give hope. build others up

And now I entrust you to God and the message of his grace that is able to build you up and give you an inheritance with all those he has set apart for himself.

Several years ago I heard a pastor introduce himself as a “broker of hope”. That hit home for me, and this is something that I strive to be every day. It applies to my family where hope needs to be the strongest and be contagious. It applies to our church where we are to give hope to those we encounter. It applies to any body we meet.

This week I have found myself in front of some people who were really down on themselves. Obviously they have little or no self worth which I believe is a long way from the truth.

God made you, and that gives you value and worth. To ascribe worth to something is to inspire hope in the one you give worth to. Does that make sense to you?

My kids need to hear from me that they can excel and can step higher. This comes in positive words and reinforcement of what they have heard from God. In fact it is better that I quote God and godly people than to quote what the world wants them to hear.

Some people won’t get this. A person takes their foolish decisions to decide that their value is at zero or lost. We have to remind others and ourselves that our past and our decisions do not define us.

Take some time to give others hope. Coach them up. Build up those you come in contact with. Let others build you. Be open enough to receive hope. We must be hope givers and hope receivers just like Jesus was. Jesus coached his disciples to know truth and to hold it tight. That is why within 40 years of Jesus’ departure of earth that the entire known world heard about the good news.

“A coach is someone who tells you what you don't want to hear, who has you see what you don't want to see, so you can be who you have always known you could be.” ― Tom Landry

You are someone. You are an important someone. You are a child of God and full of real hope. Now, give that to someone else.\

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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