The last few days of each year I try to set aside some time to reflect and evaluate what I want to accomplish in the New Year ahead. It’s basically a three-step process:
1. Revisit and review last year’s goals and evaluate progress made.
2. Establish new goals for the New Year.
3. Ask God for a theme for the New Year. (This is already done: for ’09…it’s Forward by Faith)
I follow the process Jeff Leake, Lead Pastor of Allison Park Church, recommends:
· Name Your Year - determine the theme of what you want God to do in 2009.
· Evaluate Your Past - consider what you did well last year and what you need to work on.
· Set Life Goals - write out the larger dreams you have for the rest of your days.
· Write '09 Goals - what are your targets for the next 12 months?
I’ve decided to use the term “goals” instead of “resolutions.” Resolutions often are perfection based, whereas goals are targets. Shooting for something moves us forward more than shooting for nothing.
So what are my '08 goals? I will share that soon...
In the meantime, I’d like to hear some of yours!
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Sunday, December 28, 2008
God Is Using You!
There's a story in W.A. Criswell's biography that illustrates how you can never measure the impact of your life.
W.A. tells about the day of his conversion: It was Autumn, 1920. His church was holding a revival and Criswell received permission to skip school to attend a special mid-day meeting.
At the close of the service, W.A. responded to the invitation and accepted Christ as his Savior.
Seven years later he was licensed to preach. He soon began a lifetime of ministry, including 55 years as pastor of First Baptist Church of Dallas. He wrote more than 50 books, led untold thousands to Christ, trained hundreds for the ministry.
He was one of the most influential pastors in America during the 20th century.
But this story is really about the man who preached that 1920 revival which changed the course of Criswell's life. His name was John Hicks. He had been a guest in the Criswell's home during the two week revival, and young W.A. had been greatly impressed with the man's manner and character. This admiration compelled the 10 year old boy to attend every service and hang on every word the preacher spoke.
Years later, as Hicks lay dying in Baylor Hospital, his friend Wallace Basset sat with him during his final moments. Hicks said, "Wallace, my life is over, my preaching days are done, and I've never done anything for Jesus. I've failed, Wallace. I've failed."
Apparently John Hicks never knew about the special contribution he had made to the kingdom of God: how one revival meeting held in a small Texas town -- and specifically one sermon preached on an Autumn morning -- touched the heart of a young boy who would, in turn, touch the lives of millions in the years to come.
The words of Paul come to mind: "Devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and teaching. Do not neglect your gift..." (1 Timothy 4:13-14)
Maybe you can't see the full results of your life at this moment. Maybe today your years of sacrifice and hard work resemble nothing. Remember this: You've accomplished things that you don't know about -- and you may never know about them on this side of glory.
What appears to be failure sometimes isn't failure at all. Stay devoted to your work. Do not neglect your calling. Do not neglect your gift. And during those days when measurable results remain elusive: do not give in to despair. God is using you.
W.A. tells about the day of his conversion: It was Autumn, 1920. His church was holding a revival and Criswell received permission to skip school to attend a special mid-day meeting.
At the close of the service, W.A. responded to the invitation and accepted Christ as his Savior.
Seven years later he was licensed to preach. He soon began a lifetime of ministry, including 55 years as pastor of First Baptist Church of Dallas. He wrote more than 50 books, led untold thousands to Christ, trained hundreds for the ministry.
He was one of the most influential pastors in America during the 20th century.
But this story is really about the man who preached that 1920 revival which changed the course of Criswell's life. His name was John Hicks. He had been a guest in the Criswell's home during the two week revival, and young W.A. had been greatly impressed with the man's manner and character. This admiration compelled the 10 year old boy to attend every service and hang on every word the preacher spoke.
Years later, as Hicks lay dying in Baylor Hospital, his friend Wallace Basset sat with him during his final moments. Hicks said, "Wallace, my life is over, my preaching days are done, and I've never done anything for Jesus. I've failed, Wallace. I've failed."
Apparently John Hicks never knew about the special contribution he had made to the kingdom of God: how one revival meeting held in a small Texas town -- and specifically one sermon preached on an Autumn morning -- touched the heart of a young boy who would, in turn, touch the lives of millions in the years to come.
