Have your kids ever reminded you of one of your “sermons”. It’s quite convicting, especially if you are not practicing your own preaching. When this happens I feel like saying something like “It’s not your job to preach to me" but I usually end up eating humble pie. Here's my point: When you preach the Word it forces you to be a doer of the Word.
Why not turn the tables on your kids? Ask your kids to lead devotions from time to time. Let them decide what Bible Story to read. Let your kids do the preaching. It’s a little bit risky, but it’s worth the risk. When your kids preach the word it forces them to be doers of the word, and you can have great fun turning the tables on your kids when you challenge them to live their sermons.
Sunday, March 30, 2008
Sunday, February 3, 2008
Running You Race - Step 4 & 5
Step # 4 Talk To God About His Plan.
The Bible calls this “vision”. Don’t allow circumstances to direct your life. God has a plan for you and the only way to figure it out is to spend time with God. When you ask God make sure you take time to listen. Don’t do all the talking during your prayer time. Half of your prayer life should be spent listening.
“When you pray, use not vain repetitions as the heathen do: for they think they shall be heard for their much speaking”
Step # 5 Write Down Your Vision
“Write the vision, and make it plain”
Writing down your vision is the first step of obedience. One reason to write it down is so you can communicate your vision with other people. (Chances are you are going to need help in accomplishing you vision) Write down vision every area of life.
• Personal Goals – discipline, weight loss, devotions ect.
• Family Goals - relationships, parents, kids ect.
• Financial Goals - Do you want to get out of debt? Write down you debts.
• Ministry Goals – What does God want you to do this year?
• Career Goals – What do you want to accomplish this year
After writing down your goals take time to review it at least once a week. Try to get it on one page so its easy to review. If it takes too long to read, you won't want to take the time to review.
The Bible calls this “vision”. Don’t allow circumstances to direct your life. God has a plan for you and the only way to figure it out is to spend time with God. When you ask God make sure you take time to listen. Don’t do all the talking during your prayer time. Half of your prayer life should be spent listening.
“When you pray, use not vain repetitions as the heathen do: for they think they shall be heard for their much speaking”
Step # 5 Write Down Your Vision
“Write the vision, and make it plain”
Writing down your vision is the first step of obedience. One reason to write it down is so you can communicate your vision with other people. (Chances are you are going to need help in accomplishing you vision) Write down vision every area of life.
• Personal Goals – discipline, weight loss, devotions ect.
• Family Goals - relationships, parents, kids ect.
• Financial Goals - Do you want to get out of debt? Write down you debts.
• Ministry Goals – What does God want you to do this year?
• Career Goals – What do you want to accomplish this year
After writing down your goals take time to review it at least once a week. Try to get it on one page so its easy to review. If it takes too long to read, you won't want to take the time to review.
Saturday, January 19, 2008
Step #3 - Learning To Forget
“…This one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before….” Philippians 3:13
The past is possibly the biggest hindrance to running your race. We need to be quick to repent, quick to forgive and quick to forget the past. The quicker we can learn to forget, the faster we will run our race.
When I think about being quick to repent (change) it reminds me of a time I was standing in line at the grocery store with my children. Mark was 4 years old and Missy was 2 years old. My son Mark was provoking Missy to try and push her buttons as we were standing in line. Like a “good parent” I was trying to ignore them hoping they would solve their own conflict. All of a sudden 2-year-old Missy just balled up her fist and punched Mark right in the face.
Mark looked up at me with that pitiful “what are you going to do Daddy” look. Before I could respond, Missy (who saw what was about to happen) wrapped her arms around her brother and gave him a big hug. Everybody in line started laughing as the man behind me said “She sure knows how to handle a man doesn’t she” This is a funny story, yet it is also a powerful illustration of how quickly God wants us to forget the past and get on with doing what we know he wants us to do. (Missy didn’t wait for her father to correct her, she just instantly did what she knew I was going to ask her to do.)
I find that most people who quit serving in ministry do so because somebody hurt them.
Everybody gets hurt in ministry. If you quit the team gets weaker. It’s time to forgive yourself and others who may have hurt you. Forget about the past and get back in the race. We need you!
