Monday, May 22, 2006
the truth about the da vinci code
I've just finished reading "The Da Vinci Code" and have to say it was an interesting read. The concern of course is that some of the 'facts' of the book are not really facts at all. The website http://www.thetruthaboutdavinci.com/ helps the discerning reader to sift through the 'facts' of the novel and test them against good historical evidence.
Enhancing your Bible study – verse-by-verse by Rick Warren
Rick Warren's Bible Study Methods
Learn how to study the Bible Rick Warren’s way. This easy-to-understand book gives you not just one, but 12 methods for exploring the riches of God’s Word. At least one of them is exactly what you’re looking for – an approach that’s right for you, right where you’re at. Simple step-by-step instructions guide you through the how-to’s of 12 different Bible study methods.
Pastor, if you want to maximize your personal Bible study time, I’ve got a simple suggestion for you: verse-by-verse study.
It’s not hard. In fact, you can glean an enormous amount from just five simple steps. Just pick a passage, grab a pen, and follow these procedures:
1. Write a personal paraphrase.Write out the verse in your own words. Do not use one of the modern paraphrases except to get the idea of how to do it. Stay true to the verse you are paraphrasing, and try to condense rather than expand it.
2. List some questions, answers, and observations.List any questions you have relating to words, phrases, persons, topics, and doctrines in that verse. Write down any answers you find and also record any observations you make. Mark these as follows:
Q = Question
A = Answer
O = Observations
3. Find cross-references for each verse.Using the cross-references from your study Bible or from Scripture memory, write down at least one cross-reference for the verse you are studying. Identify the word or phrase you are cross-referencing at the end of this chapter. Use a concordance if you do not have a cross-referenced Bible.
4. Record any insights you get from the verse.Having thought through the words, phrases, and concepts in the verse, record any insights that you get from them. These could be further observations, words, and names that you have looked up and defined, or any other thought that comes to you. Let your imagination go and be as creative as you can.
5. Write down a brief personal application for each verse.As you go through the verses, record the devotional thoughts that come to you. Later, when you’re planning a devotional Bible study, you can pick one of those thoughts and develop it further. Or, if a particular verse seems to meet an immediate need, go ahead and write out an application that is possible, practical, personal, and measurable.
My suspicion is that the notes you gather through your personal study time will eventually find their way into a sermon. And that’s okay! That’s a great way to maximize your time in the Word. But the real benefit of verse-by-verse study is your own personal refreshment. If you’re in need of refilling, pick a passage and get going – verse-by-verse.
Learn how to study the Bible Rick Warren’s way. This easy-to-understand book gives you not just one, but 12 methods for exploring the riches of God’s Word. At least one of them is exactly what you’re looking for – an approach that’s right for you, right where you’re at. Simple step-by-step instructions guide you through the how-to’s of 12 different Bible study methods.
Pastor, if you want to maximize your personal Bible study time, I’ve got a simple suggestion for you: verse-by-verse study.
It’s not hard. In fact, you can glean an enormous amount from just five simple steps. Just pick a passage, grab a pen, and follow these procedures:
1. Write a personal paraphrase.Write out the verse in your own words. Do not use one of the modern paraphrases except to get the idea of how to do it. Stay true to the verse you are paraphrasing, and try to condense rather than expand it.
2. List some questions, answers, and observations.List any questions you have relating to words, phrases, persons, topics, and doctrines in that verse. Write down any answers you find and also record any observations you make. Mark these as follows:
Q = Question
A = Answer
O = Observations
3. Find cross-references for each verse.Using the cross-references from your study Bible or from Scripture memory, write down at least one cross-reference for the verse you are studying. Identify the word or phrase you are cross-referencing at the end of this chapter. Use a concordance if you do not have a cross-referenced Bible.
4. Record any insights you get from the verse.Having thought through the words, phrases, and concepts in the verse, record any insights that you get from them. These could be further observations, words, and names that you have looked up and defined, or any other thought that comes to you. Let your imagination go and be as creative as you can.
5. Write down a brief personal application for each verse.As you go through the verses, record the devotional thoughts that come to you. Later, when you’re planning a devotional Bible study, you can pick one of those thoughts and develop it further. Or, if a particular verse seems to meet an immediate need, go ahead and write out an application that is possible, practical, personal, and measurable.
My suspicion is that the notes you gather through your personal study time will eventually find their way into a sermon. And that’s okay! That’s a great way to maximize your time in the Word. But the real benefit of verse-by-verse study is your own personal refreshment. If you’re in need of refilling, pick a passage and get going – verse-by-verse.
reasons to believe
http://www.reasons.org/ is a site dedicated to to answering skeptics and encouraging believers. Check it out for some interesting and challenging thoughts.
Wednesday, May 03, 2006
the da vinci code
In an excellent analysis of Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code (movie to be released May 19), scholar N.T. Wright points out that many of the details Brown insists are historical are easily proven false. He notes: "Brown claims, in a note at the start of his book, first that the architectural details of the places mentioned are correct and second that there really is a secret society called 'The Priory of Sion' to which people like Da Vinci himself, Isaac Newton, Victor Hugo, and others belonged. Both of these claims can be shown very easily to be false.
"On the first: I only know well one of the buildings which features in the book, namely Westminster Abbey. All right, Brown knows where the Isaac Newton monument is. But he still makes gaffe after gaffe which could have been corrected by 10 minutes of walking around with his eyes open. The Abbey has towers, not spires. You cannot see Parliament from St James's Park. College Garden is an extremely private place, not 'a very public place' outside the Abbey's walls (527). You cannot look out into it from the Chapter House; nor is there a 'long hallway' leading to the latter, with a "'heavy wooden door' at the end (529 ff.). Ten minutes' observation by a junior research assistant could have put all this right. If Brown is so careless, and carelessly inventive, in details as easy to check as those, why should we trust him in anything else?
"And when it comes, second, to the Priory of Sion, the documents which Brown, following Baigent and Leigh, cite as evidence were forgeries cooked up by three zany Frenchmen in the 1950s. They cheerfully confessed to this in a devastating television program shown on British television in February (2005). And as for Brown's theory about Da Vinci's 'Last Supper,' according to which the Beloved Disciple next to Jesus is actually a woman, that he/she and Jesus are joined at the hip, that they are sitting in such a way as to display the letter V, apparently a sign of femininity, and also the letter M, for Mary, or Magdalene, or marriage, or something else, this is pure fantasy. You can take any great painting and play this kind of game with it. That's not to say that some painters may not have implanted coded messages in their work. It would be surprising if they didn't. But you won't find too many serious art critics giving Brown's reading of the painting more than a passing smile.
"Other details abound which make the first-century historian snort and want to throw the book into the fire. . . . We may safely conclude, then, that The Da Vinci Code is fiction not just in its characters and plot but in most of its other details as well." (Click here to read the full lecture.)
"On the first: I only know well one of the buildings which features in the book, namely Westminster Abbey. All right, Brown knows where the Isaac Newton monument is. But he still makes gaffe after gaffe which could have been corrected by 10 minutes of walking around with his eyes open. The Abbey has towers, not spires. You cannot see Parliament from St James's Park. College Garden is an extremely private place, not 'a very public place' outside the Abbey's walls (527). You cannot look out into it from the Chapter House; nor is there a 'long hallway' leading to the latter, with a "'heavy wooden door' at the end (529 ff.). Ten minutes' observation by a junior research assistant could have put all this right. If Brown is so careless, and carelessly inventive, in details as easy to check as those, why should we trust him in anything else?
"And when it comes, second, to the Priory of Sion, the documents which Brown, following Baigent and Leigh, cite as evidence were forgeries cooked up by three zany Frenchmen in the 1950s. They cheerfully confessed to this in a devastating television program shown on British television in February (2005). And as for Brown's theory about Da Vinci's 'Last Supper,' according to which the Beloved Disciple next to Jesus is actually a woman, that he/she and Jesus are joined at the hip, that they are sitting in such a way as to display the letter V, apparently a sign of femininity, and also the letter M, for Mary, or Magdalene, or marriage, or something else, this is pure fantasy. You can take any great painting and play this kind of game with it. That's not to say that some painters may not have implanted coded messages in their work. It would be surprising if they didn't. But you won't find too many serious art critics giving Brown's reading of the painting more than a passing smile.
"Other details abound which make the first-century historian snort and want to throw the book into the fire. . . . We may safely conclude, then, that The Da Vinci Code is fiction not just in its characters and plot but in most of its other details as well." (Click here to read the full lecture.)
Sunday, April 30, 2006
Dietrich Bonhoeffer prayer
This prayer by Dietrich Bonhoeffer prayer depicts the one beside whom we live and before whom we pray:
Lord Jesus, come yourself, and dwell with us, be human as we are, and overcome what overwhelms us. Come into the midst of my evil, come close to my unfaithfulness. Share my sin, which I hate and which I cannot leave. Be my brother, Thou Holy God. Be my brother in the kingdom of evil and suffering and death. Come with me in my death, come with me in my suffering, come with me as I struggle with evil. And make me holy and pure, despite my sin and death.
Lord Jesus, come yourself, and dwell with us, be human as we are, and overcome what overwhelms us. Come into the midst of my evil, come close to my unfaithfulness. Share my sin, which I hate and which I cannot leave. Be my brother, Thou Holy God. Be my brother in the kingdom of evil and suffering and death. Come with me in my death, come with me in my suffering, come with me as I struggle with evil. And make me holy and pure, despite my sin and death.
Wednesday, April 26, 2006
faith and social justice
Did you realise that the bible talks a REAL LOT about social justice? If you're interested in exploring the who issue more then check out http://www.sojourners.com/ or read Jim Wallis's book "God's Politics".
Our congregational actively supports each of the following excellent ministries either financially, with leaders or by having members who are staff.
Habitat for Humanity at http://www.habitat.org.au/
Opportuntity International at http://www.opportunity.org.au/
TearAustralia at http://www.tear.org.au/
World Vision at http://www.worldvision.com.au/
Amnesty International at http://www.amnesty.org.au/
Our congregational actively supports each of the following excellent ministries either financially, with leaders or by having members who are staff.
Habitat for Humanity at http://www.habitat.org.au/
Opportuntity International at http://www.opportunity.org.au/
TearAustralia at http://www.tear.org.au/
World Vision at http://www.worldvision.com.au/
Amnesty International at http://www.amnesty.org.au/
Monday, April 24, 2006
discipleship goals
On Sunday we looked at Matthew 28:16-20 and noticed that the mission which Jesus left for the church was 'to make disciples of all nations.'
I have often considered what a disciple looks like in measureable terms so that I can check whether or not what I'm doing is achieving anything. Here are the measures I use, they're not perfect, but they are a good place to start considering what we're on about.
My ten goals for disciples are ...
1) To be growing in intimacy with God through developing a personal relationship with the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
2) To be able to identify at least one person whom you share an active accountability relationship.
3) To be a joyful and active small group member.
4) To have determined and be following through on a personal giving decision.
5) To be using your spiritual gifts fruitfully.
6) To be receiving personal and appropriate equipping, encouraging and empowering in the area of your ministry service.
7) To be regularly experiencing meaningful corporate worship.
8) To be able to list three non-christians for whom you are regularly praying and taking active steps to help them come to a meaningful experience of God.
9) To be able to identify recent areas of growth in the fruit of the Spirit.
10) To be living a holistic and balanced life.
I have often considered what a disciple looks like in measureable terms so that I can check whether or not what I'm doing is achieving anything. Here are the measures I use, they're not perfect, but they are a good place to start considering what we're on about.
My ten goals for disciples are ...
1) To be growing in intimacy with God through developing a personal relationship with the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
2) To be able to identify at least one person whom you share an active accountability relationship.
3) To be a joyful and active small group member.
4) To have determined and be following through on a personal giving decision.
5) To be using your spiritual gifts fruitfully.
6) To be receiving personal and appropriate equipping, encouraging and empowering in the area of your ministry service.
7) To be regularly experiencing meaningful corporate worship.
8) To be able to list three non-christians for whom you are regularly praying and taking active steps to help them come to a meaningful experience of God.
9) To be able to identify recent areas of growth in the fruit of the Spirit.
10) To be living a holistic and balanced life.
Thursday, April 20, 2006
the m word
Here's a really interesting link look at a Christian response to the issue of masturbation. http://www.pureonline.com/masturbation.aspx
Wednesday, April 19, 2006
science proves the story of the missing day of the bible
A friend of mind recently sent me an interesting story about how science had proven the biblical story of a missing day. I thought it was a really interesting story and a powerful arguement, but, before sharing it I decided to do some quick checking of the facts only to discover it was a hoax.
To see the story and the real facts check out http://www.joyfulministry.com/timef.htm & http://www.answersingenesis.org/docs/1117.asp
There are indeed lots of good reasons to follow our Lord Jesus, some from science and others from other sources such as history. We should keenly share these reasons with others, but as we share it is important that the stories that are meant to inspire faith in others are checked out for there truthfulness first, otherwise all we do is casts a doubt on the credibility of our faith.
To see the story and the real facts check out http://www.joyfulministry.com/timef.htm & http://www.answersingenesis.org/docs/1117.asp
There are indeed lots of good reasons to follow our Lord Jesus, some from science and others from other sources such as history. We should keenly share these reasons with others, but as we share it is important that the stories that are meant to inspire faith in others are checked out for there truthfulness first, otherwise all we do is casts a doubt on the credibility of our faith.
Wednesday, March 15, 2006
the value of journaling
Write down what you have seen (Revelation 1:19, NLT).
