Hardworkaphobia
How many times do you suppose people have not attempted something because they wrote it off by saying, “It can’t be done.” I have found that most of the time when people claim, “it can’t be done”, they are really saying, “It’s too much work.”
Think about this:
- What if spouses stopped saying “it can’t be done” and made the commitment to work out their issues?
- What if Christians stopped saying “it can’t be done” and began leveraging everything they have to make a Kingdom impact?
- What if church leaders would be open to possibilities and rally their congregations to reach people far from God?
- What if you really lived your life like you could do all things through Christ who strengthens you?
You and I could do so much more for the cause of Christ if we removed “it can’t be done” from our vocabulary and our minds. Thomas Edison once said, “Opportunity is missed by most people because it comes dressed in overalls and looks like work.” Let’s stop making excuses, stop complaining, and stop limiting what God can do in us and through us. Nobody ever said serving God would be easy. Nobody ever said starting that business, ministry, savings, degree, would be easy.
Anything of great significance and meaning will require hard work. You can’t expect to make a big difference with little effort. I am so thankful that Jesus didn’t hold anything back when he was paying the price for my sin. My prayer is that I can pour everything I am and have into something that is worth the sacrifice He made for me. And I am so thankful that I have the privilege to pastor a local church with people who understand this. Let’s do something great for God!
From Perry Noble – Great!
This is from Perry Noble’s Blog. He’s a great pastor. You should check him out.
My Wife Had A Bad Experience At Chick-Fil-A! November 23, 2011
I love Chick-Fil-A! (AND love Tim Hawkins song about it…you should watch it here!)
We eat there at least two or three times a week (not kidding…we’ve actually pushed that number up to 6-7 a few times.)
The food is ALWAYS good, they get the order right nearly every time and their customer service is second to none. It is always clean and no matter how long the line seems to be people are always served as quickly and efficiently as possible.
So, imagine my surprise when my wife came home the other day and, as we were catching each other up on the things that had taken place while we had been apart all morning and afternoon she told me about a bad experience she had at Chick-Fil-A.
I was immediately frustrated! (Any husband would be!) AND…before I knew it I had literally told myself in my mind, “Well, if that’s the way things are going to be then I guess we just won’t be going to Chick-Fil-A anymore, they’ve lost my business.”
TIME OUT!!! How stupid was THAT thought? Seriously, let’s review…
- #1 – They ALWAYS deliver great food!
- #2 – They ALWAYS have friendly people!
- #3 – They ALWAYS have a clean environment!
- #4 – What my wife had experienced was not in line with what normally happens.
(AND…I want to be completely fair to Lucretia, she was NOT saying she would not go back, nor was she angry…she was just telling me about her day and I am the one who became irrational!) :-)
I lost my mind! I was literally going to allow one bad experience with one employee ruin a reputation of excellence that had been consistent for years! (AND…no one knows what was going on in that employees life…she could have had one of the worst days of her life and was trying her best to just hold it together until she could clock out!)
Before you agree with me too quickly…I think there are people who have done the same thing to the church!
It has become quite popular, even in some “Christian” circles, to bash the church for all of the dumb things that she has done.
I have met people since being in ministry for over 20 years that have the same attitude with the church that I almost had with Chick-Fil-A! They will attend, serve, be devoted to a local church for months or even years…and then, all of a sudden…
- Someone didn’t call them when they were out for two weeks.
- Someone said something hurtful to or about them.
- They didn’t like what the preacher said.
- They didn’t like what the youth group was doing.
I could go on and on…but you get the point. There are times when people will allow one thing in the church to trump the decades of ministry and impact that have taken place through that body of believers, and that’s a bit insane.
- Yes, if you stay in a church long enough I promise you that you will see hypocrisy.
- Someone will say something to you or about you that will hurt you.
- Decisions will be made that you do not like.
- There are going to be sermons that make you mad.
When that happens the enemy is going to try his best to convince you to just walk away…because he knows that the first step away from God is usually getting people to step away from the people of God.
Yes, the church, EVERY church, has made some unwise decisions and, in the process have hurt or disappointed people along the way…but let’s not throw the baby out with the bathwater…
- She’s STILL being built by Jesus–that makes her important!
- She’s STILL reaching out to the broken, the forgotten and the poor.
- She’s STILL making a difference that’s going to be seen for eternity.
- She’s STILL GOD’S PLAN for reaching the world.
- She’s STILL necessary for believers! (If church is not necessary then why did Jesus say He would build it, died for it, will one day redeem it and spends so much time in the NT talking to it and about it?”
No, the church is NOT perfect…but neither are you (or me!) So, when we’re tempted to walk away because of the one thing that seems to hurt us or trip us up we should simply ask, “is this consistant with this churches character?”
Stay in a church long enough and you will have a bad experience…but let that push you closer to Jesus as you recognize that HE uses imperfect people in His plan, which means sometimes they get it wrong, and then beg the Lord to teach both them and yourself how to best deal with the situation…because, she’s STILL the church and STILL His bride.
Now…anyone want to go to Chick-Fil-A with me? :-)
Don’t Worry About Inviting Me
I know we’re friends, and you go to church, but I know talking about your faith makes you uncomfortable. At least, that’s the sense I get. We talk about a lot of stuff, but whenever church or God comes up, you get – I don’t know, tense. I’ve never understood why – it doesn’t weird me out as much as it does you – but I’m happy to relieve you of what is obviously something that makes you awkward.
