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Helping Others on a Miracle Mission

June 14, 2012

When you and I ask to be sent by God, we are taking His urgent, heartfelt command and turning it into our urgent, heartfelt request. We are coming all the way over to God’s point of view on what we were born to do. We are declaring to God:

I hear Your command, but I realize that hearing and agreeing are not enough. Therefore, I am sincerely asking, God, please send metoday on a miracle mission. And I’m letting You know in advance, when You send me, I willgo!

When you pray this way, God knows that He can call on you, His highly motivated delivery person, at any time. Whether He reaches into your heart with a nudge or simply puts you at the scene of something He wants done…He knows you have already committed to act on His [ … ]

Grace Is All There Is

June 13, 2012

We can never get enough grace.

If there’s such a thing as a favorite theologian, Martin Luther tops my list. A sixteenth-century German monk, Luther stumbled upon the concept of grace while reading the apostle Paul’s letter to the Romans: “The just shall live by faith” (Romans 1:17, KJV).

Up until that time, Luther had spent his life trying to atone for his own sins, beating himself and spending hours on his knees confessing his sins, and then agonizing in case he forgot one.

But once the light bulb went on and he realized that it truly is by grace alone that we are saved and by grace alone that we live, he became one of the greatest grace teachers of all time. The just shall live by faith, which comes solely by grace.

As the story goes, someone once [ … ]

The Journey of “Yes”

June 12, 2012

After reaching a point of desperation and demanding that God show up and provide some direction, my eyes were opened. God wanted me to relax. He wanted me to be me, using gifts he had given me. He wanted me to concentrate on doing things I was good at, things that utilized the best of who I was. He wanted me to enjoy my life and my work for him. So I began to pay attention to the way I was wired. What was I created to do, and what had I been trying to do for which I had no real talent or gifts?

Paul reminds us in 1 Corinthians 12 that every believer has been given gifts to serve the body of Christ. He also reminds us that no one person has all the gifts. This way the [ … ]

Punctured Roof

June 11, 2012

I was so broken and longing for something transcendent, for something higher than anything this world has to offer, that I decided to go to church. I didn’t even change my clothes. I jumped up and ran out the door.

I arrived late and found my way to the only seats still available, in the balcony.

It wasn’t long before I realized how different everything was in this place. I immediately sensed the distinctiveness of God. In the music, in the message, and in the mingling afterward, it was clear that God, not I, was the guest of honor there. Having suffered the bankruptcy of our society’s emphasis on self-fulfillment, I was remarkably refreshed to discover a place that focused on the centrality of God.

I didn’t understand everything the preacher said that morning, and I didn’t like all the [ … ]

Longing

June 7, 2012

I want neither a blood-’n’-guts religion that would make Clint Eastwood, not Jesus, our hero; nor a speculative religion that would imprison the gospel in the halls of academia; nor a noisy, feel-good religion that is a naked appeal to emotion. I long for passion, intelligence, and compassion in a church without ostentation, gently beckoning to the world to come and enjoy the peace and unity we possess because of the Spirit in our midst.

Excerpted From The Signature of Jesus by Brennan Manning

Daily Reflection:

What do you long for from your church?

Never Give Up

June 6, 2012

Hope is a catalyst. It can even move obstacles that seem immovable. When you keep pushing, refusing to give up, you create momentum.  Hope creates opportunities you never would have anticipated. Helpful people are drawn to you. Doors open. Paths are cleared.

Remember—action brings reaction. When you are tempted to abandon your dreams, push yourself to continue one more day, one more week, one more month, and one more year.  You will be amazed at what happens when you refuse to quit.

Excerpted from Life Without Limits by Nick Vujicic

Daily Reflection

Never give up!  What have you quit that deserves one more day, one more week, one more month, or one more year?

God as Creator

June 5, 2012

God is an Artist, and as an Artist, God loves to share his creations and point out great moments of beauty.  So God places human beings in the center of the story, in the garden, where God will come and walk. At first God and the man talk about what Adam has learned and how he and Eve are tending the garden. God seems to want Adam to discover things, to find out what is underneath al the layer of the world around him. “Come, let me show you,” we can hear God say to Adam. “Look at this! Did you find this flower or see this animal today? Tell me what you found today!”

Excerpted from The Gospel of Yes by Mike Glenn

Daily Reflection:

We can get so accustomed to our everyday surroundings that we take [ … ]

God’s Embrace

June 4, 2012

When I first realized that I was pinned in the waterfall, I did not panic and I did not struggle, but I desperately tried to get out of my boat by using some standard techniques.

I repeatedly and forcefully tried to reach the grab loop of my spray skirt, but the power of the water forcing my arms downstream was too great and my attempts were laughable. I tried to push against the foot braces. I tried to jiggle the boat. I thought about my family and desperately tried to raise my head out of the water in search of air. I quickly realized that I was not in control of my future.

God had saved me more than once in the past so I, once again, reached toward God and asked for His divine intervention. I did not demand [ … ]

Tilted Halos

June 1, 2012

To be alive is to be broken. And to be broken is to stand in need of grace. Honesty keeps us in touch with our neediness and the truth that we are saved sinners. There is a beautiful transparency to honest disciples who never wear a false face and do not pretend to be anything but who they are.

Excerpted from The Ragamuffin Gospel by Brennan Manning

Daily Reflection:

Are you willing to trade the false face of daily life for transparency and brokenness before God?

What Is Your Hidden Gift?

May 31, 2012

Many of us shortchange ourselves when it comes to realizing our gifts and talents. We all received something of great value from God, and it is our duty and honor to share our gifts and talents with others. Obvious talents such as athletic, artistic, or musical ability; working with your hands; and leading others are often celebrated. We fail to recognize more subtle talents, such as having joyous spirit, offering the gift of hospitality, or being a great listener. Over the years, I have recognized the gift of encouragement that I have been given. This blessing was not realized right away but was revealed to me over time…we may have to do some soul searching and praying to find out what gifts our Lord has blessed us with.

Excerpted from Strength for the Moment by Lori Hogan

Daily [ … ]