LWF - The Wake Up Call

BIBLE MEDITATION:
“And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.”Romans 13:11
 
DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:
Do you know what Napoleon said about China? “There lies a sleeping giant, and let him sleep, because if he awakens, he will shake the world.”
 
I believe the devil says that about the church of the Lord Jesus Christ. And I believe the church is just that: a sleeping giant. We’re asleep because we have been chloroformed by the spirit of this age. 
 
We’re bombarded on every side by all kinds of amusement. Do you know what amuse means? It’s a combination of two words. Muse means to think, and the alpha prefix in front of it means “not to.” We are a generation that is amusing ourselves into oblivion. And it’s time to wake up!
 
ACTION POINT:
Are you taking the Christian life seriously? If this were your last day on earth, how would you spend it? In amusement? Or in evangelism?

Devotions taken from the messages of Adrian Rogers.

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Proverbs 3:31-32

Proverbs 3:31-32

Do not envy the oppressor,
And choose none of his ways;
For the perverse person is an abomination to the LORD.


Greetings Bible Enthusiast!

Choose none of the ways of the oppressor. Do not burden others, putting undue hardships on them. Do not be severe with them. Do not discourage them. Be encouraging. Be uplifting. Be merciful!

25 Weird Things Said to Pastors or Other Church Leaders

1. “We need a small group for cat lovers.” (I guess they could serve Meow Mix as a snack.)

2. “You need to change your voice.” (Yes ma’am. I’ll try to have that done by next week.)

3. “Our expensive coffee is attracting too many hipsters.” (Yep. You don’t want too many of those hipsters in your church.)

4. “Preachers who don’t wear suits and ties aren’t saved. It’s in the Bible.” (I should have known that’s what Jesus and Paul wore.)

5. “Your socks are distracting.” (I understand. I’ll stop wearing socks.)

6. “You shouldn’t make people leave the youth group after they graduate.” (It’s going to get really weird by the time they turn 70 years old.)

7. “I don’t like the color of the towels in the women’s restroom.” (I don’t understand. They match the towels in the men’s restroom.)

8. “We need to start attracting more normal people at church.” (So, you will be leaving the church, I presume.)

9. “I developed cancer because you don’t preach from the KJV.” (Major medical announcement! New carcinogen discovered!)

10. “Your wife never compliments me about my hair or dress.” (There could be a reason for that.)

1. “Not enough people signed up for the church golf tournament. You have poor leadership skills.”(I’m so sorry. I expected more since most of the deacons play golf on Sunday morning)

12. “I think you are trying to preach caffeineism.” (Probably Reformed theology with an extra kick.)

13. “If Jesus sang from the red hymnals, why can’t we?” (I think you are mistaken. He sang from blue hymnals.)

14. (To a pastor who married interracially). “You are living in sin. You shouldn’t be married to each other.” (That one is not worthy of commentary.)

15. “I don’t like the brand of donuts in the foyer.” (It’s better than Meow Mix.)

16. “You didn’t wrap the hot dogs in bacon for the church picnic.” (I understand that one. Bacon rules.)

17. “You shouldn’t drink water when you preach.” (At least not simultaneously.)

18. “The toilet paper is on the wrong way in the ladies restroom. It’s rolled under.” (My guess is that it is still functional.)

19. “Why don’t you ever preach on Tim Tebow?” (Be patient. I will be preaching a six-week expository series on him in the fall.)

20. “You don’t have ashtrays in the fellowship hall.” (Yes we do. They are right next to the spittoons for your chewing tobacco.)

21. “Did you see me waving in the back of the worship center? You preached too long. It was time to eat!” (Who needs a clock when I have you?)

22. “The eggs were not scrambled enough at the senior adult breakfast.” (We thought you could jump up and down after you ate them to finish the job.)

23. “You don’t look at our side of the worship center enough when you preach.” (That’s because you are on that side.)

24. “We are leaving the church because you have a red cross on the building. That’s the color of the devil.” (I understand. It’s in the same verse that describes his pitchfork and horns.)

25. “Your sermon needed more calories.” (OK. I’ll feed it one of those donuts in the foyer.)

