Don't sell yourself short!

Today I was notified that my article "Ten Ways to Keep that Fire Burning" made it on the top 200 list of syndicated articles. I got excited until I went to the list and found out that it ranked 143 out of 200, only 57 from the bottom of the list. Not much of an accomplishment I thought.
Then I looked at how many articles were submitted and my tune changed again. Over 72,000! Now instead of being 57 from the bottom I was in front of over 71,857 other articles! Talk about a difference. I thought the bottom was just below me and boy was I wrong!

If I didn't see the other side of the statistics, I may have stopped writing altogether because it looked as though I didn't have a chance at all of being successful at it.

How many times do people measure success using the wrong ruler?
How many live a life of depression because of a false sense of self worth?
How many stop short of something because they think success is so far away?

If you think everyone else is making more money than you; did you know that if you have some spare change in your car ashtray or on your dresser you are wealthier than over 90% of all the people on earth? So quit comparing yourself to the 10% of the population and look how you fair over the real numbers and keep on growing.

Are you complaining about all the people you know that have a nicer and bigger home than you? Did you know that 2.6 million people live in their cars? If you compare your home to theirs you are doing pretty good now aren't you?

Your marriage not what it should be? 56% are unhealthy, it's not just yours. So lay down the attitude that it is only you and your marriage and seek council so you can stay in the 46 percentile.

Your teen doesn't communicate the way they used to? No it may not be that you are a slack parent, most teens go though stages where they think they are "All That" or don't need anyone telling them anything. Calm down, they will get though it. Just love them anyway and stop feeling like a failure and get some advice.

The bottom line is that there is always something we can look at that will make us look like failures but at the same time, there is also always something out there that will make us look and feel successful. God tells us in His word that there is nothing new under the sun that man will go through, and with Him all things are possible.

If God didn't think you still had a chance and were valuable, do you really think He would allow you to use up oxygen for no good reason? I don't think so... He would take you home.

But since you are still breathing and obviously still able to read, lets focus on all the great things we have going for us and share them with others to make them feel good as well.

Get up and stop whining already!

It never ceases to amaze and even upset me when I speak with those who want change in their life and complain about the way things are but yet are unwilling to do anything about it.
When the man who was sick for 38 years complained about his condition and that no one would help him, Jesus didn't sit down, grab his hand and say, "Oh! You poor man, everyone is so mean spirited, I feel so bad for you." He said "Get up!" and it wasn't until the man make a conscience effort to get up that he got well.

If you want things to get better in your health, in your finances or in your relationships, GET UP! already and quit whining about it!

Remember, Jesus turned water into wine but he didn't turn the whiners into anything.

Why not right now, list everything about your life you do not like. Write each item down and then arrange them in the order of importance. Then and here comes the only thing that will make a difference. Get up and do something about it and start today! If you don't know where to start, email me and I will help you find the first step. bobwagner@bobwagner.org

Is Your Church Growth From Heavens Work or Hells?

“Churches that grow at the expense of another’s loss are prospering from the devil’s work.”

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In one of the towns I was ministering in there was a church that was experiencing explosive growth. In conversation with one of the pastors of this church I told him how much of a blessing it was to see his church growing so rapidly. I then asked him the following question: “Is your growth due to more un-churched people coming into fellowship or is it because there are so many other churches losing people?” His expression changed instantly from gladness to sadness. “Our growth is from other churches’ loss,” he humbly replied.

Churches that grow at the expense of another’s loss are prospering from the devil’s work. Don’t boast over that kind of growth. Open your doors to anyone who needs to be fed but if you really want to be successful in ministry you must teach your church how to evangelize the lost and un-churched. While a church should be a hospital for the sick, we are not called to create “Christian Maintenance Facilities.” We are called to create disciples and to reach the lost.

If your church is not teaching people how to handle the atheist and the agnostic, how to talk to the un-churched, their neighbors and loved ones, and how to lead people to the Lord, then it is not equipping them to accomplish the great commission. You must restructure what you are doing if you want to be in line with God’s word. There is plenty of material out there that will assist you. Why not call a meeting with your Pastor, Director of Education, or Sunday School Administrator and help them come up with a plan to do what Jesus asked you to do? Then you can boast in the Lord all you want

This posting is an excerpt from "Hey Church! Your Fly is Open!"