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Thursday, August 31, 2006

bloopers

I watched a news report last night about a woman CNN newsperson who left her microphone on while she was in the bathroom. That's embarrassing enough, but she also proceeded to make a lewd comment about men and diss her sister-in-law, calling her a control freak.

Yet, who amongst us hasn't been there?

I can remember going us to a woman in our church and telling her, "congratulations on your 50th wedding anniversary celebration," only to find out later that it was a surprise.

I can remember walking up to a pregnant woman in one of the churches that we have pastored and asking her, "when is your child due," only she wasn't pregnant. I can't remember which church it was - I guess that I have put it out of my mind.

On and on it goes. On and on it goes. All you can do is to say, "I'm sorry," and bite the relational bullet.

So what are some of your bloopers and blunders (that you can mention here without embarrassing yourself too much). It would be fun to know.

Go on...Be courageous and give us all a laugh.

Wednesday, August 30, 2006

Yawns

Do you enjoy a good yawn?

In spite of the fact that I have been communicating for years in public settings, it still bugs me when I see someone sitting in the audience who lets out a big yawn. As if they think that I can't see them.

What, am I boring you, or what?

And...why do we yawn?

One author writes, "It's an age-old question, one that can keep you awake at night, and there is no exact answer.

Near as we can tell, yawning is a way to signal others around us that we feel like getting some shuteye. But I've fallen asleep without yawning, and, of course, I've fallen asleep after my own virtual yawning festival, yawn after yawn.

These observations lead me to believe that yawning sends a signal. As a kid, I heard that yawns are a means to get more oxygen or stretch certain facial muscles before sleeping. I'm skeptical of those explanations, because sleep and yawns are not always directly connected. If you're sleepy, you don't always yawn. If you need oxygen, you just breathe deeply.

Of course, yawning seems to be a very old form of behavior. It seems to be programmed deep in our brains. I've seen dogs yawn, and it makes me want to yawn right along with 'em. When your best canine friend is opening his jaws wide and shaking his shoulders, you can bet that he's not anxious to go outside and play or go for a long old walk.

Modern wild dogs in Africa live in packs. They seldom stray off on their own. A yawn is a dog's way of telling her buddies in the dog pack (or you as her keeper) that she's ready for some doggie z's.

Perhaps yawning was preserved in our brains from all the way back in ancient times. It may have been desirable for everyone in a tribe of humans (or other animals) to go to sleep at about the same time. That way, perhaps everyone in the tribe would be on the same sleep schedule, ready to take on the challenge of the next morning. Perhaps yawning developed in a tribe of nomads, people who wandered from camp to camp every few days.

Getting up, packing, and setting off on a journey would require everyone to be working together at the same time. You wouldn't want any stragglers lagging behind the main group. They might get attacked or they might get just plain lost.

You also wouldn't want a small group to go off on their own ahead of everyone else. They might get attacked, too, being a small number easy for an enemy to overcome. Or they might go off in some direction (the wrong way) the main tribe would rather avoid.

If you're going to get lost, better to do it together. Tribes that didn't have this form of communication may have had discord, some arguing, and loss of efficiency. Their competitors, who did communicate this way, may have gotten a slight advantage.

I can imagine that the leader of an ancient tribe might have felt that it was time for everyone to hit the hay. If there was no hay to be found, perhaps he meant it was time to sprawl out on some rocks warmed by the fire, or a mat of pine boughs. So he yawned. Everyone else in the tribe yawned back, letting the leader know that they got the message: Time to put down the net weaving and sleep.

Thousands of years after the last ice age, a yawn still sends the signal. Dogs yawn; we yawn. Dog packs sleep at the same time. So do humans in middle management meetings and lecture halls around the world. In those situations, perhaps our bodies are indicating that our time would be better spent resting rather than reviewing charts or chalkboard marks."

Perhaps the more important question is this...have you ever yawned in your time spent with God?

Some days my communication with God is vibrant and alive. Other times it drags and is almost forced. But you know, I think God understands. After all, if it is a true relationship (and it is) than God's big enough to go with the flow when we come to him in weariness. He doesn't let it bug him. I guess that's why He's God.

So go ahead, have a big yawn today. And maybe sleep a little bit more tonight.

Tuesday, August 29, 2006

Pat McMahon, a talk-show host in Phoenix, once interviewed Mother Teresa for his program. He was so impressed with her that afterward he told her that he wanted to do something for her. "I'd just like to help you in some way," he said.

