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I got to thinking the other day about themes that really describe my life. Last year I would have to say “Stuck in Anticipation” was my theme, but this year I am praying it will be “I’m Lovin’ It.” Sure … Continue reading
In 1994 “Dear Abby” published a column about a poignant story that is sure to make you think. “A young man from a wealthy family was about to graduate from high school. It was a custom in their affluent community for parents to give their graduating children a new car, and the boy and his dad had spent weeks visiting one dealership after another. The week before graduation they found the perfect car. The boy was certain it would be in the driveway on graduation night.
On the eve of his graduation, however, his father handed him a small package wrapped in colorful paper. It was a Bible! The boy was so angry he threw the Bible down and stormed out of the house. He and his father never saw each other again.
Several years later the news of the father’s death finally brought the son home again. Following the funeral, he sat alone one evening, going through his father’s possessions that he was to inherit when he came across the Bible his dad had given him. Overwhelmed by grief, he brushed away the dust and cracked it open for the first time. When he did, a cashier’s check dated the day of his high school graduation fell into his lap – in the exact amount of the car they had chosen together. Rebuked by surprise!”
This young man allowed his selfishness to completely ruin a beautiful relationship. What are you holding on to today that could possibly destroy the thing you love the most? Life is to short to allow something as insignificant as our petty desires to completely manipulate and control our lives. Recognize the destructiveness of your desires before you find yourself trying to put the pieces back together from your brokenness.
Prov. 13:10 “By selfishness comes nothing but strife, but with those who take advise is wisdom”
So listen to my advice. Get rid of whatever it is in your life that fuels your greed, restore any broken relationships that might have resulted from your selfishness, and seek forgiveness of your destructive ways.
1 Cor. 13:5;7 “Love is not selfish or resentful; … Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.”
Let love be the guiding factor in your life. Selfish desire leads to destruction where as love leads to prosperity.
What Comes to mind when you see this picture?
Fountains are everywhere. You probably see all kinds of fountains all the time-water fountains, garden fountains, park fountains, and so on. They’ve been around for thousands of years, and for thousands of years, they’ve been captivating audiences everywhere. People stop, look, stare, and often touch the water. Fountains are almost mystical. They’re sometimes slightly hypnotizing. You stop and get lost, even if only for a few minutes, staring at the water. God’s love is like a fountain. As it flows through us, it spills over into all areas of our lives and into the lives of those around us. This week we will begin a new series about God’s overflowing love called Outflow, and we will be using the Scripture passage Acts 1:6-11 to be our guide. I want us to first take a closer look at verse 8.
Acts 1:8 “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (NKJV)
I want to challenge you to look at 5 different aspects of God’s overflowing love.
Each week we will look deeper into each of these aspects, but for now I want us to consider a four tier/basin fountain.
Each level represents a new factor in reaching out to others, and as each level becomes full it overflows into the next Here is how it is broken down:
The amazing thing about God’s love is that it does not stop with us. Once it fills up the first level of the fountain-where we receive God’s love-it naturally overflows from us into others. Jesus said that the most important commandment is to love him and the very next was to love one another. Wont you join me in this journey to allow God’s love to overflow through us? Get Into the Flow.
I figured since this is the first of the New Year I am going to hit my students with one of the most important questions known to man. What is the Meaning of Life?
“I (Jesus) have come that they (you and I) may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” – John 10:10b
First we need to determine what the two words truly mean.
The first word is to live, Greek word zaõ (dzah’-o) which means to exist in entirety.
The second word is abundantly, Greek word perissos’ (per-is-sos’) which means exceedingly, very highly, beyond measure.
So our purpose or meaning should be to entirely exist beyond measure. Our lives should consist of things that cannot be measured by human standards. We should be consumed with things above our comprehension.
Listed below are six things that I believe we should live abundantly for. There are plenty of others, however I want to focus on these six.
