great news for you today. He says, "God the Son, Jesus Christ, offers genuine redemption. Have you ever noticed the powerful 'but' in some Bible stories? This is the intervening moment." Judges 16:22 (NIV) says, "But the hair on [Samson’s] head began to grow again after it had been shaved. " Louie is telling the story of Samson. He says, "Samson’s hair started making a comeback, and his hair symbolized his strength vested in the Spirit of God. "The prophet Micah preached to his downtrodden people, 'Do not gloat over me, my enemy! Though I have fallen, I will rise. Though I sit in darkness, the LORD will be my light' (Micah 7:8 NIV). "The consequences of sin were very real for Samson. He was blinded and condemned to b...

A thought by Louie Giglio, from his book,  Never Too Far   (p. 50). Thomas Nelson, Kindle Edition.  (Click on the book title to go to Amazon to buy the book.) Yes, yes He does! Louie says, " You think that sounds too easy? Easy isn’t the right word for this welcome. . . The price has been paid in full and forgiveness is on the table today. All you have to say is, 'I want to come back home.' The Father is waiting to throw his arms around you. "That kind of comeback is available to you." He goes on, "But be careful. Just when you’re dancing with the Father on the great dance floor, Satan tries to cut in and tell you it was all a dream. The Father doesn’t really love you after all. He was just kidding when he ran down the road to greet you." Louie then says, "That’s a lie. If you’re still breathing, it’s not too late." And that is the truth! So, would you just come back to Him? Would you let Him show you how much He really, really loves you? Wou...

A thought by Louie Giglio, from his book,  Never Too Far   (p. 36). Thomas Nelson, Kindle Edition.  (Click on the book title to go to Amazon to buy the book.) Ok, what does he mean by that? Louie says, " It’s not all about me; it’s all about Jesus becoming known in this broken world. That doesn’t mean we should say, 'Bring me more struggle because more people will get salvation.' But when the battle comes to us, we know God is working a great purpose." He goes on, "I don’t know what you’ve lost, and I don’t know what place you’re in right now, but I know this: God isn’t finished with you yet. You may not run the exact race you thought you would be running, but God still has a race for you." Louie then says, "Here are God’s words as recorded in Jeremiah 29:11: 'I know the plans I have for you . . . plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.' The same God who spoke those words to the Israelites is speaking them to you tod...

A thought by Louie Giglio, from his book,  Never Too Far   (p. 35). Thomas Nelson, Kindle Edition.  (Click on the book title to go to Amazon to buy the book.) And this is so important to see and live. A deep pit In the Old Testament in the Bible there is a story about a man named Joseph who as a teenager was thrown into a pit and then sold into slavery by his brothers who didn't like him but from that Joseph eventually became second in command in Egypt where his brothers came for help. His story was a great comeback story. And Louie says, " Let’s be honest: part of the appeal of Joseph’s comeback story is that we would like to be in a position to get back at the brothers and stick it to them. A better idea would be to tell the person who was unfair to you that God is in charge of your life, and they never have been, and you’re free of animosity toward them. You’re not saying that all consequences disappear, but you’re saying that you forgive them because you are in God’s ...

A thought by Louie Giglio, from his book,  Never Too Far   (p. 17). Thomas Nelson, Kindle Edition.  (Click on the book title to go to Amazon to buy the book.) Yes it does.  Louie asks, " Does that seem too simple for you?" The comeback begins. He goes on, "We often think we need to do something great ourselves in order to have a comeback. We need to jump high hurdles or climb ladders to heaven. At the very least, we mistakenly think we need to be in the right place at the right time. "The good news is that the essential action has nothing to do with us. In fact, when it comes to being in position, it’s only important that Jesus is in the right place at the right time. And you can count on him not to miss his cue." He goes on, "There are so many stories in the Bible that show how Jesus is always on time and in the right place. "Once there was a woman who’d been sick for many years (her story is told in Luke 8). No doctor could help her. She knew she ne...