She said to him, "Tomorrow morning get up at 4:00 a.m. and go out onto the streets of Phoenix. Find someone who lives there and believes that he's alone, and convince him he's not."

Kind of a subtle, godly, "in your face"!

Makes me feel guilty.

Yet sometimes we need that kind of guilt to prompt us to look around us and see those who are hurting and lonely and in need.

We don't have to venture into the inner-city during the early hours of the morning (although that's great) to find those who believe they are alone. You and I see them everyday. You attended church with some of them last Sunday.

Some of them live next door, or work in your building. The world is full of people who have lost all meaningful connection with others, and who now, convinced they are alone, live empty and isolated lives.

It is up to you and I to make a difference.

In Mark 2, there's this great story about Jesus preaching in a crowded room. A paralyzed man is brought to him, and when his friends can't get him through the door, they climb the house, make an opening in the roof above Jesus and lower their friend down. Mark writes...

When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, "Son, your sins are forgiven." (Mark 2:5)

The man was healed that day, and his sins were forgiven, because first his friends cared enough to show him that he is not alone. It was their faith, and their faithfulness, that brought a miracle into this man's life.

Look around you. Someone nearby believes that they are alone. They need someone who can help carry them at least part of the way to wholeness. It could be you that gets them there.

Monday, August 28, 2006

The church is what?

At First Assembly, we are not trying to draw a crowd; we are trying to minister to people.

We are trying to BE the church.

What is the church? The church is people. The church is not an activities list. The church is not coming to a big building and worshipping God together. The church is people reaching out to others in a way that deepens relationships, draws us closer to God and helps us live and grow in our walk with Him.

Dr. Richard Halverson, who was the pastor of a large Presbyterian church in Washington, D.C. was asked one time, “Dr. Halverson, where is your church?”

This seemed like a perfectly reasonable question, but Dr. Halverson looked quite perplexed and hesitated to answer.

Then he glanced at his watch.

“Well, it’s three o’clock in Washington, D.C. The church I pastor is all over the city. It’s driving buses, serving meals in restaurants, sitting in board meetings, having discussions in the Pentagon, deliberating in the Congress.”

He knew exactly where his church was, and he went on and on with his lengthy listing.

Then he added, “Periodically, we get together at a building on Fourth Street, but we don’t spend much time there. We’re mostly in the city.”

I like that.

Paul writes in Ephesians 1:22, 23, “The church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.”

The church – the fullness of Jesus.

That verse has an incredible implication for those of us who make up the body of Christ.

The church is simply me sharing the Jesus “in me,” with the “Jesus in you,” and reaching out to those who don’t know Him.

The church is not an organization or a set of religious programs. The church is so much more than meetings on Sunday and programs and board meetings and even small groups. Those are the things that the church does, but they are not the church.

The church is people.

People who have a relationship with God.

People in whom the Holy Spirit has come to live.

People through whom the Spirit is ministering.

As Ephesians makes clear, the CHURCH IS NOT JUST PEOPLE EXPERINCING JESUS; THE CHURCH IS PEOPLE EXPRESSING JESUS.

We don’t have a product to push; we have a person to reveal.

That’s why small groups are so important to our church identity. They give us a biblical, practical way of expressing Christ to one another.

Small groups are not there to get a crowd, to see “how many” will come. But to express the life of Jesus in me to the life of Jesus in you.

Thursday, August 24, 2006

Tears

There are always events that come to us in our lives that inevitably cause an explosion of tears in our lives. Whether it be the joy of seeing a baby being born or the leaving of a young adult at college, life brings us ups and downs, victories and defeats that leave us in tears.

And that's okay.

Tears have a language all their own. They need no interpreter.

In some kind of mysterious way, God has created us with the ability to cry when we reach the limit of our verbal communication.

Why do we shed tears?

I cry at the end of sad, yet uplifting movies like "World Trade Center."

I cry when I share the grief of people who have lost a loved one.

I cry when my soul is overwhelmed with feelings that words cannot describe.

And yes, I cried yesterday when we left Becky.

Our tears can flow during the singing of a beautiful chorus to God, or when we are alone, or when we are lost in some vivid memory or wrestling in prayers.

Did you know that God takes special note of our tears?

Psalms 56:8 tells us that God puts them in His bottle and enters them into the record He keeps on our lives.

