Why do people settle for mediocre when God offers so much more? It might be that we think it’s too hard to live a life worthy of God. But why would Paul pray that the Colossians would "live a life worthy of the Lord" (Colossians 1:10) if it wasn’t possible to do so? Richard Lucas puts it this way: “It is inconceivable that God should forgive the past, and then send us back incapable of living a new life. Pardon without deliverance would be a mockery, and it is never so contemplated in the New Testament.” In other words, it is not in the character to forgive your past and then send you off to face the future alone. Some people opt for mediocrity because they think pursuing excellence is too costly. Their reasoning is that it will cost them time, effort, and perhaps even money. It’s actually the opposite.…
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If you drink enough bad coffee, you’ll eventually get used to it. Even worse, if you've never known good coffee, you'll grow up believing that the bad is actually good. Or, maybe you'll just say: "It's not great, but it's good enough." Few people attain great lives because it’s really easy to settle for a good life. For a good enough life. Is that what God wants for you? It's not. Not only does he want so much more for you - he can do so much more for you. ---------- For Further Reflection ---------- Rise Above: How to Go Faster, Farther, & Higher in Your Faith Point of No Return: Tackling Your Next New Assignment with Courage...
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I began using Scrivenor (a writing app) several years ago. It's a great tool for gathering and organizing information, creating characters or scenes, and then exporting the finished product for e-book or paperback. But here's the catch: it's loaded with possibilities and I learned the hard way - by trial and error. If you're interested in writing, check out Learn Scrivenor Fast by the Scrivenor Coach. It's been used by Michael Hyatt and others. ----------
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Many good intentions will die in the next seven days. It's not that they were bad ideas. They might have been the intention to exercise more, lose weight, get out of debt, or pray on a regular basis. Starting with a bang and ending with a whimper. While there might be several reasons for the whimpering, often it stems from the lack of a compelling why. Why should I stick with this? Why does this matter? What will happen if I don't follow through? One of the most driven individuals in the early church was the apostle Paul. Few accomplished as much as he did - starting churches, baptizing people, and enduring hardship and hostility. But why? Some might say that Paul was simply acting out of guilt, that he was trying to overcome his years of persecuting the church. Or, it could have just been his personality. Some people are…
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While every day is a gift from God, the turn of a new year is a great opportunity to reflect, re-vision, and recommit. Most of us are not intentional enough about ending one year and beginning the next. What I want to do below is offer a simple template y0u can use to help create momentum in the new year. Questions to Ask What about the last year can I celebrate? What do I need to grieve over and then leave in the past? What negative habit or attitude do I need to stop? What positive habit or attitude do I need to start? What did I do well that I need to continue or improve upon? In working through these five questions, here is what you are doing: Reflecting - being intentional about learning from your experiences. Re-visioning - looking forward (the past is past and moving forward is…
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