Revitalize Your Church

When baseball legend, Ty Cobb, was seventy years old, a reporter asked, "What do you think you would hit if you were playing these days?" Cobb, a lifetime .367 hitter, said, "About .290, maybe .300." The reporter said, "That's because of the travel, the night games, the artificial turf, and all the new pitches like the slider, right?" "No," said Cobb, "It's because I'm seventy." -- From Developing the Leaders Around You (John C. Maxwell)

A friend, explaining her recent burst of spiritual growth said, "Bible study.  I've read casually it all along -- but this year, I started studying it, and that's when I began to grow."  What is your plan to read and study the Bible in 2015?  If you fail to plan, you plan to fail. Nathan W. Bingham has posted several excellent Bible Reading plans at the Ligonier website.  Anyone interested in digging into Scripture will find something good here:  Bible Reading Plans for 2015 . Bible Gateway also offers several outstanding plans that can be sent directly to your smartphone or computer:  Bible Gateway Reading Plans . Other Bible study tools can be found at Bible Hub . A Bible that is falling apart is usually owned by somebody who isn't.

The launching of a New Year is a good time for new resolutions.  Real resolutions are not wish lists, "I should's" or "Wouldn't it be nice?" Resolution literally means "wholehearted commitment."  Every river has bedrocks, and the water flows around the rocks. The only way to make significant change is to implement your commitments like rocks -- and then let the rest of life flows around them.   Many well meaning people depend on inspiration to keep their spiritual resolutions.  Now, inspiration is a good booster to get the rocket off the ground -- but won't keep it flying. Resolutions won't stick unless accompanied by solid plans!  These plans, when embraced, are the rocks -- the priorities -- and everything else flows around them. With this in mind. . . 1.  What is your Bible Reading Plan? If you don't have one, you won't do it.  You may intend to read the Bible regularly, but your efforts will be feeble at best.  Scripture is ou...

Let me not wrap, stack, box, bag, tie, tag, bundle, seal, keep Christmas.  Christmas kept is liable to mold.  Let me give Christmas away, unwrapped, by exuberant armfuls.   Let me share, dance, live Christmas unpretentiously, merrily, responsibly with overflowing hands, tireless steps and sparkling eyes.  Christmas given away will stay fresh—even until it comes again." --  Linda Felver, "Let Us Not Keep Christmas"

In the midst of the hectic shopping season, a frustrated fellow grumbled , "They ought to kill the guy who's responsible for  this!"  A nother shopper quietly replied, "They did." The significance of Christmas does not lie in a cradle, but in a cross. The angels proclaimed his birth saying, "Unto you is born this day, a  Savior. . ." He came to save us! If the world had just needed a better education, God would have sent a teacher. If the world had only needed some encouragement, God would have sent a  motivational speaker. If the world merely needed emotional stabilization, God would have  sent a psychotherapist. If the world needed a better social order, God would have sent a  politician, or perhaps, a general. But God sent Jesus to this earth as a lowly little baby -- to be our  Savior. He came to save us -- from our sins, our situations and  ourselves. Forgiveness is the greatest need of the human soul, and Jesus Christ  entered our wor...

The majority of protestant churches are in small towns and rural communities. Many pastors, upon graduation from seminary, find themselves in one of these "ends of the earth" assignments. Their attitude is "I'm stuck here in this one horse town until I learn the ropes.  Then, I'll move on and do something important." Today, as Christmas approaches, I'd like to challenge the assumption that small places are insignificant. Jesus, God in human flesh, came to the earth on a mission from heaven to transform humanity. He looked the whole world over and picked the perfect place to launch his global and eternal enterprise. Where did he go? What was his strategic missional selection? A small town! "But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from old, from ancient times." (Micah 5:2) You won't get any Christmas cards with p...

Santa asks, “What do you want for Christmas?”   Little kids bring their lists while parents eavesdrop . That’s precious, and I certainly don’t want to detract from  the Christmas wonder little ones experience. But, at the essence, Christmas is not for getting – it’s for giving! 'Tis the season of unselfishness.  ' Tis the season to share with those you love. ' Tis the season to be compassionate for those less fortunate. It’s not about spending money you don’t have on stuff they don’t need.   This year, especially, with financial squeeze we’re feeling – how  about simplifying? How about being creative, spending a little less,  and giving a little more of yourself? How about shopping locally, so you bless your neighbors by your spending, helping them  put food on their  tables? How about giving something homemade? How about giving your time? How about remembering those in need? Did you know that  Americans spent $450 billion on Ch...

Alphabet Soup For the Soul A lthough things are not perfect B ecause of trial or pain C ontinue in thanksgiving D o not begin to blame E ven when the times are hard F ierce winds are bound to blow G od is forever able H old on to what you know I magine life without His love J oy would cease to be K eep thanking Him for all the things L ove imparts to thee M ove out of "Camp Complaining" N o weapon that is known O n earth can yield the power P raise can do alone Q uit looking at the future R edeem the time at hand S tart every day with worship T o "thank" is a command U ntil we see Him coming V ictorious in the sky W e'll run the race with gratitude X alting God most high Y es, there'll be good times and yes some will be bad, but... Z ion waits in glory...where none are ever sad! (Special thanks to my sister-in-law, Sandy, who sent this to me.  I do not know the author.)

Happiness is a decision -- a choice. If you wait for "happenings" to make you happy -- you'll be waiting most of the time. Life isn't easy. It brings a measure of pain, as well as joy. The  thorns come with the roses. There's no such thing as a thornless life. John Calvin said, "We must develop a better and deeper concept of  happiness than that held by the world, which makes a happy life  consist of ease, honor, and great wealth." Now, it's a wonderful thing when somebody pushes the "easy button" for  us. When plans go better than anticipated, we all rejoice. It always feels good to be appreciated and honored. We are all glad to  be recognized for "extra mile" effort. Having extra money is always nice. "Money doesn't buy happiness, but  it sure comes in handy!" Nevertheless, if we must depend on ease, honor and wealth to make us  happy, we are doomed to misery When we chase happiness by these avenues, we'll ne...

What kind of juice do you have in your tank? Lawnmowers and cars run on gasoline. Chainsaws and weed eaters run on a gas/oil mixture. Sailboats and kites run with the wind. Campfires run on wood -- And you run on one of two kinds of energy: positive or negative (or, more likely, a mixture of both.) What's the difference between running on positive vs. negative juice? 1. Negative juice is the "default" mode. If you don't deliberately  choose the positive path, you'll end up operating in the negative. We  are grumpy by nature -- and cheerful by choice. Nobody is positive by  accident -- It requires a strong commitment and a new way of thinking. 2. Running on negative juice is easier at first -- but much harder in  the long run. Since it is the default mode, you don't have to work at  becoming negative -- it just happens naturally! No extra effort is  required. However, those who operate with negative energy find that  life is much more diff...

December is here -- bringing the dreaded question everybody hates: "Are you ready for Christmas?" Whenever that question is asked, the response is always a groan -- "Are you kidding? Don't remind me!" The assumption here is that "Are you ready for Christmas?" means "Are your decorations all up, your cookies all baked, and your gifts all purchased? Are you finished with all of your Christmas preparations?" Of course, the answer to that question will most likely be a resounding "NO!" (Unless you are one of those rare breeds who plans way ahead and finishes your Christmas shopping sometime around Halloween. Many of us are "adrenaline" shoppers. We wait until the last minute, and then scurry off in a shopping frenzy. I wonder what would happen if we moved being ready for Christmas from the "finished" side of the holidays, to the "beginning". Instead of thinking we have to be done with everything...