Category Archives: self improvement

Blogroll, Church, Discipleship, Evangelism, faith, Family, Fellowship, Friendship, God, life, love, personal growth, purpose, self help, self improvement, vision, Worship

Why I Do What I Do!

I still remember taking those test in High School that are supposed to tell you what you are supposed to be when you grow up and mine always indicated that I had the potential to be and do a lot of things, but no real desire or focus in any single direction. I remember thinking, I just wish someone would tell me what to do?

What I really loved was the spiritual life and the idea that we can have friendship with God, but back in those days, there were not many people big on the “personal relationship” part. The focus was more on getting you saved, baptized and into membership of the local church.

I could not really see myself being a Pastor/Preacher/Teacher,, because I just did not think of myself as being intelligent enough and I absolutely hated studying. I thought maybe God wanted me to be a Youth Minister. Down deep in my heart, I knew I was called and gifted by God to be a Pastor/Preacher/Teacher, but I felt like everyone else would judge me as inadequate, because I certainly did not feel that I was qualified or could even become qualified.

I remember a traveling evangelist coming through town and he came and spoke at our school. The story he told was that back in his younger days he had been running with the wrong crowd and one night he was with some guys that decided to rob a store. They all got caught and he went to jail and while he was in jail, he met Jesus and accepted Him as his Savior. The relationship with Jesus changed his life and he was so on fire because of the amazing relationship he had with Jesus. He was in our town for about a week and I remember going to hear him preach every chance I got. I do not remember his name, but I do remember how God began to deal with me and my future in a very real way during that time. For the first time, I knew what I felt in my heart about growing in a personal relationship with God was of vital importance to the Kingdom and we’ve got to start talking about this.

I had accepted Christ at a young age and had been a pretty good boy growing up. My family and church had raised me to know the difference between right and wrong. I generally chose right, because I wanted to be pleasing to God and especially because I did not want to disappoint my Granny or Mother. A lot of the teenage temptations did not interest me, because I cared more about what other people thought and that often kept me on the straight and narrow. (Not for the right reason, but it worked for the most part.)

After the evangelist left town, I really began to grow in my devotional times with God. I began everyday in His Word and I journaled and did my best to pray without ceasing. I can still remember going out at night to have long walk and talks with Jesus. Trying to figure out what He wanted me to do with my life. I remember praying one night: “God if I have to go to jail in order to find your will and serve you, then I am willing to do whatever I need to do.” Looking back, this was the very first time that I truly began to acknowledge God’s call upon my life.

As I grew in my faith and relationship, God began to also make it clear that He wanted me to be a Pastor/Preacher/Teacher for Him and His Kingdom. He showed me that a big part of what I was supposed to do, was just share the relationship and help others get into it and grow through it. So that is how it all started. There is a lot more to the journey, but that will be for another time.

Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. -Philippians 2:1-4

Today I was thinking about my “WHY?” Why am I a Minister (Pastor/PreacherTeacher)? Why am I a Master Life Coach? Why am I a Mentor? And here are Seven Reasons That Make Up My Why!

1.) God has called me and gifted me to do what I do!

2.) There is a much bigger picture of God and I really do want everyone to get it!

3.) The Bible is more than a book, it’s a love letter full of directions, guidance and instructions for living the blessed life we were created for.

4.) The Church is God’s best plan for us doing life together so that we can encourage, grow and motivate one another.

5.) A Relationship with God really does make all the difference and someone has to believe that, share that and help others get it right.

6.) I’m not perfect and I don’t have to be, because God actually wants to use my imperfections to bring greater glory to Himself and encouragement to others.

7.) I’ve given God plenty of opportunities to give up on me, turn His back on me and/or zap me with a lighting bolt, but every time, He reminds me that His GRACE is sufficient…

Blogroll, Church, Creativity, Discipleship, Enlightenment, Evangelism, faith, Family, Fellowship, Friendship, God, grace, Gratitude, Growing, Healing, life, love, Ministry, self improvement, Worship

WHY CHURCH?

The CHURCH is not a building. To think of the church as a building is to limit it in so many different ways. The CHURCH is the physical gathering together of spiritual believers. We gather together, because we’ve been brought from death to life and our spirit is empowered to help us live life at a higher level. We gather together to worship the ONE , Who has made it all possible. We gather together to study, learn and grow as disciples set apart to something better than just getting by. We gather together to bless, encourage and serve others, because when we do this we are serving the ONE, Who makes everything possible. We gather together, because we are better, stronger and more powerful together than apart.

Coming together on Sunday is about accountability, community, connection, encouragement, growth, networking, relationship and so much more. This face to face, heart to heart and spirit to spirit interaction accomplishes things that nothing else can. It’s God’s designed way for us to become all that He has created and crafted us to be and then some.

