THE BIBLE

During a
        question and answer session at a recent speaking engagement,
        a university student
        asked me, "Why do you believe that the Bible is the
        inspired word of God?"

Now
        this is a very interesting question, and probably one of the
        most important questions
        any Christian could ask themselves. What is so
        special, so unique about the Bible
        that Christians believe it is literally the inspired word of
        God?

In answering this student's question, I encouraged him to
        consider the following facts about
        the Bible. First, the Bible is not just one singlebook. This is a more
        common misconception than many people realize,
        especially with people who do not
        come from a Judeo-Christian background. Rather than being a single book,
        the Bible is actually a collection of 66 books, which is called the
        canon of scriptures. These 66 books contain a variety of genres:
        history, poetry, prophecy, wisdom, literature, letters, and apocalyptic,
        just to name a few.

Second, these 66 books were written by 40
        different authors. These authors came from a
        variety of backgrounds: shepherds, fishermen, doctors, kings, prophets,
        and others. And most of these authors neverknew one another
        personally.

Third, these 66 books were written over a period of
        1,500 years. Yet again, this is
        another reminder that many of these authors never knew or collaborated
        with one another in writing these books.

Fourth, the 66 books of
        the Bible were written in 3 different languages. In the Bible we have
        books that were written in the ancient languages of
        Hebrew, Greek, and Aramaic; a
        reflection of the historical and cultural
        circumstances in which each of
        these books were written.

And finally, these 66 books were
        written on 3 different continents: Africa , Asia, and Europe . Once
        again, this is a testament to the varied historical and cultural
        circumstances of God's people.

Think about the above realities:
        66 books, written by 40 different authors, over 1,500 years, in 3
        different languages, on 3 different continents. What's more, this
        collection of books shares a common storyline - the creation, fall, and
        redemption of God's people; a common theme - God's universal love for
        all of humanity; and a common message - salvation is available to all
        who repent of their sins and commit to following God with all of their
        heart, soul, mind and strength.

In addition to sharing these
        commonalities, these 66 books contain no
        historical errors or
        contradictions. God's word truly is an amazing collection of
        writings!

After I had shared the above facts with this student, I
        offered him the following challenge.
        "If you do not believe that the Bible is the inspired word of God, if
        you do not believe that the Bible is of a supernatural origin, then I
        challenge you to a test, I challenge you to go to any library in the
        world, you can choose any library you like, and find 66 books which
        match the characteristics of the 66 books in the Bible. You must choose
        66 books, written by 40 different authors, over 1,500 years, in 3
        different languages, written on 3 different continents. However, they
        must share a common storyline, a common theme, and a common message,
        with no historical errors or contradictions." I went on to say, "If you
        can produce such a collection of books, I will admit that the Bible is
        not the inspired word of God."

The student's reply was almost
        instantaneous, he emphatically stated, "But that's
        impossible!"

It truly is impossible, for any collection of human
        writings. However, the Bible passes this test. The Bible contains 66
        books, written by 40 different authors,
        over 1,500 years, in 3 different languages, on 3 different continents,
        with no historical errors or contradictions. The entire Bible, from
        Genesis to Revelation, bears the mark of Divine inspiration.

The
        next time you encounter someone who asks you why you believe
        the Bible is the inspired
        word of God, try sharing this challenge with them. Better yet, don't
        wait until you're asked, just go ahead and share this
        challenge with a friend today.
        You don't even have to mention
        the Bible up front, just ask them if they think it would be realistic to
        assemble such a collection of books. After they say, "But that's
        impossible!" you've got a ready-made opportunity for sharing the
        truth!

In God We
        Trust.
       

3 Trees

 

Three Trees

Once there were three trees on a hill in the woods. They were  discussing their hopes and dreams when the first tree  said, someday 

I hope to be a treasure chest. I could be filled with gold, silver and precious gems. I could be decorated with intricate carving and  everyone would see the beauty. 

 

Then the second tree said, someday I will be a mighty ship. I will 

take Kings and queens across the waters and sail to the corners of 

the world. Everyone will feel safe in me because of the   strength of 

my hull.  

      

Finally the third tree said, I want to grow to be the tallest and straightest tree in the forest.  People will   see me on top of the hill and look up to my branches, and think of the heavens  and God and how close to them I am reaching.  I will be the greatest tree of  all time and people will always remember me.  

 

After a few years of praying that  their dreams would come true, a 

group of woodsmen came upon the trees. When one came to the

first tree he said, This looks like a strong tree, I think I  should be 

able to sell the wood to a carpenter, and he began cutting it down.   

The tree was happy, because he knew that the carpenter would make him into a  treasure chest.        

 

At the second tree the woodsman said, This looks like a strong tree. 

