Jan

I am really fired up about our first series of 2010!  This coming Sunday, we start “One Month To Live” which is based, in part, on the book by Chris and Kerry Shook.

Phillip will kick this series off with an overview talk of what it looks like to live a “No Regrets” life.   Over the next several weeks we will walk through and dig into God’s word and discover four principles of intentional living.  Our hope and prayer is that we will all learn what it means to:

Live Passionately

Love Completely

Learn Humbly  and

Leave Boldly

Our “theme” verse for this series is “Teach us to number our days and recognize how few they are; help us to spend them as we should.”  Psalms 90:12 (LB)

If you live in the Aiken County area you can join us Sunday mornings for this series at one of our three campuses of Cedar Creek Church.  Click here for more information, service times or directions to a campus near you or to join us for the messages online.

One Month To Live Challenge

• Ask everyday – What would I do if I had one month to live?
• Get connected with a H.O.M.E. Group to fully experience this series!

Jan

This is the “Holbrook paraphrase:”

The Law of Requisite Variety states that for a system to thrive and sustain, it must generate and encourage variety within it’s internal structures.  Clear?

Ok.  A little more simplified and cliche’…routine is the enemy!

Basically, this is why your body plateaus every two weeks of doing the exact same exercise and you see no further improvement.  Your body will find the most efficient way to do whatever you ask it to do and, without variety of exercises, you fail to experience increased strength or endurance.  That’s why mixing up workouts, increasing load or duration always produces positive results.

Spiritually, we do the same thing without even realizing it.  Sing the same song week in and week out, pray the same exact prayer everytime you eat a meal, structure a service the exact same way every week and, soon enough, it becomes routine…rote…ritual.  Growth stops.  Interaction ceases.  You check out.  The words no longer mean anything, you don’t actually think about what you’re thanking God for and you do not experience worship anymore.  You plateau.  You slump.

The sacred becomes routine.

What is the sacred or special in your life that has become routine?

Maybe it’s in your relationship with your spouse…

Maybe it’s in the way you interact with God’s word…

Maybe it’s you talking AT God and not listening TO God…

Maybe it’s in the way you serve…or don’t serve…

Most of the time, to break out of the slump, it requires just a simple change.  Often a little variety helps break the stagnation.

Always do your quiet time in the same place?  Move.

Always read the NIV translation?  Try KJV or NLT or The Message paraphrase.

Always pray the exact same prayer?  Talk to God and LISTEN.  Don’t just demand whatever it is you think you need without ever spending time being still…and quiet.

Not connected in a HOME group and part of a Sunday morning team?  Take a step.  Visit a group (or two) and volunteer.

It’s a new year and time to get out of the rut!

Jan

There is something about a cow.  I’m not really sure what IT is but they are…cute…in an ugly sort of way.  They are big, even the young ones, and they are curious.  So are kids…curious, that is.

Outdoors, you can’t help but see God’s handiwork displayed in all of His creation.  Even…in the face of a cow.

For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities–his eternal power and divine nature–have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.  Romans 1:20(NIV)

Jan

Alright…the question is, “What is your plan for reading through God’s word this year?”

Do you have a plan?  If not, let me make a recommendation…YOUVERSION.  The folks at Lifechurch.tv have put together a great, free resource.

www.youversion.com is an online Bible in different languages and different translations.  They also have 20 suggested reading plans that you can personalize and use this coming year.  It syncs up to Iphone and Blackberry or other “smart” phones and has an online journal to keep up with your writings and notes as you read.

I have picked mine and started reading.  What say you?  Do you have a plan?  Comment back here and let me know which one you go with!

Jan

Happy New Year everyone.

I have finally put together my list of books “to read” for this coming year.  If you’re interested, you can check them out here.  Not sure which one I’m most excited about getting to, however, I think “Last Child in the Woods” is high on my list.  Given the theme, and my heart for the woods, I am very interested to see what the author has to say.  I have long believed that much of our ills as a society stem from kids with nothing to do and a general lack of interest / opportunity to explore the great outdoors.

Peace to you and yours this year.

May 2010 be our best yet!