20
Sep '17
Get Plugged In
20
Sep '17
September 20, 2017
If you’ve got a purpose, you’ve got to get plugged in.
If you’ve got a pulse, you’ve got a purpose … and … if you’ve got a purpose, you’ve got to get plugged in. God gave you talent and ability and personality. But you can’t sit on the sidelines. He wants you to join together with other people and make things happen. And the Church is God’s system to pull all of that together.
Four things the Bible tells us about the Church … four fast facts …
1. We are the Body of Christ. What Jesus did when He was here on earth – walking around and doing all those things – He wants us to do today. We are Christ’s hands. We are His feet, ears, eyes. We are His heart to the world today. The church is the Body of Christ.
2. You’ve got to be connected. The Bible says, “In Christ’s body, we’re all connected to each other.” You’ve got to get connected. Notice, not just to God, but to each other. What good is a hand that’s not connected to the body? If I cut my hand off and leave it lying over there in the corner, what good is that? It’s dead! If I pluck out my eyeball and leave it in a jar on the shelf, what good is that? It’s not serving its purpose! In the same way, you’ve got to be connected to the rest of the Body to serve your purpose.
3. Everyone’s important. You say, “I’m just a tiny, little toenail in the body of Christ.” Have you ever lost a toenail? Holy Cow! I had an operation on my toenail once. It was just a tiny part, but I noticed it for a year! The Bible says everyone’s important. Everyone’s needed. Everyone’s essential. We all have our own part to play.
4. Today’s the day. Today’s the day to get connected. Today’s the day to get plugged in. In a few minutes, I’m going to ask you to visit our Ministry Fair. I want every one of you to find at least one way to plug into ministry. Join a Bible Study, sign up your kids, volunteer to help out. Maybe you’re a carpenter, or electrician, or landscaper. We need you. If you’re a young person, sign up for Discovery Hour, Injoy, Impact, Fuel, Flame! Get plugged in. Maybe you can sing, or teach, or play an instrument. We need you. Get plugged in. You’ve got a purpose.
Today’s the day you become a “belonger.” Sometimes people say, “I’m a believer.” Really we ought to say, “I’m a belonger.” That’s what it means to be a part of the Body of Christ. You don’t just believe in Jesus. You belong to Jesus. Not only do you belong to Jesus, you belong to everybody else who belongs to Jesus. We belong to each other and we need each other.
If you’ve got a pulse, you’ve got a purpose. If you’ve got a purpose, you got to get plugged in.
07
Sep '17
Doubt Your Doubts
07
Sep '17
September 7, 2017
Do you remember Doubting Thomas? After the Resurrected Jesus appeared to the disciples on the night of the first Easter, what happened? Every single one of Thomas’ friends said, “We’ve seen the Lord! He’s alive!” There’s this whole big group of people – reliable people, known quantities, they’ve been Thomas’ closest friends for years – and they’re all saying the exact same thing, word for word, detail by detail. They’re all saying, “Thomas, He’s alive!” And Thomas is saying, “Come on!” I say: Thomas, why not doubt your doubt and believe your friends?
We do the same thing. Plenty of people will tell you they’ve experienced God in their lives; plenty of people will tell you God has answered their prayers; plenty of people will tell you God has changed their life. And we say, “Come on …”
I say to you: Come on! At least be intellectually honest! For example, maybe you doubt the existence of God. At least use common sense!
Think of it this way: Imagine looking at Mount Rushmore, upon which the faces of Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln, and Roosevelt are carved. Could you ever believe that came about by chance? Given infinite time, wind, and rain, it is still impossible to believe something like that randomly formed itself in the side of a mountain. Common sense tells us that someone planned it and carefully carved it.
And you look at this magnificent universe – this tremendously complex universe – common sense tells us that Someone planned it and put thought into it. The renowned scientist Sir Frederick Hoyle writes about the absurdity of believing that all of this – this amazing world – just came together by chance. He writes: “What are the chances that a tornado might blow through a junkyard containing all the parts of a 747, accidentally assemble them into a plane, and leave it ready for take-off?”
