April 21, 2010
Most people would agree that times have been pretty tough over the last few years. As our country has spiraled downward into recession, people find themselves in crisis. A lot of their pain begins with financial or career crisis as entire industries that were once cornerstones of our economy are crumbling. Unemployment is at an all-time high, average incomes are down and consumer confidence is faltering across the board.
The bottom line is that people are angry. They’re angry about a lot of things: losing their livelihoods, losing their homes, health care reform – you name it.
Here’s where it gets tricky – before long, that anger begins to seep into other areas of our life that often have nothing to do with the root cause. This ripple effect is especially evident in communities that have taken the biggest hits during the recession. Incidents of suicide, workplace and domestic violence, divorce and substance abuse all begin to climb at alarming rates in these scenarios.
Our emotions were designed as a gift from God, but every single one of us has experienced difficult times, places and circumstances that make us mad. I mean really mad. Unchecked, anger has the power to turn normal human beings, genuinely good people, into people that shut down, leak and even explode anger onto others. Our response when we get mad can easily backfire, bringing out the worst in us and deeply wounding those we love.
Here are just a few examples of some common casualties of anger:
- Anger can transform the tender heart of a loving mother into a harsh critic who destroys the dignity of her child.
- Anger can turn loving parents into neck-bulging, vein-popping adults who say the same things over and over to their elementary and teenage kids.
- Anger can turn good friends and passionate lovers into cold, calculated critical marriage “co-existers” who only do what’s absolutely necessary to live under the same roof.
- Anger can turn a festive family holiday into a gut twisting, name calling, take-sides, no-holds-barred family feud that’s never resolved.
- Anger can change a cool, calm, collected, conscientious worker into a gun-carrying, bullet spraying murderer that no one even realized was upset.
Whether you’re on the giving or receiving end of anger, we all have personal experience with how devastating its aftermath can be. If your anger has wounded others, you probably struggle with guilt and regret. If you’re on the receiving end then you know first-hand that words spoken in anger can hurt more deeply than physical blows.
So what is God’s perspective on anger?
It might surprise you to learn that anger itself is neither a good or bad emotion. Many of us have grown up believing that feeling and expressing anger is wrong. We have the false idea that “real Christians” just don’t experience this emotion and that because we do it represents a serious spiritual shortcoming.
Anger is a God-given, highly charged, morally neutral emotional response designed to protect someone or something. Here’s a newsflash: anger can be a positive emotion; and God can (and does) use our anger to motivate, correct and right injustices. His ability to do that, however, hinges on how we respond to anger.
Listen to what the apostle Paul has to say in Ephesians 4:26 about anger: In your anger, do not sin, do not let the sun go down on your anger and do not give the devil a foothold.
Now, Paul doesn’t say ‘don’t get angry.’ He says not to SIN in our anger. It’s important that you understand the distinction there. It’s a command, not against the emotion, but about how we RESPOND TO the emotion. The last part of this verse also holds a powerful prediction: ‘do not give the devil a foothold.’
Misdirected, unchecked anger is like handing the keys of your life over to the enemy.
It’s no surprise to God that we get angry – he designed us that way! However, it’s critical that you learn how to identify the true causes of your anger and deal with this powerful emotion in a way that allows God to work in your heart. Until you do, you’ll continue to spew, leak and stuff anger in toxic ways that can decimate relationships, seriously affect your health and even drive a wedge between you and God.
This week we’ll begin a new series called “Overcoming Emotions that Destroy.” In it, we’ll examine three primary anger types: Spewers, Leakers and Stuffers. Chances are that you’ll identify strongly with one of these types. In fact, you might even recognize some friends and family members in the process! Once you understand your typical response to anger, we’ll examine some powerful, Biblical techniques that transform anger into the tool of truth, conviction and action that God intended it to be.
I’ve seen the significant spiritual breakthrough that this subject has brought countless people. Now through May 4th we’re offering a FREE COPY of the new DVD Overcoming Emotions that Destroy when you agree to share it with others. Now, you’ll have to pay shipping – $3.99 – but that’s it. As you unpack and examine your emotional responses to anger, it’s our prayer that God will bring about healing and renewed understanding of how he can work through and transform even our most volatile, powerful emotions.
