I am going to be taking up donations for socks for the homeless and needy. Socks are one of the biggest needs during this time of year. I will be accepting the donations for new socks until December 20th with plans to distribute them the week of Christmas to those who are in need. If you would like any more details about this, let me know.
email: whittmadden@gmail.com
I need these turned in by December 20th
Interesting question isn’t it? I think that God is very interested in what some of our answers would be. I’m not talking about the church answer that you would respond with, but your heart answer. For some of us, those are 2 different answers. God has been really working on different areas of my life since I finished the Men’s Crazy Love small group study. As I finished the book, and started looking at applicable ways to put into action the thoughts and desires that He has given me, I found myself caught up in a cycle of self-defeat. I didn’t even realize it fully until this past weekend. I saw pieces of it, struggles that I was having, but they were like small pieces of a puzzle. This part is a small section of my life puzzle, but all the pieces I needed to finished this corner of the puzzle came together over the past few weeks.
I was in a cycle of defeat, focusing on the negatives, and not the positives. Things would go great for a few weeks, then I’ll fall back into my rut. Sometimes it was a few days, then back to the rut. Over and over. Our Sunday School study on Disobedience has been running over the course of the last 6 weeks, and finally on Sunday morning, all those puzzle pieces came together.
As I wrote all of what you will read below, you may sense some of it as sarcasm, but in truth, I think this is truly how a lot of us think in regards to these things. Sad to say we have included sarcasm in so much of our lives that it has become second nature to us, and we have included it into our way of life without even realizing it. It’s my prayer that you will not take offense to what I have written below, but read it with an open heart and an open mind, and simply ask God for him to show you where your heart is.
How far are you willing to go for God?
He’s been asking me this question pretty consistently here lately. I keep giving just a little bit more of myself, going out a little bit further, and it feels like the more I give and the further I go, the more He is asking me this question. I know why. I’ve only been giving up just a part of me at a time. Still holding on to other things that I haven’t been ready to let go of yet. I’m not sure what I had planned on doing with any of the garbage I was holding onto, but I was holding onto it nonetheless. Perhaps pride, or even shame has kept me holding on to it. God can’t fully work in me and through me if I won’t give all of myself to Him.
How far are you willing to go for God?
I know I’m not supposed to be of the world, just merely in it, but I mean come on, the world has all this cool stuff to experience right? Being a geek, technology is really cool nowadays. Constant online communication has almost completely cut out the need for any personal interaction right? Why call someone when I can text them, or send them a Facebook message, or a tweet? TV, music we’ve all got something that holds our attention and focus more than God. I know this. Ok ok, I know the verses about not being of the world, that we are no longer to be a part of that. Tomorrow, I’ll start living for God tomorrow, I’ll be obedient, even get up an hour early to do my Bible study. I won’t oversleep like last time. And tomorrow, when I do oversleep I promise I will make it up the next day. Which really means that because I didn’t get up like I was supposed to, then I can’t study at any other time in the day, because I’ve got my schedule to think about. God will understand, He knows how important my schedule is, and I’m sure He is fine with me doing it tomorrow instead. I’ll even double what I am supposed to read, or I’ll read 2 daily devotionals instead of 1. Even though I won’t even give God the time to let the first one sink in to my heart, I’ll just breeze through reading 2 instead. Tomorrow I will make the time.
How far are you willing to go for God?
I’m giving my 10 % at church. I am, every 2 weeks when I get paid. God wouldn’t ask any more of that from me. He knows my bill situation, my kids, He wouldn’t ask me to give more than I was comfortable giving right? Yeah I know that we are taking up a special collection for so and so, or we have those Christmas shoe boxes to fill, or the Angel tree to pick out from, but I gave my 10 % maybe I’ll get to it next payday, if I don’t have anything come up. I heard there was a student collecting Bibles to give out to soldiers. Great idea, but I really don’t have any extra to give, I’m sure someone with more money will help take care of that. Besides could giving just 1 Bible really help to change anyones life? I’ve got 3 Bibles at home, and I barely have the time to read them. Maybe tomorrow, I will pick one up.
How far are you willing to go for God?
