Just Continue That Thought...

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 story

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.