Set Free

Sharon Jaynes

Today’s Truth
“You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free,” (John 8:32 NIV).

Friend to Friend
For fifteen years, Leeanne was emotionally and verbally abused by her mother. Every day she heard that she was a stupid worthless failure. Her mother told her that she was “ugly” and “fat” and “not good enough.” “No man will ever want you,” she scorned.

Leeanne grew up afraid of women and hating herself. “Why can’t I be different?” she wondered.  She believed her mother’s estimation of her and lived in defeat. Leeanne grabbed attention any way she could, and by the time she was twenty-three, she had three abortions on her medical record. The guilt and shame of those abortions compounded her feelings of worthlessness.

But something amazing happened to Leeanne when she was twenty-four. She accepted Jesus as her Lord and Savior and became a new creation. She knew that God forgave her the moment she asked – totally and completely. However, Satan continued to remind her of the terrible mistakes of her past.  How could I have killed my children?  What would my friends think if they knew the truth? I can never let anyone know about my past. Some things are simply unforgivable in human eyes.

Our Thoughts Have Wheels

Tracie Miles

"For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he." Proverbs 23:7 (KJV)

The day started off just fine, but ended with confusion and tears. As a timid middle-schooler, I climbed the steps of my school bus eager to get home after a long afternoon.

Sitting quietly in my seat, all of a sudden I got this sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach. Although my surroundings appeared to be the same, something was not right.

The bus was the normal sunshine yellow. The seats were standard black vinyl, displaying rips and tears from years of students. The floor was littered with the usual misplaced pencils, erasers and wadded-up papers. Yet, I felt out of place.

Of sharing and ignoring...

Galatians 6 vs 6 "Anyone who receives instruction in the word must share all good things with his instructor"

This word of God convicted me in the morning as I shared the word with "Friends of God". Somehow, I woke up yesterday with that word ringing in my ears and went through it again.

I realised that when situations are not moving in our direction, we usually search more for God and all. We cry, we fast, we pray like never before, because we do realise that our power is limited while his is limitless.

The Root of My Rot

Lysa TerKeurst

"Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will." - Romans 12:2 (NIV)

Recently, a friend of mine really hurt my feelings and I got all bent out of shape. And, honey, everyone in my house knew Mama wasn't happy. I tried everything to usher gentleness back into my tone and my temper.

I quoted verses.

I rebuked Satan.

I bossed my feelings around with truth.

I even tried to take a nap.

But none of these activities soothed me.

What really sent me over the edge though was when one of my people introduced a smell into my home that not even three strongly scented candles could mask. And I am super hyper-sensitive to smells.

Those he loves, he disciplines...

A show of love - discipline is extended to those who are loved

Eish, God, forgive us for we are great sinners.. Guys, I do not think that any one of you would love to see God's wrath being turned on you. It is extremely frightening that such intense anger and indignation is a part of God that we are probably never introduced to. All we know is how great our God is, how faithful, Holy, generous, merciful, forgiving and all the correct niceties we attribute to him.

But how sad to not realise how painful and how frustrating it is for one to stand for something and get the opposite. Is God not justified when he stands against darkness? I believe the scripture in 1 john 1 verse 5 b which says "God is light; in him there is no darkness AT ALL," speaks to that attribute.

Now, suppose in the dead of the night, a thief comes into your house, you wake up and see the person, do you look at them, smile and kindly ask them to leave? Or you get agitated for action, you bind them if you can and get them in jail! I don't know, but having experienced a robbery twice, it is not a good feeling to have someone come to you and steal your valuables and if I knew some Karate, only God knows I would deal with such rowdy people!

Insights on Christian living...

The Christian faith is a lifestyle, a daily lifestyle which qualifies it to be a process over just an event, a marathon over just a hundred meter sprint! 

Imagine running a marathon armed with a training for a hundred meter sprint? Though both disciplines require exercise and a track to run in, their nature and rules of engagement are most certainly different.

Such is our Christian walk, it’s a long, windy road and requires patience and perseverance while abiding in the leading of God through our ever-close and willing companion, the Holy Spirit. As I reflected on the writings of Paul in the New Testament, it dawned on me how significant the working and leading of the Holy Spirit was strong in his understanding and sharing of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

In his epistles, the apostle Paul alludes to the two fold work of the Holy Spirit in that He (the Holy Spirit) justifies and sanctifies. 

There is no darkness AT ALL...

An interesting read for me it was, as I went through the book of 1 John where I was told that if I claim to have fellowship with him (GOD) yet walk in darkness, I lie and do not live by the truth.

