tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-314303772024-03-07T05:33:52.999-06:00THE BRADY BLOGequipping overcomers in overcoming principles of lifeUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger20125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31430377.post-29477424976683842402011-02-28T10:51:00.000-06:002011-02-28T10:55:36.367-06:00H2O Men's Conference-Men of Hope!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhN4hgtQV1nPj8sxyEKLxMgxV-mlcMbiOwxAso8afUvkA8vHLc_bznfnGY3O9nsnYqJgz2SOUQ89yN0nnHmz4XFwp0qZsbv0yCBrq1sDxI_6R1y-OGPdHQu3hX5cwYhd8ZEcgT/s1600/H2OMEN.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 309px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhN4hgtQV1nPj8sxyEKLxMgxV-mlcMbiOwxAso8afUvkA8vHLc_bznfnGY3O9nsnYqJgz2SOUQ89yN0nnHmz4XFwp0qZsbv0yCBrq1sDxI_6R1y-OGPdHQu3hX5cwYhd8ZEcgT/s400/H2OMEN.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5578784974608476274" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31430377.post-5072645162164768352011-02-25T21:37:00.001-06:002011-02-25T21:39:29.829-06:00I am taking a little break from blogging to complete work on the brand new bradyweldon.com and to get ready to speak and travel this Spring. Give a couple of more days and I will be back!<br /><br />Blessings!<br /><br />BradyUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31430377.post-89974264880690000372011-02-08T11:32:00.002-06:002011-02-08T11:36:34.246-06:00H2O Movement TONIGHT!!!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbbCFxPcwu9_zzL2wAuaqV26s4xX15SupZIbshc9T25LYSKsmoJHHJfwozXOCl0-slSGbuaLU7Bj-a7C9e5uf5uUnUQxha46IwqlaxtrZ5XjRQydReNhmpLgjj3TW1aQ2ZEtyA/s1600/H2O+LOGO.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 198px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbbCFxPcwu9_zzL2wAuaqV26s4xX15SupZIbshc9T25LYSKsmoJHHJfwozXOCl0-slSGbuaLU7Bj-a7C9e5uf5uUnUQxha46IwqlaxtrZ5XjRQydReNhmpLgjj3TW1aQ2ZEtyA/s320/H2O+LOGO.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5571373913171730882" /></a><br />"THE INTERVENTION-YOU TRUTH" is online LIVE TONIGHT,Feb 8th, 7 p.m. CST! <br /><br />*You cannot conquer what you will not confront.<br /><br />*The destiny that God has for you begins with the intervention and death of self!<br /><br />*Give someone the gift of a fresh start by simply inviting someone to log in! <br /><br />hope2overcome.netUnknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31430377.post-10995044016308828102011-02-04T10:37:00.004-06:002011-02-04T11:23:27.524-06:00Chaotic Moments<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbttt7J-UVAm8pxgYoMM8PDTXsR-j1AltIF_5aEJSj6TLmaOtDvRYR5fhgCgOkB7w6ZJ5b3vYofV8rOz5ECDFkxz1L_PDtWYxKp3wwqlqG1dQzKFPNIEL2w-mo_qRx8zmUuDZL/s1600/katrina_image.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbttt7J-UVAm8pxgYoMM8PDTXsR-j1AltIF_5aEJSj6TLmaOtDvRYR5fhgCgOkB7w6ZJ5b3vYofV8rOz5ECDFkxz1L_PDtWYxKp3wwqlqG1dQzKFPNIEL2w-mo_qRx8zmUuDZL/s320/katrina_image.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5569886233976115394" /></a><br />I just listened to a lecture by Margaret Wheatley dealing with the idea of chaos in our lives. It was amazing in that I have always believed that anytime someone's life is plunged into a chaotic time, there is only one system of response; despair, hopelessness, and agony. Anytime chaos enters a region, whether through a hurricane, cancer, car wrecks, fires, or any other blunt moment, the tendency is to realize that the worst has come and life is over. In fact, I notice that many people cave into despair over very much less chaotic times. <br /><br />But Wheatley says something amazing. She says that chaos in life can actually be a time of great creativity. Imagine that after hurricane Katrina came through and wiped whole communities out; the slate was made now made clean for fresh creativity. Not to minimize the tragedy, but the human spirit moves on and something beautiful can be created out of that chaotic scene. World history has proven this time and time again. This is how God answers the problem of evil and tragedy.<br /><br />I am coming to realize a bit more these days that it is not about what happens to me in life that is the issue, but it's always about how I react to what happens to me that will determine if I make it through to greater heights. The truth of the matter is that so many of us don't even need some massive tragedy to happen in life in order to feel helpless or hopeless. As Wheatley says, we must ask the question, "how do I imprison myself?" I do enough to imprison myself by allowing the chaos on the outside to come inside. <br /><br />Jesus could only speak peace to the storm because He had peace within.<br />Ships only sink when that which is on the outside is allowed to come inside.<br /><br />Tapping into the power of the peace that passes all of my understanding is the key. God is giving me a way out of my self-imposed inner asylum and I can have peace on the inside. And if I gain fresh peace on the inside, then I will be able to contribute to a culture that is mad with chaotic reactions. In times like these, who I choose to become will determine whether or not my life makes a mark or not...and chaotic times are the right moments for fresh creativity to flourish.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31430377.post-58318283379521352352011-01-30T20:30:00.003-06:002011-01-30T20:34:00.476-06:00God Will Give You What Your Money Can't Buy2 Kings 4:8-17<br /><iframe src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/19368176?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0" width="398" height="224" frameborder="0"></iframe>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31430377.post-5445754713701683192011-01-25T16:33:00.008-06:002011-01-25T22:59:31.260-06:00I Am Done with "Cool" ChurchI am through with "cool" church. It has taken me so long to come to that conclusion. Every time church leaders are in a conference, seminar, or just visiting over coffee, the subject of how to make our ministries more cool always comes up. The ideas of modern technology begin to permeate the levels of communication. Use of videos, screens, lights, sets constructed for sermon series, worship leaders in jeans, drums, smoke machines, ATMs, data ports in the pews, WIFI, elephants, Carrot Top doing comedy, and others aspects have become this generation's talk of how to conduct church.<br /><br />Utilizing modern tech support in presenting the Gospel message is always wonderful. God has gifted this generation with a vast array of weaponry in order to reach the ones outside of the Kingdom stockholders. The reason I am done with "cool" is because in so many instances nowadays, "cool" has replaced Christ. AND, my friends that are outside the faith or have been hurt by religion seem to criticize the worldly relevance of church services as opposed to what their hearts long for...just Jesus.<br /><br />Creating atmospheres with lights and sound and basing that importance as higher than the power of God is the cardinal sin of our Church generation. People in today's world are desperately reaching, not just upward, but backward. As one friend of mine said recently, "I can go to a concert anytime I want. IF I do go to church, I want Jesus."