Dear friends: Sheila had an exciting job at a rapidly growing public relations firm. Her supervisor was energetic and talented, but he had a short temper and was not always reasonable or gracious. Nevertheless, despite her difficulties, Sheila firmly believed that God had provided her with this job, and she determined to trust Him to help her as she labored. One afternoon a phone call nearly ruined Sheila's whole week. Her boss was angry over a misunderstanding and accused her of irresponsibility and disloyalty. Her heart sank. She hung up the phone in tears. "Lord," she prayed silently, "You know how unfair he is sometimes. What do you want me to do?" The spiritual journal, which she had been keeping for the past several months, came to mind. She had been writing down prayer requests, Scriptures or Bible promises that applied to her circumstances, and insights that the Holy Spirit had given her. Quietly, in her heart, Sheila felt prompted to pick up the journal and read it. Through tears of joy she saw that in page after page she had recorded verses of Scripture for the very problem she faced that day. Before putting the journal away, Sheila made a note of the day's troubles and thanked God for the comfort of His Word. In less than an hour, her boss called back and apologized! For Sheila, keeping a spiritual journal proved to be of great encouragement in a moment of stress. Writing is important to God. He gave us His written Word. There are numerous instances in the Bible where God says to "write," such as in Revelation 1:19: "Write down what you have seen" (NLT). You might enjoy a word study on that. Such references are certainly not a legalistic requirement to journal, but it is a reminder that writing things down helps us to remember. There are also numerous exhortations in the Bible to "remember." Scientists have shown that if we see something as well as hear it, if it goes through our eye gate as well as our ear gate, we are more apt to remember. Journaling helps us to remember what God may have previously revealed to us, which we might otherwise forget. Sometimes it proves helpful if we journal our journey. Yours for helping to fulfill the Great Commission each year until our Lord returns, Bill Bright
Dear friends: Sheila had an exciting job at a rapidly growing public relations firm. Her supervisor was energetic and talented, but he had a short temper and was not always reasonable or gracious. Nevertheless, despite her difficulties, Sheila firmly believed that God had provided her with this job, and she determined to trust Him to help her as she labored. One afternoon a phone call nearly ruined Sheila's whole week. Her boss was angry over a misunderstanding and accused her of irresponsibility and disloyalty. Her heart sank. She hung up the phone in tears. "Lord," she prayed silently, "You know how unfair he is sometimes. What do you want me to do?" The spiritual journal, which she had been keeping for the past several months, came to mind. She had been writing down prayer requests, Scriptures or Bible promises that applied to her circumstances, and insights that the Holy Spirit had given her. Quietly, in her heart, Sheila felt prompted to pick up the journal and read it. Through tears of joy she saw that in page after page she had recorded verses of Scripture for the very problem she faced that day. Before putting the journal away, Sheila made a note of the day's troubles and thanked God for the comfort of His Word. In less than an hour, her boss called back and apologized! For Sheila, keeping a spiritual journal proved to be of great encouragement in a moment of stress. Writing is important to God. He gave us His written Word. There are numerous instances in the Bible where God says to "write," such as in Revelation 1:19: "Write down what you have seen" (NLT). You might enjoy a word study on that. Such references are certainly not a legalistic requirement to journal, but it is a reminder that writing things down helps us to remember. There are also numerous exhortations in the Bible to "remember." Scientists have shown that if we see something as well as hear it, if it goes through our eye gate as well as our ear gate, we are more apt to remember. Journaling helps us to remember what God may have previously revealed to us, which we might otherwise forget. Sometimes it proves helpful if we journal our journey. Yours for helping to fulfill the Great Commission each year until our Lord returns, Bill Bright
glandular fever
The link is the reflection of the wife of a friend of mine who wrote about her journey with Glandular Fever. It's a neat read about the lessons learnt through a difficult experience.
Tuesday, March 14, 2006
christian book summaries
www.christianbooksummaries.com is a site dedicated to providing summaries of recent Christian books. It's worth checking every once in a while for hints about a book worth reading.
spiritual health report
The Apostle Paul was right when he discussed in Romans 7 the struggle we all have with sin. He said in Romans 7:19-20 "For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do - this I keep on doing."
Who of us has not found ourselves doing what we know to be wrong and hating ourselves for it.
Prompted by my discovery that I believed some modern myths about health (see previous blog on Health Report) I decided to re-read the bible and see what it said about dealing with sin, and not just to rely upon commonly held ideas and theories. I'll let you know what I discover, but for know I'd like to suggest something that has been very helpful for me. I have found it more important to concentrate on my intimacy with Jesus than on trying not to sin. When I focus on not sinning I find temptation becomes more powerful, but when I concentrate on Jesus and my relationship with him, then I discover that temptation loses much of its power.
Let me know your thoughts and learning on this important subject for the life of the follower of Jesus.
Who of us has not found ourselves doing what we know to be wrong and hating ourselves for it.
Prompted by my discovery that I believed some modern myths about health (see previous blog on Health Report) I decided to re-read the bible and see what it said about dealing with sin, and not just to rely upon commonly held ideas and theories. I'll let you know what I discover, but for know I'd like to suggest something that has been very helpful for me. I have found it more important to concentrate on my intimacy with Jesus than on trying not to sin. When I focus on not sinning I find temptation becomes more powerful, but when I concentrate on Jesus and my relationship with him, then I discover that temptation loses much of its power.
Let me know your thoughts and learning on this important subject for the life of the follower of Jesus.
the health report
Was listening to the ABC Health Report and discovered just how easily we are persuaded by modern myths, things everyone knows to be true, but aren't. This reminded me how important it is to have a solid foundation of truth which is not influenced by current trends and hence why I believe having a strong bible understanding is important for the follower of Jesus.
Check out the ABC Health Report at http://www.abc.net.au/rn/healthreport/default.htm and see if your views about health is influenced by modern myth or backed up by scientific research, you might just be surprised, I certainly was.
Check out the ABC Health Report at http://www.abc.net.au/rn/healthreport/default.htm and see if your views about health is influenced by modern myth or backed up by scientific research, you might just be surprised, I certainly was.
Sunday, March 12, 2006
helpful files
When I'm looking for online software the first place I check, especially for freeware or shareware, is www.tucows.com
the teaching company
The Teaching Company (www.teach12.com) is a great source of quality resources on subjects such as History, Philosophy, Literature, Business & Economics, etc.
I have bought a number of courses on Philosophy and Thinking and found them valuable and very reasonably priced.
Someone else's view on The Teaching Company can be found at http://www.intuitive.com/blog/the_teaching_company_selling_by_giving_away.html
I have bought a number of courses on Philosophy and Thinking and found them valuable and very reasonably priced.
Someone else's view on The Teaching Company can be found at http://www.intuitive.com/blog/the_teaching_company_selling_by_giving_away.html
the fifth point
Dear friends: The huge, beautiful ballroom of the Marriott Hotel in Chicago was crowded to capacity with more than 1,300 college students and Campus Crusade for Christ staff. The spiritually hungry students seemed to hang onto my every word as I explained one of the most exciting spiritual discoveries I had ever made. For years I had spoken on the subject of love. I had a beautiful four-point outline: First, God loves us unconditionally. Second, we are commanded to love others -- God, our neighbors, and even our enemies. Third, we are incapable of loving others in our own strength. Fourth, we can love others with God's love. But, as in the case of most sermons on love, something was missing. Later, early one morning some years ago, I was awakened from a deep sleep. I felt impressed to get up, open my Bible, and kneel to read and pray. What I discovered during the next two hours has since enriched my life and the lives of tens of thousands of others. In that life-changing time of fellowship with the Lord, I was given a fifth point for my future sermons on love: We love by faith! Suddenly I was able to more clearly see that love is not a mushy feeling, but a decision -- an act of our wills. We can "choose" to love, and we do so "by faith." We may not feel like it. A person may have hurt us and even hate us, but we can love that person by faith. And we know that God operates through our faith. Previously I shared about when I spoke to a group of pastors on the importance of God's supernatural love and loving by faith. One of the pastors came up to me after the meeting and said, "Six months ago, there was a man in my church who opposed everything I wanted to do. Frankly, I couldn't stand the man, and he couldn't stand me. We were at an impasse, and the church was being split because of it. I heard you speak on 'loving by faith,' and I determined that I would love him. I began to claim God's love for him by faith. Six months have passed, and that man is now my very best friend." God's love is real and His power to love people through us by our faith is also real. "Love never fails" (1 Corinthians 13:8, NIV.) Yours for helping to fulfill the Great Commission each year until our Lord returns, Bill Bright
Monday, March 06, 2006
an unusual event, I won!
Gloating is a terrible thing, but sometimes it just has to be done!
Thanks Alex for the great game of squash today but just so everyone knows, here's the score that had Alex sobbing in the corner like a baby. 15-11, 15-10, 15-11, 11-15.
Thanks Alex for the great game of squash today but just so everyone knows, here's the score that had Alex sobbing in the corner like a baby. 15-11, 15-10, 15-11, 11-15.
chuck colson
Click on the link to check out the Break Point site for Chuck Colson's daily radio commentaries, which focus on issues of living out a Christian life in turbulent post-modern society.
For those that don't know, Chuck Colson was one of the key figures in the President Nixon years and a man who ended up in jail for his part in the events that caused the fall of Nixon. Chuck became a Christian while in prison and now has an amazing ministry around the world and more particularly in prisons around the world.
For those that don't know, Chuck Colson was one of the key figures in the President Nixon years and a man who ended up in jail for his part in the events that caused the fall of Nixon. Chuck became a Christian while in prison and now has an amazing ministry around the world and more particularly in prisons around the world.
Thursday, March 02, 2006
weight loss
So everyone has there own theories about weight loss. For what they are worth here are some of the things that have worked for me. (I've gone from 90 to 84kg in the last three months or so and feel fitter than I have for 20 years.)
1) Have a minimum / maximum goal instead of just one goal. So instead of aiming for 75kg, I am going for 75kg - 80kg as my goal. The minimum goal is the best I think I can do, the maximum is what I would be really happy with.
2) Drink more water. Don't go crazy, just add more water on a daily basis. I have 600ml bottles of cold water in the fridge and everyday just grab one and drink it down.
3) Keep a running tally of your lowest weight. Weighing scales are inaccurate, even if you weigh the same the scales will vary because of how they work. So I simply weigh myself every morning at the same time and just keep a tally of the weight when it is lower than the last time. If it's higher I just ignore it! So on my board I have a tally that looks something like this: 90, 89.8, 89.2, 88.0 ... 74.3.
This system takes account of the changes in weight that happen because of life and scale design, and just gives you a weight that motivates.
4) Take the simple exercise option. These days I walk the stairs instead of using the lift. I walk the dog more. I say yes to offers to play tennis, squash. I jump in the water and have a swim. I don't stress out about an exercise regime, I just do something more in every day and don't berate myself if I have a day off.
5) Get more sleep. The recommendation from the experts is 8 1/2 to 9 1/2 hours sleep a night. If you do this you WILL feel much better and consequently have more energy to be more active and more motivated.
6) Don't rush. Do the above and just relax and let it happen in its own time. As long as you occassionally get a lower weight on your running tally it will keep you motivated. I don't have a target date, I just everyday do a little extra, take a few more steps, eat a bit less junk food, and every few days or weeks I notice a lower weight.
1) Have a minimum / maximum goal instead of just one goal. So instead of aiming for 75kg, I am going for 75kg - 80kg as my goal. The minimum goal is the best I think I can do, the maximum is what I would be really happy with.
2) Drink more water. Don't go crazy, just add more water on a daily basis. I have 600ml bottles of cold water in the fridge and everyday just grab one and drink it down.
3) Keep a running tally of your lowest weight. Weighing scales are inaccurate, even if you weigh the same the scales will vary because of how they work. So I simply weigh myself every morning at the same time and just keep a tally of the weight when it is lower than the last time. If it's higher I just ignore it! So on my board I have a tally that looks something like this: 90, 89.8, 89.2, 88.0 ... 74.3.
This system takes account of the changes in weight that happen because of life and scale design, and just gives you a weight that motivates.
4) Take the simple exercise option. These days I walk the stairs instead of using the lift. I walk the dog more. I say yes to offers to play tennis, squash. I jump in the water and have a swim. I don't stress out about an exercise regime, I just do something more in every day and don't berate myself if I have a day off.
5) Get more sleep. The recommendation from the experts is 8 1/2 to 9 1/2 hours sleep a night. If you do this you WILL feel much better and consequently have more energy to be more active and more motivated.
6) Don't rush. Do the above and just relax and let it happen in its own time. As long as you occassionally get a lower weight on your running tally it will keep you motivated. I don't have a target date, I just everyday do a little extra, take a few more steps, eat a bit less junk food, and every few days or weeks I notice a lower weight.
Wednesday, March 01, 2006
close call
Edward Steichen, who eventually became one of the world's most renowned photographers, almost gave up on the day he shot his first pictures. At 16, young Steichen bought a camera and took 50 photos. Only one turned out -- a portrait of his sister at the piano. Edward's father thought that was a poor showing. But his mother insisted that the photograph of his sister was so beautiful that it more than compensated for 49 failures. Her encouragement convinced the youngster to stick with his new hobby. He stayed with it for the rest of his life, but it had been a close call. What tipped the scales? The vision to spot excellence in the midst of a lot of failure. (Bits & Pieces, February 4, 1993)
"The culture you create is largely a product of how you see those whom God has placed you with. You have to think rightly in order to lead well. What your mind dwells upon determines your vantage point, and your vantage point as a leader affects the culture you shape. Culture shapes the church, and leaders make the culture." (Culture Shift, Robert Lewis & Wayne Cordeiro, P28)
Comment: The author makes the point, if you look at your people and see hopelessness, that is what you will get. But if you look at your people and see people whom God has strategically given you and as possessing what God wants them to have to achieve what God wants to achieve, then you will fulfill God's vision for your church.
Me, I look at the people God has given to us here at CMP and I see ordinary people like me who are able to do extraordinary things because of what God is doing in us and through us.
Comment: The author makes the point, if you look at your people and see hopelessness, that is what you will get. But if you look at your people and see people whom God has strategically given you and as possessing what God wants them to have to achieve what God wants to achieve, then you will fulfill God's vision for your church.
Me, I look at the people God has given to us here at CMP and I see ordinary people like me who are able to do extraordinary things because of what God is doing in us and through us.
Monday, February 27, 2006
excellent biblical resources
Here are some excellent biblical resouce websites: http://www.biblegateway.com/, http://www.studylight.org/, http://www.bible.org. If there are any you recommend please let me know.
learning online
This came across my desk today and I thought it was worth checking out so click on the link to find out how you can do 100 course for US$100. It's worth a look. Some really really interesting courses available to do online.
Friday, February 24, 2006
philosophy of Charles Schutz, the creator of "Peanuts"
The following is the philosophy of Charles Schultz, the creator of the "Peanuts" comic strip. You don't have to actually answer the questions. Just read the e-mail straight through and you'll get the point.