Besides, what would I be missing?
It’s not like I’m an atheist – I’m not. I believe in God. I’m spiritual. And I want to do better; I’d like to understand the Bible, be a better parent, have a closer marriage, maybe even volunteer for something that would help others. But last time I went to church, that isn’t exactly what was offered.
Besides, we both know I’m not exactly a poster-child for Christianity. I’ve got baggage. I’ve got questions. I don’t think church is exactly the kind of place for someone like me.
And I don’t want to have to dress up.
I don’t want to be hit on for money.
I don’t like organ music.
And on top of all that, I don’t really believe in hell, so I’m not even that worried about what happens after I die. I’m sure that whatever life there is after death, it will turn out fine.
As far as my kids go, I think I want to just give them the freedom to choose whatever religion they want, if any religion at all. Church was boring for me when I had to go as a kid, so the last thing I want to do is drag them to one every week. It turned me off to church, and I’m sure it would just do the same for them. So it’s probably better if they just don’t go at all.
So don’t worry about trying to invite me to church.
It makes you awkward;
It won’t have anything to offer my life;
I couldn’t exactly come as I am;
I like wearing shorts;
I gave at the office;
I listen to Coldplay;
Hell is kind of a joke these days;
And my kids won’t like it.
Right?
But if, by chance, you think I have this all wrong, then for God’s sake, INVITE ME!
Good Father, Not Bad Friend
Yesterday I just finished a series of talks at Ovation Church about prayer titled, Teach Me To Pray. As I do most Mondays, I was replaying yesterday’s message in my head but I was also thinking over all the messages in the series. While each message was great (because of the Bible, not me), reflecting back, my favorite was the second Sunday, Teach Me To Pray – To The Father. Today I was reminded of the truth that MY God is like a good father, not a bad friend.
When Jesus’ disciples asked Him to teach them to pray, He told them a story about a guy who had unexpected company drop by but didn’t have any food to offer them. As you would expect in most small, close-nit communities, the guy goes to a friend’s house and asks to borrow some food. This was very common in the culture and each person Jesus was speaking to had probably experienced something similar – either asking or being asked. But as Jesus continues to tell the story, He says the friend refused to help because it was inconvenient. At this point, the crowd listening would have thought, “What a jerk of a friend! Who would do that?” But Jesus says that because of the guys boldness in asking, even this bad friend would give the food being asked of him.
Then Jesus asks the question, “How many of you being good fathers would give your child what they are asking for?” What loving dad would give his child a stone when they asked for bread? With this in mind, Jesus then asks, “How much MORE will your heavenly Father give to you?”
God is not like a bad friend that we have to annoy until they finally give us what we need. Jesus says God is like a good father!
If Starbucks Did It Like Most Churches
Last year I came across this video. Thought I’d share it with you.
Sneak Peek At Zip It pt3
I was just sitting here going over my talking notes for tomorrow and thought it would be cool to give you a sneak peek.
The first two talks of Zip It were about conquering complaining and kicking criticism. (Trust me, it was a lot more fun than it sounds.) The last two weeks we have learned that our words not only affect us, but they also affect others.
Part 3 is going to examine what can be gained by simple strategic silence.
Mom used to always say, “If you don’t have anything good to say, don’t say anything at all.”
Many times in life we would be better off Zipping It and keeping our mouth shut rather than saying what’s on our mind. When someone wants to “give me a piece of their mind”, I usually think they need all they can get and really should keep it for themselves.
There are times in your life when being silent would serve you well.
Be sensible and keep your mouth shut.
You have the right to remain zipped. Anything you say…
Maybe your life would be better if you would observe your very own “moment of silence” every once in a while. Selah
OC is 8 wks old!
Wow! On Sunday Ovation Church had its 8th service! (3.22.09)
I have to admit, I have the tendency to OVER analyze the services on Sun afternoon and Mon. But I can honestly say that I enjoyed the service. It was one of those services where everything was just clicking. Of course it is always helpful when people laugh at my sense of humor.
It is so awesome to see how far Ovation has come in such a short amount of time. I love seeing so many new faces. I never stop praying that the people who walk through our doors will start or deepen their personal relationship with Jesus. I can’t even explain how humbled and thankful I am to see people who before weren’t really into the whole “church thing”, but have now been coming the past 4-5 weeks and want to be involved.
I have this excitement, tension, passion, expectancy inside of me that God is going to explode at Ovation. I pray that we represent God and show His true love to those who are running from Him and are skeptical of church. I know when church is done in a raw, real-life way, it will draw people to God instead of drive them away from God.
I’m so thankful that God is bringing together such a great group of people who understand the importance of reaching out to the 60% of people who don’t think church is all that important or needed. I love how Paul says in Romans his ambition has always been to reach those who are far from God instead of those who already had a relationship with Him (Rom 15:16-22). I pray that Ovation never begins to turn inward and focus on comforting the already convinced, but will always reach out to those who have not yet surrendered to God.
After 8 weeks I can wholeheartedly say, “I was born for this and wouldn’t trade it for anything.”
Make your life count. Let’s do something great for God!