Allow me to call to your attention the reality that Jesus came to this earth  to practically demonstrate how our faith should transform both our thoughts and practice. What it therefore, means is that, as we are called unto God's light, we should strive to stay in that light.

1 John 1 vs 5 - 10 clearly show what we ought to do with our lives if we have to walk in the light.

Our God is mighty to SAVE and to USE!

Wow, wow and wow, how easy it is in life to stray from the Joy and true essential of life by our failure to embrace the supremacy of God in all we do and see! Charles Spurgeon is quoted to have said, “It’s not how much we have, but how much we enjoy, that makes happiness.”

I take this moment to appreciate God for his faithfulness always and specifically for the past few days. He has warmed my heart to passionately engage his Word with all of me for it is all we have in this world of our pilgrimage. Furthermore I would like to thank him again for the encouragement we have always found, together with my best friend, in reflecting and writing our scripture-inspired thoughts which have ministered to us and hopefully many who will read them too, what a joy and delight  this has been and is!

Today, I purposed to reflect through the book of 1 Thessalonians chapter 1. Tell you what, it was just amazing to note that the reason behind Paul’s letter to the Thessalonians was to encourage and reassure them after Timothy wrote to him of their love and faith which he once preached and lived amongst them, they were his children in the faith. Paul encourages them by reminding them of his exemplary kind of life he led while he was with them and even encourages them to be alert and self-controlled as they wait in hope for Christ’s return.  

Of aliens and strangers...

Hebrews 11 vs 13: "...All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance. And they admitted that they were ALIENS and STRANGERS on earth..."

Wow, what a powerful word!

I was listening to a sermon yesterday during the funeral of Prophetess Chipunza, who passed away on Saturday, by one Pastor Chiyangwa and he was talking about the whole essence of church and the word of God - being to prepare us for the new home to come. He spoke of how Jacob, when he was asked by Pharaoh how old he was, he mentioned that "his years of pilgrimage were hundred and thirty".

Holding fast to our FAITH in Christ!

Hebrews 5:11-14 Concerning him we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing. 12For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you the elementary principles of the oracles of God, and you have come to need milk and not solid food. 13For everyone who partakes only of milk is not accustomed to the word of righteousness, for he is an infant. 14 But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil

The book of Hebrews was written to a bunch of believers (Christ followers) almost wavering in their trust in the midst of pressures brought about by their faith in God. As I went through this Christ centered book the strong reality which gripped me was that the recipients of this writing had all been exposed to the excellent nature of whom they had believed in Jesus Christ the great high priest!

Hebrews 3 vs 14

As long as it is called TODAY...

There are times when we have cursed God because we felt he did not understand our problems of today. We felt he was so divorced from reality; that what happened in Jesus Christ's era, is not what is happening today. 

In fact, we now have cars, airplanes,  game parks, high rising buildings, more advanced technologies, different clothing etc, and in those days when even the bible was written, there was no such things. The mode of transport were donkeys and camels, they used a trumpet to communicate to people in the cities, they sent messengers on foot to deliver a message to the next kingdom. So, because of all that, God will definitely not understand where we are, right? WRONG!

You deserve the Glory Lord...

You deserve the Glory, and the Honour, Lord we lift our hands in worship as we glorify your name...

All the Glory is yours Lord

Remember the song??

I just love it,  I may not be endowed with the gift of music, but I sing anyway.

There are moments when we have acted outside of our desire to serve God.. Let alone give him his deserved Glory, honour and just worshipping him.

I know for starters that it is possible. In a very Long time, i managed to scrounge a fast today. So difficult I tell you, but I am happy that I had said I would break the fast at 1600hrs and i did that at 1745hrs.

5 minutes of raising your arms...

Just take your phone, or clock and time yourself for five minutes as you raise your arms in the air - and do whatever you want to do during that time; pray, sing, worship or simply concentrate on the pain, whatever you do, just do not put your hands down!

Have you done so?? If you have, you will realise that it is painful. Now imagine doing that for twelve hours... Mmmmmh, yeah, painful indeed.

Moses did that when the children of Israel where battling with the Amalekites (Exodus 17 vs 8 - 16), and thankfully God gave him people to support him.

