Monday, May 31, 2010
MEMORIAL
Sunday, May 30, 2010
DISCIPLE
Saturday, May 29, 2010
IHOP
Jesus was marked for criticism - and ultimately death - because of His very close association with people whom the Pharisees felt compelled to keep outside the fence. The Pharisees believed part of their job was to patrol the fences, like the US/Mexico border. Jesus was no respecter of that kind of thing, so He became a threat.
Friday, May 28, 2010
THIRD PLACE
Thursday, May 27, 2010
MERCY HILL
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
TRAP
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
COMMUNITY CHRISTIAN
Monday, May 24, 2010
BALANCE
Sunday, May 23, 2010
TEMPTATION
Some days it feels like personal temptation is going on around me 24/7 ... trying to pull me away from God.
In those moments, what am I supposed to do? Close my eyes? That won't work, you know that. So --- what then?
Ever have a time when you’re driving and you have to get somewhere fast and you’re looking at red lights everywhere - and you're so focused on getting where you’re going because you’re going to be late? And there could be a friend in the car over in the next lane ... and they’re waving like mad, but you don’t see them. And later on, your friend tells you, “I was right next to you at the stop light and I was waving at you like a maniac and you didn’t pay any attention to me. We were honking even.”
And you say: “I’m sorry; I didn't even see you. I was focused on where I was going. I’m sorry.’
The Bible says: “Don’t close your eyes to temptation. Fix your eyes on JESUS ... set your mind on things above ... not on earthly things.”
Be focused on your love relationship with God. Not where God is waving like mad trying to get your attention ... ‘I’m over here, I’m over here’ ... and we’re just not listening. But where we’re so focused on Him we can hardly notice anything else.
That's the idea. We can’t just keep running from temptation our whole lives. That's no fun. We have to run toward Jesus because we’re focused on Him.
The word ‘sin’ means ‘missing the mark.‘ Like aiming an arrow at the bullseye ... ‘Oh, I MISSED it.’ No, that's not it. It’s that you started aiming at something else - not you barely missed the center ---- you missed the whole target because you were over here looking at that.
So --- keep your eyes on Jesus. You can't go wrong then.
And be blessed.
Saturday, May 22, 2010
CLS GRAD
Thursday, May 20, 2010
FENCES
They say good fences make good neighbors, but I don't know why people say this. I mean, I can agree when it comes to bad neighbors. If I have a bad neighbor (I've had one), you bet I want a good fence between us - a tall one.
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
TEN QUESTIONS
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
COMMUNITY
Monday, May 17, 2010
INFO
It's in those moments I sense God asking me an important question: "Kevin, do you equate information about Me with the transformation I want to bring to your life?"
So OK. I've read the entire Bible thru how many times? Ten? Twelve? Twenty times? And after having done that, do I love people more? Am I more forgiving? Do I have more patience, kindness and gentleness than I did before I read it thru twenty times? Or am I just accumulating information and equating it with transformation? I know a bunch about Jesus. I know a ton about the Bible - but does what I know change me?
We have more access to Bibles and sermons and blogs and devotions and conferences and retreats and books and web sites than any generation in human history - but is it transforming us?
The disciples had very little information. They were pretty much set up for failure by our standards. There was no instruction manual. They go to a mountain and Jesus starts floating up into the sky and He says: "Go into the entire world and teach everything I've taught you. Baptize people, disciple people. And I'll be with you."
With such little information a revolution was born. But has the revolution I long to be a part of sought to be informed more than it has desired to be transformed? If I'm honest, I say 'Yes.'
I don't need more information to have a better marriage - I need to be a more loving husband.
I don't need more information to let go of resentment - I need to choose to forgive, then choose to forgive again, and again.
I don't need more information to grow in my faith - I need to surrender control.
I don't need more information to have deeper friendships - I need to be a better friend.
I don't need more information to know God's will - I need to apply what I know about God to my life.
And be blessed.
Saturday, May 15, 2010
KFA
1. CVS
When the pharmacy chain was founded in Lowell, MA in 1963, it was known as “Consumer Value Stores.” Over time the name became abbreviated to simply CVS.
2. K-MART
Longtime five-and-dime mogul Sebastian Kresge opened his first large store inGarden City, Michigan in 1962. The store was named K-Mart after him. (By the way, he opened up this brand-new venture at the tender age of 94.)
3. IKEA
The Swedish furniture giant takes its name from found Ingvar Kamprad's initials conjoined with the first initials of the farm where Kamprad grew up, Elmtaryd, and the parish he calls home, Agunnaryd.
4. JBL
The speaker company is named after its founder, James Bullough Lansing.
5. BVD
The stalwart men’s underwear maker was originally founded by a group of New Yorkers named Bradley, Voorhees and Day. Eventually the trio branched out into knitted suits for men, and their wares became so popular that 'BVDs' has become a generic term for any underwear.
6. DHL
In the late 1960s, Larry Hillblom was a broke student at the University of California law school. So to pick up a bit of extra cash, he would make courier runs from San Francisco to Los Angeles. After he finished law school, he decided the courier business was the real racket for him, so he and a couple of pals - Adrian Dalsey andRobert Lynn - began making delivery trips in a single Plymouth Duster. The company took off and they named the new business after their respective last initials - Dalsey, Hillblom & Lynn.
7. 3M
It gets its name from its roots as a company that mined stone to make grinding wheels. Since it was located in Two Harbors, MN, the company was known as Minnesota Mining & Manufacturing -- later shortened to 3M.
8. H&M
The beloved clothing store began in Sweden in 1947. Founder Erling Persson was only selling women’s clothing, so he called the store Hennes - Swedish for 'hers.' Twenty-one years later, he bought up a hunting supplier named Mauritz. After the acquisition, Persson branched out into men’s clothing and began calling the store Hennes & Mauritz, which eventually became H&M.
9. A&W ROOT BEER
Roy Allen opened his first root beer stand in Lodi, CA, in the summer of 1919 and quickly began expanding to the surrounding areas. Within a year he had partnered with Frank Wright and the pair christened their new product “A&W Root Beer."
10. GEICO
The gecko’s employer is formally known as the Government Employees Insurance Company. Although GEICO has always been a private company, its name reflects its original purpose: Leo Goodwin founded the company in 1936 to sell insurance directly to employees of the federal government.
11. P.F. Chang’s
If you go looking for Mr. P. F. Chang, you’ll be searching a good long time. The Asian dining chain’s name is a composite of the founding restaurateur Paul Fleming's initials and chef Philip Chang's last name.
12. H&R Block
Brothers Henry and Richard Bloch began their tax preparation firm in 1955 in Kansas City. Their only problem was their last name. They worried people would mispronounce it as 'blotch,' hardly a term you'd want associated with your tax return. They decided to sidestep this problem by spelling the company’s name 'Block' instead, so nobody could possibly get it wrong.
So - after all that -- I think I'm going to stick with KFA.
And be blessed.
Thursday, May 13, 2010
RICHER
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
BOXES
If we're not careful, church buildings can become boxes that isolate Christ-followers from the world and sap huge amounts of time, energy, creativity and money that could otherwise be used for greater purposes.
Monday, May 10, 2010
LOST
Sunday, May 9, 2010
CORE VALUES
Friday, May 7, 2010
SPIRIT
Thursday, May 6, 2010
PRAYER
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
JOY
VALUES POLL
Sunday, May 2, 2010
VALUES
Saturday, May 1, 2010
MAY DAY
May 1st ... MAY DAY.
Gradually it made its way to England and then, with the early American settlers, over here. It came to be regarded more as a day of joy and merriment for the kids, rather than a day of observing false gods.