David said, "The Lord has heard the voice of my weeping."

When we cry, that's heaven's cue to come to our aid.

For some strange, cultural reason, our culture dictates that tears are a sign of weakness, a sign of immaturity.

Not so!

Jeremiah was called the "weeping prophet". He was so transparent and tender that he couldn't preach a sermon without the interruption of tears.

Yet, God chose him to be his personal spokesman at the most critical time in Israel's history. Kind of seems like an unlikely choice, unless your value tears as God does.

So go ahead and have a good cry today. And know that when you and I shed tears, God is present.

Tuesday, August 22, 2006

Becky going to college

We're taking Becky to college tomorrow. Michigan State. I have mixed emotions. I'm sad to see her go - yet happy for her because she is so excited.

She has set a goal (going to Michigan State), worked hard, and is now achieving it. I am very, very proud of her. I love her very, very much. Her smile, her personality, her charm, her ability to relate to people, the fact that she is very smart, hard and hardworking, she's just great!

I'm also thankful that she has a deep love for God.

Yet, it's hard to let go. It's hard to turn loose.

Part of the reason why we have such a hard time is the panic of losing control. It requires a lot of maturity to allow a child to grow up.

We are often hindered from giving up our children out of fear for their safety.

But what I am learning (and holding on to) is that everything is safe which is committed to our God. In fact, nothing is really safe which is not so committed. No child. No job. No friend. No future. No dream.

In the Old Testament is a story about Abraham and his almost-adult son Isaac.

The old man's happiness rested in that boy.

God comes to him and says, "take now your son, your only son, whom you love, Isaac, and go to the land of Moriah; and offer him there as a burnt offering." Genesis 22:2

God's saying, "it's time to turn your son loose."

Abraham could have started pleading or bargaining or manipulating, but that wouldn't have worked.

Abraham opened his hands and surrendered on that ancient altar the one thing that meant more than anything else to him in his life.

God's obviously not telling us to take our children and place them on a burnt altar!

But he is telling us to let them go. Hold them loosely, that he might reign in their lives.

What is it today that you need to release into the hands of God?

Monday, August 21, 2006

Loving one another

I saw Jesus the other day.

You might say, “Wow, George, you saw Jesus? Are you nuts or what?”

Now, now, let me explain.

I looked out my window and saw two ladies from a church here in town planting flowers around the house of the people who live across the street from us. You say, “What’s the big deal?”

The big deal is that the woman who lives in that house has cancer. She is suffering.

In actions of the two women, I saw compassion, I saw caring, and I saw Jesus.

Living the Christian faith is more than “bringing people to church.” Living the Christian faith is “taking the church to people.” Being the followers of Christ He has called us to be.

Howard Hendricks has written, “You can impress people at a distance; you can only impact them up close. The general principle is this: the closer the personal relationship, the greater the potential for impact.”

We come to Christ in relationship. We grow in Christ in relationship. I mean, think about it for a second. Who has had the greatest spiritual impact on your life? Perhaps it was a college professor, a youth pastor, a friend, your spouse, or your parents. Regardless of who it was, you had a relationship with that person.

You knew that they cared about you. You spent time together. You gave them permission, formally or informally, to check up on you.

We really do need each other. That’s why the small groups shown in this issue are so important. Where else can we really, truly and ultimately connect with others but in a setting where we consistently slow down and share each other’s burdens and laugh and cry and encourage one another?

And let me ask you a pointed, personal and perhaps irritating question. Are we spending so much time “doing church” that we forget that we are to “be the church” to those around us?

Perhaps Christ is calling us to simple Christianity. Perhaps the “kiss theory” should come into play here (Keep It Simple Stupid).

Our world and culture is so complex that people are longing, and yes searching for something that is going to simplify their lives. The last thing they need is one more “busy thing to do.”

Jesus knew this. The religious leaders of his day had developed a religious system with 613 laws. They chose the number 613 because that was how many separate letters were in the text containing the Ten Commandments. Enter Jesus. A man comes along and asks, “Which of the commandments is the greatest?” And Jesus basically responds, “Love God and love people.” Simple.

We must continually ask ourselves, “Is what we are doing changing lives?” While greatly appreciated, a lot of what we tag “ministry” in the church is simply “busyness.”

Is God calling us back to the simplicity of the gospel? Of serving? Helping? Encouraging? Relating? Affirming? Restoring? Of loving God and loving people?

We really do need each other.

Let me give you some suggestions.

1. Try a small group. Small groups are not just another ministry in the church. Small groups are the church! Trying a small group doesn’t mean that you are making a commitment for life. Nor will you be asked to “do” anything. It simply means that you are taking the step to not only receive relationship but to give relationship as well.

2. Use Sunday morning connection times. Use the time before, during, and after our Sunday morning gathering to meet people. Connecting with others you know IS important. But do you remember the first time you walked into a social setting not knowing everyone? Some of our most meaningful relationships develop in church lobbies or during our connect and communicate time. Our goal is that everyone who visits us receives some kind of “touch”!

3. Pick up the phone. Write notes of encouragement to people. A phone call will never replace in-person contact, but it can supplement other efforts. A call just to touch base and say hello can be significant (especially to those in your small group).

4. Remember personal crisis. Don’t underestimate the power of your presence with someone during a crisis. It’s called “being there.” Before you ask “what kind of ministry do we have in the church for planting flowers around someone’s house when they are sick,” go and plant flowers. You will never regret it. I always love it when someone says, “George, thanks for being there.”

5. Look for mutual interests. What do you like to do in your spare time? Play golf? Hunt? Shop? Work on your car? Without a doubt, there are people in our church and non-Christians in your sphere of influence who enjoy the same thing. Why not double your efforts? Seek those people, and involve them with you.

6. Admit your own need. Have you learned the value of being in need? You might say, “That’s a funny question.” At times we tell ourselves we have to be in control, and that we can’t admit our needs to others. Yet those times when we need assistance from others are often the times we become the most human. The very time we feel like isolating ourselves from others could be the time we need them the most!

7. Take a scalpel to your schedule. Candidly evaluate the activities that are crowding out your time for people. Make time available for relationships.

Let the simple revolution begin!

Thursday, August 17, 2006

Guilt and condemnation

I need to explain the difference because a lot of us as Christians go through life living under condemnation and guilt thinking it’s the voice of God and it’s not. It’s the devil.

Let me explain the difference. Conviction comes from God. Condemnation comes from the devil. The purpose of conviction is to correct something that’s out of whack in your life. The purpose of condemnation is just to put you down and make you feel miserable and guilty and ashamed. The motivation behind conviction is God loves you and wants to help you be better.

The motivation behind condemnation is Satan hates your guts and wants to make you miserable. When God speaks to you about an area in your life for conviction He’s very specific. Condemnation is general. Conviction is specific. God will come to you and point out an area and say, “you were prideful just then.” He’s very specific. “you were impatient… or you got angry… or you’re resentful… or you’re jealous… or you lied just now… or you exaggerated” or whatever. He will give you a very specific area of your life, point out an area that’s out of whack. Then He gives you the solution. You confess it, you admit it, you say, “God, I admit it. I was wrong. Please help me change.” And bingo!

The conviction feeling leaves instantly. Condemnation on the other hand goes on and on and on. You can feel guilty about it for weeks or months or years. That’s not from God. That’s from the devil. If you’ve confessed it, it is not from God.

If you’ve ever felt vaguely guilty in your life where every time you go to God you feel like, “I’m not measuring up. I’m not doing very good.” That means you’re not hearing from God. You’re hearing from your own voice or your past or you’re hearing from the devil.

Notice what the Bible says, Romans 8:1 “There is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus.” If you’ve accepted God and His Son, Jesus Christ, into your life and you trust in what Jesus did on the cross – that’s what The Passion was all about. “There is no condemnation for those who belong to Jesus.”

God never attacks my value. If you hear a voice that says, “You’re hopeless! You’re worthless! You’re dirt! You’re crud! You’re unlovable! You’re junk!” you can know that is not the voice of God. It never has been and it never will be. That’s condemnation and it’s coming from the devil. The devil is the one who wants to make you miserable, not God.

So what is conviction? The Bible tells us in Revelation 3. God says “Those whom I dearly and tenderly love…” notice the motivation behind conviction is God loves you and He wants to help you change. “Those whom I dearly and tenderly love I tell their faults and convict and discipline. So, be earnest and repent [that means changing your heart, your mind, your attitude]”

So conviction is very definite and specific. God tells you what’s wrong in your life. He tells you the solution. As soon as you admit it, confess it, say, “Help me change.” The feeling goes.

Condemnation doesn’t go away. It just stays there.