<br /><br />Tullian Tchividjian says in his book, Unfashionable, "It's not that the Church is culturally out of touch; it's that we are theologically out of tune." I realize this because I have tried to get into the "cool" mode, and I fell flat. I have even tried to strike up relationships with the "cool", cutting-edge leaders in certain areas when I am speaking, and they want nothing to do with fellowship. WHY? Does my breath stink? Am I not metro-sexual enough in my dress code? NO! My ministry is not relevant enough. I sweat, yell, and entangle the audience in a road trip through the text in order to initiate a "now" response to the message in which the Holy Spirit can interrupt at anytime, as well as heal broken hearts. I don't appear tech savvy, I guess. And I am "cool" with that.<br /><br />Our culture is not so much weary of institutions as they are skeptical of the ones that do not do what they are supposed to do. What scares me is that, as the Old Testament prophet says, we are destroyed for a lack of knowledge. Knowledge leads to wisdom, and wisdom leads to the making of decisions based on the freshness of the move of God's Spirit, rather than "coolness" of presentation. When the size of God grips us more than the size of our lighting rigs and tech toys, only then will we be able to serve as God's cosmic change agents. <br /><br />My heart breaks for those who have never experienced a move of God based on the supernatural moving of the Spirit, and nothing else. God can use everything we have in this modern generation, but He has no problem using nothing but a willing heart. He has been wooing the hearts of mankind for thousands of years, without any "coolness" in the mix. He is all you need to reach a hurting generation. If Jesus is lifted up, HE does the drawing of a man's soul. May I never forget that.<br /><br />So, I will just go back this year to the basics, and if I appear "cool", great! If I do not, it does not matter. Because today's cool is tomorrow's "lame." Be who you are, and I think God can worry about the cool stuff on HIs own...Unknownnoreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31430377.post-37701697663767848582011-01-17T20:21:00.015-06:002011-01-17T22:04:36.765-06:00Broken But Not Shattered<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6vyxZKdTVGSvWUkH4mIXsZeqHSyjEgDKfZEQ2e-2CJrsOcv6HlxcAwJPBfQ5XXmfjKJ9U5qmJq6Avlbcnf6G2wWCY-a2vxWTewpu3hy7tJx7CrjrB1KkEDRuGxmWX7u4jdTHX/s1600/Broken_Aero_Vista___Black___by_somrat.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6vyxZKdTVGSvWUkH4mIXsZeqHSyjEgDKfZEQ2e-2CJrsOcv6HlxcAwJPBfQ5XXmfjKJ9U5qmJq6Avlbcnf6G2wWCY-a2vxWTewpu3hy7tJx7CrjrB1KkEDRuGxmWX7u4jdTHX/s320/Broken_Aero_Vista___Black___by_somrat.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563360202768811026" /></a><br /><br />Growth is a process-one that includes setbacks, failures, hard lessons, and yes, brokenness. Life is crazy, and God does have a purpose in pain. All the more reason that I hate it! <br /><br />If I asked you, "Do you really want God's best for your life?" I feel confident you would say "yes!"<br /><br />If I asked you, "Do you want to become who God designed you to become?" I am sure you would say "yes!"<br /><br />If I asked you, "Are you willing for God to do anything necessary to bring you to total surrender so that He is free to accomplish all that He wants to do for you and all He wants to make out of you?" Don't know bout you...I am slow to answer that one.<br /><br />It is one thing to say "yes!" to the thoughts of the cross. It's another thing to go hang on one.<br /><br />My life, so much less than others, has been a series of success one minute, brokenness the next. Over and over it seems the process never ends. Whatever it is that we may experience and however brokenness comes, I have to remember that God has a good end for all of this. After years of the success/brokenness cycle, a bit of refreshment comes when I am reminded that my brokenness is not the end, but rather, a passage. A passage of revealing what does not belong, then lovingly removing it. God sifts me through my tears, confusion and moments when I feel I am at the end of my pitiful rope.<br /><br />God would never sift someone who does not have something to be sifted...<br /><br />Brokenness is that condition whereby my will is brought into full submission to His will so that when He speaks, I will put up no argument, make no rationalization, offer no excuses, and register no blame. The end result is one of blessing. That sounds good. In fact, I hear all the good Christians singing it in their latest worship songs..."Lord break me". "Lord I will follow". "I am wholly yours because you are so very, extremely, wonderfully, amazingly, HOLY!" I hear preachers talk about brokenness, and yet where is the brokenness?? <br /><br />All theology, and all for the Sunday show. I know. I used to be the best at that type of showmanship. Until God started His process, it is not that He broke me, but rather, He started breaking me. At that point I began to see people in front of me from the platform, not a crowd.<br /><br />And that brokenness does not end with the worship set or the sermon. This is for life.<br /><br />We must make God sick sometimes. Oh yes, He even told one of our sister churches that very thing! (Hint:Last book of your Bible) It must apply all across the board in the family tree. Fake brokenness abounds under the ceilings of nice lit worship houses. It is scary to think that this American generation of God-followers, so many times, have never tasted the freshness of revival and the power that comes after a period of incredible brokenness. <br /><br />The more I submit during those times of breaking, the more God does in me. I am freed from guilt. I am freed from the responsibility of having to "go it alone" in my sin. God is there to strengthen me. I am freed from confusion, and that continual wondering if I am right or wrong. My heart may feel shattered, sometimes for years at a time, but I must admit that blessings exceed brokenness. Strutting leaves my life's vocabulary, humility rises to the top, and grace abounds where pride once did. (Gal. 1:15-2:1)<br /><br />It stinks to think about, but I will never outgrow my need to be freshly broken in one way or another. He only asked that I trust Him, so that I can give Him greater glory. <br /><br />Break on, oh King!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31430377.post-50676971476790826242011-01-13T19:39:00.004-06:002011-01-13T20:19:20.593-06:00My New Simple Life<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHIzBjQa3AIK9I8xPqLqTcCt6uFoVq0jXb1jyclmZCK7sMt3A-t0AnjZCo_T4MHdhSrSNNrHfBWcw5VWckH8BaDDMrdmyt8lE5U8DeTvYvngSh8zlWLP5joqac3pEUzZs-Q95t/s1600/hsm_focusproductivity-287x300.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 287px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHIzBjQa3AIK9I8xPqLqTcCt6uFoVq0jXb1jyclmZCK7sMt3A-t0AnjZCo_T4MHdhSrSNNrHfBWcw5VWckH8BaDDMrdmyt8lE5U8DeTvYvngSh8zlWLP5joqac3pEUzZs-Q95t/s320/hsm_focusproductivity-287x300.