it's almost Thanksgiving

It is the Tuesday before thanksgiving, and we have much to be thankful for. Whether we have a little or a lot, there is much to thank God for.

Psalm 100:4 NLT

Enter his gates with thanksgiving; go into his courts with praise. Give thanks to him and praise his name.

The way we respond to God tells others about our God. It also tells people what we believe about God. Too many people have a perpetual frown on their face and are always sour. What does that say about God?

When God fills our hearts, when we acknowledge His goodness, praise comes across our lips and a positive attitude fills our lives. Thanksgiving and being thankful is a way of life. Have you seen that before? I want to be around people that are positive, people that build me up, people that are making a difference in this world.

The biggest difference we will make is NOT in feeding someone or giving them clothes or in giving them a place to stay that is warm. The biggest difference we will make is when we give someone is giving them Jesus.

It may take meeting their need to give them Jesus. It may take stopping to listen and to care so they hear and see Jesus.

2 Corinthians 4:15 NLT

All of this is for your benefit. And as God’s grace reaches more and more people, there will be great thanksgiving, and God will receive more and more glory.

His grace is moving forward, on and on to more people. Have you seen it? God receives more and more glory when this happens. How can we give God glory in our thanksgiving celebration or in our holidays? Think about it. There may be someone at your home that needs Jesus. Or it may be a neighbor, a co worker, or some guy at the store that needs to come to know God. Include God in what you do.

Psalm 28:7 NLT

The Lord is my strength and shield. I trust him with all my heart. He helps me, and my heart is filled with joy. I burst out in songs of thanksgiving.

A real view of God and His greatness with leave us bursting at the seams with thanksgiving. May God give us such a great Thanksgiving celebration that all we can do is overflow with how good God is and how thankful we are!

Francis Chan's "Forgotten God" (brand new book)

One of the most powerful preachers, writers and leaders of our time, in my opinion, is Francis Chan. His first book, Crazy Love , revolutionized my thoughts about God's love as well as my interacting with God. Now it is time for a brand new book from Chan being released tomorrow, September 1st. The book is Forgotten God . This is a phenomenal book about the power that Christians and the church can and must tap into. All of it is within the Holy Spirit. Francis talks about the power that was seen in the book of Acts when the Holy Spirit began to move among people. It is true that many have avoided or maybe forgotten what the Holy Spirit is all about. And like the Savior who poured out His life and blood so we have reason to rejoice, we were made to lay down our lives and give until it hurts. We are most alive when we are loving and actively giving of ourselves because we were made to do these things. It is when we live like this that the Spirit of God moves and ac...

inspiration from C.S. Lewis

There are many people, past and present, who get our attention by what they write or say or share. For me C.S. Lewis is one of those. He was a prolific writer who continues to grab the attention of thinkers from many different points of view. Lewis first grabbed my attention when I was in 5 th grader, and our teacher, Mrs. Foy, shared The Chronicles of Narnia with our class. It was a powerful time that this dreamer opened doors to thinking like I had never lived before. He wrote of faith, of far off places and of strong figures who found their character rooted deep in God. C.S. Lewis was born in 1898 and died in 1963, 7 years before I was born. It wasn’t until his 30’s that under the influence of his friend Tolkien that he came to be a Christian. He was raised in a traditional church going home, turned away from God as an Atheist in his teen years and through trying to stay away from God and faith returned to God with...

Catalyst ticket arrived

My ticket to the Catalyst Conference, in Atlanta Oct 8-10, just arrived. I'm excited!

Michael Harrison's e-devotion

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