Yesterday I spoke at the school of ministry. The school of ministry is a conference that newly credentialed ministers go through in our fellowship. It is a great honor to be able to speak at this conference.
One of the things that I told them is that for the past 10 years I have been in the "school of ministry". God has used the ministry to stretch me and grow me. Much of that growth has come through pain. That is one of the reasons I like ministry: it's hard. It causes you to be humble and dependent on God.
Like me, you are in a school. It is called the school of life. Are you learning the lessons?
Think about these five rules of life:
1. You will learn lessons.
2. There are no mistakes only lessons.
3. A lesson is repeated until we learn it.
4. If you don’t learn it the easy way it gets harder.
5. You know you have learned the lesson when your actions change.
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Practical Atheism
I struggle with "practical Atheism."
In short, many times I find myself acting as if there is no God. I confess with my mouth that there is a God. But many times my lifestyle says other wise. The other day I was reading in my bible and I reaized that I had been neglecting my life-giving connection with God. When I do that, I tend to try and face problems and challenges in my strength.
" How can I solve it?" I often think. Instead of trusting in God, I often Trust in myself.
Time and time again, I find myself reverting back to this bad habit. Someone has said, " God doesn't want to teach us a thousand lessons in one way; He wants to teach us one lesson in a thousand ways."
The one lesson he teaches me is that He is God and I am not. I can choose to go it alone. I can choose to face my situaitons and challenges alone. Or I can choose to face them with Him.
Lord, forgive me for forgetting you do easily. I need you. I am poor in spirit. I can not be the dad you want me to be alone. I can not be the husand you want me to be alone. I can not be the pastor you want me to be alone. But in your strength I can do all things.
In short, many times I find myself acting as if there is no God. I confess with my mouth that there is a God. But many times my lifestyle says other wise. The other day I was reading in my bible and I reaized that I had been neglecting my life-giving connection with God. When I do that, I tend to try and face problems and challenges in my strength.
" How can I solve it?" I often think. Instead of trusting in God, I often Trust in myself.
Time and time again, I find myself reverting back to this bad habit. Someone has said, " God doesn't want to teach us a thousand lessons in one way; He wants to teach us one lesson in a thousand ways."
The one lesson he teaches me is that He is God and I am not. I can choose to go it alone. I can choose to face my situaitons and challenges alone. Or I can choose to face them with Him.
Lord, forgive me for forgetting you do easily. I need you. I am poor in spirit. I can not be the dad you want me to be alone. I can not be the husand you want me to be alone. I can not be the pastor you want me to be alone. But in your strength I can do all things.
Monday, February 11, 2008
Learning to Lose!
On Sunday night I was driving to our basketball game and I was extremely nervous. My heart was racing. My palms were sweating. My mind was planning what to do and what not to do.
Why are you so nervous? I thought to myself.
As I thought about it. I found the answer. I didn't want to lose. I don't like to lose. I am highly competitive.
As my mind was processing this. I remembered something I read from the book Integrity by Henry Cloud.
"If you could tell parents what the one thing is that is the most important to teach their kids about success, what would it be?" a lady asked Dr. Cloud this question.
"I would teach them how to loose," he responded.
"Why in the world would you teach them how to loose?" she asked.
"Because they will," he responded.
Later on he says: "The difference between winners and loosers is not that winner's never lose. The difference is that winners lose well, and loosers lose poorely."
Did we win our basketball game? We lost 2 times and won 1. But because of this insight, I took the loss better then normal. I only layed in bed tossing and turning for 2 hours.
We all most learn to lose well.
Why are you so nervous? I thought to myself.
As I thought about it. I found the answer. I didn't want to lose. I don't like to lose. I am highly competitive.
As my mind was processing this. I remembered something I read from the book Integrity by Henry Cloud.
"If you could tell parents what the one thing is that is the most important to teach their kids about success, what would it be?" a lady asked Dr. Cloud this question.
"I would teach them how to loose," he responded.
"Why in the world would you teach them how to loose?" she asked.
"Because they will," he responded.
Later on he says: "The difference between winners and loosers is not that winner's never lose. The difference is that winners lose well, and loosers lose poorely."
Did we win our basketball game? We lost 2 times and won 1. But because of this insight, I took the loss better then normal. I only layed in bed tossing and turning for 2 hours.
We all most learn to lose well.
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