1. Name the five wealthiest people in the world.
2. Name the last five Melbourne Cup trophy winners.
3. Name the last five winners of the Miss Australia.
4. Name ten people who have won the Nobel or Pulitzer Prize.
5. Name the last half dozen Academy Award winner for best actor and actress.
How did you do?
The point is, none of us remember the headliners of yesterday. These are no second-rate achievers. They are the best in their fields. But the applause dies. Awards tarnish. Achievements are forgotten. Accolades and certificates are buried with their owners.
Here's another quiz. See how you do on this one:
1. List a few teachers who aided your journey through school.
2. Name three friends who have helped you through a difficult time.
3. Name five people who have taught you something worthwhile.
4. Think of a few people who have made you feel appreciated and special.
5. Think of five people you enjoy spending time with.
Easier? The lesson: The people who make a difference in your life are not the ones with the most credentials, the most money, or the most awards. They are the ones that care.
1. Name the five wealthiest people in the world.
2. Name the last five Melbourne Cup trophy winners.
3. Name the last five winners of the Miss Australia.
4. Name ten people who have won the Nobel or Pulitzer Prize.
5. Name the last half dozen Academy Award winner for best actor and actress.
How did you do?
The point is, none of us remember the headliners of yesterday. These are no second-rate achievers. They are the best in their fields. But the applause dies. Awards tarnish. Achievements are forgotten. Accolades and certificates are buried with their owners.
Here's another quiz. See how you do on this one:
1. List a few teachers who aided your journey through school.
2. Name three friends who have helped you through a difficult time.
3. Name five people who have taught you something worthwhile.
4. Think of a few people who have made you feel appreciated and special.
5. Think of five people you enjoy spending time with.
Easier? The lesson: The people who make a difference in your life are not the ones with the most credentials, the most money, or the most awards. They are the ones that care.
the cross
The cross is the way of the lost. The cross is the staff of the lame. The cross is the guide of the blind. The cross the strength of the weak. The cross is the hope of the hopeless. The cross is the freedom of the slaves. The cross the water of the seeds. The cross is the consolation of the labourers. The cross is the source of those who seek water. The cross is the cloth of the naked" - African Hymn
online community for post-moderns
One of the best online communities related to post-modern ministry is found at www.theooze.com
fear impossible
An interesting quote worth thinking about.
"It is impossible ... to experience or feel either fear, anger, or anxiety, while completely relaxed, quiet and composed." (The New Psycho-Cybernetics, Maltz, P.238)
"It is impossible ... to experience or feel either fear, anger, or anxiety, while completely relaxed, quiet and composed." (The New Psycho-Cybernetics, Maltz, P.238)
changing feelings
What do you think about the following quote. It is a bit of a challenge to my current thinking.
"A bad feeling is not dispelled by conscious effort or willpower. It can be dispelled, however, by another feeling. If we cannot drive out a negative feeling by making a frontal assault on it, we can accomplish the same result by substituting a positive feeling. Remember that FEELINGS FOLLOW IMAGERY. Feeling coincides with, and is appropriate to, what our nervous system accepts as real or the truth about environment. Whenever we find ourselves experiencing undesireable feelings, we should not concentrate on the undesireable feeling, event to the extent of driving it out. INSTEAD, we should immediately concentrate on positive imagery, on filling the mind with wholesome, positive, desireable images, imaginations, and memories. If we do this, the negative feelings take care of themselves. They simply evaporate. We develop new feeling-tones appropriate to the new imagery." (The New Psycho-Cybernetics, Maltz, p.275-276)
"A bad feeling is not dispelled by conscious effort or willpower. It can be dispelled, however, by another feeling. If we cannot drive out a negative feeling by making a frontal assault on it, we can accomplish the same result by substituting a positive feeling. Remember that FEELINGS FOLLOW IMAGERY. Feeling coincides with, and is appropriate to, what our nervous system accepts as real or the truth about environment. Whenever we find ourselves experiencing undesireable feelings, we should not concentrate on the undesireable feeling, event to the extent of driving it out. INSTEAD, we should immediately concentrate on positive imagery, on filling the mind with wholesome, positive, desireable images, imaginations, and memories. If we do this, the negative feelings take care of themselves. They simply evaporate. We develop new feeling-tones appropriate to the new imagery." (The New Psycho-Cybernetics, Maltz, p.275-276)
changing feelings
What do you think about the following quote. It is a bit of a challenge to my current thinking.
"A bad feeling is not dispelled by conscious effort or willpower. It can be dispelled, however, by another feeling. If we cannot drive out a negative feeling by making a frontal assault on it, we can accomplish the same result by substituting a positive feeling. Remember that FEELINGS FOLLOW IMAGERY. Feeling coincides with, and is appropriate to, what our nervous system accepts as real or the truth about environment. Whenever we find ourselves experiencing undesireable feelings, we should not concentrate on the undesireable feeling, event to the extent of driving it out. INSTEAD, we should immediately concentrate on positive imagery, on filling the mind with wholesome, positive, desireable images, imaginations, and memories. If we do this, the negative feelings take care of themselves. They simply evaporate. We develop new feeling-tones appropriate to the new imagery." (The New Psycho-Cybernetices, Matz, p.275-276)
"A bad feeling is not dispelled by conscious effort or willpower. It can be dispelled, however, by another feeling. If we cannot drive out a negative feeling by making a frontal assault on it, we can accomplish the same result by substituting a positive feeling. Remember that FEELINGS FOLLOW IMAGERY. Feeling coincides with, and is appropriate to, what our nervous system accepts as real or the truth about environment. Whenever we find ourselves experiencing undesireable feelings, we should not concentrate on the undesireable feeling, event to the extent of driving it out. INSTEAD, we should immediately concentrate on positive imagery, on filling the mind with wholesome, positive, desireable images, imaginations, and memories. If we do this, the negative feelings take care of themselves. They simply evaporate. We develop new feeling-tones appropriate to the new imagery." (The New Psycho-Cybernetices, Matz, p.275-276)
christian leadership
If you are interested in Jesus as a leadership model then check out "Lead Like Jesus" written by Ken Blanchard and Phil Hodges.
Tuesday, February 14, 2006
Here's a really interesting article on postmodernism by Brian McLaren. It's a bit of a tough read but well worth the effort. I think he does a great job at defining postmodernism. Put your thinking cap on and enjoy the read.
http://www.anewkindofchristian.com/archives/000071.html
http://www.anewkindofchristian.com/archives/000071.html
Wednesday, February 08, 2006
what would you do?
What would you do?
At a fundraising dinner for a school that serves learning disabled children, the father of one of the students delivered a speech that would never be forgotten by all who attended. After extolling the school and its dedicated staff, he offered a question:
"When not interfered with by outside influences, everything nature does is done with perfection. Yet my son, Shay, cannot learn things as other children do. He cannot understand things as other children do.
Where is the natural order of things in my son?"
The audience was stilled by the query.
The father continued. "I believe, that when a child like Shay, physically and mentally handicapped comes into the world, an opportunity to realize true human nature presents itself, and it comes, in the way other people treat that child. "Then he told the following story: Shay and his father had walked past a park where some boys Shay knew were playing baseball.
Shay asked, "Do you think they'll let me play?" Shay's father knew that most of the boys would not want someone like Shay on their team, but the father also understood that if his son were allowed to play, it would give him a much-needed sense of belonging and some confidence to be accepted by others in spite of his handicaps.
Shay's father approached one of the boys on the field and asked if Shay could play, not expecting much. The boy looked around for guidance and said, "We're losing by six runs and the game is in the eighth inning. I guess he can be on our team and we'll try to put him in to bat in the ninth inning."
Shay struggled over to the team's bench put on a team shirt with a broad smile and his Father had a small tear in his eye and warmth in his heart.
The boys saw the father's joy at his son being accepted In the bottom of the eighth inning, Shay's team scored a few runs but was still behind by three. In the top of the ninth inning, Shay put on a glove and played in the right field. Even though no hits came his way, he was obviously ecstatic just to be in the game and on the field, grinning from ear to ear as his father waved to him from the stands.
In the bottom of the ninth inning, Shay's team scored again. Now, with two outs and the bases loaded, the potential winning run was on base and Shay was scheduled to be next at bat.
At this juncture, do they let Shay bat and give away their chance to win the game? Surprisingly, Shay was given the bat. Everyone knew that a hit was all but impossible 'cause Shay didn't even know how to hold the bat properly, much less connect with the ball.
However, as Shay stepped up to the plate, the pitcher, recognizing the other team putting winning aside for this moment in Shay's life, moved in a few steps to lob the ball in softly so Shay could at least be able to make contact. The first pitch came and Shay swung clumsily and missed. The pitcher again took a few steps forward to toss the ball softly towards Shay. As the pitch came in, Shay swung at the ball and hit a slow ground ball right back to the pitcher.
The game would now be over, but the pitcher picked up the soft grounder and could have easily thrown the ball to the first baseman. Shay would have been out and that would have been the end of the game.
Instead, the pitcher threw the ball right over the head of the first baseman, out of reach of all team mates. Everyone from the stands and both teams started yelling, "Shay, run to first! Run to first!"
Never in his life had Shay ever ran that far but made it to first base.
He scampered down the baseline, wide-eyed and startled.
Everyone yelled, "Run to second, run to second!" Catching his breath, Shay awkwardly ran towards second, gleaming and struggling to make it to second base. By the time Shay rounded towards second base, the right fielder had the ball, the smallest guy on their team, who had a chance to be the hero for his team for the first time. He could have thrown the ball to the second-baseman for the tag, but he understood the pitcher's intentions and he too intentionally threw the ball high and far over the third-baseman's head. Shay ran toward third base deliriously as the runners ahead of him circled the bases toward home.
All were screaming, "Shay, Shay, Shay, all the Way Shay" Shay reached third base, the opposing shortstop ran to help him and turned him in the direction of third base, and shouted, "Run to third!
Shay, run to third" As Shay rounded third, the boys from both teams and those watching were on their feet were screaming, "Shay, run home!
Shay ran to home, stepped on the plate, and was cheered as the hero who hit the "grand slam" and won the game for his team. That day, said the father softly with tears now rolling down his face, the boys from both teams helped bring a piece of true love and humanity into this world.
Shay didn't make it to another summer and died that winter, having never forgotten being the hero and making his Father so happy and coming home and seeing his Mother tearfully embrace her little hero of the day!
At a fundraising dinner for a school that serves learning disabled children, the father of one of the students delivered a speech that would never be forgotten by all who attended. After extolling the school and its dedicated staff, he offered a question:
"When not interfered with by outside influences, everything nature does is done with perfection. Yet my son, Shay, cannot learn things as other children do. He cannot understand things as other children do.
Where is the natural order of things in my son?"
The audience was stilled by the query.
The father continued. "I believe, that when a child like Shay, physically and mentally handicapped comes into the world, an opportunity to realize true human nature presents itself, and it comes, in the way other people treat that child. "Then he told the following story: Shay and his father had walked past a park where some boys Shay knew were playing baseball.
Shay asked, "Do you think they'll let me play?" Shay's father knew that most of the boys would not want someone like Shay on their team, but the father also understood that if his son were allowed to play, it would give him a much-needed sense of belonging and some confidence to be accepted by others in spite of his handicaps.
Shay's father approached one of the boys on the field and asked if Shay could play, not expecting much. The boy looked around for guidance and said, "We're losing by six runs and the game is in the eighth inning. I guess he can be on our team and we'll try to put him in to bat in the ninth inning."
Shay struggled over to the team's bench put on a team shirt with a broad smile and his Father had a small tear in his eye and warmth in his heart.
The boys saw the father's joy at his son being accepted In the bottom of the eighth inning, Shay's team scored a few runs but was still behind by three. In the top of the ninth inning, Shay put on a glove and played in the right field. Even though no hits came his way, he was obviously ecstatic just to be in the game and on the field, grinning from ear to ear as his father waved to him from the stands.
In the bottom of the ninth inning, Shay's team scored again. Now, with two outs and the bases loaded, the potential winning run was on base and Shay was scheduled to be next at bat.
At this juncture, do they let Shay bat and give away their chance to win the game? Surprisingly, Shay was given the bat. Everyone knew that a hit was all but impossible 'cause Shay didn't even know how to hold the bat properly, much less connect with the ball.
However, as Shay stepped up to the plate, the pitcher, recognizing the other team putting winning aside for this moment in Shay's life, moved in a few steps to lob the ball in softly so Shay could at least be able to make contact. The first pitch came and Shay swung clumsily and missed. The pitcher again took a few steps forward to toss the ball softly towards Shay. As the pitch came in, Shay swung at the ball and hit a slow ground ball right back to the pitcher.
The game would now be over, but the pitcher picked up the soft grounder and could have easily thrown the ball to the first baseman. Shay would have been out and that would have been the end of the game.
Instead, the pitcher threw the ball right over the head of the first baseman, out of reach of all team mates. Everyone from the stands and both teams started yelling, "Shay, run to first! Run to first!"
Never in his life had Shay ever ran that far but made it to first base.
He scampered down the baseline, wide-eyed and startled.
Everyone yelled, "Run to second, run to second!" Catching his breath, Shay awkwardly ran towards second, gleaming and struggling to make it to second base. By the time Shay rounded towards second base, the right fielder had the ball, the smallest guy on their team, who had a chance to be the hero for his team for the first time. He could have thrown the ball to the second-baseman for the tag, but he understood the pitcher's intentions and he too intentionally threw the ball high and far over the third-baseman's head. Shay ran toward third base deliriously as the runners ahead of him circled the bases toward home.
All were screaming, "Shay, Shay, Shay, all the Way Shay" Shay reached third base, the opposing shortstop ran to help him and turned him in the direction of third base, and shouted, "Run to third!
Shay, run to third" As Shay rounded third, the boys from both teams and those watching were on their feet were screaming, "Shay, run home!
Shay ran to home, stepped on the plate, and was cheered as the hero who hit the "grand slam" and won the game for his team. That day, said the father softly with tears now rolling down his face, the boys from both teams helped bring a piece of true love and humanity into this world.
Shay didn't make it to another summer and died that winter, having never forgotten being the hero and making his Father so happy and coming home and seeing his Mother tearfully embrace her little hero of the day!
funny
Interesting Year 1981
1. Prince Charles got married
2. Liverpool was crowned soccer Champions of Europe
3. Australia lost the Ashes tournament.
4. Pope Died
Interesting Year 2005
1. Prince Charles got married
2. Liverpool was crowned soccer Champions of Europe
3. Australia lost the Ashes tournament
4. Pope Died
Lesson Learned? The next time Charles gets married, someone warn the Pope!!!