I should be able to sell it to the shipyard.   The second tree was      

happy because he knew he was on his way to becoming a mighty ship.        

 

When the woodsmen came upon the third   tree, the tree was frightened because he knew that if they cut him down his dreams would not come true. One of the woodsmen said, 'I don't need anything  special from my tree, I'll take this one, and he cut it  down. 

 

When the first tree arrived at   the carpenters, he was made into a 

feed box for animals. He was then placed in a barn and filled with hay. This was not at all what he had prayed for.

 

The second tree was cut and made into  a small fishing boat. His 

dreams of being a mighty ship and carrying kings had come to an end. 

 

The third tree was cut into large pieces, and left alone in the dark. 

 

The years went by, and the trees forgot about their dreams.  Then one day, a man and woman came to the barn. She gave birth and they placed the baby in the hay in the feed box that was made from the first tree. The man wished that he could have made a crib for the baby, but this manger would have to do. The tree could feel the importance of this event and knew that it had held the greatest treasure of all time.        

 

Years later, a group of men got  in the fishing boat made from the 

second tree. One of them was tired and went to sleep. While they were out on the water, a great storm arose and the tree didn't think it 

was strong enough to keep the men safe. The men woke the  

sleeping man, and He stood and said 'Peace' and the storm

stopped. At this time, the tree knew that it had carried the King of Kings in its boat.

 

Finally, someone came and got the third tree. It was carried

through the streets as the people mocked the man who was carrying it. When they came to a stop, the man was nailed to the tree and  raised in the air to die at the top of a hill. When Sunday came, the tree came to realize that it was strong enough to stand at the top of the hill and be as close to God as was possible, because Jesus had been crucified        

on it. 

 

The moral of this story is that when things don't seem to be going 

your way, always know that God has a plan for you. If you place your  trust in Him, God will give you great gifts.  Each of the trees got what they wanted, just not in the way they had imagined.         

 

We don't always know what God's plans are for us. We just know that  His Ways are not our ways, but His ways are always best.

 

 

Problem Solving

PROBLEM SOLVING

IDENTIFY, RECTIFY, VERIFY

I’m not talking about “car won’t start”, “water heater” is broke, Etc. All though it works for those too.

IDENTIFY- What IS the problem and why do we have it?

          What- Most of the time it is obvious- name some…relationship problems, no job, no home etc.

Why- Many occur due to “The pursuit of unsatisfied desires without regard to cost or consequences” Let’s look at scripture-Romans 8:5-8  Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God.

I am NOT suggesting that all problems are Sin problems, however many of them are, most show at least a lack of wisdom and the answers are in the BOOK. (BIBLE)

          Pride-  A “My way or the highway” attitude. There is much in the Bible about pride and the problems it creates. Sometimes pride causes us to put on “blinders” because we are the problem or it seems too serious to deal with.

          Ignorance- “Here’s yer sign” Look around. You probably can figure it out if you think about it. Proverbs 14:12 There is a way which seems right to a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.

          Deceived- “There’s more than one way to look at things” see text? And we think our way is the only way, this is Self-Justification- the act or instance of making excuses for one’s own behavior. Find out what GOD’s way is.

          Selfish- “I’m all that”> we are told not to think to highly of ourselves. Romans 12:3 for by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you.

RECTIFY- Repair and maintain, how?  It is sometimes a long process. There is usually no quick fix.

                   Study-   Read GOD’s word to really see what it says, Bible study try the “Discovering God” Bible study. It’s on the AgapePoint website.

                   Learn- “Practice what is preached”. Seek wise counsel. In Proverbs 15:22 we are told; Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed.

The whole book of Proverbs is great for wisdom! Ask Pastors, Teachers, parents and others you know who have given good advice.

Also from the Military the 6 P’s- Proper Prior Planning Prevents Poor Performance!

                    Pray- Don’t forget it is a two way street. Pray just like you are talking to a friend, and wait and listen for his answer in your heart and mind and your Spirit. If you have trouble praying use these examples;

ACTS,

Adoration-(praise)  tell him he is Lord of your life;

Confession- Tell him what you have been doing wrong;

Thanksgiving- Thank him for what he has done; list some of your blessings…;

Supplication – (asking, pleading) tell him what you need help with. Or follow The Lord’s Prayer as found in Matthew 6:9-13 as part of the Sermon on the Mount and Luke 11:2-4 to his disciples.

 

VERIFY- The proof- Let’s look at the Fruit of the Spirit. Galatians 5:22-26 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance(patience), kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.

I recommend you read the entire chapter. Many good Do’s and don’ts s.

                   Relationships- “Takes one to know one” See if maybe others you are in relationship with are showing good “fruit”, even if they are not you are still required to do so. Maybe they are but you just did not see it until you took another look.

