While some people may feel this quarantine and isolation are all bad and maybe even boring, perhaps there is some good to be found for each of us at this time as well. Take a few minutes to watch this short video and consider the three challenges and how you can implement them into your life. This time of isolation may be better for you than you realize.
Posted by Justin Morton on Thursday, April 2, 2020
It’s that time of year once again. The holidays are upon us and the frantic shopping season is here in full swing. Another Black Friday and Cyber Monday have come and gone and the only thing remaining is emptier pocket books. While some may have just shopped from the comfort of their home, many shoppers were willing to go all out and fight the large crowds and long lines just so they could find the best deals on the hottest items of the season.
I like great deals just as much as the next person and want to save as much as possible when it comes to shopping for Christmas, perhaps just not enough to endure the craziness of Black Friday. While some of the deals offered are intriguing and hard to pass up, the best deal offered is not found on Black Friday or even on Cyber Monday. Now, you may be thinking, when is it offered then? The best deal you will ever find is offered all day, every day, 365 days out of the year. And it’s offered without all the chaos.
The best deal in town is the deal that God offers you and me. He offers us everlasting life, endless bliss, joy over heartache and pain, salvation from our sins. Through the sacrifice of His one and only son, God is able to offer us something better than anything we could ever find on Black Friday (John 3:16). God offers us life over death and there is no better deal than that (Romans 6:23).
While many people are willing to endure madness for a few short-lived sales, we often are not as willing to respond to the best deal ever offered. Are you willing to do whatever you have to for the offer God has made you? It’s the offer of a lifetime! Why not take hold of that offer today? Why not tell your friends about the great deal God is offering? We all know people are looking to score the best deal in town, but in the end, the person who accepts God’s offer will save big!
Now that’s Something to Think About!
Just a few days ago I stood before a group of people who were mourning and tried to offer some words of comfort and hope. I have done several funerals over the years, but this one was a little different. This funeral involved someone who I considered to be a very close friend of mine. Robert was a family man who died way too young. Preaching his funeral was one of the more difficult things I have had to do during my time in ministry.
As I reflected upon Robert’s life and the many memories we shared together, I couldn’t help but smile. You see, Robert was not a perfect man, but he was a good man who loved God and loved others. If you were his friend he would let you know how much he cared about you through both, his words and his actions. He would encourage you, laugh and cry with you, and tell you how much you meant to him. As I reflected upon Robert’s life I couldn’t help but think about the words of Paul when he said, “I thank my God upon every remembrance of you” (Phil. 1:3).
Preparing for Robert’s funeral I was reminded of something I think we all sometimes forget. We spend a lot of time worrying about exercising and eating healthy so we can live a long life and there is nothing wrong with this. However, no matter how much we prepare to live a long life, none of us know how long we will live here on this earth. What’s important is not how long we live but how well we live. The Bible teaches, “A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches” (Prov. 22:1).
Friends, I hope and pray each of you are able to live a long and joyous life here on earth. But, even more than this, I hope and pray that no matter how long you live, you live your life well so others can thank God for every remembrance of you because of the good name you leave behind.
Now that’s Something to Think About!
In Luke 2:52, the Bible teaches Jesus grew in “wisdom, stature, and in favor with God and man.” At the Southeast Leadership Camp, we endeavor to create an environment where young people can reproduce this same kind of growth in their own lives, with an emphasis on service and Christ’s church.
Won’t you consider sending your son or daughter? Benefits include:
• Growing in their personal relationship with the Lord
• Developing leadership skills that will allow them to effectively serve local congregations
• Developing the ability to apply God’s Word in their daily lives
There is NO cost for the camp. All meals and material costs will be provided by the Karns Church of Christ. Additionally, all of those who attend the camp will stay in the homes of members of the Karns congregation.
Go to www.karnscoc.org/leadershipcamp for more information, to apply, and download the consent forms.
The application deadline is May 22nd, 2019. Please apply early to help assist us in our planning preparation.
Ages 12-18
June 2nd – 9th, 2019
Karns Church of Christ
Knoxville, TN
Go to www.karnscoc.org/leadershipcamp for more information and to register
Most people we know desire to be successful and create memorable accomplishments throughout their lives. And truth be told, many of us are not much different. We want to be known too. We want to become someone others consider to be important. Honestly, we want to be someone others consider extraordinary.
Instead of making it our aim to be considered extraordinary by our peers, what if we make it our aim to be servants of God who live extraordinary lives? The truth is most of us will never arrive at the extraordinary level we might desire, but we all can become servants of God who live extraordinary lives.
If we were to take a survey of the most extraordinary individuals in the Bible, only a few people would make such a list. Why? Because the majority of the people we read about in the Bible were not extraordinary. They were simple, ordinary servants of God. Consider the apostles. How many of them would we truly consider to be extraordinary men? Maybe 2 or 3? What about all the rest though? If they were not extraordinary, what were they? In my opinion, they were simply servants of God who lived extraordinary lives.
Take the apostle Andrew as an example. He was a fisherman by trade. In his day and time, a fisherman wasn’t a special profession; it was just a common job. If you stop and think about it, Andrew would not make our top 10 list of extraordinary people from the Bible. He may not even be in our list of the top 20. However, this ordinary servant of God lived a pretty extraordinary life.
Three times in the Gospel of John we see Andrew accomplishing something for God, but it’s probably not what you would think. Andrew is not mentioned for raising the dead or preaching an eloquent sermon. Instead, all three times we see Andrew bringing people to Jesus (Jn. 1:40-42; 6:9; 12:20-22). And one of the people he brought was his brother, Simon Peter.
If we make a list comparing these two brothers, most of us would say Peter was more extraordinary than Andrew. But perhaps we are just looking at the idea of “extraordinary” in the wrong way. Sure, Peter was an extraordinary individual who did much good for the Kingdom of God. And if we turn out like Peter, that’s great! However, if we humbly serve and lead people to Jesus like Andrew, that’s extraordinary too.
Maybe you and I will never achieve extraordinary status. We may never preach a sermon to thousands of people or perform mighty miracles that cause the lame to walk. We may never be considered an extraordinary person like Peter, but we can all live extraordinary lives like Andrew and lead other people to Jesus.
Now that’s Something to Think About!