Does the past ever haunt you? Do you ever wish you could go back and do something differently? Every baseball season I am haunted by something that I did, or actually didn’t do when I was 12. Many springs ago, I was a little league baseball player. It was my first year of organized baseball, … Continue reading –>
Keeping on Track Just as any good motor vehicle will ultimately break down as a result of a lack of regular maintenance, so many good and worthwhile church ministries have fallen by the wayside because of a lack of regular intentional maintenance. To keep your ministry healthy and on track, consider the following maintenance check … Continue reading –>
Dilip Tapu had lost his sight, and his future looked grim. His parents had taken him to many doctors in northeastern India, but no one could help him gain his sight. His parents found a special school for the blind where Dilip could learn Braille. But soon after he enrolled the school closed, crushing the … Continue reading –>
Melody and Stewart Part 2 “Good morning, class,” Stewart said after the general greetings and opening prayer had been shared. “We’re going to do something today we’ve never done before.” He looked around. “Let’s start with Matthew 18:19 and 20.” Bible pages rustled as class members turned to the required text. “Go therefore and make … Continue reading –>
The Bible makes it clear that we were once slaves to sin, but through Christ we have been released (Rom. 6:6), set free (Gal. 5:1), delivered (1 Thess. 1:10), adopted (Rom. 8:15), and born again (1 Pet. 1:23). The effective worker for God is the one who has given the past to Him and has accepted His power … Continue reading –>
Why do we do what we do? What motivates any of us to do anything? People are trying to motivate us to do things all the time. They want us to spend our money at their stores. They want us to buy their product or drive their car. Teachers try to motivate their students to … Continue reading –>
There’s an English expression that says: “There is no such thing as a free lunch”–the idea that if you receive something free, it really isn’t free because somewhere, somehow, sometime, you will have to pay or repay. The theory that nothing is ever really free has subtly infiltrated Christian thinking to the extent that many … Continue reading –>
Key Thought : Christ’s loving service to us should awaken a loving response as the basis for our witness as reflected in our loving ministry to others. [Teaching plan for A Love Response June 4, 2012] 1. Have a volunteer read I John 4:18,19. A. Ask class members to share a short thought on … Continue reading –>
What would you think of someone who constantly and loudly declared that they were motivated and yet attempted nothing? What about someone who claimed to be dedicated yet never revealed to what, or to whom, they were dedicated? As we have seen, love is a most powerful motivator; but to only declare our love, even … Continue reading –>
Over the centuries guilt has been used to motivate people to action. Evangelism leaders have often reminded us that God has given us responsibility and that we must use our God-given talents and gifts. We are told that God or the church is depending on us. If God has done so much to save us, … Continue reading –>
Have you ever wondered why often it seems difficult to motivate people to long-term commitments in church projects? Perhaps the answer can be found as we think of some other situations where a very high degree of motivation and commitment are evident. What is it that motivates a parent to donate one of their kidneys … Continue reading –>
Read for This Week’s Study: 1 John 4:18-19; Rom. 3:19-20; John 15:13; Rom. 5:6–8; John 6:28-29. Memory Text: “ ‘If you love Me, keep My commandments’ ” (John 14:15, NKJV). Key Thought: We should work to win souls to Christ; the question we need to ask ourselves is, What motivates us to do just that? Although our memory text is … Continue reading –>