Yeah I’m not sure I’m cut out to be a missionary. Having to leave the country, and help all those poor sick people. Every time I see one of those commercials on tv, doesn’t it look like they are just making that stuff out to be a lot worse than it really is? I mean you don’t see anyone living like that here in America. What we really need to focus on are the people who need our help in this country. Yeah I did see that guy on the side of the road with the Will Work for Food sign off the interstate the other day. He’s probably just trying to scam people to get money or something so that he can go buy some alcohol. Things couldn’t be that bad for someone that they would be that humble to hold a sign up in the freezing rain for hours asking for help. Nobody asks for help these days. And of course, the ones who hold up those signs are obviously alcoholics, aren’t all homeless people that way? Yeah I remember the one guy I stopped for and gave food to, told me about his wife passing away, that he’d lost his job, and was diabetic. Good thing you gave him that coke zero and wheat bread. I sure hope he didn’t need medicine for his diabetes like I do. Hmmm I wonder what we are having for supper tonight anyways? I’ve got to watch my sugars tonight because I had popcorn for a snack earlier. I can’t wait to go to Pizza In tomorrow.
How far are you willing to go for God?
My wife is always nagging me to do things around the house. I’m always tired, she’s at home all day, couldn’t she have done some of those things? I’ve got ‘other’ things that I need to be doing anyways. Important stuff. I do a great job around the house. I do my part. Yeah, I know that there is a list of projects we started in spring, I’m going to get started on my half soon. As soon as she stops bugging me about it. Oh, yeah, she hasn’t mentioned it in a few months now. Maybe she’s forgotten about it? Yeah, not likely huh? Well at least she hasn’t been bugging me about it lately. I’ll do it as soon as I have some free time. Kentucky is playing tonight? Awesome, looks like we’ll have a ‘family’ night tonight for sure. My kids will understand about not playing that board game with them tonight. I know I know I promised them the other day I would play a game with them. They’re kids though, they’ll understand. They don’t spell out love as T-I-M-E. Neither does my wife. Tomorrow, I’ll do it, I might even get my tools out to work on that ceiling fan.
How far are you willing to go for God?
Some of those I’ve scenarios I have lived out first hand, some I have not, but its sad to say I can relate to all of them regardless. We put limits on how far we are willing to go for God don’t we? I think if we’re honest we can all relate to those scenarios. Notice a familiar pattern in all of those scenarios, is that we always put off things for tomorrow? God wants us to live for Him right now, today.
The Point of Our Lives is to Point to God.
That was a key statement that we covered in our small group study. It doesn’t have to be on a grand save-the-world kind of scale. It should be in everything that we do, from eating, spending time with our family, the clothes that we wear, sleeping, all the things of our day we might consider to be the mundane. Everything we do should be to the Glory of God.
I’ve been living in a state of self-defeat in so many areas and I think the reason why I didn’t see it was because I saw the other things that I had victory in, my eyes were not focused straight ahead towards God. That little 10 degree detour I took gave the devil a way to get in, I didn’t realize it. When we are looking at Christ, our gaze must be fixed directly upon Him.
How far are you willing to go for God?
Are we willing to do whatever it takes, for God? If we’re not, we should be asking ourselves why not? What does this world have to offer me that is greater than what He has to offer me? It’s not something that you get through, and look back on, having never gone back again. For me, this has got to be a question daily. What am I willing to do for God today? How far am I willing to go?
As individuals, have we stopped living and telling the truth for fear of losing our friends and offending our kids? I have been living in that fear and didn’t even realize it. Guys I need to ask myself every day how far am I willing to go for God.
You might be reading this and thinking that the point I am trying to make here is that we can do this on our own. We can’t. When you ask yourself the question, How far am I willing to go for God, you have to completely surrender Your will to His Will. Some things some like enormous mountains to cross, but when we realize that in ourselves we can do nothing. In Christ we can do all things. I don’t want you to misunderstand what I am saying, I am simply telling you about where my heart is after a careful examination, and I see my cycle of failures have been mostly because I am still trying to do things on my own.
Taking My Thoughts Captive
Does this thought line up with God’s truth?
Is it suggesting that I do something honorable? right, or pure?
If this thought becomes action, will the outcome be lovely and contribute to excellence in my life?
Will other believers approve of my actions?
Is it something for which I can praise God?
Knowing these things if I decide after that moment, to do it anyways, that I have turned my back on God.
Do you read long blog posts? Or has Twitter and Facebook spoiled you to 140 characters or less? I’ve been reading more and more where people say that don’t have time to read long posts. I wonder what kind of influence the social networking sites have on our patience with reading now.
When I am afraid, I will trust in you. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I will not be afraid. What can mortal man do to me?
Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.
Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.
Remember those in prison as if you were their fellow prisoners, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering
