Good morning to everyone. Grace and peace be with you.
In my email this morning, I received notification that one of my stories is out of the competition. The story made it halfway through before being dropped, so I am (semi) okay with that. The (semi) portion of me is my ego … if I am being honest. This is the first competition that has shown the rounds and progress of my story. So, this has been interesting.
Yesterday’s message stirred a lot of thoughts in my squirrel activated brain. One thought in particular that seems to be hanging out and replaying is the idea that all we have to do is confess and accept and all it good for a key to heaven’s gate. That is a misconception and miscommunication on our part as followers.
Follow me here for a second.
I hire you for my company. The job is sales and recruitment. I tell you that 100,000 dollar salary and stock in the business when it closes is yours and all you have to do really is show up because the job almost sells itself, if you say yes to the job and come to work the job is yours. Simple, right? Able to pay your bills, right? You say yes. Excited that you are going to make a livable wage, and it is a simple job. You get up, get dressed in whatever suits your fancy, drive to work, park your car in your assigned spot, take a look at the building and decide to sit in your car and check your emails, then your social media, then play a few games. Next thing you know it is time to go home. You do this every day and when payday comes, you go to collect your check, but there is no check for you. You act surprised and go on a little tangent about you did what you said you would do, you said yes and came to work every day. Security cameras will verify you were in the parking lot every day on time and did not leave until quitting time. So why did you not get a check? When I come out to talk to you, you start blaming me for not getting a check. After you have had your say, I explain that in the interview process conditions and needs of the job were explained and in order to be paid you had to do the job. I further explain that my comment about just showing up was a joke about how easy the job is, not an invitation to not do the work. That for $100,000, I would have thought you would have at least entered the building, but you did not even do that. Therefore you will not be paid. I instruct the accountant to give you a stipend so that you will not lose your home, and I will give you another chance. This time you decide to enter the building, but you never make it to your desk, and you put no effort into the job. You are only worried about your social status and now proving a point that I misled you. Another stipend is allocated in hopes that you will see that I am truly trying to help you understand. The stipends are just enough to pay the utilities and rent. Not much left for pleasure, but if you would just put forth the effort, a little effort, the good check would be yours. However, your persistence in getting paid for nothing is the hill you decided to die on. When the business sells, you are out of a job, you got no shares in the company paid to you because you never worked at the job you were hired for and you barely made it the front door of the business. You are now without funds and will be without a home. All because you chose to do it your way instead of the way of the job.
Put this story in place of leading people Christ and how we explain the simplicity of how to be saved. It is as simple as saying yes, but if you truly confess and accept Him, you will want to do the work that He assigns you. It may be as simple as giving a cup of coffee to the homeless man on the street every day. It might be as difficult as walking out of the gossip circle at work every day. Or it might be an internal conflict that you have buried and hidden away. It could be a number of items or just one, but if you do not want to follow and only say the words, the confession is fake and will not get you into heaven. Your name will not be written in the Book of Life if you do not earnestly try to do what he has called you to do. As believers, we need to explain this part better. Once you give your life to Christ, you should want to do better, be more positive, seek areas to help in, leave the gossip boat, promote growth … put self-last. (That is the hard one.)
Since yesterday’s sermon, I have been standing in front of the mirror (figuratively) finding the areas that I need to improve on. What does your mirror say about you?
Be blessed today my friends.
***Blessed are they who maintain justice, who constantly do what is right. Remember me, o Lord, when you show favor to your people, come to my aid when you save them, that I may enjoy the prosperity of your chosen ones, that I may share in the joy of your nation and join your inheritance in giving praise. – Psalm 106:3-5
In my email this morning, I received notification that one of my stories is out of the competition. The story made it halfway through before being dropped, so I am (semi) okay with that. The (semi) portion of me is my ego … if I am being honest. This is the first competition that has shown the rounds and progress of my story. So, this has been interesting.
Yesterday’s message stirred a lot of thoughts in my squirrel activated brain. One thought in particular that seems to be hanging out and replaying is the idea that all we have to do is confess and accept and all it good for a key to heaven’s gate. That is a misconception and miscommunication on our part as followers.
Follow me here for a second.
I hire you for my company. The job is sales and recruitment. I tell you that 100,000 dollar salary and stock in the business when it closes is yours and all you have to do really is show up because the job almost sells itself, if you say yes to the job and come to work the job is yours. Simple, right? Able to pay your bills, right? You say yes. Excited that you are going to make a livable wage, and it is a simple job. You get up, get dressed in whatever suits your fancy, drive to work, park your car in your assigned spot, take a look at the building and decide to sit in your car and check your emails, then your social media, then play a few games. Next thing you know it is time to go home. You do this every day and when payday comes, you go to collect your check, but there is no check for you. You act surprised and go on a little tangent about you did what you said you would do, you said yes and came to work every day. Security cameras will verify you were in the parking lot every day on time and did not leave until quitting time. So why did you not get a check? When I come out to talk to you, you start blaming me for not getting a check. After you have had your say, I explain that in the interview process conditions and needs of the job were explained and in order to be paid you had to do the job. I further explain that my comment about just showing up was a joke about how easy the job is, not an invitation to not do the work. That for $100,000, I would have thought you would have at least entered the building, but you did not even do that. Therefore you will not be paid. I instruct the accountant to give you a stipend so that you will not lose your home, and I will give you another chance. This time you decide to enter the building, but you never make it to your desk, and you put no effort into the job. You are only worried about your social status and now proving a point that I misled you. Another stipend is allocated in hopes that you will see that I am truly trying to help you understand. The stipends are just enough to pay the utilities and rent. Not much left for pleasure, but if you would just put forth the effort, a little effort, the good check would be yours. However, your persistence in getting paid for nothing is the hill you decided to die on. When the business sells, you are out of a job, you got no shares in the company paid to you because you never worked at the job you were hired for and you barely made it the front door of the business. You are now without funds and will be without a home. All because you chose to do it your way instead of the way of the job.