How many times do you have to ask for forgiveness to be forgiven? Once. So if you keep feeling guilty after you’ve confessed it and you confess it again tomorrow and the next day and the next day. Every time that thing comes back to your mind and you confess it again and say, “Please forgive me. Please forgive me.”

What are you saying? You’re saying “God, I don’t really believe You forgave me the first time.” And that’s a lack of faith. God forgave you the first time you asked for forgiveness and meant it and said help me change.

I don’t know how to say it any clearer than this. If you still feel guilty after you’ve confessed a sin, that guilt is not from God. It’s from the devil. Because God doesn’t make you feel guilty for stuff that’s already been confessed.

Let me explain it like this. There’s a big difference between the human court system and God’s justice system. The human court system has two parts to it. God’s has three parts to it.

In a human court, here’s what happens. First comes the conviction. Then comes the sentencing or the condemnation. You get called into court. You’ve committed some kind of crime. First, you get convicted of that crime. Then after you’ve been convicted then the judge offers the condemnation, the sentencing. You commit the crime, you do the time. It’s just two points. Conviction and condemnation.

But that’s not God’s justice system. God’s justice system is three parts. First, God convicts you of something that’s out of whack in your life, that’s wrong, that’s sin. You admit it. You say, “God, I admit it. It was wrong. I’m sorry. Help me to change.” Then Jesus Christ takes the condemnation for you by dying on the cross. So step three is you get to go scott free and forgiven. What a deal! I like God’s system better than man’s.

Again: What happens is God points out a sin in your life – “This is out of whack. You were just incredibly selfish.” That’s the conviction. You say, “God, You’re right. I was selfish. I don’t want to be selfish. Help me to be more like You.” Jesus Christ takes the penalty on the cross. He’s already paid for all the sins you’re ever going to commit. That’s why there is no condemnation for those who are believers. God says, “Jesus took the penalty for you. You get to go scott free. You’re dismissed. Be forgiven!” What a deal!

How long should a Christian feel guilty over sin? About a split second. About as long as it takes for you to say, “You’re right. I was wrong. Help me change.” Boom! A lot of people think that feeling guilty is feeling spiritual. They think guiltiness is next to godliness.

You think the more guilty I feel the more spiritual I am. God doesn’t want you feeling guilty. He wants you not walking around in an attitude of guilt. He wants you to walk around in an attitude of gratitude. When you're guilty what are you doing?

You’re focusing on you, not Him. You’re focusing on all the things you’ve done wrong. And you’ve done a lot of wrong things and so have I. So when I’m focusing on all the things I’ve done wrong, I feel guilty. Instead, God says, “No. I want you focusing on Jesus, on the cross. I want you to focus on what He did for you. So instead of living in guilt I want you living in gratitude.”

Every time a sin comes to mind and it’s the devil who keeps bringing up those old sins not God, you say, “You’re right God. I blew it. Thank You for Your forgiveness.” And you live in gratitude.

Before you commit a sin, Satan goes, “It’s no big deal. It’s just a little tiny thing. Everybody does it. It’s no big deal.” He makes it small. After you commit it, he reverses his strategy and goes, “That thing I so huge you’ll never be blessed by God. How can you call yourself a believer, a Christian? You’re worthless. You’re scum. You should feel shame the rest of your life.” He maximizes it.

Here’s the problem. Too many people, including a lot of Christians, mistake their own low self esteem for the voice of God. They think that it’s God saying, “You’re no good. You’re worthless. You’re scum. You’re pathetic. Nobody likes you.” That’s not God. That’s your own hang-ups. Your own voice. Or it is the devil. It is not God. God doesn’t say that to you. There is no condemnation for those in Christ.

Some of you had an unpleasable parent growing up. An unpleasable mom or dad and you have taken that voice and you have transferred it to God. Now every time you pray you imagine God saying, “Not good enough. I expect perfection. Not good enough. Can’t you do better?” It’s no wonder you don’t want to pray because God has become an unpleasable parent. That is an old tape you need to turn off and erase. Stop blaming God for the way you’ve felt about yourself.

The Bible says this in Revelation 12:10 “Satan is the accuser of believers.” Not God. It is Satan’s job to make you feel bad. So those feelings that are coming, they’re not from God.

Wednesday, August 16, 2006

Pray without ceasing

Paul writes in First Thessalonians 5:17 to, "Pray without ceasing."