The past is possibly the biggest hindrance to running your race. We need to be quick to repent, quick to forgive and quick to forget the past. The quicker we can learn to forget, the faster we will run our race.
When I think about being quick to repent (change) it reminds me of a time I was standing in line at the grocery store with my children. Mark was 4 years old and Missy was 2 years old. My son Mark was provoking Missy to try and push her buttons as we were standing in line. Like a “good parent” I was trying to ignore them hoping they would solve their own conflict. All of a sudden 2-year-old Missy just balled up her fist and punched Mark right in the face.
Mark looked up at me with that pitiful “what are you going to do Daddy” look. Before I could respond, Missy (who saw what was about to happen) wrapped her arms around her brother and gave him a big hug. Everybody in line started laughing as the man behind me said “She sure knows how to handle a man doesn’t she” This is a funny story, yet it is also a powerful illustration of how quickly God wants us to forget the past and get on with doing what we know he wants us to do. (Missy didn’t wait for her father to correct her, she just instantly did what she knew I was going to ask her to do.)
I find that most people who quit serving in ministry do so because somebody hurt them.
Everybody gets hurt in ministry. If you quit the team gets weaker. It’s time to forgive yourself and others who may have hurt you. Forget about the past and get back in the race. We need you!
Friday, January 18, 2008
Ten Steps For Your Running Race
#1) The First thing you need to do is to Evaluate Your Past Year. What are you doing that works? What were your victories? Celebrate your victories with your team and thank God for them. (It really gives confidence to your team members when they see you accomplish your goals.)
#2) Ask yourself and your team: What were our failures? Why did we fail? Make the necessary adjustments. The question isn’t: Do you make mistakes? (Everybody makes mistakes.) The right question is: Do you learn from your mistakes?
#3) Now Forget The Past. Forget about the your past successes and your past failures.
The Apostle Paul tells us in the book of Hebrews to “lay aside the weights and the sins which slow us down.” The past can be a weight, which will slow you down in running your race. If you are thinking about the past you are not thinking about the future.
#2) Ask yourself and your team: What were our failures? Why did we fail? Make the necessary adjustments. The question isn’t: Do you make mistakes? (Everybody makes mistakes.) The right question is: Do you learn from your mistakes?
#3) Now Forget The Past. Forget about the your past successes and your past failures.
The Apostle Paul tells us in the book of Hebrews to “lay aside the weights and the sins which slow us down.” The past can be a weight, which will slow you down in running your race. If you are thinking about the past you are not thinking about the future.
Tuesday, January 1, 2008
Are You Running Your Race?
I love New Years Day because I have a day off to pray, set some goals and get a vision. (Dreaming is one of my favorite things to do.) It is really important to set goals for the new year, but they can't just be any kind of goals. So, my question to you is: Are you running "your" race?
"...let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which easily beset us, and run with patience the race that is set before us." Hebrews 12:1
You have a particular race that God has set before you to run. It has to do with the divine destiny God has planned for you to fufill. You are not to run someone else's race, for God has a specific race for each of us. (Sometimes it is really easy to look at what somebody else is doing and think we should be running the same race.) It's good to ask friends for counsel, however our "vision" comes directly from God.
"For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11-13
As you set goals for the New Year, take time to pray and ask God about His plans for your life. I find that whenever God asks me to do something new, it is almost always something I don't think I can do. His plans are always better than our own! He always has bigger plans for you than you do for yourself!
"...let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which easily beset us, and run with patience the race that is set before us." Hebrews 12:1
You have a particular race that God has set before you to run. It has to do with the divine destiny God has planned for you to fufill. You are not to run someone else's race, for God has a specific race for each of us. (Sometimes it is really easy to look at what somebody else is doing and think we should be running the same race.) It's good to ask friends for counsel, however our "vision" comes directly from God.
"For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11-13
As you set goals for the New Year, take time to pray and ask God about His plans for your life. I find that whenever God asks me to do something new, it is almost always something I don't think I can do. His plans are always better than our own! He always has bigger plans for you than you do for yourself!
Monday, November 26, 2007
Role Reversal
My children are in the process of becoming adults. They are 19 and 21 years old and their lives are in transition. As their lives change my life changes as well. (For one thing it's alot quieter around the house.)