Keep Pressin’ Ahead,
Chip
April 6, 2010
I’ll never forget the first day of my Sociology 101 class. I was eighteen years old, and I had never even opened a Bible until six months earlier when I became a Christian. I was excited about all that I was learning and my faith was new and growing. I was a zealous Christian.
And then I went to my sociology class. Anything that any of us had learned or believed about anything – politics, education, religion, culture – my teacher had a book to refute it. Every week he challenged every single thing I believed, and over the course of that semester he attempted to decimate the Christian faith.
Now, I was a new Christian and didn’t know the Bible very well. It wasn’t long before he raised some doubts in my heart and confusion in my soul. Then I began to feel inadequate and stupid when I couldn’t respond to all of his questions.
I felt knocked down. It took all the wind out of my sails. All of the joy I was experiencing was gone, and I spent that semester feeling frustrated and just beat down.
For most of us, it’s only a matter of time before something or someone attacks your faith, causing confusion in your soul, doubts and feelings of inadequacy. In fact, you may be there right now.
My life has been profoundly affected when other people have encouraged me at a key moment when I needed it the most. Sometimes God used them to reveal a truth in the situation that I was overlooking. Other times their loving prompts were timed or worded in the perfect way to inspire me to take a critical next step, even when I didn’t feel like it. God used these people to strengthen my faith, restore my perspective, and bring out the best in me. The effect of their loving encouragement was far greater than I could even understand at the time.
There are many things that can help us through the ups and downs of life, but one of the most powerful tools that God has equipped us with is speech. The power of an affirming, God-led word, given lovingly and authentically is beyond anything you can imagine.
The Bible is packed with examples of the difference that just a word can make. Three distinct examples of the value that God places on encouragement can be found in the book of Proverbs.
- “The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life,” Proverbs 10:11
- “The tongue that brings healing is a tree of life,” Proverbs 15:4:
- “A word aptly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.” Proverbs 25:11
From God’s perspective, one simple word really does make a difference.
Encouragement, affirmation and edification are among many essential building blocks of faith that exclusively come from relationships. In fact, when you encourage others, you open up a whole new way that God can use you to help people become more like him.
So where do YOU rank on the encouraging scale? Do your words inspire people to go the extra mile or make them want to throw in the towel?
For some people, encouraging others is like second nature. For the rest of us, it’s something we have to work at. I’ve known many natural “encouragers” in my life. Observing how God uses them to influence others provides some key truths about how to intentionally cultivate a spirit of encouragement.
Four Keys to Becoming an Awesome Encourager:
1. Remember that people are hurting far more than you know, and far more than they show. That person next to you who looks like they have it all together, like everything is going their way – they are probably hurting. How do I know? Because they are just like you and me.
2. You have much more to offer than you realize. So often we think, Oh, I’d love to reach out and help that person, but what could they possibly learn from me? What do I have to offer? According to God – you’ve got a LOT to offer. Reaching out to people takes availability, not ability. You need heart and love, more than skill and knowledge.
3. Encouragement is helping others take the next step that they couldn’t take on their own; it allows them to become more like Christ. Encouragement is much more than a “warm fuzzy.” God uses our encouraging words at just the right time:
- As the spark that inspires someone to persevere through a difficult season
- As a reminder to be obedient even when it’s not what they want to do
- As a prompt to push beyond their comfort zone and obey what God is calling them to do
4. The key to encouragement is attitude. There are certain attitudes that you need to have to be a Godly encourager. In 1 Thessalonians 5:12-21, the Apostle Paul gives us a series commands – exhortations, really – that all revolve around attitude. Why? Because he knows that the attitude of a church and the attitude of individual Christians is the key to creating an environment that is edifying and encouraging.