1. Prince Charles got married
2. Liverpool was crowned soccer Champions of Europe
3. Australia lost the Ashes tournament.
4. Pope Died
Interesting Year 2005
1. Prince Charles got married
2. Liverpool was crowned soccer Champions of Europe
3. Australia lost the Ashes tournament
4. Pope Died
Lesson Learned? The next time Charles gets married, someone warn the Pope!!!
Tuesday, February 07, 2006
in my view (for 12 Feb 2006)
In my view one of the hardest things I've had to learn to do is receive a compliment. In the past I would be embarrassed and tend to downplay what the person was saying, but then I heard a wise person make the following comment. "When you put down a compliment you are putting down the person who made the compliment."
I had to learn to accept compliments, not for my sake, but so that I respected and honoured the person who had made it.
These days I always try and appreciate the compliment and then I do something else as well. I take the compliment and consider what the person was saying. If what they were saying was genuine then I thank God for having used me. If I think the compliment was just flattery then I ask God to help me not get a big head.
So next time someone gives you a compliment be appreciative about it. I know it can be hard to receive a compliment, but receiving a compliment is as important as giving genuine compliments to others for the bible says "And let us consider how to spur one another on toward love and good deeds." (Hebrews 10:24)
I had to learn to accept compliments, not for my sake, but so that I respected and honoured the person who had made it.
These days I always try and appreciate the compliment and then I do something else as well. I take the compliment and consider what the person was saying. If what they were saying was genuine then I thank God for having used me. If I think the compliment was just flattery then I ask God to help me not get a big head.
So next time someone gives you a compliment be appreciative about it. I know it can be hard to receive a compliment, but receiving a compliment is as important as giving genuine compliments to others for the bible says "And let us consider how to spur one another on toward love and good deeds." (Hebrews 10:24)
turn the other cheek
There are times I get confused about what to do. Yesterday I was in court testifying against a man who assaulted me about a year ago. He was found guilty and looks like he will go to jail.
Should I have testified?
I think in this case it was right to because he apparently has a long record of doing this sort of thing.
So in what situations should 'turn the other cheek'? I'm not sure about that one, guess I'll have to think more about that.
Should I have testified?
I think in this case it was right to because he apparently has a long record of doing this sort of thing.
So in what situations should 'turn the other cheek'? I'm not sure about that one, guess I'll have to think more about that.
Tuesday, January 31, 2006
how attending church lowers divorce rates
For years it has been reported that Christians divorce as much as non-Christians. Apparently the data this was based on has been re-examined and it was discovered that some major flaws in the research led to this conclusion. The major flaw was people calling themselves Christian but not being church attenders. A recent report on new research states ...
"In collecting data, Wilcox and Johnson examined the religious practices of people who called themselves Christians -- something previous studies had not always done. In particular, they checked rates of church attendance. Their findings were striking. Although church attendance is down, those who do attend, especially weekly, are less likely to divorce. Instead they are more likely to report that their marriages are happy. And regular church attenders reported being happier in general than those who did not attend regularly."
(see http://www.pfm.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=BreakPoint1&Template=/CM/ContentDisplay.cfm&ContentID=17878)
"In collecting data, Wilcox and Johnson examined the religious practices of people who called themselves Christians -- something previous studies had not always done. In particular, they checked rates of church attendance. Their findings were striking. Although church attendance is down, those who do attend, especially weekly, are less likely to divorce. Instead they are more likely to report that their marriages are happy. And regular church attenders reported being happier in general than those who did not attend regularly."
(see http://www.pfm.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=BreakPoint1&Template=/CM/ContentDisplay.cfm&ContentID=17878)
Thursday, January 19, 2006
the greatest preacher since Paul?
It is better to have self-control than to conquer a city (Proverbs 16:32, NLT).
Dear friends: Some years ago, a young man emerged as a powerful evangelistic preacher. He was handsome, intelligent, and so exceptional that he was even courted by Hollywood. After one eloquent sermon, he was described by the press as "the greatest preacher since the apostle Paul." Ten years later, however, the young man was found dying of cirrhosis of the liver, too weak to continue supporting himself as he had been by selling trucks at a local dealership. Sadly, alcohol and financial irresponsibility were blamed for taking his life just days later. Clifford lacked one essential quality necessary for sustained leadership: self-control. And it is the lack of self-control that frequently renders a disciple of Christ spiritually impotent and fruitless. I once counseled and prayed with a husband and wife who were struggling with a problem of self-control in the area of overeating. Because of their overweight, they had lost self-confidence and were plagued with guilt. As a result, their witness for Christ was greatly hindered. Then one day, while reading the Scriptures, they realized that their bodies were the temple of the Holy Spirit and that they were actually dishonoring the Lord by their lack of self-control. In a spirit of brokenness, they prayed, "O, God, please help us. We have tried and failed again and again. Now you must help us. We invite you to control our appetites. Help us to be more careful in choosing the kind and quantity of food we eat." In answer to their prayers of faith, God enabled them to discipline themselves. In time they slimmed down. Their self-confidence returned, and they again became bold witnesses for our Lord. After counseling with thousands of people through the years, I am convinced that an undisciplined Christian cannot be an effective witness for Christ. Do you lack self-control in some area of your life? You may not have a problem with alcohol or overeating, but you may be struggling with a critical spirit, with lustful thoughts, addiction to pornography, a feeling of defeat, an uncontrollable temper, or something else. Take it to the Lord in prayer. Ask for His help. Believe Him for the answer that you know is His will, according to 1 John 5:14-15: "This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us -- whatever we ask -- we know that we have what we asked of him" (NIV). God says, "It is better to have self-control than to control an army" (Proverbs 15:32, TLB). Yours for helping to fulfill the Great Commission each year until our Lord returns, Bill Bright
Dear friends: Some years ago, a young man emerged as a powerful evangelistic preacher. He was handsome, intelligent, and so exceptional that he was even courted by Hollywood. After one eloquent sermon, he was described by the press as "the greatest preacher since the apostle Paul." Ten years later, however, the young man was found dying of cirrhosis of the liver, too weak to continue supporting himself as he had been by selling trucks at a local dealership. Sadly, alcohol and financial irresponsibility were blamed for taking his life just days later. Clifford lacked one essential quality necessary for sustained leadership: self-control. And it is the lack of self-control that frequently renders a disciple of Christ spiritually impotent and fruitless. I once counseled and prayed with a husband and wife who were struggling with a problem of self-control in the area of overeating. Because of their overweight, they had lost self-confidence and were plagued with guilt. As a result, their witness for Christ was greatly hindered. Then one day, while reading the Scriptures, they realized that their bodies were the temple of the Holy Spirit and that they were actually dishonoring the Lord by their lack of self-control. In a spirit of brokenness, they prayed, "O, God, please help us. We have tried and failed again and again. Now you must help us. We invite you to control our appetites. Help us to be more careful in choosing the kind and quantity of food we eat." In answer to their prayers of faith, God enabled them to discipline themselves. In time they slimmed down. Their self-confidence returned, and they again became bold witnesses for our Lord. After counseling with thousands of people through the years, I am convinced that an undisciplined Christian cannot be an effective witness for Christ. Do you lack self-control in some area of your life? You may not have a problem with alcohol or overeating, but you may be struggling with a critical spirit, with lustful thoughts, addiction to pornography, a feeling of defeat, an uncontrollable temper, or something else. Take it to the Lord in prayer. Ask for His help. Believe Him for the answer that you know is His will, according to 1 John 5:14-15: "This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us -- whatever we ask -- we know that we have what we asked of him" (NIV). God says, "It is better to have self-control than to control an army" (Proverbs 15:32, TLB). Yours for helping to fulfill the Great Commission each year until our Lord returns, Bill Bright
Tuesday, January 17, 2006
what workers want
A Public Agenda Foundation study, coauthored by Daniel Yankelovich, came up with these top ten qualities that today's workers want in a job:
1. Work with people who treat me with respect2. Interesting work3. Recognition for good work4. Chance to develop skills5. Work for people who listen if you have ideas about how to do things better6. A chance to think for myself7. Seeing the end results of my work8. Working for efficient managers9. A job that is not too easy10. Feeling well-informed about what is going on
Ponder that list. Notice what isn't included in the top ten: job security, benefits, vacation time, and high salary. Yet most companies still operate as though they are the big four -- the only ways to motivate and keep their employees. (Dallas Seminary Daily Devotional, 6-23-05)
1. Work with people who treat me with respect2. Interesting work3. Recognition for good work4. Chance to develop skills5. Work for people who listen if you have ideas about how to do things better6. A chance to think for myself7. Seeing the end results of my work8. Working for efficient managers9. A job that is not too easy10. Feeling well-informed about what is going on
Ponder that list. Notice what isn't included in the top ten: job security, benefits, vacation time, and high salary. Yet most companies still operate as though they are the big four -- the only ways to motivate and keep their employees. (Dallas Seminary Daily Devotional, 6-23-05)
worship
There's a story about a man who, leaving church one Sunday, complained about the music. "I didn't like the hymns you chose today," he said. The pastor simply replied, "That's okay; we weren't singing them for you."
The pastor may have been too blunt, but he made a good point. In our consumer-oriented world, we sometimes think church services are just for us. But we aren't spectators attending a show; we're participants in the greatest and most uplifting enterprise in the universe -- worshiping God.
Though we are blessed in doing it, our worship is not for ourselves -- it is for Him. We are praising God for His power, His glory, His majesty, His wisdom, His holiness, His goodness, and His grace.
The late William Temple, archbishop of Canterbury, put it well in his oft-quoted definition of worship: "To worship is to quicken the conscience by the holiness of God, to purge the imagination by the beauty of God, to open the heart to the love of God, and to devote the will to the purpose of God." (Turning Point Daily Devotional, 8-12-05)
The pastor may have been too blunt, but he made a good point. In our consumer-oriented world, we sometimes think church services are just for us. But we aren't spectators attending a show; we're participants in the greatest and most uplifting enterprise in the universe -- worshiping God.
Though we are blessed in doing it, our worship is not for ourselves -- it is for Him. We are praising God for His power, His glory, His majesty, His wisdom, His holiness, His goodness, and His grace.
The late William Temple, archbishop of Canterbury, put it well in his oft-quoted definition of worship: "To worship is to quicken the conscience by the holiness of God, to purge the imagination by the beauty of God, to open the heart to the love of God, and to devote the will to the purpose of God." (Turning Point Daily Devotional, 8-12-05)
On the Road to Glory: Disney Retells a Texas Legend
Back in 1966, when the Texas Western University basketball team started winning, Don Haskins would be accused of intentionally seeking out black players. But the coach wasn't looking for color; he was looking for talent - raw talent that could be shaped into a winning basketball team. Read the full article here
Monday, January 16, 2006
for workers in the city
Looking for some Christian input during your working week. Check out http://www.citybibleforum.org/
Venues are Sydney CBD North (near Wynyard station), Sydney CBD Phillip St (near Martin Place station), Sydney CBD South (near Town Hall station), Chatswood, North Sydney BD (near North Sydney station), Pyrmont BD, Perth BD (Central Park Theatrette)
Venues are Sydney CBD North (near Wynyard station), Sydney CBD Phillip St (near Martin Place station), Sydney CBD South (near Town Hall station), Chatswood, North Sydney BD (near North Sydney station), Pyrmont BD, Perth BD (Central Park Theatrette)
Sunday, January 15, 2006
memories
I like this advice from a recent John Maxwell email:
2. Take pictures. Don't be in such a rush through life that you fail to create memories along the way. Make time for fun. And then stop every now and then to remember those fun times.
2. Take pictures. Don't be in such a rush through life that you fail to create memories along the way. Make time for fun. And then stop every now and then to remember those fun times.
on the edge ministry
How on the edge can you get, going to a porn convention and ministering to the girls caught up in the porn industry. Following is a blog entry from xxxchurch.com, please pray for their amazing ministry.
- If I had to choose one word to describe this convention… it would be devastating. It’s devastating how so many people at this show are so shocked to hear of God’s love, it’s devastating the way the men here touch and objectify these girls by asking them things like, “Can I pinch your?” It’s devastating how gorgeous these girls are and they don’t realize how precious they are, and that they are daughters of the King. But it makes it all worth being here when we get to see the reactions of the girls when we tell them we are praying for them and that Jesus loves them. They are so excited about the message we are telling because I think it gives them a little bit of hope in a world that seems hopeless where guys only want them for their bodies and the sexual pleasures they provide. On the back of the cards we put the verse, “The King is enthralled by your beauty…” Psalm 45:11 and my hope is that the verse touched the girls’ hearts and brought them a sense of amazing worth. Words cannot describe how thankful I am to God for what He has done for me, for His incredible love, and that I am able to enjoy this love everyday!!! ~Laci
- If I had to choose one word to describe this convention… it would be devastating. It’s devastating how so many people at this show are so shocked to hear of God’s love, it’s devastating the way the men here touch and objectify these girls by asking them things like, “Can I pinch your?” It’s devastating how gorgeous these girls are and they don’t realize how precious they are, and that they are daughters of the King. But it makes it all worth being here when we get to see the reactions of the girls when we tell them we are praying for them and that Jesus loves them. They are so excited about the message we are telling because I think it gives them a little bit of hope in a world that seems hopeless where guys only want them for their bodies and the sexual pleasures they provide. On the back of the cards we put the verse, “The King is enthralled by your beauty…” Psalm 45:11 and my hope is that the verse touched the girls’ hearts and brought them a sense of amazing worth. Words cannot describe how thankful I am to God for what He has done for me, for His incredible love, and that I am able to enjoy this love everyday!!! ~Laci
porn
One of the greatest problems for men in the modern age is the availability of free porn. If you would like to support a brilliant ministry then why not consider some fasting for xxxchurch. Check out the link at http://pure.typepad.com/x3pure/2006/01/anyone_up_for_a.html
worship resources
Looking for inspiration for leading worship. Sign up to http://www.worshipideas.com/signup.htm and get a weekly ideas.
from pastor pete (15 january 2006)
From Pastor Peter
If you had the freedom to do anything you wanted what would you do and where? This is the kind of question I regularly ask others and so I thought I’d share with you how I would answer that question myself.
