Thursday, September 29, 2011

Transferring of Wisdom

      This week I had the privilege of listening to a man speak from the overflow of his heart. 
Over the course of an hour his heart spilled wisdom, knowledge and understanding.  It's worth sharing.  
 
                                           Honor the One Who is Above You.

When you honor what God honors, he will bless that.  God will honor you because you are honoring the chain of command that he has. Support your superior, because one day you'll be there.   

                                                   Walk with Integrity.

 Integrity is something that takes a lifetime to earn, but only a moment to destroy. Walk with integrity because it will bless the church body and you as well.  It's the best thing you'll ever do.
Close the gap between your private life and your public life.  What people see is what they should get.  No secrets behind closed doors.  Always do the right thing even when no one is watching.

                                        A Few Rules for a Happy Marriage.

1.       Never yell at each other unless the house is on fire.
 - She is not my wife first, she is Gods daughter first treat her as such.
2.       At least once a day say something nice about the other.  Everyone likes a           compliment.
3.       Never bring up mistakes of the past.  Why?  Does Jesus ever bring up your mistakes? 

                                   Just a few words, but they leave a lasting imprint.

Resourcing the Kingdom


One of the fascinating attributes of God is the strategy that he developed for the funding of His entire Kingdom.  A strategy not built on demands, but upon the response of each individual heart. 

It is no secret.  Money is the means by which things move.  Even the Kingdom of God needs the flow of money.  So as the King, God encouraged his people to look into their hearts and asked them to be a people who would give without hesitation; to be cheerful and excited that their giving of tithes and offerings are a vital part in the funding of his Kingdom. 

For every church, having the vision of what to aim for should be the motivating factor for that church.  Realistically, the vision needs to be funded.  However, I believe that raising the funds is to be secondary to keeping the vision moving.  God is in the business of transforming hearts.  Therefore, we can trust that he will come through in the time of need not only miraculously, but in the giving hearts of his people.

            The feeling when you give from the heart with no desire to gain anything as a result is one of the most rewarding feelings.  This is true for all types of giving; not just money, but also the giving of your time, your attention, your respect, etc.  I agree wholeheartedly with pastor and author Robert Morris who writes,

“true giving isn’t about money; it’s about an attitude of the heart that permeates everything we do.”

It’s an internal heart check.  Give it a try.

Sunday, September 18, 2011

Embracing a Position of Influence

Have you ever experienced a feeling of overwhelming discontent about an injustice in which the solution seems impossible to attain?   What did you do about it?  Did it motivate you to the point of taking action to ensure its resolve?

Richard Curtis, an accomplished movie producer and screenwriter has taken the opportunity to utilize his gifts and abilities as a film creator to capture a rare look into a world that for so many never knew existed.  For Richard, the devastating plague of poverty that continues to grow throughout the world is the overwhelming discontent that has driven him to use his position of influence in a way that will attempt to establish change.   

In an interview led by Bill Hybels, Richard expressed this feeling of absolute discontent when he visited the nation of Ethiopia for the first time.  He said “after seeing that, it is hard not to change your life.”  And so he did.  From that point on, Richard was determined to make movies that would help to rectify the injustice; movies that would communicate poverty as the reality that it is.   

Reflecting on this interview I’m struck by Richard’s passion to make a difference.  He was quoted as saying, “I’ll ruthlessly do what I do to rectify this injustice.”  What would happen if we all had the same attitude towards making a significant change in this world?

 As a pastor, I recognize the influence that I have is a responsibility given to me by God.  I’m not to take this responsibility for granted, but to use it in a way that will reflect the desires of His heart. There is a sense I have of feeling extremely accountable for this position.  However, I view it as a honor and a privilege.

 This a clip of Richards work.  He took advantage of his cameras ability to capture reality.