The words of Paul come to mind: "Devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and teaching. Do not neglect your gift..." (1 Timothy 4:13-14)
Maybe you can't see the full results of your life at this moment. Maybe today your years of sacrifice and hard work resemble nothing. Remember this: You've accomplished things that you don't know about -- and you may never know about them on this side of glory.
What appears to be failure sometimes isn't failure at all. Stay devoted to your work. Do not neglect your calling. Do not neglect your gift. And during those days when measurable results remain elusive: do not give in to despair. God is using you.
Friday, December 26, 2008
How Big Is God?
How big is your God? How big is Jesus in your life? I'm convinced that the way we live is a consequence of the size of our God. The primary problem in our lives is we are not convinced that we are absolutely safe in the hands of a fully- competent, all-knowing, ever-present, utterly loving, infinitely big God.
If I wake up in the morning and go through the day with a small, shrunken God, there are consequences. I will live in a constant state of fear and anxiety, because everything depends on me, and my mood will be governed by whatever circumstances hit me that day.
If I live with a small God, I will find it unnatural to pray when I have a need, because I'm not really sure, to be honest, that God makes a difference and that prayer matters. If I live with a small God, I will become a slave to whatever other people think of me, because I don't live in the security of a big God's acceptance of me.
When human beings shrink God, they pray without faith, worship without awe, serve without joy, suffer without hope, and the result is a life of stagnation and fear, a loss of vision, an inability to persevere and see it through.
It's against this backdrop the writers of Scripture never tire of telling us that we do not live with a little tribal God. Whatever we need, God is bigger. Whatever our weakness, God is stronger!
Join us at Christian Life Center for the final Sunday in 2008 as we discover what it's like to live with a God who is so big He can do anything!
If I wake up in the morning and go through the day with a small, shrunken God, there are consequences. I will live in a constant state of fear and anxiety, because everything depends on me, and my mood will be governed by whatever circumstances hit me that day.
If I live with a small God, I will find it unnatural to pray when I have a need, because I'm not really sure, to be honest, that God makes a difference and that prayer matters. If I live with a small God, I will become a slave to whatever other people think of me, because I don't live in the security of a big God's acceptance of me.
When human beings shrink God, they pray without faith, worship without awe, serve without joy, suffer without hope, and the result is a life of stagnation and fear, a loss of vision, an inability to persevere and see it through.
It's against this backdrop the writers of Scripture never tire of telling us that we do not live with a little tribal God. Whatever we need, God is bigger. Whatever our weakness, God is stronger!
Join us at Christian Life Center for the final Sunday in 2008 as we discover what it's like to live with a God who is so big He can do anything!
Thursday, December 25, 2008
Merry Christmas!
On behalf of the Smith family I wish you a Merry Christmas! May God's peace surround you, and his presence comfort you this holiday season!
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
QUOTES ON CHRISTMAS
Christmas is the day that holds time together. -- Alexander Smith
There's only been one Christmas (the rest are anniversaries), and it is not over yet. --W.J. Cameron
The place that the shepherds found was not an academy or an abstract republic; it was not a place of myths allegorized or dissected or explained away. It was a place of dreams come true. -- G.K. Chesterton
I will honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year. -- Charles Dickens.
Some businessmen are saying that this could be the greatest Christmas ever. I always thought the first one was. -- Art Fettig
Nothing during the year is so impressively convincing as the vision Christmas brings of what this world would be if love became the daily practice of humans beings. -- Norman Vincent Peale
There's only been one Christmas (the rest are anniversaries), and it is not over yet. --W.J. Cameron
The place that the shepherds found was not an academy or an abstract republic; it was not a place of myths allegorized or dissected or explained away. It was a place of dreams come true. -- G.K. Chesterton
I will honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year. -- Charles Dickens.
Some businessmen are saying that this could be the greatest Christmas ever. I always thought the first one was. -- Art Fettig
Nothing during the year is so impressively convincing as the vision Christmas brings of what this world would be if love became the daily practice of humans beings. -- Norman Vincent Peale
Monday, December 22, 2008
Huh?
The pastor of a church in California put a sign in front of his church during the Christmas season that said, "Jesus is the reason for the season. Merry Christmas."
He received a complaint from a woman in the community who took exception with the message.
She closed the conversation by saying, "I don't think the church should try to drag religion into every holiday."
Go figure!
He received a complaint from a woman in the community who took exception with the message.
