Rev Bill

I follow Perry Noble — Senior Pastor of NewSpring Church on face book and twitter — and I also read his bog.

I ran across a post that I wanted to share. It’s written to pastors who feel like quitting — and — as he says in the post — this could include most pastors — especially on Sunday nights and Monday mornings! I know there are times it certainly includes me!

Here are his 5 reasons not to quit:

1. God called you!
2. The enemy works overtime on discouragement right before God does something awesome!
3. Philippians 1:6 — He didn’t bring you this far to let you down or watch you fail!
4. The example of Jesus!
5. There ARE people who believe in the vision God has given you!

Read the full explanations of these in his post.

I admit it — I am a lazy blogger! When I look at my blog I have to admit that I have not been very good at posting my thoughts or things that I find interesting — and that others might find interesting — in a long time. Posting sermons doesn’t really count.

I’m not sure why I post on my blog so infrequently.

It’s true that I’m busy — but I should still have time for reflection.

It’s true that I put a lot of stuff on facebook and twitter — and that my blog posts dropped off when I started using them — but the social neworks are not really meant for substantive posts that make people think — or that I have to think to create.

I believe that I am lazy. I don’t want to have to find things to blog about — or take the time to do it. I don’t want to think about or wrestle with issues — decide what I believe — and defend it.

Well, I want to chagne. I now want this blog to be what I intended it to be when I began the “new blog” a few years ago. I want it to be a place where I can share my ideas and — hopefully — some will respond and we can have dialog.

Sorry I have been lazy. I plan to post several times (at least) a week from now on — and have some things that I find interesting and that others might also.

I concluded my Stewardship Series of sermons for this year yesterday (we’ll have one more week in our Stewardship Season, but my sermon next Sunday will be more of an Advent theme that will include Stewardship but not be part of the series I have been preaching the last few weeks).

The series has focused on a statement in Rick Warren’s book The Purpose Driven Life that God will ask us in heaven how we responded to Christ and what we did with what He gave us. Taking the Great Commandment from Matthew 22:34-40, I developed a series of sermons on how to answer these questions — and love God and others.

The 5 sermons were:

Matthew 22:34-40 God Has Questions — Do You Have Answers?

Matthew 22:34-40, Matthew 23:1-12 Can They Do As You Do?

Matthew 22:34-40, Matthew 25:1-13 Let’s Be Wise Guys And Wise Gals!

Matthew 22:34-40, Matthew 25:14-30 Don’t Waste Your Talent

Matthew 22:34-40, Luke 17:11-19 An Attitude Of Gratitude

I have posted my sermon from yesterday on my sermon blog.

It’s the final sermon in my Stewardship Series for this year — based on Luke 17:11-19 and entitled “An Attitude Of Gratitude”.

Here’s a portion of it:

Gratitude is rarely expressed.
A clergyman included this item in his annual parochial report: “Nine persons lost at sea.” When the congregation read it, they expressed shock and amazement. He said, “Well, eleven people came to me and requested prayers for e voyages they were taking this year. . But only two asked me to give thanks for a safe return. So I assumed the other nine were lost at sea.”
A man writing at the post office desk was approached by an older fellow who had a post card in his hand. The old man said, “Sir, could you please address this post card for me?” The man gladly did so, and he agreed to write a short message on the post card, and he even signed it for the man, too. Finally the man doing the writing said to the older man, “Now, is there anything else I can do for you?” The old fellow thought about it for a minute, and he said, “Yes, at the end could you just put, ‘P.S. Please excuse the sloppy handwriting.’”

You can read the sermon here.

I have posted my sermon from yesterday on my sermon blog. It’s based on Matthew 25:14-30 — and entitled “Don’t Waste Your Talent.”

Here’s a portion of it:

Use your gifts — your abilities God has blessed you with.

Let God show you what your gifts and abilities are — think about those gifts and abilities you have left buried for years — dig them up — and use them. You’ll be surprised what you will discover when you start looking for new ways to serve God. Dig up you talents and abilities from whatever you have hid them under — and use them.

If you are not sure what your talents or abilities are — or how you can use them for God’s glory and the benefit of others — pray about it — or talk to me about it. I’ll be happy to help you discover what you gifts and abilities are — and how to dig them up and use them.

Have you ever considered what we all could get done if we all used the gifts and abilities God has blessed us with?

I think we would be surprised.

You can read the srmon here.