5/29/07

Resources for growth

"Five years from now you will be the same as you are today except for the people you meet and the books you read" Charlie "Tremendous Jones"

I understand this is not an all encompassing statement. I know that in Christ and through Him is how we grow, but I think these are two ingredients in life that help propel us to growth. They are two elements that help keep us from being stagnant.

Hopefully all of us want to grow in maturity. The Bible calls us to maturity in our Christian journey. I think this statement by Charlie Jones is true on two accounts. If you read the word of God primarily and then other great books such as biographies of famous Christians it will encourage you in your growth. This doesn't happen because you gain knowledge from those readings, but it happens because that knowledge can give you insight on how to be more intimate with the Lord and how to know His ways.

I have found also that the times in my life that were full of great community, were times of much growth. I use great community to describe people who had a hunger for God and were pursuing it. These were not perfect people, quite the contrary. They had all sorts of imperfections, but there was a common thread in them that they wanted to know Jesus and make Him know. I have found my life is affected by others. The people you are friends with influence your destiny. Look for communities of people or those people who are hungry for Jesus and connect yourselves with them.

5/22/07

To Big to lead

"If you are too Big to serve then you are too small to lead".

Gods word says if a man lose his life then he will gain it. Losing your life is learning how to serve other people. If we are following the worlds ideology of maturity we would think that the older we get the wiser and richer we get and that other people should serve us because of our obtained place in life. And people following a worldly viewpoint have this mindset. In God's kingdom the greatest are the servants of all.

I love the above statement. In layman's terms it means your should never think so much of yourself that your not willing to clean the toilets. It is those men and women that learn how to serve well in the jails of life (Joseph), in the pits of life (Daniel), in the wildernesses of life (Moses) that God promotes to be in authority over many. Because these men turned their broken times into dependency on God. And in depending on God learned that their lives were in service of God and others.

Great servants are the greatest leaders in the kingdom of God.

Elevated thinking

Elevate your thinking and you will elevate your life.

This statement is part of the culture of our local church here in Frisco Texas. Basically what it alludes to is that if you will put Gods word in your mind and heart your life will prosper. God thoughts bring contrast to thoughts in our minds that are not right thoughts.

For example: When someone cuts me off on the freeway there are thoughts in my mind that say "you idiot" or thoughts that say to myself "let's go cut that person off so they can feel what I feel and have empathy for me". Gods word contrasts those thoughts with "bless those who curse you, do good to those who spitefully use you" or "pray for that person today that they will encounter the living God and be blessed". When I act upon Gods way of thinking I elevate my life. I put myself in a place to have a God kind of prosperity such as peace, love, and joy. I put myself in a place that Gods kingdom is the priority and I am in on what God is up to on the earth each day.