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5561857946813604690" /></a><br /><br />There has never been an age in which we could get so much done so quickly. There has also never been an age in which we were so overwhelmed with information and tasks, and I am feeling it this week for sure! For many people these days, work is a constant stream of emails, instant messages, notes, and files. We are drinking from a fire hose of information, with no idea how to reduce the flow.<br /><br />Some very personal, yet life-changing goals are going to be incremented into my life this year. As I continue to evaluate my life and priorities, I am realizing how stressful and wasteful all of this can become. So, as the journey begins to reshape some aspects of my life, like being able to concentrate on meaningful projects and not just "urgent" ones! I need to make some hard choices. I bet you do too...<br /><br />What is the alternative to information and task overload? In order to make this better, do I have to follow the example of Thoreau, and build a cabin in the woods? Not for the WHOLE year. So, I am proposing a middle ground for myself this year. The solution lies in setting limits to how much I consume and do. It lies in making the most of time by focusing on the important things, instead of everything. I don't know about you, but the canvas of my life has been cluttered a bit too much with bolds and not enough pastels. Only I can choose to change what I will stress over, and what I will not. Finally, the day has come, and I can already sense the peace just from making up my mind about it. <br /><br />The answer comes from living a life of..................<br /><br />Simplicity. I am becoming a firm believer in it. My life is better when I simplify it. Those who love me and are close to me recognize my stress, and they also know when I am walking in simplicity. It's when I cut down the noise and I am able to enjoy what I do. <br /><br />I could write all day on how the Holy Spirit is revealing these things to me. I plan to do less, not more. Amp up what is important, and let go what seems useless in the big picture. One man wrote, "why go to battle if there are no spoils?" Applying that is already beginning to make me much happier, less stressed, and perhaps surprisingly, more productive. God gives the revelation, but I have to implement it.<br /><br />Simplicity, for me, boils down to two things I MUST do this year:<br /><br />1. Identify the essential<br />2. Eliminate the rest<br /><br />Join me on this, and this time next year you won't look so grouchy....(that is, when I look in the mirror) :)Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31430377.post-5105499290026842802011-01-11T12:40:00.003-06:002011-01-11T12:53:21.949-06:00Birthdays and Halftime<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRh60yHNEGyMLSgG0SOExClzFIuMcsl3mTEyEUpDRz1rd3KK2YvGGu9HW41W-0Rwc2lssTnp5IdhYRpRPl9lshDeIpGnxnztscAeAZqXjIZ81MFD6nJNPBCMIt9yS1VAyCaX67/s1600/119498631918056439birthday_cake.svg.med.png"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 293px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRh60yHNEGyMLSgG0SOExClzFIuMcsl3mTEyEUpDRz1rd3KK2YvGGu9HW41W-0Rwc2lssTnp5IdhYRpRPl9lshDeIpGnxnztscAeAZqXjIZ81MFD6nJNPBCMIt9yS1VAyCaX67/s320/119498631918056439birthday_cake.svg.med.png" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5561003352402551698" /></a><br />"A pier is nothing other than a frustrated bridge. It is connected to one shore only and does not have another shore to attach itself to."<br /><br />Today is my birthday, and it has become a day of great reflection. Forty years ago my mom pushed out her baby boy. As the youngest I pride myself on being a momma's boy. My job description will never veer or change from that.<br /><br />The questions that arise in times of life-reflection are always the same on. The BIG questions , or so I've heard, start hitting near the end of your third decade. You begin to feel something coming. It's not a bad feeling-simply the sense that something is not entirely pleasant around the corner. Sometimes it comes in the form of questions about your contribution. <br /><br />"Is what I'm doing important?"<br />"Does it matter to anyone but me?"<br />"Do I have enough?"<br /><br />Enough of what? Enough time to dream on? Enough money to live? If you are like most people, we are more comfortable at the current stage than our parents were at the same stage. And yet, the future still seems uncertain. You begin to question your effectiveness in the past. The desire to make your life count has arrived in full force. You sensed it as a teenager, you felt it as a young adult. But now a few aches and pains, and time that shows some miles of travel in your rear view mirror, push you to reevaluate it all.<br /><br />"I have found that what I have been feeling is normal; and the changes I desire are reachable."<br /><br />God is behind it all. To begin something new and freshen up what you dare not let go of brings into focus a fresh vision of the rest of your life. More important, there is a need for something that makes you want to get up in the morning. And that nagging sense that instead of just working for money to pay bills, we want to do something that counts. Stuck, yet wanting to move into something fresh. Bob Buford calls this "Halftime." The awkward, disconcerting place between a gut-wrenching, hard-charging, first half of life, and the second half; a life filled with the hope of making a difference, makes evaluation of life more intense. <br /><br />Time is passing by..and that begins to scare the fool out of me.<br /><br />A word about lost years- You and I cannot reclaim lost time, but God can. He told Job in Scripture that He can restore the years that the locust have eaten. He can walk backward and reclaim in the second half of life the wasted time in the first half. <br /><br />These moments carry with them an unmistakable fact- You do not want to, and you may even be able to continue doing what you do with the same level of intensity and passion. Something has to change, and you would prefer to have a hand in what the change looks like. Changing where you have been provides data for the future; changing where you are going provides an opportunity for the unknown to become a reality.<br /><br />The truth about me is that I feel the best, look the best, and become the best when I am investing in the lives of others. So, I better get busy, because the second half MUST rock....<br /><br />I hear the whistle blowing...halftime is over. Game on!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31430377.post-88401121170271645842010-08-12T22:08:00.003-05:002010-08-12T22:42:19.043-05:00He SeesI ordered a book that I just received and found a quote that is so applicable for the day that many of us live. These paragraphs just grabbed at my heart, and, I thought I would share them with you...