Guard Your Heart and Mind

Hey Yvonne, If you can get this, this will change your life… I was out taking my morning run. I love how still it is when I’m running. I can hear clearly and really commune with God. I wanted to share this with you. It’s a lesson I had to learn. One of the keys to success is to be able to guard your heart. Now, usually when someone says guard your heart they are talking about keeping yourself from heartbreak. Although that is important (as long as you don’t go overboard... but that’s another conversation) that isn’t what I’m talking about. When we are born into this world we enter with such a pure heart but as we grow older situations, circumstances and people tend to make us change.

Power of a targeted prayer

Hey guys:-

When we pray, there are certain elements we ought to understand about the evil one. Did you know that Satan follows protocol?

If you weaken one element of his hierarchy, you weaken his power further. Okay, I know you may be asking, what are you talking about Yvonne?

I was at Pastor Chipunza's church yesterday evening at what they call the School of Deliverance at the Apostolic Flame Ministries, AFM.

Laughter, the best medicine...

Make Sure You’re Taking Your Medicine

A lot of the sickness in our world is simply because we don’t have the joy that we should. When we live uptight and on edge, it causes headaches, digestive problems, lack of energy. We don’t sleep well. Much of this would go away if we would just learn how to deal with the stress properly. One of the greatest stress relievers God has given us is laughter. Laughter is like taking medicine. It not only makes you feel better but it actually releases healing throughout your system. When we laugh it restores and rejuvenates what the pressures of life have taken out.

Proverbs 17:22 puts it like this, “A happy heart is like a good medicine and a cheerful mind works healing.” Notice, when we’re good-natured and full of joy, taking time to laugh, taking time to play, it’s like taking a good medicine. That’s what helps us to stay healthy. In fact, medical science tells us that people that laugh, it boosts their immune system. Laughter reduces blood pressure. People that laugh regularly are 40% less likely to have a heart attack than people that don’t laugh regularly. Laughter triggers the right side of the brain, which helps release creativity, helps us to make better decisions. Laughter activates the body’s natural tranquilizers that not only help us to calm down but it helps us to sleep better.

Don’t Be Limited By a Lack of Faith

So today I literally spend my day going through articles on Joel Osteen's web page, and tell you what, everything on that page spoke to me, my situation and situations of others I know, so i started parcelling out some highlights to my fiance and he kept asking, "were are you getting all this stuff?? its amazing babes, so so amazing".

kikikiki, I am still to tell him which site, but the excitement it generated in him prompted me to just think: How often do we get stuff that we share with others, online, in person or via sms? It is important that we begin to share the word of God, even through the blogs so that they may impact someone else's life out there.

We are all ambassadors of God's kingdom. Let us begin to live the life we were called to live. It takes a face of courage and a step of faith to accomplish much in the kingdom. you have a role, play it and our graceful God has a guaranteed place for you in the next kingdom.

Enjoy the article below and be blessed...

A woman shopping in Houston happily hummed a tune as she collected the items she wished to purchase and approached the cashier. The clerk just stared at her for a long moment, as though wondering what was wrong with her, offering an obligatory, “How are you doing today?”

That’s all it took. The woman nearly bubbled over. “How nice of you to ask! I’m doing great. I am so blessed!”

Find Somebody to Be Good to Every Day

Oh wow, God is amazing. I am making a step towards living a more practical life.

Be blessed by the following Joel Osteen article on his website...

I wonder what our world would be like if each of us would find somebody to be good to every day. What would our city be like? What would our offices be like? What would our schools be like if we made it a priority to brighten somebody else’s day? Scripture teaches “Every opportunity we have we should do good to people” (see Galatians 6:10). That means we need to be on the lookout. We need to be proactive. We need to have the mindset of, “Who can I bless today?” “For whom can I do a favor?” You can’t just sit back and wait for the need to come to you. You have to go after it.

The Scripture says that in the last days the love of the great body of people will grow cold (see 2 Timothy 3:1–8). That simply means that people will be so busy, they’ll be so focused on their own needs, they’ll be so caught up in their drive for success that they won’t take time to make a difference.

We Can Control What We Put Into Our Mouths

Just Today, I went through the article below on Joel Osteen's webpage and I realise that the problem of unhealthy eating habits is not only located in the USA, I too, a woman from Zimbabwe, is faced with a challenge of just being healthier. There has been a proliferation of fast food chains in the country and how people flock to these. I was just laughing at myself with how much I love to taste the TN snack and Chicken Inn, then say I want to lose weight, gees, it is going to take a lot of will power to change the life style. Apples are so good, so are bananas, oranges and other fruits available in our yards.

How then do we live in our God given purposes if we are not healthy? God needs his warriors on call all the time, let us be ready, spiritually and also physically so that you are better prepared to deal with situations at hand.