Put this story in place of leading people Christ and how we explain the simplicity of how to be saved. It is as simple as saying yes, but if you truly confess and accept Him, you will want to do the work that He assigns you. It may be as simple as giving a cup of coffee to the homeless man on the street every day. It might be as difficult as walking out of the gossip circle at work every day. Or it might be an internal conflict that you have buried and hidden away. It could be a number of items or just one, but if you do not want to follow and only say the words, the confession is fake and will not get you into heaven. Your name will not be written in the Book of Life if you do not earnestly try to do what he has called you to do. As believers, we need to explain this part better. Once you give your life to Christ, you should want to do better, be more positive, seek areas to help in, leave the gossip boat, promote growth … put self-last. (That is the hard one.)
Since yesterday’s sermon, I have been standing in front of the mirror (figuratively) finding the areas that I need to improve on. What does your mirror say about you?
Be blessed today my friends.
***Blessed are they who maintain justice, who constantly do what is right. Remember me, o Lord, when you show favor to your people, come to my aid when you save them, that I may enjoy the prosperity of your chosen ones, that I may share in the joy of your nation and join your inheritance in giving praise. – Psalm 106:3-5
Good morning to everyone. Grace and peace be with you.
In my email this morning, I received notification that one of my stories is out of the competition. The story made it halfway through before being dropped, so I am (semi) okay with that. The (semi) portion of me is my ego … if I am being honest. This is the first competition that has shown the rounds and progress of my story. So, this has been interesting.
Yesterday’s message stirred a lot of thoughts in my squirrel activated brain. One thought in particular that seems to be hanging out and replaying is the idea that all we have to do is confess and accept and all it good for a key to heaven’s gate. That is a misconception and miscommunication on our part as followers.
Follow me here for a second.
I hire you for my company. The job is sales and recruitment. I tell you that 100,000 dollar salary and stock in the business when it closes is yours and all you have to do really is show up because the job almost sells itself, if you say yes to the job and come to work the job is yours. Simple, right? Able to pay your bills, right? You say yes. Excited that you are going to make a livable wage, and it is a simple job. You get up, get dressed in whatever suits your fancy, drive to work, park your car in your assigned spot, take a look at the building and decide to sit in your car and check your emails, then your social media, then play a few games. Next thing you know it is time to go home. You do this every day and when payday comes, you go to collect your check, but there is no check for you. You act surprised and go on a little tangent about you did what you said you would do, you said yes and came to work every day. Security cameras will verify you were in the parking lot every day on time and did not leave until quitting time. So why did you not get a check? When I come out to talk to you, you start blaming me for not getting a check. After you have had your say, I explain that in the interview process conditions and needs of the job were explained and in order to be paid you had to do the job. I further explain that my comment about just showing up was a joke about how easy the job is, not an invitation to not do the work. That for $100,000, I would have thought you would have at least entered the building, but you did not even do that. Therefore you will not be paid. I instruct the accountant to give you a stipend so that you will not lose your home, and I will give you another chance. This time you decide to enter the building, but you never make it to your desk, and you put no effort into the job. You are only worried about your social status and now proving a point that I misled you. Another stipend is allocated in hopes that you will see that I am truly trying to help you understand. The stipends are just enough to pay the utilities and rent. Not much left for pleasure, but if you would just put forth the effort, a little effort, the good check would be yours. However, your persistence in getting paid for nothing is the hill you decided to die on. When the business sells, you are out of a job, you got no shares in the company paid to you because you never worked at the job you were hired for and you barely made it the front door of the business. You are now without funds and will be without a home. All because you chose to do it your way instead of the way of the job.
Put this story in place of leading people Christ and how we explain the simplicity of how to be saved. It is as simple as saying yes, but if you truly confess and accept Him, you will want to do the work that He assigns you. It may be as simple as giving a cup of coffee to the homeless man on the street every day. It might be as difficult as walking out of the gossip circle at work every day. Or it might be an internal conflict that you have buried and hidden away. It could be a number of items or just one, but if you do not want to follow and only say the words, the confession is fake and will not get you into heaven. Your name will not be written in the Book of Life if you do not earnestly try to do what he has called you to do. As believers, we need to explain this part better. Once you give your life to Christ, you should want to do better, be more positive, seek areas to help in, leave the gossip boat, promote growth … put self-last. (That is the hard one.)
Since yesterday’s sermon, I have been standing in front of the mirror (figuratively) finding the areas that I need to improve on. What does your mirror say about you?
Be blessed today my friends.
***Blessed are they who maintain justice, who constantly do what is right. Remember me, o Lord, when you show favor to your people, come to my aid when you save them, that I may enjoy the prosperity of your chosen ones, that I may share in the joy of your nation and join your inheritance in giving praise. – Psalm 106:3-5
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