Archive - Bible RSS Feed

Using Negativity to my Advantage

January 16, 2012 in Bible, Ministry with 0 Comments

You know the whole “glass half full vs. glass half empty” debate?  Personally, I fall somewhere in the middle with my personality type.  I’m one more prone to ask who drank half my glass of water.

Well in leadership it’s important that we be positive people, looking for the good in others and affirming their steps towards improvement.  However, there is a time to be negative.  There is a time to shine the light in dark places.  There is a time and place to be critical.  If we guard against becoming critical in all our interactions, we can actually use Negativity to our advantage.

How Negativity Can Help a Leader

  • The things that bother you, probably bother others as well.  That sign that is always crooked and covered with fingerprints?  If it bugs you, I can guarantee you that it bugs someone else.
  • If you aren’t finding negative things in what you do at times, then you’re not doing it right.  We all make mistakes.  We all do things wrong.  We all have room for improvement.  If you evaluate yourself and can find nothing worth improving…there is something wrong with you!
  • Negativity helps you to answer the question, “What is the worst that can happen?”  I believe we should be able to answer this question at all times.  Have you thought out the worst-case scenario?  Have you planned for a quick recovery if things don’t go your way?
  • Critical eyes bring improvement.  While we are careful to not let our criticism become a nag to those we lead, we also want our criticism to bring about real change.  Let yourself see things for how they really are.

Proverbs 27:5-6 ESV / Better is open rebuke than hidden love. Faithful are the wounds of a friend; profuse are the kisses of an enemy.

 

Reboot for 2012

January 9, 2012 in Bible, Personal with 0 Comments

Years ago I managed an IT department on a university campus, and every conversation we had with end-users (those are the ones with problems) began something like this, “Have you rebooted your machine?”  I swear back in the 90′s this would fix 90% of the problems on a Windows 95 machine.

January is official reboot your life month, right?  You might prefer the word resolutions, quick-fixes, or get better ideas for 2012.  I personally like the idea of rebooting things. Well at this time of year, let me ask you…

“Have you rebooted your resolutions and goals this year?”

Here are 5 ways to take the time to push the reboot button on 2011, and amp up for 2012.

1. Quit pretending everything went perfect in 2011.  What went wrong?  Define it, meditate on it, look into why it didn’t go your way in these areas, and then bury it.

2. Quit pretending everything was terrible in 2011.  What went right?  Some of you might have to look hard, but I can guarantee you that you’ve done something noble and honorable this year.  Define it, meditate on it, look into why it went your way, and then bury it.

3. What challenged you this year?  Notice I used the word “challenge”, not the word “troubled.”  What was hard for you to do this year?  Why was it harder than you thought?

4. What do you want to do this year?  <Insert Dream Here>

5. Pray.  Work through these top 4 and then pray.  But why pray?  Well the Bible tells us so!

Psalm 107:28-30 Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress. He made the storm be still, and the waves of the sea were hushed. Then they were glad that the waters were quiet, and he brought them to their desired haven

Matthew 7:7  ”Ask, and it will be given to you seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.

Matthew 21:22 And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.”

Mark 9:29  And he said to them, “This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer.”

Mark 11:24  Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.

John 14:13-14 Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it

Acts 9:40 But Peter put them all outside, and knelt down and prayed; and turning to the body he said, “Tabitha, arise.” And she opened her eyes, and when she saw Peter she sat up.

Ephesians 6:18 praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints,

Philippians 4:6-7 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

James 5:14-16 Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another,that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.

My Favorite of All Christmas Stories

December 20, 2011 in Bible, Links with 0 Comments

There are so many Christmas videos out and about this year, but this one still remains my favorite.

My family has read through the Jesus Storybook Bible, and it’s become a staple at our Child Dedication events at Trinity.  I love, love, love the style, writing, and heart behind this book.  If you haven’t already done it, then pick one up for your family this year and enjoy it together as a family for some out-loud reading together!

Go to Amazon today and get a copy!

Christ our Hope

December 2, 2011 in Bible, Personal with 1 Comment

This year for the Christmas Advent Season my family is doing the normal Sunday Advent devotional, but adding to that by trying hard to continue the theme throughout the week with my kids.  On the first Sunday of Advent we talked about hope.  Two kinds of hope; the hope that those felt for a redeemer waiting for Christ to come, and the hope that we feel for everyday since he has come.

Isaiah 60:1  Arise, shine, for your light has come,
and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.
2  For behold, darkness shall cover the earth,
and thick darkness the peoples;
but the Lord will arise upon you,
and his glory will be seen upon you.
3  And nations shall come to your light,
and kings to the brightness of your rising.

We talked with the kids about the differences between hoping and wishing, and kept it short enough that the kids paid attention for most of the 5 minutes. But this year I challenged them to think about HOPE all week long.  I’ve reminded them all week before school to be thinking and looking for examples of hope.  So this week we’ve talked Star Wars “A New Hope”, we’ve talked about hoping that mom will put cookies in our lunch boxes, we’ve talked about how we hope that it snows this week, and everynight before bed I’ve reminded the kids that we can have real hope in Christ.  We don’t have to wish for it, we are given real-life changing hope.

One of the things I found online this week was this great video, which helped illustrate further the idea that we have something inside of us that longs for Hope.  See if you can use it with your family this week to start some discussion as well.

Sunday Will Happen

April 20, 2011 in Bible, Ministry with 4 Comments

It happens like this: You’ve worked all week to make everything cool, calm, and collected…but then about 20 minutes before service starts…you get the call.  You know the call.  It’s your sound/video/light guy in your Elementary Production saying that he can’t be there, because he’s been called in to work.  That’s all cool, except the teenager-in-training is also away for a Spring Break trip; and your backup to the backup has been asked to fill in for a small group leader that was scheduled to be out; and the backup, backup, backup is in the 4 year old classroom working for a volunteer who’s toddler woke up puking; and the backup, backup, backup, backup is nowhere to be found…and you’ve suspected they might be leaving the church anyway.

Panic begins to set in, and you’re not sure who can transition slides on Pro Presenter for the awesome God the the Rescue slides you’ve spent all week arranging with cool background tunes to make the teaching slick and presentable.  About that time your own kid’s teacher approaches you and says that your kid is complaining about their stomach hurting and is greenish in color.  ”Are you kidding me!” you think inside.  ”Does somebody have it out for me?!” you ponder in your heart.

Then before you know it the morning is over.  Wait, what happened?  How did we get past the chaos?  Well it’s easy really.  Sunday always happens.  Even if you have a 10 year old running the sound board, and the small groups are a little more chaotic than normal, and your kid has to sit in the back with a trashcan between their legs.  The kids at church have learned something.  It might have not be perfect, but that’s all right.  Sunday doesn’t have to be perfect to be effective. It’s going to happen anyway, just prepare yourself for this fact and you’ll find yourself patient beyond your own understanding.  Sunday’s are funny that way, huh?

Philippians 4:7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Page 1 of 912345»...Last »