Refreshing
I am a long time Phoenix Suns fan. That will probably never change but of late it is hard to really find stars in the NBA to root for. As a kid you could'nt help rooting for Bird, Magic, and even MJ (heartbreaker in '93). Today something has changed. The success of these men has inspired so much attention, focus, and money that the players of today seem more absorbed in all of those things then basketball. We are living in times of "The Decision"...? Are you kidding me...so self absorbed and ego driven. It is hard to cheer for anybody if your team is not in it. But the Nba of late has been seeing a change in its superstars and it is refreshing. Emerging from the Lebrons, Kobes, Dwades, even Dhowards is a new kind of superstar. Humble, devoted, self-less, even Godly(?). Just some words to describe KD. He is a beloved Superstar here in OKC and I find myself (lifelong suns fan) rooting for him to succeed. Kudos to KD as a man and star. His appearance on the NBA scene is refreshing to an old NBA fan like myself. Go 'head KD...do your thing bro! We are rootin you on!
Youth Pastor Culture
I have learned alot from this video! Figured I would pass it along to all the other Youth Pastors out there....:)
Building leaders today! hahaha
FLOW
"ATTITUDE IS A LITTLE THING THAT MAKES A BIG DIFFERENCE."
-WINSTON CHURCHILL
SCRIPTURE:
"YOU WERE TAUGHT, WITH REGARD TO YOUR FORMER WAY OF LIFE, TO PUT OFF YOUR OLD SELF, WHICH IS BEING CORRUPTED BY IT'S EVIL DESIRES; TO BE MADE NEW IN THE ATTITUDE OF YOUR MINDS; AND TO PUT ON THE NEW SELF, CREATED TO BE LIKE GOD IN TRUE RIGHTEOUSNESS AND HOLINESS."
-EPHESIANS 4:22-24
"AT CAESEREA THERE WAS A MAN NAMED CORNELIUS, A CENTURION IN WHAT WAS KNOWN AS THE ITALIAN REGIMENT. HE AND ALL HIS FAMILY WERE DEVOUT AND GOD -FEARING; HE GAVE GENEROUSLY TO THOSE IN NEED AND PRAYED TO GOD REGULARLY."
-ACTS 10:1,2
IT HAS OFTEN BEEN SAID ATTITUDE DETERMINES ALTITUDE. THIS WAS MY LEAST FAVORITE POSTER HANGING ON THE LIBRARY WALL IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. A BIG AIR BALLOON FLOATING HIGH IN THE SKY WITH THE WORDS PLASTERED ON IT: "ATTITUDE DETERMINES ALTITUDE." BECAUSE THE POSTER LOOKED SO BORING AND CORNY I NEVER ACTUALLY TOOK IT TO HEART BUT OF LATE I HAVE BEGUN TO REALIZE HOW MUCH ATTITUDE REALLY DOES AFFECT YOUR ALTITUDE. THIS PRINCIPLE IS PLASTERED ALL THROUGHOUT THE SCRIPTURES. YOU CAN FIND MANY REFERENCES AND STORIES IN THE BIBLE IN WHICH MEN AND WOMEN TOOK A CERTAIN DISPOSITION OR MINDSET THAT AFFECTED RESULTS. OBEDIENCE, FAITH, FORGIVENESS, WORSHIP.....DISOBEDIENCE, DOUBT, UNFORGIVENESS, SELFISHNESS...JUST TO NAME A FEW, ALL AFFECTED THE RESULTS THEY WERE TO RECEIVE. THERE IS LITTLE DOUBT THAT GOD IS THE ULTIMATE HERO OF THE SCRIPTURES BUT MANY OF THESE MEN AND WOMEN OPENED THEMSELVES UP FOR TREMENDOUS BLESSING JUST BECAUSE THEY DECIDED TO DISPLAY THE RIGHT ATTITUDE. KORAH AND HIS FRIENDS (NUMBERS 16) HAD A DISAGREEMENT WITH MOSES (GOD'S CHOSEN LEADER OF ISRAEL) AND DECIDED TO CHALLENGE MOSES' LEADERSHIP PUBLICLY...OUCH! DID NOT GO SO WELL FOR KORAH AND HIS PALS (THE EARTH OPENED UP AND SWALLOWED THEM AND THE MAJORITY OF THEIR FAMILIES ALONG WITH ALL THEIR BELONGINGS). ATTITUDE DETERMINED ALTITUDE....UNFORTUNATELY FOR KORAH AND FRIENDS THE DISPOSITION THEY CHOSE CAUSED AN IMMEDIATE DESCENT ...LITERALLY. THEM, EVERYTHING THEY HAD WORKED FOR, AND THOSE FOLLOWING THEM WERE DESTROYED. ATTITUDE MATTERS IN EVERY MATTER OF LIFE. THE SCRIPTURE MENTIONED ABOVE REFERENCES A MAN NAMED CORNELIUS. GOD USED CORNELIUS AND HIS FAMILY TO BEGIN THE SPREADING OF THE GOSPEL AROUND THE WORLD TO NON JEWS (GENTILES). PRETTY AWESOME PRIVILEGE IF YOU ASK ME. THEIR ATTITUDE WAS:
1. DEVOTION (DEVOUT)
2. REVERENCE (FEARED GOD)
3. COMPASSION (GENEROUS TO THE NEEDY)
4. DEPENDENCE (PRAYED REGULARLY)
THESE 4 ATTITUDES COMBINED WITH YOUR FAITH IN JESUS CHRIST WILL BEGIN YOUR ASCENSION INTO ALTITUDES NEVER THOUGHT POSSIBLE. I LOVE TO SAY IT LIKE THIS: "THE ATTITUDE YOU CHOSE WILL BECOME A CHANNEL THAT GOD'S BLESSINGS CAN FLOW THROUGH OR IT CAN BLOCK THE FLOW OF GOD'S BLESSINGS." WE WILL HAVE TO CHOOSE DAILY TO LET IT FLOW!
