It is not all about you

In her sermon this past Sunday, Pastor Anne echoed the famous words that open and set the tone for Rick Warren’s Purpose Driven Life: “It’s not all about you.”

In this me-first, I’m-number-one, it’s-my-right society, those can be hard words to swallow, let alone digest. Even supposedly other-focused Christians can get it wrong. Last week we were encouraged to go forward for healing prayer in the service. Even there, in an atmosphere of seeking prayer, we have to check our motives, Anne reminded us this week.

Do we believe in and love God because of what He can do for us, rather than for Who He is? Yes, He wants us well; yes, He wants us healthy. But if we think we need our head-ache or sore back healed and He knows we need our heart healed first—or our memories, or our attitudes—well, it may seem like the prayer ‘didn’t work’.

"God answers prayers in four ways," Anne explained. "Yes, no, wait, or yes, but. And that last one we may not understand as a 'yes' since the answer wasn't what we asked for."

A big day in Christian History

June 13, 1525
German reformer Martin Luther marries Katherine von Bora, 16 years his younger, having sneaked her and several other nuns out of their Cistercian convent in empty herring barrels two years earlier. Many viewed the marriage, which lasted 21 happy years, as a scandal.

June 13, 1893
Dorothy Sayers, English mystery writer and apologist, is born in Oxford, England.
"Man is never truly himself except when he is actively creating something," she once said. [Methinks she'd include women in that quote were she speaking today!]

(thanks to ChristianHistory.net for the info)

The width of God's Love for you

“And may you have the power to understand, as all God's people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep His love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.” (Ephesians 3:18-19, NLT}

The width of God's love extends across the entire world and includes every person and thing in creation: "The Lord is righteous in all His ways and loving toward all He has made" (Psalm 145:17, NIV).
“God loves the whole world” (John 3:16).

God never made a person He didn't love. He made you; He loves you; and God doesn't make junk! He loves you unconditionally. He loves you very, very, very, very, very much.

Everyone matters to God; in fact, we see in the life of Jesus that He even loves the unlovely, and those who may feel unlovable. Do you want to know the secret of self-esteem? Here it is: If you want confidence, then understand how much you matter to God. If God loves you, who cares what anyone else thinks. [Selah: think on that.]

Because God loves you, there's no need to prove your self-worth. We don't need props anymore to make us feel good about ourselves. We don't have to wear certain kinds of clothes to make us feel we're okay, or drive a certain kind of car to prop up our faltering egos. We don't need status symbols anymore. [Trappings can be deadly mind traps.]

It is an act of worship when you accept that God's love is wide enough to include everyone, including you!

(Adapted from a recent Rick Warren daily devotional)

Woman enjoys perfect week

Sandra Keyes didn't yell at the kids, didn't snap at her husband, didn't even wish them ill in her heart. She quit moping and shunned gossip. For one week she was perfect — outlasting her husband and winning a marital grudge match.

"I win!" she exclaimed, doing a little jig in the front yard after husband Dan slipped up and cursed the garden hose for malfunctioning. "I beat you, I beat you! A week without sinning. Whoo, whoo!"

Dan threw the hose down and stomped into the house. A week earlier, during a heated argument, he and Sandra had challenged each other to their first-ever "no-sin" competition. Thus commenced a week-long Chip-and-Dale routine.

Having won, Sandra was jubilant. "It's like pitching a perfect game," she said. "Nobody can take it from you. It's in the record books."

(lifted from LarkNews.com)

Is it time to take a nap?

A Purpose Driven Community devotional by Rick Warren

Sometimes the most spiritual thing you can do is just go take a nap. That's because when you're physically down, it's hard to be emotionally and spiritually up. The legendary football (U.S.) coach Vince Lombardi said, "Fatigue makes cowards of us all." That's true. It's amazing how much better things look when you're rested.

If you're discouraged right now, it might not mean you have to make a change; it may simply be that you need some rest.

Farmers know that soil needs rest, so they rotate their crops and systematically leave a portion of their land fallow. They do this because land that has rested produces a greater harvest.

About 100 years ago, a businessman named Frederick W. Taylor did a scientific study on the workplace and productivity. Do you know what his study proved? That people will produce more if they have periodic breaks; and from that, he introduced the coffee break.

Resting is spiritual. The Bible says God "enjoys giving rest to those He loves" (Psalm 127:2 MSG). You may need to put that verse on your refrigerator. The Bible says it's vain for you to rise up early and stay up late.

The Bible also says, "You made my body, Lord; now give me sense to heed Your laws" (Psalm 119:73 LB). What are His laws for the body? Eat right, get your sleep, exercise, and relax.

Rest is so important, in fact, that God put it in the Ten Commandments. In essence, He said, "Every seventh day you are to rest."

Don't ignore what God established. A good night's sleep makes a big difference. And even a quick nap can help you see things clearly.

(you can find this at the Purpose Driven Connection site here)

Fruit from frustrations

RULE #1: Don't sweat the small stuff
RULE #2: Realize it's all small stuff!

The Bible says, "A person's wisdom yields patience..." (Proverbs 19:11). The only way we can see all stuff as small stuff is to view it from God's perspective. When I am in tune with God, I remember He has everything under control even though I don't! So I don't have to sweat it: "The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control" (Galatians 5:22-23).

Pray this prayer: "Lord, help me to be filled with your love, joy, and peace, so that when I'm squeezed and pressured it is your love, joy, and peace that spill out of me."

(Adapted from a recent Rick Warren daily devotional, The Secret to Managing Frustrations)

Walking with Jesus

"God is not interested in simply helping people to a destination. He is acutely concerned with how we get there, and wants to be with us on that journey. In Luke 24, Jesus wasn’t walking with his disciples in order to get to Emmaus; he was walking with them because he enjoyed their company and wanted to share the Good News of his resurrection. When we ask God to do something quick, He usually says no. Most of us want our problems resolved overnight so that life can go back to normal. God simply does not work that way. He wants to walk the trail with us, giving us wisdom, revelation and His presence."

—Graham Cooke