                   Ministry- “Living proof” watch and see if what you share with others is better, truer, and more Godly. Showing greater wisdom on your part.

                   Peace of mind- “A good night’s sleep”, I believe this is one thing we all want and need. We are given instructions on how to do this and it is His desire for us to have peace of mind, sometimes this is the most significant verification. “You know in your knower”

                   Testimony-“I’m a believer”. The best testimonies are lived not spoken. Prove by how you live daily. People pay more attention to what you do than what you say.

Verifying that the problem is solved may take some time and can be an ongoing process.

I want to share these words from Christ himself-

 MATTHEW 7:24-27 “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”

 

I want to leave you with one more verse. Philippians 4:8  Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

 

Parenting and Mentoring

This is good advice for Parents of any age; a follow-up on Mother’s Day and a preview for Father’s Day. Good also for anyone mentoring a child or young person, and just general good advice, even for those of us with adult children.

      

I’m not sharing this because I am good at these things but because I have now seen the wisdom in these instructions and want to do better.

Children are a gift from the Lord (Psalm 127:3-5). Children are a heritage from the Lord. Offspring are a reward from him. Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are children born in one’s youth.

Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them. They will not be put to shame when they contend with their opponents in court.

The following are some of our responsibilities regarding children-

There are NO perfect parents, but if we follow this advice from GOD’s word we can do a better job.

Most of these overlap and together they form a workable plan.

 

You need to be Available – morning, noon, and night, Moms probably know this best. (Deuteronomy 6:6-7) These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts, Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.

You need to be Involved – interacting, discussing, thinking, and processing life together (Ephesians 6:4)  

Fathers, do not exasperate (to cause irritation or annoyance to) your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.

Don’t tell them one thing and then do another. Be the person you want your children to be.

You need to Teach – the Scriptures and a biblical worldview (Psalm 78:5-6; He (GOD) decreed statutes for Jacob and established the law in Israel, which he commanded our ancestors to teach their children, so the next generation would know them, even the children yet to be born, and they in turn would tell their children.

PRAY with and for your children. Explain how the world should be and the differences between how things are and how GOD would have them be.

You need to Train – helping a child to develop skills and discover his/her strengths (Proverbs 22:6)   Start children off on the way they should go, when they are old they will not turn from it. 

Have them read from and teach them from the book of Proverbs as soon as they can read.

You need to Discipline – teaching the fear of the Lord, drawing the line consistently, lovingly, firmly Hebrews 12:5-11; And have you completely forgotten this word of encouragement that addresses you as a father addresses his son? It says,“ My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son.

Proverbs 13:24 Whoever spares the rod hates their children, but the one who loves their children is CAREFUL to discipline them.

As in Psalms 23, the rod was used to prod and encourage, it is not always referring to spanking. No shepherd would injury their flock(children) intentionally.

You must Nurture them – By providing an environment of constant verbal support, freedom to fail, acceptance, affection, unconditional love (Ephesians 4:29-32);  Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.  Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

Encourage them, teach them “failure is not final”, tell them you love them, and that you love them for who they are, and that you love them no matter what.               

 

You should Model with Integrity – living what you say, being a model from which a child can learn by “catching” the essence of godly living (Deuteronomy 4:9, Only be careful, and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them fade from your heart as long as you live. Teach them to your children and to their children after them. Don’t always tell-show. Think about issues like “white lies” and “Do as I say not as I do”.

 

Fathers be the kind of man you would want your daughter to marry and Moms demonstrate to your sons what to look for in a wife.

 

I hope this has been both enlightening and challenging. The best testimonies are lived not spoken; take a few minutes to examine yours

 

 

Do we live in a "Little Red Hen" world ?

Once upon a time there was a little red hen. She lived with a pig, a duck and a cat in a pretty little house which she kept clean and tidy. The little red hen worked hard at her jobs all day, but the others never helped. The pig liked to roll around, oinking in the mud outside, the duck used to swim, quacking in the pond all day, and the cat enjoyed lying in the sun, purring.
One day the little red hen was working in the garden when she found a grain of corn.
“Who will plant this grain of corn?” she asked.
“Not I,” oinked the pig from his muddy patch in the garden.
“Not I,” quacked the duck from her pond.
“Not I,” purred the cat from his place in the sun.
“Then I will do it myself,” said the little red hen. So she found a nice bit of earth, scratched it with her feet and planted the grain of corn.
During the summer the grain of corn grew. First it grew into a tall green stalk, then it ripened in the sun until it had turned a lovely golden colour. The little red hen saw that the corn was ready for cutting.
“Who will help me cut the corn?” asked the little red hen.
“Not I,” oinked the pig from his muddy patch in the garden.
“Not I,” quacked the duck from her pond.
“Not I,” purred the cat from his place in the sun.
“Very well then, I will cut it myself,” said the little red hen. Carefully she cut the stalk and took out all the grains of corn from the husks.
“Now, who will take the corn to the mill, so that it can be ground into flour?” asked the little red hen.
“Not I,” oinked the pig from his muddy patch in the garden.
“Not I,” quacked the duck from her pond.
“Not I,” purred the cat from his place in the sun.
“Fine,” said the little red hen, “I will do it myself.” She took the corn to the mill and asked the miller if he would be so kind as to grind it into flour.