I can say with all honesty that I cannot imagine anywhere or any job that I’d rather be doing that Pastor of Church in the Market Place and here’s why.
The number one reason is that I believe God wants me at CMP. I’ve been utterly convinced for the last few years, before I was even appointed as Pastor that God wanted me here and I’ve got to say it feels good to be where God wants me.
The second reason is that God is really starting to bless the work we are doing here. One indication of that is what has been happening in the Morning Worship Service. In the last year we’ve gone from an average of around 70 to around 105. To me this indicates that we are creating an environment that is helping people know and grow in God. In addition it’s been really exciting to see people moving forward in their relationship with God by getting baptised, taking on a ministry task or joining a small group.
The third reason is that I’m really excited about the vision that God has been planting in my heart and in the heart of the church leaders. There are three aspects to this vision. The first is the ‘connect@cmp’ aspect. This is a slogan that summarises what I believe is the essence of our church mission statement. (See the website at www.cmponline.net for more details.) What we at CMP are about is connecting people with God, connecting people with others who love God, and connecting people with understanding who they are in God.
The second aspect is the goal we’ve set before ourselves, that by 2010 we will be a congregation of 300 disciples who meet in 30 small groups and 3 congregations. This aspect is really about the belief that we need to make room for others. As one well known author has written, ‘if the love of God means anything at all, it means at least this, that there is room for one more person.’
The third aspect is the biblical description of the early church found in Acts 2:42-47. I believe that God is calling CMP to become a church that could be described like the early church was described.
So what
Being and becoming the church that God wants us to be means that each of us need to make the decision to become servants of God and give at least some of our time and resources towards this end. That means we might need to become a Youth Leader, a Newcomer Greeter, a Prayer Warrior, help out on the Sound Desk, set up chairs and tables, start a new ministry, join a small group, become a Small Group Leader, join the Worship Team as a singer or playing a musical instrument, or any one of a number of other things.
Achieving God’s vision for CMP will not happen is we sit on the sidelines, it will not happen if we grumble or complain, it will not happen if we never get involved. Achieving God’s vision for CMP will only happen as we individually and corporately get involved in doing what God is calling us to do.
Bless ya from Pastor Pete
If you had the freedom to do anything you wanted what would you do and where? This is the kind of question I regularly ask others and so I thought I’d share with you how I would answer that question myself.
I can say with all honesty that I cannot imagine anywhere or any job that I’d rather be doing that Pastor of Church in the Market Place and here’s why.
The number one reason is that I believe God wants me at CMP. I’ve been utterly convinced for the last few years, before I was even appointed as Pastor that God wanted me here and I’ve got to say it feels good to be where God wants me.
The second reason is that God is really starting to bless the work we are doing here. One indication of that is what has been happening in the Morning Worship Service. In the last year we’ve gone from an average of around 70 to around 105. To me this indicates that we are creating an environment that is helping people know and grow in God. In addition it’s been really exciting to see people moving forward in their relationship with God by getting baptised, taking on a ministry task or joining a small group.
The third reason is that I’m really excited about the vision that God has been planting in my heart and in the heart of the church leaders. There are three aspects to this vision. The first is the ‘connect@cmp’ aspect. This is a slogan that summarises what I believe is the essence of our church mission statement. (See the website at www.cmponline.net for more details.) What we at CMP are about is connecting people with God, connecting people with others who love God, and connecting people with understanding who they are in God.
The second aspect is the goal we’ve set before ourselves, that by 2010 we will be a congregation of 300 disciples who meet in 30 small groups and 3 congregations. This aspect is really about the belief that we need to make room for others. As one well known author has written, ‘if the love of God means anything at all, it means at least this, that there is room for one more person.’
The third aspect is the biblical description of the early church found in Acts 2:42-47. I believe that God is calling CMP to become a church that could be described like the early church was described.
So what
Being and becoming the church that God wants us to be means that each of us need to make the decision to become servants of God and give at least some of our time and resources towards this end. That means we might need to become a Youth Leader, a Newcomer Greeter, a Prayer Warrior, help out on the Sound Desk, set up chairs and tables, start a new ministry, join a small group, become a Small Group Leader, join the Worship Team as a singer or playing a musical instrument, or any one of a number of other things.
Achieving God’s vision for CMP will not happen is we sit on the sidelines, it will not happen if we grumble or complain, it will not happen if we never get involved. Achieving God’s vision for CMP will only happen as we individually and corporately get involved in doing what God is calling us to do.
Bless ya from Pastor Pete
Monday, January 09, 2006
some interesting slide shows
Some interesting slide shows at http://www.heartlight.org/prayerforthenation/acalltoprayer.html
more free ebooks and pdf books
More free ebooks and pdf books at http://www.jesus.org.uk/vault/library_ebooks_index.shtml
a beautiful and thought provoking desktop background
Here is a a beautiful and thought provoking desktop background at http://www.heartlight.org/gallery/1869.html
christian growth resources
Looking for Christian Growth or Graphics then check out http://www.heartlight.org/
in my view (15 Jan 2006)
IN MY VIEW by Pastor Pete
In my view here are some of the most important components to growing into a mature follower of Jesus:
(1) A personal devotional time with God. This is time set aside to listen to and talk with God by reading the bible, praying and listening. If you don't do this then I challenge you to make a commitment to every day pick up your bible and spend at least a couple of minutes in the presence of God. (Five minutes every day is a good beginning which you can then build on.)
(2) To weekly be part of a worshipping community. This is time set aside to worship God in community and to hear the bible taught as well as a good opportunity to build relationships with others committed to being disciples of Jesus.
(3) To weekly meet with 3-10 others in a small group where you can really grapple with how to live as a disciple of Jesus.
My personal experience has been that (2) is the easiest, (1) the hardiest and (3) the most helpful and challenging, but until I had all three happening I didn't really move forward.
I encourage you this week to take a step forward and put in place these three important components.
May God bless you this week.
In my view here are some of the most important components to growing into a mature follower of Jesus:
(1) A personal devotional time with God. This is time set aside to listen to and talk with God by reading the bible, praying and listening. If you don't do this then I challenge you to make a commitment to every day pick up your bible and spend at least a couple of minutes in the presence of God. (Five minutes every day is a good beginning which you can then build on.)
(2) To weekly be part of a worshipping community. This is time set aside to worship God in community and to hear the bible taught as well as a good opportunity to build relationships with others committed to being disciples of Jesus.
(3) To weekly meet with 3-10 others in a small group where you can really grapple with how to live as a disciple of Jesus.
My personal experience has been that (2) is the easiest, (1) the hardiest and (3) the most helpful and challenging, but until I had all three happening I didn't really move forward.
I encourage you this week to take a step forward and put in place these three important components.
May God bless you this week.
from AW Tozer
"For centuries the Church stood solidly against every form of worldly entertainment, recognizing it for what it was—a device for wasting time, a refuge from the disturbing voice of conscience, a scheme to divert attention from moral accountability. For this she got herself abused roundly by the sons of this world. But of late she has become tired of the abuse and has given over the struggle. She appears to have decided that if she cannot conquer the great god Entertainment she may as well join forces with him and make what use she can of his powers. So today we have the astonishing spectacle of millions of dollars being poured into the unholy job of providing earthly entertainment for the so-called sons of heaven. Religious entertainment is in many places rapidly crowding out the serious things of God. Many churches these days have become little more than poor theaters where fifth-rate "producers" peddle their shoddy wares with the full approval of evangelical leaders who can even quote a holy text in defense of their delinquency. And hardly a man dares raise his voice against it."
Wednesday, December 14, 2005
the chronicles of narnia
Are you interested in the new movie called "The Narnia Story" then you might find this website interesting. http://www.narniastory.com/
a $10,000 offer
Check out this test to see if you can win the $10,000. www.tenthousanddollaroffer.com/
lust
Here's an interesting website setup so that people looking for pornography are confronted instead by the words of Jesus. http://www.lustadultery.com/
the main thing
Here's an interesting article about the simplicity of being a follower of Jesus. http://www.spiritled.com.au/files/The%20Main%20Thing.pdf
Tuesday, December 13, 2005
wait ... a journey to discovering the heart of God by Russell Kelfer
Desperately, helplessly, longingly, I cried; Quietly, patiently, lovingly, God replied.
I pled and I wept for a clue to my fate and the Master go gently said, " Wait."
"Wait? you say wait?" my indignant reply. "Lord, I need answers, I need to know why!" Is your hand shortened? Or have you not heard? By faith I have asked, and I'm claiming your Word. My future and all to which I relate hangs in the balance, and tell me to Wait?" I'm needing a 'yes' a go-ahead sign. Or even a 'no' to which I'll resign.
You promised, dear Lord, that if we believe, we need but to ask, and we shall receive.
Lord, I've been asking, and this is my cry: I'm weary of asking! I need a reply.
Then quietly, softly, I learned of my fate, as my Master replied again, "Wait."
So I slumped in my chair, defeated and taut, and grumbled to God,
"So, I'm waiting.... for what?"
He seemed then to kneel, and His eyes met with mine and He tenderly said I could give you a sign. I could shake the heavens and darken the sun. I could raise the dead and cause mountains to run. I could give you all you seek and pleased you would be. You'd be have what you want, but you wouldn't know me.
You'd not know the depth of My love for each saint. You'd not know the power that I give to the faint. You'd not learn to see through the clouds of despair; you'd not learn to trust just by knowing I'm there. You'd not know the joy of resting in Me when darkness and silence are all you can see. You'd never experience the fullness of love when the peace of My spirit descends like a dove. You would know that I give, and I save, for a start, but you'd not know the depth of the beat of My heart. The glow of My comfort late into the night, the faith that I give when you walk without sight. The depth that's beyond getting just what you ask from an infinite God who makes what you have last. You'd never know should your pain quickly flee, what it means that My grace is sufficient for thee.
Yes, your dearest dreams overnight would come true, but, oh, the loss, if you missed what I'm doing in you.
So, be silent, my child and in time you will see that the greatest of gifts is to truly know me. And though oft My answers seem terribly late, my most precious answer of all is still ... "Wait"
I pled and I wept for a clue to my fate and the Master go gently said, " Wait."
"Wait? you say wait?" my indignant reply. "Lord, I need answers, I need to know why!" Is your hand shortened? Or have you not heard? By faith I have asked, and I'm claiming your Word. My future and all to which I relate hangs in the balance, and tell me to Wait?" I'm needing a 'yes' a go-ahead sign. Or even a 'no' to which I'll resign.
You promised, dear Lord, that if we believe, we need but to ask, and we shall receive.
Lord, I've been asking, and this is my cry: I'm weary of asking! I need a reply.
Then quietly, softly, I learned of my fate, as my Master replied again, "Wait."
So I slumped in my chair, defeated and taut, and grumbled to God,
"So, I'm waiting.... for what?"
He seemed then to kneel, and His eyes met with mine and He tenderly said I could give you a sign. I could shake the heavens and darken the sun. I could raise the dead and cause mountains to run. I could give you all you seek and pleased you would be. You'd be have what you want, but you wouldn't know me.
You'd not know the depth of My love for each saint. You'd not know the power that I give to the faint. You'd not learn to see through the clouds of despair; you'd not learn to trust just by knowing I'm there. You'd not know the joy of resting in Me when darkness and silence are all you can see. You'd never experience the fullness of love when the peace of My spirit descends like a dove. You would know that I give, and I save, for a start, but you'd not know the depth of the beat of My heart. The glow of My comfort late into the night, the faith that I give when you walk without sight. The depth that's beyond getting just what you ask from an infinite God who makes what you have last. You'd never know should your pain quickly flee, what it means that My grace is sufficient for thee.
Yes, your dearest dreams overnight would come true, but, oh, the loss, if you missed what I'm doing in you.
So, be silent, my child and in time you will see that the greatest of gifts is to truly know me. And though oft My answers seem terribly late, my most precious answer of all is still ... "Wait"
Thursday, December 08, 2005
templates for lots of business stuff
This page is worth checking out for free management and training templates, resources and tools. http://www.businessballs.com/freeonlineresources.htm
spiritual gifts
If you want to grow in effectiveness and serve God joyfully it's really handy to know how God has gifted you to serve him. This spiritual gift inventory found at http://buildingchurch.net/g2s.htm is a useful tool in discovering your spiritual gifts.
Tuesday, December 06, 2005
the cost
In my view one of the greatest dangers to a genuine faith is when someone makes a decision to follow Jesus based on the idea that Jesus will then make them happy by fixing up their problems, or that Jesus will make them prosperous.
Don't get me wrong, there is a peace and a joy that comes when we are in right relationship with God, but the peace that Jesus promises is a 'peace in the midst of difficulty', not 'peace because of lack of difficulty'.
The reason to follow Jesus is because we recognise that we have fallen short of God's standard and that we cry out to God to give us forgiveness based upon the sacrafice that Jesus made on the cross.
Jesus when praying for his disciples in John 16:33 says "In this world you will have trouble, But take heart! I have overcome the world." later he says in John 17:13 "... so that they have the full measure of my joy within them."
Jesus in praying for his disciples promises that those that follow him will know peace in spite of the fact that the world hates those that genuinely follow Jesus.
Are you ready to face difficulty for the sake of Jesus? A genuine follower of Jesus is able to say, perhaps with trembling knees, "YES, I will follow my Lord and God no matter the cost, even if the cost is my life, my comfort or my possessions!"
Don't get me wrong, there is a peace and a joy that comes when we are in right relationship with God, but the peace that Jesus promises is a 'peace in the midst of difficulty', not 'peace because of lack of difficulty'.
The reason to follow Jesus is because we recognise that we have fallen short of God's standard and that we cry out to God to give us forgiveness based upon the sacrafice that Jesus made on the cross.
Jesus when praying for his disciples in John 16:33 says "In this world you will have trouble, But take heart! I have overcome the world." later he says in John 17:13 "... so that they have the full measure of my joy within them."
Jesus in praying for his disciples promises that those that follow him will know peace in spite of the fact that the world hates those that genuinely follow Jesus.
