Finishing well

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

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

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)

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.


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Thanks giving the joy of harvest

Wednesday, November 25, 2009 Print Article
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The Thanksgiving Joy of Harvest
Dr. Jack Hayford
The term "HARVEST" appears frequently in Scripture, as the people of the Bible lived in an agricultural society. At Thanksgiving, the imagery of harvest frames our own nation's history, inspiring us with things reflective of Early America.

Yet Thanksgiving is about more than that.

It is a call for us to celebrate not only God's provision and restoration, but also His promise and presence--even amid delays, restricting circumstances, or tears.

Thanksgiving also calls us to constancy, for the journey to harvest will usually be harder than we think, longer than we expect, and more rewarding than we can ever imagine.

Scripture says, "Though weeping may endure for a night, joy comes in the morning" (Ps. 30:5).

For many of us, it's been a demanding year.

But as you and I come to Thanksgiving, the joy of celebration makes everything else incidental. When we finally see the harvest, it no longer matters how tough things were, how much time they took, or how heavy the pressures were. What's important is that we have answered the call to faith.

There is joy in that call. The Bible likens this joy after travail to a woman who has delivered a child. After the difficult months of pregnancy and the pain of labor, the baby is born, and what it took for that to happen doesn't matter anymore. There is only the songs of rejoicing.

These songs are a celebration of God's purpose through and beyond trial. It reminds us that triumph ultimately outlasts trial. And the triumph is en route, folks.

Even if we can't see what God is doing, there's evidence in our hearts that He will be faithful. This song is an invitation to constancy of focus--to go forth with sacks of seed, not just one.

So today, ask yourself: What are you sowing?

Even with the wind in my face, the sand in my eyes, the weeping from circumstance or adversity, we must keep sowing the promise of God. Not as one who is mindless or superstitious, but as one who knows that the God who makes a promise to His people never forgets it.

God has done more things of love and goodness in our lives than any of us can imagine. When you face the thing that hasn't happened yet, keep sowing.

With a heart of Thanksgiving, find joy in the harvest to come.



Pastor Jack W. Hayford is president of The Foursquare Church, and founder and chancellor of The King's College and Seminary. As the founding pastor of The Church on the Way in Van Nuys, California, Pastor Hayford has authored dozens of books and 600 hymns, including the classic "Majesty." Pastor Hayford and his wife, Anna, have four children, eleven grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren. For more information on Pastor Hayford, log onto www.jackhayford.com.

Life Coach

Life Coach for Childrens Aid Society
Description:

Background
Discouraged by the staggering statistics about the struggles faced by African American males, The Children's Aid Society launched The African American Male Initiative: Creating Success in 2005. The purpose of the Initiative is to more fully understand the issues facing our Black male clients, and to find solutions that will better address the needs of this vulnerable population.

2009 marks our third program year and while we have had some promising results we are still evolving and continuing to strengthen our core components. For more information about Steps to Success please visit: www.stepstosuccess.org.
http://www.stepstosuccess.org.

Position Description
Life Coaching is a full-time paid position that enables young people (the boys are now rising 4th, 5th and 6th graders) to make decisions to improve their lives. As a way of mentoring, Life Coaches act a s a personal trainer for the mind. A life coach works with young people to develop plans for the future. Each Life Coach will work with each child one-to-one and in a group. It is expected that they maintain a strong relationship with these youth, hopefully at least through high school graduation. Coaches will be involved with all aspects of the child’s life.

Specific responsibilities:
Develop/maintain effective relationships with males, their families/counselors/teachers.
Support, encourage, guide males through developmental stages/transitions.
Establish plans that address concerns and areas for learning and development.
Facilitate social integration; teach social skills.
Be available 24/7 as needed.
Participate in academic and social assessment.
As appropriate, make arrangements for services (health, mental health, etc).
Visit homes, schools, programs in which they are involved.
Monitor/track progress; intervene effectively.
Ensure exposure to positive male role models and a range of career options; identify special interests and talents, encourage, guide, and develop their talents; use every means necessary to motivate and inspire them.
Manage tutors and ecourage additional learning activities.
Create opportunities for ongoing learning; help them to discover and identify talents, engage them in fun and educational activities.
Build knowledge o f African American culture, their he ritage; promote a strong sense of Black pride and self-esteem.
Help males manage thoughts, beliefs, perceptions, emotions, moods; strengthen their resiliency/coping skills.

Attributes
Demonstrated leadership experience; openness to learning and new experiences; can establish trust and intimacy – a willingness to share growth producing experiences with the males; energy; ability to create relationships; flexibility; can recognize and solve problem; written and oral communication; passion for working with youth; positive, organized individual who is reliable, self-motivated and able to motivate others; can handle multiple-tasks; good judgment; team player; self-starter, initiator; resourceful; comfort with single gender model.

Additional Qualifications:

The candidate should have a college degree, and at least 3-5 years of professional experience working with youth. Experience in youth development, early childhood education, social work, college access programs or other related field is a plus. S/he must have a deep understanding and commitment to social change, and addressing inequities in our society.

How to Apply:

Please send cover letter and resume to:
Roger Ball, Director/5th grade Coach
Email: rogerb@childrensaidsociety..org
Subject: African American Male Initiative

Believe

I BELIEVE... A Birth Certificate shows that we were born.
A Death Certificate shows that we died. Pictures show that we lived!
I Believe.... That just because two people argue, that doesn't mean they don't love each other. And just because they don't argue, that doesn't mean they do love each other.
I Believe...That sometimes when I'm angry I have the right to be angry, but that doesn't give me the right to be cruel.
I Believe...That we don't have to change friends if we understand that friends change.
I Believe...That no matter how good a friend is, they're going to hurt you every once in a while and you must forgive them for that.
I Believe...That true friendship continues to grow, even over the longest distance. Same goes for true love.
I Believe... That you can do something in an instant that will give you heartache for life.
I Believe...That it's taking me a long time to become the person I want to be.
I Believe...That you should always leave loved ones with loving words. It may be the last time you see them.
I Believe... That you can keep going long after you think you can't.
I Believe...That we are responsible for what we do, no matter how we feel.
I Believe...That either you control your attitude or it controls you.
I Believe...That heroes are the people who do what has to be done, when it needs to be done, regardless of the consequences.
I Believe...That money is a lousy way of keeping score.
I Believe....That my best friend and I can do anything, or nothing, and have the best time.
I Believe...That sometimes the people you expect to kick you, when you're down, will be the ones to help you get back up.
I Believe...That maturity has more to do with what types of experiences you've had, and what you've learned from them...and less to do with how many birthdays you've celebrated.
I Believe...That it isn't always enough to be forgiven by others. Sometimes, you have to learn to forgive yourself.
I Believe...That no matter how bad your heart is broken, the world doesn't stop for your grief.
I Believe...That our background and circumstances may have influenced who we are, but we are responsible for who we become.
I Believe...That you shouldn't be so eager to find out a secret. It could change your life forever.
I Believe....Two people can look at the exact same thing and see something totally different.
I Believe...That your life can be changed in a matter of hours by people who don't even know you.
I Believe...That even when you think you have no more to give, if a friend cries out to you..you will find the strength to help.
I Believe...That credentials on the wall do not make you a decent human being.
I Believe...That the people you care about most in life are taken from you too soon..
I Believe....That you should send this to all of the people that you believe in. I just did.
The happiest of people don't necessarily have the best of everything; They just make the most of everything.
Thank you God for all the wonderful people who help us throughout the journey of life... God Bless You!