“Do not forsake the assembling of yourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhort one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.” -Hebrews 10:25

Why Church? Because Church Is Ministry We Are All In Need Of…

The Ministry OF Relationship! We are a part of something much bigger than ourselves. We belong to a spiritual family that loves us at our best and worst. We are united together as the family of God, a group of men, women, boys and girls who believe in the Gospel “good news” that God made a way where there was no way, so that we might have abundant and everlasting life.

The Ministry Of Example! We need one another to grow spiritually the way God designed us to grow! When we do life together we learn from each other’s failures and successes. We see how “not to do it” and how to “do it”. Learning from failure and success are both important and the good news is: It is not dependent upon you being perfect and never making a mistake. It is just simply dependent upon you living your life, learning along the way and sharing the journey with others.

The Ministry Of Presence! We grow one another! The best way to learn is from one another. When we come together in unity, in spite of all that tries to divide us, it is a brilliant testimony to the rest of the world that there is something (SOMEONE) greater that unites us and ties us together. Young, old and in-between, from every socio-economic background, all colors and creeds, from every walk of life – united in Christ, yielded to the Spirit and in love with God our Creator.

I want to encourage you to find a church that you can be a part of, because you have blessings that someone else needs and somewhere there is someone waiting on you with a blessing you’ve been looking for…

affirmation, appreciation, Blogroll, Enlightenment, Gratitude, Growing, Healing, personal growth, self improvement

The Grass Isn’t Always Greener!

We live in a disposable society. The majority of people eat most of their meals with plastic untensils, on paper plates or in styrofoam bowls, which ends up going into the trash to help contribute to the filling up of landfills, which give an enduring testimony to how we have become a “throw away” society.

If we don’t like something, then the easiest thing to do is give it to someone else or throw it away. And this attitude of consumption and self satisfaction has contributed to our society being more selfish and never satisfied. As the landfills continue to grow deep and wide, our lives become more shallow and meaningless, leaving us with the lingering question: Where did we go wrong?

I think one of the real problems is that we have forgotten what real satisfaction is really all about and bought into the lie that tells us that we have to live like someone else to really be happy. We’ve developed a “the grass is greener” mentality that refuses to allow us to experience anything as it really is. Instead, we allow ourselves to make our decisions and live our lives based on the opinions, judgments and expectations of others, who could care less if you are happy, fulfilled or satisfied.

Live your life long enough and pay close enough attention and you will discover that the grass isn’t always greener on the other side, and if it is, then it’s probably because it’s built on top of a septic tank. God has created each one of us and gifted us with certain skills, talents and abilities. When we grow in our relationship with Him, He is able to use what He has given us to help us build a life of joy, happiness and contentment.

Most of us miss it, because we have bought into the false advertising of the society we’ve grown up in and most of us suffer from “If Only” disease. “If only I had this or that.” “If only I was as good looking or as smart as that person, then I would be truly happy” We convince ourselves that others have it better and if we had whatever it is that they have, that we want, then we would some how be complete and happy too. The problem with the “If Only” disease is that it never stops to take in the whole picture. If you look close enough at the person or thing that you think is perfect, you will discover that the person or thing has it’s own unique set of challenges, difficulties and struggles.

The grass is not always greener and if it is, then there is a reason and the reason may be good or it may be bad. If it’s good, then learn from it and make your own grass greener. If it’s bad, then learn from it and be grateful you are not having to dig up your septic tank.

Three Steps To Greener Grass On Your Side Of The Fence!

Step One: Be Grateful For The Grass You Have! Take and make time to appreciate what you have. The old saying is true: “Sometimes you don’t know what you had until it’s gone!” If we invested the time we spend admiring everyone else’s grass into appreciating our own grass, then we would find the motivation to actually get our grass greener, which is where the real satisfaction comes from.

Step Two: Take Care Of You And Yours! Stop wasting your time getting caught up in the comparison game. Your value comes from one amazing truth: God created you and gifted you on purpose and for a purpose. Live that truth, grow that truth and share that truth. Take care of the blessings God has given you and I can promise you they will reproduce.

Step Three: Enjoy! I truly believe that this life is God’s gift to us and what we do with this life is our gift to God. I believe the greatest way to give God a great gift back is to live the life He has given me for all it’s worth and then some. There is nothing like seeing the sun rise in the morning and set in the evening. There is no sound quiet as soul stirring as hearing your children and grandchildren laugh and be happy. There is nothing that taste so good as a good meal with great friends. There is no place that smells as sweet as home and there is no touch like the touch of the one you love and who loves you back.

If we are not careful, we miss what really matters, because we are looking for something better, when better was right where you live…