Remember, you are a solution to the world's problem.

Below is the article from Pastor Joel Osteen's site...

There are a lot of things that we cannot control in life. We cannot control the weather, the air that we breathe and we can’t control the people around us. But we can control what we put into our mouths. Many people don’t realize today the reason they don’t feel well and the reason they don’t have any energy. They’re dealing with headaches and allergies and sometimes even more serious, chronic illnesses, simply because of what they’re putting into their system everyday.

Sacrificial giving moves God

We hardly sacrifice, yet we want others to sacrifice for us. Even God sacrificed his only begotten son, so that the world may be saved. Today, we are being reminded to sacrifice those things we treasurer most in order to serve God, cause we stand a danger of losing focus of our object of praise.

 

The reason we do not give is because we are afraid to lose what we already have in hand. It is as if we are asking can I really give up this. What if I do not get anything in return? We are so concerned about our tomorrow, but God is saying that which we are holding is just a fraction of what he can do for us. When he asks us to give him or when we are confronted with a situation where we have to give, we hold back because of the fear of the unknown, our failure to trust God with the move, to trust that since he takes care of everything else on this planet he wll be able to take care of our needs!

The seemingly unreasonable will of God

Psalm 88

There are moments as humans were we have failed God. We have managed to do everything that God doesn’t represent. In times when we have all things, we honour and praise God. But when we are faced with a challenge, we start to backslide. Or rather, when we have nothing we honour and praise God sincerely, but the moment we get blessed, we lose our focus, and we cut ourselves from the vine.

We might not necessarily be the most immoral people around, and we might not have committed murder, but the idea of staying away from everything God represents is not only disastrous, but it is the most hollowing feeling one gets to carry for a long time. We are privileged as Christians to live in this realization that it is either we trust in God no matter the circumstances or we fall into our doom and gloom.

Our life is one puzzle that we could never comprehend. God did not just command our presence, he made us. He took his time to consult and say “let us make a man in our own image”. With everything else, he merely commanded, but with man, he made.

The bad I do not want to do, I do

Scripture references: Psalm 119 vs. 1 – 8

Genesis 3 vs. 4 – 12

Romans 7 vs. 14- 22

1 Corinthians 3 vs. 16 – 21

There are those times when we need to look into the mirror of our lives and ponder if our physical beings speak anything of our spiritual standing?

From the way we dress, eat, speak, walk, and interact.

Each time I am confronted by the reality that half the time my physical being does not correspond with the desires of the spiritual. However, I am glad that I do take time to make a reflection, because through this, I can work on making me a better somebody.

Do we have a relationship with God?

Psalm 91

Job 1 vs. 6-22

Colossians 3 vs 1 - 6

The reason why emphasis even in church should be on relationship as opposed to religion is how we conduct ourselves as Christians outside of our churches. We act so badly that people do not even understand the essence of your going to church, or claims of being a Christian.

Are you a disciple of God, or are you so much into who is watching me?

So many Christians in the world want to be associated with Christianity, but so few of us are concentrating on following the moral nature of the relationship. We are hypocrites in deed, but wherever we walk, we want people to recognise us as Christians.

Living a life of purpose

...an opportunity lost in the world today

 

Living in the fast lanes of today’s life has robbed a lot of people of their opportunity to live out their full potential which would have aided development in not only their lives, but the lives of those that live around them.

 

Purposeless living has become a fashionable style of life yet has robbed many of fully living their lives the world over.

 

In Zimbabwe for instance, the economy is stable, but far from growing. The industries lie idle as though there are no brains in Zimbabwe to awaken these. The land is dormant, waiting for a time when farmers put hoe to ground. The people wander about as if lost in an interminable jungle, and the question that boomerangs is, why?

 

The answer is simple: people either do not know what their purpose in life is, have a lot on their plate to know what they want exactly or are waiting for someone to simply point them in their direction.

 

That is why there is a new mission in Zimbabwe – the Purpose Empowerment Global Mission (PEGLOM).

A Greater Yes

As taken from connected to christ... I would love to watch this movie.

Movie Synopsis…
After climbing Pampa High School’s popularity chain, taking her volleyball team to the State championship and founding the school’s first drugs, alcohol, and violence-free club, Amy Newhouse must now fight the biggest battle of her life – cancer.
Her open heart to the people of her school now sparks a passionate rally from the community around her.

