Monday, August 3, 2015
All systems go.
Tuesday, August 4, 2015
Wednesday,
August 5, 2015
Thursday, August 6, 2015
Things you have to do
Permission to ignore people who talk too much.
Your essential mission
Systems are required for
anything to happen effectively
and repeatedly.
Take breathing. It comes so
natural, you do not have to think
about it—you just breathe.
However, when your Creator
made you, He included a
“system” to ensure you were able
to breathe effectively and
repeatedly.
The same is true in all areas
of life. Until you develop a
system (and maintain that
system), you will not consistently
and effectively manage your life.
Whether it is managing your
time, your prayer life, your
weight, your emotions,
remembering important
birthdays…whatever, you have a
choice…
…you can be a victim, run on
emotions, or like a jellyfish—just
go with the flow or…
You can develop systems for
keeping yourself on track and
holding yourself accountable.
For everything that matters to
you, develop a system to ensure
your expectations are met; oh,
and by the way, make sure you
work your system.
When I look back over my early years at how quick I
was to give my opinion and advice, it embarrasses me.
When I’m quick to do it now, it makes me ashamed.
Oh, how the wise and experienced must have
chuckled inside as they listened to me as a young man.
They understood. They understood that young people
need to talk. The process of working out your beliefs and
convictions requires measuring yourself against older
and, hopefully, wiser souls.
However, there comes a time when you should have
measured the depths and gained your footing. There
should be a time when you come to understand that it is
not your responsibility to answer every question, take on
every challenge, and express (or even have) an opinion
about everything.
I don’t know exactly when that time comes, but for me,
it was somewhere in my late 40’s and early 50’s that I
began to learn this.
While I hardly qualify for being “old”, (though it is in
sight), the years have begun to accumulate for me, and it
is so refreshing to just keep my mouth shut now.
Often, in the heat of a debate, I will look across the
table or room at an older and wiser soul with their mouth
shut while all the pontificating is going on, and I see the
twinkle in their eye. We both know that mostly it is all,
quoting Shakespeare (Macbeth), a tale told by an idiot,
full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.
When a young person is pontificating, indulge them—
they’re learning. When an old person is blathering on
and on about something, ignore them—they ought to
know better. However, when a wise old person who
seldom speaks says something—listen to them; you’ll be
drinking from a fount of wisdom, and nothing but God’s
word beats that life-giving draft.
Do not be rash with your mouth,
And let not your heart utter anything hastily before
God. For God is in heaven, and you on earth;
Therefore let your words be few.
Ecclesiastes 5:2 (NKJV)
What if there is only
one essential mission in
life for you, and you
have just enough time to
achieve it if you stay
focused?
Stay focused on your
essential mission in life
and ignore the “noise”.
Brethren, I do not
count myself to have
apprehended; but one
thing I do, forgetting
those things which are
behind and reaching
forward to those
things which are
ahead,
Philippians 3:13
(NKJV)
There should never be a
time that you do not have to do
something.
Those have-to-do things
should change over the years
as you grow and mature and as
your responsibilities change.
Your have-to-do tasks
should be more and more
about others and less and less
about yourself as you grow and
mature in life.
Nevertheless, have-to-do
things should be a part of your
every day…
Unless you want the other
alternative–reaching the point
that you do not have to do
anything–it’s called death.
Stop bemoaning all the
things you have to do and
instead, do them well.
Mark 7:37 (NKJV) And they
were astonished beyond
measure, saying, “He has
done all things well.
Affirmation: I will keep doing
the things I need to do when I
need to do them so that the
time will come when I can do
the things I want to do when I
want to do them.
Friday, August 7, 2015
Saturday, August 8, 2015
Sonja gets the last word:
Are worthless deeds evil deeds?
Think of the countless hours we can spend
doing worthless things.
It’s not that we are intentionally doing things
that cause harm or are evil; we’re just whiling
away the time, twiddling our thumbs, channel
surfing, checking our Facebook account, watching
YouTube videos, chilling out…you know, just
“kicking back and relaxing.” (Think of the terms we
have to express this!)
I am not trying to put you (or me) on a guilt trip
if we are not 24/7 doing something that is hyperproductive and life-changing.
Observing Sabbath rest can be just as holy as
going to church.
Sometimes the absolutely best thing you can
do is be still and know God.
Playing with your children can be just as
important as going to work to earn the money to
buy their food and clothes.
There are times that sitting in your “easy chair”
is more important than sitting in your office chair.
So the point is not to make you a weary,
joyless, fun-killing prude; it is to make you more
intentional about doing what you do for a good
reason. It is a reminder that the days of your life
are limited and cannot be saved up in a bottle or
safety deposit box and lived later. They have to
be spent moment by moment as they come, and
the answer to the question, “Where did the time
go” is…it went away (forever).
Therefore, when you’re waving goodbye to
today, have the peace of knowing that this day
was worth something—to you and those you love.
Go through your day weighing the worth of
activities in light of what truly matters to you…and
God.
Hebrews 12:1 (NKJV) …let us lay aside every
weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares
us, and let us run with endurance the race that
is set before us,
In one of the Peanuts cartoons, Charlie Brown is standing
on the deck of a cruise ship with a rather disheartened look
on his face, clutching his unfolded deck chair. Lucy, who
always seems to have it all together, has already unfolded
her deck chair and is waxing eloquently about life. She says
to Charlie that some people set the deck chairs of life to look
at all that has gone by; others set their deck chairs to look at
all that is in the here and now, and that still others position
their chairs to look at all that is ahead. To which Charlie
responds, “I can’t even get my deck chair unfolded.”
I must confess - I am having a little trouble getting my deck
chair unfolded as well.
Once I get it open it is so easy to position it to look at all
that has gone by… to see a young couple setting out on the
adventure of true love for one another and for God Almightywilling to go anywhere and do anything as long as the Lord is
the Guiding Light. I see children and grandchildren added to
the view, plus too many friends to count and memories that
will always bring a smile to my face or a pang to my heart. I
like this view and I would gladly settle down to gaze upon the
past for quite some time - editing out the painful parts and
glossing over the less than desirable features. But then I run
smack dab into Philippians 3:13 – “Forgetting the past and
looking forward to what lies ahead…” Guess I’ll have to
reposition the chair a time or two.
When I get the chair into the forward facing position I feel
myself entangled in a web of wondering. What will the future
hold? Will I have what it takes to meet the challenges? I
can’t answer these questions because my view is limited.
Only my Heavenly Father can see what lies ahead. But He is
the very One who called me and has led me thus far. He is
the One who impressed me to write this verse on a sticky
note at the beginning of 2015: “Trust in the Lord and do
good …FEED ON HIS FAITHFULNESS.” ~ Psalm 37:3
SERMON NOTES
Sunday, August 2, 2015
If there’s one thing I’ve learned from looking at all that has
gone by, it is the truth that God is faithful. Since 1995 I’ve
walked with many of you down the road of sorrow and joy,
births and deaths, hellos and goodbyes, break-ups and
make-ups, and through it all we have never walked alone.
Our faithful Father has always been with us supplying the
strength we needed to take the next step.
So I guess the best thing we can do is get out of the deck
chair and begin walking toward the incredible future that
awaits us.
love, Love, LOVE you,
Sonja
221 Academy Street, Fort Mill, SC
803/547-2629 www.fmcog.com
Follow Pastor Kemp at pastorkemp.com