TRUTH

TRUTH will always triumph. TRUTH is Revealed, Absolute, Propositional, Transcendent, Incarnate and Transforming!

Tuesday, December 12, 2017

How Busyness Crushes Our Soul



Busyness has become a trendy epidemic. And I think it’s slowly killing us. I’m almost afraid of asking friends to get together nowadays; I know it could be weeks before we find a date on the calendar that mutually works.

What are we so busy with that’s pulling us away from human connection?

Busyness has taken a large hold of my life, so much so that I’m fearful of the consequences. A few weeks ago I went away for the weekend to Seattle with my husband. On arrival he dropped me off at the hotel and went to find a parking spot, and I headed up to our room and waited there for a good thirty minutes while he trawled the streets for an optimal space.

As I waited for him alone in the room I realized I had nothing to do — probably for the first time in weeks, or even months. Within minutes I felt bored and was reaching for my phone, feeling annoyed when I didn’t have the password for the hotel Wi-Fi. In that panicked moment of what do I do now?
And then suddenly it hit me: I’m addicted to being busy.

Which is ironic because there has been so much advancement in technology that is based on simplifying my life to reduce that hectic pace. My smart phone, with its apps, is like an appendage. I depend on it to give me what I need, and fast. With it I can multitask so much better than I could a decade ago.

I should have plenty of downtime for my family and friends, right?

Life on Overdrive
The accessibility of smart phones and all the accompanying apps; ultra high speed internet, and the many modern conveniences that claim to make life faster and easier, have only left us with higher expectations and busy lives.

We are now able to pack more into our lives, and put pressure on ourselves to do so. But at what cost? Real human connection? Our health?

Technology advancements have helped lead us down this path but are they entirely to blame? When I compare my life to my mother’s at my age it’s like I’ve hit the playback button on my video stream. I can’t blame that on technology alone, so why is my life so much busier than hers ever was?

The Need for More
In the 1970s my mother kept a home and raised three kids. She didn’t work until we were all much older. Her social life revolved around friendships, the wall-mounted telephone, and the dinner table. Her world was so much smaller.

If my mother wanted to connect with someone she had to call them or knock on a door. She had to make the time for real conversation. Yes, those connections were few — she didn’t have the 700 Facebook friends I have — but they were real, consistent and regular.

But I want so much more than that. I want the career, the kids, the house, the social life, the vacations, the clothes … I could go on.

The problem is that society and technology have made it easier for us to have more. And the more we have, the more we want; the more want, the more we have to do to get it. We aren’t busy because we love the stress; we’re busy because we’re all trying to keep up with one another.

And why do we want to keep up? Because our real human needs have never changed — we want to belong, and to be accepted, seen and loved.

Authentic Living
How do we live authentically? In our efforts to use “busyness” as a way to keep pace with the people around us and feel like we belong, are we in fact disconnecting ourselves from what we truly desire?
It begins with living out of our core values. Does the pressure to put our kids in five activities a week come from a value, say, of connection and joy, or from a desire for our child to be just as good at baseball as Johnny next door?

And what will that child remember more: being pushed to excel in baseball, or laughing around the family dinner table?

When our lives are overloaded we need to start asking some hard questions about why we do what we do. Is it because the things we fill our life with bring us contentment and joy, or because we can do more, so we just do?

Slowing Down
Society is racing ahead at 100 miles an hour, but our hearts and brains don’t know how to keep up. Our needs are no different now than they were a century or millennium ago.

There is so much opportunity around us — it’s like being offered a whole cake at once instead of just a slice. But we don’t know how to eat the whole cake and feel good; so we need to learn to accept just a slice at a time.

Perhaps that one slice looks like concentrating on pursuing a dream, or connecting with family, or both. But it’s not everything all at once.

The opportunity to do more is a wonderful thing, but if we’re too “busy” rushing from one thing to the next to be able to slow down and enjoy the moment, it loses its value entirely. I think I need to take my own advice.

What does your “busy” look like? If your life is on overdrive, are the things keeping you busy in line with your core values?

Design a simple life. Start here. Start now.
You can design a life of less—and more. More of what you love, less of what you don’t. It’s a process, and we’re all in it together. We have created a 30-day email course that will inspire + encourage you on your journey

Wednesday, November 22, 2017

10 Characteristics of An Effective Pastor/Church Leader



1. I am a can-do person.
Strong teams are full of people who take accountability for themselves, and who feel most alive when they are putting their best foot forward.

2. This is not my job. This is my life.
2 Timothy 1:9 says, “He has saved us and called us to a Holy life”. This isn’t just about a job in ministry. This is about a lifestyle that reflects the transforming work of Jesus Christ.