Illustration detail by Joyce Hesselberth

When he had finished the miller sent a little bag of flour down to the house where the little red hen lived with the pig and the duck and the cat.
“Who will help me to make the flour into bread?” asked the little red hen.
“Not I,” oinked the pig from his muddy patch in the garden.
“Not I,” quacked the duck from her pond.
“Not I,” purred the cat from his place in the sun.
“Very well,” said the little red hen. “I shall make the bread myself.” She went into her neat little kitchen, mixed the flour into dough, kneaded the dough, and put it into the oven to bake.
Soon there was a lovely smell of hot fresh bread. It filled all the corners of the house and wafted out into the garden. The pig came into the kitchen from his muddy patch in the garden, the duck came in from the pond and the cat left his place in the sun. When the little red hen opened the oven door the dough had risen up and had turned into the nicest, most delicious looking loaf of bread any of them had seen.
“Who is going to help me eat this bread?” asked the little red hen.
“I will,” oinked the pig.
“I will,” quacked the duck.
“I will,” purred the cat.
“Oh no, you won’t,” said the little red hen. “I planted the seed, I cut the corn, I took it to the mill to be made into flour, and I made the bread, all by myself. And now I will eat the bread all by myself.”
And that’s what happened. The pig, the duck and the cat stood and watched as the little red hen ate the loaf all by herself. It was delicious and she enjoyed it, to the very last crumb.

FAILURE ?

OVERCOMING FAILURE

 

Failure is a given in life; expecting to sail through without it is unrealistic and sets you up to fall harder when failure does happen. Avoiding failure also prevents you from focusing on gaining the resiliency needed to cope with it, a vital element of bouncing back.

It is unfortunate that in societies obsessed with success and achievement, failure can be made to feel like the worst thing that could ever happen to a person. The reality is that failure is common but so is overcoming it and pushing through to more success. Even when failure occurs, there is always something to be learned from it. In these sessions we will learn a little about how to overcome failure through having the right attitude and letting GOD be in control. When you don't let the mishaps of life keep you down too long, then nobody else will be able to keep you down too long either.

Expect mistakes. Life's hard knocks are as common as life's successes. To expect the process of living to always be smooth sailing is to invite a lack of realism into your life. It happens to the best of us. Failure helps to create balance in your life and presents an opportunity for personal growth. Accepting the inevitability that things won't always go your way is an important part of avoiding becoming bitter and twisted, and prevents you from simply resting on your laurels and never pushing further to realize your full potential. •Learn to love finding out that you're wrong about something. That's not failure; it teaches you and is the path to finding the right way. Remember the saying “if god brings you to it he will see you through it”

2 Corinthians 1:7-9 Our hope for you remains firm. We know that you suffer just as we do. In the same way, God comforts you just as he comforts us. Brothers and sisters, we want you to know about the hard times we suffered in Asia Minor. We were having a lot of trouble. It was far more than we could stand. We even thought we were going to die. In fact, in our hearts we felt as if we were under the sentence of death. But that happened so that we would not depend on ourselves but on God. He raises the dead to life.

 

Remind yourself that you are good enough. Not believing we are good enough rests at the heart of fearing failure. Failures serve as proof of this greatest fear, causing us to want to withdraw. However, this fear is not reality; nobody is perfect and everyone has failures. The real difference between people who become successful and overcome failure and those who do not comes down to how you manage failure and how you view it. Feeling inadequate is a common human feeling that even very public, very successful people feel but they don't let it keep them down. You are good enough; all you need is to give yourself the go-ahead to keep trying. Name some from the bible and now……2 Timothy 4:7 I have fought the good fight. I have finished the race. I have kept the faith.

Remain calm. Whatever you're feeling about a failure, don't lose your composure over it. Look at it this way – it won't make any difference to the outcome whether you blow your top or stay calm but it will take a lot less energy and maintain your reputation if you choose to remain calm. If you're really frustrated and angry, channel these emotions to motivate you to start again. • Don't take your anger out on others. It's not good to bottle up feelings, but you can't go around taking out your anger on those around you for no good reason. Go for a run, or a swim, to relieve tension and give you space to think and pray and read your bible. Just do something focused to distract yourself from the intense feelings until they calm. • Take your time. People don't usually recover from a large failure overnight. It takes time for the emotions to heal. That doesn't mean you're entitled to mope though. This time is better spent going over how to do it better next time and building up your resilience. Isaiah 40:31 But those who trust(wait on)  in the Lord will receive new strength. They will fly as high as eagles. They will run and not get tired. They will walk and not grow weak.