Common sense tells us: If there is a 747 sitting on the tarmac, ready for take-off, somebody has to have built that 747. And common sense tells us: If this complex universe exists, there has to be a Creator. When you consider all the beauty, and the complexity, and intricate order of the universe, it would take greater faith to believe in “random chance” than to believe in God!
Thomas would tell you: Doubt your doubts and believe your beliefs.
What finally convinced Thomas? Not the testimony of all of his friends. Not intellect. Not common sense. Christ. The Risen, Living Christ stood before him and said, “Go ahead, Thomas. Feel the hole from the nail. Check out the gash in My side. Reach out your hand to Me and touch Me.”
If you’re having doubts, reach for Christ.
See, here’s what happens. We go through a dry spell, we start to have doubts, so we stop praying. We’re inconsistent with church. We don’t go for a few weeks and now God really seems far away and unreal.
My friend, if you’re having doubts, you’ve got to push deeper. Don’t give up. Push. Pray. Reach. Seek. The Bible says, “Seek the Lord with all your heart, and you will find Him.” (Deuteronomy 4:29)
Doubt your doubts and reach for Christ. Doubt your doubts and reach for the Risen Christ. If you do that, one day… oh, man, one day you’ll have a rock-solid faith.
24
Aug '17
Do You Believe I Can Do This?
24
Aug '17
August 24, 2017
The Bible says: “What is faith? It is the confident assurance that what we hope for is going to happen. It is the evidence of things we cannot yet see.”
Some blind men came to Jesus one day to ask for healing, and He asked them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” And long before they saw the results, they said: “Yes, Lord, we believe.”
I would ask the same question of you. If you take whatever massive challenge that you’re facing – a relational challenge, a physical challenge, a financial challenge – do you believe that God is able to hear your prayer and answer on your behalf? Do you believe all things are possible with God? Do believe He can do anything?
Now the churchy answer, if you’ve been in the church world, is: “Oh, yeah, yeah. Praise the Lord. Hallelujah.” Because that’s what we’ve been trained to say. But so often our actions and our words betray us. Our actions and our words show the truth of what we really believe … We’ll say things like, “Oh, all we can do now is pray.” And God looks up in heaven and says, “Well, you’re in trouble now. You’re down to Me. That’s really bad.”
Think about it. Ask yourself: In the last seven days, what were you praying about faithfully, every single day? Some of us, not much, right? Let’s be honest – not much. What you pray about reflects what you believe about God. Think about it. What you pray for reflects what you believe about God.
If you don’t pray much, that shows that you really don’t believe God is active. You don’t believe God is involved. If you pray for some really big things, that indicates that you believe in a big and powerful God. I would say it this way: The size of your request reveals the strength of your faith. I’m going to say that again, because I don’t want that idea to get away from you. The size of your request shows the strength of your faith.
What kind of faith stirs the heart of God and moves the hand of God? A faith that believes when it doesn’t see … and persists when nothing changes. Long ago, Jesus reached out and touched the eyes of the blind men.
Would you pray with me now?
Lord, there are some things I wrestle with in my life. I have this problem, this challenge, something in my life that I don’t know how to solve on my own. So today I’m calling out to You. Right now, like those two blind men, I’m calling out to You. And, Lord Jesus, You’re saying to me right now, loud and clear, do you believe I can do it?” I want to tell You, Lord, I believe. I believe You can do anything. I believe nothing is impossible to You. Lord, help me have a faith that believes when it doesn’t see … and persists even when nothing changes.
Lord Jesus, long ago You touched the eyes of the blind men. Today … touch me. Amen.
16
Aug '17
Do You Want to Get Better?
16
Aug '17
August 16, 2017
In John 5, Jesus asked an odd question to a guy who had been sick for 38 years. He said, “Do you want to get better?” Kind of odd question.