Thom Rainer

Thom S. Rainer is the president and CEO of LifeWay Christian Resources (LifeWay.com). Among his greatest joys are his family: his wife Nellie Jo; three sons, Sam, Art, and Jess; and six grandchildren. He was founding dean of the Billy Graham School of Missions, Evangelism, and Church Growth at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. His many books include Surprising Insights from the Unchurched, The Unexpected Journey, and Breakout Churches.

More from Thom Rainer or visit Thom at http://www.thomrainer.com

LWF - He Is

BIBLE MEDITATION:
“And God said unto Moses, I AM that I AM: and He said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.”Exodus 3:14

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:
Have you ever noticed that the title God chose to describe Himself is an incomplete sentence? Now, most people would finish that sentence, “I am… [something].” But not our Lord. He purposefully did not complete the sentence “I AM.” He is.

Are you hungry? He is the bread. Are you in the dark? He is the light. Are you searching? He is the truth. Are you lost? He is the way. Are you in need? He is your Shepherd.

ACTION POINT:
What are you looking to God to meet today? Trust Him right now to meet you there.

Devotions taken from the messages of Adrian Rogers.

The email address this message was sent from does not accept replies.  If you would like to send a comment, prayer or praise, please visit us here.  May God continue to strengthen and encourage you by the Love Worth Finding devotions.

LWF _ The Undeniable, Living Christ

BIBLE MEDITATION: “...we believe and are sure that Thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God.” John 6:69 DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT: Jesus Christ is a fact of history. All secular historians who have any merit admit that, regardless of what they believe about Him, Jesus lived! There’s no way to explain that the Christian Church exists apart from the fact that Jesus Christ was here. What did the early church preach? Not only that Jesus was here, but that He walked out of the grave. How do you explain that? Somebody said, “Well, they must have made up the story. They said they touched Him, they said they ate with Him.” Oh? We’re talking about men who died for their faith. Do you think they would willingly, knowingly die for a lie? A man may live for a lie, but few would die for one. ACTION POINT: Are you willing to die for the cause of Christ? This man who died for you...are you willing to die for Him? Devotions taken from the messages of Adrian Rogers. The email address this message was sent from does not accept replies.  If you would like to send a comment, prayer or praise, please visit us here.  May God continue to strengthen and encourage you by the Love Worth Finding devotions.

LWF - The Glorious Empty Tomb

BIBLE MEDITATION: “And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.” Ephesians 2:6 DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT: Why is the empty tomb so glorious? Because it signifies more than just the fact that God raised Jesus from the dead. He raised you, too, to walk “in newness of life” (see Romans 6:4). I have come out of that grave. I have ascended. You have, too, if you are saved. Where is Christ today? Seated in the heavenlies. Where are you seated? In the same place. You don’t have to die to go to heaven. In Christ, you are seated in the heavenlies right now. We encourage our brothers and sisters by telling them to keep looking up, when we should be saying, “Keep looking down!” You’re already seated in the heavenlies, so you can look down on your problems. You, dear friend, have a brand new life! ACTION POINT: Take a moment and ask God to give you a brand new life or thank Him for the one He has already given you. Devotions taken from the messages of Adrian Rogers. The email address this message was sent from does not accept replies.  If you would like to send a comment, prayer or praise, please visit us here.  May God continue to strengthen and encourage you by the Love Worth Finding devotions.

LWF - He is Risen

BIBLE MEDITATION:
“He is not here: for He is risen.” Matthew 28:6 

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:
It is a disturbing truth that Jesus Christ literally came out of the grave. You just can’t be neutral about the resurrection. If you are a thinking person, you’re going to have to face the fact of the resurrection. 

Either it is true or it is not true. Either He came out of that grave or He did not. Now which side are you on? 

You can’t just ball it all up and say, “It doesn’t really make any difference. Let’s just put our arms around everybody. We all believe the same thing.” No, no, no! When you take a stand for truth, you’re going to have a head-on collision with the darkness that doesn’t want the light shining in! 

ACTION POINT:
Pray for those in fulltime ministry as they proclaim the truth to a lost world. Pray for God’s protection as they go to the frontline and battle for souls!