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Making men MEN again. The David Alliance will help you slay your giants.
Episodes
Friday Sep 04, 2020
Friday Sep 04, 2020
webstix.com Tony Herman - the coolest cat on the net
To measure up to all that is demanded of him, a man must overestimate his capacities. Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe
Whats he saying? If you are going to compete… you must expect to be great at it!
Does God like competition?
Phil. 3:14 14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
There is a race, there is a goal and there is a prize… sounds like competition to me.
But who are we competing against?
The greatest competitors are competing against themselves. If you can bench 405, and the other guy can bench 315… you don’t feel the need to compete. But if the other guy benches 485…Then you compete- but against the wrong guy… you still achieve maximum success in competition when you compete against yourself.
You can set your own goals, you can set your own motivation and you can focus 100% on you and not others. This saves a lot of time when trying to get the most out of an area in life.
Hebrews 12 12 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.
Endure: Gk: Hoo-po-men-o To bear up under and continue to take the load. In a real sense it means to continue to compete against the load that you bare. But this speaks of using Gods power to compete against it.
4 Ways To Be More Competitive
- Know The Game Never Ends - The Christian walk
- Always give 110% - Dont just serve God on Sundays
- Compare Yourself Only To Yourself - who deep down inside has God created you to be? Be that guy, compete against that guy!
- Never Make Excuses - You can’t make excuses because you are competing against YOU. And YOU know when you are making excuses, so you can’t buy into them.
Thursday Sep 03, 2020
Thursday Sep 03, 2020
webstix.com Tony Herman - the coolest cat on the net
Follow me… ready. Hope you are good at math. There are 17 birds on a fence. 3 decide to fly away… how many are there left on the fence?
Easy? Try this one… there are 17 birds on the fence, 9 decide to fly away… how many are there left on the fence?
Story of a famous novelist who was visiting a rather large college campus to speak to students. When he entered the auditorium he walked to the podium reached into his pocket and grabbed his notes. There was in attendance more than 300 students. He cleared his thought and then stopped for a second and said “before I begin, how many of you want to be writers?”. With that every hand in the room went up. Oh, he said (folding the paper back up into his pocket) then the best advice I can give you is go home and write… and to that he walked out.
the secret to those who are truly successful is that they learn to fail… their secret is they fail in order to learn how to succeed… but here is the real secret- they know the more they fail the less it hurts and it in turn propels their success into greater and greater areas and new heights!
The key in todays world is not “how can I succeed”, but rather should be how can I fail today? What if you chose to fail 3 times in every area of your life you care about. Trying to in turn to learn through that failure.
Write out one goal for your
physical life
Your mental life
Your job
Your spiritual life
Your family
I don’t care what for, but at least for a couple areas of your life and then start to fail!
Look When Jesus sent the disciples into the region to preach the gospel he said “go”. He gave them a few instructions and then sent them out to win some, lose some and learn along the way.
When he floated up into the clouds he said Go into all the world and preach the gospel, making disciples, he said you would do greater things than he did…
DO YOU THINK HE KNEW WE WOULD MAKE MISTAKES?
BUT HE SAID GO ANYWAY!