Here’s the story: Some time later, Jesus went up to Jerusalem for one of the Jewish festivals. Now there is in Jerusalem near the Sheep Gate a pool, which in Aramaic is called Bethesda, and which is surrounded by five covered colonnades.
But this isn’t a regular pool. Verse 3 says: Here a great number of disabled people used to lie – the blind, the lame, the paralyzed.
There was a legend that an angel would sometimes fly over the pool and stir up the water, and whenever the water stirred, they believed that the first person to jump in would be healed. (Really it was just some underground springs that would bubble up every so often, but the legend of an angel flapping its wings was way cooler.) And so people might wait days, or weeks, and then as soon as the water bubbles up it’s a free-for-all to see who can jump in the pool first.
Verse 5: One who was there had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, He asked him, “Do you want to get well?” Seems like kind of a funny question, don’t you think? It’s like asking a broke guy, “Do you want a hundred bucks?” It’s like asking a hungry guy,
“Do you want an all-you-can-eat buffet?” The answer’s obvious!! He says, “Do you want to get well?”
“Sir,” the invalid replied, “I have no one to help me into the pool when the water is stirred. While I am trying to get in, someone else goes down ahead of me.” Then Jesus said to him, “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.” At once the man was cured; he picked up his mat and walked.
A moment in the presence of Jesus changes everything for that man.
For 38 years, this man was flat on his back. So today I want to talk to you about problems that persist. Long-term problems that don’t seem to go away … that just don’t seem to get better. For some of you, it’s an ongoing medical issue. For some of you, it’s an ongoing problem with overspending, or overeating, or overcommitting. For some of you, it’s an ongoing challenge in a relationship – you just can’t seem to get along with your mom, or it’s your marriage, you just can’t seem to get on the same page. I want you to listen to this message through the lens of whatever ongoing issue you’ve been experiencing.
And let’s be honest. There are at least three significant challenges when you’re dealing with a problem that persists. The first one if this:
The longer a problem persists, the more discouraged you become.
Right? Some of you, you’ve got this issue in your life – it just won’t go away. You tried a few things that you thought might help, and nothing worked. And so you just feel discouraged. Maybe you tried to work on your marriage. You read some books about marriage, you were extra nice, you even went to a marriage seminar together, and your marriage is still bad news. And years later, you’re like, I don’t think anything is going to help. Maybe you have some physical problem. You tried one doctor; that didn’t work. You tried another doctor; nothing got better. You’re discouraged to the point of, Maybe this is just the way God wants me to live.
On top of that, the second thing is:
The longer a problem persists, the more excuses you tend to make.
You start to make excuses because, ultimately, it’s going to make you feel better if you put the blame somewhere else. And that’s what this guy does. He says, “Lord, I got no one to help me into the water. How am I going to be the first one in the pool? They all go running by me and I’m left sitting here.” Now I don’t want to be hard on this guy, but let’s be honest. He couldn’t figure out some kind of plan over 38 years?
But this guy gets to the place that we often get: “No one will help me out. I can’t do anything about this. …. Look, I’ve been to the doctors and I’ve tried. …. Look, I can’t ever get a good job because I don’t have a college degree. … Look, I went to counseling once and it didn’t work. I even tried church, for two weeks straight, and nothing happened.”
Let’s be honest. The longer a problem persists, the more discouraged you become, the more excuses you make, and the third thing is:
The longer a problem persists, the more you learn to compensate.
In fact, if I can be blunt, some of you are excelling at compensating for an issue in your life. Some of you are highly functioning alcoholics, right?
You are. Sure, it puts stress on your marriage. Sure, it’s a challenge for the children. But, you’re holding down a job. Professionally, you’re holding it together and getting it done.
Some of you, in your marriage, you’ve just learned to exist in a dead marriage. You don’t like it, but you accept it – just kind of the way it is. It’s more of a business relationship: We’re just together for the sake of the kids. Can’t afford to lose the house.