Are you ready to face difficulty for the sake of Jesus? A genuine follower of Jesus is able to say, perhaps with trembling knees, "YES, I will follow my Lord and God no matter the cost, even if the cost is my life, my comfort or my possessions!"
baptism
Here's a study guide I just created about baptism. Go to www.cmponline.net then select "exploring Christianity" then select "baptism". It's a made up from a couple of other resources which are referenced appropriately.
Friday, December 02, 2005
is bias wrong
I think it's true to say that everyone has a bias, I have a bias and so do you. Is bias wrong? Well, I think it's a reality so the problem comes not in that we have a bias, it comes when we don't recognise our bias.
Another way of saying bias is to use the term agenda, as in what is my agenda?
My personal agenda is to try to convey as accurately as possible the teachings of the bible.
However, at this point something else comes into play. My agenda might be to convey the bible but my agenda is influenced by my experiences, and because my experiences are necessarily limited, then my agenda will be somewhat narrow.
So even if my agenda is good and noble, my experiences might influence my agenda such that it is not accurate.
Do we give up then? No, but we must constantly seek to be open about our bias/agenda and hold our personal views firmly but not without a willingness to modify them, that is we must always be open to learn from the views of others, recognising of course that they too have a bias/agenda that is somewhat narrow because of their experiences.
Another way of saying bias is to use the term agenda, as in what is my agenda?
My personal agenda is to try to convey as accurately as possible the teachings of the bible.
However, at this point something else comes into play. My agenda might be to convey the bible but my agenda is influenced by my experiences, and because my experiences are necessarily limited, then my agenda will be somewhat narrow.
So even if my agenda is good and noble, my experiences might influence my agenda such that it is not accurate.
Do we give up then? No, but we must constantly seek to be open about our bias/agenda and hold our personal views firmly but not without a willingness to modify them, that is we must always be open to learn from the views of others, recognising of course that they too have a bias/agenda that is somewhat narrow because of their experiences.
media bias
Does media coverage reflect the views of society? Well if surveys of Journalists in America is any guide then you have to be very wary of media reports. (see http://www.mediaresearch.org/biasbasics/biasbasics.asp & http://www.theihs.org/libertyguide/article.php/744.html)
Consider the current debate on the death penalty. If you went by the views of the media you would believe virtually everyone is against the death penalty. But studies show that the split in Austalia is actually about 53/47, almost an even split.
Now popular opinion doesn't make something right, but surely the media should more fairly represent the views of the society.
Interestingly enough the views of journalists as a group are more liberal than the population, that is they more highly agree with abortion, more highly believe adultery is morally okay, more highly believe in homosexuality as a life choice, more highly believe that the death penalty is wrong.
So when you read your paper or listen to the news broadcast you are hearing the views of people who are almost diametrically opposed to the teachings of the bible on most topics, so we each need to heed the biblical mandate to 'judge carefully' the things we hear.
Consider the current debate on the death penalty. If you went by the views of the media you would believe virtually everyone is against the death penalty. But studies show that the split in Austalia is actually about 53/47, almost an even split.
Now popular opinion doesn't make something right, but surely the media should more fairly represent the views of the society.
Interestingly enough the views of journalists as a group are more liberal than the population, that is they more highly agree with abortion, more highly believe adultery is morally okay, more highly believe in homosexuality as a life choice, more highly believe that the death penalty is wrong.
So when you read your paper or listen to the news broadcast you are hearing the views of people who are almost diametrically opposed to the teachings of the bible on most topics, so we each need to heed the biblical mandate to 'judge carefully' the things we hear.
Thursday, December 01, 2005
who I've learned the most from
I find life pretty strange at times. Over the last five years I've really grown and changed and the people who have influenced me more than anyone are the people whom I would most disagree with about certain issues. I've discovered that I can respect, appreciate, learn from and love people whom I disagree with. Thanks Paul and Louise for your graciousness, your kindness and your willingness to live out your faith, you are a real inspiration to me.
amnesty
Just because my previous blog discusses an unpopular view of the death penalty, it doesn't mean I don't respect and appreciate the work of Amnesty. I would encourage you to check out there site and support their work. I obviously hold some contrary views but it doesn't stop me being a supporter of the tremendous work that they do and to financially support them. http://www.amnesty.org.au/
In particular I'd like to give a great big thanks to two people who I know do tremendous work for Amnesty. Helen and Louise are two great ladies who are doing brilliant and important work for Amnesty, so 'go girls' as I'm continuing to thank God for the important work you are doing.
In particular I'd like to give a great big thanks to two people who I know do tremendous work for Amnesty. Helen and Louise are two great ladies who are doing brilliant and important work for Amnesty, so 'go girls' as I'm continuing to thank God for the important work you are doing.
death penalty
I've been thinking about the imminent death of Nguyen Tuong Van and the whole debate around it. It seems that I'm in the minority in that I actually believe in the death penalty. (Please read to the end to see my unexpected conclusion to this arguement.) Now before you crucify me for the uncommon belief let me make an arguement.
I believe that the bible teaches that the penalty for sin is death. In the story of the women caught in adultery (found in John 8) Jesus does not dispute the fact that the women was rightfully condemned to death as it is the law of the bible. (see Leviticus 20:10).
So if someone is caught in sin, in Nguyen case drug trafficing I cannot argue that the death penalty is not valid.
Now you say in the case of the women caught in adultery Jesus saved the women, surely that means he was against the death penalty?
Well to argue the point let me give an analogy.
If someone were to kill someones child then I believe that the parent has the right to insist on the death penalty for the biblical punishment for murder is to be killed.
However, as a Christian and a believer in grace, I would hope that if it was my child that I would extend grace and mercy and not insist on the death penalty.
So let me summarise. I believe the death penalty is valid, but if I had the option of imposing the death penalty then I wouldn't, not because it wasn't valid, but because God's grace extended to me means that I need to extend that grace to others.
In the eyes of God I'm guilty and deserve to be condemned, but he has by grace extended to me forgiveness, his giving forgiveness does not mean the death penalty for sin is wrong, it just means it has not been exercised.
I'm not sure I've made the greatest arguement, but there it is anyway, my vent on the whole debate.
I'm of course willing to have my mind changed, but to change my mind requires me to be convinced that my understanding of God's teaching is wrong. In the end I'm accountable to uphold the truth of God not the current trend of human teaching.
I believe that the bible teaches that the penalty for sin is death. In the story of the women caught in adultery (found in John 8) Jesus does not dispute the fact that the women was rightfully condemned to death as it is the law of the bible. (see Leviticus 20:10).
So if someone is caught in sin, in Nguyen case drug trafficing I cannot argue that the death penalty is not valid.
Now you say in the case of the women caught in adultery Jesus saved the women, surely that means he was against the death penalty?
Well to argue the point let me give an analogy.
If someone were to kill someones child then I believe that the parent has the right to insist on the death penalty for the biblical punishment for murder is to be killed.
However, as a Christian and a believer in grace, I would hope that if it was my child that I would extend grace and mercy and not insist on the death penalty.
So let me summarise. I believe the death penalty is valid, but if I had the option of imposing the death penalty then I wouldn't, not because it wasn't valid, but because God's grace extended to me means that I need to extend that grace to others.
In the eyes of God I'm guilty and deserve to be condemned, but he has by grace extended to me forgiveness, his giving forgiveness does not mean the death penalty for sin is wrong, it just means it has not been exercised.
I'm not sure I've made the greatest arguement, but there it is anyway, my vent on the whole debate.
I'm of course willing to have my mind changed, but to change my mind requires me to be convinced that my understanding of God's teaching is wrong. In the end I'm accountable to uphold the truth of God not the current trend of human teaching.
Friday, November 25, 2005
be still
Did you realise that when the bible says "be still" that the words being translated could also be translated "let go of your grip".
Being still and knowing God is letting go of our tight grip on life and relaxing into God. Instead of working everything out and putting everything into boxes, we let God be God and realise we don't and can't work him all out.
Letting go of our tight grip means we don't have to know what's coming next. Letting go means realising that we don't have to be busy all the time. Letting go means that we don't have to be in control because he is the one who is ultimately in control. Letting go means we can be silent in his presence rather than busy praying or reading the bible.
Have you ever experienced being held by someone you love and not a word is being said? That's what we need to do with God more often, allow him to hold us in silence.
Being still and knowing God is letting go of our tight grip on life and relaxing into God. Instead of working everything out and putting everything into boxes, we let God be God and realise we don't and can't work him all out.
Letting go of our tight grip means we don't have to know what's coming next. Letting go means realising that we don't have to be busy all the time. Letting go means that we don't have to be in control because he is the one who is ultimately in control. Letting go means we can be silent in his presence rather than busy praying or reading the bible.
Have you ever experienced being held by someone you love and not a word is being said? That's what we need to do with God more often, allow him to hold us in silence.
Thursday, November 24, 2005
touch
"Women often feel unloved because their emotional needs aren't being met, and in the same way, men often feel ignored because their physical needs aren't being met. Men aren't as sensitive to physical touch as women are. In other words, it takes more physical touch to meet a man's physical needs. In the same way that a woman has twice the daily word count, a man has twice the need for physical stimulation." - Gary Smalley
dating advice
In the past I've given dating advice and apparently been misunderstood. Here's my advice in black & white.
It is my view that the purpose of dating is to ascertain whether or not the person you are dating could become your future husband or wife. If you at anytime come to the conclusion that you don't want to marry that person, then you shouldn't be dating. This doesn't mean that you only date the person you think you will marry, it just means that you shouldn't continue to date someone you don't believe you will marry.
My view is based on the biblical text found in 1 Cor 7:36-38.
It is my view that the purpose of dating is to ascertain whether or not the person you are dating could become your future husband or wife. If you at anytime come to the conclusion that you don't want to marry that person, then you shouldn't be dating. This doesn't mean that you only date the person you think you will marry, it just means that you shouldn't continue to date someone you don't believe you will marry.
My view is based on the biblical text found in 1 Cor 7:36-38.
Wednesday, November 23, 2005
growing your passion for jesus
If you have a passion for the extension of the gospel of Jesus, then you need to check out this website to take your passion even further. http://www.gpn.tv/
strong words
Examine yourselves to see if your faith is really genuine (2 Corinthians 13:5, NLT).
Dear friends: One day I was talking to a young man who was somewhat of a prodigal. I said to him, "Do you believe in Jesus? "Yes." "Do you believe He died for your sins?" "Yes." He had grown up in the church and even gone to Christian schools, but he had turned his back on the Lord. I replied, "What is gong to happen to you when you die?" He said, "I'll go to heaven." I said, "Are you sure?" "Absolutely sure." And I said, "Are you willing to do God's will and surrender your own will to His will?" Quite bluntly, he answered, "No." I had to be totally honest with him, and replied, "Then you are not a Christian." He said, "That's your opinion against mine." I said, "No, that is what God's word says." I explained to him that if anyone is not willing to do God's will, he had better take inventory because the Scripture clearly teaches: "And how can we be sure that we belong to him? By looking within ourselves: are we really trying to do what he wants us to? Someone may say, 'I am a Christian; I am on my way to heaven; I belong to Christ.' But if he doesn't do what Christ tells him to, he is a liar. But those who do what Christ tells them to will learn to love God more and more. That is the way to know whether or not you are a Christian. Anyone who says he is a Christian should live as Christ did" (1John 2:3-6, TLB). That was strong language, but that is the holy, inspired word of God. If you are not able to make the Bible the basis of your standards, what are the alternatives? Don't get me wrong. I believe more strongly than most people that salvation is a free gift of God by grace through faith alone, not a result of works, so that no one can boast (Ephesians 2:8-9). And only God truly knows who are His and who are not. But the Scriptures give us strong words that we can use for self-examination. "Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you -- unless, of course, you fail the test? And I trust that you will discover that we have not failed the test" (2 Corinthians 13:5-6, NIV). This does not mean that every time we fail God, we lose our salvation. Far from it. But it does mean we should stay on our spiritual toes to please, obey and serve God. Our good works confirm our salvation but do not contribute to our salvation. Yours for helping to fulfill the Great Commission each year until our Lord returns, Bill Bright
Dear friends: One day I was talking to a young man who was somewhat of a prodigal. I said to him, "Do you believe in Jesus? "Yes." "Do you believe He died for your sins?" "Yes." He had grown up in the church and even gone to Christian schools, but he had turned his back on the Lord. I replied, "What is gong to happen to you when you die?" He said, "I'll go to heaven." I said, "Are you sure?" "Absolutely sure." And I said, "Are you willing to do God's will and surrender your own will to His will?" Quite bluntly, he answered, "No." I had to be totally honest with him, and replied, "Then you are not a Christian." He said, "That's your opinion against mine." I said, "No, that is what God's word says." I explained to him that if anyone is not willing to do God's will, he had better take inventory because the Scripture clearly teaches: "And how can we be sure that we belong to him? By looking within ourselves: are we really trying to do what he wants us to? Someone may say, 'I am a Christian; I am on my way to heaven; I belong to Christ.' But if he doesn't do what Christ tells him to, he is a liar. But those who do what Christ tells them to will learn to love God more and more. That is the way to know whether or not you are a Christian. Anyone who says he is a Christian should live as Christ did" (1John 2:3-6, TLB). That was strong language, but that is the holy, inspired word of God. If you are not able to make the Bible the basis of your standards, what are the alternatives? Don't get me wrong. I believe more strongly than most people that salvation is a free gift of God by grace through faith alone, not a result of works, so that no one can boast (Ephesians 2:8-9). And only God truly knows who are His and who are not. But the Scriptures give us strong words that we can use for self-examination. "Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you -- unless, of course, you fail the test? And I trust that you will discover that we have not failed the test" (2 Corinthians 13:5-6, NIV). This does not mean that every time we fail God, we lose our salvation. Far from it. But it does mean we should stay on our spiritual toes to please, obey and serve God. Our good works confirm our salvation but do not contribute to our salvation. Yours for helping to fulfill the Great Commission each year until our Lord returns, Bill Bright
natural church development
If you're a church leader then check out Natural Church Development (NCD) at http://ncd-australia.org.au/welcome/
In my opinion the process of doing an ongoing NCD assessment is one of the best ways you can spend your time and effort.
