Colossians: Chapter 3

Text: Colossians 3

Rules for Holy Living

1 Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.3 For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.

4 When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.
5 Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry.6 Because of these, the wrath of God is coming.7 You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived.8 But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips.9 Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.

11 Here there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.
12 Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.13 Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.

14 And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.
15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.

17 And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Rules for Christian Households

18 Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord.

19 Husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh with them.

20 Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord.

21 Fathers, do not embitter your children, or they will become discouraged.
22 Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything; and do it, not only when their eye is on you and to win their favor, but with sincerity of heart and reverence for the Lord.23 Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men,24 since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.

25 Anyone who does wrong will be repaid for his wrong, and there is no favoritism.

Takeaways:

• As a task oriented person, I love Colossians 3 because it basically functions as a to-do list for both holy living and Christian households.
• The comparison and contrast found in this passage helps clearly paint a picture of what it means to turn your back to sin and run hard after Christ.
• Colossians 3:23-24 should drive every decision I make, every word I say, my attitude, and my actions at all times.

Colossians: Chapter 2

Text: Colossians 2

1 I want you to know how much I am struggling for you and for those at Laodicea, and for all who have not met me personally.2 My purpose is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ,3 in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.4 I tell you this so that no one may deceive you by fine‑sounding arguments.

5 For though I am absent from you in body, I am present with you in spirit and delight to see how orderly you are and how firm your faith in Christ is.

Freedom From Human Regulations Through Life With Christ

6 So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him,

7 rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.

8 See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ.
9 For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form,10 and you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority.11 In him you were also circumcised, in the putting off of the sinful nature, not with a circumcision done by the hands of men but with the circumcision done by Christ,

12 having been buried with him in baptism and raised with him through your faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead.
13 When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins,14 having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross.

15 And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.
16 Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day.17 These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ.18 Do not let anyone who delights in false humility and the worship of angels disqualify you for the prize. Such a person goes into great detail about what he has seen, and his unspiritual mind puffs him up with idle notions.

19 He has lost connection with the Head, from whom the whole body, supported and held together by its ligaments and sinews, grows as God causes it to grow.
20 Since you died with Christ to the basic principles of this world, why, as though you still belonged to it, do you submit to its rules:21 “Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!”?22 These are all destined to perish with use, because they are based on human commands and teachings.

23 Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self‑imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence.

Takeaways:

• This entire chapter is the reason that legalism should not exist.
• Do you have a hard time getting your head around the fact that Christ came to give us freedom to do what He has called us and created us to do?
• One of my favorite challenges from this passage comes from Colossians 2:8, “See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this word rather than on Christ.”  How do we accomplish this?  We have to know Him and be grounded deep in His truths so that the newest thing this world has to offer won’t shake us.
• This passage paints an exciting picture of what life is like in Christ and all that we will experience if we are willing to set the things of this world aside.
• I listened to a great podcast on the way in this morning that addresses some of these same ideas.  The speaker was James Griffin at Revolution Church in Canton, GA and here is the message.

Colossians: Chapter 1

This year I believe that God is calling me to focus on several books of the Bible so that I can uncover even more of God’s exciting plan for my life.  I enjoyed the journey through Nehemiah and now it is on to Colossians for a few days.

Text: Colossians 1

1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,

2 To the holy and faithful brothers in Christ at Colosse:

Grace and peace to you from God our Father.

Thanksgiving and Prayer

3 We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you,4 because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all the saints–5 the faith and love that spring from the hope that is stored up for you in heaven and that you have already heard about in the word of truth, the gospel6 that has come to you. All over the world this gospel is bearing fruit and growing, just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and understood God’s grace in all its truth.7 You learned it from Epaphras, our dear fellow servant, who is a faithful minister of Christ on our behalf,

8 and who also told us of your love in the Spirit.
9 For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding.10 And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God,11 being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully12 giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light.13 For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves,

14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

The Supremacy of Christ

15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.16 For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him.17 He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.18 And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy.19 For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him,

20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.
21 Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior.22 But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation–

23 if you continue in your faith, established and firm, not moved from the hope held out in the gospel. This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a servant.