She closed the conversation by saying, "I don't think the church should try to drag religion into every holiday."
Go figure!
Saturday, December 20, 2008
A Christmas Carol
In the fall of 1843 Charles Dickens was facing tremendous financial pressure. He knew he needed to write a hit and he needed to do it quickly.
One evening he took a long walk, hoping for something that would spark his imagination. He began his walk in his own neighborhood-one of London's finest. As he walked he waved and spoke to those he passed, the elegant ladies and the well-dressed gentlemen.
His walk took him across the Thames River into the litter strewn streets of one of London's worst slums. Here, the lords and ladies were replaced by streetwalkers, pickpockets, and beggars.
Suddenly he felt a flash of inspiration. He would write a Christmas story for these very people--people who hungered for a bit of cheer and hope.
Christmas was close; Dickens had to write quickly. As he recorded the story of the miserly Ebenezer Scrooge being visited by the ghost of his dead partner, Dickens began to experience a personal change.
What had begun as a calculated plan to eliminate debt became a work that captured his soul.
He wrote about the kind of Christmas he loved--family parties, mistletoe, carols, games, feasts and gifts. When the manuscript was ready for press, Dickens insisted that the book have a gold-stamped cover, a red and green title page, four hand-colored etchings and four woodcuts.
To make it possible for the book to reach a wide audience, he priced it at only five shillings.
Neither Dickens or the publisher were prepared for the response to the release of A Christmas Carol. It completely sold out the initial press run of 6000 copies in the first six days--an amazing feat in 19th England.
Since the book was so lavishly packaged and so modestly priced, it did not provide an immediate solution to Dickens' financial problems. This was all right with him; he had enough to get by. His later works (David Copperfield and Tale of Two Cities among them) brought him the financial prosperity he needed.
In Christmas 1843, however, Charles Dickens was satisfied to give this universally loved novel to the world. From the storm of tribulation came a gift--and it changed forever the way people celebrate Christmas!
One evening he took a long walk, hoping for something that would spark his imagination. He began his walk in his own neighborhood-one of London's finest. As he walked he waved and spoke to those he passed, the elegant ladies and the well-dressed gentlemen.
His walk took him across the Thames River into the litter strewn streets of one of London's worst slums. Here, the lords and ladies were replaced by streetwalkers, pickpockets, and beggars.
Suddenly he felt a flash of inspiration. He would write a Christmas story for these very people--people who hungered for a bit of cheer and hope.
Christmas was close; Dickens had to write quickly. As he recorded the story of the miserly Ebenezer Scrooge being visited by the ghost of his dead partner, Dickens began to experience a personal change.
What had begun as a calculated plan to eliminate debt became a work that captured his soul.
He wrote about the kind of Christmas he loved--family parties, mistletoe, carols, games, feasts and gifts. When the manuscript was ready for press, Dickens insisted that the book have a gold-stamped cover, a red and green title page, four hand-colored etchings and four woodcuts.
To make it possible for the book to reach a wide audience, he priced it at only five shillings.
Neither Dickens or the publisher were prepared for the response to the release of A Christmas Carol. It completely sold out the initial press run of 6000 copies in the first six days--an amazing feat in 19th England.
Since the book was so lavishly packaged and so modestly priced, it did not provide an immediate solution to Dickens' financial problems. This was all right with him; he had enough to get by. His later works (David Copperfield and Tale of Two Cities among them) brought him the financial prosperity he needed.
In Christmas 1843, however, Charles Dickens was satisfied to give this universally loved novel to the world. From the storm of tribulation came a gift--and it changed forever the way people celebrate Christmas!
Thursday, December 18, 2008
2009 Resolutions
Charles Lamb said "New Year's Day is every man's birthday."
We're just a few of weeks away from changing the calendar, so we've all got a birthday coming up. We'll all have a chance to reflect a little bit on the past 365 days and, hopefully, focus a lot on the next 365 days. If we choose, we can wipe slate clean from the past and begin a new day.
There's nothing special about January 1, of course, but there is something special about the decision to break away from old habits and develop new ones. It can be done any day -- January 1 is as good a day as any. The important thing is to devote oneself to doing better and trying harder.
It was said of Hezekiah: "In everything he undertook in the service of God's temple and in obedience to the law and the commands, he sought his God and worked wholeheartedly. And so he prospered." (2 Chronicles 31:21)
My resolutions for 2009 are centered in this verse. I want to seek God more and to serve him better.
