Bible Teacher. Pastor.Educator.

What I read today ......God is using Paul Tripp to rock my mind

What I read this morning:

 

" The Christian life can really be boiled down to two words: trust and obey. I must always entrust the things that are out of my control to God (Circle of Concern), and I must always be faithful to obey His clear and specific commands (Circle of Responsibility). - Paul Tripp From Pg 255 of Instruments in the Redeemers Hands..[1]

 

“Because sin is deceitful and fallen people are so naturally blind to uses of self, data gathering must always pursue two goals. First, the process must give the counselor the information needed to provide wise biblical counseling but an even more fundamental purpose is that we would be the Messiah’s instruments to open the eyes that have been blind for too long”. Pg 277 Instruments in the Redeemers Hands

 

“Our goal is not only to expose the darkness that exists in relationships and situations but the darkness of the heart, so that the gospel can be applied”. Pg 278. Instruments in the Redeemers Hand

 

“ I want to help counselees see themselves in the mirror of God’s word I will ask questions that they would never ask and probe in places they would not know to probe”. Pg 278. Instruments in the Redeemers Hands

 

Pray. Plan. Prepare. Pursue. Perspire. Hard work beats talent when talent fails to work hard! Give it all you've got today, and then make it a habit! -Bishop Dale C. Bronner

 

Facts about Spiritual Blindness from Paul’s Tripp:

• A fundamental part of being spiritually blind is that you are blind to your blindness... Pg292
• Spiritual blindness is the condition of every sinner, every counselee. Pg 292
• Spiritual blindness is deceptive because it masquerades as other things.
• Manna falling from heaven became to the Israelites because they were not focusing in the covenant love it’s provision represented, but on it’s taster as compared to the menu of Egypt”.  Page 282
• If you really want to understand what is important to a person, find out where he feels needy. Values become desires, desires become demands, and demands get expressed in counseling as “needs”.  Page 281.
• Another scriptural term for the spiritually blind is  “fools”.  Page 282

 

How this impacted me?

Do I come to situations with silent demands and respond with anger when my needs are ignored? I need to remember that I cannot hold people responsible for unwritten or unspoken expectations.

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[1] . Facebook status on Thursday, October 25, 12.

Learning CONTENTMENT in a Tornado!!!

• It feels like a tornado just hit me on April 6th 2012 and I think I am now starting to recover. 
• The tornado of trials but the lord has been by my side.
• The secret of contentment is the realization that life is a gift, not a right"-Jerry Bridges .
•  No regular paycheck in 3 months for me .
•  No jobs yet....preaching more sermons than I ever been....
• Seeing more people respond to my sermons than ever...seeing God work more than ever...facing spirtual battles more than ever 

• Preaching to more teenagers and seeing more students...connect to God....... God is sure taking care of His servant and teaching me some lessons.......
• Preaching at a Family Camp ( four times this weekend) and having a really good time with some new Friends at http://lafayettecommunitychurch.org/. 
• This is probably the 20th time I am preaching this summer since the last week of June 2012..not getting a regular paycheck but God is sure taking care of all my needs....
• Some days am really anxious and wondering how He is going to take care of me and my bills and then He show up with an unexpected check or gift in the mail...
• Thank God for taking care of me. (The very first temptation in the history of mankind was the temptation to be discontent…that is exactly what discontentment is – a questioning of the goodness of God.The secret of contentment is the realization that life is a gift, not a right"-Jerry Bridges)
• Philippians 2:14 Do all things without grumbling or disputing, 15 that you may be blameless and innocent,children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, 16 holding fast to the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain.

 

How To Lead Yourself Everyday! | Guest Views

My good friend Bob Bouwer was having lunch with the campus pastor of COMMUNITY a couple weeks ago when he said, "Everyday at the top of my journal I write these three letters: E (emotional), P (physical) and S (spiritual) and then give myself a 1-10 rating." He went on to explain how this daily routine of rigorous self-evaluation helps keep him in a healthy place.

As I heard Bob talk I was inspired to do the same; but to use a tool that is a regular part of our coaching of leaders at COMMUNITY and explained on page 120 of Exponential: How You and Your Friends Can Start a Missional Church Movement. We refer to this tool as "checking your RPM'S." This tool is based on Luke 2:52 that says, "Jesus grew in wisdom (mental) and stature (physical), and in favor with God (spiritual) and men (relational)." So for the last week on a daily bais I have put at the top of my journal these four letters: R (relational), P (physicial), M (mental) and S (spiritual) and given myself a 1-10 rating. I am already convinced that using this tool on a daily basis, rather than just during coaching sessions may be one of the most powerful self-leadership tools around. I would strongly encourage you to try it for yourself. Let me briefly explain each of these and give you a few questions to ask in your own daily self-evaluation.

RELATIONAL: Our relational world typically includes the people with whom we interact on a regular basis: our immediate family, friends, neighbors, coworkers, and small group members. Here are some questions you can ask yourself.

• How are my relationships at home?
• What about my marriage, dating, or family life is going well? What’s not going so well? What would I like to change?
• Who do I consider my closest friend? How is God using that relationship to grow me?
• What are my relationships at work like?
• Which of my relationships give my energy and life? Which are the most challenging or draining?