<br /><br /><br />"He sees the worlds made and unmade, the constellations that swim into being, crash, and go out into darkness. The hills that for us are everlasting hills have scarcely the endurance of sand castles of children on the strand. The nations are a drop in the bucket, and He takes up the isles as a very little thing. He sees the passing of empires and governments that in their prolonged oppressions make the world more weary. <br /><br />He sees them pass as quickly as a dust cloud on a hot summer day. Quicker than we can think back across the past did that past slip before His eyes. He sees the thoughts of men crystalize into forms and institutions, families, tribes, nations, monarchies, republics, with wars and rumors of war accompanying these humanly portentous changes. He sees the proud cities of Nineveh, Babylon, and the like rise from the plain and sink back again, silted up with the oblivious sands. He has used Babylon as a cup, Assyria as a scourge, and Egypt as a rod. The nations that obey Him and the nations that disobey Him are compelled to serve His sovereign purposes, and Pharaohs are simply pawns in His hands, and He binds princes at His pleasure. And the purposes are His alone, and cannot be shared. <br /><br />Do not forget, He watches over His own creation, He neither slumbers nor sleeps. He allows our lukewarm state, our stammering praise, and our imperfect prayers. He loves our littleness, but it is with the love of compassion. There are no leveled eyes into which He can look. The very One who was despised and rejected of men; the unmoved Mover, holds history in His hands. So run to Him in this day, bring all your needs before Him, and rest in the fact that no matter who rules the day...there is Someone who still sees it all, and promises to lead His own in triumph (*one day very soon!)"<br /><br /><br />A.E. Whiteman- <br />The Discipline & Culture of the Spiritual Life<br /><br />Written in 1938 <br /><br />*added by BradyUnknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31430377.post-64395869052828934642010-08-11T08:39:00.003-05:002010-08-11T08:52:29.065-05:00Branding An Eternal Message? Pt. 1<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN_oMusN5m1TTyHOx7sAJ2sfVVltRiekuV98qfClFd_p6Ju9nLaP3wiM07OTZXriw22-tV9CJ5jvlg5i-QRhYKeNWw-3dhuxoxsOWjgz7pEonRCiM3QJo5ZidvjuOeCgN3MSsP/s1600/SonBucks_NewYorker_12-3-07_cropped.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 319px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN_oMusN5m1TTyHOx7sAJ2sfVVltRiekuV98qfClFd_p6Ju9nLaP3wiM07OTZXriw22-tV9CJ5jvlg5i-QRhYKeNWw-3dhuxoxsOWjgz7pEonRCiM3QJo5ZidvjuOeCgN3MSsP/s320/SonBucks_NewYorker_12-3-07_cropped.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5504147201914703458" /></a><br /><br />For the next few days, I am going to write on something that has been a growing issue in my heart; the idea of marketing the Gospel message as if it is a product on television. I am NOT against getting the message out in modern ways, but we must evaluate the implications of crossing the fine line of reducing the message of Jesus to a mere product of commercialism, instead of the life-changing Lord of Lords that He is and forever will be!<br /><br /><br />The church today has a weakness for numbers. We are infatuated with measurements and quantified data: statistics, opinion polls, market research, attendance figures, bestseller lists, budgets, and so on. We want specific numbers so we can keep tabs on things like market saturation, return on investment, and consumer satisfaction. We want to monitor what the masses are buying, where the people are flocking, and what is hot right now, so that perhaps our warehouse churches will overflow with seeker-consumers. In other words, the church today operates like a corporation, with a product to sell and a market to conquer.<br /><br />But what happens to our faith when we turn it into a product to sell? What does it mean to package Christianity in a methodical manner so as to make it salient to as wide an audience as possible? What does Christianity lose when it becomes just one piece of a consumer transaction? These are questions that the brand managers of “cool Christianity” would do well to consider.<br /><br />In Branding Faith, Phil Cooke talks about how Christianity’s brand appeal is strengthened due to its mystery, in the same way that Kentucky Fried Chicken’s brand is enhanced by the mystery of its secret spices and McDonald’s by its secret sauce. He also compares the sensory appeal of liturgical churches’ “smells and bells” (incense, etc.) to that of stores like Victoria’s Secret and Bath and Body Works, which enhance customers’ experiences with smells. Christians are constantly making comparisons like this, using the language of mass-market capitalism to talk about how to polish and position the “brand” of Christ. But it strikes me as incredibly unseemly and wrongheaded to speak of Christianity in this way—as if it were just like any other organization or business that needed to be marketed. We market products, sports teams, movies, and … Jesus? We trivialize and demean Jesus when we place him in the company of yellow pages products like hairspray and hot wings. <br /><br />Let’s think for a minute about what Christianity is and why it doesn’t make a good “product.” For one thing, products must be subject to markets, yet God is not subject to the consumer needs or wants of any market. God only and ever deals on his own terms. His grace comes from within him and is bestowed on us as he pleases. It doesn’t come when we are ready for it or when we long for it. We struggle to fathom something that can’t be purchased “on demand” in this day and age, but Christianity is one such thing. God saves at his discretion and on his watch. <br /><br />Another reason why Christianity doesn’t make a good product is that it doesn’t lend itself to an easy commercial sale. Sure, there are appealing things about it, but there are also not-so-appealing things about it (um… taking up one’s cross, avoiding sin and worldliness, etc.). And although the Gospel is wonderfully simple in the sense that even a child can recognize its truth, it is also mind-blowingly complex in a way that doesn’t lend itself to thirty-second jingles. Marketing requires simplifying, cutting out all friction and obstacles to a sale, and focusing solely on the beneficial, feel-good aspects of a product. To market something is to empty it of all potentially controversial or difficult elements, which is maybe not the best method of communicating the gospel, says David Wells:<br /><br />[Marketing] flattens, simplifies, and converts everything into what is appealing. That is what it has done in the evangelical church. The gospel, understood as a product, loses its depth and cost. This happens so that its appeal and salability can be elevated, but along the way Christianity becomes flat, empty, and banal.