I was getting to do devotionals today and this thought flew in:
If you look at life as if looking through the lens of camera, you should pan out and find the blessings and not zoom in on the trouble.
Bad Leadership
One Key to bad leadership in my experience is to allow too much discussion. Sometimes a leader will need his or her directives followed.
Advent
We are going to celebrate Advent as a family this year. It is going to be fun since I have never done this before. Did I tell you how cool this church we have been attending is? Today as I picked up my one year old they told me to pick up this jar. It is a mason jar and no I don’t have to bring it back full of cash!! IT is our advent calendar. So on december first we are going to pull a scrap of paper out of our “calendar” and start the observance of advent. I’ll try and keep you posted!
By they way…. Wise men still seek Him!
Cross theology
We have been attending Hope Community Church lately, I really love it. One great thing about it is that our kids love going there too, and that always helps. Anyway, yesterday we sang “The Old Rugged Cross”. I really don’t like that song, in fact I don’t really like any song that emphasizes or praises the cross. I mean we would never sing “I will cherish the old rugged electric chair..” God became a man and allowed other men to torture and kill him. I cry when we lose sight of the cross as an instrument of death, I feel that it is to our detriment to make the cross into something nice or bland. Praising an electric chair seems ridiculous, but in fact it is a more humane way of execution than crucification.
I will always praise the saviour, not the cross. May I quote Hebrews chapter 12?
12:1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.
Christ endured the cross and despised the shame…. IMHO we should be careful in what respect or consideration we give the cross.
The prayer of Peter
Every day I pray this:
1Pe 3:7 ESV Likewise, husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way, showing honor to the woman as the weaker vessel, since they are heirs with you of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered.
It works good for me, if you have a wife you should try it. It just takes a minute to say and it is easier than reading those books about Mars and Venus….
Evangelism is not sales
Just finished reading this
Mark Dever’s “The Gospel and Personal Evangelism”
I loved it!
The main thing I learned is that I have often thought of evangelism as trying to sell people on the good news. But I have learned that the gospel is just the truth and it is God’s gospel and good news! I just need to be able to communicate that there is the gospel and encourage folks to respond. I do have a desire to let my friends know that I am praying for them (Friends don’t let friends go to hell) and from the previous post try to treat them as if they are already converted.
I am sure that I will say more about the book, but for now I am jazzed and ploughed through it in a two days… So I will definately reread and glean some more.
But it is liberating to NOT be in sales in this area. I’ve been there and done that at least with computer sales…..
Wisdom from JayWeb
I have a co-worker who I feel to be a good friend. Sometimes we rant to each other about what is wrong with the world. The other day I was moaning about how this “dude” gets on my nerves and he comes back with:
“Treat people as if they are the way you want them to be.”
How cool is that?
Jott
I routinely troll Michael Hyatt’s blog and he recommended jott.com. I am really thinking this is cool. My friend Top is scared to get hooked on it, because he thinks it can’t be free forever.
I say, try it out.
Fruits of the Spirit
Hey, I was talking to a pastor, friend of mine, yesterday and he was telling about how the devil wants to steal, kill, and destroy and, you know, he made a good comment on what does he want to steal and then he thought he felt like he had found out that he wants to steal the fruit, the fruit of the spirit, Galatians 5:22-23. and he commented that, you know, in Christ we already have the fruit of the sprit and that’s what he wants to steal, he wants to steal that.
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Hey, just thinking today, I read an article about influence versus control, and I think I need to be more of influence rather than being able to control things, so after today I want to focus on influencing rather than trying to control.
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