My son Mark is attending college and my daughter Missy is doing an internship at a national ministry. On Thanksgiving night Missy wanted to go shopping at the local outlet mall for their "midnight madness" sale. (To be totally transparent, the last thing I wanted to do was go shopping "all night" on my little vacation.)
After much deliberation I decided to go shopping with Deb and Missy on Thanksgiving night. Why - because I want to spend time with my daughter. It's kind of a role reversal. If I want to have a relationship with my adult children I need to let them do the planning and be willing to do things that they want to do. (I think alot of people still see their adult children as kids. In other words they don't know how to relate to their children as adults.)
We approached the freeway exit for the outlet mall and traffic was backed up for two miles on the interstate. We waited in "line" for about 45 minutes to get to the parking lot. Once we got into the stores the check out lines snaked around the entire store so it was difficult to move around, look at product or even to just stand still.
I think every high school girl in the state of Minnesota was there. We finally got to bed at 6:00 AM. We had a blast, found some good deals and starting schemeing about how to do it better next year. The best part though was I got to spend time with my 19 year old "baby" girl. I learned a valuable leadership lesson: If you love someone you will let them lead some of the time.
My son Mark is attending college and my daughter Missy is doing an internship at a national ministry. On Thanksgiving night Missy wanted to go shopping at the local outlet mall for their "midnight madness" sale. (To be totally transparent, the last thing I wanted to do was go shopping "all night" on my little vacation.)
After much deliberation I decided to go shopping with Deb and Missy on Thanksgiving night. Why - because I want to spend time with my daughter. It's kind of a role reversal. If I want to have a relationship with my adult children I need to let them do the planning and be willing to do things that they want to do. (I think alot of people still see their adult children as kids. In other words they don't know how to relate to their children as adults.)
We approached the freeway exit for the outlet mall and traffic was backed up for two miles on the interstate. We waited in "line" for about 45 minutes to get to the parking lot. Once we got into the stores the check out lines snaked around the entire store so it was difficult to move around, look at product or even to just stand still.
I think every high school girl in the state of Minnesota was there. We finally got to bed at 6:00 AM. We had a blast, found some good deals and starting schemeing about how to do it better next year. The best part though was I got to spend time with my 19 year old "baby" girl. I learned a valuable leadership lesson: If you love someone you will let them lead some of the time.
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
Sometimes I Don't Feel Like Giving Thanks
I don't know about you but right now we are going through a budget crunch at our church. For just a moment I was tempted to have a bad attitude about "Thanksgiving" this year. It's moments like this I am gald the Bible says "In everything give thanks". Sometimes you have to give thanks by faith not just when you feel like it.
On the other hand when I do a quick examination of what I have to be thankful about it's a pretty long list. On my deathbed I don't think I'm going to be saying "I wish my childen's ministry budget had been bigger," I will be thinking about what really matters;
* I have the most awesome wife in the world. We have been living in the same house for 24 years and she still likes me.
* My daughter, Melissa, graduated from high school this year. Missy is serving God through an internship called "Go Ministries" (She is having the time of her life).
* My son, Marky, is an awesome worship leader and attends Northwestern College in Minneapolis.
* Deb and I are empty nesters this year so we have more time for each other. :)
* I am part of the leadership team at totally awesome church with a lot of really good people and friends.
* I am washed in the blood of the Lamb. (Without Jesus I would be dead or in prison somewhere)
What are you thankful for?
On the other hand when I do a quick examination of what I have to be thankful about it's a pretty long list. On my deathbed I don't think I'm going to be saying "I wish my childen's ministry budget had been bigger," I will be thinking about what really matters;
* I have the most awesome wife in the world. We have been living in the same house for 24 years and she still likes me.
* My daughter, Melissa, graduated from high school this year. Missy is serving God through an internship called "Go Ministries" (She is having the time of her life).
* My son, Marky, is an awesome worship leader and attends Northwestern College in Minneapolis.
* Deb and I are empty nesters this year so we have more time for each other. :)
* I am part of the leadership team at totally awesome church with a lot of really good people and friends.
* I am washed in the blood of the Lamb. (Without Jesus I would be dead or in prison somewhere)
What are you thankful for?
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