<br /><br />Not only that, but Christianity also becomes indistinguishable from any other marketed commodity. When people are “sold” Christianity in the same way that they are sold a pair of shoes or a cell phone upgrade, people will naturally think of Christianity in the same way that they do any other consumer product; that is, as a lifestyle choice and brand with which they currently identify but might easily abandon if a better offer comes down the pike. If I primarily choose Christianity because it is slickly marketed, like I might choose an iPhone, the risk is high that I won’t stay loyal to that “brand” forever. I never was attracted to the “thing” itself, after all—just the attractive marketing, which can easily be one-upped in the future by competitors. Attempting to sell the gospel as “cool,” then, is a dangerous proposition. It’s dangerous because it bases the attractiveness of the gospel on an external definition of marketability and “cool” that will appeal to people but has very little to do with the actual content of the message. Converts to this gospel will likely be like the seeds on rocky soil in Matthew 13—rootless. As Tyler Wigg-Stevenson notes: <br /><br />Any salvation that needs a sophisticated sales pitch is a salvation that won't really do anything. It will make you holy the same way a new pair of Nikes makes you athletic—which is to say, not at all. It only changes your religious brand… Spiritual shoppers have no reason to think that Christianity is anything but one option among many. <br /><br />Just as “cool” has become little more than a happy meal product to satiate the desires of young people to “purchase empty authenticity and rebellion,” pop Christianity is on the verge of becoming little more than just another vacuous moniker and feel-better-about-myself, over-the-counter drug. It’s always easier to consume cool or buy a satisfactory status (whether emotional, spiritual, or physical) than it is to legitimately work for it, earn it, and become it. The church must make sure we aren’t selling an empty, easy, superficial product devoid of anything truthful or real. It’s easy to sell Christianity-Lite when you mention only the positive, “this will make your life so much better” selling points. It’s significantly harder to convince people to adopt a full Christian life that makes no promises about instant gratification and almost guarantees hardship. Such a thing isn’t as easily “sold,” but it’s worth more than anything you might ever buy.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31430377.post-33205825828919974262010-03-09T23:55:00.002-06:002010-03-09T23:59:13.801-06:00OMG! These Judgmental People!The army of God is the only one who shoots, slaughters, filets, badgers, mutilates, ignores, gossips about, (and all other adjectives I really can't mention here).... its own wounded. <br /><br />That statement hits just a little too close to home. Not because of wrongs I've suffered or wounds I've received, though. It hits so close because of wrongs I've committed and wounds I've inflicted. I've done it: Judging another person by deciding in my own mind what their motives, insecurities, and intentions are based solely on what they do.<br /><br />When God chose David as the second king of Israel, he told Samuel during the vetting process that it's people who judge by appearances, but God examines the heart (1 Sam. 16:7).<br /><br />Whenever I have judged exclusively by externals, I've noticed that I'm excluding several significant internal realities:<br /><br />The actual heart condition of the other person.<br /><br /> Jeremiah 17:9 says that no one can understand the heart. That's God's job.<br />Hurt people hurt people. Whenever someone lashes out or attacks someone else for no reason they are responding out of their own woundedness. MONSTER CAVEAT: Explaining their attack in NO WAY excuses it.<br />It's possible--just possible--that I don't have all the facts. <br /><br />Maybe, just maybe, that person has genuinely prayed and sought God's heart and is following the leading God gave her.<br /><br />Maybe, there's a calling on her life that I can't or haven't yet considered that would explain why she does what she does.<br />Judging others' judgmentalism is...oh, what's the word?...judgmental! I can get haughty in a hurry when I've been wronged or someone close to me has been wronged.<br />The task of judging others has already been assigned and I didn't get the gig. <br /><br />God promises that He will set everything to rights. <br /><br />He will account for every injustice, from the Holocaust to my haughtiness and everything in between.<br />Judging others wastes time that I will be held accountable for what I DO with it. A lot of people don't yet know Jesus and the extravagance of his love. What in the world am I doing wasting a nano-second on a job that's not mine? Lives are at stake.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31430377.post-21164420815667331782010-03-09T07:35:00.002-06:002010-03-09T07:37:37.969-06:00Why? Why? Why?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOpPu3FObLKJlGMloPVwh9LwXsHKBQn5AKymNHTE5wOP1A7uuYTJHZV-Gm0SBSF8VOas_vsqmOkX6JPAOFU6_Ouq_kp8ktXQG3cSQMimGLPvGK9LSgk0DLhOJUBme4J2Ua3Yf1/s1600-h/e52e68c338d3405e.jpeg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 130px; height: 145px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOpPu3FObLKJlGMloPVwh9LwXsHKBQn5AKymNHTE5wOP1A7uuYTJHZV-Gm0SBSF8VOas_vsqmOkX6JPAOFU6_Ouq_kp8ktXQG3cSQMimGLPvGK9LSgk0DLhOJUBme4J2Ua3Yf1/s320/e52e68c338d3405e.jpeg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5446627773384800994" /></a><br />And He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness." Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ's sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.<br />— 2 Corinthians 12:9–10<br /><br /><br />Why does God allow hardship? Why does God allow illness? Why does God allow tragedy? We can go on and on asking why, but we can't always answer these questions. Yet listen to what the apostle Paul said as he explains why it was allowed in his life in particular:<br />And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure. Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. (2 Corinthians 12:7–8)<br /><br />We don't know what Paul's "thorn in the flesh" was. Most commentators believe it was some kind of physical disability that he probably acquired after one of his multiple beatings or stonings. Whatever it was, the devil wanted to use it to get Paul down. And it worked. Paul got down on his knees and called on God. The devil wanted to drive Paul away from God, but instead the apostle clung to Him that much tighter.<br /><br />When we go through suffering and hardship, it can be so difficult at times. I have never had a more difficult time in my life than the past 19 months. Yet the fellowship I have had with God has never been sweeter. I have never been more dependent on Him. There are times I don't think I can handle it, and then God gives me the strength that I need. And I have learned things that I would not have learned anywhere else. I don't know the "why" of it all, but I trust God, cling to God, and rely on God.<br /><br />Are you facing hardship and suffering today? Pour out your heart to God. He is trustworthy.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31430377.post-80585122503320583712010-03-07T22:57:00.003-06:002010-03-07T23:11:50.899-06:00Leaders are Readers<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjanAoKKt_TjlA0TqZmdkCsiA0XAjL8ykQY5Qeqq9NLbMMnNESN2Q-0NZzbYB7PKJb0wWqDgB78Mc6G7cmDH397s4r2N79BPc8pIm-7K0J4zOaxlP_L92CGHnId_p57Yf84Hms1/s1600-h/stack_books.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 148px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjanAoKKt_TjlA0TqZmdkCsiA0XAjL8ykQY5Qeqq9NLbMMnNESN2Q-0NZzbYB7PKJb0wWqDgB78Mc6G7cmDH397s4r2N79BPc8pIm-7K0J4zOaxlP_L92CGHnId_p57Yf84Hms1/s200/stack_books.