-CAM
FEAR FIGHTERS
"YOU BLOCK YOUR DREAM WHEN YOU ALLOW YOUR FEAR TO GROW BIGGER THAN YOUR FAITH."
-MARY MANIN MORRISSEY
"COURAGE IS NOT THE ABSENCE OF FEAR, BUT RATHER THE JUDGEMENT THAT SOMETHING ELSE IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN FEAR."
-AMBROSE REDMOON
"FEAR IS AN ACRONYM IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE FOR: 'FALSE EVIDENCE APPEARING REAL.'"
-NEAL DONALD WALSH
SCRIPTURES:
"I SOUGHT THE LORD, AND HE ANSWERED ME; HE DELIVERED ME FROM ALL MY FEARS."
(PSALMS 34:4)
"SO DO NOT FEAR, FOR I AM WITH YOU; DO NOT BE DISMAYED, FOR I AM YOUR GOD. I WILL STRENGTHEN YOU AND HELP YOU; I WILL UPHOLD YOU WITH MY RIGHTEOUS RIGHT HAND."
(ISAIAH 41:10)
"FOR YOU DID NOT RECEIVE A SPIRIT THAT MAKES YOU A SLAVE AGAIN TO FEAR, BUT YOU RECEIVED THE SPIRIT OF SONSHIP. AND BY HIM WE CRY, "ABBA, FATHER." THE SPIRIT HIMSELF TESTIFIES WITH OUR SPIRIT THAT WE ARE GOD'S CHILDREN."
(ROMANS 8:16,17)
FIGHTING FEAR CAN BE A DAILY BATTLE. A BATTLE BETWEEN WHAT WE FEEL AND WHAT IS TRUE. THE TRUTH IS THAT IF WE ARE SERVING THE LORD THAN WE HAVE NOTHING/NO ONE TO FEAR BUT HIM. THE SCRIPTURES REMIND US CONSTANTLY THAT THE LORD IS WITH US. HE IS OUR PROTECTOR, PROVIDER, HELPER, HEALER, FATHER! THAT'S RIGHT, OUR FATHER! I AM SO THANKFUL TODAY THAT THERE IS SOMEONE OUT THERE MUCH STRONGER AND MUCH WISER THAN ME. I AM THANKFUL THAT HE CALLS ME HIS CHILD. I AM THANKFUL I CAN LEAN ON HIM. I AM THANKFUL THAT BECAUSE OF HIM I NEED NOT BE AFRAID OF ANY TROUBLE THIS WORLD CAN BRING. LIKE A RIGHTEOUS FATHER THAT LOVES AND LOOKS OVER HIS CHILDREN HE IS WATCHING OVER YOU. TRUST HIM TODAY! TRUST HIM MORE THAN YOUR FEARS, TRUST HIM MORE THAN YOU DID YESTERDAY! FEAR NOT FOR HE IS WITH YOU!
-CAM
Need a Miracle?
Quotes
"For every mountain there is a miracle."
-Robert Schuller
"Out of difficulties grow miracles."
-Jean de la Bruyere
"Expectancy is the atmosphere of miracles."
-Edwin Louis Cole
Scriptures
"He performs wonders that cannot be fathomed, miracles that cannot be counted."
-Job 5:9
"You are the God who performs miracles; you display your power among the peoples."
-Psalms 77:14
"And he did not do many miracles there because of their lack of faith."
-Matthew 13:58
"Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God."
-Mark 10:27
"Need a miracle? Look no further than the God of miracles! If we read the Bible we know that God continually performs the miraculous for those that believe in him and follow him. He is not our magic genie but he is able to accomplish the miraculous for you today. Nothing is too hard for God. Believe him today for your miracle. In Jesus name!
-Cam
Ready, Set
Quotes:
"The beginning is the most important part of the work."
-Plato
"The first step towards getting somewhere is to decide that you are not going to stay where you are."
-Unknown
"Before beginning, prepare carefully"
-Marcus Tullius Cicero
Scriptures;
"This month is to be for you the first month, the first month of your year. Tell the whole community of Israel that on the tenth day of this month each man is to take a lamb for his family, one for each household."
-Exodus 12:2,3
"Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and your plans will succeed."
-Proverbs 16:3
"I also told them about the gracious hand of my God upon me and what the king had said to me. They replied, "Let us start rebuilding." So they began this good work."
-Nehemiah 2:18
"Lately I have been thinking alot about how important it is to get off to a good start. I heard a basketball coach once say, "You can't win a game in the first quarter but you can lose it." As we begin new seasons of our lives (school years, jobs, relationships, finances) I wanted to tell God's people how important it is for us to get off to a good start. Although getting off to a good start does not guarantee success, getting off to a bad start could deter success. The scriptures above refer to three essential things that can help us to get off to a good start:
1. Prepare (Exodus 12)
2. Commit (Proverbs 16:3)
3. Trust (Nehemiah 2:18)
As you begin this season remember that your start matters! Ready, set...."
-Cam Jones
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