Just Continue That Thought...

A thought by Rick Warren, (2012-10-23) from his book, The Purpose Driven Life: What on Earth Am I Here For?   (p. 154). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. (Click on the title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.) Retired Now if you believe that this is all there is to life that it ends when you die then that doesn't make sense but as a Christ follower I understand and agree with it.   1 Peter 1: 4 (NLT) says, “God has reserved a priceless inheritance for his children. It is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay.” As Rick says, “This eternal inheritance, not retirement, is what you should be looking forward to and working for.”   Paul wrote in Colossians 3: 23 – 24a (NIV) in the Bible, “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward.” That’s why Rick says, “Retirement is a short-sighted goal. You should be livi

A thought by Rick Warren, (2012-10-23) from his book, The Purpose Driven Life: What on Earth Am I Here For? (p. 128). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. (Click on the title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.) That is true for every relationship.   I hear people say they are lonely and they have no friends but the reality is that is their choice.   Oh they may not think that is true but when they are sitting back waiting for people to reach out to them then they are choosing to not have friends.   To have friends you must take the first step and reach out.   I am doing that right now.   I get on a train every day and come to Hollywood to two different coffee shops to meet new people.   I am right now right across the street from the Hollywood Palladium on Sunset near Hollywood and Vine where my church meets and I am here to reach out to people who don’t have a relationship with Christ.   I am making new friends and then eventually I will invite then to my church and they will show t

A thought by Rick Warren, (2012-10-23) from his book, The Purpose Driven Life: What on Earth Am I Here For? (p. 39). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. (Click on the title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.) Have you found yet that trying to please everyone is an impossible situation?   You just can’t do it.   As a Pastor I knew I was in trouble when I tried to preach sermons that everyone would like.   And the music was a major hassle.   No way could I please everyone.   Have you found that even striving to please yourself can be a problem?   I mean what I want right now can change in an hour.   My mood changes and there I am.   Rick says, “Many people are driven by the need for approval. They allow the expectations of parents or spouses or children or teachers or friends to control their lives. Many adults are still trying to earn the approval of unpleasable parents. Others are driven by peer pressure, always worried by what others might think. Unfortunately, those who follow

A thought by Rick Warren, (2012-10-23) from his book, The Purpose Driven Life: What on Earth Am I Here For ? (p. 117). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. (Click on the title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.) So many really understand what that means.   Worry is a big part of their lives.   And Rick then says, “When you think about God’s Word over and over in your mind, that’s meditation.” And you might say, “Where did that come from?   Are you talking about worry or are you focusing on meditation?”   And the answer is meditation and here is the reason. A relationship with God is a very important thing to have.   It will make all the difference in your life.   It will help you with all those worries that you seem to be spending a lot of time on.   And Rick says, “It is impossible to be God’s friend apart from knowing what he says. You can’t love God unless you know him, and you can’t know him without knowing his Word.”    Now you may not be able to spend all day studying t

A thought by Rick Warren, (2012-10-23) from his book, The Purpose Driven Life: What on Earth Am I Here For? (p. 96). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. (Click on the title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.) What is there about you that you don’t like?   Another way to put it is, if you could change anything about the way you look what would it be? Now if you are a normal teenager it would be almost everything but many don’t outgrow that attitude.   They don’t like themselves. Of course there are some things that you can change.   I want to weigh under 200 lbs. so I am doing something about that but I’m having trouble at getting taller.  God says in Isaiah 45:9 (CEV), "You have no right to argue with your Creator.  You are merely a clay pot shaped by a potter.  The clay doesn't ask, 'Why di you make me this way?'" But we seem to want to do that all the time.   We want to argue with the Creator about something in the way we look.   But what if He has a

A thought by Rick Warren, (2012-10-23) from his book, The Purpose Driven Life: What on Earth Am I Here For?   (p. 38). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. (Click on the title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.) There are so many different types of emotions that hold us back from living out our potential and without a doubt fear is one of them.   I am right now at a point in my life that I am stepping out from my world of security into a new world of adventure and there is some fear involved in it.   But my excitement and challenge is overpowering my fear. Rick says, “Fear is a self-imposed prison that will keep you from becoming what God intends for you to be. You must move against it with the weapons of faith and love.”     Even at 67 God is not finished with my life. The Bible in 1 John 4:18 (MSG) says, “Well-formed love banishes fear. Since fear is crippling, a fearful life — fear of death, fear of judgment — is one not yet fully formed in love.”   I want to be driven by

A thought by Rick Warren, (2012-10-23) from his book, The Purpose Driven Life: What on Earth Am I Here For?  (p. 38). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. (Click on the title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.) Have you found that out yet?  As Rick says, “Your past is past! Nothing will change it. You are only hurting yourself with your bitterness. For your own sake, learn from it, and then let it go.” Job 5:2 (TEV) in the Old Testament in the Bible says, “To worry yourself to death with resentment would be a foolish, senseless thing to do.”  But people do it all the time. I know it is so easy to hold on to your hurt.  I mean, “You really don’t know what they did to me.”  And your right, I don’t.  But God does and He can do something about it.  Just give it to Him.  “Here, God.  This is controlling me and it is messing me up.  I am tired of the emotional energy that this is taking up in my life.  All I do is think about it.  And it is affecting all of my other relationships.