We're just a few of weeks away from changing the calendar, so we've all got a birthday coming up. We'll all have a chance to reflect a little bit on the past 365 days and, hopefully, focus a lot on the next 365 days. If we choose, we can wipe slate clean from the past and begin a new day.
There's nothing special about January 1, of course, but there is something special about the decision to break away from old habits and develop new ones. It can be done any day -- January 1 is as good a day as any. The important thing is to devote oneself to doing better and trying harder.
It was said of Hezekiah: "In everything he undertook in the service of God's temple and in obedience to the law and the commands, he sought his God and worked wholeheartedly. And so he prospered." (2 Chronicles 31:21)
My resolutions for 2009 are centered in this verse. I want to seek God more and to serve him better.
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Old books, Old Friends
I recently heard about a different approach to reading I'm going to try in 2009: going back to the good books in your library again and again. There's an old saying that great books are not written, they're rewritten. In other words, an author should give his manuscript more than one pass. It can also be said that great books shouldn't be merely read, they should be re-read.
Spurgeon said: "Master those books you have. Read them thoroughly. Bathe in them until they saturate you. Read and reread them, masticate and digest them...A student will find that his mental constitution is more affected by one book thoroughly mastered than by twenty books he has merely skimmed."
As we work our way into the New Year, I've been thinking about my reading list for 2009. There are a few books I read every year or so -- if not the whole volume, at least certain chapters and/or sections that I find especially helpful. Here are some of them.
The Purpose Driven Life (Rick Warren)
Communicating for a Change (Andy Stanley)
A Tale of Three Kings (Gene Edwards)
Visioneering (Andy Stanley)
Celebration of Discipline (Richard Foster)
Courageous Leadership (Bill Hybels)
Mere Christianity (C.S. Lewis)
Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire (Jim Cymbala)
Your Road Map For Success (John Maxwell)
The Power of Positive Living: An Autobiography (Norman Vincent Peale)
These books have become my friends. They encourage me during difficult days, they tell me what I need to hear, they remind me of things I have forgotten, they challenge me to try again, they help me become more holy -- to see Christ more clearly, to love him more dearly, to follow him more nearly, as the old song says.
I encourage you to give some thought to which books on your bookshelf are worth a second look -- and add them to your list for 2009. I'd also like to know what you plan on reading...drop me a line and let me know!
Spurgeon said: "Master those books you have. Read them thoroughly. Bathe in them until they saturate you. Read and reread them, masticate and digest them...A student will find that his mental constitution is more affected by one book thoroughly mastered than by twenty books he has merely skimmed."
As we work our way into the New Year, I've been thinking about my reading list for 2009. There are a few books I read every year or so -- if not the whole volume, at least certain chapters and/or sections that I find especially helpful. Here are some of them.
The Purpose Driven Life (Rick Warren)
Communicating for a Change (Andy Stanley)
A Tale of Three Kings (Gene Edwards)
Visioneering (Andy Stanley)
Celebration of Discipline (Richard Foster)
Courageous Leadership (Bill Hybels)
Mere Christianity (C.S. Lewis)
Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire (Jim Cymbala)
Your Road Map For Success (John Maxwell)
The Power of Positive Living: An Autobiography (Norman Vincent Peale)
These books have become my friends. They encourage me during difficult days, they tell me what I need to hear, they remind me of things I have forgotten, they challenge me to try again, they help me become more holy -- to see Christ more clearly, to love him more dearly, to follow him more nearly, as the old song says.
I encourage you to give some thought to which books on your bookshelf are worth a second look -- and add them to your list for 2009. I'd also like to know what you plan on reading...drop me a line and let me know!
Sunday, December 14, 2008
Changing The Course
There are certain laws at work in the universe, and no amount of power, or money, or influence can change them.
These laws are God's laws. He designed them to work for us, not against us. In order for this to happen, we sometimes have to change our course. His laws don't change; we must change.
When we try to find happiness, fulfillment, and meaning in life through any method other than a personal relationship with God, we are setting ourselves up for failure.
But it doesn't have to be that way. We can change our course at anytime. We can choose life over death; we can choose spiritual blessings over self-destruction.
