Revitalize Your Church

I have to agree with Perry Noble who said, “Negative, critical people have NEVER come up with a positive solution for anything.” Now, I realize that’s a pretty strong statement, but through the course of my life, I’ve found it to be quite accurate. In any given situation, there are two kinds of people:  Fault Finders and Solution Finders. Fault Finders immediately see the flaws of the world, the nation, the community, and others.  They seem to get a morose satisfaction in pointing them out.  Of course, there’s no intelligent alternative solution offered – only criticism. Fault Finding isn’t rocket science.  You don’t have to be very bright to gripe and complain.  In fact, such behavior indicates small mindedness. Great minds talk about great ideas.  Average minds talk about the weather.  Small minds talk about other people.  Or, as Benjamin Disraeli said, “To belittle is to be little.” Solution Finders, on the other hand, ...

photo from A Faithful Walk A pilgrim, on a quest to "pray without ceasing", travelled widely and heard many sermons on the subject.  None of them seemed to help.  He heard many prayer lessons, but none taught him how to do it. Finally, he heard of an old prayer warrior in a little village, so he went to him with his inquiry:  "How can I learn to pray without ceasing?" To this, the old saint replied, "Ceasless interior prayer is a continual yearning of the human spirit toward God.  Pray and ask God to teach us to pray without ceasing.  Pray more!  Pray more fervently!  It is prayer itself which will reveal to you how it can be achieved unceasingly. . . but it will take some time." (From The Way of a Pilgrim )

Our children's pastor, Jeremy Mavis, has recenly joined the blogging team at CM Buzz.   Check out this delightful post where Jeremy shares how he disciplines four boys who were wrestling when they were supposed to be singing.

Emil Brolick, the new CEO of Wendy's was recently interviewed by USA Today reporter, Bruce Horovitz. A highlight of the interview was when Brolick described his formula for success: "Have a vision, a strategy, define reality, give hope and execute." If he goes to all this bother to merely sell hamburgers, it seems pastors should be at least this intentional about their business -- the greatest mission on earth!

One person with passion and conviction can accomplish more than one hundred with mere interest. You have to dream it in order to achieve it. Nothing can take the place of hard work - but smart work makes hard work go a lot further. All true leaders are readers. If you read a lot, you will automatically grow. Reaching a goal loses its fulfillment if you have to run over people in the process. People are more important than processes. Intentions never get the job done. Imitations never get the job done either. Jobs don't finish themselves. You have to finish the job! The joy is multiplied when you accomplish the dream as a team. It's amazing what can be achieved if you don't care who gets the credit. Sometimes plans should change - but not values. Write you plans in sand and your values in cement. You can accomplish a lot more than you think. Small changes make a big difference through the power of compound interest! If you never risk anything, you will never accomplish anyt...

During Tim Tebow's miraculous come-from-behind victory for the Denver Broncos last Sunday, he dropped to one knee for a moment of prayer. Tebow's outspoken Christian faith is widely admired, scorned, and now imitated with a new internet craze called Tebowing. A recent website, Tebowing.com   displays pictures of various people in random places, on one knee, heads bowed in prayer. Pehaps this is is done in jest -- but I cannot think of a position more worthy of imitation!  It certainly beats Hawking  or Mossing .

1. Troubles are common to everybody. We shouldn't be so surprised when they come. Often, a problem arises and people freak out. "Oh my goodness! This is just awful! What am I going to do? Why did this happen to me?" Instead of being shocked when the difficulties come, expect them. A trouble free day is exception rather than the rule. 2. You can't choose whether or not to have troubles. (They come to everybody.) You can't choose when they come (They always seem to come at the wrong time.) -- but you can choose how you are going to react to them. 3. If you remain open-hearted, you will grow through your troubles. If you close down emotionally, the hard times will make you bitter. 4. You do not have to face your troubles alone. God promised to be a present help in the hour of trouble -- Can you think of anyone better to have beside you when you face life's problems? 5. Troubles are never neutral -- If they don't do you good, they'll do you harm. You ca...