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It: How Churches and Leaders Can Get It and Keep It By Craig Groeschel / Willow Creek Resource Some churches have “it” and some don’t. Congregations that do have this powerful, life-changing force thrive and grow—sometimes even in the most difficult circumstances. But what is “it” exactly? Blending in-your-face honesty with off-the-wall humor, Groeschel seeks to define the elusive “success gene” that provides spiritual balance for leaders and helps ministries flourish. 192 pages, softcover from Willow Creek. |
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Missional Renaissance: Changing the Scorecard for the Church By Reggie McNeal / John Wiley & Sons Three critical shifts are chronicled as the indications of a renaissance in thinking and praxis in missional church leadership: from internally-focused to externally-focused dynamic, from program development to people development, and from churchcentric leadership to community-engaged leadership. Filled with discussion and illustrations about what it means to truly become a missional congregation. |
![946158: Heaven Is for Real: A Little Boy"s Astounding Story of His Trip to Heaven and Back](http://ag.christianbook.com/g/tiny/9/946158.gif "946158: Heaven Is for Real: A Little Boy"s Astounding Story of His Trip to Heaven and Back") |
Heaven Is for Real: A Little Boy’s Astounding Story of His Trip to Heaven and Back By Todd Burpo with Lynn Vincent / Thomas Nelson Is there life after death? Just ask 4-year-old Colton, who emerged from life-threatening surgery with astounding details about heaven! Colton’s account includes floating away, looking down on his dad praying in the hospital, seeing God’s throne, and meeting relatives—including his sister who died in a miscarriage (and whom his parents had never mentioned). Riveting! 163 pages, softcover from Nelson. |
Accept the fact that some days you’re the pigeon, and some days you’re the statue!
Always keep your words soft and sweet, just in case you have to eat them.
Always read stuff that will make you look good if you die in the middle of it.
Drive carefully… It’s not only cars that can be recalled by their Maker..
If you can’t be kind, at least have the decency to be vague
If you lend someone $20 and never see that person again, it was probably worth it..
It may be that your sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others.
Never buy a car you can’t push.
Never put both feet in your mouth at the same time, because then you won’t have a leg to stand on.
Nobody cares if you can’t dance well. Just get up and dance.
Since it’s the early worm that gets eaten by the bird, sleep late.
The second mouse gets the cheese.
When everything’s coming your way, you’re in the wrong lane.
Birthdays are good for you. The more you have, the longer you live.
You may be only one person in the world, but you may also be the world to one person.
Some mistakes are too much fun to make only once.
We could learn a lot from crayons. Some are sharp, some are pretty and some are dull. Some have weird names and all are different colors, but they all have to live in the same box.
A truly happy person is one who can enjoy the scenery on a detour.
Save the earth….. It’s the only planet with chocolate !
(I really thought this was a good word from Tom so I am reprinting it from his website…see the credits at the bottom)
by Tom Kraeuter
Frequently at conferences or even church services, preachers/speakers encourage their listeners to do something big for God. “Make your life count” is an oft-repeated phrase. The person speaking is making an attempt to help persuade the hearers to accomplish something while here on earth that goes beyond just breathing and eating.
I’ll be the first to admit that this is a noble goal. However, I want to offer a word of caution.
This morning I was listening to a message by John Piper, and he mentioned the impact that his dad had on his life. As I listened, a thought occurred to me. I don’t know if John’s dad ever had a goal of doing something big for God. I do know that relatively few people have ever met, or even heard of, John Piper’s father. But he so impacted his son that John is in ministry today, at least in part, because of his father’s influence. John Piper’s writings and teachings have made a difference in the lives of hundreds of thousands — more likely, millions — of lives, believers and non-believers alike. Was it because his dad set out to do something great for God? I can’t say for certain. But I can say with great clarity that the influence John’s father had on John was because the dad was sold out to Christ.
In the final analysis, whether the impact we have in this life is great or small (from a worldly perspective — and that’s very different from heaven’s perspective) is of little consequence. What matters is if we are seeking to follow the Lord wholeheartedly.
I have met pastors who shepherd small flocks in rural areas. Often they are discouraged and even feel like failures because they don’t have a mega-church. Guess what. God didn’t necessarily call them to pastor a mega-church. He called them to be faithful right where He placed them.