Some of you, you’ve learned to compensate for overspending. People look at your lifestyle and say, Hey, man, you got it going on! They have no idea you’re living from paycheck to paycheck. They have no idea you’re really just transferring balances from one card to another, taking out more credit just to pay the monthly minimum.
You cannot change until you recognize the problem. You will never, ever change when you’re willing to tolerate an issue. You cannot change what you’re willing to tolerate. That’s why Jesus asked this guy, “Do you want to get well?” Because Jesus knew something. Jesus knew you can’t help someone who needs help. You can only help someone who wants help!
Here’s the bottom line: Until your desire becomes bigger than your disability, you will never start to find healing. “Do you want to be made well? Do you want to change? Do you?” Jesus is saying to some of you, loud and clear: “I can help you, but you’ve got to want it, too.”
Go back to the Bible. Read between the lines: Jesus said, “Do you want to get well?” Do you? “Sir,” the invalid replied, “I have no one to help me into the pool when the water is stirred. While I am trying to get in, someone else goes down ahead of me.” The guy immediately starts in on the excuses. Then Jesus said to him, “Get up! No more excuses. No more compensating. No more blaming others for your situation. Pick up your mat and walk.”
In other words, do what you can do – but, this time, do it with Me. You tried before; this time try with Me. I have a power you don’t have. Call it a Higher Power. Call it a supernatural power. It’s an Almighty Power.
Now think about your life. Think about that problem that persists. What step would you need to take right now to begin changing things? No more excuses. No more blaming others. Maybe you tried before. This time try it with God.
03
Aug '17
Jesus is Calling.
03
Aug '17
August 3, 2017
How many of you have a cell phone? My wife has a smart phone – ‘cause she’s a smarty-pants. So when someone calls, the name of the caller appears on the screen. So then, you have two options: Accept or Decline. If you don’t want to talk to the person right then, if you want to let it go to voice mail, if you want to deal with it later, you hit Decline.
Now imagine if you got a call and the name “God” showed up. Are you going to take that call? You have two choices: Accept or Decline.
Some people say, “Well, my life is pretty busy right now, He’s going to have to leave a message. Decline.” Some people say, “I don’t want to deal with it. Decline.” Some people say, “Sunday’s my ‘Me Time.’ God will want me to go to church and that’s not my thing. So: Decline.”
You know what? If I call a person six times and they don’t take my call, I’m getting the hint they don’t want to talk to me. Do you know that you can almost reach a point of no return in life? You can reach a point where you have rejected the call of God so many times, and said no to Jesus so many times, that your heart is irreparably hardened. If I say no to God – Decline, Decline, Decline – finally I reach a place where my heart is so hard, it’s like stone. Don’t let that happen to you.
Maybe God is calling you right now. Jesus called out to Lazarus. He is calling out to you.
You can Accept or Decline. You can say yes or you can say no. Jesus said you’re either for Me or against Me. There are really no other options. Which side are you on today?
Just pray: “Lord Jesus, I choose to follow You from this moment forward. Thank You for loving me and calling me. I accept Your call. Amen.”
21
Jul '17
I Am Valuable
21
Jul '17
July 21, 2017
It’s amazing the number of people who have no sense of their own value. I’m sure there are people here today – when you look in the mirror you don’t see someone you’re proud of. And once again, it’s tied to your past. But I am here to tell you that you are more valuable that you can begin to imagine!
Here’s the deal. Just common sense. Can we all agree that the value of something is determined by the price that someone is willing to pay for it? Maybe you say, “Well, I wouldn’t pay that much for that.” Because you don’t see the value; somebody else does. The value of something is determined by the price that someone is willing to pay.
For example, Tom Brady signed a contract extension with the Patriots last year. Now, don’t feel too bad for our boy Tom! Tom got a $60 million contract with a $28 million signing bonus. Some of you are thinking, “Well, all the money in the world can’t buy happiness.” But I’d like to give it a shot! Wouldn’t you?
