live with courage

Acts 4:13

Now as they observed the confidence of Peter and John and understood that they were uneducated and untrained men, they were amazed, and began to recognize them as having been with Jesus.

Are you ever shocked by the lack of courage in the people around you? Because of the work I get to be part of I run in to many people who seek to serve others and make a difference in their community, but it is also tough to find those willing to sacrifice, go the extra mile or take risks.

The Bible is full of stories of courage. The people we find in both the Old and New Testaments remind us that following God is not an easy task, but the ones who stand out are ones who decided that the norms or status quo wasn’t good enough. Some gave their lives for their cause. Some joined groups of other people living with a cause. Some realized that being a loner was a big deal.

It takes courage to live out the vision and purpose God has given you and us. Most people don’t know what that purpose is.

What does courage look like? Try this:

Take the BIBLE at it’s word. Live it out. Let the world see the love of God lived out in us. God gets credit when we empty ourselves: not about me, no claims of my own, not casual about it or callus from other stuff.

How we view God’s church WILL DETERMINE our methods and effectiveness. How we view His church also determines the risks and courage that we will live with.

Matthew 16:18 nlt

Now I say to you that you are Peter (which means ‘rock’), and upon this rock I will build my church, and all the powers of hell will not conquer it.

The church is so STOPPABLE today and void of much courage because we are not willing to do things that are outside the box. Few are willing to lock arms with other churches that are doing great things to grow the kingdom of God and not the kingdom of their own church.

Look through the book of Acts. Why did the church grow big time? Do we have the courage to do what the Bible says?

Joshua 1:7

Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the instructions Moses gave you. Do not deviate from them, turning either to the right or to the left. Then you will be successful in everything you do.

Acts 27:25

So take courage! For I believe God. It will be just as he said.

I see myself and try to be an encourager, but I also want to provoke courage into the lives of the people I encourage (to inspire them to live with courage).

Who will I encourage today? How will I live with courage? Who will I challenge to live with courage?

Catalyst ticket arrived

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

Have you heard of EDITH BURNS?

Edith Burns was a wonderful Christian who lived in San Antonio, Texas . She was the patient of a doctor by the name of Will Phillips. Dr. Phillips was a gentle doctor who saw patients as people. His favorite patient was Edith Burns. One morning he went to his office with a heavy heart and it was because of Edith Burns. When he walked into that waiting room, there sat Edith with her big black Bible in her lap earnestly talking to a young mother sitting beside her. Edith Burns had a habit of introducing herself in this way: "Hello, my name is Edith Burns. Do you believe in Easter?" Then she would explain the meaning of Easter, and many times people would be saved. Dr. Phillips walked into that office and there he saw the head nurse, Beverly. Beverly had first met Edith when she was taking her blood pressure. Edith began by saying,"My name is Edith Burns. Do you believe in Easter?" Beverly said, "Why yes I do." Edith said, "Well, what do you ...

wash feet, sharing hope

John 13:4-5,14 NLT So he got up from the table, took off his robe, wrapped a towel around his waist, 5 and poured water into a basin. Then he began to wash the disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel he had around him… 14 And since I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash each other’s feet. Jesus set the example we follow. He served. He valued and gave value to others. That is why we choose to serve. For 18 years our church has shared an outreach called back2school, and for 16 of those years we have chosen to give students brand new shoes and socks as well as washing their feet. It is one of the most important parts of this event. Washing feet is a humbling experience where both the give and the receiver learn how to share some moments that might change their lives. Jesus said we should do this. See the verse above. Follow His example, do what He did, and give far more than you will ever know....

Michael Harrison's e-devotion

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