A thought by Louie Giglio, from his book,  Never Too Far   (p. 10). Thomas Nelson, Kindle Edition.  (Click on the book title to go to Amazon to buy the book.) Is that where you are or someone close to you is? Louie says, " you’re not crazy, and you’re not alone. Your circumstances may be black, but Scripture says that God is light. Trust in him and he will give you a comeback." He goes on, "Life deals us blows, yes. Circumstances come up that are beyond our control, and obstacles keep us from living the life we dream of. Sometimes we deal blows to ourselves. We make mistakes and wrong decisions and choose paths that are harmful, not helpful.  "But there is hope." He continues, "Part of the beautiful solution I can offer you is that the solution isn’t about you trying harder. When people read books by preachers or hear talks at church, too often the solution points to something you need to do to change: walk forward or backward, or commit yourself to fifty ...

A thought by Louie Giglio, from his book, Never Too Far   (p. xii). Thomas Nelson, Kindle Edition.  (Click on the book title to go to Amazon to buy the book.)   Are you in need of a comeback? Are you? Louie says, "It’s not too late, and you’re never too far from his love." Coming back! He goes on, "Everyone loves a good comeback story. The classic comeback story contains one of two twists: either an underdog who falters and then succeeds beyond his dreams, or a champion who falls, fights hard, and makes a big return. Either way, it’s about a person in pain whose pain is alleviated or who is able to see pain in a new perspective. There’s a reversal of fortunes. "Great comeback stories give us hope. We can all relate to the experience of spending time in difficult places where we wondered if we were ever going to make it back. We’ve all been in seasons when we’ve longed for something better than what we’re experiencing right now." He continues, "What kind of...

A thought by Louie Giglio, from his book,  Don't Give the Enemy a Seat at Your Table .   (p. 57). Thomas Nelson, Kindle Edition.  (Click on the book title to go to Amazon to buy the book.)   Please, let's not believe that lie. Louie say, "Now, we’ve got to be really careful about this lie, because Scripture calls us to be humble. But as it’s been well said: humility is not thinking less of yourself; humility is thinking of yourself less. We easily get these confused by thinking it honors God for us to think less of ourselves. But nothing could be further from the truth. You are made in the very image of God. That staggering reality doesn’t cause us to strut around and grow an 'it’s all about me' persona. But it doesn’t leave us wallowing in the misery of 'I don’t measure up to anything' either. These two outcomes are where the Devil wants to lead you. Either to an overinflated ego or to an underappreciated sense of just how significant and valuable you are....

  A thought by Louie Giglio, from his book,  Don't Give the Enemy a Seat at Your Table .   (p. 54). Thomas Nelson, Kindle Edition.  (Click on the book title to go to Amazon to buy the book.)   Is that what you feel? Is it? Louie says, "This voice tells you that life is hopeless. There’s no way out. May as well just chuck it all, quit, and die. "So often when we are asked how things are going, we reply with answers like, 'Man, I don’t know if I’m going to make it through this season. I’m not sure I’m going to survive this semester. I don’t know if I’m going to get through this time." He goes on, "Have you ever heard yourself saying something like that? Where did you get that kind of thinking? Where did you hear those words of gloom and doubt? Not from your Good Shepherd. You likely heard them from the Enemy at your table. "See, your God has just told you that even though you walk through the valley of the shadow of death, you don’t need to fear any evil....

A thought by Louie Giglio, from his book,  Don't Give the Enemy a Seat at Your Table .   (p. 49). Thomas Nelson, Kindle Edition.  (Click on the book title to go to Amazon to buy the book.)   And that is so true! Louie says, "When you are up against life and death, when your back’s against the wall, when circumstances are poised to take you out, and when the Devil is whispering lies in your ear, you need to know there’s an all-powerful Good Shepherd with a rod in one hand and a staff in the other. That’s the Jesus of Psalm 23. That’s why we find comfort in His presence. With that staff, the Good Shepherd can grab you and pull you to safety. And with that rod, He can crush any prowling lion or raging bear that charges toward you." Louie goes on, "King David, who wrote Psalm 23, had taken on a lion and a bear and pounded them into the ground (1 Samuel 17:34–36). David understood what God said when He promised to be with us through the valley of the shadow of death. Jesu...