Wednesday Sep 02, 2020
Wednesday Sep 02, 2020
webstix.com Tony Herman - the coolest cat on the net
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Held annually in Cumbria, england.at the Bridge Inn at Santon Bridge in the Lake District, the contest is a tribute to 19th-century pub landlord Will Ritson, a character famed locally for his ability to spin a dubious yarn. One of his most notorious fibs was that locally grown turnips were so large that, once hollowed out for dinner, they could be used to house a sheep. |
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The contest is open to anyone who attends and each would-be liar is given five minutes to tell the biggest and most convincing untruth they can muster – with entertaining, amusing and fanciful fibs tending to do best. If you are a lawyer or politician, unfortunately you won't be able to take part, as people practising these trades “are judged to be too skilled at telling porkies”. |
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Held annually at the Bridge Inn at Santon Bridge in the Lake District, the contest is a tribute to 19th-century pub landlord Will Ritson, a character famed locally for his ability to spin a dubious yarn. One of his most notorious fibs was that locally grown turnips were so large that, once hollowed out for dinner, they could be used to house a sheep. The contest The contest is open to anyone who attends and each would-be liar is given five minutes to tell the biggest and most convincing untruth they can muster – with entertaining, amusing and fanciful fibs tending to do best. If you are a lawyer or politician, unfortunately you won't be able to take part, as people practising these trades “are judged to be too skilled at telling porkies”. |
Jesus' critics have adamantly resisted His teachings. In part, this has hinged on their claims to be the children of Abraham (John 8:33). Jesus responded by pointing out that "true sons" behave as their father did. Since Abraham believed God, and these men do not, they are not part of Abraham's spiritual family. Instead, they are the children of some other father. So far, their conduct has been marked by violence (John 5:18), deception (John 7:21–24), and hypocrisy (John 8:1–11). They reject the message of Christ because they do not want to hear it (John 8:43). They've even insulted Jesus' family by insinuating that He is an illegitimate child—a "son of fornication" (John 8:41). Here, Jesus completes His statement about the true spiritual father of these critics, in spectacular fashion.
In no uncertain terms, Jesus states that these hateful enemies are, in fact, the spiritual children of the devil. He refers to murder, resistance to the truth, and lies—all of which were part of His earlier criticism of these men. This is not a soft, timid response on the part of Jesus. This is an open, overt rebuke delivered against religious leaders who are leading others to hell (Matthew 23:15). Contrary to the caricature of Jesus as a fragile mystic, passages such as these prove His ability to present righteous strength.
Two of Satan’s favorite lies are these:
1) With enough effort, you can do the law.
2) With enough sin, you can undo the Gospel.
Tuesday Sep 01, 2020
Tuesday Sep 01, 2020
webstix.com Tony Herman - the coolest cat on the net
You know the drill…
your house is on fire, everyone is safe but you only have time to grab one thing…ok 3 things… ok five things, but thats it. What do you grab?
Top 5 Bible verses where
#1 John 3:16 For God so loved the world.
#2 Jeremiah 29:11 11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
#3 Philippians 4:13 13 I can do all this through him who gives me strength.
#4 Psalm 23:4 Even though I walk
through the darkest valley,
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.
#5 Romans 8:28 28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
2 Tim. 1:7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.
Matt. 6:33-34
33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
Daniel 3:17-18
17 If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us[c] from Your Majesty’s hand. 18 But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.”
James 5:13 Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise. 14 Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord.
Wuest Translation: is anyone among you suffering misfortune? Let him keep constantly praying. Is anyone cheerful? Let him keep on singing praises. Is anyone among you ill? Let him call at once the elders of the local assembly and let them pray over him.
What are your fie go to bible verses?
Write them out, go to them, memorize them. Understand them and pass them on to others around you!
Monday Aug 31, 2020
Monday Aug 31, 2020
webstix.com Tony Herman - the coolest cat on the net
All right, you wanna be a real ramblin earth shaker?Somebody who changes the world and gets recognized in the history books?
K. Anders Ericsson, the guy who created that ten thousand hour theory of expertise, says there ain't no two ways about it; you’re gonna need a mentor: These findings are consistent with a study of internationally successful athletes, scientists, and artists, where Benjamin Bloom (1985) found that, virtually without exception, each individual had been trained by a master teacher, who had trained earlier students to reach an international level. Remember Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, the researcher who interviewed over ninety-one of the most creative people in the world? What did he find those big-timers have in common? Yup, by the time they were college age, almost every one of them had an important mentor.