Paul’s Labor for the Church

24 Now I rejoice in what was suffered for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions, for the sake of his body, which is the church.25 I have become its servant by the commission God gave me to present to you the word of God in its fullness–26 the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the saints.

27 To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
28 We proclaim him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ.

29 To this end I labor, struggling with all his energy, which so powerfully works in me.

Takeaways:

• Colossians was written to address some key problems in the church at Colosse.
• Colossians is a foundational book for helping to establish the supremacy of Christ.
• Notice that Paul starts out by commending the church because he has “heard of their faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints.” (v 4)
• I have heard many people claim that Colossians 1:28-29 are some very key verses for the establishment of Christian schools.  I would agree that this is a fitting manifesto for those of us privileged enough to have the opportunity to teach with a biblical worldview.
• Don’t miss Paul’s intentional choice to point out that he is functioning from the strength of Christ and not out of his own limited capacity.

Freedom Church: Come Home

Great morning at Freedom Church!  This was week 3 of our series Come Home and we saw 33 people pray to receive Christ this morning.  That never gets old!  People walked into Freedom Church this morning on their way to hell and now they know for sure that they will spend eternity with Jesus.  Our text this morning was from Luke 15:25-31:
²⁵“Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. ²⁶So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. ²⁷‘Your brother has come,’ he replied, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’

²⁸“The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. ²⁹But he answered his father, ‘Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. ³⁰But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’

³¹” ‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours.

Here are my notes from Pastor JR’s message:

• We can relate to the older brother, because we are him!
• Are we serving God or focusing our efforts to serve others so that we will benefit in some way?
• What are we doing to help lost people realize it isn’t about being a “good person”?
• Why do we allow ourselves to get so discouraged in our efforts to please God when all He wants is for us to run to Him?
• The Father is pursuing a relationship with us and wants to meet us where we are.
• How is God’s story unfolding in your life?
• For many, although their sin separates them from God, it is often their righteousness that prohibits them from acknowledging their need for Christ.
• It’s not about religion.  It’s about Jesus.  COME HOME!

Book Review: Do Hard Things

This afternoon we had beautiful weather and I wanted to get outside on the deck and spend some time reading.  I decided to read Do Hard Things by Alex and Brett Harris, 19 year old twin brothers.  I was interested in the book because I heard it was written by teenagers for teenagers challenging them to join in a teenage rebellion against low expectations.  I also knew a little of this family because of their older brother Joshua Harris and his books, I Kissed Dating Goodbye, Boys Meets Girl, and Stop Dating the Church.

This book is endorsed by a ton of leaders that I really respect…and the forward is written by none other than Chuck Norris himself.  That pretty much settled it for me.  This book did not disappoint, it is full of practical information that really meets teenagers where they are.  Rather than dumbing down the book to make it appealing, the Harris brothers intentionally raised the bar higher than many others that write for teenagers.

The purpose of the book is to encourage students to become a part of The Rebelution.  The three main pillars of The Rebelution are character, competence, and collaboration.  Alex and Brett did a great job developing this idea and challenging students to take the first steps towards making a difference in the world for Christ.  I especially appreciated their heart for the Lord and desire for others to know Him.  They took the last chapter of the book and very clearly shared the gospel.  This book has Scripture woven throughout, but I was pumped to see that they wanted to make sure they had been real clear about their priorities.

I did a ton of highlighting in this one.  I am posting my takeaways below straight from the pages of Do Hard Things.  If you know a student entering or already in their teenage years, you should pick this book up and offer to read and discuss it with them.  It will benefit adults just as much as it will students.