In my opinion the process of doing an ongoing NCD assessment is one of the best ways you can spend your time and effort.
harry potter movie review
Personally I'm a Harry Potter fan but its always good to be open to arguements from the other side. This review of the latest Harry Potter movie makes some points worth considering.Review by Lise Rice
If your friends and co-workers have bloodshot eyes this month, perhaps their children have kept them up during the night with “Harry Potter” nightmares. It might go something like this: “Daddy, help me. I keep dreaming about that scary skeleton in the sky with a giant snake coming out of its mouth.” Or, “Mommy, I need to sleep in bed with you. I had a dream about that Dark Lord zombie stealing a bone from a grave, mixing it with Harry Potter’s blood and coming back from the dead to torture people.”
For those addicted to “Harry Potter” books, no doubt they will see “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.” But perhaps this fourth movie, adapted from the popular series written by J.K. Rowling, will be the one that compels us to ask why we would put this material into our children’s heads. As I looked around the theater and saw dozens of little children dressed as wizards and sorcerers, watching one horror after another on the big screen, my heart broke for the sheer lack of parental discernment.
Certainly the storytelling is compelling. “The Goblet of Fire” is set in Harry’s fourth year at the Hogwarts School. This time, Harry’s name has been mysteriously drawn by the Goblet of Fire as one of two students who will represent his school in the TriWizard Tournament. In this competition, the champions will be tested on three levels in hopes of winning the Cup and attaining eternal glory. This is no ordinary test, either. It involves dragon slaying and a hideous maze that has the potential to kill the children who don’t make it through. Of the contests, it is said, “These tasks are designed to test you in the most brutal way … almost cruel.” To complicate matters, Voldemort's Death Eaters are gaining strength and giving evidence that the Dark Lord is ready to rise again. In fact, Harry Potter has been having nightmares and visions that could possibly be the key to overcoming the Dark Lord, but he wonders who can help him decipher the dreams. As Harry faces the challenge of his life, he hones his skills and tries to figure out whom he can trust, including his classmates, competitors, and even the new teacher who is mentoring him. Unfortunately, it’s not just a game, and it’s not optional. It’s a matter of life and death.The screenplay is intriguing writing. And if you haven’t read the book, you will likely be confused for a while about the characters and story line. But that didn’t seem to be a problem for our packed-out preview audience, most of which was already up to speed on plotlines. The movie is complicated – and long – but amazingly, it holds the audience’s attention for over 2-1/2 hours. The special effects are also masterful, especially the dome, the flying, the dragons, the maze, and the magic of the spells.The "Harry Potter" franchise boils down to one issue for parents. Witchcraft, wizardry, magic, spells, and other supernatural “powers” can pull on the strings of our souls, tapping into the natural, God-given desire in us to perform great spiritual exploits. Children, too, have these interests in the supernatural, but often lack the discernment necessary to make wise choices in their selection of entertainment.So why not teach our children the real deal so that the counterfeit will no longer be appealing? Why not teach them about the School of the Holy Spirit, where ordinary children can be transformed into sword-wielding champions in a real Kingdom of good and evil? It is definitely something worth pondering. As I left the theater, I asked the father of two small children if he thought his kids would have nightmares after seeing the movie. He replied, “Oh, no. Trust me, they’ve seen way worse than this.” Oh no is right. God, help us.
Sunday, November 13, 2005
power in sharing our faith
Have you tried sharing your faith in Jesus and haven't seen any positive response? Check out what Bill Bright says at http://www.greatcom.org/english/spirit.htm
Saturday, November 12, 2005
powerful verse
Mark 7:9 ... "You have a fine way of setting aside the commands of God in order to observe your own traditions!"
Jesus here was pretty fired up and he was all guns blazing at the Pharisees who were missing the point.
I wonder what he would say to a church that has the scriptures that say ...
Acts 2:37-38 "Brothers, what shall we do [to be saved]?" Peter replied, "Repent and be baptised ..."
But instead we follow a tradition begun a couple hundreds years later of baptising children instead of baptising a person making a decision to follow Jesus.
Interesting!
Jesus here was pretty fired up and he was all guns blazing at the Pharisees who were missing the point.
I wonder what he would say to a church that has the scriptures that say ...
Acts 2:37-38 "Brothers, what shall we do [to be saved]?" Peter replied, "Repent and be baptised ..."
But instead we follow a tradition begun a couple hundreds years later of baptising children instead of baptising a person making a decision to follow Jesus.
Interesting!
inspiration
Who inspires you?
I find inspiration in all sorts of places, but recently I've been most inspired by my 11 year old daughter.
Not long ago she was in my office and looking through my books and asked to borrow some. She borrowed "How to win friends and influence people", "Strategy for Living" and some other self-development books.
Now if that isn't amazing enough, she's read them all and is putting the stuff into practice. She's proving she's not just a learner, she's a doer as well, and frankly that inspires me to keep growing.
Cassie you inspire me, go girl!
I find inspiration in all sorts of places, but recently I've been most inspired by my 11 year old daughter.
Not long ago she was in my office and looking through my books and asked to borrow some. She borrowed "How to win friends and influence people", "Strategy for Living" and some other self-development books.
Now if that isn't amazing enough, she's read them all and is putting the stuff into practice. She's proving she's not just a learner, she's a doer as well, and frankly that inspires me to keep growing.
Cassie you inspire me, go girl!
Wednesday, November 09, 2005
don't judge a book by its cover
"In the year 1884, a young man from America died while on a visit to Europe. His middle-aged grieving parents returned with the body. They were heartbroken. After the funeral, they began to discuss some kind of a memorial to his memory, not a tombstone or an ornate grave, but a living memorial, something that would help other young men like their son. They decided that something in the field of education would be most appropriate. It would be a kind of memorial that would go on year after year helping to educate young people.
"They arranged for an appointment with Dr. Charles Eliot, then the president of Harvard University. He received the unpretentious couple into his office and asked what he could do for them. They told him about the death of their son and apologized for taking up his valuable time. They explained that they wanted to establish a memorial to his memory -- something that would help other young men like their son get an education. Dr. Eliot looked at the couple with some impatience and a certain suggestion of aristocratic disdain. "Perhaps you have in mind a scholarship?" "No," said the woman in her mild manner belying the quickness and sharpness of her mind. "We were thinking of something more substantial than that -- perhaps a new building or so. . ." "I must explain to you," said Eliot with what seemed a patronizing air, "That which you suggest costs a great deal of money. Buildings are very expensive." Obviously, Eliot did not think that from their appearance they were capable of that kind of donation.
"There was a pause, then the lady rose slowly and asked, 'Dr. Eliot, what has this entire university cost?' Eliot shrugged and, muttering, stated a figure that amounted to several millions of dollars in that 1884 deflationary economy. 'Oh, we can do better than that,' said the lady, who now seemed to have made up her mind about the entire thing. 'Come, dear,' she motioned to her husband, 'I have an idea.' Then they left.
"The following year, President Eliot of Harvard learned that the plain, unpretentious couple had contributed $30 million for a memorial to their son. The memorial is known as Stanford University, named after their son Leland Stanford, Jr.
"God forgive you and me if we let His potential, His gifts, His spiritual gifts slip through our fingers like that." (John A. Huffman, Jr., "Thanksgiving Comes Early This Year")
"They arranged for an appointment with Dr. Charles Eliot, then the president of Harvard University. He received the unpretentious couple into his office and asked what he could do for them. They told him about the death of their son and apologized for taking up his valuable time. They explained that they wanted to establish a memorial to his memory -- something that would help other young men like their son get an education. Dr. Eliot looked at the couple with some impatience and a certain suggestion of aristocratic disdain. "Perhaps you have in mind a scholarship?" "No," said the woman in her mild manner belying the quickness and sharpness of her mind. "We were thinking of something more substantial than that -- perhaps a new building or so. . ." "I must explain to you," said Eliot with what seemed a patronizing air, "That which you suggest costs a great deal of money. Buildings are very expensive." Obviously, Eliot did not think that from their appearance they were capable of that kind of donation.
"There was a pause, then the lady rose slowly and asked, 'Dr. Eliot, what has this entire university cost?' Eliot shrugged and, muttering, stated a figure that amounted to several millions of dollars in that 1884 deflationary economy. 'Oh, we can do better than that,' said the lady, who now seemed to have made up her mind about the entire thing. 'Come, dear,' she motioned to her husband, 'I have an idea.' Then they left.
"The following year, President Eliot of Harvard learned that the plain, unpretentious couple had contributed $30 million for a memorial to their son. The memorial is known as Stanford University, named after their son Leland Stanford, Jr.
"God forgive you and me if we let His potential, His gifts, His spiritual gifts slip through our fingers like that." (John A. Huffman, Jr., "Thanksgiving Comes Early This Year")
Saturday, November 05, 2005
8 = 6+2
8 = 6+2
Most people cannot distinguish between: 6+2 = 8. 8 = 6+2. The difference can be rather important. The addition of 6 and 2 cannot produce any answer other than 8. But 8 can be made up of combinations other than 6 and 2 (5+3, 4+4, 7+1). Why is this important? Because people start to believe that if you have a 'right' answer there is no need to think further because you can never be more than right. Having the right answer means you do not have to listen to other answers because they can never be 'more than right'. The result is a severe limitation on thinking.
(From http://www.edwarddebono.com/WeeklyMessage.php)
Most people cannot distinguish between: 6+2 = 8. 8 = 6+2. The difference can be rather important. The addition of 6 and 2 cannot produce any answer other than 8. But 8 can be made up of combinations other than 6 and 2 (5+3, 4+4, 7+1). Why is this important? Because people start to believe that if you have a 'right' answer there is no need to think further because you can never be more than right. Having the right answer means you do not have to listen to other answers because they can never be 'more than right'. The result is a severe limitation on thinking.
(From http://www.edwarddebono.com/WeeklyMessage.php)
increasing your thinking skills
Here are some websites to check out in regard to increasing your thinking skills. These are some of my favourite authors and thinkers in this regard.
A free course in thinking at http://www.schoolofthinking.org
Edward De Bono, one of the leaders in the area of Lateral Thinking. http://www.edwarddebono.com
Tony Buzan, a leader in the idea of Mind Maps. http://www.mind-map.com
Howard Gardner, leader in the concept of multiple intelligences. http://www.howardgardner.com
A free course in thinking at http://www.schoolofthinking.org
Edward De Bono, one of the leaders in the area of Lateral Thinking. http://www.edwarddebono.com
Tony Buzan, a leader in the idea of Mind Maps. http://www.mind-map.com
Howard Gardner, leader in the concept of multiple intelligences. http://www.howardgardner.com
Thursday, November 03, 2005
goal setting by bill bright
I run straight to the goal with purpose in every step (1 Corinthians 9:26, NLT).
Dear friends: Some critics have said that Campus Crusade for Christ has not always met its very ambitious goals in the past.
That may be true, but I believe it is always good to set goals. If you shoot at nothing, you are certain to hit it. If you don't have any goals, you're not going to achieve anything worthwhile for the glory of God.
We have always been a goal-setting movement, and I have always believed in big plans, because small plans do not influence the minds and hearts of men and women. Also, God is glorified when we bear much fruit (John 15:8), and I know that it is God who works in me to will and to act according to His good purpose (Philippians 2:13).
We have not always seen our goals fulfilled, however. For example, we set a goal of attracting 100,000 people to EXPLO '72 in Dallas. "Only" 85,000 showed up, which still made it the biggest event of its kind in history. Actually, more than 200,000 attended a special musical event on the last day. Approximately ten times more people participated in EXPLO '72 than in any other similar Christian training event. Yet some of the newspapers said it was a failure because we didn't achieve our goal!
Friends have cautioned me against goal-setting because they think falling short of announced targets makes me look stupid. I am not worried about what people think. I want to please the Lord, so I do what He tells me to do. And God has led us to set many goals and prayer targets from the beginning of this ministry.
There is no doubt in my mind that our goals, whether we achieve them or not, have helped bring additional millions of people to Christ. So I am happy to undertake great and ambitious things for God even at the risk of failure and being criticized by others.
Goal setting involves aiming. You have to have a target at which to aim. The opposite of aiming is aimlessness. Paul said, "Aim for perfection" (2 Corinthians 13:11, NIV). Let us aim for perfection in all that we do for the Lord and He will take care of the results.
I do not believe our Lord will rebuke me for aiming at 100,000 at EXPLO '72 and only getting 85,000. But He might not be pleased if we only aimed and planned for 50,000 and missed those extra 35,000 He wanted to reach.
Dear friends: Some critics have said that Campus Crusade for Christ has not always met its very ambitious goals in the past.
That may be true, but I believe it is always good to set goals. If you shoot at nothing, you are certain to hit it. If you don't have any goals, you're not going to achieve anything worthwhile for the glory of God.
We have always been a goal-setting movement, and I have always believed in big plans, because small plans do not influence the minds and hearts of men and women. Also, God is glorified when we bear much fruit (John 15:8), and I know that it is God who works in me to will and to act according to His good purpose (Philippians 2:13).
We have not always seen our goals fulfilled, however. For example, we set a goal of attracting 100,000 people to EXPLO '72 in Dallas. "Only" 85,000 showed up, which still made it the biggest event of its kind in history. Actually, more than 200,000 attended a special musical event on the last day. Approximately ten times more people participated in EXPLO '72 than in any other similar Christian training event. Yet some of the newspapers said it was a failure because we didn't achieve our goal!
Friends have cautioned me against goal-setting because they think falling short of announced targets makes me look stupid. I am not worried about what people think. I want to please the Lord, so I do what He tells me to do. And God has led us to set many goals and prayer targets from the beginning of this ministry.
There is no doubt in my mind that our goals, whether we achieve them or not, have helped bring additional millions of people to Christ. So I am happy to undertake great and ambitious things for God even at the risk of failure and being criticized by others.
Goal setting involves aiming. You have to have a target at which to aim. The opposite of aiming is aimlessness. Paul said, "Aim for perfection" (2 Corinthians 13:11, NIV). Let us aim for perfection in all that we do for the Lord and He will take care of the results.
I do not believe our Lord will rebuke me for aiming at 100,000 at EXPLO '72 and only getting 85,000. But He might not be pleased if we only aimed and planned for 50,000 and missed those extra 35,000 He wanted to reach.
Wednesday, November 02, 2005
values 101
When the legendary John Wooden was coaching basketball at UCLA, he seldom made home visits to prospective players. He did make an occasional exception, however, like the time he went to see an extremely talented prospect who had great potential to help his team.