Gerard Roche surveyed 1,250 top executives and found two-thirds had had a mentor, and those who did, made more money and were happier with their careers: "The average increase in salary of executives who have had a mentor is 28.8 percent, combined with an average 65.9 percent increase in bonus, for an overall 29.0 percent rise in total cash compensation. And, ladies, this is even more important for you. Every single one of the successful female executives in the study turned out to have had a mentor. Even if you're starting your own company and don't have a boss, if's still vital. In Shane Snow's great read Smartcuts, he points to research showing entrepreneurs with mentors raise seven times as much money and their businesses experience three and a half times as much growth. Why are mentors so important? You don't have time to make all the mistakes yourself, and of course making those mistakes can mean failure. It's better to let others make those mistakes and you can learn from them. Great mentors and great teachers help you learn faster. Even in high school, the right teacher makes a huge difference. Stanford economist Eric Hanushek says that bad teaches cover six months of material in one year. Great teachers cover a year and a half. That math isn't hard to decode, folks. He says you’re way better off with an awesome teacher in a lousy school than vice versa. But there's another, less acknowledged boost that good mentors give. I've talked a lot about that ten-thousand-hour theory of expertise and why anyone would want to spend that much time painfully improving at something. In chapter 1, you saw that one of the reasons was a touch of craziness and obsession. But that's not the whole story. Mentors make learning fun.They add a relationship to the stress and help you overcome the frustration while pushing you to be your best.Adam Grant says mentors can be what leads you down the path to grit and deliberate practice: It turns out that actually most of these world-class performers had a first coach, or a first teacher, who made the activity fun. If you excel at something, and you experience mastery, it often does make it more fun and enjoyable to do it. We've overlooked the reverse effect, which is that often interest precedes the development of talent. I's having a coach or teacher who really makes something exciting to be involved in that leads you to often put in the practice necessary to become an expert at it.
Barking up the wrong tree, Eric Barker
Elijah/Elisha
Moses/Joshua
Jethro/Moses
Deborah/Barak
Paul/Timothy
Saul-Paul/Barnabas
Elizabeth/Mary
Naomi/Ruth
Jesus/Disciples
Priscilla and Aquila/Apollos (Acts 18:24-28)
2 Tim. 2:2 And what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.
Friday Aug 28, 2020
Friday Aug 28, 2020
webstix.com Tony Herman - the coolest cat on the net
Have you ever got caught up in the vision of another persons life. You see them living the life you want? Remember the show cribs on MTV? That had the ability to make you feel like a failure in about 25 seconds…
Did you know Psalm 73 talks about that show? Oh how the wicked prosper….
You know I am not sure what is more debilitating in our Xn walk… getting caught up in another persons life OR not focusing on your own…
But the absolute tragedy is if you have a vision for your life… but not a vision for your spiritual life.
Psalm 73
A psalm of Asaph.
1
Truly God is good to Israel,
to those whose hearts are pure.
2
But as for me, I almost lost my footing.
My feet were slipping, and I was almost gone.
3
For I envied the proud
when I saw them prosper despite their wickedness.
4
They seem to live such painless lives;
their bodies are so healthy and strong.
5
They don’t have troubles like other people;
they’re not plagued with problems like everyone else.
6
They wear pride like a jeweled necklace
and clothe themselves with cruelty.
7
These fat cats have everything
their hearts could ever wish for!
8
They scoff and speak only evil;
in their pride they seek to crush others.
9
They boast against the very heavens,
and their words strut throughout the earth.
10
And so the people are dismayed and confused,
drinking in all their words.
11
“What does God know?” they ask.
“Does the Most High even know what’s happening?”
12
Look at these wicked people—
enjoying a life of ease while their riches multiply.
13
Did I keep my heart pure for nothing?
Did I keep myself innocent for no reason?
14
I get nothing but trouble all day long;
every morning brings me pain.
15
If I had really spoken this way to others,
I would have been a traitor to your people.
16
So I tried to understand why the wicked prosper.
But what a difficult task it is!
17
Then I went into your sanctuary, O God,
and I finally understood the destiny of the wicked.
18
Truly, you put them on a slippery path
and send them sliding over the cliff to destruction.
19
In an instant they are destroyed,
completely swept away by terrors.
20
When you arise, O Lord,
you will laugh at their silly ideas
as a person laughs at dreams in the morning.
21
Then I realized that my heart was bitter,
and I was all torn up inside.
22
I was so foolish and ignorant—
I must have seemed like a senseless animal to you.
23
Yet I still belong to you;
you hold my right hand.
24
You guide me with your counsel,
leading me to a glorious destiny.
25
Whom have I in heaven but you?
I desire you more than anything on earth.