In his book, A Passion for Faithfulness, J.I. Packer said this:
The passion for success constantly becomes a spiritual problem — really a lapse into idolatry — in the lives of God’s servants today. To want to succeed in things that matter is of course natural, and not wrong in itself, but to feel that one must at all costs be able to project oneself to others as a success is an almost demonized state of mind, from which deliverance is needed.
The world’s idea that everyone, from childhood up, should be able to succeed at all times in measurable ways, and that it is a great disgrace not to, hangs over the Christian community like a pall of acrid smoke…
The way of health and humility is for us to admit to ourselves that in the final analysis we do not and cannot know the measure of our success as God sees it. Wisdom says: leave the success ratings to God, and live your Christianity as a religion of faithfulness rather than an idolatry of achievement.
Please understand that I am not trying to discourage anyone from doing something “great” for God. But that great thing may be something as simple as influencing a few key people — friends, family, etc. — to walk more closely with the Lord.
The truth is that God doesn’t need us to do great things. He has done and will continue to do great things without our aid. What He won’t do, though, is to work fully — and daily — in and through an individual life without the permission and cooperation of that person.
More than wanting to accomplish some great and noble goal for God, I would encourage you to focus on simply following the Lord daily. Seek Him. Pray. Read and study His Word. Those are things that will ultimately make a difference and, perhaps, put you into a position — if God so intends — that would allow you to be involved in some great thing here and now.
What I’m talking about is a difference in focus. Focus less on profoundly impacting the world and more on simply following the Lord daily.
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“Reprinted by permission of Training Resources, Inc., 65 Shepherd’s Way, Hillsboro, MO 63050, wwww.training-resources.org ”
I’m finding that I am not reacting as I thought that I might. I’m glad he is dead, but the images that I see on the news of people celebrating, are really starting to bother me, and I wasn’t really sure why. Then I saw an interview with a high ranking FDNY representative, and I began to understand from his comments why I feel the way I do. Here are a couple reasons that I won’t be throwing a party today in honor of the death of a terrorist.
First of all, our memories of September 11 should not be about Osama Bin Laden. As we celebrate and dedicate inordinate amounts of focus on his death, we reinforce what he was trying to do, and that is get America’s Attention. The purpose of terrorism is to disrupt everyday life and cause people to focus on death, and destruction. Even though most are glad the he is dead, we are still celebrating death. America should be better than that
Second, revenge is not a reason To celebrate. I keep hearing the newscasters and other say that this is about closure. What I see the crowds doing in response to the news does not indicate closure, but rather a joyful, and giddy, celebration of our more base and human need for revenge. Closure brings a sigh of relief, and peace in the heart, but what I see on television more accurately represents what you see from the crowd at a WWF match. Remember this Scripture:
Dear friends, never take revenge. Leave that to the righteous anger of God. For the Scriptures say, “I will take revenge; I will pay them back,” says the Lord. Instead, “If your enemies are hungry, feed them. If they are thirsty, give them something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals of shame on their heads.” Don’t let evil conquer you, but conquer evil by doing good. Romans 12:19-21 – NLT
Have we done good as a nation by dedicating so much time and resources to taking revenge, or have we allowed evil to conquer us? I’m sure we all have a little different feeling about this question. God’s Answer seems pretty clear.
Third, death of any kind is not a reason to celebrate. The deliberate taking of a human life, even if it is to protect others, is a very solemn thing. I believe that there is a fine line between murdering someone and delivering justice, and your perspective will determine which side you are on. I would guess that many of the people celebrating today are anti death penalty, but yet think that killing a terrorist is reason to rejoice. I personally do believe that the death penalty is allowed by scripture, and is sometimes necessary, but to rejoice over the killing of even a criminal is wrong. Those who rejoice over the taking of any life need to seriously consider what they are celebrating.
My heart goes out to all of those who lost loved ones on 9/11, and I hope that his death does give them closure and a sense of peace. My greater hope is that many of them have already found the Peace that only a relationship with God can bring, a peace that is not reliant on our human need for revenge, or even closure, but rather is imparted by God out if His infinite grace and His love for us.