6 things to live abundantly for:
This is merely an exegete view, however if you wanted a simplistic exigent view I believe the meaning of life is to know God and to love Him, and the purpose of life is to experience God and His abundant blessings for all of eternity. Only then will you find absolute fulfillment.
It is amazing how quickly your attitude can change with just a little Christmas Spirit. My family got some really bad financial news yesterday, and I must admit my initial reaction was “what do we do, what do we do, what do we do!!” I began to panic, and my heart just sank. Then a light bulb turned on, and God comforted me by reminding me that He will provide. I stopped, and told myself…”Man, God has provided for you every step of the way, why in the world are you getting all frantic and allowing doubt to set in.” I was like Peter walking on water, doing God’s ministry, focusing on Him, and then I took my eyes away just for a second to look at the storm (finances) around me, and I began to sink. I actually feel kind of ashamed, but fortunately I serve a merciful God.
I was feeling pretty discouraged about our financial situation, and my lack of faith as I headed off to church yesterday. I wasn’t sure what God had in store for us, and I really wasn’t sure how I was going to get through the night. This was the night we were going Christmas caroling at one of our local nursing homes, and I had absolutely no desire to celebrate anything. Christmas was just a week away, and I wasn’t even going to be able to put presents under our tree. God never ceases to amaze me. Every emotion, every thought, and every gene of Mr. Grinch left my heart. I was blessed upon amazement. No, God didn’t do some miracle and provide a million dollars, what He did was worth so much more. He provided friends and a loving Church family to comfort me in my turmoil. My youth group, not knowing my situation just poured out their love, appreciation, and support for me. We headed off to the nursing home, and we had a wonderful night. We sang Christmas carols, rejoiced in the Lord, and uplifted the hearts of the elderly. The Christmas Spirit has just overwhelmed me with joy in such a hard time.
Maybe you are in a really tough situation right now, and you don’t think you are going to be able to provide any presents for your children; I want you to know I have felt that same burden. I may have nothing to give to my child as far as materialism, but I have something to give that is worth way much more and that is LOVE and QUALITY TIME. If you can’t go all out for Christmas don’t let it get you down. Just love on your kids, show them some affection, spend time with them, play games, do crafts, sing together, and go do something for someone else in need. You will be amazed at how the Christmas Spirit will fill your family with joy and laughter. That is the best present we can give our children. Let us be thankful that even though we have nothing, we have everything in Jesus Christ. Luke 2:1-20
Thomas Nelson Hardcover Retail: $19.99
I just finished readying “Billy” “The Untold Story of A Young Billy Graham And the Test of Faith That Almost Changed Everything” by William Paul McKay & Ken Abraham
By Justin Williams
I grew up hearing great things about the man Billy Graham; however all I ever knew of him was that he was a celebrity that had a way with words. I always thought of him as a Car salesman with only one goal in mind, “seeing souls saved.” Of course that was his primary goal, however “Billy, the untold story” opens up a new perspective and light into the life of young William Frank Graham. The book illustrates his compassion, and desire for serving God. It is humbling when you think about how God can use a farm boy like Billy, and do extraordinary things through him. The book also reveals the love story of a beautiful couple Miss Ruth Bell and William Frank Graham (Billy). As you read the story it is like it jumps off the pages, and into your life.
This book is filled with heartache, love, joy, pain, loss, and fulfillment. It establishes the value of family, friendship, education, dedication, and a relationship with God. I found it very interesting reading the book from Charles Templeton’s point of view; a proclaimed atheist and Alzheimer’s patient whose mind was darkly clouded. The life of Billy Graham will keep you on the edge of every page just waiting to see what happens next. I would highly recommend this book, especially those who feel like they have no greater purpose in their lives than that of which is in front of their faces.
After the 1989 San Francisco earthquake Billy Graham quoted “I came here to see people. The damaged building you can see on television, but television can’t show the damaged hearts and lives. Hopefully I can encourage them to trust in God.” Billy really is a true inspiration for us all.
