Revitalize Your Church

Life's little detours are only temporary. -- Susan Pearson

Sometimes life seems like an exercise bicycle – we spin our wheels furiously and never seem to get anywhere. Often, we are caught up in a rat race of hectic schedules and deadlines. We become some busy with the urgent that we forget the more important things of life. Wouldn’t it be nice if everyone, including you, would stop right now and appreciate the small, but precious gifts each moment brings? Take time for them and they will deliver much joy. Take Time To Listen: Most of us are self-centered. We need to step back from ourselves and lend a listening ear to others. God has given you two ears and one mouth. They should be used in that proportion. Take Time to Learn: Life is a classroom always in session. Never stop learning about your world, your God, your friends and yourself. A living brain is a learning brain. Keep the “learning switch” on all day long and you will make many exciting discoveries! Take Time To Laugh: Laughter is medicine for the soul. Show me a per...

Cathy and I went on a double date with our friends, Steve and Linda, to Olive Garden and a performance of the musical comedy, Church Basement Ladies last evening. The play was thoroughly enjoyable -- with an odd familiarity -- bringing to mind many "long-forgotten" church basement memories. "This is most certainly true!"

I saw an interesting sign on a box a while back-- "Warning, contents may explode under stress!" Don't you wish volatile people had labels like that? "Warning -- This person is stressed out and ready to explode!" Then, we'd all know when to steer clear! Of course -- from time to time, we'd all have to wear a label like that -- because stress is common to everyone. Life is stressful. The day you're free from stress is the day they carry you away in a coffin. We can't expect to be stress-free this side of heaven. Businessman, Malcolm Forbes recognized this when he said, "If you have a job without aggravations, you don't have a job." We can learn to deal with our situations, however, so the stress won't get the best of us! Here are a few thoughts on beating stress in your daily life: 1. Try to take life one day at a time. Poet Robert Frost said, "Just take things as they come, and handle them the best you can." 2. Remember...

We had the experience, but missed the meaning. -- T. S. Elliot

I found this great poem at Lisa Johnson's blog, Surviving Motherhood: We shall do much in the years to come, But what have we done today? We shall give our gold in a princely sum, But what did we give today? We shall lift the heart and dry the tear, We shall plant a hope in the place of fear, We shall speak the words of love and cheer, But what did we speak today? We shall be so kind in the after while, But have we been today? We shall bring to each lonely life a smile, But what have we brought today? We shall give to truth a grander birth, And to steadfast faith a deeper worth, We shall feed the hungering souls of earth, But whom have we fed today? We shall reap such joys in the by and by, But what have we sown today? We shall build us mansions in the sky, But what have we built today? 'Tis sweet in the idle dreams to bask; But here and now, do we our task? Yet, this is the thing our souls must ask, What have we done today? -- Nixon Waterman

Church consultant, George Bullard, has a fascinating chart, which shows the stages of a church's life. You can find it here. (You'll have to scroll down a few posts on the page.) Thought provoking!

If you're facing a difficult problem, maybe you should consider the following questions. They'll help you get to the solution side. 1. Is this a problem - or is it a fact of life? You can do something about problems. You can't do anything about facts of life. If you can't change it, you don't have a problem; just a fact of life. No need to stew about it. Have you heard the Serenity Prayer? "God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference." 2. Is this problem REALLY the problem? It is easy to be sidetracked by the painful symptoms and neglect the deeper, more important, issues. Make sure you are dealing with the main thing. Recurring negative situations usually have a common thread. It would pay you to pay attention to it. 3. What is the bottom, bottom line? What do you want? What outcome do you desire? Why is this a problem in the first place? Think it through! (M...

It was so un - deaconlike for him to have a tawdry fling. It was so un - christianlike the way they gossipped and went about the shunning. It was so un -ladylike of his mistress to show on sunday morning for a tense and loud denouncing. It was so un - pastorlike for the rattled reverend to continue with his sermon as if nothing had occurred. It was so Jesus-like to see the deacon's faithful wife, though blushing, bear such disgrace with grace.

The best thing about the future is that it only comes one day at a time. -- Abraham Lincoln

Mark Beeson's daughter, Amber, recently shared six things she learned from her dad at her blog, Amberwire. Thanks to Church Relevance for the lead. 1. Just Keep Doing the Next Right Thing. " I don’t have to worry about everything, I just need to focus on doing the next right thing, right now, in front of me in this very minute. Then, after that decision is made, I can move on to the next right thing." 2. Attitude is Everything. 3. Strive to Live Without Regrets. Basically, you’re human, you’ll have some regrets, it’s inevitable…but you can strive to save yourself from regrets later if you think about consequences now, before you do whatever it was that you were thinking of doing. Ask yourself, “Will I regret this later?” . 4. Someone is always watching you, Looking to you, Modeling after you. 5. Have a Friend, Be a Friend. If I am friendly, people will want to be my friend. If I want to have a great friend, I need to be a great friend. 6. and last, but not least, People...

"Five acres of invisible fence. A display of invitation without a welcome." -- I recently heard a pastor describe the residents of his rural community this way. You know, there are a lot of churches that also fit that description.

The people of Bluffton Sonlight Church took Pastor Lyle's sermon to heart , when he preached on Genesis 1:28, "Be Fruitful and Multiply"