Now let me ask you a question: Do the New England Patriots think Tom Brady is valuable? Yes or no? Yes! You don’t invest millions of dollars in someone unless you see that person has value. Do they care if he gets injured? Yes or no? Do they care about his well-being, on and off the field? Yes or no? Folks, they care about everything going on in his life, because they have invested so much in him.
Now consider the price that has been paid for you. You are so valuable that God gave His Son, Jesus, for you. That is the price God was willing to pay for you. Jesus’ body was broken and His blood was poured out, for you, sir; for you, miss. You are more valuable that you can imagine because of the price God was willing to pay for you.
The reason we don’t feel like we’re valuable is because we have our eyes focused on the mess we’ve made. Again: If we don’t let our past die, it won’t let us live. We say, “That’s what I did. I really made a mess of that.” My friend, take your eyes of the mess and take a look at the price He paid. Because the price He paid is greater than the mess we made. Let these words grab hold of your heart: The price Jesus paid is so much greater than the mess you made.
So … Take your eyes off the mess and put them on the Messiah. Because Jesus Christ is bigger than our mess! Our identity needs to be found in Christ and not our mess – because that mess may be what we did, but that’s not who we are.
14
Jul '17
Crazy Love
14
Jul '17
Enjoying Jesus is more about His love for you, than your love for Him. Don’t let that thought get away.
In this story, Lazarus is hours from death. He is on the doorstep of death. And so Mary and Martha decide to write Jesus a note. It has to be a persuasive – their brother’s life depends on it. They need to get Jesus to drop whatever He’s doing and come and save their little brother’s life. How are they going to appeal to Jesus? What are they going to write? Do they say: “Lord, this is Lazarus we’re talking about. You know Lazarus! He loves you. He serves you.”
No, that’s not what they wrote! They wrote: “Lord, the one You love is sick.” That was the realization that welled up deep within their hearts. In the heat of the moment, Mary and Martha conclude that what would really move Jesus to action is not reminding Jesus of Lazarus’ love for Him, but reminding Jesus of His love for Lazarus. Isn’t that amazing?
How much of my spiritual life have I made it all about my performance, and my prayers, and my deeds, and my goodness, and my love? How much of my life have I made it all about me? Yet Mary and Martha, here in the heat of the moment, when the stakes are higher than you could ever imagine, and their little brother’s life hangs in the balance, what seems to surface in their heart is … Jesus’ love for Lazarus.
Could it be that this Book is actually not as much about your love for God as it is God’s love for you? Could it be that the whole of Christianity is actually far more about God’s love for you than your love for Him?
But there is more to wrap your mind around … Please understand the extent of this love. Go to John 3:16. It’s a very popular verse. It’s not actually written by Tim Tebow. But it’s still a fantastic verse. It says, “For God so loved the world…”
Here’s the point:
God doesn’t just love you – He so loves you.
Have you ever seen a parent who has a bad case of the so loves? You see them at their little kid’s soccer game. They’re maniacs! They’re running up and down the sidelines. They’re wearing all the team colors. “Johnny, score!” Johnny’s 3-years-old. He’s just standing there, staring. And dad is like, “Johnny! Keep your eye on the ball!” Johnny doesn’t see the ball. He’s watching the birds.
I swore I would never be that dad. I’d be cool. I’d be calm. I’d be objective. Then … I had kids. Once I had a kid of my own, I was that man. Don’t judge me. It happened to you, too. It’s your baby! It looks like you! “That’s my kid; that’s my boy!” I don’t know. You have a kid, you just loose your mind.
It’s so love. And it doesn’t even begin to describe God’s love for His kids. God doesn’t feel love. God doesn’t do love. God is love. He is the personification of love.
If anyone ever had a bad case of “I just can’t help myself, I love you,” it would be God. It’s who he is. And God always acts in consistency with the content of His character. Therefore, He cannot stop loving you no matter what you do, no matter where you go, and no matter whether you ever reciprocate His love. He will always be for you. He will always lean your way. “I just can’t help myself, I love you.” This is God’s amazing, unconditional love.