This week we’ll begin a new series called The Awesome Power of Encouragement. In it, we’ll look at more biblical examples of encouragement that hold the keys to bringing out the best in those around us. As you learn how to effectively encourage, inspire and motivate others, I pray that God will proportionally heighten your sensitivity to the many people around you who need it most.
Keep Pressin’ Ahead,
Chip
March 24, 2010
The biggest issue in the religious world today can be summarized in three words: Who is Jesus? In the past few years several best-selling books have radically challenged what people believe about Jesus. From that, another 35 or 40 books were spawned, all either affirming or refuting the basic premise of who Christ really is. Among Christians and non-Christians alike, there’s been quite a stir recently, and I believe that’s rooted in something deeper than just the 45 million copies sold on the subject.
There’s a movement going on that raises the question “Who is Jesus, really?”
In the Gospel of Mark, Mark is addressing a Roman audience. Chapter eight is the apex of the book, and in Mark 8:27-29, while walking with his disciples and Jesus asks his disciples two important questions. He says, “Who do people say that I am?” Then he asked, “Who do YOU say that I am?”
Before examining their response, it’s important to look at WHY Jesus poses these questions to his disciples, the very people who arguably knew him best.
A genuine relationship begins with an accurate view of the other person. Whether it’s dating, friendship or a business relationship, perception is a foundational component. Have you ever been in a relationship with someone you thought you knew well only to have a piece of information surface that somehow calls into question their character or motive? The outcome in this scenario is rarely good.
Jesus understood that when it came to his disciples, the men who would be responsible for transforming the entire world that first and foremost, they had to know with their whole heart, and with their entire mind the answer to the question “Who is this Jesus?”
As a follower of Jesus, you need to be able to answer the same question.
I don’t mean habitual agreement with the stories you’ve been taught from childhood. What I mean is when the question arises “Who is Jesus, really?” you should have an intellectual and a heart response that’s based on absolute conviction resulting from your own research and evaluation. It’s impossible to have a relationship with Christ without firsthand knowledge of who Jesus is, what he’s done, what he’s said and the evidence that supports these truths.
Why is this so important? Because just as in Christ’s time on earth, there are many views on who Jesus really is. The question is isn’t a new one, and it isn’t unique. Your answer, however, is essential to the vitality and authenticity of your life as a follower of Christ.
This week we’re beginning a new series called “Who is Jesus, Really? Man, Myth or Messiah?” Through it, we’ll take a 360-degree look at the makeup of Jesus. We’ll weigh the evidence against popular opinion and take a deeper look at how the actions and words of Christians influence others on the matter.
My prayer for you is that this study will challenge you to conduct your own investigation of who Jesus really is. As you do, you’ll discover new conviction that’s based in your personal knowledge of the Son of God. Understanding the truth about the very essence of who Jesus is will forever transform your life, empower your relationship with God and equip you to share that joy with others.
Keep Pressin’ On,
Chip
March 8, 2010
The issues gripping our world today, inside and outside of the church, have a lot to do with how people think, don’t think, or how thinking has changed. We have a problem, and it’s a gaining ground at an alarming rate.
Here are some alarming statistics that bring the problem into focus:
- Every day 1,000 unwed teens become pregnant
- 500 adolescents will begin using drugs
- 135,000 teenagers will kill or carry a weapon to school
- 6 youths will commit suicide
These things happen in our country every 24 hours. Talk about a widespread problem – this isn’t every YEAR or every month or even every week – it’s every DAY.
Some may see this as a problem with youth but it’s not. These symptoms emerge in our youth but are a function of a much deeper, insidious problem that’s undermining the moral foundation of our country. The issues are based in ethics and values. Values are core beliefs or desires that motivate actions.
The question is this: what do you really believe? It’s a question that’s become more difficult to answer as our society rejects the existence of right and wrong and replaces the concept with relative truth and subjective morality, i.e. tolerance.
The prevailing attitude of tolerance is reshaping the makeup of the body of Christ.