• “The teen years are not a vacation from responsibility.  They are the training ground of future leaders who dare to be responsible now.”
• “The term adolescence literally means to “grow up.”  This is true in a biological sense as well as in other aspects of maturity.  We have no problem with that, or even with the word itself — you’ll notice that we still use the word teenager a lot.  The problem we have is with the modern understanding of adolescence that allows, encourages, and even trains young people to remain childish for much longer than necessary.  It holds us back from what we could do, from what God made us to do, and even from what we would want to do if we got out from under society’s low expectations.”
• “The most our society expects from teens is really much closer to the least we should expect.”
• “The self-fulfilling power of expectations impacts teens in almost every area-often maddeningly so.  Take, for example, tech savvy and sexual activity.  These are two areas where teens are supposed to have high interest and high performance.  Just as you’d predict, the levels of activity, consumption, and even obsession in these areas are unprecedented.  We are meeting the expectations set before us.”
• “So whose expectations are we living by?  The Bible says, “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world” (Romans 12:2, NIV).  When we let cultural expectations become our standard, we allow ourselves to be squeezed into a mold, with little room for Christlike character or competence.”
• “This is what we call the Rebelution: throwing off the shackles of lies and low expectations and returning our generation to a true and very exciting understanding of the teen years-not as a vacation from responsibility but as a launching pad for the rest of our lives.”
• “In his book Thoughts for Young Men, JC Ryle wrote, “Youth is the seed-time of full age, the molding season in the little space of human life, the turning-point in the history of man’s mind.”  In other words, what each of us will become later in life largely depends on what we become now.  Are we taking that seriously?”
• “God offers grace and redemption to those with wasted pasts.  But let us never presume upon God’s grace by wasting even a minute of what William Wilberforce called “the most valuable years of life.”
• “A historian once said that George Washington “became the man he strove to be.”  That statement is not only true of Washington; it’s also true about us.  We will all become the men and women we strive (or don’t strive) to be.”
• Five Kinds of Hard: 1.  Things that are outside your comfort zone (taking risks to grow) 2.  Things that go beyond what’s expected or required (pursuing excellence) 3.  Things that are too big to accomplish alone (dreaming and daring big) 4.  Things that don’t earn an immediate payoff (being faithful and choosing integrity) 5.  Things that go against the cultural norm (taking a stand for what is right).
• “We look especially at the step that makes important firsts possible-the one that takes you from the relative safety of your comfort zone to the scary territory outside it.”
• “The strange thing is that even when teens repeatedly experience the benefits of stepping outside our comfort zones, we tend to respond in exactly the same way to the next new task that comes along.  We resist, delay, fight, and scream-all to keep from leaving our cozy little routines.  But there’s a high cost for choosing comfort; without even realizing it, we build an invisible fence around ourselves.”
• “True courage is not the absence of fear.  It is refusing to allow fear to control your actions.”
• “Slavery to fear is much worse than the bruises and scars of a few falls.”
• “Anything worth doing is worth failing at and trying again.  The Bible says that the righteous man falls seven times and gets back up again (Proverbs 24:16).
• “Instead of worrying about future fears, we can, as Corrie ten Boom wrote, “Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God.”
• “What hard thing can I do today that will have an eternal impact for the sake of the gospel?”
• “Being considered a good teen only requires that we don’t do bad stuff like taking drugs, drinking, and partying.  But is it enough to be known for the negative things we don’t do, or should we also be known for the positive and difficult things that we do?”
• “They realized that God’s standard is not for us to be the godliest person in a youth group filled with halfhearted Christians, but to “be holy” because He is holy (I Peter 1:16).  God’s standard is not for us to be our teacher’s best helper, but to be a “servant of all” (Mark 9:35).
• “God set His standards this high so that we won’t make the mistake of aiming low.  He made them unreachable so that we would never have an excuse to stop growing.”
• “A commitment to growth kills complacency.”
• “We need to change the way we think about large projects and big ideas.  Instead of focusing on our individual limitations, what if we stepped back, looked around, and asked, “Who could be motivated to tackle this with me?”"
• “There’s something inside a living being that rises to accomplish exponentially greater things when part of a team.”
• “Walking with the wise usually means spending time with those who are older, more experienced, and godlier than we are.  This is one reason why we find it so important to be plugged in to our local church-the number one source we’ve found for wise and godly companionship.”
• “When we let younger kids work alongside us, we’re doing for them what we ask of our older mentors.  When they walk with us, relatively speaking, they walk with the wise.  They get to be mentored in how and why to do hard things.  We get energetic and enthusiastic help.  Everybody wins.”
• “One of the common dangers we’ve come across is that pride often sabotages team efforts.  What to do?  We recommend dealing quickly and respectfully with hurt feelings.  We also recommend establishing a team code that says, “Credit is free around here, and we give it away.”  That helps individuals focus on the needs and accomplishments of others and of the group as a whole and makes for a much happier, healthier, and more effective team.”
• “If we’re willing to strive for excellence, even in the boring, repetitive tasks and responsibilities that others delegate or neglect, we will reap the powerful benefits that others miss.”
• “Embracing small things can make a radical difference.”
• “Don’t get a reputation for always being against everything: be for something.  Try not to point out problems without providing solutions.  Make it your goal to show people a better way-God’s way-not just that their current direction is wrong.”
• “Neither Wilberforce nor Luther could have stood against the evils and injustices of their times if they hadn’t first learned to stand against the evil in their own hearts and in the hearts of those around them.  We are no different.”
• “Doing what is right always matters-and it matters now.”
• “Could it be that our particular crop of young people has been placed on earth at this pivotal time in history for a reason?”
• “Where secular methods and philosophies hold sway in fields of business, education, the arts, or any other area of society and culture, we are called to bring biblical philosophies and methods founded on that “total Truth”-that’s what it means to be light.”
• “We’re too young to know certain things are impossible, so we will do them anyway.”

