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some praises & some to think about

This has been a full week in so many ways.  I have lots on my heart and on my mind, yet in the middle God pulled some things together that we've been asking for.  It is time to celebrate a few of them: restored a relationship with a friend that had been broken for more than 2 years, spent time with and dealt with one of my children (a good connection), hearing from the Lord about something we had been asking for at church, paying off another debt (as we continue our budget), beginning to redo the floors in our kitchen, and more.
 
Some of those things may been trivial, but they are big for me in a lot of ways.  Here is a thought:
 
Hebrews 10:23 (nlt) --- Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise.
I listened into a conference this week that I was not able to get to and found some nuggets of truth that really hit home with me as a husband, a father, a pastor and a follower of God.  Let me share some with you:
 
Salvation is beginning point not the end...Disciples Re-invent your disciples you'll reinvent your church. --- Bob Roberts
 
Being 'missional' is more than just doing a couple of projects for the poor" --- Bob Roberts
 
Collaborating more than dictating will allow for innovation... --- Nancy Ortberg
 
Churches that thrive will have to address the issue of homosexuality, porn... --- Ed Stetzer
 
They see God when you love on people that are different than you.  --- Dave Gibbons
 
Maybe Jesus was right: focus on the marginalized. --- Dave Gibbons
 
caring for the unfit the windows of heaven open up. --- Matthew Barnett
 
build the dreams of others then your dream will become bigger than you ever imagined ... you now have God's dream --- Matthew Barnett
 
reach the people nobody wants you'll start seeing the people everybody wants. --- Matthew Barnett
 
when God can trust you with influence He will trust you with blessing. --- Matthew Barnett
 
(Quotes from Matthew Barnett are from a leadership mtg he did at ORU in Tulsa last weekend. Other quotes are from the Innovation 3 conference in Dallas early this week.)
 
I'm going into the weekend with lots on my mind.  Lots of these thoughts have produced other thoughts, and I am preparing a message from The Community on Sunday titled "The Economy & My Faith".  I pray that we are so impacted by what God is doing in our lives that we cannot help but lead others to let God work in their lives.
 
One last quote from the week (and a huge thought from Sunday's sermon):
 
As Christians, we are called to be the people who run in when everyone else is running out. --- Maraget Feinberg (from yesterday's devotion)

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