Commitment Is ...

By: Mark Evans

The Best Way To Distract A Person With A Goal Is To Give Them Another Goal.


Roll your works upon the Lord [commit and trust them wholly to Him; He will cause your thoughts to become agreeable to His will, and] so shall your plans be established and succeed. Proverbs 16:3

• Commitment Is Trust. We must trust and be trusted, or there is no true commitment.
• Commitment Is Action. It goes far beyond words or good intentions. We must act to fulfill our commitments. Commitment is more than a promise. It is a promise fulfilled. Commitment is attention. We must continually attend to our commitments, or they soon lose their value.
•  Commitment Is Persistent. It does not wither at the first sign of trouble. In fact, it grows stronger with every challenge. Commitment is faith, and commitment is faithful. Commitment is truth. Commitment is caring. Commitment is responsible. Commitment is intentional. Commitment is capable.
•  Commitment Is Power. When you are committed, things get done. Relationships blossom. Magnificent achievements happen. Commitment turns intentions into reality.
• Commitment Is Worth It. At times it is painful. It demands effort and sacrifice. It is inconvenient and uncomfortable. Yet it will bring out the best in you, and will take you to places where otherwise you would never go. Consider carefully before committing yourself. Then once you've made the commitment, give it everything you have. There is incredible joy to be found in your well placed and tended commitments.

Father in Heaven; Wow! I want to "Be" that Person! That person people can count on. That person You can count on! The person to make a difference, go the distance, finish the task, accomplish the God-Given-Goal. I Commit to You today, that I will change my habits, I will sharpen my Focus, I will "Be" that person with Your help and strength. In Jesus Name! Amen.

 

Enjoy the Ride,

 

Cecil

Looking Ahead at CWS

Enjoy The Ride,

Cecil

TAKE GOD AT HIS WORD

WORD OF GOD IS TO BE:

• EATEN – MATTHEW 4:40
• DELIGHTED & MEDITATED – PSALMS 1:2
• HEARD & PRACTICED – LUKE 11:28
• HEARD TO BUILD FAITH – ROMANS 10:17
• RECEIVED – ACTS 11:1
• INFLUENTIAL – ACTS 13:7
• HIDDEN IN HEART - PSALM 119:11

WORD OF GOD IS TO BE PREACHED & TAUGHT:

• PASS IT ON – JOSHUA 1 & HEBREWS 13:7
• GREAT COMMISSION – MATTHEW 28:20
• VALUABLE – ACTS 6:2
• SYSTEMATIC – ACTS 18:11
• COMPLETE – 2 TIMOTHY 4:2

WORD OF GOD MIGHT RESULT IN SUFFERING TO POINT OF BEING:

• EXILED – REVELATION 1:9
• KILLED – ACTS 7:60; REVELATION 6:9; 20:4

WORD OF GOD WAS THERE BEFORE US & WILL BE THERE AFTER US:

• BEGINNING – JOHN 1:1
• STANDS FOREVER – ISAIAH 40:8
• NEW LIFE – 1 PETER 1:23

WORD OF GOD IN YOUR LIFE IS:

• GUIDE & LIGHT – PSALMS 119:105
• TRUTH – PROVERBS 30:5
• APPEALING – LUKE 5:1
• PURE – 2 CORINTHIANS 4:2
• ACTIVE – EPHESIANS 6:17;
• WORKS IN YOU – 1 THESSALONIANS 2:13
• UNCONTAINABLE – 2 TIMOTHY 2:9
• LIVING POWER – HEBREWS 4:12
• THE NAME ... OF JESUS – REVELATION 19:13

If you say Jesus is in my heart, then the Word has to be in your heart.
If you say Jesus is lover of my soul, then the Word has to be loved.
If you say Jesus is refuge, then the Word has to be turned to.
If you say Jesus is Savior, then the Word has to be the answer.
If you say Jesus is healer, then the Word has to applied.
If you say Jesus is Lord, then the Word has to take #1 priority.
If you say you love Jesus, then you love the Word of God!

Enjoy The Ride,

Cecil

Curtis Martin's Hall of Fame Speech - WOW!

Curtis Martin's speech at his Hall of Fame induction ceremony.  Truly inspirational and thought-provoking. Will we settle for routine or be committed to the next level?


Enjoy The Ride,

Cecil

A Boulder Or Pebblestone?

The river of LIFE, the river of God flows where His presence resides.  We experienced a tangible move of His presence and that river yesterday in service.  In the middle of it, the Holy Spirit deposited this small thought in my heart which I shared to the congregation.  Hope it speaks to all of us and challenges us.

When and where the river flows, we can be a big boulder that just is there in the middle of the river.  The boulder will see the water flowing and will get hit with it but it wont "move".  The river will flow around it and keep moving on and the boulder will sit there. 

Or we can be a pebble stone that gets carried along the flow of this river.  Where the river flows this pebble stone will go.  It is at the mercy of the river.  Its totally surrendered to to the move of the river.

Our hearts can be hearts of stone or hearts of flesh as it says in the Bible. The river will flow around you or it can take you with it.  I rather go with the river of life and trust it to take me where it needs me to be.

If we don't have tender and broken hearts so His Spirit can flow into and work thru our lives, there will come a day when He will have to take the boulders out of the water, His way!  I rather make the first move and come to Him with tender heart, totally surrendered to Him and at His mercy and leading in my life.

Can we have hearts of flesh instead of hearts of stone?  Let's go with His flow.  Believe me, there is a brighter future down the river and the journey will be adventurous. 

Ezekiel 36:26 NLT - And I will give you a new heart with new and right desires, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony heart of sin and give you a new, obedient heart.

Ezekiel 11:19 NLT - And I will give them singleness of heart and put a new spirit within them. I will take away their hearts of stone and give them tender hearts instead. 
Enjoy The Ride,

Cecil

Leading The Leader

By: Mark Evans

When you have a vision it affects your attitude. Your attitude is optimistic rather than pessimistic.

Lift your eyes now and look from the place where you are - northward, southward, eastward, and westward; for all the land which you see I give to you and your descendants forever. Genesis 13:14-15

Today's Thought (from The 21 Indispensable Qualities of a Leader by John Maxwell)

Vision is everything for a leader. It is utterly indispensable. Why? Because vision leads the leaders. It paints the targets, sparks and fuels the fire within, and draws them forward. And it is also the fire-lighter for others who follow those leaders. Show me a leader without a vision, and I'll show you someone who isn't going anywhere. At best, they're traveling in circles.

To get a handle on vision and how it comes to be a part of a good leader, understand these things:
1. Vision starts within.
2. Vision draws on your history.
3. Vision meets others' needs.
4. Vision helps you gather resources.

One of the most valuable benefits of vision is that it acts like a magnet - attracting, challenging, and uniting people. The greater the vision, the more winners it has the potential to attract. The more challenging the vision, the harder the participants fight to achieve it.

Father in Heaven; Your Word tells us that without vision, we perish. So please show me the Special Vision You have for my life. And give me grace, patience and the determination it takes to achieve it. In Jesus name. Amen.

Enjoy The Ride,

Cecil