learn from others

The people that come through our lives are important. Some we learn from. Some learn from us. Some do both. It is my firm belief that God intends for us to make a difference in this world and to connect with people as we live.

What I would like to remind us of today is to learn. Take in what you see other people doing, how they live and work, the difference they make, and let your life be better because of those people.

Be assured of this fact, it is easier to pull someone down than to lift them up. You have to choose to not let things pull you in the wrong direction. You have to choose to get better and stronger. We must choose to be people of strong convictions and strong faith in our God.

Jesus said it this way…

Matthew 11:28-30 NLT

Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”

And Paul said…

1 Corinthians 11:1 NLT

And you should imitate me, just as I imitate Christ.

That is pretty clear. Follow Jesus. Imitate what Jesus did. Learn from the best.

So what do you learn from others?

Recently a dear friend passed away that was a strong advocate for those living in poverty. Not only did I learn a lot from the way she stood up for others and served, but I learn how to fight for what is right and how to keep the faith.

I wish I was able to be with my former youth pastor at his retirement celebration a month or so ago. I have mentioned him before, but I learned a lot from this man when I was young and since then. I learned about faith, family, ministry, character and so much much.

Choose to learn from the people you are around, and choose to make others better and stronger. Like Paul said, follow me as I follow Christ.

Learn from those you are around. They are actually gifts from God.

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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