Just Continue That Thought...

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“The more you do, the more you fail.”

A thought by Seth Godin (2011-03-01) from his book, Poke the Box (Kindle Location 220). AmazonEncore. Kindle Edition . In other words if you are afraid to fail then you will never do anything. Failure is a part of the process of success and learning and doing. There are many people who are still single because they are afraid of marrying the wrong person. There are many couples who have no children because they are afraid of the pain of a miscarriage. There was a time that I moved out of the secure job that I had as a staff minister. I had been a part of music almost all of my life, had a lot of success. I also had great days as a Youth Minister and then as the Associate Minister in charge of the Adult ministry for a large church. But I remember the day that I sensed there was something more and I moved with my family to Austin, Texas to start a new church. The truth is I didn’t know what I was doing. I had only preached five times ...

“Faith should have a story attached to it.”

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 you...

“When following the rules becomes the principal focus of a church, then you can count on guilt being the primary motivator.”

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 lov...

“There’s something more important than the letter of the law: the person.”

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 i...

“When we feel overwhelmed with disappointment it often reveals something that has become too 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. What your disappointments show is clearly a priority to you? Is it a misplaced or a correct priority?

“If you’re not making a difference, it’s almost certainly because you’re afraid.”

A thought by Seth Godin (2011-03-01) from his book, Poke the Box (Kindle Location 915). AmazonEncore. Kindle Edition. I was sitting this weekend at my local Starbucks talking to a new friend about life. I do that a lot. It is kind of what I do now to make a difference. I used to be afraid to talk individually with people to strike up a conversation with someone because I was socially shy. Oh I could get up in front of 100’s of people and sing but one on one scared me. I was immature socially. Now please understand that it is a risk to step out of one’s comfort zone in order to make a difference. Making a difference doesn’t just happen. There was a time that I moved out of the secure job that I had as a staff minister. I had been a part of music almost all of my life, had a lot of success. I also had great days as a Youth Minister and then as the Associate Minister in charge of the Adult Ministry for a large church....

We must always remember that God's greatest moments for us are never for us alone.”

A thought by Erwin Raphael McManus from his book, Chasing Daylight: Seize the Power of Every Moment (Kindle Location 1105). Kindle Edition. When we use the phrase personal relationship that can cause us to believe our relationship with God is just for us. The reality is that any personal relationship is a two way street. My relationship with my wife, Margaret, has some personal benefits for me but it also has some personal responsibilities for me to do toward Margaret. My life is no longer a self-centered existence. I now have a relationship with someone who has needs and desires and my love wants to fulfill them. Now our personal relationship with God is also one that is not singular. He does stuff for me and it could be easy to think that is it. It is me and Him and no one else. But if you really have a personal relationship with Him then you will do all you can to know Him. And if you really know Him you know that it is ...