Curating a Life in Christ
What the Church needs today is not more machinery or better, not new organizations or more and novel methods, but men whom the Holy Ghost can use—men of prayer, men mighty in prayer. The Holy Ghost does not flow through methods, but through men. He does not come on machinery, but on men. He does not anoint plans, but men, men of prayer.
E.M. Bounds
Because we consider certain emotions and behaviors harmless, we don’t pay much attention to them. In fact, we regard some attitudes as so “normal” that we just assume everyone feels them from time to time. Yet, if we look beneath the surface, we’ll discover hidden danger and realize the situation is different from the way it appears. One good example is discouragement.
A lot of people view discouragement and disappointment as the same thing, but this is a misconception. Disappointment is an emotional response to a failed expectation, whereas discouragement is the spoiled fruit that results from unresolved disappointment.
Since we cannot experience perfect success every single time we try something, there’s no way to avoid all disappointments in life. However, we can avoid discouragement; it is a choice that we make when we decide whether or not we will allow our times of disappointment to destroy our confidence.
And that’s exactly what discouragement is—a complete lack of confidence, a feeling of dismay, and a loss of motivation regarding something that brings fulfillment and purpose. Think about the very word “discourage.” The prefix “dis-” means “without.” So, to be dis-couraged is to be without courage altogether.
Can you see how this is a tremendous problem for a Christian? The Bible calls us to be strong and courageous, trusting Jesus Christ for what we need. If you’re without this courage, the first thing you must do is ask God to wipe away your fears and remind you of His mighty power.
Try some courage today. Michael
New Song Pictures and Outreach Films, in association with Fireproof’s Samuel Goldwyn Films, will release the highly anticipated Christian film for teens To Save A Life in theatres January 22, 2010. The film is the story of an all-American teen whose world turns upside down after the death of his best friend, and he is forced to make unexpected choices and sacrifices while having the courage and determination to persevere against all odds.
Jim Britts, the screenwriter of the film and a working youth pastor, wrote the script to tell the story of the choices and challenges he sees teens facing today. Britts said “We hope that To Save A Life can truly help give a voice to the hurting, and inspire this generation to make a difference in the lives of those around them.” Director Brian Baugh said, “(This is) a film made with a different approach, a different production value, with a different vision…(it) looks at real teen culture—as edgy and uncomfortable as it can be at times…with characters and a story that have credibility.”
With 12,000 church leaders and youth seeing the film in pre-screenings, viewers rated the film’s quality at 9.0 out of 10 and 9.3 out of 10 for ministry usefulness. The film has also been hailed by leading teen ministries: Josh McDowell called the film “excellent” and“relevant”; Ron Luce of Teen Mania Ministries called the film “important” and “a wake-up call for teens”; and author and veteran youth minister Brooklyn Lindsey called the film “more than a movie—it’s an invitation for teens to be a part of something bigger than themselves.”
The creators of To Save A Life have launched a leader’s site to provide a multitude of help for parents, teachers, youth workers and teens. These materials are focused on opening discussion, and providing help to those who may need more information on some of the sensitive topics covered in the film. The site also provides information about organizing group events surrounding the film. View the film’s trailer here.
(A) The Japanese eat very little fat and suffer fewer heart attacks than the British or Americans.
(B) On the other hand, the French eat a lot of fat and also suffer fewer heart attacks than the British or Americans.
(C) The Japanese drink very little red wine and suffer fewer heart attacks than the British or Americans.
(D) The Italians drink excessive amounts of red wine and also suffer fewer heart attacks than the British or Americans.
(E) Conclusion: Eat & drink what you like. It’s speaking English that kills you.
Enjoy. Michael
There was a Pastor, who after the usual Sunday Evening Hymns, stood up, walked over to the pulpit and, before he gave his sermon for the evening, briefly introduced a guest minister who was in service that evening. In the introduction, the Pastor told the congregation that the guest minister was one of his dearest childhood friends and that he wanted him to have a few moments to greet the church and share whatever he felt would be appropriate for the service. With that, an elderly man stepped up to the pulpit and began to speak.
"A father, his son, and a friend of his were sailing off of the Pacific Coast," He began, "When a fast approaching storm blocked any attempt to get back to shore. The waves were so high, that even though the father was an experienced sailor, he could not keep the boat upright and the three were swept into the ocean as the boat capsized." The old man hesitated for a moment, making eye contact with two teenagers who were, for the first time since the service began, looking somewhat interested in his story.
The aged minister continued with his story, "Grabbing a rescue line, the father had to make the most excruciating decision of his life: to which boy he would throw the other end of the lifeline. He only had seconds to make the decision. The father knew that his son was a Christian and he also knew that his son’s friend was not. The agony of his decision could not be matched by the torrent of waves.