Forget about how other people view you. Not only will any very obvious failure soon be yesterday's news, but if you think other people are judging you (and maybe they are, maybe they aren't), it won't be long before they're too busy worrying about their own failures to sling mud at yours. After all, everyone's going to fail now and then; looking at someone else has a way of boomeranging right back, this helps to do away with constant criticism. What does it really matter what the critics think? Most of the time they have no clue what effort has gone into what you've done and what you're trying to achieve – it's all too easy to be an expert critic without knowing the inside information. •Allow each failure to serve as an opportunity to strengthen your determination in the face of criticism. This is a far more healthy response than giving in to believing the often nasty and thoughtless things other people can say. Matthew 12:36 I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, READ 33-37

Shift out of your head space. All of the negativity is in your head. The reality is that you will recover. And the bonus is that you will gain knowledge, insight, and experience – wisdom that only those who tried something can lay claim to. Step outside of your personal negative feelings and reach out to the people around you who care about you; enjoy their company and learn about how other people cope with failures instead of simply focusing on yourself. Give it to GOD. • Look at each failure as a stepping stone to a stronger self. Treat each failure as a gift of learning what not to do in the future. •Respect the humility that comes with failure. Too much success can sometimes lead us astray and cause us to grow an unwarranted sense of being infallible and feeling superior to others. Failure can knock the stuffing out of such unrealistic thoughts and help set you back on the right course. Romans 12:3 For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you.

Stop worrying, start laughing. Yes, the sun will come up again tomorrow. Yes, things might be miserable for a little while but how will worrying help? Think back to a time when you worried a lot. Did it make any difference? Most likely not, apart from giving you more wrinkles and gray hair. The greatest thing you can do for yourself during failure is to inject humor into your reflection of what happened. While there will be a period in which you feel especially tender, being able to laugh at yourself for mistakes can be an important part of the healing process, readying you for moving on again. Being able to say "Oh I did that, ha, ha" is part of putting failure into perspective. •Be very careful that you don't take on other people's mistakes or circumstances as being your failure. Humor is one way of telling you that you don't need to carry the world on your shoulders and that sometimes, things just happen, no matter what you do or do not do. Psalm 126:2 Our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy. Then it was said among the nations, “The Lord has done great things for them.”

 

Review what your failure has taught you. There are always things to take away from a failure. It might also be the case that you have made the failure seem worse than it is; partial failure is also partial success and if you can draw out what was successful and build on that, the sense of having failed lessens. Learning never stops. •Failure can help you discover your best self. Failure is a signal that you're willing to press on and discover new talents, reaching beyond what you know into what you don't know. •Failure is about mastery. It's easy to flip from one new thing to another and be a Jack or Jill of many skills but a master or mistress of none. It's much, much harder to have the patience to master one thing really well and to do it with precision and exactitude. And to master something, one must fail at it, a lot.• Failure teaches you about will-power, persistence, self-discipline, trusting GOD and the value of hard work. One of the signs of living in fear of failure is distraction. When you allow distraction to overtake your life, you're comforted that your distractions can hide your potential to fail. Ironically, distracting yourself is a failure in its own right – a failure to take the time to keep trying, to continue toward perfecting whatever you're learning to do or seeking to become. Ultimately, failure teaches you the value of persistence and hard work. James 2:17 -So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.

Stay in the present. Fear of failure is a future projection of worry and a reliance on what happened in the past. If you're stuck in this kind of thinking, you're living life according to what might happen. By remaining in the present, you stay focused on the potential of now and allow your creativity, smarts, and GOD’s will to bloom. Past failures are lessons for better understandings in the present and an improved sense of living now; the future is created through your commitment to the present rather than your present being lead by your fear of tomorrow's possible losses. • Embrace fear. Failure can only keep you down if you continue to fear it. Embrace the fear and you release yourself from its control. Allowing fear to control you renders you vulnerable to being controlled. Unchecked fear can cause you to let others make decisions for you in life; while that may be a recipe for not taking responsibility when things go wrong, it can also mean you lose your sense of creativity, innovation, and even your sense of self. Help show people it's not only fine to fail but healthy to break this fear! Psalms 23

Focus on trying again. Discouragement and failure are two of the surest stepping stones to success. “Hanging in there” is the source of success for the majority of people on this planet. Overnight successes are rare; they are usually people who have been trying and failing and trying again many times over. Giving up too soon means that you'll never know whether what you're seeking to do or be was achievable this is the case for "the majority of people"!•Don't confuse lack of persistence with a goal that's not possible to achieve; most times it's the lack of persistence and not the goal that's the problem. Naturally, doing things the exact same way that lead to failure is not the answer; instead, focus on the goal and take the lessons from what didn't work to show you how you can find new, improved ways to reach your goal this time. Luke 21:19 By standing firm you will gain life.

