Daily Perspective for Feb. 28, 2011

Joshua 24:15-17

If serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”

“Choice” is a participant in the level of success one enjoys in life. There are two things actually that play into that success.

There is “Natural Ability” that every person on the planet has. The obviously varies from person to person.

Then there is “Choice” the person has in any given circumstance. When a person with much natural ability makes good choices, the potential for their success increases to the highest level. However, much natural ability accompanied by poor choices will almost certainly not lead to good results. Natural ability is God given to each person. Choices are the privilege God gives each man to make. Often it is not talent that determines if a person is successful; it is the choice made to engage that talent!

John Wooden was the coach of the UCLA basketball team. He is remembered by his young players for saying wise things as he coached them through life as well as basketball. One of his players recalled a practice session during which Coach Wooden said:

“There is a choice you have to make in everything you do. So keep in mind that in the end the choice you make, makes you.”

Have you made the choice to follow Jesus? How are you doing in managing that choice? The choice to follow Jesus was easier than the choices you will need to make daily to follow through on that most important choice of asking Him to be your Savior and making Him your Lord.

Don’t grow weary in following hard after Him in every choice of today! J

This is my Perspective. What’s yours?

Brent

Perspective for Feb. 24, 2011

A thorny question?

I love Jesus' parables, one of my favorites is the Parable of the Sower, if you don't know this parable and it's meaning, take a moment to read it now in Mark 4:1-20.

I can easily see myself at various stages of my life in each of the four soils Jesus describes… there was a time when the seed of God's Word had little meaning to me... and there was a time when I got fired up and excited by "my faith" only to later struggle in hard times.  And, if I’m honest, there’ve been times when the cares of this world had my attention...

So, I’m thankful to be in the good soil now!  But Jesus said the mark of living in the good soil isn't right living, right thinking, or even right beliefs...

Jesus said the mark of living in the good soil is the production of a crop way beyond anything you, or I, could produce on our own, so… "where's my crop?" 

Hmmm… that could be a thorny question!

Pastor Jeff

Perspective for Feb. 23, 2011

 “Character” is a word that has been summarized by the definition: “What one thinks and does when no one is around.”

I have hired men and women in the course of my life. It is never an easy task. There are three things that I try hard to understand in the interviewing process:

Competence; the skill level of the person matched up to the task. Competence answers the question, “can they do the job”?

Attitude; their outlook on life; do they get along with people; and do they have fun seeing life as a positive adventure. Attitude often determines how long they will be content doing the job.

Character; is what is drives the person do the job and determines IF they will indeed do it well. Character determines if a person’s actions match their words. Character is not a qualification of just leaders. I have known many people who are better followers than leaders but they have high character. However, if a leader does not have good character he/she quickly disqualify themselves from leading effectively. Character breeds consistency. Character pushes one to do their very best every single time. Character is the single essential ingredient that makes one trustworthy and dependable.

Character is that to which Paul calls us in I Cor. 15:58:

“Be steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, for as much as you know your labor is not in vain in the Lord.”

If we work on our godly character, God will work through our character… to lead others!

This is my perspective for today; what’s yours?

Enjoy your day. I am praying for you!

Brent

Perspective for Feb. 21, 2011

When is the last time you got up with nothing to do?  By the way what does “nothing to do” mean?  Is that even an honest and accurate phrase or is it a euphemism?

 I’d like to ask that you consider what God meant when he said “remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy.”  The word “Sabbath” means “to cease” or “to stop” and it suggests a rhythm for humanity that God designed into our weekly life.  The Prophet Jeremiah was told by God to stand before the people and announce to them that for the sake of their lives, do not carry a burden on the Sabbath.

 We seem to be chronically busy.  Even our days off are often filled with busyness that doesn’t allow us to sit, rest, relax or think.  I speak from experience on this issue, as one who struggles to stay in the rhythm of Sabbath.  I do not write to you because I have mastered this, but because I am trying to learn how to do it better.  As I was attempting to reflect today after a busy week-end, I found some thoughts that I want to share with you.

 The following four things are some of the detriments of being chronically busy and out of the rhythm of Sabbath:

1. We fail to see things clearly and we lose perspective.  This often will lead to relationship issues in home, office and ministry situations.
2. We don’t listen carefully.  The Bible says we should be quick to listen.  Lack of Sabbath will impair our ability to listen well.
3. We don’t think deep thoughts; we stay on the superficial.  Wisdom is often  increased as we take the time to reflect deeply on life experience.  Last week I was told by a “ministry coach” that leaders in top positions of an organization should plan 20% of their time for thinking and reading.  Wow! That is nearly one full day out of five of office time work weeks!
4. We miss out on the celebrations of life because we are racing off to the nest project.

 Since God said to take a Sabbath, perhaps we should plan to do less this week rather than more!  A wise person might well think about that!

Would you take the time to think through Psalm 139.  Note expecially that God's thoughts toward you are more numerous than the sand on the beach!  Be encouraged by that as you tackle another busy week!

This is my perspective.  I hope yours is not far off and that yours and mine both honor God!  Enjoy your day.

Brent

Perspective for Today

I was sitting in a prayer meeting this morning at 6:00. One of the persons in the room asked the group: “What is the longest chapter in the Bible?”

“Psalms 119.” I responded proudly; after all, shouldn’t I know such trivia, being a pastor, I thought to myself.

“What is the shortest chapter in the Bible?” he continued.

“I don’t know”, I responded; now not feeling quite so puffed up.

“Psalm 117”, he taught me.

“What is the middle chapter in the bible?” he continued.

“Psalm 118”, he said.

“What is the middle verse in the Bible?” he asked again.

“Well I suppose it would be a verse in chapter 118 of the book of Psalms”, I thought to myself, but hesitated to say, since it was obvious to me, and the rest of the group, that I wasn’t “Mr. Bible Trivia”—so I answered,

“I don’t know that either”.

He helped me learn more trivia when he said, "Psalm 118:8 which says, “It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man.”

Now that the prayer group has been gone from the church building for two hours, and I have taken some time to reflect on that verse, I am humored that something so trivial could be so symbolic.

God did not dictate the books of the Bible in the order we know them in the Canon today nor did God number either the chapters or the verses. Therefore, we should not make too much over where the verse is found in the Bible and lose sight of the verse itself. However, how ironic that God has allowed a thought so central to the entire teaching of the theme of the Bible to be found in the dead center of what we know today as the Bible: “It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man.”

If this verse were the center of our life, how different would our life look from the reality of what our life is today? What changes would we make? How would we take care of the time God has allowed us each week, when He gives us 168 hours? How would we take care of the relationships God has brought into our life? How would we take care of the abilities God has entrusted into our care?

What do you think about this verse in Psalm 118:8? Is it really better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man?. Is the answer to that question reflected in what you have planned to be and do for God today? I have confidence in you that it is. So enjoy living out the central verse of the Bible today in ALL you do, say and think! J

This is my Perspective for Today. I hope you will consider this truth from your perspective too, and live in a way pleasing to God.

Brent

Lead Pastor—Stonecrest Community Church