I’d argue that in the last ten years a key driver of the decline of the church in the United States correlates with a decline in the ability (or willingness) of Christians to speak and live the truth about tough – and often controversial – issues. I’m talking about more than the friendly, “comfortable” parts of Christianity. What I’m talking about is our ability to respond Biblically to some of the most challenging issues out there. Issues like abortion, sex, evolution, politics, feminism, homosexuality and the environment.
As foundational Christian values lose their voice in our society, two very real consequences emerge:
1. The evil one is gaining ground at a dangerous rate. Even worse, a Godly perspective is frequently misconstrued and vilified to the point that it creates a very real barrier that keeps people from seeking the Lord.
2. The next generation of believers aren’t able articulate a Biblical response to difficult issues because they’ve never learned how. There are two components to this – actually understanding God’s will about these issues and learning how to respond truthfully in a simple, yet direct way.
Our current radio series “Think (formerly known as Let My People Think)” is designed to encourage every day Christians to take a deeper look at the Biblical response to these issues in a way that focuses on bringing light and clear thinking, not emotional heat and hate to controversial issues. In the process, you’ll gain confidence as you understand God’s perspective and learn how to respond in a way that accurately (and lovingly) communicates your values as a follower of Jesus.
Keep Pressin’ On,
Chip
February 23, 2010
How would you describe the last six months of your life? We all go through various seasons – peaks and valleys and unexpected detours. How would you describe where you’re at right now? Do you feel as if you’re moving at 100 miles per hour or are you standing still? Or maybe you find yourself in a season with a lot of “false starts” but no real progress?
I want to be clear here – I’m not talking about busyness. Set aside your day-to-day responsibilities and commitments and take a look at where you’re really at in terms of true growth. Take a good look at all areas of your life: your walk with the Lord, your relationships, your career and your ministry.
If you’re like me, there are key seasons that stand out as times of abundant growth. Then there are other times that pale in comparison. Perhaps the result of a crisis or another kind of setback, these times just don’t seem to have any momentum behind them. They are seasons when you just feel stuck.
Do you feel stuck in any areas of your life right now?
If you answered yes, then it’s the perfect time to take a deeper look at what’s keeping you from moving forward. Now, you may think that you know exactly what your barrier is. It may seem blatantly obvious, perhaps even a recurring theme in your life. Over many years of ministering to people who find themselves stuck behind all kinds of roadblocks, God’s revealed some key truths to me about what it takes to break through.
Life’s major roadblocks are very rarely the result of what you may see as the “primary” issue. Consider that for a moment. To put it in practical terms, even if you floor your accelerator, you’ll never go anywhere if your car is stuck in park.
I want to suggest to you that many of the roadblocks that keep you from moving forward have a deeper cause than you may realize. Learning to identify the root cause is the first step to overcoming these barriers.
This week we’re beginning a new series called “Breaking Through Life’s Biggest Barriers.” In it, I’ll share God’s plan to help you break through underlying emotional and spiritual barriers in five key areas of your life. We’ll explore the paralyzing effects of barriers like loneliness, personal stagnation, low self-image, feelings of futility and even plain old boredom.
As you listen, my prayer for you is that you’ll begin to see yourself and your mission from God’s perspective. As you do, you’ll overcome barriers, learn how to grow in your relationship with Christ, worship and serve with passion and make an eternal impact on the world around you.
Keep Pressin’ On,
Chip
February 8, 2010
When you think about the people that have had a significant influence on your life, who comes to mind? Among the many Godly people who have invested in me over the years, five key people emerge. I call them my spiritual “Mount Rushmore.”
God has used each of these people to profoundly shape my life in ways that have eternal impact. From them I have learned invaluable lessons – like how to live as a disciple of Christ, how to speak the truth in love, how to grow a servant’s heart and the essence of integrity and follow-through.
Now, don’t get me wrong – they taught me some other less profound (though greatly appreciated) skills like developing my one-on-one basketball game, the importance of humor and where the threshold lies for too much cologne. My point is that these were regular, everyday people and I learned from them because we were in relationship.
So … who are YOU investing in these days?