However, this passion dwindles as her cancer metastasizes. Her cancer appears to miraculously heal, but just as it seems the community has prevailed and the battle won, Amy discovers the deadly disease has returned and is incurable.

Love, No Strings Attached

"This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins." -1 John 4:10 What motivated John to write five of the books of the New Testament? What sustained him through those turbulent first years of the church when persecution was rampant — when as many as eleven of his fellow apostles died violent deaths? What enabled him to cope with his own lonely exile on the isle of Patmos? Perhaps the answer is found in an idea that John mentioned repeatedly in his writings. That recurring theme is love.

What is my role in your life - W.L.Scott

What is my role in your life? Unless I stay in my role it will be a liability to you. I desire to be an asset to your life. I am here to bring out your beauty, which is very important to women. You have a beautiful face, which is one part of enhancing your beauty. 


Your intelligence is very high which is apart of enhancing your beauty. Most women are not aware of how much their knowledge, wisdom and understanding makes them very attractive. The integrity of your life is apart of enhancing your beauty. High moral standard is the foundation of your beauty, which comes from God the Father through Jesus Christ by the Holy Spirit. 

Enduring situations for our ultimate good...

In life, one should not be a sympathy seeker - you know why? Everyone is embroiled in their own problems to be concerned about your own.

I know this may sound crazy- we have prayer partners for particular causes that we are pushing through to make this country a better place, we have prayer groups where we share the word of God and pray, but you know what, the devil has a way of swaying you to stop focusing on the great God but to focus on the situations he brings in our midst.

Leading by example...easier said

So I have not been much of a good steward of the faith. Having been subjected to a changed environment in the office, I found myself behaving like a wild animal! Yeah, wild because I was not showing any difference between a young Christian lady being obedient to a higher authority or just any other wild girl.

When I sat out to do this piece, I found myself constantly saying, it is not my fault! I am not the cause of this and that If the director did a bit of what her core mandate is, then there would be no problem, but guess what, not by showing funny attitudes will she change - if she is the one that needs to change anyway. If I would ignore her, and do what I am asked to do at whatever time, then I would be fine.

Lord, Use My Story for Your Glory...

When I bumped into the following write up in the morning, the temptation was to nod and just close it from my inbox, then as a second thought, I took it for the blog for all else to see.

In life, we fail to realise opportunities to touch people's lives for God's glory. At time, its through our words of affirmation that one gets a glimpse of hope and a chance to start afress. At times, our lives are such a mess and needs a person to reignite the flame of God's love and desires for us through his son Jesus Christ that in him we may dwell and cause others to see hope and seek to dwell as well.

I am more than convinced that what I am is as a result of God's work in my life otherwise, I could be just anyone, as everyone in my country has adopted the one man for himself and God for us all attitude and mentality.

It is good to share a moment of yourself with someone- doesnt matter if it is a stranger to you. God brings such moments so that your light may shine through into the next person's light, or , simply, since iron sharpeneth iron, to sharpen and increase your thirst for Godly wisdom and understanding.

So, may you, in your daily walk, take time to praise, worship and honour God, for to mim belong all the praise and glory.

Philippians 2:9-11

Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

For such a time as this...

For if you remain completely silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this? Esther 4 vs 14

When we were born, at this time, we were born to meet a particular need that only we can meet and fulfill.  It is therefore important to look at yourself and closely analyse those areas in your life that continue to bother you and frustrate you so much you want to see a change – that is your calling.

When God created man, he did not just decide to fill the earth with purposeless individuals, but with people called to manage God’s affairs on planet earth (Genesis 2 vs 5b).

Ephesians 3:14-19

For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God. 

A moment of change

This world we live in has people who do not have time to appreciate an effort put by the other. One too many a times we have heard moments when we almost gave up. That time when walking away and turning our backs was the best decision we could ever make.

I have been frustrated right to the core. I believe as I work daily, I should be learning new things, growing in my understanding, analysis and critical thinking towards issues. I should be able to look back and say, I learned so much at this time, but when you spend so much time and fail to point at a point of growth, then, in my view, it is the moment of change.

Change has never been easy, but when change happens, as it is bound to, because the only constant thing in life is change, and it makes one question their commitment to a cause, then it is a prudent time to find out if the change was/is worth it.

Servant Leadership

Copyright © 2005 by Tony Garland

Jesus: the Servant Leader

Please turn in your Bible with me to John chapter 13.