26
My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak,
but God remains the strength of my heart;
he is mine forever.
27
Those who desert him will perish,
for you destroy those who abandon you.
28
But as for me, how good it is to be near God!
I have made the Sovereign Lord my shelter,
and I will tell everyone about the wonderful things you do.
Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. 12 Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.
But what does it say a few verses before this verse?
8 Yes, this is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: “Do not let the prophets and diviners among you deceive you. Do not listen to the dreams you encourage them to have. 9 They are prophesying lies to you in my name. I have not sent them,” declares the Lord.
WOW! Did you catch this? God is warning us not to run after people who are going to tell us what we want to hear.
And he is saying that God wants to reveal his plans to you.
Psalm 37:4
Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart.
Let me explain how this works….
In my quiet time I just begin to imagine what God has for my spiritual journey. It is in a sense my time to daydream about Gods future for me.
I have visions of my future -healing people, leading rockstars to Jesus, Prophetic words to heads of state and presidents and kings. I have visions of me raising people from the dead. Visions of me seeing scripture in such a new light that his Holy Spirit literally falls on a congregation or a crowd of people and they fall to their knees and accept Christ. I have visions of having people walking into an elevator with me and me sharing Gods vision for them that literally change the course of their life - people who I do not know, but have major access to influence through money, business, politics etc… I have visions of walking through hospitals and people being healed simply by the presence of Jesus in me. I have a vision of building a business that makes billions and using that money for world wide evangelism. I have a vision of people being convicted of their lukewarmness because they see me hotter than ever before for Jesus. I have a vision of me standing before Jesus and he says well done good and faithful servant. And I have a vision and strong belief that it will all be for Gods glory - and not for my recognition.
NOW YOU MAY SAY… WOW THAT DOES SOUND EGOTISTICAL…
Oh I am sure there is some ego in there… that is why I give my vision to God daily… he does like to change things on me- but always for the better.
but what I really want you to come away with is 2 things:
- a lot of this has already happened in my life
- What is the vision you have for your spiritual life?
Thursday Aug 27, 2020
Thursday Aug 27, 2020
webstix.com Tony Herman - the coolest cat on the net
Ross & Evan
Types of Cuts: all leave a scar, some noticeable some not!
Abrasions, Incisions, Lacerations, Punctures, Evulsions, Traumatic,
- Abrasion skin is scratched or rubbed off from rug burns, falling on cement, These are most infected but not to a great degree of infection – rarely does it get bad. Spoken words from school, friends, parents, teachers.
- Incisions – cut by a knife or sharp object. They bleed freely because the blood vessels are cut wide open. They do not infect as easily because they bleed freely and they clean themselves out. Life Disappointments. Cut from the team, don’t have what others have.
- Laceration – a cut that is deep and gashing, easily infected. Careless wounds by others. The key is they were careless and flippant about how they hurt you, but if they had just thought it threw they would have saved you a lot of grief.
- Punctures – holes into the skin, by nails needles wires, they do not bleed freely but may cause more damage due to internal bleeding. The infection is higher because how deep they go. Words from parents or loved ones that wound.
- Evulsions – a tearing a way of the flesh. Great infection. Divorce or death of a loved on!
- Traumatic amputations – non surgical removal of limbs from the body, shock, massive blood loss. Sexual Abuse or Physical Abuse.
Even in the most traumatic of experiences, most people do not really know how much they are hurting you!
Sources of spiritual wounds are avenues through which spiritual wounds come from. They are doorways Satan gains legal entry in his mission or ministry to “steal and kill and destroy,” John 10:7. There are four doorways Satan gains entry. These are through:
1) deception,
2) ignorance,
3) sin, and
4) storms of life
By his wounds and suffering we are healed!
Isa 53:4 But the fact is, it was our pains he carried-- our disfigurements, all the things wrong with us. We thought he brought it on himself, that God was punishing him for his own failures.
Isa 53:5 But it was our sins that did that to him, that ripped and tore and crushed him--our sins! He took the punishment, and that made us whole. Through his bruises we get healed.
Isa 53:6 We're all like sheep who've wandered off and gotten lost. We've all done our own thing, gone our own way. And GOD has piled all our sins, everything we've done wrong, on him, on him.