The fact is that you and I are passing on who we are, what we value and what we possess every day. For some people this is a highly strategic, very intentional game plan that they are fulfilling. For most of us, this may be more of a haphazard, somewhat random highway that we’re on – and divert from occasionally. We’re filled with good intentions and plan to “get serious” about it at some point … in the future.
How would life be different if your “Mount Rushmore” had postponed, delayed or simply not seen the significance of passing on their wisdom, faith and love?
In 2 Timothy 2:2 we discover that passing on what we learn is part of God’s plan to build His kingdom. This is something we’re commanded to do! Now, I don’t know about you, but for me that brings into focus how important it is to be intentional in sharing the things that matter most to God with those we love.
Some of you might find this idea overwhelming or not know where to begin. I’m here to assure you – it’s not as difficult as it may sound. By practically living out your faith in five key areas you’ll unlock one of the most powerful teaching and evangelism tools there is. As you become more intentional about cultivating this in your life, it will naturally emerge in your relationships and build your spiritual legacy.
We’re beginning a new series called Download that’s focused on how to pass on what matters most. We all desire to leave an inheritance of significant value to those around us. This series will give you some practical ways to invest in your spiritual legacy. My prayer for you is that during this series, God would reveal the special individuals he’s placed in your life to benefit from that legacy. Through these relationships, God will change your life and the lives of generations to come.
Keep Pressin’ On,
Chip
January 21, 2010
My wife Theresa and I recently moved into a rented home in northern California. I stopped by one day to take another look around before we moved in. The house was totally empty. In this space, completely void of electricity, furniture and distractions, I stretched out on the floor and took in the complete stillness.
For most of us, there is an ache in our soul that we cover up and fill with people, entertainment and things. In the midst of stillness, that ache will emerge. It can catch you by surprise if you aren’t expecting it. The realness of that ache prompts many people to fill their lives with a lot of activities and stuff that simply doesn’t fulfill.
Growth is a driving force of our culture. It’s almost impossible to escape it; we track, we measure, we benchmark. People equate success with growth – whether in their careers or finances or relationships – progress requires forward momentum. We’re inundated day in and day out. The focus is on what you do, what you have done, what you possess, how well your kids are doing, where they will go to school, what zip code you live in … the list could go on and on.
The reality is that most people define growth by what they have accomplished or acquired.
When was the last time you took a look at the condition of your soul? Would you even know how to assess it? For many people, their desired “state-of-soul” could best be described as fulfillment or contentment, but God tells us there is much more.
The most important question you will ever ask – or answer – is this: Who are you becoming?
“Becoming,” as God defines it, sparks many more questions: What type of person are you? How is your soul growing? Are you kinder and more patient and more loving? Are your relationships deeper? Are you more deeply connected to God? Are you hearing his voice like never before?
EVERYTHING is either growing or dying. It’s true of your emotions, your faith, your work and your family. All of these things are either in the process of growing deeper, richer and better or they are atrophying, crumbling and dying.
The trouble with this truth as it relates to our soul is that you can’t see it. In fact, the most important part of the Christian life is the part that only God can see! And there’s so much demand and so much noise that our ability to grow spiritually is stunted or even frozen completely.
The question to ask ourselves is this: What does it look like to get ready, get set and then really grow?
I want to suggest to you that while only God can cause supernatural growth to occur – he never does it alone. He requires a response from us of faith and obedience, trusting in his character. Then he takes his character and plan and pours it into his word. According to Jesus, the foundation of all spiritual growth – of all transformation – is based in God’s word.
In other words: your response to God’s word will determine your relationship with God. How much exposure you have to God’s word, how much his word penetrates your heart and your life is your response to the Lord.
This week, we’ll begin a new series called “Ready, Set, Grow.” In it, we’ll explore the parable of the seeds in Mark 4 and uncover how to prepare yourself for spiritual growth that will take root in your life and flourish for a lifetime.
If you’ve found your own spiritual sensitivity numbed by the experiences of the world, this series is for you! Through it, I pray that you will realize that the growth that God desires for you is all about learning who you really are and what truly defines you.