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5446126345911369602" /></a><br />So many of you have wrote to me asking about what books I read...here are a few in two separate lists. I am the most a.d.h.d. reader that there is in the world. It depends on the mood I am in and what I am hungering for in my life. I have cleaned out my little home study in order to begin a bit of a new season. John Maxwell says "Leaders are readers." Well, that has always been a sticking point in my existence. I think undergrad school did me in with all the nonsense texts I had to purchase. THANKS AMAZON KINDLE (and the iPad to come!)<br /><br />But, this year I have made a commitment to begin to read, then journal about what I highlight in the book. <br /><br /><br />I. Books I am currently reading devotionally <br /><br />1) A Hunger for God by John Piper<br /><br />2) Forgotten God by Frances Chan<br /><br />3) The Mortification of Sin by John Owen<br /><br />4) In the Day Of Thy Power by Arthur Wallis<br /><br />5) Generosity by Gordon MacDonald<br /><br />6) Leading With A Limp by Dan Allender (*Reading NOW)<br /><br />7) Humility by Andrew Murray<br /><br />8) Counterfeit Gods by Timothy Keller<br /><br />9) Angry Conversations With God by Susan Issacs (*honest and so funny)<br /><br /><br />II. Books I am currently reading (more historical in nature) include:<br /><br /><br />1) How Rome Fell, Death of a Superpower by Adrian Goldsworthy<br /><br />2) Tea with Hezbollah by Ted Dekker<br /><br />3) Inside the Revolution by Joel Rosenberg<br /><br />4) The Year of Living Biblically by A.J. JacobsUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31430377.post-78915664687897619902008-10-27T16:13:00.002-05:002008-10-27T16:18:32.166-05:00My Vinedresser<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ-2oUuF4KdHWP81mawMRwo6-UILWjCBvsXQBe_NX8OSb6Cy_PBodVHeCT7Daaoxb8CpSjQPXNLUrowroXgEbMROFDHDIikWcpssdEQ5A38O-qb_CQ95SbnQlkse9C7_z-Ca3j/s1600-h/john15_5.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 216px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ-2oUuF4KdHWP81mawMRwo6-UILWjCBvsXQBe_NX8OSb6Cy_PBodVHeCT7Daaoxb8CpSjQPXNLUrowroXgEbMROFDHDIikWcpssdEQ5A38O-qb_CQ95SbnQlkse9C7_z-Ca3j/s320/john15_5.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5261946099968182354" /></a><br />"But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing." – James 1:4 (NKJV)<br /><br />In the biblical tradition, a vinedresser is the keeper of the vineyard or the watchman over the field. His responsibilities seem to fall only during spring and harvest when he can be seen pruning the vines, planting seeds for new vines or reaping the crops. The remaining part of the year, the vinedresser will busy himself clearing a neighbor's rocky field or helping to build a new house in the village. The vinedresser could worry about pestilence, droughts, famine, or the scorching hot east winds, but he knows that God controls those events.<br /><br />Does this mean that in the off season the vinedresser does not care for his field? No. He has learned the secret of patience. He has done his task; now the power of God, through nature, will bring the crops to fruition. The vinedresser realizes the invaluable secret: "let go and let God."<br /><br />Jesus taught that we should be like the patient vinedresser. We should not be negative, worrying about events and circumstances beyond our control. Jesus encouraged us to understand that God sees the end from the beginning. The vinedresser’s trust in The Vinedresser is rewarded at harvest. Jesus described a similar reward in the parable of the soils—"some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty" (Matthew 13:8).<br /><br />May God grant us the wisdom to know when to plant and when to sow; when to hold on and when to let go; when to undertake new tasks and how to let God bring them to completion; and the knowledge to make the right decisions with dignity!<br /><br />* * *<br /><br />Sometimes, God, I get impatient waiting for You to finish what I’ve started. Help me to let go and trust You for the outcome. Amen.<br /><br />* * *<br /><br /><br />Do your part and let God take care of the rest.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31430377.post-47294545079815050372008-07-16T09:15:00.004-05:002008-07-16T09:20:53.128-05:00Vacation ThoughtsThere was a time, just a few centuries ago, when nautical maps of Europe <br />had legends that included the location of churches on land. Church <br />steeples doubled as navigational tools for ship captains. Churches were <br />typically built on choice real estate in the center of town or atop the <br />highest hill. And in some places, there were ordinances against building <br />anything taller than the church steeple so it would occupy the place <br />closest to heaven. Nothing was more visible on the pre-modern skyline <br />than church steeples. And in a sense, church steeples symbolized the <br />place of the church in culture. There was a day, in the not too distant <br />past, when church was the center of culture. Church was the place to go. <br />Church was the thing to do. Nothing was more visible than the church <br />steeple. Nothing was more audible than the church bells. And it might <br />be a slight exaggeration, but all the pre-modern church had to do was <br />raise a steeple and ring a bell. <br /><br />Is it safe to say that things have changed? <br /> <br />The church no longer enjoys a cultural monopoly! We are the minority <br />in post-Christian America. And the significance of that is this: we can’t <br />afford to do church the way it’s always been done. Our incarnational <br />tactics must change. <br />Don’t get me wrong: the message is sacred. But methods are not. And the <br />moment we anoint our methods as sacred, we stop creating the future <br />and start repeating the past. We stop doing ministry out of imagination <br />and start doing ministry out of memory. And if we think that raising the <br />steeple or ringing the bells will get the job done; the church in America <br />will end up right where the Israelites found themselves in Judges 2:10: <br />After that generation died, another generation grew up who <br />did not acknowledge the Lord or remember the mighty things <br />he had done for Israel. <br /><br />According to George Barna, 61% of twenty-somethings who grew <br />up going to church stop going to church at some point during their <br />twenties. They become dechurched. They still feel connected to God in <br />some form or fashion, but there is a disconnect with organized religion <br />and the institutional church. And for one reason or another, they are <br />checking out of the church at an alarming rate. <br />I love the church. I believe in the church. <br /><br />Some people hear statistics like the one just cited — 61% of twenty- <br />somethings that grew up in church leave the church — and they wonder <br />what’s wrong with this generation. I think that’s the wrong reaction. I <br />can’t help but wonder what’s wrong with the church. <br />In the words of Pogo: we have seen the enemy and he is us.<br /><br /><br />As long as the <br />church stays on the <br />periphery, our culture will <br />never experience an epiphany.