Posts Tagged ‘Luke’

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Measures

May 21st, 2012

Yesterday I attempted to teach a group of high school students about using their time to give.  I don’t know how successful I was at that endeavor, but here are two salient points I tried to deliver to them.  Maybe it will be have more of an impact with  you!

The first thing I tried to press home was how they really control their time, they have more of it than anyone and they can choose how to use it. I reminded them of this quote for which I don’t know who to attribute it.

For every minute you are angry or irritated, you lose 60 seconds of happiness.

I think they found the math there pretty impressive.

The second point was an attempt to show them that using your time to give to others has great returns, especially when you mind the measure that you use to give to others.

Oh course that’s all based on this verse – one that is just full of hope.

38 Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” Luke 6:38  New International Version (NIV)

I did try to explain this to them with a crayon box and a large trash can.  I hope they understand measures!

Mind the measure you use today, and remember don’t waste those seconds of happiness on things you really can’t control. (or maybe I should say you can control….)

 

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Are you a Slacktivist

April 5th, 2012

Last night I was flipping though Flipboard on my phone and discovered this Forbes article predicting the person of the year for 2012.  The author suggested it will be the Slacktivist!

Even though the term has been around since the mid 90′s, I really don’t recall hearing it very much – or I really am out of touch with what is going on.  Anyway, for those of you in the same boat as me, a slacktivist is someone who does something in support of a cause that requires minimal personal effort.  For instance, give $5 dollars online, or post the topic to Facebook, but yet never take any other action.  As the article suggests, those people have been pretty powerful with messages such as SOPA, and even some of the Occupy stuff.

But, here is why I was so attuned to this.  This is how lots of us follow Christ.  We say yes, we post verses to Facebook, and we even give a few dollars – minimal personal effort.  Although, I like the concept ( a lot), I don’t think we are called to be that way when we follow the Way.

13 Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer every part of yourself to him as an instrument of righteousness. Romans 6:13 New International Version (NIV)

and

27He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” Luke 10:27 New International Version (NIV)

 

God loved you so much that he gave his son. Do you think that slacktivism and following the Christ can go together?

 

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Back to it

April 4th, 2012

My spring break is over and I head back to ye olde mill today, with one thought in mind.

31Treat others the same way you want them to treat you.  Luke 6:31 New American Standard Bible (NASB)

I hope I can make it past 9 o’clock with this still on my mind!

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The Conquering Spirit

April 3rd, 2012

I will start by apologizing to all of my loyal readers out there for being late today.  Today was a recover day from my weekend trip, and as it were, I was not up and on the keyboard at the crack of dawn this morning.

This weekend while on the bus, I was reading the Steve Jobs biography – which is a fascinating read, by the way.  Anyway, Jobs, as you may know was into the whole Zen thing, and simplicity.  The book was comparing some of his ways to the German philosopher Nietzsche, who evidently wrote in his book Thus Spoke Zarathustra, “The spirit now wills his own will and he who had been lost to the world now conquers the world.”.  I don’t claim expertise in all of the ways to enlightenment, but I do see that those thoughts sound oddly familiar to this

 34 Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. 35 For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it. 36 What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? 37Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? Mark 8:34-37 New International Version (NIV)

and this

33 Whoever tries to keep their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life will preserve it. Luke 17:33 New International Version (NIV)

Of course the big difference being the guiding force – your own spirit or the spirit of the creator of the world?  Today, give up yourself, let the Spirit guide you, and the teaching of sacrifice and love light your way.

 

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Go and Do Likewise

March 13th, 2012

March is like a month full of interesting days.  Today is Good Samaritan Involvement Day.  A day that encourages people to step out and help others. To get out of the shadows and get involved in people’s lives.  That’s good great!

But the story behind this day is incredibly interesting.  Obviously, we all know the original story that Jesus told as he answered the question ‘Who is my neighbor?’.  This day, however, was created to remember a day, or a night, that occurred back in 1964.  I guess it’s really the anti-pattern of being a Good Samaritan.  You have probably heard about this event – a murder of a girl on the streets on New York that occurred while 38 people watched and didn’t help.  You can read the full story here.

So today, let’s be reminded of our duty to help others.

[Jesus said]  36“Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”

37 The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.”

Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”

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