Here is a list of the books I read in 2010. The titles that at hyperlinked will take you to the book review I wrote for that book.
Christians Are Hate-Filled Hypocrites
Classic Wisdom For The Professional Life
Endued With Power
Finding Purpose Beyond Our Pain
In A Pit With A Lion On A Snowy Day
Living Free In An Anxious World
Overcoming Barriers To Church Growth
Patton: the Pursuit Of Destiny
Last night we kicked off our week of pray by focusing our prayers on missionaries. We had a special missionary guest with us, and I was moved by his prayer. In essence, he prayed:
With all of the millions and millions of Christians in our churches, and with all of the millions and millions of dollars in resources we have, the only that is keeping us from reaching the 6900 unreached people groups is a “Yes.”
Wow!
I pray more people will say…
The only thing missing is a “Yes.” Can you be a part of that “Yes”?
I’m a huge Craig Groeschel fan, and Chazown didn’t do anything to diminish my respect and admiration for what Craig has to say. Chazown may be a funny-looking word (it’s pronounced khaw-zone, by the way), but it is vitally important to a successful life.
Right at the beginning of the book, Craig defines the importance of Chazown this way:
Where there is no Chazown—no dream, no revelation, no vision, no sense of our created purpose—we perish. Where there is no vision that you were created to have a growing, lifelong, and personal relationship with your Creator, your inner being withers and dies. Where there is no vision that you have been placed on earth to matter deeply to people, and reveal God’s love and power to them, you live in loneliness and your relationships perish. Where there is no vision for a godly family, you have a 50 percent chance of ending up divorced. Where there is no vision that your body is the temple of God’s Spirit—property on loan from Him—your physical health slips away. Your exuberance fades. Where there is no vision for a financially wise lifestyle, you can live in the richest country on earth and still be drowning in debt. Where there is no vision for meaningful work, people live for five o’clock. They really just exist. Their goal is to survive—to pay bills, stay married, keep the kids out of jail…. But you and I were made for so much more.
Chazown is easy to read (most of the chapters are very short), and the “You Are The Author” exercises throughout the book make the message of chazown applicable to your life. And Craig’s transparency about his own struggles and successes makes the message of chazown real to your life.
A key component in making your chazown work for you is accountability. The back of this book contains study guides for small groups, and there are plenty of team resources available on the chazown website.
This book is especially timely at the beginning of a New Year when so many are making resolutions. Chazown can help you make meaningful life changes that make a real difference.
I am a Multnomah book reviewer.
In my daily Bible reading time this morning, I read this psalm/prayer/song from David. It so resonated in me, that I’m making it my declaration for 2011…
I’ve thrown myself headlong into God’s arms—I’m celebrating His rescue. I’m singing at the top of my lungs, I’m so full of answered prayers.
I’m calling my 2011 The Year Of Fully Answered Prayers. That means, of course, I’m going to be spending more time in prayer. And that’s a pretty awesome thing!
What are you going to call your 2011?
Listen to the podcast of this post by clicking on the player below, and you can also subscribe on Apple, Spotify, or Audible.
Reciprocity is a big word that simply means: You will get what you give.
Hear me correctly. I’m not saying give more just to get more. It doesn’t work that way because that’s not true reciprocity; that’s just plain selfishness.
Reciprocity is giving to others just because you have it in your power—and in your heart—to give, and it will “bounce back” to you.
Reciprocity is from your heart. God makes sure you get the return blessings.
And, by the way, if you have something you could give but you don’t give it, your “bounce back” becomes a world that is smaller and smaller, with greater scarcity.
When you’re kind to others, you help yourself; when you are cruel to others, you hurt yourself. (Proverbs 11:17)
The world of the generous gets larger and larger; the world of the stingy gets smaller and smaller. (Proverbs 11:24)
The one who blesses others is abundantly blessed; those who help others are helped. (Proverbs 11:25)
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This is a weekly series with things I’m reading and pondering from Oswald Chambers. You can read the original seed thought here, or type “Thursdays With Oswald” in the search box to read more entries.
Whose Approval?
The Gospel of Jesus Christ awakens an intense craving and an equally intense resentment. Base on personal love for the Lord, not on personal love for men. Personal love for men will make you call immorality a weakness, and holiness a mere aspiration; personal love for the Lord will make you call immorality devilish, and holiness the only thing that can stand in the light of God. The only safety for the preacher is to face his soul not with his people, or even with his message, but to face his soul with his Savior all the time.