God doesn't change his course to accommodate us, but if we are willing to change our course, to chart the path of lives in his direction, he will to open his arms wide to receive us, and will shower us with blessings from heaven.
These are his words...
"I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live, and that you may love the Lord your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the Lord is your life..." (Deuteronomy 30:19-20)
These laws are God's laws. He designed them to work for us, not against us. In order for this to happen, we sometimes have to change our course. His laws don't change; we must change.
When we try to find happiness, fulfillment, and meaning in life through any method other than a personal relationship with God, we are setting ourselves up for failure.
But it doesn't have to be that way. We can change our course at anytime. We can choose life over death; we can choose spiritual blessings over self-destruction.
God doesn't change his course to accommodate us, but if we are willing to change our course, to chart the path of lives in his direction, he will to open his arms wide to receive us, and will shower us with blessings from heaven.
These are his words...
"I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live, and that you may love the Lord your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the Lord is your life..." (Deuteronomy 30:19-20)
Friday, December 12, 2008
Quotes On Accomplishment
We judge ourselves by what we feel capable of doing, while others judge us by what we've already done. —Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort. —Herm Albright
There is no such thing as a great talent without great will-power —Honore de Balzac
Luck is being ready for the chance. —James Frank Dobie
Unless a man has trained himself for his chance, the chance will only make him ridiculous. —William Matthews.
Opportunity is sometimes hard to recognize if you're only looking for a lucky break. —Monta Crane
For a man to achieve all that is demanded of him he must regard himself as greater than he is. —Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Opportunity's favorite disguise is trouble. —Frank Tyger
A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort. —Herm Albright
There is no such thing as a great talent without great will-power —Honore de Balzac
Luck is being ready for the chance. —James Frank Dobie
Unless a man has trained himself for his chance, the chance will only make him ridiculous. —William Matthews.
Opportunity is sometimes hard to recognize if you're only looking for a lucky break. —Monta Crane
For a man to achieve all that is demanded of him he must regard himself as greater than he is. —Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Opportunity's favorite disguise is trouble. —Frank Tyger
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Talking To Myself
The average person talks to himself or herself thousands of times a day. For many people, much of that self-talk is negative. "You're so stupid!" one says to oneself. "Why can't you do anything right? You'll never get a break. You'll never succeed. You don't have a chance."
These words reinforce what we believe about ourselves, and they influence the actions we take.
We find it far too easy to believe in the power of our weaknesses and failures; we find it far too difficult to believe in the power of the God who came to transform us into his likeness.
God spoke through Joel this simple phrase: "Let the weak say 'I am strong.'" (Joel 3:10) He was talking about the day of battle; he was guaranteeing his people a victory.
Every day is the day of battle for followers of Christ. We fight temptation, discouragement, apathy, and failure -- day in, day out. And in the midst of battle, God reminds us that victory is ours. Therefore, let the weak say I am strong -- for (as David proclaimed when facing Goliath) "The battle is the Lord's."
These words reinforce what we believe about ourselves, and they influence the actions we take.
We find it far too easy to believe in the power of our weaknesses and failures; we find it far too difficult to believe in the power of the God who came to transform us into his likeness.
God spoke through Joel this simple phrase: "Let the weak say 'I am strong.'" (Joel 3:10) He was talking about the day of battle; he was guaranteeing his people a victory.
Every day is the day of battle for followers of Christ. We fight temptation, discouragement, apathy, and failure -- day in, day out. And in the midst of battle, God reminds us that victory is ours. Therefore, let the weak say I am strong -- for (as David proclaimed when facing Goliath) "The battle is the Lord's."
Monday, December 8, 2008
The Treasure of Christmas
In the Christmas story, I like how Luke used the phrase, "All who heard the shepherd's story were astonished, but Mary quietly treasured those things in heart and thought about them often." (Luke 2:19)
The King James says, "Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart."
It means that year after year she thought about the events leading to the first Christmas -- how she was chosen to participate in God's story of salvation, how God brought everything together, how she witnessed firsthand that, like the angel had said to her many months before, "Nothing is impossible for God." (Luke 1:37)
Mary's example is good one to follow. We should remember to treasure these things and think about them often. There are so many lessons to be learned the nativity story.
● From the wisemen we learn that God speaks to anyone who will listen, and he leads anyone who is willing to follow.
