God Loves And Values Me!

A gem dealer was strolling through the Tucson Gem and Mineral Show when he noticed a blue-violet stone the size of a potato. Surprised, he said to the seller, 'You want fifteen dollars for this?' The seller, thinking the rock wasn't as pretty as others in the bin, sold it to him for ten dollars. That ugly stone was later certified as a 1,905-carat natural star sapphire, appraised at 2.8 million dollars. It took a lover of stones to recognise its worth. And it took the lover of souls to recognise your worth. Do you realise how much God loves you? If not, look at the cross. Perhaps you're disappointed because you've asked God for something and He didn't do what you thought He should have done. Before you feel unloved, take a moment and look back. Hasn't He blessed you and held you steady through rough places? It's been a long ride, but He's still holding you, right? Don't act as if your heavenly Father doesn't love you because He doesn't always cater to you.

Our society has spent so much time criticising differences that it fails to see God in diversity.

 We have believed the love that God has for us

Because you're different, doesn't mean you're 'less than' - just different! If God hadn't made you as He did, you wouldn't have been able to persevere as you have. You're uniquely equipped to be a blessing to those around you. Remember, people are blessed because you're sincere and available - not perfect. So next time you feel worthless, stop and remind yourself, 'God loves and values me!'

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God Loves And Values Me!

It's Tough

Pastor, you know you're having a really bad day when you finally remember the name of the person you promised to visit in the hospital - while reading the obituaries; you can't find the book of Obadiah while leading a Bible study; your treasurer sends you a postcard from Geneva; you are informed that the youth group used steel wool sponges for the car wash; at a wedding, you call the groom by the bride's former boyfriend's name; your personal parking spot gets relocated - to a restaurant half a mile away; you preach the same sermon for the second week, and nobody notices; the church votes to change your day off to Sunday.

Seriously, if God has given you leadership ability, remember what sets great leaders apart.
First, they're facilitators.

  If God has given you leadership ability ...

They realise that nobody will ever be what they ought to be until they're first doing what they ought to be doing, and that the way to fulfil your calling is to help others discover and fulfil theirs. Second, they're courteous. They never look down or talk down. They don't have one set of manners for important people and another for the less important. To them, everybody is important because everybody has God-given potential; they just work to bring it out. Third, they're decisive. As a leader you'll be remembered for two things: the problems you created and the ones you solved. Yes, you'll make mistakes, so learn humility, hunger for personal growth, draw strength from God, and hopefully do it better next time.


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It's Tough

Fallacy of Full-Time Christian Work

by Os Hillman

"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. It is the Lord Christ you are serving." - Colossians 3:23-24

"I didn't know you were in full-time Christian work," said my close friend as we were driving. "I didn't realize that," she went on. I responded, "Every person who has followed the will of God in their life is in full-time Christian work." God calls some to the mission field, others to be accountants, and others to be advertising executives, and still others to be construction workers. God never made a distinction between sacred and secular. In fact, the Hebrew word avodah is the root word having the same meaning of "work" and "worship." God sees our work as worship.

We have incorrectly elevated the role of the Christian worker to be more holy and committed than the person who is serving in a more secular environment. Yet the call to the secular workplace is as important as any other calling. God has to have His people in every sphere of life. Otherwise, many would never come to know Him because they would be separated from society.

I learned this lesson personally when I sought to go into "full-time" service as a pastor in my late twenties, only to have God thrust me back into the business world unwillingly. This turned out to be the best thing He could have done for me, because it was never His will for me to be a pastor. He knew I was more suited for the workplace.

We are all in missions. Some are called to foreign lands. Some are called to the jungles of the workplace. Wherever you are called, serve the Lord in that place. Let Him demonstrate His power through your life so that others might experience Him through you today and see your vocation as worship to His glory.

Friday, 19 March 2010. TGIF (Today God Is First) Volume 1.

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Fallacy of Full-Time Christian Work

Winning

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Winning