3. I will serve the Lord with gladness.
“On your feet now—applaud God! Bring a gift of laughter, sing yourselves into his presence.” Psalm 100:2 Ministry is hard, but if it isn’t also fun and full of gladness, we’re doing something wrong.

 4. Empowerment starts with me.
Strong ministries operate under the assumption that everyone is empowered to work hard, grow, overcome sin and temptation, serve others, confront conflict, make amends, take accountability and empower others to do the same.

5. I am not on the gossip train.
It’s so easy to get caught in the gossip train, if not in church itself, then in the blogosphere. Healthy ministries resist gossip - - no exceptions!

6. I am one of them.
No matter what team you are leading, what title you hold, or what title you hope to hold someday — we are all on the same team. We play different roles but are pointed toward the same objective.

7. I will bring those around me on the journey.
As a church leader, there are hundreds of people you try to “bring with you” on the journey. But the most important group of people you can bring with you is your own family. Your ministry won’t matter without them.

8. My tone of voice is not whining.
It is possible to have a good heart, but still come across as whining or complaining to others. How does my leadership sound to those around me? Leadership attitudes (real or perceived) are contagious.

9. I delegate but I don’t dump.
Do you see others around you as a means to an end, or are you also invested in what they are learning and who they are becoming?

10. My spirituality is attractive.
Our love for God, for people, and for life should be always be compelling to others.

Wednesday, November 8, 2017

Consequences of Pride



I would like to explore the topic of humility and pride. Specifically, the consequences of pride.

James writes:

Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you. 

The point is that there is blessing found in humility. When we hold on to pride, there are consequences that result. Here are several consequences of pride:

Isolation

Think about the person who is the know-it-all. They tend to drive people away. A prideful person will fail to ask for help because they will not be able to admit they need help. Because they fail to ask for help, they will end up going it alone. If someone comes along to help, a prideful person will quickly push them  away by making them feel unwanted. Pride will isolate us from others. 

Disillusionment and Despair

If you put confidence in yourself, you will eventually be let down. There will come a time when your body will fail you. Your mind will fail you. Your money will fail you. Wise King Solomon recognized that even though he was considered the wisest man in the world, that his fate was the same as a fool (see Ecclesiastes 2:14). In Proverbs King Solomon also wrote:

Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall. Proverbs 16:18 (ESV)

Remember that pride is too much belief in you
.
Lack of Development as a Leader

Pride prevents growth. It leaves us stagnated. Pride gives us a sense of accomplishment. We believe we have arrived. We close ourselves off from learning, from listening, and from opening ourselves to new ways of thinking and doing. 

How many companies with a successful product failed to innovate? They were content with their success. Because they failed to innovate a new upstart company comes along with a new and innovative product. Before you know it, the formerly successful company is shuttering its doors. Blockbuster Video was an example of this. They were stuck with their brick & mortar stores. Netflix comes along and by the time Blockbuster tried to make the transition to online streaming video it was too late. Then there was Polaroid & Kodak. They once had a revolutionary instant camera, but they did not realize digital cameras were the way of the future.

 We think we have got it all figured out. Are you teachable? Are you open to learning even in an area where you may be knowledgeable and accomplished? Talent alone can get you into the big leagues, but it is nurturing and refining that talent that wins championships. There are some athletes that when they make the big time, their ego is so large; they will not listen to their coach. But the athletes that lift the trophies are the ones that get past their egos, dedicate themselves to becoming better, and open themselves to new strategies and ways of playing the game.

Humble yourself, let the Lord lift you up to new heights never imagined! Take the time to learn and listen. Consider new possibilities with new ways of seeing and doing.

Tuesday, October 24, 2017

Genuine Reformation & Revival



ESSENTIAL CHARACTERISTICS OF GENUINE REVIVAL by  Errol Hulse

We need to preserve a very clear view of what genuine revival is and in so doing to appreciate afresh just how marvelous such a work of grace is. Those who have themselves witnessed the power of the Holy Spirit in revival hardly need written descriptions and definitions to help them. However, those who have never known the reality of revival are more prone to settle for something less.

 Many believe that revival is linked to the restoration of supernatural gifts to the church. The major revivals of the past have indeed been noted for phenomena, but these have not been of the kind seen in many modern movements. This distinction is vital and underlines the importance of careful definition of what constitutes revival.

 Four basic essentials can be observed at Pentecost which characterize all revivals of this epoch. We shall examine each of these in turn.

 1. The sense of God’s nearness and especially an awareness of His holiness and majesty.

2. A greatly intensified work of the Holy Spirit in conviction of sin and giving repentance and      faith.

 3. A marvelous increase in the numbers added to the church.

 4. Powerful preaching of the gospel.

Follow this link to the full article.

http://reformationandrevival.org/page65.html