Wooden had every intention of offering the player a scholarship that night. In fact, all the necessary paperwork was ready and waiting in the pocket of his suit coat. But when he left the player's house later that evening, the scholarship was still in his pocket.
What changed Wooden's mind? His decision had nothing to do with basketball, that's for sure. Rather, as Wooden watched the player interact with his mother, he was troubled by what he saw as a decided lack of respect. He surmised that a young man who spoke disrespectfully to his mom probably wouldn't respect his coach, either. That was enough to keep Wooden from offering him a spot on the team.
When Wooden shared this story with me, he noted that he had often passed on exceptional talent if the player lacked good values. "What I have found is, just because the talent and the giftedness is there doesn't mean you're going to be able, as a coach, to bring it out of them," he said. "But if their values are there — the right ones — you can bring the best out of them every time."
This story is a great illustration of an important teamwork concept: Values — those guiding principles that influence and guide behavior — determine the foundation of the team. When the members of a team are guided by respect, integrity, excellence and other positive attributes, their footing as a group is strong. Their shared values provide stability for their organization to build upon.
That's not all a strong set of values will do for a group of people working together, of course. Let me illustrate with a few word pictures.
• Values are like glue. They hold an organization together.
• Values are like a ruler. They set the standard for a team's performance.
• Values are like a compass. They give direction and guidance.
• Values are like a magnet. They attract like-minded people.
• Values provide identity. They define and identify the team.
It's easy to talk about values in a generic sense. It takes a bit more effort to identify the specific principles that your company or team lives by, and even more discipline to communicate those values effectively to each person you hire. Sharp new employees will be able to ascertain much of what your organization believes in by watching your team in action. But it's always helpful when you reinforce those nonverbal messages with some kind of structured presentation that explains who you are and what you believe in as a company.
I did this very thing several years ago when I moved my company to Atlanta from San Diego. We hired quite a few people when we moved, and to bring them up to speed on where we had come from organizationally, I gave them a formal overview of who we were and what was important to us.
In this talk, I articulated the following values to my team:
1. Personal growth.It is the responsibility of each individual to grow personally, but it's the leader's responsibility to help facilitate that process. You can grow your organization only as much as you grow your people.
2. Making a significant contribution. I believe every person ought to do something that he or she truly believes is making a difference.
3. Living and working with passion. I don't know about you, but I want everyone around me to love what they do as much as I do. I have no desire to motivate people the people I work with to get passionate about life. I would rather beg them to find another job!
4. Commitment to excellence. As I've written in this column before, I believe each of us should set the bar higher for ourselves than anybody else will.
5. Team leadership.The only way to build a successful organization is by developing a great team around you.
6. Living a life of integrity. Without this, everything else is meaningless.
Finally, the best way to ensure that everyone on your team is guided by similar principles is to examine each prospective employee through the lens of your organization's values and hire only those individuals who share those same values. If their values already match yours, they'll fit in much more quickly and start being productive a lot sooner than they would if you had to help them adapt to your company's mindset.
Wooden had every intention of offering the player a scholarship that night. In fact, all the necessary paperwork was ready and waiting in the pocket of his suit coat. But when he left the player's house later that evening, the scholarship was still in his pocket.
What changed Wooden's mind? His decision had nothing to do with basketball, that's for sure. Rather, as Wooden watched the player interact with his mother, he was troubled by what he saw as a decided lack of respect. He surmised that a young man who spoke disrespectfully to his mom probably wouldn't respect his coach, either. That was enough to keep Wooden from offering him a spot on the team.
When Wooden shared this story with me, he noted that he had often passed on exceptional talent if the player lacked good values. "What I have found is, just because the talent and the giftedness is there doesn't mean you're going to be able, as a coach, to bring it out of them," he said. "But if their values are there — the right ones — you can bring the best out of them every time."
This story is a great illustration of an important teamwork concept: Values — those guiding principles that influence and guide behavior — determine the foundation of the team. When the members of a team are guided by respect, integrity, excellence and other positive attributes, their footing as a group is strong. Their shared values provide stability for their organization to build upon.
That's not all a strong set of values will do for a group of people working together, of course. Let me illustrate with a few word pictures.
• Values are like glue. They hold an organization together.
• Values are like a ruler. They set the standard for a team's performance.
• Values are like a compass. They give direction and guidance.
• Values are like a magnet. They attract like-minded people.
• Values provide identity. They define and identify the team.
It's easy to talk about values in a generic sense. It takes a bit more effort to identify the specific principles that your company or team lives by, and even more discipline to communicate those values effectively to each person you hire. Sharp new employees will be able to ascertain much of what your organization believes in by watching your team in action. But it's always helpful when you reinforce those nonverbal messages with some kind of structured presentation that explains who you are and what you believe in as a company.
I did this very thing several years ago when I moved my company to Atlanta from San Diego. We hired quite a few people when we moved, and to bring them up to speed on where we had come from organizationally, I gave them a formal overview of who we were and what was important to us.
In this talk, I articulated the following values to my team:
1. Personal growth.It is the responsibility of each individual to grow personally, but it's the leader's responsibility to help facilitate that process. You can grow your organization only as much as you grow your people.
2. Making a significant contribution. I believe every person ought to do something that he or she truly believes is making a difference.
3. Living and working with passion. I don't know about you, but I want everyone around me to love what they do as much as I do. I have no desire to motivate people the people I work with to get passionate about life. I would rather beg them to find another job!
4. Commitment to excellence. As I've written in this column before, I believe each of us should set the bar higher for ourselves than anybody else will.
5. Team leadership.The only way to build a successful organization is by developing a great team around you.
6. Living a life of integrity. Without this, everything else is meaningless.
Finally, the best way to ensure that everyone on your team is guided by similar principles is to examine each prospective employee through the lens of your organization's values and hire only those individuals who share those same values. If their values already match yours, they'll fit in much more quickly and start being productive a lot sooner than they would if you had to help them adapt to your company's mindset.
the abc's of trust
These five practices build trust with staff.
#1: Promote accountability among workers.
#2: Build up one another.
#3: Communicate consistently and effectively.
#4: Celebrate your people's accomplishments.
#5: Give clear and firm direction.
(Christian Management Rport, June 200, P.14)
#1: Promote accountability among workers.
#2: Build up one another.
#3: Communicate consistently and effectively.
#4: Celebrate your people's accomplishments.
#5: Give clear and firm direction.
(Christian Management Rport, June 200, P.14)
what's most important to your employees
These are the results of a survey of Christian workplaces about what is most important to you as an employee:
#01: There's a high level of trust between senior management and employees.
#02: Management seeks and acts on the suggestions of employees.
#03: Our leaders behave with fairness and integrity.
#04: My organisation is well managed.
#05: My organisation conducts its activities openly and honestly.
#06: I'm very satisfied with our level of Christian fellowship and spirituality.
#07: I'm satisfied wit hthe recognition I receive for doing a good job.
#08: I'd rate my organisation as a superior place to work.
#09: Our leaders demonstrate compassion for people at all levels.
#10: We're encouraged to experiment and be innovative.
#11: Our leaders exhibit the fruit of the Spirit- love, joy, peace, kindness, etc.
#12: Management explains the reasons behind major decisions.
#13: I'd recommend my organisation to others as a good place to work.
#14: People are held accountable for doing what they say they'll do.
(Christian Management Report, June 2005, p.10)
#01: There's a high level of trust between senior management and employees.
#02: Management seeks and acts on the suggestions of employees.
#03: Our leaders behave with fairness and integrity.
#04: My organisation is well managed.
#05: My organisation conducts its activities openly and honestly.
#06: I'm very satisfied with our level of Christian fellowship and spirituality.
#07: I'm satisfied wit hthe recognition I receive for doing a good job.
#08: I'd rate my organisation as a superior place to work.
#09: Our leaders demonstrate compassion for people at all levels.
#10: We're encouraged to experiment and be innovative.
#11: Our leaders exhibit the fruit of the Spirit- love, joy, peace, kindness, etc.
#12: Management explains the reasons behind major decisions.
#13: I'd recommend my organisation to others as a good place to work.
#14: People are held accountable for doing what they say they'll do.
(Christian Management Report, June 2005, p.10)
where goals fit in
Think of the following hierarchy to demystify vision, strategy, and tactics:
(1) Core Values: Enduring tenets—guiding principles—to adhere to no matter what mountain you climb. These never change.
(2) Core Purpose: The underlying “why” you climb mountains at all.
(3) BHAG: The specific mountain you are currently trying to climb.
Strategy: The route you intend to take and the general methods you intend to use to reach the top of that specific mountain.
(4) Base Camps: Intermediate objectives to the top of the mountain. If you have a ten- to thirty-year BHAG, these would be three- to five-year intermediate goals on the way up the mountain.
(5) Tactics: Specific methods for climbing the sections of rock and ice that confront you right now. These would be analogous to detailed annual plans for getting things done this year on the way to the five-year goal.
(1) Core Values: Enduring tenets—guiding principles—to adhere to no matter what mountain you climb. These never change.
(2) Core Purpose: The underlying “why” you climb mountains at all.
(3) BHAG: The specific mountain you are currently trying to climb.
Strategy: The route you intend to take and the general methods you intend to use to reach the top of that specific mountain.
(4) Base Camps: Intermediate objectives to the top of the mountain. If you have a ten- to thirty-year BHAG, these would be three- to five-year intermediate goals on the way up the mountain.
(5) Tactics: Specific methods for climbing the sections of rock and ice that confront you right now. These would be analogous to detailed annual plans for getting things done this year on the way to the five-year goal.
A BHAG
Every graduate of Harvard is apparently asked what their BHAG is. BHAG is Big Hairy Audacious Goal. What is yours?
A good BHAG has Five criteria of a good BHAG: (1) Are set with understanding, not bravado. (2) Fit squarely in the three circles of your Hedgehog Concept. (3) Have a long time frame—10 to 30 years. Are clear, compelling and easy to grasp. (4) Directly reflect your core values and core purpose.
(From http://www.jimcollins.com/lab/buildingVision/p3.html)
A good BHAG has Five criteria of a good BHAG: (1) Are set with understanding, not bravado. (2) Fit squarely in the three circles of your Hedgehog Concept. (3) Have a long time frame—10 to 30 years. Are clear, compelling and easy to grasp. (4) Directly reflect your core values and core purpose.
(From http://www.jimcollins.com/lab/buildingVision/p3.html)
4 important life questions
Q1: What would I try to do if I thought that I might succeed?
Q2: What goals would I set for my life if I knew I could not fail?
Q3: What price am I will to pay?
Q4: What sacrafices am I willing to make?
(From sermon by Jerry Falwell, The Mission of the Church, 2 Feb 2003, http://crossroadschurch.com)
Q2: What goals would I set for my life if I knew I could not fail?
Q3: What price am I will to pay?
Q4: What sacrafices am I willing to make?
(From sermon by Jerry Falwell, The Mission of the Church, 2 Feb 2003, http://crossroadschurch.com)
church leader resources
Here are some church leader resources
- Bible studies http://ministryblue.com/studies/Studies.html
- Christian statements of faith http://ministryblue.com/belief/index.html
- Chruch Growth Australia http://ministryblue.com/growth.html
- Game Ideas http://www.ministryblue.com/studies/resources.html
- Youth Leadership http://ministryblue.com/studies/ym.html
- Movie ideas http://ministryblue.com/movies.html
- Worship Resources http://ministryblue.com/studies/w-index.html
- Bible studies http://ministryblue.com/studies/Studies.html
- Christian statements of faith http://ministryblue.com/belief/index.html
- Chruch Growth Australia http://ministryblue.com/growth.html
- Game Ideas http://www.ministryblue.com/studies/resources.html
- Youth Leadership http://ministryblue.com/studies/ym.html
- Movie ideas http://ministryblue.com/movies.html
- Worship Resources http://ministryblue.com/studies/w-index.html
homosexual perspective
Check out this site for some useful resources in dealing with homosexuality. http://www.ministryblue.com/gay.html
placing employees
Take the prospective employees you are trying to place and put them in a room with only a table and two chairs. Leave them alone for two hours, without any instruction. At the end of that time, go back and see what they are doing.
If they have taken the table apart, put them in Engineering.
If they are counting the ceiling tiles, assign them to Finance.
If they are waving their arms and talking out loud, send them to Consulting.
If they are talking to the chairs, Personnel is a good spot for them.
If they are wearing green sunglasses and need a haircut, Computer Information Systems is their niche.
If they mention what a good price we got for the table and chairs, put them into Purchasing.
If they mention that hardwood furniture DOES NOT come from rain forests, Public Relations would suit them well.
If they are writing up the experience, send them to the Technical Documents team.
If they don't even look up when you enter the room, assign them to Security.
If they try to tell you it's not as bad as it looks, send them to Marketing.
If they are sleeping, they are Management material.
(from The Good, Clean Funnies List)
If they have taken the table apart, put them in Engineering.
If they are counting the ceiling tiles, assign them to Finance.
If they are waving their arms and talking out loud, send them to Consulting.
If they are talking to the chairs, Personnel is a good spot for them.
If they are wearing green sunglasses and need a haircut, Computer Information Systems is their niche.
If they mention what a good price we got for the table and chairs, put them into Purchasing.
If they mention that hardwood furniture DOES NOT come from rain forests, Public Relations would suit them well.
If they are writing up the experience, send them to the Technical Documents team.
If they don't even look up when you enter the room, assign them to Security.
If they try to tell you it's not as bad as it looks, send them to Marketing.
If they are sleeping, they are Management material.
(from The Good, Clean Funnies List)
is there a cook?
"Sometimes when I'm faced with an unbeliever, an atheist, I am tempted to invite him to the greatest gourmet dinner that one could ever serve, and when we finished eating that magnificent dinner, to ask him if he believes there's a cook." (Ronald Reagan)
(From www.preaching.com)
(From www.preaching.com)
preaching resource
Some websites are valuable enough that we need to be reminded of them. The Christian Classics Ethereal Library (CCEL) is provided through the courtesy of volunteers at Calvin College. The CCEL is an electronic library featuring thousands of books and other works, ranging from the early church fathers to Puritan sermons to 20th century works by G.K. Chesterton. This is one of those sites that should be bookmarked on every preacher's computer:
www.ccel.org
www.ccel.org
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)