Last week, Pastor Greg began teaching on this famous passage in John's gospel which record's Jesus washing the feet of His disciples. John chapter 13 verse 3:

Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come from God and was going to God, rose from supper and laid aside His garments, took a towel and girded Himself. After that, He poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples' feet, and to wipe [them] with the towel with which He was girded. (John 13:3-5 )

Continuing at verse 12:

So when He had washed their feet, taken His garments, and sat down again, He said to them, "Do you know what I have done to you? You call me Teacher and Lord, and you say well, for [so] I am. If I then, [your] Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you. “(John 13:12-15)

Jesus indicates in the same way He served the disciples, they should serve one another.

Is Christ Delightful?

[by John Flavel, AD 1630-1691] Show the world Christ - as he really is - through your actions and your words. Is he completely delightful? Let all the world see and know that he is so - by the way you delight in him, in the intimacy of your relationship with him, through your passion for him, and through your readiness to part with anything else you might enjoy besides him. Proclaim his superiority to the world... Persuade them how much your beloved is better than any other beloved. Reveal his glorious perfection as you speak of him. Proclaim him to others as he is in himself: perfectly beautiful. See that you "live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way" (Colossians 1:10). "Declare the praises" of Christ ( 1 Peter 2:9)...

Seek and ye shall be surprised

I almost said no to a miracle. A couple who had just started attending National Community Church requested a meeting, and I almost denied the request because they said they wanted to talk about church government. I  love talking about the mission and vision of the church. Church government? Not as much! Plus, I was fighting a book deadline, so I didn't have much margin in my schedule. So I almost said no, and if I had, I would have missed out on a miracle... After answering nearly ninety minutes worth of questions, they ended by asking me about our vision. I had so much pent-up passion after talking about policies and protocols that I just let it rip. I shared our vision of ... turning our coffeehouse on Capitol Hill into a chain of coffeehouses, with all the net profits reinvested in missions. I talked about launching our first international campus ... and our vision of launching multi-site campuses in movie theaters at metro stops throughout the greater Washington area. Then the meeting came to a rather abrupt and awkward ending. They said they wanted to invest in National Community Church, but they didn't say how or how much. They left, and I was left scratching my head. I wasn't sure anything would come of that meeting, but a few weeks later ... I received one of the most unforgettable phone calls of my life. "Pastor Mark, we wanted to follow up on our meeting and let you know that we want to give a gift to National Community Church." My mind immediately started racing... "We want to give a gift, and there are no strings attached. But before I tell you how much we're going to give, I want you to know why we're giving it. We're giving this gift because you have vision beyond your resources." ... Those four words, vision beyond your resources, have become a mantra for the ministry of National Community Church. We refuse to let our budget determine our vision. That left-brained approach is a wrong-brained approach because it's based on our limited resources rather than on God's unlimited provision. Faith is allowing your God-given vision to determine your budget. That certainly does not mean you practice poor financial stewardship, spend beyond your means, and accumulate a huge debt load. It does mean that you take a step of faith when God gives you a vision because you trust that the One who gave you the vision is going to make provision. And for the record, if the vision is from God, it will most definitely be beyond your means. Having vision beyond your resources is synonymous with dreaming big. And it may feel like you're setting yourself up for failure, but you're actually setting God up for a miracle. How God performs the miracle is His job... "We want to give the church $3 million dollars." I was speechless... It was one of those holy moments when time stands still. I heard it, but I could hardly believe it. I was blindsided by the blessing... God's provision came out of nowhere... It's not our man-made plans that move the Almighty; the Almighty is moved by big dreams and bold prayers. In the awkward silence of my speechlessness, I heard the still small voice of the Spirit. The Holy Spirit hit the rewind button and reminded me of a prayer circle that I had drawn four years before...  -The Circle Maker: Praying Circles Around Your Biggest Dreams and Greatest Fears, by Mark Batterson

Lessons Learned from Trying to Force a Miracle

I got what I thought was a $2 million idea for an online company called GodiPod. com. Lora and I invested the capital to get the business off the ground, but that $2 million idea turned out to be a $15,000 personal loss. In retrospect, I think I was trying to manufacture the miracle for God. This is what we often try to do, isn't it? When God doesn't answer our prayer right away, we try to answer it for Him. Like the day Moses took matters into his own hands and killed an Egyptian taskmaster, we get ahead of God. But when we try to do God's job for Him, it always backfires. Trying to get ahead of God cost Moses forty years.  Of course, even then, God redeemed the forty years Moses spent as a fugitive tending sheep by prepping him to tend His sheep, the people of Israel. If we repent, God always recycles our mistakes.