PHYSICAL: Our physical well-being is often the most overlooked aspect of a leaders life. Yet diet, exercise, sleep, and rest are all vital to our ability to lead effectively. If we are serious about developing as a whole person, we have to take seriously our physical well-being. Here are some good questions to ask:

• Am I getting enough rest?
• How is my current energy level?
• What am I doing to maintain good health when it comes to exercise and eating habits?
• Is there anything about my physical health that I'd like to change?

MENTAL: Another often-overlooked aspect is the development of our minds. In order for us to stay sharp and be a lifelong learners, we need to be challenged. Here are some questions we can ask to see if we are developing mentally:

• What have I been learning lately?
• How am I applying what I are learning?
• What magazines, books, or websites do I read or access?
• What thoughts have been dominating my mind? Are they drawing me closer to God? Are they pulling me away from him?

SPIRITUAL: It is also imperative that we discover and act on whatever it is that helps us grow deeper in our relationship with Jesus. Here are some questions we can ask to see how we are developing spiritually:

• How would I describe my relationship with Christ right now?
• What does it look like when I am feeling closely connected to God?
• Which spiritual disciplines seem

via blogs.christianpost.com

I love Dave Kraft and Micheal Hyatt: Leadership from the Heart - Posts - Are you operating in your strengths zone?

Then I read, Marcus Buckingham and Donald Clifton’s bestseller, Now, Discover Your Strengths. At the time, both men worked for Gallup. The book was based on their research there.

They had a simple but powerful thesis. The best way to get ahead in your career and be satisfied in your job is to focus on developing your strengths. No matter how hard you try, you really can’t improve your weaknesses. You are wasting time and energy trying to do so. The best thing you can do is discover your strengths and then find a role that allows you to use them.

At the time I read this, it was revolutionary. It still is.

In their extensive research, Buckingham and Clifton identified 34 different strength themes. They also developed an online strengths assessment that identified your five top strengths.

Since the book originally came out, Buckingham left Gallup and went on to write several more bestsellers. Sadly, Clifton passed away.

However, Tom Rath, another Gallup employee, picked up the torch and refined the research. He used the results from the four million people who took the first test to develop an even more accurate, reliable, and faster assessment tool.

In 2007, he wrote a follow-up book called StrengthsFinder 2.0, documenting his research. Gallup then made the new assessment available online, renaming it “Clifton StrengthsFinder 2.0” in honor of Donald Clifton.

The last time I took the test was more than four years ago. However, I review the results annually to make sure that I am still operating in “my strengths zone.”

I was especially interested in doing it this year in light of my transition from CEO of Thomas Nelson to my new role as a full-time writer and speaker. My top five strengths, along with the descriptions I received in the customized report are:

1. Achiever: People who are especially talented in the Achiever theme have a great deal of stamina and work hard. They take great satisfaction from being busy and productive.
2. Intellection: People who are especially talented in the Intellection theme are characterized by their intellectual activity. They are introspective and appreciate intellectual discussions.
3. Strategic: People who are especially talented in the Strategic theme create alternative ways to proceed. Faced with any given scenario, they can quickly spot the relevant patterns and issues.
4. Futuristic: People who are especially talented in the Futuristic theme are inspired by the future and what could be. They inspire others with their visions of the future.
5. Relator: People who are especially talented in the Relator theme enjoy close relationships with others. They find deep satisfaction in working hard with friends to achieve a goal.

via davekraft.squarespace.com

Why Vision Is More Important Than Strategy | Michael Hyatt

Over the next six years, Nelson Books was consistently the fastest growing, most profitable division at Thomas Nelson. It had one bestseller after another. It was home to almost all of our company’s bestselling authors during that time.

This didn’t happen because we had a great business strategy. It happened because we had a clear vision of what we wanted to achieve. That’s where it started, and that’s where you have to start if you want to experience a different reality than the one you have now, you have to get clear on what you want.

Here’s what I recommend:

1. Get alone with just a journal and a pen. If you can get a way to a solitary place, so much the better.
2. Make sure you won’t be interrupted. Turn off your cell phone, e-mail, television, etc.
3. Close your eyes and pray. Ask God for inspiration and guidance. What you ultimately want is alignment between His plan and your vision. But don’t make this harder than it needs to be. God usually speaks through our desires. If that’s a new thought, then read John Eldredge’s book, Desire: The Journey We Must Take to Find the Life God Offers.
4. Write down your current reality—all the things that you don’t like. Be brutally honest. It’s difficult to change unless you find your current reality unacceptable.
5. Now write down what you would like to see happen. Write it down in detail. If you can, use all five senses. Write it in the present tense, as though it has already happened. This will make it more believable to you.
6. Share your vision with the people who have a stake in the outcome.
7. Commit to reading your vision daily. This is critically important. “Faith is the evidence of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1). The more you can “see” this, the more likely it will come to pass.

Remember: Don’t get hung up on how you will accomplish your vision. Just believe God and watch it come to pass.

via michaelhyatt.com