It’s crazy love. When I read John 3:16, to be honest, I kind of want to sit God down and say, “God, I don’t know how to break this to you, I don’t know how to put this nicely, but You’re going to get hurt. These people – they’ve got issues. You’re opening up and becoming vulnerable to the wrong people.”
And one verse in the Bible even says, “While we sleep He watches us.” That’s the next level! Like, when I read John 3:16, I think, “God, we need to talk. You have to stop loving some of these people. Many of them are never going to reciprocate. The extraordinary emotion, and love, and sacrifice You have for them – You’re going to get hurt. You’re going to be disappointed. This is not good … And You’re watching over them when they sleep? God, You shouldn’t say things like that. It’s … over-the-top.”
You are so loved. It’s crazy love. It’s over-the-top love. It’s “I just can’t help myself, I love you” love. All you have to do is lean into, rest in, and relax in God’s permanent, extravagant, over-the-top love towards you. Just enjoy it! This is the Good News. This is the Gospel. This is available to each and every one of us.
27
Jun '17
Church is Family
27
Jun '17
June 27, 2017
My one thing is family. This is how Merriam Webster defines family: “A basic social unit consisting of parents and their children.”
I am the youngest of five children and believe me, I don’t miss an opportunity to let my brothers and sister forget I am the youngest. After all, isn’t that one of the perks of being the youngest. Our mother passed away when I was 10 and we were suddenly moved to Massachusetts to live with a father and step family which we really did not know. My reason for telling you this is not for sympathy but to show you that not all families have parents to keep them glued together.
I am the youngest of five children and believe me, I don’t miss an opportunity to let my brothers and sister forget I am the youngest. After all, isn’t that one of the perks of being the youngest. Our mother passed away when I was 10 and we were suddenly moved to Massachusetts to live with a father and step family which we really did not know. My reason for telling you this is not for sympathy but to show you that not all families have parents to keep them glued together.
In 2 Corinthians 6:18, Paul tells us that God said, “I will be a Father to you and you will be My sons and daughters.” God has fulfilled this promise in my life by surrounding me with this family that has always rallied together in the good times and bad times. Each person in a family has specific role whether they realize it or not.
In Matthew 12:46-50, Jesus is told that His mother and brothers stood outside wanting to speak to Him and His response was, “Who is My mother and who are My brothers?” Pointing to His disciples, He said, “Here are My mother and My brothers. For whoever does the will of My Father in Heaven is My brother and sister and mother.”
When I was searching for a church seven years ago my friend asked me to attend her brother’s church with her one Sunday.
Little did I know that Sunday would change my life in many amazing ways. God answered my prayer of asking for a church that feels like home. Christ Lutheran Church has become that home to me and you have become my family.
Little did I know that Sunday would change my life in many amazing ways. God answered my prayer of asking for a church that feels like home. Christ Lutheran Church has become that home to me and you have become my family.
In class 301, Discover Spiritual Maturity, I bonded with a woman I call my Soul Sister who unknowingly pushed me out of my comfort zone into a Bible Study I never have imagined being a part of in my wildest dreams. I have now led that study for several years.
From that one class, my family has grown immensely. I gained a passion to study God’s word from our Wednesday night Bible study and I was taught to stop and listen with my heart. That is where God speaks to us.
As I mentioned earlier, I am known as the hugging greeter. Well, when I first started greeting, I met a man named Bob one Sunday and something just told me to hug this man. On that Sunday he told me, “I am not a hugger.”
Needless to say, Bob came around and started looking for me for hugs. If I wasn’t at church he would check to make sure I was ok. But what Bob didn’t know was that as our friendship grew, he taught me to trust a Father who we can’t see, and never leaves our side.
That faith is not just a word, it is a feeling and a knowing that no matter what is in store for us, God gave His only true Son to save us from ourselves.