● From Mary and Joseph we learn what it means to fully submit to the will of God. We learn that obedience takes courage, and that it's better to obey God than worry about what others think or say.
● From the shepherds -- those minimum wage workers who were watching sheep late in the night -- we learn that no one is too poor or too insignificant to have a personal experience with God.
● Even from cruel Herod, we are reminded of how foolish it is to try to hinder the purpose of God.
Most of all, from Jesus, we learn that God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.
We're beginning a busy season of the year -- stressful sometimes, hectic, and financially challenging. Follow Mary's example: Remember to remember the first Christmas. Treasuring the story, think about it often, ponder its meaning in your heart.
The King James says, "Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart."
It means that year after year she thought about the events leading to the first Christmas -- how she was chosen to participate in God's story of salvation, how God brought everything together, how she witnessed firsthand that, like the angel had said to her many months before, "Nothing is impossible for God." (Luke 1:37)
Mary's example is good one to follow. We should remember to treasure these things and think about them often. There are so many lessons to be learned the nativity story.
● From the wisemen we learn that God speaks to anyone who will listen, and he leads anyone who is willing to follow.
● From Mary and Joseph we learn what it means to fully submit to the will of God. We learn that obedience takes courage, and that it's better to obey God than worry about what others think or say.
● From the shepherds -- those minimum wage workers who were watching sheep late in the night -- we learn that no one is too poor or too insignificant to have a personal experience with God.
● Even from cruel Herod, we are reminded of how foolish it is to try to hinder the purpose of God.
Most of all, from Jesus, we learn that God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.
We're beginning a busy season of the year -- stressful sometimes, hectic, and financially challenging. Follow Mary's example: Remember to remember the first Christmas. Treasuring the story, think about it often, ponder its meaning in your heart.
Saturday, December 6, 2008
Nothing is Insignificant with God!
At the beginning of the Christmas story, Mary was just a teenage girl living with her family in Nazareth preparing to marry a man named Joseph. She probably had no ambitions for her life beyond caring for her home, her future husband and children. She was a poor, simple woman. By worldly standards, she was quite insignificant.
But then an angel showed up! And what he said rocked her world: "Do not be afraid, Mary. You have found favor with God" (Luke 1:30).
With those few words the angel announced to her that with God there is no such thing as an insignificant person. There is no person on this planet whom he doesn't see, whom he doesn't know, whom he doesn't love.
You may be poor. You may be desperate. You may lack education and resources. You may be tucked away in an obscure, out of the way place -- feeling like a nowhere man living in a nowhere land. But with God, you're not hidden, you're not obscure, you're not insignificant.
He has a place for you. He has a plan for you. And he is willing to bestow his favor upon you. If you will put yourself in his care, through trust and obedience and submission to him, he will put you in your place, so to speak. He will pour out his favor in your life.
What does his favor mean? It means blessings. The blessings of a happy home, the blessings of joy and peace and abundance. The blessing of knowing him personally.
God's favor also means that he will use your life to do great things. In Mary's case, she did the greatest thing of all -- she gave birth to the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords.
In your case, it means that God will use to touch the lives of people around you. That you will be a blessing to others, and an inspiration to others. He will put you in situations in which you will care for others, and teach others, and influence others in a way that empowers them to fulfill God's calling on their lives.
The favor of God means that he will bless you and he will use you.
But then an angel showed up! And what he said rocked her world: "Do not be afraid, Mary. You have found favor with God" (Luke 1:30).
With those few words the angel announced to her that with God there is no such thing as an insignificant person. There is no person on this planet whom he doesn't see, whom he doesn't know, whom he doesn't love.
You may be poor. You may be desperate. You may lack education and resources. You may be tucked away in an obscure, out of the way place -- feeling like a nowhere man living in a nowhere land. But with God, you're not hidden, you're not obscure, you're not insignificant.
He has a place for you. He has a plan for you. And he is willing to bestow his favor upon you. If you will put yourself in his care, through trust and obedience and submission to him, he will put you in your place, so to speak. He will pour out his favor in your life.
What does his favor mean? It means blessings. The blessings of a happy home, the blessings of joy and peace and abundance. The blessing of knowing him personally.
God's favor also means that he will use your life to do great things. In Mary's case, she did the greatest thing of all -- she gave birth to the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords.
