Category: Discipleship

Go Ahead and Pray

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prayerI’m about half way through Craig Groeschel’s book, Confessions of a Pastor. I’ll review the book when I finish it as a part of my series of posts called 52 Books In 2009. But, I want to go ahead and share a few of Craig’s thoughts on prayer. Here are a couple of paragraphs from his chapter called, I Hate Prayer Meetings:

If you feel insecure about your faltering prayer life, I’ve got great news for you: God’s waiting. Right now. At this moment. He wants to reveal Himself to you, and He wants you to reveal your heart to Him.

Pray. Pray creatively, openly, honestly. Pray long. Pray short. Sigh. Sing. Dance. Cry. Shout. Pray in the morning. During the day and in the evening. Pray in the car, while working, while doing chores. Laugh with Him. Cry with Him. Experience His presence. Let your attitudes, thoughts, energy, focus, attention, desire, and love be directed toward the One who loves you. Like breathing air, allow moment-by-moment fellowship to become a way of life–starting this very moment. Go ahead. Commuicate.

I hope Craig’s words helps you as you think about prayer.

Benefits of Living a Life of Purpose

Posted in Church Chat, Discipleship, Life HappensLeave a comment

rick-warren21A few years ago I had the privilege of attending a Purpose Driven Church Conference on the campus of Saddleback Church in southern California.  It was one of those rare, life-changing weeks that come along far too seldom.  The founding pastor, Rick Warren, has written two best-selling books.  His latest is called  “The Purpose Driven Life.” This book is designed to be read over a period of 40 days.  Each lesson is just a few pages long and requires time to digest.  On Day Three, Rick shares five great benefits of living a purpose-driven life:

1.  Knowing your purpose gives meaning to your life.  We were made to have meaning.  This is why people try dubious methods, like astrology or psychics, to discover it.  When life has meaning, you can bear almost anything; without it, nothing is bearable.

2.  Knowing your purpose simplifies your life.  If defines what you do and what you don’t do.  Your purpose becomes the standard you use to evaluate which activities are essential and which aren’t.  People who don’t know their purpose try to do too much–and that causes stress, fatigue, and conflict. (See Ordering Your Private World and A Leader’s Real Test for further thoughts along these lines).

3.  Knowing your purpose focuses your life.  It concentrates your effort and energy on what’s important.  You become effective by being selective.

4.  Knowing your purpose motivates your life.  Purpose always produces passion.  Nothing energizes like a clear purpose.

5.  Knowing your purpose prepares you for eternity.  Many people spend their lives trying to create a lasting legacy on earth.  They want to be remembered when they’re gone.  Yet, what ultimately matters most will not be what others say about your life, but what God says.

Grow Up

Posted in Discipleship, Life Happens2 Comments

baby4“Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation….” 1 Peter 2:2 (NIV) 

A few days ago, Nadya Suleman, a 33-year-old in Southern California mother, gave birth to six boys and two girls ranging from 1 pound 8 ounces to 3 pounds 4 ounces. I certainly wish them well and pray that God will bless them to live healthy, productive lives for His glory.

As I was thinking about the octuplets, it dawned on me that they all have one thing in common besides having the same mother–they were all born as babies! That is true for all of us. We all begin the same way and we all end the same way. What we do in the middle makes all the difference!

As Christians, we all begin the same way spiritually as well. We all are born spiritually (John 3) through Jesus and begin as newborns in the Lord. Unfortunately, many believers never move beyond that point. Nothing saddens me more than seeing believers that should have long ago become spiritually mature still thinking and acting as spiritual newborns.

Where are you in your spiritual development? Frankly, God expects and commands us to grow up.

“But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen.” 2 Peter 3:18 (NIV)

Smarter Than A 5th Grader?

Posted in Church Chat, Discipleship, Funny, Life Happens4 Comments

5th-grader4Like American Idol, the recent television program, Are You Smarter Than A 5th Grader, has been quite a hit for Fox and host, Jeff Foxworthy. Let’s face it, some kids are very smart, and often, they say the wisest things!  Listen to some of the remarkable wisdom of children from around the country.

  • “When your dad is mad and asks you, ‘Do I look stupid?’ don’t answer.”  Hannah, 9
  • “Stay far away from prunes.”  Randy, 9
  • “Don’t squat with your spurs on.”  Noronha, 13
  • “Puppies still have bad breath after you brush their teeth with dad’s toothbrush.”  Charlie, 9
  • “Never hold a Shop Vac and a cat at the same time.”  John, 9
  • “Don’t wear polka-dot underwear under white shorts.”  Kellie, 11
  • “If you want a kitten, start out by asking for a horse.”  Naomi, 15
  • “Felt markers are not really good to use as lipstick.”  Lauren, 9
  • “When you get a bad grade at school, show it to your mom when she’s on the phone.”  Alyesha, 13

Two of the saddest things in this world is a child who can’t learn and an adult who won’t.  Every day you and I can learn something that will make us a better person and a more devout follower of Jesus. Every week our church can learn ways to be more effective at assimilating newcomers and helping our members to become fully-devoted followers of Jesus.

Prayer: “Lord, help us to stay curious. Help us have a hunger for You and a thirst for knowledge. Help us to be content in our salvation, but discontent in our level of spiritual maturity. Help us to do whatever it takes to be more like you in our thoughts, in our ways, and in our heart! Amen.”

The Barbarian Way

Posted in Discipleship, Evangelism, Worship1 Comment

barabarian3This afternoon I listened again to Erwin McManus, senior pastor of Mosaic in Los Angeles, preaching his sermon, The Barbarian Way. Wow, what a needed reminder that I should be living on the edge for Jesus. McManus also wrote a great book by the same title.

Read this quote from his book, The Barbarian Way:

Perhaps, the tragedy of our time is that such an overwhelming number of us who declare Jesus as Lord have become domesticated–or, if you will, civilized. We have lost the simplicity of our early faith. Beyond that, we have lost the passion and power of that raw, untamed, and primal faith.

Jesus did not suffer and die so that we could build for ourselves havens, but so that we might expand the kingdom of His love….Christianity has become docile, domesticated, civilized.

God’s will for us is less about our comfort than it is about our contribution. God would never choose for us safety at the cost of significance. God created you so that your life would count, not so that you could count the days of your life.

What about you? Can you remember how passionate you were about Jesus during those early days? Do you remember how burdened you were for your family members and friends who were not followers of Christ?

May God help us to return to that simple, unhampered, all-out, barbarian approach to following Christ!