Monday, January 27, 2014

Stop Complaining About The Weather

Because you can't change it.

No matter how much you complain about it or lament it or hate it, there is absolutely nothing you can do to change how cold or snowy (or warm depending on where you are) it is outside.

But that doesn't mean you can't change something else.

The key to dealing with cold weather? Dress warmer. Plan more travel time. Make plans that don't revolve around being outside. You can't change the weather. You can change how you react to it.

And this is bigger than weather. A person is not defined by what happens to them. They are defined by how they act no matter what happens to them. The good things or bad things that happen to you in life make you no better or worse of a disciple of Christ. The circumstances around you have nothing to do with your faith. You have no control over those things. All you can control: your actions. And that shows who you are. The situation does not make the hero. The actions done in the moment make the hero.

So stop complaining about things you can't control, like the weather. Instead, do something about it. It's what makes you a better person.

T

Monday, January 13, 2014

Good Advice For Going To Church

I know some people have made the resolution to be more involved in worship services on Sunday morning as a part of bettering themselves in 2014. Great! But for those heading to church or youth group or wherever it may be, here's a little verse form Ecclesiastes I was looking at:

Watch your step when you enter God’s house.
        Enter to learn. That’s far better than mindlessly offering a sacrifice,
        Doing more harm than good. (Ecc. 5:1, MSG)

Unfortunately, there are no attendance points in heaven. You don't get better marks with Jesus just for showing up. It's why you show up and what you do when you're there. I want more people to attend Fishers UMC, on Sundays, to the youth ministry, Bible Studies, whatever they may be, but I also want it to be something worthwhile. Look at worship as a chance to learn, not offering the sacrifice of an hour Sunday morning God requires. It will really change worship for you!

T





Monday, January 06, 2014

How To Keep Your Resolutions

It's that time of year, where people seem to go full steam ahead into personal improvement. And the steam usually lasts about 3 weeks...

So how do you make sure you actually improve? What can you do to better your spiritual life this year?

Make fewer goals: If you have more than 3 resolutions, you're probably not going to keep them. I'm going to eat better, work out more, read a book a week, write a symphony, volunteer an hour a day, build a house from wood I chopped down myself, etc., etc. It's too much. Pick 3 or less, you may have a better chance at doing them.

Make a plan: I'm going to read a book a week. Great goal. Now, that will take about 6 hours a week, where does that time come from? Despite what people say, you can't make time, it's not possible. All you can do is reallocate it. So if you don't make a plan to get back that 6 hours, you'll never read that book.

When it comes to your relationship with Jesus and your spiritual family, are you making resolutions in a way you can actually keep them? Can you make one resolution like "join a Bible Study", plan out which one works for your schedule? Maybe make sure your homework, exercising, Netflix movie is done at a different time to free up that hour or so? Make a plan for how you're going to get there if you need a ride?

Here's a challenge for you, read the Bible this year. Most Christians have not read the entire Bible (I've been in a room where a lot of pastors had not), what if you actually read your Holy Library just once? You can do it with 10-15 minutes a day, the internet is littered with reading plans (there are some in the Wharf for FIRE & WATER students).

Don't make resolutions this year, keep resolutions this year. There's a big difference between talk and action...

T