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31430377.post-87761314569498052432008-06-13T09:49:00.001-05:002008-06-13T09:50:45.486-05:00Ten Simple Things to Change Your Day1. Get healthier<br />Eat smaller portions<br />Eat 5-6 times daily<br />Stay hydrated<br />Aim for a minimum of 30 minutes of physical activity if you’re really serious<br /><br />2. Call a past customer and ask what you could do to get him or her back.<br />3. Send a thank you note.<br />4. Write a personal note of encouragement to someone on your team.<br />5. Plan your day the night before or first thing in the morning.<br />6. Schedule accomplishment, not activity.<br />7. Read, study, pray for the first 30 minutes of each day.<br />8. Do one intentional act of kindness for a family member, friend or stranger.<br />9. End the day remembering all the good things that happened.<br />10. Tell someone you love them.<br /><br />Let me know how your day went!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31430377.post-71954141922492523522007-05-02T13:01:00.000-05:002007-05-02T13:51:17.071-05:00Ten Common Qualities of Effective ChurchesIt has been my extreme privilege during the past month or so to visit some great churches… some churches that are really firing on all cylinders. I was thinking about my visits the past few days and decided that there were some similarities in these churches that I really should write down. At least six of these churches have reported over 250 decisions for Christ over the past year. In my opinion, with that many conversions per year, that should place these churches in at least the top 5% of churches who are making a real Kingdom impact in the country today. Here are some serious (and not so serious) observations about these churches:<br /><br /><br /><br />1. Each church has a pastor with a vision. And it’s not just that these pastors have a vision… it’s that they have a gift for communicating that vision to their staff and their entire church. While it might not be a surprise to anyone that churches that ‘get it’ have pastors who ‘get it’, it is a glaring similarity among these churches: their pastors are great leaders with a great vision.<br /><br />2. Each church hires almost exclusively from within. Most every staff member of these churches was hired from within. When asked if this was intentional, most said that it was. Here’s the deal: most of these churches do a tremendous job of training leaders and empowering people in ministry. When that happens, the cream rises to the top, and that’s how they find their best staff people. Most do not have church staff experience, but rather bring their expertise from another area of business or commerce. And, I have to say, these are some sharp people.<br /><br />3. Speaking of staff, the staff of these churches ‘get it’ too. The staff in these churches are very loyal to their church and to their leadership. These are people that have a long history with the church; and they are totally sold on the mission, vision and values of their church. They also view their job not only as to serve God, and the church; but also to come along side and support the vision and leadership of the senior pastor. These churches have very loyal staff.<br /><br />4. A larger percentage of their staff (or staff wives) are pregnant. Just an observation here… but there are a lot of staff pregnancies at these churches. I’ve done no official polling or investigation here… it’s just a trend I’m seeing in these churches that ‘get it’.<br /><br />5. These churches and pastors don’t have a clue what they’re doing. No really… more than one of the senior pastors told me something to the effect of “I really have no idea what I’m doing.” But, they’re having a great time doing it! Most of these leaders have never led a church larger than what they’re currently pastoring. One pastor said, “I’ve never even attended a church like this one.” They expressed the amount of faith they need to place in God just to lead where they are. In other words, they don’t have it all figured out!<br /><br />6. Since they don’t have it all figured out, these pastors all shared with me their desire to connect with other leaders who can help mentor them. Each and every leader I’ve spoken to has asked in one way or another, “Who are some people that you think I should talk with?” In other words… who are the people out there that can help mentor me? Another encouraging thing is that these pastors are also excited about mentoring others.<br /><br />7. These churches are not shy about sharing resources. Each one of these churches that I visited share their stuff with others freely. These aren’t a group of stingy churches… they are sold on their mission; and at the same time want to help other churches and their leaders however they can. Some are becoming ‘teaching churches’ who actively put the ‘helping other churches’ right in their DNA as a part of their identity and mission.<br /><br />8. Most all of these pastors are bloggers. Not sure what the correlation is here; but four out of the six senior pastors are active bloggers. Some blog more to their church audience; others blog for other church leaders. Many of these churches have multiple church staff blogs. And the influence of their blogs and voice is expanding.<br /><br />9. These churches are not afraid to make tough calls. If they see a ministry that needs cut, they’ll cut it. A staff member that’s not pulling his/her weight? They’ll reassign them or help ‘free their future’. They are not afraid to make gutsy and/or controversial calls. And best of all, it is their vision and mission that make these decisions, according to them, much easier.<br /><br />10. Numbers are important to them. Each and every one of them. Because each person represents someone that Jesus died for, they make an effort to count that person because that person matters. While numbers is not the end-all measurement; it does provide insight into the amount of ministry and serves as one stat to how well you are achieving your ministry goals. As I said, each of these churches have counted at least 250 conversions in the past year. That’s something to count and get excited about.<br /><br />Am I saying that these churches are flawless? Not by any means. And their pastors would tell you the same thing. I am saying that after visiting these churches fairly closely together that these are some of the common threads that I see. Take them for what they are worth, and see how many of these things these churches have in common with your church. It could be an interesting exercise!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31430377.post-1155177238833618732006-08-09T21:27:00.000-05:002006-08-11T17:35:37.290-05:00Remolding Your Whole House<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2937/3401/1600/is.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2937/3401/320/is.