Keep Pressin’ On,
Chip
January 4, 2010
So what are you thinking about as this new year begins? Are you excited? Are you looking in the mirror and thinking about the new health club membership or diet you’re about to begin?
If you are like me, you may have a love/hate relationship with New Year’s resolutions. I like the idea of a fresh start; but I have far too many past experiences that go something like this… “Try hard. Fail. Try harder. Fail again. Try even harder. Give up!” You probably can identify.
But the real problem is that often the same thing happened in my spiritual life. I would vow to read the Bible more often, pray longer, be kinder, get involved in…only to experience the same pattern of self-effort followed by failure.
Looking back now, I realize that my view of the spiritual life was far more developed by my secular attempts at self-discipline than Scripture. I didn’t understand the grace of God, or how the Holy Spirit works with our desires and effort to connect us in a loving and renewing relationship with Christ.
I didn’t know what it meant to walk with God, enjoy His presence, or how to overcome habitual sin patterns in my life. So many times my ignorance destined me to the “try – hard – fail” syndrome.
But I thank God that He has better things for you and me. I could not be more excited to roll out what GOD has clearly stated in His word about how to experience TRUE SPIRITUALITY!
Do you want to know how to really keep all those resolutions? Especially the spiritual ones? Well here is a clue—you CAN’T! I can’t, you can’t and no one can! NO ONE EXCEPT THE PERFECT ONE –JESUS CHRIST.
True Spirituality is not about trying harder and harder to perform and fulfill religious requirements. It is not about the number of religious activities or external rules you can keep out of you best efforts to please God.
True spirituality is about a relationship that is rich and warm and filled with grace and power that leads to ever increasing freedom to love God and love others. It is about understanding what Christ has already done for you and learning the secret of staying connected to Him through His Word, His people, and His Spirit.
True Spirituality is not some vague mystical feeling that you are constantly trying to recapture, but a clearly defined grace-walk that teaches you how to respond to every relationship in life with His Power – not your own. It’s a supernatural life lived out in the most common and mundane of circumstances. It is Jesus living His life out through you in ways that thrill your heart, bring peace to your soul, and transform the world around you….it’s what we call an r12 CHRISTIAN.
Keep Pressin’ Ahead,
Chip
December 9, 2009
I’m sure most of you have heard the story of how elephants are trained for the circus in various parts of the world. When a baby elephant is small, a rope or chain is tied around its leg next to a stake driven deep into the ground. The baby elephant, not being very strong, pulls and tugs but is unable to move the stake. As the elephant grows older and matures, its ability to pull the stake out of the ground is unquestioned; but because it has been trained to believe that it cannot break free from the stake it becomes a prisoner of that which is untrue.
In the past 25 years as a pastor, I’ve met countless people who are prisoners of invisible stakes. Like prison bars that surround their mind and emotions, they live with boundaries, guilt and anxieties that limit their experience of God… especially His love. There are two major invisible prisons that come to mind: the prisons of false guilt & legalism.
The Prison of False Guilt
As you study the Scriptures closely, you learn that God has equipped us with an amazing, internal tool called our conscience. The conscience is trained to tell us when something is wrong or when something is right. The only problem is that the conscience is not infallible. Although there are certainly innate truths built into our conscience (according to Romans 2), it can be incorrectly trained so that it tells us something is disturbingly wrong when in fact there is no problem at all.
Some Christians, although intellectually believe that God loves them, live with piles of condemnation every day. An overly strict conscience condemns them for everything they do. They constantly feel pangs of doubt and assign to themselves impure motives for any thought or action that they think might be anything less of God’s standard.
An overly strict conscience is often developed through our childhood experiences where overly strict parents or perfectionism communicated that we never quite measured up. Although unintentional, many sincere parents, in an effort to bring out the best in their child, bombard them with rules and correction at every turn – which leads to an overly strict conscience.