Emma: 14 months

This past month has been a blast!  I think that is my opening to every one of these posts, but life with our sweet daughter just keeps getting more and more exciting.  We celebrated Christmas and enjoyed a long winter break off of school during this past month and it was more fun than we could have ever imagined.

Emma has 4 teeth now.  They are a little slow coming in, but when they start coming, they come fast!  She just woke up with the top 2 in place the other morning with little warning.  Emma is also standing on her own with no problem.  She is a little scared to walk without holding on to things, but she is getting really brave and going pretty fast with some of the walk behind toys. I am sure that before I blink, she will be running up and down the stairs!  We are treasuring this time that she is a little easier to keep up with.

Emma has also become very independent when it comes to feeding herself.  She is pretty good with the fork and spoon.  Even if she is having trouble with the fork, she wants to try and stab things until she gets it.  It is pretty hilarious to watch!  She is pretty much exclusively eating regular food and seems to love everything!

Emma has really enjoyed her school and all of her classmates.  I really think she missed them the 2 weeks we were off for Christmas.  Her teacher is really into making crafts and having the kids in a routine.  Emma uses either paint or glitter almost everyday.  Our drawer of Emma artwork is filling up quickly!

I am posting some pictures below of the past month and hope you will enjoy them as much as we have enjoyed these precious memories!

Nehemiah: Day Thirteen

Text: Nehemiah 13

1 On that day they read from the Book of Moses in the hearing of the people. And in it was found written that no Ammonite or Moabite should ever enter the assembly of God,2 for they did not meet the people of Israel with bread and water, but hired Balaam against them to curse them–yet our God turned the curse into a blessing.3 As soon as the people heard the law, they separated from Israel all those of foreign descent.

4
Now before this, Eliashib the priest, who was appointed over the chambers of the house of our God, and who was related to Tobiah,5 prepared for Tobiah a large chamber where they had previously put the grain offering, the frankincense, the vessels, and the tithes of grain, wine, and oil, which were given by commandment to the Levites, singers, and gatekeepers, and the contributions for the priests.6 While this was taking place, I was not in Jerusalem, for in the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes king of Babylon I went to the king. And after some time I asked leave of the king7 and came to Jerusalem, and I then discovered the evil that Eliashib had done for Tobiah, preparing for him a chamber in the courts of the house of God.8 And I was very angry, and I threw all the household furniture of Tobiah out of the chamber.9 Then I gave orders, and they cleansed the chambers, and I brought back there the vessels of the house of God, with the grain offering and the frankincense.