Isa 53:7 He was beaten, he was tortured, but he didn't say a word. Like a lamb taken to be slaughtered and like a sheep being sheared, he took it all in silence.
Isa 53:8 Justice miscarried, and he was led off-- and did anyone really know what was happening? He died without a thought for his own welfare, beaten bloody for the sins of my people.
Isa 53:9 They buried him with the wicked, threw him in a grave with a rich man, Even though he'd never hurt a soul or said one word that wasn't true.
Isa 53:10 Still, it's what GOD had in mind all along, to crush him with pain. The plan was that he give himself as an offering for sin so that he'd see life come from it--life, life, and more life. And GOD's plan will deeply prosper through him.
The bible says, “A man’s spirit sustains him in sickness, but a crushed spirit who can bear?” Proverbs 18:14
“A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones,” Proverbs 17:22.
When we go to the Doctor we may have a wound, and he looks at it and takes care of it, but we don’t get mad if at the end of the visit it is not 100% healed. It takes time. But why time?
Why not instantly?
Psalm 119 faithfulness in affliction.
We draw on him
We seek his word
We can tell of his faithfulness – you need to overcome to have a great story!
We can heal others!
Time causes us to reflect on our behavior – do we hurt others?
The secret to making lemonade… it’s not the sugar – you gotta have the lemons, and the more sour they are the better the lemonade.
Wednesday Aug 26, 2020
Wednesday Aug 26, 2020
webstix.com Tony Herman - the coolest cat on the net
I have a lot of scars on my body… and I mean about 100 plus. Some are cool, all of them tell a story, but if they are simply self serving for my own glory… I am missing the point. Paul in Galatians talks about circumcision and wether those scars are right nor not… or what is exactly the motivation.
Gal 6:12 Those who want to make a good impression outwardly are trying to compel you to be circumcised. The only reason they do this is to avoid being persecuted for the cross of Christ.
Gal 6:13 Not even those who are circumcised obey the law, yet they want you to be circumcised that they may boast about your flesh.
Gal 6:14 May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.
Gal 6:15 Neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything; what counts is a new creation.
Gal 6:16 Peace and mercy to all who follow this rule, even to the Israel of God.
Gal 6:17 Finally, let no one cause me trouble, for I bear on my body the marks of Jesus. HOLY SCARS
Gal 6:18 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brothers. Amen.
Gal 6:15 Can't you see the central issue in all this? It is not what you and I do--submit to circumcision, reject circumcision. It is what God is doing, and he is creating something totally new, a free life!
The Bottom line is “are we being Changed” ARE WE MORE LIKE CHRIST!
Tough Questions
- Have you changed – become more like Christ- then you were last year at this time. *knowing more does not equal change.
- If you continued to do the same things you have done this past year would it make you more like Christ?
- Did you change friends this past year?
- Did your habits change this year? Better or worse?
- Did your goals change? To be more like Christ or more successful.
If we are serious about changing then we must be willing to take well thought out steps to do so. It does not happen by accident. Entropy is the only change that happens by accident, and it never gets pretty!
Ladies aren’t you glad fashion changes?
But aren’t you glad you can change in your spiritual walk?
How do you change?
- Don’t underestimate your ability to change and to grow. Most people overestimate what they can do in a few days. They underestimate what they can do in a year or even a lifetime.
The Disciples were under Christ tutelage for 3 ½ years and still didn’t quite get it until after he left and even then it took them a long time.
- Rule #2 if we want to change we must change what we are doing – whoa! Remarkable!
Duh! But here is the problem. We must first change how we think.
What do we put in our mind
Who are we around that puts stuff in our mind
How do we get the old stuff out of the mind – work on getting new stuff in!
Paul said to renew our minds!
- Change for teenagers almost always comes from adding new friends and subtracting old ones!
You cannot change behavior without changing your friends…
- It’s easier to change if you have an unchanging core!
I can change knowing that God is unchanging and lives in me!
- You must keep the pressure on!
Don’t give up!
Paul says to keep striving, pushing, leaning forward!