Jesus said that we would know the truth and the truth would set us free; but sadly a great majority of Christians live daily with a foreboding sense that God is down on them, they don’t measure up and that they’re not really loveable or acceptable. The result in most cases is one of two extremes: Either a driveness to prove and make oneself self-righteous in God’s sight (the Christian work-aholohic) or an outright rebellion against and a casting off of Biblical morality and righteousness. After years of frustration, this second extreme simply gives up and says, “I will never measure up. I’m just going to forget this whole God and trust stuff.”
The Prison of Legalism
The other most common prison is one that Jesus attacked vigorously. It’s the prison of legalism. Legalism is an effort to gain God’s favor or create a “righteous” out of one’s keeping of rules and self-effort. It was this self-righteousness the Pharisees exhibited that was so sharply criticized by our Lord.
Legalism takes the means and makes it the end. The particulars of the law, the rules to be kept, the moral guidelines – all that were given to us out of love and designed to be followed out of a spirit of relationship – are turned into “oughts” and “shoulds” that bombard one’s soul. The result is religiosity and self-righteousness. The letter kills (the Apostle Paul tells us), but the Spirit gives life.
For the next week, I’m excited to share with you a new series on the radio, Released: Breaking Free from Legalism & Guilt. Far from being theoretical, my own journey with legalism and my wife’s struggle with false guilt have allowed us to experience the pain and frustration, even as Christians, of living within the invisible prison. But thanks be to God who leads us in victory! (1 Corinthians 15:57).
It’s my prayer that you will experience the vast love of God in a fresh way today as you listen to this series. You can free listen online here.
Keep Pressin’ Ahead,
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November 25, 2009
I just flew in from Atlanta after recording three new small group series and two new television series. It was very intense, but I had a great time and I’m very excited to see how God will use what we’ve done to help “Christians live like Christians” here and all around the world.
On the five hour flight home I spent a lot of time thinking and remembering. It’s easy to get so focused on the future or the challenges that we face that we fail to stop… and really remember!
Remembering does not seem like such a big deal until you open the Scriptures and read the book of Deuteronomy or recall the story of Jesus and the 10 lepers. In both cases forgetting what God had done in the past led them to miss God’s best in the future. And so on a plane, I let my mind drift back over all of 2009 and much of 2008. I wrote in my journal and sat in the dark silence at 30,000 feet remembering my experience of our Lord’s intervention of grace in my life, in my family and in the ministry of Living on the Edge.
I wasn’t really thinking about “Thanksgiving” at the time, but I found myself quietly giving thanks and writing down specific answers to prayer that seemed like possibilities only a few months ago.
I do not know what your Thanksgiving plans are, but I encourage you to find a quiet place and… remember…
If you need a little help getting started, let me share with you the brief outline that I will be teaching from this weekend at Venture . It is a short 20 minute message that will be followed by multiple testimonies and pictures to help us remember what God has been doing at Venture Christian Church and in our personal lives.
As you look over the outline and partake of the “exercise in remembering” please know that we at Living on the Edge are very thankful for you…
your prayers…
you’re leading of a small group…
your ministry to others with the tools that we provide…
your financial support …
your e-mails and letters…
your iPod downloads…
and your commitment to becoming r12 Christians are all causes of rejoicing and Thanksgiving here at Living on the Edge.
Giving Thanks for 2009 – Psalm 103
1. There is awesome power in REMEMBERING.
1“Praise the LORD, O my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name. 2Praise the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits . . .”
- Remembering is a deliberate CHOICE
2. Remembering God’s specific acts of kindness change our FOCUS and PERSPECTIVE.
3“. . . who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, 4who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, 5who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s. 6The LORD works righteousness and justice for all the oppressed. 7He made known his ways to Moses, his deeds to the people of Israel: . . .”
- Reflecting on God’s gracious acts ushers us into a knowledge of His WAYS.
A Personal Exercise in “Remembering”
1. List 5 things you’re thankful happened in 2009.
2. List 4 people you’re glad that are in your life.
3. List 3 painful or difficult things that have caused you to draw closer to God in 2009.
4. List 2 things you tend to take for granted that were listed in Psalm 103:3-6
5. Memorize 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 this week and practice what it says . . .
16“Be joyful always; 17pray continually; 18give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)
