Just Continue That Thought...

A thought by Mark Batterson (2011-01-18) in his book, Soulprint: Discovering Your Divine Destiny (pp. 139-140). Multnomah Books. Kindle Edition. I love the story about a woman who said that God talked to her personally.  Her pastor heard her telling someone that and he took her aside to set her straight.  He wanted to prove to her that God didn’t talk to her so he said, “Now the next time you are talking to God would you ask Him something that He only knows about me, would you ask Him, ‘What was the last sin that I asked Him to forgive me for?’  Would you ask Him?”  She said she would. A few days later, the pastor met with her and he asked her if she had asked God, “What was the last sin that he had asked Him to forgive his for?”  She said she had.  The pastor then asked knowing that he had her now, “Well what did He say?”  She then said that He said, “I don’t remember.” Now of course that didn’t really happen but it does make a correct point that at the end of 2011 and t

A thought by Andy Stanley (2009-08-22) in his book, It Came from Within!: The Shocking Truth of What Lurks in the Heart (p. 115). Multnomah Books. Kindle Edition. Jesus says that over and over.  He cannot forgive unless you forgive.  What does it say in the Lord’s Prayer, Father forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us.  It goes hand in hand. So wouldn’t it be great to look into the New Year with resolved differences with the people around you?  Maybe it’s a parent or a brother or sister?  Could be your spouse or one of your children?  Maybe it is someone at work or even at church?  What about your neighbor or one of your friends?  Whoever it is, get on the phone and strive to resolve it now.  Of course you understand it takes two but you strive to do your part.  Another thing to realize is if they have died or if they don’t know you have ever had an issue with them then you resolve it in your own heart.  Go back to the situation and forgive them for t

A thought by Erwin Raphael McManus from his book, Chasing Daylight: Seize the Power of Every Moment (Kindle Location 332). Kindle Edition. And it doesn’t stop at 64 or 24.  In each stage of life there is something that God has created us to do.  No one retires from God’s plan for their life.  Retirement just means I have more control of my time in order to focus on his plan.  My purpose in life is to seek the harassed and helpless and let them know that Christ can and wants to make a difference in their life.  That is my something to do and it doesn’t stop at 64.  I am no longer tied down to the expectations that a salary has but I have been released to do the something in a greater measure that God has given me to do.  Oh I wouldn’t trade my years as a church planter for anything else in the world.  My life has been exciting and has made significant differences in all the places I have served.  I was living out the something that God had for me to do each day of my life

A thought by Gabe Lyons (2010-10-05) in his book, The Next Christians: The Good News About the End of Christian America (p. 124). Doubleday Religion. Kindle Edition. Maybe you are searching for your purpose in living as you go into the new year.  Maybe you have been wandering and wondering through 2011 but you want 2012 to be different.  Now this is a good time to sit down with a yellow pad or your notes on your iPhone and start to do some God-directed thinking. A good place to start is evaluating your gifts.  I’m not talking about your Christmas gifts but those Spiritual gifts that God gave you when you became a Christian.  Check on the internet for a good Spiritual gifts test or go to your local Christian book store or ask your pastor.  Take that test and then do some self-assessment of your natural abilities.  Ask yourself and some of your closest honest friends, “What am I good at?”  That may be hard for you to do but it is an important step in this process. And

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. 77). Multnomah Books. Kindle Edition. I love the way life is set up.  There are 60 minutes in an hour, 24 hours in a day, 30/31 days in a month and 12 months in a year.  There is a beginning and an end in each one of them.  This week is the end of another year and it is a time of reflection and release. It is always good to look back at a point to reflect on what happened, to thank God for His gifts, to reinforce the lessons learned and to let go of and release the pain that has happened in this year.  I know that at some point you have been hurt by someone in 2011.  There is pain in relationships sometimes but you don’t have to take that hurt that pain into the new year.  That is a choice that you have and this is a good week to let go of that memory that hurt.   If you don’t you will carry that hurt into your other relationship in 2012.  That is

A thought by Darren Whitehead and Jon Tyson, (2011-07-19) in their book, Rumors of God: Experience the Kind of Faith You´ve Only Heard Abou t (Kindle locations 713-714). Thomas Nelson. Kindle edition. I walk the mall every morning and I’m excited about the fact that we mall walkers are going to get our mall back in another week.  I mean I got to the mall a little after 7:00 am the day after Christmas and Macy’s and J. C. Penny’s were open and I had to go to the second floor in the parking garage to get a good parking spot.  We just need so much more stuff even after Christmas don’t we?  At least that is what we are told. Now I gave over 10 bags of clothes, coats and shoes to the Bowery Mission in New York City this Advent season.  If I listened to the advertisers I needed to run out fast and get more stuff to take its place but I didn’t and I’m doing fine.  If we as Christians would go into our closets and take all the excess clothing in there then we could take care of the

A thought by Greg Darley (2010-11-15) from his book, Passion Is Not Enough: Four Elements to Change the World (Kindle Locations 683-684). Backstage Publishing. Kindle Edition. Tomorrow we celebrate the birth of the greatest servant who ever lived on this earth.  His actions showed us what it means to be a Christ-follower.  By His acts of service He changed our world. Someone asked, how do I know if I am being a servant?  The answer is, how do you react when you are being treated as a servant?  I’m afraid we fail at this more that we succeed especially in our marriages. One of the main reasons God wants us to marry a Christ-follower is because if we don’t have Christ in us then we only have the capacity to live for ourselves.   Christ’s love is an agape love witch is unconditional love.  He loves us no matter what.  But without Him in our life we live with a conditional love.  I will love you if. Now most marriages are built on manipulation.  It you do that I will do