Would you rather attend a party or a funeral? Seems like a silly question. Yet King Solomon wrote about the value of visiting a house of mourning.
Better to spend your time at funerals than at parties” (Eccles. 7:2 NLT).
How to Live With Purpose
Last week I enjoyed speaking at the Knowing God January Luncheon on “Seize the Day! Live With Purpose.”
Bible teacher Ken Boa said the Apostle Paul only had two days on his calendar—Today and That Day when he’d see Jesus. To live with purpose we need to follow Paul’s example and live in the present with an eye to the day we’ll see Jesus.Continue Reading
Who Can Measure the Impact of One?
“Tell me about your national and international reach,” the literary agent across from me said. I’d flown to Colorado for my first Christian writer’s conference and signed up to meet with an agent. I’d chosen this man because at one time we’d both worked for the same international ministry. I didn’t need to be a body language expert to realize he had no interest in my book ideas. He only wanted to discuss my numbers.
You don’t have to be an aspiring author to feel the pressure to focus on numbers. We might expect that in business, but meetings for Sunday school teachers often focus on attendance instead of on doing your work as unto the Lord. While Jesus spoke to crowds, He never neglected individuals. To show the Father’s heart, He told the story of a shepherd leaving the ninety-nine to find the one lost sheep.
The book of Acts shows Peter winning 3000 to the Lord in one day (Acts 2:41). It also shows an angel taking Philip away from a successful revival to minister to one bewildered seeker (Acts 8:26).Continue Reading
Do You Need Help Keeping God First?
Could you use some joy? I was recently reminded of the acronym JOY. Jesus, Others, You. Putting Jesus first in our lives brings joy to our hearts. But how do we always put God first when sick children demand our attention or work deadlines hang over our heads?
While putting God first on our list of responsibilities and interests helps us visualize how our priorities rank, another illustration works better for me. I like to picture my life as a pie cut into slices with God as the hub. Making Him the center means His influence permeates every slice of my life. As circumstances change, God leads me to invest more time and energy into different pie slices. Continue Reading