Tag Archive - Christian
10

Division is Easier: 1 Step to Change the World

I read a lot of the same blogs, web sites, and articles that you do.

We engage in the same kind of conversations centered around Christianity, the church, and methodology.

What breaks my heart about reading these things and engaging in these conversations is what often happens after they’re published or said.

Instead of reading and leaving with a new thought or having a conversation and focusing on how we can agree with the other person, many people try to find what they don’t like about what was written or said… What they disagreed with on the subject.

I understand that we come from different backgrounds and bring different ideas and life experiences into everything we do. What I don’t understand is why the very topics (Christ and the Church) that should bring unity to the people included brings disunity instead.

What would happen if we came together and focused on what we do have in common…. Focused on the essentials that we agree on rather than the debatables that we may never know for certain? What would happen if we knew our enemy and realized it wasn’t each other, but evil and the one that brings it?

I think we’d be busy fighting a spiritual battle with the Enemy and have less time to fight amongst ourselves.

I think it’d change the world.

That’s what’s on my mind today.

What do you think?


Written by on May 23, 2011 and categorized under Blog, Church Ministry

10

grace.

grace.

According to Webster, grace means…

unmerited,
divine,
assistance
given
humans for their regeneration or
sanctification.

grace.

We can’t earn it. It’s completely unmerited.

We can’t be good enough. It envolves divine intervention.

We can’t get salvation on our own. It requires assistance.

We can’t go get it. It’s given freely.

We can’t control it. Sanctification comes only through Jesus.

grace.

Just accept it.


Written by on April 11, 2011 and categorized under Blog, Encouragement

6

Choking Under Pressure

Growing up, I loved playing baseball.

I was actually kinda good at the game, but there was one particular situation that I almost always failed in…

Executing under pressure.

I still remember the 2 outs, down by 1 scenario that every baseball player dreams of. What’d I do? I struck out for the first time all game.

The final out scenario when I got an easy popup at first base. What’d I do? I let the ball fall out of my glove.

I never was good at executing under pressure. I usually messed it up.

I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world. – John 16:33

Jesus took the pressure off.

The end is not in doubt. He’s already overcome the world.

What I have to do is just run up the score.

It’s amazing the freedom and joy that comes when the pressure’s off.

It doesn’t mean that I can quit, it just means that it isn’t up to me.

Operating in complete freedom and victory makes life a lot more fun than it would be if the end was in doubt!


Written by on April 6, 2011 and categorized under Blog, Church Ministry, Life

16

The Rocky Path

When I was still living at home, my parents decided to remodel their kitchen.

They decided that they really liked tile floors and called the tile man.

I still remember how careful the tile guy was to be sure that he was laying the tile on a smooth surface.
Every few minutes, I’d see him smoothing out the grout to be sure that the tile would lay flat.
After he laid a piece of tile on it, he never smoothed it again, it had already been worked out.

“If you can find a path with no obstacles, it probably doesn’t lead anywhere.” - Frank Clark

The obstacles that are in your way exist because the path is not worn…
The grout hasn’t been smoothed out.
No tile has been laid.

Few have traveled the tough path,
the path that it takes real faith to travel.

  • The path that gets up everyday and lives out their faith even though the office they work in is filled with people that don’t.
  • The path that prays for their children even though their children ignore the faith they’re taught.
  • The path that loves when it doesn’t make sense… when it’s not easy.
  • The path that forgives because they’re forgiven.
  • The path that pastors even when the people refuse to be lead.
  • The path that prays for and obeys their parents even though they’re never shown love.
  • The path that is faithful to their husband even though he isn’t faithful to her.
  • The path that lives a vision from God by the voice of God and not by the opinions of man.

Those paths have obstacles because they haven’t been smoothed out… not many people have been there… not many people are willing to pay the price.

Today, welcome the obstacles.

The obstacles are evidence of the destination.

For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.- Matthew 7:14

Travel on and…

turn the world UPSIDE down.


Written by on March 23, 2011 and categorized under Blog, Encouragement

14

The Key to Improvement

Like a lot of people, when the specs for the iPad 2 were unveiled a few days ago, I found myself saying, “I want one!”

Apparently even the iPad’s competitor thought the same thing…

“Apple made it very thin (…) We will have to improve the parts that are inadequate,” Lee Don-Joo told Yonhap News Agency. Read more.

This is an amazingly honest statement from one Samsung’s head dudes. It couldn’t have been easy to say.

Admitting my inadequacies isn’t easy either.

Whether they’re physical, intelectual, or spiritual, it can be hard for me to admit when I just don’t measure up.

If I’m ever going to get better, though, I have to admit it.
I have to be willing to admit when I messed up.
I have to be willing when I don’t meet the mark.
I have to be willing to admit because that’s the only way I’ll ever improve it.

The truth is,
I’m not the perfect husband.
I’m not the perfect Christian.
I’m not the perfect leader.
I’m not the perfect follower.
I’m not the perfect ….

It’s in the admittance of these things and my confronting reality that I can begin my job of improving.

It’s in the admittance of my inadequacies that I begin to rely on God to change me… inside – out.

It’s the same for you.

Come on now, admit it. You can be better at ____.


Written by on March 10, 2011 and categorized under Blog, Life

32

Which Came First? Chicken or Egg?

The common question is what came first, the chicken or the egg.
I lean toward the chicken since God created it, but that’s not the point of this post.

The point? As Christians we have to know what comes first… Jesus or getting our actions right.

A lot of Christians want the egg before they have the chicken.

They want to change their behavior before they allow God to change their heart.
This leads to nothing but frustration and often quitting because it’s impossible to get right.

A lot of Christians want others to do the same… To become perfect before they will “accept” them.

It will NEVER happen.

The key to our Christian life isn’t trying to clean up and become a trophy to sit on the shelf.
A life truly lived for Christ seeks Him first and leaves the behaviors up to him.
A life truly lived for Christ is about fighting to become more about Him and less about self.

You see, I’ve noticed something during my short life…
When I seek Jesus, I become more like Him.

It’s the natural result.

If your frustrated with your actions and are on the verge of giving up or giving in, return to the Father and be changed from the inside out.

Spend time getting to know Him, beg Him to change your heart, and gain a better appreciation for His love and grace.

Don’t try to find the eggs before you have the chicken.

PS: I’m in no way calling Jesus an actual chicken. It’s just a metaphor. :-)


Written by on March 3, 2011 and categorized under Blog, Church Ministry, Life

14

8 on 8′s – LOVING


Written by on February 28, 2011 and categorized under 8 on 8, Blog

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