From Approved Unto God
As a pastor, if I endeavor to please men, I cannot call sin “sin,” nor can I call people to holiness before God. If I love the approval of people more than I love the approval of God, I must naturally water things down.
I must live for the applause of nail-scarred Hands alone.
It’s nice to see some scientific research on this. In a very encouraging article from WebMD, researchers point out some great benefits of saving sex for marriage.
I encourage you to read the full article. And then, parents, have this conversation with your teenagers… again! You cannot repeat this often enough, because the message is so counter-cultural. In case you don’t have time to read the full article, here are the most important findings:
“Researchers say their findings are clear, that ‘the longer a couple waited to become sexually involved, the better that sexual quality, relationship communication, relationship satisfaction and perceived relationship stability was in marriage.’”
Couples who waited until marriage to have sex:
As a pastor I’ve counseled so many people who have damaged relationships because of pre-marital sex. I’ve had many tell me, “I wish we would have waited until marriage to have sex.” But I’ve never had someone say, “I’m so glad we had sex before we got married!”
Save yourself from the pain, by saving yourself for your spouse.
How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
I love thee to the depth and breadth and height
My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight
For the ends of Being and ideal Grace.
I love thee to the level of everyday’s
Most quiet need, by sun and candlelight.
I love thee freely, as men strive for Right;
I love thee purely, as they turn from Praise.
I love thee with the passion put to use
In my old griefs, and with my childhood’s faith.
I love thee with a love I seemed to lose
With my lost saints, – I love thee with the breath,
Smiles, tears, of all my life! – and, if God choose,
I shall but love thee better after death. —Elizabeth Barrett Browning
Can you count the ways you love your beloved?
Can you count the ways you show your beloved your love?
Don’t get stuck in a rut. Find new ways to say your love and to show your love today.
I’m not a sadist. Nor am I a pessimist.
But I am a child that is still learning that I cannot always get my way.
We’re getting ready to start 2011 with a week of prayer, and I’m going to open 2011 with a series of Sunday messages on prayer: The Perfect Prayer. But in studying more about prayer, I’m always confronted by this: Why are some prayers unanswered.
As I pondered that today, I thought about saying “No” to my kids. I love my children and I want them to be happy. They love pop (or “soda” for some of you, or “Coke” for others), and would drink it all the time if I said “Yes.”
Saying “Yes” to this beverage choice may make them happy now, but it would make them very unhappy later in life when they developed osteoporosis (from a lack of calcium), or had skin and eye disease (from a lack of vitamin D), or were losing teeth (from too much carbonation), or had developed diabetes (from too much sugar).
Our Heavenly Father sees my future even more clearly than I can see it for my children. He wants me to be blessed, which is why He must say “No” at times. I’m a child who doesn’t know what is best for me.
“Getting all you want would bring incalculable damage and grief to you. Be thankful for unanswered prayer. It may be a sign of God’s favor.” —R.T. Kendall
So as I’m growing in God I can say, “Father, I’m willing to trust you with the ‘No’ now, because I believe you have a better ‘Yes’ for me in the future.”
My temporary unhappiness with unanswered prayer makes me happy because I know God has something better for me. I’m going to keep on asking, seeking, and knocking, but I’m also going to keep on trusting my Heavenly Father for His very best.
Now that Christmas is over, are you thinking to yourself, “Finally! I can get back to my normal routine”?
For some people, the past weeks have been a hectic whirlwind of activity, and the days leading up to Christmas seem like a blur. So now what?
I guess it depends on your attitude about the season. Was it just a regular, it-comes-every-year Christmas for you? Or was it an exciting CHRISTmas: the time to reflect on the birth of Christ? For those in the second category, we cannot—we dare not!—go back to a “normal” routine.
For those that encountered Jesus on (or near) the day of His birth in Bethlehem, look how they responded:
The Shepherds went back to their flocks, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen.
Simeon took the baby Jesus in his arms and praised God.
Anna broke into an anthem of praise to God, and talked about the child to all who were waiting expectantly for the freeing of Jerusalem.
The Magi were overjoyed, and they bowed down and worshiped Him.
My prayer for myself—and for you, too—is that our encounter with Jesus this Christmas was so real, that we will continue to glorify God, and worship Him with overflowing joy, for the rest of the year. Let’s not just get through Christmas, but let’s make sure the reality of CHRISTmas continues to resonate throughout the year.
Craig T. Owens 