- small daily changes have the most profound affect. Folded piece of paper.
- Anyone can learn to change. If you do not learn how to change you will fall into the trap that you can’t. Then you think that life just happens and you are along for the ride. You then do not take responsibility for your life and you believe you are powerless and it becomes a self fulfilling prophecy.
Tuesday Aug 25, 2020
Tuesday Aug 25, 2020
webstix.com Tony Herman - the coolest cat on the net
2Co 11:23 Are they servants of Christ? I can go them one better. (I can't believe I'm saying these things. It's crazy to talk this way! But I started, and I'm going to finish.) I've worked much harder, been jailed more often, beaten up more times than I can count, and at death's door time after time.
2Co 11:24 I've been flogged five times with the Jews' thirty-nine lashes,
2Co 11:25 beaten by Roman rods three times, pummeled with rocks once. I've been shipwrecked three times, and immersed in the open sea for a night and a day.
2Co 11:26 In hard traveling year in and year out, I've had to ford rivers, fend off robbers, struggle with friends, struggle with foes. I've been at risk in the city, at risk in the country, endangered by desert sun and sea storm, and betrayed by those I thought were my brothers.
2Co 11:27 I've known drudgery and hard labor, many a long and lonely night without sleep, many a missed meal, blasted by the cold, naked to the weather.
2Co 11:28 And that's not the half of it, when you throw in the daily pressures and anxieties of all the churches.
2Co 11:29 When someone gets to the end of his rope, I feel the desperation in my bones. When someone is duped into sin, an angry fire burns in my gut.
2Co 11:30 If I have to "brag" about myself, I'll brag about the humiliations that make me like Jesus.
2Co 11:31 The eternal and blessed God and Father of our Master Jesus knows I'm not lying.
2Co 11:32 Remember the time I was in Damascus and the governor of King Aretas posted guards at the city gates to arrest me?
2Co 11:33 I crawled through a window in the wall, was let down in a basket, and had to run for my life.
I was visiting a man from our congregation in the hospital a few weeks ago… I felt like God told me to tell him he was called to ministry and ask him if he wanted to ask Christ into his life and live for him. He was and he did, it was awesome –
BUT THE POINT IS… CAN YOU RELATE?
****Do you have stories like this one? Can we sit around and share great times and memories about how we have both seen God used?
- Challenges make us more like Jesus. Paul said his humiliations made him more like Christ.
Christ was humiliated as a God/Man on the Cross. It was unbelievably shameful way to die. Your beaten, stripped, punched, spit on, cursed and nailed to a cross. Why was this humiliating? Because of who he was and what he could have done.
TO BE TESTED IS GOOD. THE CHALLENGED LIFE IS THE BEST THERAPIST.
I have a couple boys in my past youth group who can tell stories of witnessing to hundreds of people. The one even stood before a packed theatre and shared his testimony.
I have stories of serving God that cost me money, time, pain, friends, and I have stories of great times where God showed up and answered prayer… but it all starts with being willing to follow God wherever he takes you.
PAULS BEST STORIES WERE BASED ON OBEDIENCE!
- Paul cant tell a story about being stranded at sea or shipwrecked unless he follows God onto that ship.
- Paul can’t tell a story about being beaten with Rods unless he was willing to stand up to the Jews and tell them they must accept Jesus
- Paul can’t tell about being stoned unless he firsts listens to God’s voice to go to the city and preach the gospel.
- Paul can’t tell stories of being whipped unless he is willing to tell people they are going to hell if they do not turn from sin.
What stories can you tell?
What scars do you have for Jesus?
How far are you willing to go in order to serve Jesus?
I honestly believe in my heart of hearts that people who know the truth and don’t serve God don’t do it because they want to sin or because they want to rebel – but rather because they are afraid and do not see the reward!
What is the reward? Becoming more like Christ!