"As the father yelled out, ‘I love you son!’ He threw out the lifeline to his son’s friend. By the time the father had pulled the friend back to the capsized boat, his son had disappeared beneath the raging swells into the black of the night. His body was never recovered." By this time, the two teenagers were sitting up straight in the pew, anxiously waiting for the next words to come out of the old minister’s mouth.
"The father," he continued, "knew his son would step into eternity with Jesus and could not bear the thought of his son’s friend stepping into eternity without Jesus. Therefore, he sacrificed his son to save his son’s friend…"
With that the old man turned and sat back down in his chair as silence filled the room. The Pastor again walked slowly to the pulpit and delivered a brief sermon. Within minutes after the service ended, the two teenagers were at the old man’s side.
"That was a nice story," politely stated the boys. "But I don’t think it was realistic for a father to give up his son’s life in hopes that the other boy would become a Christian."
"Well, you’ve got a point there," the old man replied glancing down at the worn Bible. A big smile broadened his narrow face, he once again looked up at the boys and said, "It sure isn’t realistic, is it? But I’m standing today to tell you that the story gives me a glimpse of what it must have been like for God to give up His only son for me. You see, I was the father and your Pastor was my son’s friend."
Before refrigerators, people used icehouses to preserve their food. Icehouses had thick walls, no windows, and a tightly fitted door. In winter, when streams and lakes were frozen, large blocks of ice were cut, hauled to the icehouses, and covered with sawdust. Often the ice would last well into the summer.
One man lost a valuable watch while working in an icehouse. He searched diligently for it, carefully raking through the sawdust, but didn’t find it. His fellow workers also looked, but their efforts, too, proved futile.
A small boy who heard about the fruitless search slipped into the icehouse during the noon hour and soon emerged with the watch. Amazed, the men asked him how he found it. "I closed the door," the boy replied, "lay down in the sawdust, and kept very still. Soon I heard the watch ticking." Often the question is not whether God is speaking, but whether we are being still enough, and quiet enough, to hear.
Have a quiet still moment this New Year’s Eve. Michael
As the Boy Scouts of America heads toward its 100th anniversary in February, its first century adds up to a remarkable saga, full of achievement and complexity. On one hand, no other U.S. youth organization has served as many boys—an estimated 112 million over the years—and is so deeply ingrained in the Norman Rockwell version of American popular culture. It can boast of a congressional charter and a string of U.S. presidents, including Barack Obama, serving as its honorary leader.
On the other hand, in the courts and the public arena, the BSA has doggedly defended its right to exclude gays and atheists from its ranks, overriding requests from some local units to soften those policies. “We do have folks who say we probably should rethink this,” Bob Mazzuca, the chief Scout executive, said in an interview. “We can agree to disagree on a particular issue and still come together for the common good.”
BSA leaders have signaled no interest in amending the Scout Oath, which includes a pledge of duty to God. Religion is fundamental to the Scouts; churches have been the largest sponsors of the organization across the country."We do believe that to become the best you can be, you need a belief in something bigger than yourself," Mazzuca said. Many atheists think otherwise.
“The Boy Scouts are synonymous with American values and patriotism,” said David Niose, president of the American Humanist Association. “By excluding atheists and secular Americans, they are essentially saying we cannot be good citizens.” BSA leadership say of Scouting, “It’s a game with a purpose,” he said. “It gives you a moral compass on how you conduct yourself.”
Hold your line, BSA.
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11% of Americans think the Bible is just another book of teachings written by men containing stories and advice. |
One day a father of a very wealthy family took his son on a trip to the country with the firm purpose of showing his son how poor people live. They spent a couple of days and nights on the farm of what would be considered a very poor family. On their return from their trip, the father asked his son, "How was the trip?"
"It was great, Dad."
"Did you see how poor people live?" the father asked.
"Oh yeah," said the son.
"So, tell me, what did you learn from the trip?" asked the father.
The son answered: "I saw that we have one dog and they had four. We have a pool that reaches to the middle of our garden and they have a creek that has no end. We have imported lanterns in our garden and they have the stars at night. Our patio reaches to the front yard and they have the whole horizon. We have a small piece of land to live on and they have fields that go beyond our sight. We have servants who serve us, but they serve others. We buy our food, but they grow theirs. We have walls around our property to protect us, they have friends to protect them."
The boy’s father was speechless. Then his son added, "Thanks, Dad, for showing me how poor we are."
Isn’t perspective a wonderful thing? Makes you wonder what would happen if we all gave thanks for everything we have, instead of worrying about what we don’t have.
Enjoy your poverty! Michael
Right after Christmas, I went to the post office. After helping me, the pleasant postal clerk uttered what is surely her standard line: “Is there anything else I can do for you?”
I quipped, “Can you help me pay for Christmas?”
Without missing a beat, she replied, “He has already paid for it.”
I was stunned. Pleased, surprised, a tad embarrassed, but most of all, stunned. I murmured something profound in response — like, “He certainly did” — and left.
A simple phrase had put everything in perspective.
Pete Winn