"those who are trying to make it through the next few hours and everyone in between"
I picked up this
cd the other day. I had heard that it was kinda like David Crowders's cd so I went and picked it up. I like Crowder's cd for the most part, but I really like this one. It is really good.
go get it.
Charlie Hall- Flying Into Daybreak
Brazil
Yesterday I was hanging out with some guys from church and we were talking about the first year that we went to Brazil. It was fun talking about the trip and hearing stories about last year (which i didn't go on).
I am getting siked about going again. I leave on Monday to go again. I am pumped and cannot wait to get there. This time I think it will be a little different because I am going with all adults and no youth, and we are going to be doing a few different things this time. Never the less, I am excited to go.
Here are some things to pray for:
-for safetly for the team
-for the missionaries already there
-for the camp
-for the Brazilian youth
-for a successful trip
It's madness baby
Finally...probably one of my top 5 favorite times of the year...MARCH MADNESS.
The tournament kicked off today with some great games right off the bat. Boston College barely pulled out a double overtime victory over Pacific. That game scared me cuz I got then goin to the final four.
Can I get a shout out for my boys in red as we take on Bucknell tomarrow. Woopig
Discipline
How to Live a Life of Discipline
I beat my body and make it my slave. 1 Cor. 9:24-27
1. Establish Your Spiritual Disciplines.
The Lord disciplines those he loves. Proverbs 3:12
The Big 4:
1. Get in the word
2. Prayer
3. Fellowship
4. Share your faith
Hebrews 12:10-11 God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.
2. Do Everyday Activities with Excellence.
Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as if working for the Lord. Colossians 3:23
- You will never make a disciple if you yourself are not disciplined.
-Rely on a greater power for help
-Pray- ask God for grace to have discipline
-Plan- set goals
3. Tap into God's Power.
Let God be your Motivation to be disciplined.
Right - Wrong - and Grey
"Everything is permissible for me"- but not everything is beneficial.
1Corinthians 6:12
Lately I have been thinking about some things and I was just getting myself more and more confused. I was having a debate with myself about whether certain things were right or wrong to do. There are three different areas:
White- things that are easily distinguishable as right
Grety- things you are not sure are right but aren't sure are wrong either
Black- things that are easily distinguishable as wrong
So for me, I was having trouble identifying the "grey" areas.
Here is a list of several things- decide for yourself if they are black, grey, or white.
drugs lying helping the poor smoking cigarrettes drinking sex
hiring a prostitute ... to paint your house gambling cursing smoking cigars
smoking cigars but not inhaling making out praying riding a bike
sharing the gospel with a friend who isn't a believer hanging out with druggies
Anyways, when I got to stumo this last Tuesday, I was shocked to find that the speaker was going to be talking about these "grey" areas. Wow, does God have some awesome timing or what? So anyways, here are some things that I came away with from the other night. Oh and that list above was also from the speaker and I though it was kinda funny so I put it up here.
How To Navigate the Grey Areas
1. Will it bring me closer to Christ?
"all things are lawful, but not all things are profitable. All things are lawful, but not all things edify." 1 Corinthians 10:23
2. Could it turn into an addiction?
"all things are lawful for me, but not all things are are profitable. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be mastered by anything." 1Corinthians 6:12
3. Could it cause anyone to
stumble?
""Be careful, however, that the exercise of your freedom does not become a stumbling block to the weak. 1Corinthians 8:8-9
- when I first heard this I was like, "whatever, me doing something shouldn't have an affect on another person, they are just being immature."
-right after thinking that the speaker said this "a sign of maturity is someone giving up their rights for the sake of someone else."
-wow...ouch
4. Will it
help or hurt my testimony?
"For I am not seeking my own good but the good of many, so that they may be saved." 1Corinthians 10:32-33
-as Christians, our reputation is HIS reputation.
-as Christians we are always being watched and analyzed. we be aware that we are not hurting our own reputation, but we are hurting God's reputation.
So that was the first half of the talk. We will talk about the second half next week. Anyways, the point of this post is this:
I am just blown away at how He does things at exactly the right times in our lives.
As far as for me and my "grey" areas, I need to stop being concerned with whether
I think they are right or wrong, but think about the big picture. Sure I can physically and legally do a lot of things, but if I call myself a believer I need to look at whether it is hurting my chances of showing others Christ.
