Tithing - going public

I'm convicted! I've tried a few times but didn't see it through. Mark Batterson outlined his preaching on tithing here!

1) God can do more with 90% than I can do with 100%
2) U cannot out give God
3) 2 be blessed beyond your ability u need to give beyond your ability
4) When u start tithing, your financial problems become God's problem
5) The tithe keeps money from becoming your master
6) Tithing positions u 4 blessing
7) Tithing = Trusting

I love God - He's the God of second chances! Gotta do it ! - starting this pay !

Thinking about Laslo's hierarchy!

Maslo's Hierarchycame up in a discussion I was involved with today. In particular it made me think about the self-actualisation section at the top of the pyramid.
There were suggestions that the sort of thing that might be included in this were a payrise, a promotion and such like.
I don't know about you, but those are good external rewards, but I would feel more self-actualised if I realised I had played a part in seeing somebody else thrive in their gifting, or get master a skill/ability.
What about you?

Where are you looking ?

On Saturday evening Clayton my 9 yr old son and I trekked off to the Clacton on Sea Pier. We had a blast. With the writstband ticket He was in heaven. He went on everything numerous times. I went on mostly everything maximum twice !
Anyway I used to find the Paratrooper the hardest to stomach! The one at Clacton swings you out over the sea off the edge of the pier. And even though I knew I was safe, I was petrified. It wasn't until I fixed my gaze on the carriage in front of us that I felt safe. It occurs to me that looking at the "danger" I was in caused the fear. I able to overcome my fear by focussing on what had gone before me.
It reminded me of Hebrews 12:2 where we're reminded to fix our eyes on the one who has gone before us. Are you in fear? Where are you looking ?

Book Review: God's Little Princess Devotional Bible

Book review: God's Little Princess Devotional Bible

This Devotional Bible is by a sweet Scottish lass for a North American Little girl audience (market). It relates snippets of Bible characters with things that might well be on little girls minds, thoughts and feelings. It's aim is for little girls (4-7 year olds) to find their destiny as a daughter of God and a true princess.
It fittingly uses an age appropriately readable version of the Bible, the International Children's Bible. Sheila Walsh, who's passion for young girls to find their place in God finds a nice balance between Scripture and devotion, with girlie illustrations and decorations.
Is this something I would give to a young girl here in the UK? probably not, but for my granddaughter in Toronto, someone else's in North America it would probably be a great gift!

Building together

Great Post by Gina about perspective.
She refers to Dr Tim Elmore's book Habituitudes. About people having different perspectives on what they're building/working towards.

It got me thinking about those that say I'm "laying a brick" - if they're laying a brick to build a house, while someone else is laying a brick that they think is part of a garden wall that would create interesting dynamics and if allowed to continue would end up with an interesting building.
This really highlights the need for a vision and vision casting.So that everyone can be on the same page and working towards the same aim.

Accountabilty for me on my computer

In this day and age - we need to hold ourselves accountable at various levels with people we trust. I have an accountability partner that gets an email like the one below every two weeks from XXXchurch.com, detailing any unsuitable sites that might have been viewed on my computer. I think its a great accountability tool.

check it out at www.xxxchurch.com

You are receiving this email from xxxxxx who has signed up for X3watch, an Internet accountability service from XXXchurch.com, and has identified you as their accountability partner.
Please see the information listed below for possible questionable websites that may have been visited over the past 2 week(s).
ONLY questionable websites will be listed.
------------------------------

-------------
Report Start Date: 05/30/2009

ip: 99.99.9.99

NOTE: IF NO SITES ARE LISTED THEN NO QUESTIONABLE SITES WERE VISITED.


////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////


GET X3WATCH - The PRO Version!
*Technical Support
*Weekly Reports
*More Accountability Partners
*Multiple Users Per Computer.
*Option to Track All Computer Users
*Accountability Report Includes Web Site Weight (the higher, the more probable a bad site)
*Option Display Only Site Weight and Date Visited (in case your accountability partner also struggles).
*Includes Built-in Help and FAQ's for answering common questions.
All for a one-time low cost!
Go to www.x3watch.com and get it today.

GET MORE XXXCHURCH
X3Watch is free accountability software provided by XXXchurch.com - a non-profit organization which exists to bring awareness, openness, accountability and recovery to the church, society, and individuals in the issues of pornography.

Learn More About XXXchurch
Support the Ministry and Help Keep X3Watch Free! - Donate to X3:
http://xxxchurch.com/donate.html
Keep up to Date with XXXchurch - Sign up for the X3 Newsletter
http://xxxchurch.com/newsletter.html

I have come to give you church and church in abundance!!!

Reggie McNeal's new book Missional Renaissance lays out the shifts the church needs to make, to be who she's meant to be today.

One paragraph that sticks out for me is this one- it comes after he makes the point that people go to the airport to go somewhere else, the airport is not the destination even if it's beautiful:-

When the church thinks it's the destination, it also confuses the scorecard("Measuring success in Church"-me) It thinks that if people are hovering around the church, the church is winning The truth is, when that's the case, the church is really keeping people from where they want to go, from their real destination That destination is life Lucky for us, it just so happens this is what promised to bring us (He did not say, "I have come to give you church and give it to you more abundantly") Abundant live is lived out with loved ones, friends, and acquaintances in the marketplace, in the home, in the neighbourhood, in the world.

What do you reckon ?

The Principle of the Path by Andy Stanley

This is my first Andy Stanley book. I've listened to him and his dad on podcasts. He is as easy to follow as his father and is as easy to follow in written form as he is in spoken. He is a communicator par excellence.
The thesis of the book is that you can get where you want to get to if you choose to focus on the steps to get you there. It's not brain surgery. In fact a few times I found myself having "Aw doh !" moments when think yes well that's plain to see. However what Andy does so well is remind us in a gentle straight forward easily understood way.
He uses the stories so well to illustrate about and from, the points he's trying to make. Old Testament David is his prime narrative source but he intertwines personal experiences too.

All in all a good how to book - that is, how to live a fulfilled life - making choices - taking steps to where you want to get to.



Thanks Andy

Men's weekend - David and Giants

From the men's weekend:- We we're looking briefly at King David and his battle with Goliath.
Giants in peoples lives shout loud, try and intimidate and defy God and His people. They appear to be the champion.
But before He had arrived at this point. David had won unseen private battles in the isolation as a shepherd boy. Defeating fierce animals.
So with the private battles won he was ready for God to use him to defeat the giant.

What giants are on your horizon?
Are you winning your small private battles?
Will you be ready for a giant when it comes?

Am I ? Lord help me be ready !

Missional renaissance arrives :)

Just got McNeal's new(in the UK anyway) book. He suggests/argues for a different scorecard for church. He highlights the changes that need to be made to join God on His mission.

Church focus change from internal to external, developing people not programmes, and church based to Kingdom based.

He seems to articulate the obvious fabulously, - he seems to be saying things that a loty of people are thinking but not able to express. Thank you Reggie.

Finished the intro and first chapter - hoping that there will be some tools as to how to get there from where we are. We will see.

Church on the move!

Wow, I love to hear stories of God working in lives and in churches. Here's one that's on its way.
Kingsland Lexden which is the one I'm a part of is planning a move. Check it out here.
It's a God thing upto now and has to be a God thing to complete.

Easter in Halstead

The Churches got together in Halstead, Essex to re-enact the Easter story for all to see last Saturday. It was very effective and moving.

Who are you listening to ?

Steven Furtick offers good counsel regularly. A recent blog made me think a bit more than usual. Thanks Steve!

We receive so many messages every day and have heard them from birth. We learn and seek to be discerning and sort out the good from the bad. Sometimes, perhaps when we were younger we listened to some from authority figures like parents, teachers etc, perhaps some were not so helpful.
I need to listen to the my Father's voice and ask him to help me remove the messages I've taken on board that are not the truth. More than that now I need to find my identity in Him - and filter all the messages through that.

HT: Steve Furtick

You gotta start off right otherwise you wont get there !

Love this guy. I find him really challenging in a good way!

From Alan Hirsch's blog
In a remark ascribed to Gordon Cosby, the pioneering leader of that remarkable community, Church of the Savior in Washington. DC, he noted that in over 60 years of significant ministry, he had observed that no groups that came together around a non-missional purpose (i.e. prayer, worship, study, etc.) ever ended up becoming missional. That it was only those groups that set out to be missional in the first place (while embracing prayer, worship, study, etc. in the process) that actually got to doing it. This observation fits with all the research done by Carl George and others that indicate that the vast majority of church activities and groups, even in a healthy church, are aimed at the insiders and fail to address the missional issues facing the church in any situation.
more here