Why is Courage so Uncommon?

Why is Courage so Uncommon? By Rick Warren “Do not be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent.” Acts 18:9b (NIV) If ever there was a message you need in today’s culture, it’s this: “Do not be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent” (Acts 18:9b NIV). In a world full of ideas and beliefs that go against God’s Word, God wants you to have an uncommon courage and stand up for what you know is true and right. Everyone else is speaking up and telling you their worldview every day. Why shouldn’t you stand up for what you believe? To stand courageously, you have to know what God says is the truth and what the world believes. This is called a worldview — what you base your beliefs on. Every person uses a different filter through which they see and understand the world. We may all be looking at the same event, but we will see it differently because of our conflicting worldviews. Your worldview includes how you see God, yourself, others, the past, present, and future, money, time, good and evil. It influences everything in your life. Every time you make a decision, you access the worldview database in your mind and decide that, because you believe this, this is what you’re going to do. Your worldview influences every choice you make. Here’s the problem: You are profoundly influenced by the worldviews of others. Every time you have a conversation, a worldview is being communicated. You are influenced by the worldviews of your parents, friends, an advertisement, or a newspaper article. Nothing is fair and balanced, because everyone has a worldview. It is absolutely crucial, then, that you base your worldview on God’s Word, which is the only truth. In a national survey, 62 percent of Americans claimed they are “deeply spiritual.” When asked how that spirituality affects their decision making, 31 percent said they make moral choices based on “what feels right and comfortable,” 18 percent on “whatever is best for me,” 14 percent on “whatever causes the least conflict with others,” and only 16 percent on “what God’s Word says.” What does that mean? It means most Christians have a non-Christian worldview. You may be a Christian and headed for Heaven, but you can also have a non-Christian worldview because you’ve based it on what you’ve learned from the world and not from the Word. Why is it important to stand up and speak the truth? Matthew 10:32 says, “Stand up for me against world opinion and I’ll stand up for you before my Father in heaven. If you turn tail and run, do you think I’ll cover for you?” (MSG) God is telling you to make a stand for his truth. Taking that kind of stand requires an uncommon courage that is only available through the knowledge and understanding of God’s Word. Talk It Over: - What worldview do you think people would say that you have? How do your everyday words and actions reflect that response? - In what ways did your worldview affect decisions you made today? - How well are you growing in biblical knowledge so that you can take a stand for God’s truth?

Biblical Worldview

Biblical Worldview

by Vonette Bright

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.” 
Proverbs 3:5-6

Everyone has a worldview.  And in North America, yours will be tested.  You can use your influence to have a profound impact on our future.

As followers of Jesus, our worldview often runs counter to our culture.  Our perspective is based on a belief in God’s Word, the Bible.  That profoundly alters the way we look at the world.  And it SHOULD!

Take for example, how we value life… all life: the unborn, the disabled, the infirmed.  Because we believe in God’s Word, and He values that life, we do too!

Dear friend, join me in taking your worldview to each person who touches your life. It’s our duty as a Christian.

“Seeing all we have and all we are as temporal and having value only as they are used for what they were intended… for God’s glory.” – Pastor Bill Malick

“My definition includes putting absolutely everything I do, read, watch, or hear through a grid of asking myself if it is pleasing to God and complies with the Bible.”
– Peggi Bontekoe

5 Things You Can Do While You’re Waiting

5 Things You Can Do While You’re Waiting

by Holley Gerth

“But those who wait on the Lord Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles,  They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint.”  Isaiah 40:31

1) Get wise advice. I’ve spent a lot of time waiting in the last few years. And I keep hoping God will start using e-mail. Then I’ll just get up every morning and His agenda will be sitting in my inbox.

While that hasn’t happened yet, I have noticed that words from wise people in my life {through e-mail or otherwise} often do lead me to the answer God has for me.
Don’t be afraid to ask others for their perspective. “Many advisors make victory sure.” Proverbs 11:14

2) Pay Attention to the Details. I’m a big picture kind of girl. I think God should do the whole “handwriting on the wall” thing more often, don’t you?

But it seems uncovering His will is often more like connect-the-dots. So when I’m in seasons of waiting, I journal more. I write down every little thing that I think He’s saying to me. Over time, a pattern often emerges that I wouldn’t have seen otherwise. It’s often the little things that lead us to the big ones.

3) Don’t Put the Rest of Your Life on Hold. When I’m waiting on God in one area, sometimes I come to a screeching halt in every area of my life. But it’s hard to steer a parked car.

Sometimes we find what we’re waiting on along the way–not when we stay. I love how in Isaiah says those who wait on the Lord will run and not grow weary and walk and not faint. There can still be a lot of movement going on during the waiting.

4) Forget the Fear. Sometimes we think we’re “waiting on God” when really we’re just waiting for the fear to go away. Here’s a hint: It’s won’t. The enemy will tell you that courage means the absence of fear as you move ahead. It doesn’t.
Faith means feeling the fear and moving ahead into God’s will anyway {remember Jesus sweating drops of blood before He went to the cross?}

5) Be Grateful for Where You Are. Oh, friends, I’m t-e-r-r-i-b-l-e at this one. Yep. I like to move on to the next thing. I look ahead and forget to enjoy and appreciate where I am today.

Sometimes I need to stop and remember that I’m living today in the answered prayers of yesterday. And that is reason to say a big ‘ol “thank you” a lot more often than I do.

Your turn: What’s one thing that helps you when you’re waiting?

God Works Things Out for Our Good

God Works Things Out for Our Good by Joshua Lim “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.”  Romans 8:28 Have you considered: If our lives are free from pain, turmoil and sorrow, we may not come to know God’s faithfulness in such a personal way, like King David did through fears, troubles and afflictions. Psalm 91:4-6 “He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart. You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday.”