Grow. We don't just grow for ourselves – we grow so that we can contribute well beyond ourselves. This is an important thing to remember when you're growing   through failures. Your experiences are available for others to learn from if you're willing to share them, as well as being willing to share with others how you pushed beyond failure into a more fruitful and fulfilling outcome, and even what happened when you couldn't overcome the failure. This helps everyone become more understanding and accepting of the role of failure in a successful life. Philippians 2:4 -Do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others

Ditch boredom and live large. Failure is the flipside of success and without it, there could be no joy in pushing through the odds, to know what success truly feels like when achieved. At the end of the day, it's a funny world where we're all longing for everything to be simple and easy without any bumps on the road; the sooner you realize that life doesn't come with trials, the sooner you'll be happier about experiencing the bumps. And just imagine how boring life would be if you had nothing to improve or aim for! Keep in mind that the feeling of failure is the feeling of being alive. It's a sign you've given things a go, pushed boundaries, and bounced back.

 

1 John 4:4 You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.

E A S T E R !

The reason I am here today.


After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb. There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men. The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looki...ng for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.’ Now I have told you.” So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. Suddenly Jesus met them. “Greetings,” he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.” While the women were on their way, some of the guards went into the city and reported to the chief priests everything that had happened. When the chief priests had met with the elders and devised a plan, they gave the soldiers a large sum of money, telling them, “You are to say, ‘His disciples came during the night and stole him away while we were asleep.’ If this report gets to the governor, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble.” So the soldiers took the money and did as they were instructed. And this story has been widely circulated among the Jews to this very day. Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:1-20 NIV)

Things you MUST do

Start spending time with the right people. – These are the people you enjoy, who love and appreciate you, and who encourage you to improve in healthy and exciting ways. They are the ones who make you feel more alive, and not only embrace who you are now, but also embrace and embody who you want to be, unconditionally

Start facing your problems head on. – It isn’t your problems that define you, but how you react to them and recover from them. Problems will not disappear unless you take action. Do what you can, when you can, and acknowledge what you’ve done. It’s all about taking baby steps in the right direction, inch by inch. These inches count, they add up to yards and miles in the long run.

Start being honest with yourself about everything. – Be honest about what’s right, as well as what needs to be changed. Be honest about what you want to achieve and who you want to become. Be honest with every aspect of your life, always. Because you are the one person you can forever count on. Search your soul, for the truth, so that you truly know who you are. Once you do, you’ll have a better understanding of where you are now and how you got here, and you’ll be better equipped to identify where you want to go and how to get there.

Start noticing and living in the present. – Right now is a miracle. Right now is the only moment guaranteed to you. Right now is life. So stop thinking about how great things will be in the future. Stop dwelling on what did or didn’t happen in the past. Learn to be in the ‘here and now’ and experience life as it’s happening. Appreciate the world for the beauty that it holds, right now.

  Start valuing the lessons your mistakes teach you. – Mistakes are okay; they’re the stepping stones of progress. If you’re not failing from time to time, you’re not trying hard enough and you’re not learning. Take risks, stumble, fall, and then get up and try again. Appreciate that you are pushing yourself, learning, growing and improving. Significant achievements are almost invariably realized at the end of a long road of failures. One of the ‘mistakes’ you fear might just be the link to your greatest achievement.

Start being more polite to yourself. – If you had a friend who spoke to you in the same way that you sometimes speak to yourself, how long would you allow that person to be your friend? The way you treat yourself sets the standard for others. You must love who you are or no one else will.

 Start enjoying the things you already have. – The problem with many of us is that we think we’ll be happy when we reach a certain level in life – a level we see others operating at – your boss with her corner office, that friend of a friend who owns a mansion on the beach, etc. Unfortunately, it takes awhile before you get there, and when you get there you’ll likely have a new destination in mind. You’ll end up spending your whole life working toward something new without ever stopping to enjoy the things you have now. So take a quiet moment every morning when you first awake to appreciate where you are and what you already have.

 Start entering new relationships for the right reasons. – Enter new relationships with dependable, honest people who reflect the person you are and the person you want to be. Choose friends you are proud to know, people you admire, who show you love and respect – people who reciprocate your kindness and commitment. And pay attention to what people do, because a person’s actions are much more important than their words or how others represent them.