Interesting phrase.

Pray without ceasing.

Don't stop praying.

Don't stop communicating with God.

Let me tell you what prayer is not.

Prayer is not a monologue where one person does all of the talking.

It is not a ritual where we must say things in the right order.

It is not a chore to get out of the way like brushing our teeth before going to bed.

Jesus says in Matthew 6:6, "Find a quiet, secluded place so you won't be tempted to role-play before God. Just be there as simply and honestly as you can manage. The focus will shift from you to God, and you will begin to sense his grace."

Prayer is not a nice opening, like the National Anthem at a game, really nice, but it has nothing to do with what happens on the field afterwards.

Prayer is not a rabbit's foot you pull out and rub when things are tough.

Pray without ceasing.

Have you ever noticed that Paul doesn't write, "breathe without ceasing." Why? Because we do that naturally. We don't breathe when we feel like it. We don't say to ourselves or to others, "I'm not really into oxygen today," and stop breathing. YOU WOULD DIE!

We don't get frustrated and say, "I'm not going to do that any more."

No, we breathe. We breathe. We breathe. And as a result we live. We live. We live. As we breathe, so should we pray.

For without a constant communication with God we die spiritually.

Pray without ceasing!

Tuesday, August 15, 2006

Becoming godly

All of our youth kids from our church did great at fine arts. It was fun to watch them perform. George and Janelle won "merit" which means that they got to perform before 7-10 thousand people. It was great!

I am so proud of them. Way to go George and Janelle!

I desire to be godly! I really do.

Paul was a coach to Timothy, a much younger man in the faith. As he mentored him, he emphasized godliness.

What does godliness mean to you?

A list of rules?

Reading the Bible 8 hours a day?

Going around with a frown on your face?

Living like a monk, removed from the world, praying, meditating and humming hymns behind monastery walls?

Being a squeaky-clean, Bible-toting do-gooder, naive, moralistic, with an annoying innocence?

Nope, don't think so.

I read a good quote that sums up godliness: "Not just outward worship, nor a mere concept of God, nor a virture, nor an ideal over against a Gnostic philosophy of self-deprivation that regards creation as bad. True godliness that's born of faith covers everyday conduct in honoring God as Creator and Redeemer."

Does it mean I have to be perfect?

Does it mean that I need to practice my spiritual disciplines like push-ups or sit-ups, religious exercise to beat our bodies and minds into submission?

That would be more Gnostic than Christian.

If you just want to have control over your lusts or become more serene, any meditative religion will do.

What sets Christianity apart from other religions is knowing and becoming like Christ.

Not perfection (although you will grow in character).
Not tranquility (although your life will become remarkably more peaceful).

I can't DO anything to make myself more acceptable to God.

A "godly" person is a person who ceases to be self-centered in order to become Christ-centered.

Christ became a man, and as a result of His earthly ministry we see how God intended for us to live.

Jesus is our example of godliness.

Therefore, being "godly" simply means becoming more like Christ.

Monday, August 14, 2006

Staying sharp

19 days to go before we skydive!

Did you hear about the 2 lumberjacks who challenged each other to see which one could cut down more trees in a day?

At daybreak the first one began furiously chopping down trees. He worked up a sweat and by noon he had cut down 16 trees. Meanwhile the other lumberjack had only cut down 4, because he took the first 2 hours to sharpen his axe. As he sharpened it his challenger laughed at him thinking he was doomed to lose the bet because of all that wasted time.

That's when things got interesting. By early afternoon the first lumberjack was slowing down. It took him almost an hour to cut down one tree, while his friend was picking up speed. How could this be?

Certainly he was as strong as his friend. Unfortunately, strength had little to do with it.

It was all about whose axe was sharper. The sharper the axe - the quicker the trees came down.

By late afternoon the second lumberjack who'd sharpened his axe, had passed his friend by several trees and won easily.

There's an important lesson there for all of us.

Our ceaseless activity may feed our ego and satisfy our need to be needed, but eventually it will:

- leave us dull spiritually, emotionally and mentally
- the people who need and applaud you now, will discover it and go looking for someone sharper, leaving you feeling "used" and unappreciated
- because you've lost your edge you'll be unprepared for what God has for you next!

Let's all stay sharp this week!

"If the axe is dull and he does not sharpen its edge, then he must exert more strength. Wisdom has the advantage of giving sucess." Ecclesiastes 10:10