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It is already the middle of August and we are busy getting ready for our fall schedule. I am praying that I will be able to fill Brother Ebey’s travel schedule from September to November. We currently have 100 pastors that need supporters, and Brother Ebey will be bringing 250 new pastor profiles with him in September. In 5 years these additional 250 pastors will impact 1250 villages with a church!
Leadership Conference
Last week, a friend was kind enough to pay my way to a leadership conference in Minneapolis. I was very challenged by the speakers. I was amazed to learn about an organization called Kiva (http://www.kiva.org/), a microloan ministry started by some young people. Kiva has done some amazing things; they have loaned out 100 million dollars to 3rd world entrepreneurs in only 4 years! Another speaker was Dr, Tim Keller, a pastor in New York City who was teaching about “The Prodigal God” focusing in on the parable of the prodigal son. From what Dr. Keller told us, the parable was more about the older brother than the younger brother. The older brother’s heart attitude was evil, and Jesus was actually telling the parable to the Pharisees. The part of the message for me was about repentance and our motives for doing good, not just motives for doing bad. As you look at the older brother in the parable, even though he did not live in sin like the younger brother, his motives for “doing good” were not pure. The older brother did good, but he still had bitterness in his heart toward the father. I realize that I often need to examine my motives for why I do good; is it for the right reasons or because it is just expected of me> Dr. Keller has written a book by the same title, “The Prodigal God.” I have it on hold at our library. If interested, it can be purchased at Amazon.
“True Repentance” - I ask myself: Why do we go to church, tithe, give to missions, give to help the poor, witness, or resist temptation? Is it because it is expected of us or because of God’s love in our hearts? Maybe this is what Jesus was referring to in John 15:8-11? It certainly has me thinking more about my motives.
Leadership Conference
Last week, a friend was kind enough to pay my way to a leadership conference in Minneapolis. I was very challenged by the speakers. I was amazed to learn about an organization called Kiva (http://www.kiva.org/), a microloan ministry started by some young people. Kiva has done some amazing things; they have loaned out 100 million dollars to 3rd world entrepreneurs in only 4 years! Another speaker was Dr, Tim Keller, a pastor in New York City who was teaching about “The Prodigal God” focusing in on the parable of the prodigal son. From what Dr. Keller told us, the parable was more about the older brother than the younger brother. The older brother’s heart attitude was evil, and Jesus was actually telling the parable to the Pharisees. The part of the message for me was about repentance and our motives for doing good, not just motives for doing bad. As you look at the older brother in the parable, even though he did not live in sin like the younger brother, his motives for “doing good” were not pure. The older brother did good, but he still had bitterness in his heart toward the father. I realize that I often need to examine my motives for why I do good; is it for the right reasons or because it is just expected of me> Dr. Keller has written a book by the same title, “The Prodigal God.” I have it on hold at our library. If interested, it can be purchased at Amazon.
“True Repentance” - I ask myself: Why do we go to church, tithe, give to missions, give to help the poor, witness, or resist temptation? Is it because it is expected of us or because of God’s love in our hearts? Maybe this is what Jesus was referring to in John 15:8-11? It certainly has me thinking more about my motives.
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