He taught me that family is much more than our biological family. Bob said to me on a few occasions when we would visit God wants a relationship with each of his children and is patient and kind. Bob also helped me to comprehend that no matter what happens to us here on earth our Father has made a home for us and waiting for us to join him. But while we are here we need to share his love with others and continue to grow our family.
I have watched my church family gather together in the spirit of the Lord in times of sorrow and comfort each other and hold each other up to God for Peace and strength. My church family has taught me what true faith is and how to pursue my dreams and know God is lighting the path or our journey.
Ephesians 4:14-16
“Then we will no longer be infants tossed back and forth by waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. Instead speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into Him who is the Head, that is Christ. From Him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grow and builds itself up in love as each part does its work.”
We must remember well all have a specific role in this family whether we realize it or not.
Ephesians 4:25 “… we are all members of one body.”
So, if you haven’t already, find a church home, and see the people there as your brothers and sisters and know that God has put each of us here to be as one family to share our sorrows, celebrate our joys and successes together and thank Him for being a good and forgiving Father.
15
Jun '17
Surrender Self
15
Jun '17
June 15, 2017
Jesus said: “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross daily, and follow me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it.” (Luke 9:23-24)
Take up your cross…think about that for a second. A cross, even before Jesus was crucified was an object of execution, of torture. A person condemned to die, a criminal, would be forced to carry it through the city to their place of execution, and then they were nailed to it. So, what did Jesus mean by taking up your cross? It means being willing to surrender everything…our freedom, our reputation, our sense of security, our very lives…for him.
Here in our church, we have a great group of young people, and recently, they put surrendering ourselves to practice by participating in the 30 Hour Famine. We went without food, yes, that means the students and the leaders, for 30 hours to answer God’s calling to help those in need-those that are less fortunate than we are.
We spent Friday and Saturday doing activities and playing games that helped us to see what it would be like to be in the shoes of someone who is hungry and doesn’t know where their next meal is coming from, and we also made time for bible study and worship as well.
Now in surrendering just 30 hours without food, just a small speck of time in the grand scheme of things, we all began to understand what it really means to surrender ourselves to God, and to take up our cross and follow what God is calling us to do.
Now in surrendering just 30 hours without food, just a small speck of time in the grand scheme of things, we all began to understand what it really means to surrender ourselves to God, and to take up our cross and follow what God is calling us to do.
God wants us to make ourselves a living and holy sacrifice, to surrender our lives to Him so that He can give us a new life in Him. Think about it and pray about it…what is God calling you to surrender to him? Is it your stuff? Your status? Your sin? Or is that He’s looking for you to surrender yourself…to take up your cross and follow him? So if I could tell you one thing…it would be that we need to surrender to God. To put others before ourselves, and Christ above all.
07
Jun '17
The Compliment Club
07
Jun '17
June 7, 2017
Dr. George W. Crane was a professor at Northwestern University in Chicago. One day one of his students, a young woman named Lois, came in and confided that she was having a tough time. “I don’t know anybody here, nobody talks to me, and I’m thinking of dropping out.”
Dr. Crane’s mind began racing. The next week in class, he made an announcement. “I’m starting a new club. I call it … ‘The Compliment Club.’
To be a member of the Compliment Club, you have to give an honest compliment to 3 different people each day for 30 days. Then, at the end of the 30 days, you will write a paper on what you discovered. You cannot get an A in my class unless you join my club and complete this assignment.
Before long, under the influence of the Compliment Club, Lois was no longer lonely. She blossomed into a person who just lit up the room when she walked in.
People are hungry for appreciation. People are hungry for compliments. People are hungry for kindness.
Somebody has to get the ball rolling by speaking first and saying a nice thing to someone. You be that person! Say something complimentary and encouraging to someone you meet everyday. Join the Compliment Club!
Be generous with your compliments. Be generous with your encouragement. Be generous when it comes to giving away kindness. As a bonus it will all boomerang back to you. The Bible says, “A generous man will prosper; he who refreshes others will refresh himself.” Every generous word and kind thought is going to come back to you and refresh you just when you need it the most.