In your case, it means that God will use to touch the lives of people around you. That you will be a blessing to others, and an inspiration to others. He will put you in situations in which you will care for others, and teach others, and influence others in a way that empowers them to fulfill God's calling on their lives.
The favor of God means that he will bless you and he will use you.
Thursday, December 4, 2008
Models
I read an interesting article about the church recently that mentioned there are three kinds of churches: the Hotel, the Asylum, and the Hospital. It's an fascinating analogy! Is Christian Life Center one of these?
The Hotel model is the kind of church where people come in and don't lift a finger: all the work is done by someone else. Their stay is temporary, it does not become their home, and it usually isn't long before they check out -- leaving nothing of themselves behind, taking with them all they brought in.
The Asylum model is the kind of church where people arrive with problems and leave with their problems multiplied. It's a place where people go but never get better, and sometimes they get worse.
The Hospital model is the kind of church where hurting people can find healing. There are sick people in the hospital-church, but they're not judged for being sick -- they're just made whole again.
I hope we're more like the hospital model than the others! Our purpose, clearly, is to be a hospital the sin-sick soul. Our goal is to help people discover God and experience His power in life-changing ways; to find healing for their broken lives through the healing power of Jesus Christ!
The Hotel model is the kind of church where people come in and don't lift a finger: all the work is done by someone else. Their stay is temporary, it does not become their home, and it usually isn't long before they check out -- leaving nothing of themselves behind, taking with them all they brought in.
The Asylum model is the kind of church where people arrive with problems and leave with their problems multiplied. It's a place where people go but never get better, and sometimes they get worse.
The Hospital model is the kind of church where hurting people can find healing. There are sick people in the hospital-church, but they're not judged for being sick -- they're just made whole again.
I hope we're more like the hospital model than the others! Our purpose, clearly, is to be a hospital the sin-sick soul. Our goal is to help people discover God and experience His power in life-changing ways; to find healing for their broken lives through the healing power of Jesus Christ!
Monday, December 1, 2008
No More Masks
Our heroes usually wear masks, so we don't know who they really are. Like Spiderman and Batman and the Green Lantern and Zorro... and, of course, the original masked man: the Lone Ranger.
We benefit from their kindness -- they frequently save the world from bad guys like the Penguin and the Joker -- but we don't know who they really are. They may be our heroes, but our knowledge of them is limited; they can't be known personally!
There's a sense in which the same could have been said about God. In the Old Testament we learned about him, we saw how his people benefitted from his kindness, but we couldn't really know him personally, intimately. It was like he was behind a mask.
On Christmas Day, the mask was removed. He revealed himself to us fully and completely, so that we may known him as he really is. This is why, when Philip asked Jesus to reveal the Father, Jesus said, "Don't you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father." (John 14:9)
God's plan is not to be our hero. He wants to be more than the one we call on in times of trouble.
He wants to be our constant companion, our Father, our friend. He wants us to know him personally. This is made possible through his Son, Jesus Christ, who was sent to us two thousand years ago. This is why we celebrate his birth.
During the month of December at Christian Life Center our focus will be on Jesus! What significance does this first-century Jewish rabbi named Jesus have in our lives today? He claimed to be the Messiah; how does it affect our lives? Join us this Sunday as we begin exploring the real reason for the season!
We benefit from their kindness -- they frequently save the world from bad guys like the Penguin and the Joker -- but we don't know who they really are. They may be our heroes, but our knowledge of them is limited; they can't be known personally!
There's a sense in which the same could have been said about God. In the Old Testament we learned about him, we saw how his people benefitted from his kindness, but we couldn't really know him personally, intimately. It was like he was behind a mask.
On Christmas Day, the mask was removed. He revealed himself to us fully and completely, so that we may known him as he really is. This is why, when Philip asked Jesus to reveal the Father, Jesus said, "Don't you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father." (John 14:9)
God's plan is not to be our hero. He wants to be more than the one we call on in times of trouble.
He wants to be our constant companion, our Father, our friend. He wants us to know him personally. This is made possible through his Son, Jesus Christ, who was sent to us two thousand years ago. This is why we celebrate his birth.
During the month of December at Christian Life Center our focus will be on Jesus! What significance does this first-century Jewish rabbi named Jesus have in our lives today? He claimed to be the Messiah; how does it affect our lives? Join us this Sunday as we begin exploring the real reason for the season!
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