Start giving new people you meet a chance. – It sounds harsh, but you cannot keep every friend you’ve ever made. People and priorities change. As some relationships fade others will grow. Appreciate the possibility of new relationships as you naturally let go of old ones that no longer work. Trust your judgment. Embrace new relationships, knowing that you are entering into unfamiliar territory. Be ready to learn, be ready for a challenge, and be ready to meet someone that might just change your life forever.

Start cheering for other people’s victories. – Start noticing what you like about others and tell them. Having an appreciation for how amazing the people around you are leads to good places – productive, fulfilling, peaceful places. So be happy for those who are making progress. Cheer for their victories. Be thankful for their blessings, openly. What goes around comes around, and sooner or later the people you’re cheering for will start cheering for you.

Start looking for the silver lining in tough situations. – When things are hard, and you feel down, take a few deep breaths and look for the silver lining – the small glimmers of hope. Remind yourself that you can and will grow stronger from these hard times. And remain conscious of your blessings and victories – all the things in your life that are right. Focus on what you have, not on what you haven’t.

Start forgiving yourself and others. – We’ve all been hurt by our own decisions and by others. And while the pain of these experiences is normal, sometimes it lingers for too long. We relive the pain over and over and have a hard time letting go. Forgiveness is the remedy. It doesn’t mean you’re erasing the past, or forgetting what happened. It means you’re letting go of the resentment and pain, and instead choosing to learn from the incident and move on with your life.

Start helping those around you. – Care about people. Guide them if you know a better way. The more you help others, the more they will want to help you. Love and kindness begets love and kindness. And so on and so forth.

Start noticing how wealthy you are right now. – Henry David Thoreau once said, “Wealth is the ability to fully experience life.” Even when times are tough, it’s always important to keep things in perspective. You didn’t go to sleep hungry last night. You didn’t go to sleep outside. You had a choice of what clothes to wear this morning. You hardly broke a sweat today. You didn’t spend a minute in fear. You have access to clean drinking water. You have access to medical care. You have access to the Internet. You can read. Some might say you are incredibly wealthy, so remember to be grateful for all the things you do have.

Thank You, Marc and Angel 

Fail Safe

Fear of Failure

The fear of failure is a common fear. People fear…

 Failing as a parent

 Failing as a friend or companion

 Failing in their careers

 Failing as a Christian

We will look at ways to overcome your Fear of Failure:

 Remember that everyone fails.

A recent study showed that the failure rate of human beings is 100%. Nobody’s perfect.

Moses failed (Exodus 2:11-15).

We all stumble in many ways (James 3:2).

Though a righteous man falls seven times, he rises again (Pr. 24:16).

      The Bible does not hide the failures of its heroes. That’s the difference between the stories of the Bible and many stories told about people today. Many stories about well-known people, even Christians don’t tell us about the person’s failures. You might get the impression that they never struggled.

Babe Ruth was once baseball’s all-time home run king. But did you know that he was also the all-time strikeout champion. He struck out almost twice as often as he hit home runs. He knew that he had to risk striking out in order to hit those home runs. When asked for the secret of his success, Ruth replied, “I just keep on swingin’ at ‘em!”

 Realize that failure is not final.

Moses once was a prince; now he’s a shepherd. He once was famous; now he’s forgotten. His life once was full of promise; now his life seems destined to end in failure. But Moses’ failure was not final (Exodus 3:1-10).

Try to identify this historical figure: When I was seven years old, my family was forced out of our home because of a legal technicality. I had to work to help support my family. At age nine, while still a backwards, shy little boy, my mother died. At age 22, I lost my job as a store clerk. I wanted to go to law school but my education wasn’t good enough. At 23, I went into debt to become a partner in a small store. Three years later my partner died leaving me a huge debt, which took years to repay. At 28, after developing romantic relations with a young lady for four years, I asked her to marry me. She said no. At 37, on my third try, I was finally elected to the United States Congress. Two years later, I ran again and failed to be re-elected. I had a nervous breakdown at that time. At 41, adding additional heartache to an already unhappy marriage, my four-year-old son died. The next year I ran for Land Officer and lost. At 45, I ran for the Senate and lost. A few years later, I ran for the Vice Presidency and lost. At 49, I ran for the Senate again and lost. And at 51, I was elected President of the United States. Who am I? My name is Abraham Lincoln. Lincoln’s life was one continuous failure. But he kept on going and became probably the greatest President in American history. He realized that failure is not final.

 Recognize the benefits of failure.

Moses may not have been chose to be Israel’s deliverer if he had never failed.

We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose (Rom. 8:28). All things includes failures. That doesn’t mean that our failures are good. But God can take our failures and bring something good out of them.