10
I also found out that the portions of the Levites had not been given to them, so that the Levites and the singers, who did the work, had fled each to his field.11 So I confronted the officials and said, Why is the house of God forsaken? And I gathered them together and set them in their stations.12 Then all Judah brought the tithe of the grain, wine, and oil into the storehouses.13 And I appointed as treasurers over the storehouses Shelemiah the priest, Zadok the scribe, and Pedaiah of the Levites, and as their assistant Hanan the son of Zaccur, son of Mattaniah, for they were considered reliable, and their duty was to distribute to their brothers.14 Remember me, O my God, concerning this, and do not wipe out my good deeds that I have done for the house of my God and for his service.

15
In those days I saw in Judah people treading winepresses on the Sabbath, and bringing in heaps of grain and loading them on donkeys, and also wine, grapes, figs, and all kinds of loads, which they brought into Jerusalem on the Sabbath day. And I warned them on the day when they sold food.16 Tyrians also, who lived in the city, brought in fish and all kinds of goods and sold them on the Sabbath to the people of Judah, in Jerusalem itself!17 Then I confronted the nobles of Judah and said to them, What is this evil thing that you are doing, profaning the Sabbath day?18 Did not your fathers act in this way, and did not our God bring all this disaster on us and on this city? Now you are bringing more wrath on Israel by profaning the Sabbath.

19
As soon as it began to grow dark at the gates of Jerusalem before the Sabbath, I commanded that the doors should be shut and gave orders that they should not be opened until after the Sabbath. And I stationed some of my servants at the gates, that no load might be brought in on the Sabbath day.20 Then the merchants and sellers of all kinds of wares lodged outside Jerusalem once or twice.21 But I warned them and said to them, Why do you lodge outside the wall? If you do so again, I will lay hands on you. From that time on they did not come on the Sabbath.22 Then I commanded the Levites that they should purify themselves and come and guard the gates, to keep the Sabbath day holy. Remember this also in my favor, O my God, and spare me according to the greatness of your steadfast love.

23
In those days also I saw the Jews who had married women of Ashdod, Ammon, and Moab.24 And half of their children spoke the language of Ashdod, and they could not speak the language of Judah, but only the language of each people.25 And I confronted them and cursed them and beat some of them and pulled out their hair. And I made them take oath in the name of God, saying, You shall not give your daughters to their sons, or take their daughters for your sons or for yourselves.26 Did not Solomon king of Israel sin on account of such women? Among the many nations there was no king like him, and he was beloved by his God, and God made him king over all Israel. Nevertheless, foreign women made even him to sin.27 Shall we then listen to you and do all this great evil and act treacherously against our God by marrying foreign women?

28
And one of the sons of Jehoiada, the son of Eliashib the high priest, was the son-in-law of Sanballat the Horonite. Therefore I chased him from me.29 Remember them, O my God, because they have desecrated the priesthood and the covenant of the priesthood and the Levites.

30
Thus I cleansed them from everything foreign, and I established the duties of the priests and Levites, each in his work;31 and I provided for the wood offering at appointed times, and for the firstfruits. Remember me, O my God, for good.

Takeaways:

• In this last chapter of Nehemiah, we see him burdened for the hearts of those around him.  He sees many of his people slipping back into their lives of sin.
• I appreciate the fact that Nehemiah isn’t willing to let up, he believes in confronting the people with their sin and reminding them of all that God has done for them and all that He desires to do for them in the future.
• Nehemiah is a good example of what it means to both lead and manage because he truly has a heart for the people that God has called him to lead.