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />A friend of mine has a 55-year-old kitchen. Because of the increasingly busy pace of his life, he had let things go until there was no practical remedy except to tear everything out and start over. The project has involved a lot of research on kitchens to see what is available. He then had to brace himself for the sound and sight of the old being smashed, torn out and discarded. Then he had to be focused on executing the plan that has been prayerfully and painstakingly laid out, knowing he would need perseverance to see the project through to completion. <br /><br />In some ways, my life is like his kitchen. I have decided to survey the condition of my life to make sure I'm not letting things go until drastic change is required! In my recent study of the Book of Hebrews I have been challenged to research the lives of others as role models for my own life, to tear out and repent of sin that impedes the effectiveness of my Christian life, and to refocus on the goal of a life lived for God's glory and honor, a life that brings Him pleasure as it reflects His own Son.<br /><br />Isn't it time you surveyed the condition of your life? Then join me in this late summer’s resolution that lasts a lifetime.<br /><br />RESEARCH YOUR PROJECT ...<br />By Remembering the Saints<br /><br />Read Hebrews 12:1<br />From the following Scriptures, list one or more outstanding characteristics of each of these saints named in Hebrews 11 that serve as an inspiration and example for your life: Abel—Hebrews 11:4 and Genesis 4:1-8; Enoch—Hebrews 11:5-6 and Genesis 5:21-24; Noah—Hebrews 11:7 and Genesis 6:5-22; Abraham—Hebrews 11:8-19, and Genesis 12:1-5; Isaac—Hebrews 11:20 and Genesis 22:1-14; Jacob—Hebrews 11:21 and Genesis 32:22-32; Joseph—Hebrews 11:22 and Genesis 37:23-28, 50:15-21; Moses—Hebrews 11:24-28 and Exodus 4:1-12; Joshua—Hebrews 11:30 and Joshua 3:1-8, 10, 14; Rahab—Hebrews 11:31 and Joshua 2:1-14, 6:20-25. <br /><br />What one characteristic did each of these saints have in common? Give the phrase from Hebrews 11 that emphasizes the importance of this characteristic. What do you need to do to make it a defining characteristic of your life?<br /><br />What do you think was the motivation for these saints to live as they did? Give phrases from Hebrews 11 as the basis for your answer.<br />TEAR OUT THE OLD ...<br />By Repenting of Your Sin<br /><br />REPENT OF HINDRANCES<br />From the following verses, list things that can hinder you from living out your commitment to Christ: Matthew 6:24; Matthew 6:25-27; 2 Timothy 1:7; 2 Timothy 1:8; 2 Timothy 2:16, 23; 2 Timothy 4:10;<br />1 John 1:6; 1 John 2:15-16; Revelation 3:15-17.<br /><br />What other specific things are hindering you?<br /><br />What will you do today to "throw off everything that hinders" you from living a life pleasing to God this year?<br /><br />REPENT OF ENTANGLEMENTS<br />What sins are tripping you up now and will continue to do so this next year as you seek to live for Christ? List the sins named in Galatians 5:19-21; Ephesians 4:25, 31; Ephesians 5:3-4; 2 Timothy 3:1-5; Revelation 2:4. Which of these sins are entangling you? Ask God to reveal any other sin that is preventing you from living a life pleasing to Him.<br /><br />What similar command is given in Hebrews 12:1; Ephesians 4:22; Colossians 3:5, 8-10? Describe practically how you will obey this command.<br />FOCUS ON THE GOAL ...<br />By Refocusing on the Savior<br /><br />Read Hebrews 12:2<br /><br />REFOCUS ON HIS PURPOSE<br />What phrase indicates how long your "remodeling project" will last?<br /><br />What do you need to build into your life to make sure that you see your project through to the end so that you finish well?<br /><br />What phrase indicates that God has a specific, unique purpose for your life? How does Ephesians 2:10 confirm this?<br /><br />What is God's ultimate purpose for your life, according to Ephesians 1:5? Romans 8:29?<br /><br />What do you believe is the specific race God has marked out for you that enables you to fulfill His ultimate purpose?<br />REFOCUS ON HIS PERSON<br />What evidence do we have that Jesus, as the Author of our faith, lived by faith when He was on earth? See Matthew 4:1-4; John 1:1, 14; Philippians 2:6-7; Hebrews 2:10, 4:15.<br /><br />How does Jesus' own experience of living by faith give Him credibility in your eyes as you seek to do the same?<br /><br />How does Philippians 1:6 encourage you that He is not only the Author but also the Perfecter of your faith?<br /><br />How does Hebrews 13:7-8 encourage you when you reflect back on the saints in Hebrews 11?<br /><br />REFOCUS ON HIS PERSEVERANCE<br />What was the ultimate purpose for Jesus' life, according to John 17:1, 4? What was His specific purpose, according to Matthew 1:21; John 3:16, 14:6, 17:2-3? Was this purpose easily accomplished, according to Hebrews 12:3-4?<br /><br />What are some of the obstacles Jesus faced as He ran His "race," according to Matthew 4:1-2, 8:20, 11:2-3, 12:22-24; John 8:56-59; Matthew 16:21-23, 26:1-5, 26:14-16; John 18:12; Matthew 27:26, 27-31; John 19:16-18?<br /><br />What are some of the obstacles you face as you seek to fulfill this resolution for a lifetime?<br /><br />What was Jesus' ultimate goal that enabled Him to persevere? Compare Hebrews 12:2 with 1:9.<br /><br />What do you think His joy was? See Zephaniah 3:17, Matthew 13:44, Luke 15:7.<br />Having surveyed the "kitchen" of your life, are you long overdue for ... <br />a major overhaul? <br />a clean sweep? <br />a limited remodeling? <br />or simple, minor repairs?<br /><br />After doing the "research," would you begin today with the tear-out, keeping your focus on the end result, which is a fresh, more efficient and effective lifetime commitment that brings God glory as it reflects His Son, Jesus?<br /><blockquote></blockquote>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31430377.post-1154054845291476572006-07-27T21:37:00.001-05:002006-08-11T17:30:22.736-05:00Run To the Shepherd<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2937/3401/1600/georgiacrusade.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2937/3401/320/georgiacrusade.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br />Hey friends,<br /><br />I am wondering a couple of things here; Do you ever wonder if the life you live is REALLY worth the fight? Do you "say" to everyone around you that you trust God's provison but "live" as if you have no clue? <br /><br />WHEW!! I thought I was the only one there for a minute........<br /><br /><br /><br />“God will always give what is right to his people who cry to him night and day.” <br />Luke 18:7<br /><br />Jesus tends to his sheep. And he will tend to you.<br /><br />If you will let him. How? How do you let him? The steps are so simple.<br /><br />First, go to him. David would trust his wounds to no other person but God. He said, “You anoint my head with oil” (Ps. 23:5 NKJV). Not, “your prophets,” “your teachers,” or “your counselors.”<br /><br />Your second step is to assume the right posture. Bow before God.<br /><br />In order to be anointed, the sheep must stand still, lower their heads, and let the shepherd do his work. Peter urges us to “be humble under God’s powerful hand so he will lift you up when the right time comes” (I Pet. 5:6).<br /><br />When we come to God, we make requests; we don’t make demands. We come with high hopes and a humble heart. We state what we want, but we pray for what is right. We go to him. We bow before him, and we trust in him.”Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1