• Failure educates us. How?

• Failure makes us less judgmental. How?

 Replace your fear with faith in God.

Moses offered many excuses, but God had an answer for them all (Exodus 3:11-15; 4:1-17).

Moses’ excuse: I’m nobody. “Who am I?” (v. 11).

God’s answer: It doesn’t matter who you are! “I will be with you” (v. 12). Don’t think, “Who am I?” Remember that God says, “I will be with you.”

Moses’ excuse: I’m not smart enough. (I don’t even know your name!) “What shall I tell them?” (v. 13).

God’s answer: “I AM WHO I AM” (v. 14). Yahweh (also translated Jehovah) is derived from the Hebrews word for “I am.” God is emphasizing His unchanging nature. The same God who helped Moses’ ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob would help him.

Moses’ excuse: I’m not talented enough. (I don’t have the leadership skills to do the job.) “What if they do not believe me or listen to me and say, ‘The LORD did not appear to you’?” (Exodus 4:1).

God’s answer: He gave Moses three miraculous signs: the changing of Moses’ staff into a snake, the changing of the appearance of Moses’ hand, and the changing of water into blood ( Exodus 4:2-9). God gave Moses signs to prove to Moses and the Israelites that God was with Moses. God will give you what you need to do His will.

 

Moses’ excuse: I’m not qualified. “I have never been eloquent…. I am slow of speech and tongue” (Exodus 4:10).

God’s answer: “Who gave man his mouth?” (v. 11).

Moses’ excuse: I’m not the best choice. “Please send someone else to do it” (v. 13).

God’s answer: Aaron will help you (vv. 14-17).

Moses completely missed the message of God’s power. “I AM” is all that we need in every circumstance of life. It’s foolish for us to argue, “I am not,” when God said, “I AM.”—

Moses was showing a lack of faith. Maybe you have experienced failures in your past. Maybe you’re afraid of failure in the future. Remember what Philippians 4:13 says: I can do everything through him who gives me strength. I can face failure through Christ who gives me strength. You can face failure through Christ who gives you strength.

Many of us are like the African impala. The impala can jump to a height of over 10 feet and cover a distance of greater than 30 feet. Yet these amazing creatures can be kept in an enclosure in any zoo with a 3-foot wall. The animals will not jump if they can’t see where their feet will land

We live by faith, not by sight (2 Cor. 5:7). God didn’t reveal to Moses’ every detail of his future. But He did give Moses the promise that He would be with Him. In the end, Moses believed God’s promise and obeyed His will.

Faith is being fully persuaded that God [has] power to do what he [has] promised (Rom. 4:21).

◦When Abraham should have stayed in the land and trusted the Lord, he fled to Egypt because of the drought. And this was by no means the last of Abraham’s failures.

◦Moses, in trying to help his people, ran ahead of the Lord and killed the Egyptian. Later, against the command of God, he struck the rock in his anger.

◦When David should have been out in the field of battle, he stayed home and committed adultery with Bathsheba and then plotted the murder of her husband.

◦Peter, in spite of his self-confidence and his great boast, denied the Lord, as did the rest of the disciples who fled before the evening our Lord’s arrest was over.

Were these people failures?

 

 

Remember God and His grace because He is the one who fills in my shortcomings and failures. I could never perform or improve sufficiently to not need His grace (1 John 1:8, 2 Corinthians 12:9).

 Remembering God’s grace with thankfulness will lead to a life of joy, regardless of circumstances   (Luke 17:11-19).

 Remembering God’s grace will grow my love for Christ because those who has been forgiven much loves much (Luke 7:47). 

 Remembering God’s grace will teach me to say no to sin/ungodliness (Titus 2:11-14).

 How to overcome temptation to be fearful !

When I am tempted to feel like a failure and/or feel overwhelmed I will;

 Meditate on the these truths because the bridge between what I know and what I do is mediation (Psalm 19:14, Luke 6:43-45). NO MORE STINKING THINKIN’

 I will remember that these condemning thoughts (i.e. “I am a terrible Mom,” “I will never change,” “There is no hope for me.”) are not from God but are coming from the world, the flesh, or the devil and therefore I do not need to listen and/or believe them (Rev 12:10, John 8:44).

 I will repent when convicted of any sin(s) of believing lies about myself, God, or others (Proverbs 28:13).

 I will pray for wisdom as how to proceed with all my responsibilities, considering God’s agenda for me for the day (James 1:5-8). 

I will remember that growth is a lifelong process that will not be finished until I reach heaven (Proverbs 24:16, 2 Peter 3:18); therefore, regardless of my circumstances or failures, I can enjoy the journey and live a life of grace, thanksgiving, and joy.