In 1901 Earnest Shakelton
1901 National Antarctic Expedition
Shackleton participated in the National Antarctic Expedition, which was organized by the Royal Geographical Society in 1901, and led by Robert Falcon Scott. This expedition is also called the "Discovery Expedition", as its ship was called Discovery. The expedition was the first to penetrate the Ross Sea and reach the Ross Ice Shelf. He may have placed what has become one of the world's most famous advertisements in the Times of London in December 1901: "Men wanted for hazardous journey. Small wages. Bitter cold. Long months of complete darkness. Constant danger. Safe return doubtful. Honour and recognition in case of success.”
THE NEXT DAY HIS OFFICE HAD A LINE OF A 100 PLUS MEN…
They were tired of a meaningless existence…
May we be willing to follow Christ - earn our scars and tell stories of faith
FOR THE MASTER!
Monday Aug 24, 2020
Monday Aug 24, 2020
webstix.com Tony Herman - the coolest cat on the net
2Co 11:23 Are they servants of Christ? I can go them one better. (I can't believe I'm saying these things. It's crazy to talk this way! But I started, and I'm going to finish.) I've worked much harder, been jailed more often, beaten up more times than I can count, and at death's door time after time.
2Co 11:24 I've been flogged five times with the Jews' thirty-nine lashes,
2Co 11:25 beaten by Roman rods three times, pummeled with rocks once. I've been shipwrecked three times, and immersed in the open sea for a night and a day.
2Co 11:26 In hard traveling year in and year out, I've had to ford rivers, fend off robbers, struggle with friends, struggle with foes. I've been at risk in the city, at risk in the country, endangered by desert sun and sea storm, and betrayed by those I thought were my brothers.
2Co 11:27 I've known drudgery and hard labor, many a long and lonely night without sleep, many a missed meal, blasted by the cold, naked to the weather.
2Co 11:28 And that's not the half of it, when you throw in the daily pressures and anxieties of all the churches.
2Co 11:29 When someone gets to the end of his rope, I feel the desperation in my bones. When someone is duped into sin, an angry fire burns in my gut.
2Co 11:30 If I have to "brag" about myself, I'll brag about the humiliations that make me like Jesus.
2Co 11:31 The eternal and blessed God and Father of our Master Jesus knows I'm not lying.
2Co 11:32 Remember the time I was in Damascus and the governor of King Aretas posted guards at the city gates to arrest me?
2Co 11:33 I crawled through a window in the wall, was let down in a basket, and had to run for my life.
I would love to see a Christian program called scared or scarred where they show different situations where kids either step up and take one for the team or fail miserably.
What if you wrote this portion of scripture? What could you say? Uhhhh one time I uhhh had a bible verse stuck in my head… oh yeah and one time I called my teacher mom!
- Christianity won’t be easy…. There will be scars… or there should be scars unless you live a pathetic Christian walk.
I love Challenges. My favorite quote is “Do you like challenges, things that don’t come easy, problems and difficult situations? Then you are going to love life, and probably be pretty good at it!
But listen to me… life isn’t easy. Whether you are a Christian, Buddhist, atheist, Hindu or Agnostic – But Jesus wants to be there for you no matter what you are going through.
ROADBLOCK! - IT’S GONNA BE EASY!
I think that this is one of the biggest road blocks to people really truly accepting Jesus. They have been told it will make everything better! But it won’t!
The difference?
It makes things have purpose, -It gives us a chance to experience
Christ peace,
To learn to rely on him and not us
To be more like him
…. the worst things in my life have been the best!
How many people I know who have had everything. And are even more miserable because they have no reason to be miserable.
Knowing Jesus gives you an eternal purpose.
VICTOR FANKL
In the book “Mans search for meaning” by Victor Frankl an Auschwitz death camp survivor said after years under Nazi rule in the prisons – those who had a purpose could withstand anything… but if you lost purpose you died!
- We can relate better – he says he feels it in his bones! When we can empathize we can connect on a whole new level. That is where we can share Christ more effectively and we make great and lasting friendships.
Why are war time friendships so lasting?
They have faced death together,
they have gone through the worst life has to offer!
*I have many friends who have been in the service. The ones who never faced battle or war very rarely stay in touch. But however the ones who have gone through hell, they can never be separated.
SCAR STORIES!
What happens when you are sitting around and people start to tell stories about scars?
First, everyone joins in, second people start laughing, third you really get to know each other!