"Thus saith the Lord..."

noreply@blogger.com (John Bell) — Mon, 14 Nov 2005 16:34:00 -0500

When the prophets of the Old Testament wanted to announce that what they had to say was God's message, they would begin by saying (in King James English), "Thus saith the Lord." This short video contains some thoughts about "Thus saith the Lord preaching."

Being real or ideal

noreply@blogger.com (John Bell) — Fri, 21 Oct 2005 08:07:00 -0400

A great challenge in life is dealing with reality. What I mean is, how can we get to the heart of the matter? I'm convinced that people have major challenges in their lives, whether it be with their health, their family, their job, their future, their present. Whatever it is, people have significant questions and concerns.

The problem is how we deal with those concerns. One common response is denial, both by those with the concerns and those who know they have the concerns. We pretend the concerns go away by not paying attention to them. Sometimes that actually works. Yet usually this strategy only aggravates the problem.

So how can we get to the real issues rather than dealing with the idealistic view we often like to portray about ourselves and we like to assume about other people? A few thoughts:

Admit that the real issues are there, for me and for others. In other words, be honest with myself.
Be willing, in the right setting, to be honest with others. Somewhere, sometime, somehow, find someone wise to talk to.
Where you are in a position of leadership, model and encourage these things. And lead in the reality of these things. If you preach, address these issues, for they are an essential part of real life.

Spotaneous Ideas

noreply@blogger.com (John Bell) — Thu, 20 Oct 2005 15:54:00 -0400

Click here to view video

Spiritual Big Ideas

"Thus saith the Lord..."

Being real or ideal

Spotaneous Ideas