Friday, December 04, 2009 Print Article
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Finishing Well
Ken Boa
We sing the song, "I have decided to follow Jesus, no turning back," but why is it that so many people do? There seems to be an epidemic of Christians who begin well but finish poorly. Let me share seven crucial characteristics that will help you to finish well.
1. Intimacy With Christ.
Our highest calling is to grow in our knowledge of Christ and to make Him known to others. Does our desire to know Christ exceed all other aspirations? If not, whatever is taking His place in the center of our affections must yield to Him if we are to know the joy of bearing spiritual fruit. A key secret of those who finish well is to focus more on loving Jesus than on avoiding sin. The more we love Jesus, the more we will learn to put our confidence in Him alone.
2. Fidelity With Spiritual Disciplines
Spiritual disciplines such as prayer, fellowship, study, worship, and submission are not ends in themselves, but means to the end of intimacy with Christ and spiritual formation. When left to itself, however, any one of these disciplines tends to decline and decay. An infusion of directed intentionality and effort is necessary to sustain order and growth and to bring repeated times of personal renewal.
3. A Biblical Perspective On The Circumstances Of Life.
Part of the purpose of our suffering and trials is to drive us to dependence on God alone. God responds by revealing more of Himself to us. This knowledge increases our faith and our capacity to trust His character and His promises through the times we do not understand His purposes and His ways. When we view our circumstances in light of God's character instead of God's character in light of our circumstances, we come to see that God is never indifferent to us, and that He uses suffering for our good so we will be more fully united to Christ.
4. A Teachable, Responsive, and Humble Spirit.
Those who finish well maintain an ongoing learning posture through the seasons of their lives. Humility and responsive obedience are the keys to maintaining a teachable spirit.
Humility is the disposition in which we displace self through the enthronement of Christ in our lives and realize that all of life is about trust in God. Obedience is the application of biblical faith in that which is not seen, and that which is not yet. As we mature in Christ, we learn to trust God's character and promises in spite of ambiguity or trials.
5. A Clear Sense Of Personal Calling.
God has called each of us to a purposeful journey sustained by faithfulness and growing hope. This calling or vocation transcends our occupations and endures beyond the end of our careers. As we seek the Lord's guidance in developing a personal vision and clarity of mission, we move beyond the level of tasks and accomplishments to the level of the purpose for which we were created.
6. Healthy Relationships with Resourceful People.
Relationships such as spiritual mentoring, servant leadership, and personal and group accountability are valuable resources that encourage, equip, and exhort. People who finish well do not do so without the caring support of other growing members of the body of Christ. These relationships help us to increase in intimacy with Christ, maintain the needed disciplines, clarify our long-term perspective, sustain a teachable attitude, and develop our purpose and calling.
7. Ongoing Ministry Investment In The Lives Of Others.
Spirit-filled living requires us to discover and develop the spiritual gifts we have received and exercise them through the Spirit's power for the edification of others. Believers who finish well are marked by ongoing outreach and sacrificial ministry for the good of other people.
Those who squander the resources, gifts, experiences, and hard-learned insights God has given them by no longer investing them in the lives of others soon wither and withdraw.
What does it take to finish well? Taking to heart the above seven characteristics will help you finish well day by day, as you "run with endurance the race that is set before [you]" (Heb. 12:1).
Ken Boa is the president of Reflection Ministries, an organization that seeks to provide safe places for people to consider the claims of Christ. He has authored numerous books, including Pursuing Wisdom, The Art of Living Well, The Psalms: A Journal, and The Trinity: A Journal (all NavPress). For more on Ken, log onto www.kenboa.org
Friday, December 4, 2009
Thursday, December 3, 2009
it's better not to know better
Thursday, December 03, 2009 Print Article
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It's Better Not To Know Better
Steven Furtick
My youngest son Graham lets me throw him up in the air so high that he almost goes through the ceiling. He loves it. He just turned 1 about a month ago.
His older brother Elijah used to let me do the same thing. He's 3 now, and he doesn't like it so much any more. It scares him. Didn't used to scare him, but my wife Holly says now that he's more aware of his surroundings, being thrown in the air freaks him out. I guess that's understandable.
Sometimes our awareness of our surroundings can take the naiveté out of our faith in God. When I first came to Christ, it was like I was letting Him throw me up in the air as high as He could (or would, more like it), and it never crossed my mind that this was dangerous.
It never crossed my mind that He might drop me.
If He prompted me to speak out for Him, I spoke up. If He urged me to give something to Him, I gave. If He wanted me to give up something for Him, I gave it up.
Then came mortgage payments, adult responsibilities and the like. Now I'm more aware of my surroundings. And it's a little more unnerving to get thrown up in the air.
It didn't frighten me at all when I didn't know any better...and sometimes I think it's better not to know any better. As a child of God, and even more so as a leader, I don't ever want to become so aware of my surroundings that I stop innately trusting God because it's dangerous.
Not that we should stay in a state of perpetual childhood. It's good to grow up, to exercise wisdom, and to analyze the risks.
But when it comes time to jump, never let your awareness of your surroundings be the final factor when deciding how high to go and how much to trust.
As you finish this year strong, find confidence in the strength of the one who caught you the last time, and who is positioned to catch you again.
Steven Furtick is Pastor of Elevation Church, located in Charlotte, North Carolina. Under his passionate leadership, Elevation Church was named one of the 10 fastest growing churches in America. A devoted husband and father of two, you can find Steven blogging at www.stevenfurtick.com
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It's Better Not To Know Better
Steven Furtick
My youngest son Graham lets me throw him up in the air so high that he almost goes through the ceiling. He loves it. He just turned 1 about a month ago.
His older brother Elijah used to let me do the same thing. He's 3 now, and he doesn't like it so much any more. It scares him. Didn't used to scare him, but my wife Holly says now that he's more aware of his surroundings, being thrown in the air freaks him out. I guess that's understandable.
Sometimes our awareness of our surroundings can take the naiveté out of our faith in God. When I first came to Christ, it was like I was letting Him throw me up in the air as high as He could (or would, more like it), and it never crossed my mind that this was dangerous.
It never crossed my mind that He might drop me.
If He prompted me to speak out for Him, I spoke up. If He urged me to give something to Him, I gave. If He wanted me to give up something for Him, I gave it up.
Then came mortgage payments, adult responsibilities and the like. Now I'm more aware of my surroundings. And it's a little more unnerving to get thrown up in the air.
It didn't frighten me at all when I didn't know any better...and sometimes I think it's better not to know any better. As a child of God, and even more so as a leader, I don't ever want to become so aware of my surroundings that I stop innately trusting God because it's dangerous.
Not that we should stay in a state of perpetual childhood. It's good to grow up, to exercise wisdom, and to analyze the risks.
But when it comes time to jump, never let your awareness of your surroundings be the final factor when deciding how high to go and how much to trust.
As you finish this year strong, find confidence in the strength of the one who caught you the last time, and who is positioned to catch you again.
Steven Furtick is Pastor of Elevation Church, located in Charlotte, North Carolina. Under his passionate leadership, Elevation Church was named one of the 10 fastest growing churches in America. A devoted husband and father of two, you can find Steven blogging at www.stevenfurtick.com
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
TOTAL PRAISE TO PERFORM AT ROCKEFELLER CENTER WITH ARETHA FRANKLIN
TUNE IN and WATCH
TOTAL PRAISE
as they perform and open the national hour with
ARETHA FRANKLIN
on
NBC's 2009 TREE LIGHTING CEREMONY AT
ROCKEFELLER CENTER
Other performers include Barry Manilow, Alicia Keys, Michael Buble, Shakira, Rod Stewart, José Feliciano, Rob Thomas, The Roots, The Muffets, The Radio City Rockettes and more!
Along with special guests Miss Teen USA, Miss Universe, NBC's Nightly News Brian Williams,
Taylor Schilling
and James Tuppe (NBC's "Mercy')
Co-hosted by NBC's
Jane Krakowski ("30 Rock") and Zachary Levi ("Chuck")
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2009
7:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. EST - WNBC-TV (local hour)
8:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. EST - NBC-TV (national hour)
TOTAL PRAISE
as they perform and open the national hour with
ARETHA FRANKLIN
on
NBC's 2009 TREE LIGHTING CEREMONY AT
ROCKEFELLER CENTER
Other performers include Barry Manilow, Alicia Keys, Michael Buble, Shakira, Rod Stewart, José Feliciano, Rob Thomas, The Roots, The Muffets, The Radio City Rockettes and more!
Along with special guests Miss Teen USA, Miss Universe, NBC's Nightly News Brian Williams,
Taylor Schilling
and James Tuppe (NBC's "Mercy')
Co-hosted by NBC's
Jane Krakowski ("30 Rock") and Zachary Levi ("Chuck")
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2009
7:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. EST - WNBC-TV (local hour)
8:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. EST - NBC-TV (national hour)
Please put the remote down.....
Tuesday, December 01, 2009 Print Article
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Please, Put the Remote Down
Milan Ford
Well, it's official.
My wife and I can no longer watch television together.
And I must admit - it is largely my fault.
While it pains me to share this with you, several years ago I contracted a deadly disease that is affecting men of all ages and ethnicities at an alarming rate. The disease is called O.C.F.
Also Known As: Obsessive Channel Flipping.
Some of the symptoms of this disease include:
(1) An inability to watch any show or film in its entirety.
(2) An abnormal distaste for commercial breaks.
(3) An endless pursuit and search through movie channels I know I haven't paid for yet.
(Pray for me - but sometimes I wake up hoping my cable company would one day make a mistake.)
Since it has become nearly impossible for my wife (or anyone for that matter) to sit and enjoy watching any form of television with me, I decided to get some serious help. After seeking the advice of several close friends, family members, as well as a few cable technicians I knew, I soon discovered that my problem was much bigger than channel flipping.
In fact, it is a problem that men, women, and a majority of the Body of Christ today have as well.
Our problem: FINISHING.
Whatever happened to that project you were working on (that you just knew was ordained by God), that led you to flip to something else less demanding because you were afraid of failing?
Or what about that relationship you took before God in prayer earlier this year? Why were you so quick to flip onto something (or someone) else after that first sign of disagreement?
It is amazes me how we (as believers) are at times some of the biggest channel flippers when it comes to life's challenges. When faced with adversity, we often surf for a better station, rather than to wait and see what God may have in store for us at the end of the program.
Sometimes we forget that God (as described in Hebrews 12:2) is the AUTHOR and FINISHER of our faith. There is nothing that catches Him by surprise concerning our lives.
While there may be times in our life that seem too difficult to watch and endure, we must find confidence in knowing that God does not view our life as some one-time program. He sees our lives as a series.
A series that He has authored and gone before us all to finish.
A finish that you and I just can't afford to miss.
While 2009 is indeed drawing to a close, and there still may remain some things you were hoping to accomplish this year, this is not a time for channel flipping.
This is a time to finish the work that God has begun in you. So today, if you are in need of any words of encouragement (or accountability) in order to aid you in finishing this year strong...
...let me leave you with five good ones my wife gave me the other day:
PLEASE. PUT THE REMOTE DOWN!
Milan Ford has been a leader (and survivor) of ministry within the local church for most of his life. A lover of Red Vines Licorice and all things pointing North, Milan has recently released his first book, 83 Things I Wish The Black Church Would Stop Doing. You can find Milan rambling and writing at at ThePewView.com.
© Milan Ford all rights reserved.
Share this devotional on: MySpace
Leave a Comment
Please, Put the Remote Down
Milan Ford
Well, it's official.
My wife and I can no longer watch television together.
And I must admit - it is largely my fault.
While it pains me to share this with you, several years ago I contracted a deadly disease that is affecting men of all ages and ethnicities at an alarming rate. The disease is called O.C.F.
Also Known As: Obsessive Channel Flipping.
Some of the symptoms of this disease include:
(1) An inability to watch any show or film in its entirety.
(2) An abnormal distaste for commercial breaks.
(3) An endless pursuit and search through movie channels I know I haven't paid for yet.
(Pray for me - but sometimes I wake up hoping my cable company would one day make a mistake.)
Since it has become nearly impossible for my wife (or anyone for that matter) to sit and enjoy watching any form of television with me, I decided to get some serious help. After seeking the advice of several close friends, family members, as well as a few cable technicians I knew, I soon discovered that my problem was much bigger than channel flipping.
In fact, it is a problem that men, women, and a majority of the Body of Christ today have as well.
Our problem: FINISHING.
Whatever happened to that project you were working on (that you just knew was ordained by God), that led you to flip to something else less demanding because you were afraid of failing?
Or what about that relationship you took before God in prayer earlier this year? Why were you so quick to flip onto something (or someone) else after that first sign of disagreement?
It is amazes me how we (as believers) are at times some of the biggest channel flippers when it comes to life's challenges. When faced with adversity, we often surf for a better station, rather than to wait and see what God may have in store for us at the end of the program.
Sometimes we forget that God (as described in Hebrews 12:2) is the AUTHOR and FINISHER of our faith. There is nothing that catches Him by surprise concerning our lives.
While there may be times in our life that seem too difficult to watch and endure, we must find confidence in knowing that God does not view our life as some one-time program. He sees our lives as a series.
A series that He has authored and gone before us all to finish.
A finish that you and I just can't afford to miss.
While 2009 is indeed drawing to a close, and there still may remain some things you were hoping to accomplish this year, this is not a time for channel flipping.
This is a time to finish the work that God has begun in you. So today, if you are in need of any words of encouragement (or accountability) in order to aid you in finishing this year strong...
...let me leave you with five good ones my wife gave me the other day:
PLEASE. PUT THE REMOTE DOWN!
Milan Ford has been a leader (and survivor) of ministry within the local church for most of his life. A lover of Red Vines Licorice and all things pointing North, Milan has recently released his first book, 83 Things I Wish The Black Church Would Stop Doing. You can find Milan rambling and writing at at ThePewView.com.
© Milan Ford all rights reserved.
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