Book Review: Making Vision Stick

I just finished reading Making Vision Stick by Andy Stanley.  This book is a part of the “Leadership Library” according to Amazon.  I would agree that this book is a great addition to the library of any leader.  The book is a quick read…an hour at the most.

Here are some of my takeaways that I highlighted in the book:

• “It is the leader’s responsibility to ensure that people understand and embrace the vision of the organization.”
• “Once you have settled the issue of responsibility, here are five things you can do to significantly increase the adhesiveness of your vision. 1. State the vision simply. 2. Cast the vision convincingly. 3. Repeat the vision regularly. 4. Celebrate the vision systematically. 5. Embrace the vision personally.”
• “One of the powerful things about a clearly articulated vision is that it has a way of redirecting the focus and resources within an organization. If the vision is too complicated for people to embrace, nothing changes.”
• “The behaviors that are celebrated are repeated. The decisions that are celebrated are repeated. The values that are celebrated are repeated.”
• “Leaders must keep their antennae up for new things that have the potential to distract from the main thing.”
• “Vision, not people’s random ideas, should determine programming.”
• “The questions people ask, the stories they tell or don’t tell, and the things they complain about communicate a great deal about the stickiness of your vision.”
• “Every leader should identify gauges that measure the alignment between the organization’s activity and its vision.”
• “Making your vision stick requires bold leadership. It will require you to develop a healthy intolerance for those things that have the potential to impede your progress.”

Nehemiah: Day Twelve

Text: Nehemiah 12

Haiti

The tragedy of the earthquake in Haiti became very real for me yesterday.  Just like many of you, I have followed the news of the awful devastation caused by the earthquake that hit this island nation Tuesday afternoon.  I have prayed many times for the people of Haiti and even took time to mention Haiti in chapel on Wednesday so that our students would know to pray and know that we are working on some opportunities to serve the people affected by the earthquake.  I thought I was pretty sensitive to the whole thing.  Until yesterday.

I went to my daughter’s school to pick her up.  Late in the afternoon they combine classes so that they can clean some of the other rooms.  I went in to her classroom to pick up her bag before retrieving her from the class next door that they had moved to.  When I went in her classroom, one of her teachers was in the room cleaning.  I greeted Ms. Rosalind and asked how her day was.  With a smile on her face, she said “not so good.”  I normally ask how she is and she always says “great.”  I stopped and asked what was wrong.  She said, “I am from Haiti.”

My heart immediately hurt for this woman.  I asked her if her family was alright.  She said that her mother had just flown to Haiti on Sunday for a visit.  Rosalind said she had heard from her brother that her immediate family was alright but that many extended family and friends were missing.  She told me that her brother is a teacher in a night school.  He was running about 15 minutes late getting to school on Tuesday evening.  As he was getting out of his car, the earthquake hit.  He stood in the parking lot and watched his school full of teachers and students collapse.  All of the floors crashed into each other and landed in a big pile on the ground.  He immediately ran towards the school and tried to help pull people out.  Had he been on time to school, he would have been on the third floor in a classroom towards the middle of the building and most certainly killed.

As Rosalind poured out her heart and her stories to me, I couldn’t imagine what she is going through being here in Acworth and knowing that her family, friends, and her country are dealing with such sorrow.  She is a very sweet lady and I am disappointed that I had never before asked where she was from.  She has a thick accent and I just assumed she was from the Caribbean and I moved on without asking.  She cares for my daughter during the day while I am at work.  She has indicated to me on several occasions that she is a Christian and for that I am extremely grateful.

After we finished talking, I walked into the next room to pick up my daughter so that we could head to the grocery store and then home to eat with our family.  My heart physically hurt as I held my daughter because I knew that many parents in Haiti rushed to daycares and schools begging God that their daughters and sons would be alright…only to walk alway empty handed.   Please pray for Rosalind, her family, her friends, and her country today.  And then…click the Compassion International banner below and donate towards the relief efforts.  Once you have felt the hurt in your heart, ask God to help you see how you can turn that hurt into a message of hope for Haiti.

Haiti Earthquate