I just received word that actor Andy Griffith passed away this morning at the age of 86. Although his career was marked by various successes, he will be best remembered as Sheriff Andy Taylor of Mayberry. The Andy Griffith Show will forever be remembered as an icon of American television. And deservedly so! I still laugh out loud when watching the exploits of Andy, Barney, and the Mayberrry citizenship. Several biblical principles come to mind when considering The Andy Griffith Show. They include:
*Simplicity. It's the simple things that can make us the happiest. Simplicity makes contentment shine.
*Family and Community. The people around us are gifts from God. Granted, some require diligent patience and care, but, at some point, we are all on that list. That's why the rule of love is so important.
*Laughter. The Bible tells us that laughter is a great medicine. That's why The Andy Griffith Show is such a great prescription. How can we watch Otis or listen to Floyd and not laugh?
*Resolution. At the end of each episode, life was seen as back to normal in Mayberry. Problems solved. Relationships mended. Criminals jailed. Barney humbled (sometimes). While life is not a sitcom with convenient and quick resolutions, we trust that in the end everything will be O.K. Why? Because God said so! And like Andy and Barney on the front porch at the close of the day, we can share the same peace and tranquility knowing that all is well because of Jesus. Thanks, Andy, for the fond memories. We will miss you.
p.s.- For laughs courtesy of Mayberry, check out some of my Mayberry Monday entries from the first year of this blog.
Tuesday, July 3, 2012
Monday, July 2, 2012
Attitude Adjustment
Today is Monday; need an "attitude adjustment"? If so, this post is for you. If your attitude is fine today, then read this and store it away for future reference. At some point you'll likely need it! It's taken from James MacDonald's book Lord, Change My Attitude. MacDonald writes:
"Looking a little closer at Numbers 11:1, it's hard to miss the fact that we choose our attitudes. That's a short sentence and you might be speed reading, so let me say it again: We choose our attitudes! Oh, yes, we do! They don't choose us; we choose them. You should see the looks I get when I teach this truth publicly. People get all uptight and angry looking, like they're going to storm the platform, and I understand why. Nobody wants to be told 'Your attitude problem is in the mirror'-but it is. Until we embrace as fact the idea that we choose our attitudes, we will never be able to choose differently, and life will always be like a wilderness. Notice what Numbers 11:1 says: the people! They couldn't point the finger anywhere but at themselves...Back to God's word: 'The people became like those who complain.' Why did they become like that? Because they had to? Because someone forced them, because of the way they were brought up? No; they chose. They had good reasons not to complain; they had more than enough reasons to be thankful. Instead, they chose the attitude of complaining. God's final judgment on their attitudes clearly held them accountable for their choosing."
"Looking a little closer at Numbers 11:1, it's hard to miss the fact that we choose our attitudes. That's a short sentence and you might be speed reading, so let me say it again: We choose our attitudes! Oh, yes, we do! They don't choose us; we choose them. You should see the looks I get when I teach this truth publicly. People get all uptight and angry looking, like they're going to storm the platform, and I understand why. Nobody wants to be told 'Your attitude problem is in the mirror'-but it is. Until we embrace as fact the idea that we choose our attitudes, we will never be able to choose differently, and life will always be like a wilderness. Notice what Numbers 11:1 says: the people! They couldn't point the finger anywhere but at themselves...Back to God's word: 'The people became like those who complain.' Why did they become like that? Because they had to? Because someone forced them, because of the way they were brought up? No; they chose. They had good reasons not to complain; they had more than enough reasons to be thankful. Instead, they chose the attitude of complaining. God's final judgment on their attitudes clearly held them accountable for their choosing."
Friday, June 29, 2012
I'm Back!
I have had extensive difficulty with my blogger/post connection. It now seems as though things have been remedied. Thanks for your patience. Here is a great little story from Henry Blackaby. Hope it makes us think!
"The story is told of a godly man who sought to read his Bible and pray every morning for an hour before he went about his other chores and responsibilities. He generally spent this time with the Lord in the privacy of his own bedroom before joining others in his family for breakfast. The man was faithful in his discipline, but sometimes found that he became sidetracked when his cat wandered into his room and began to purr loudly as it rubbed against his pant leg. The solution to this problem? He leashed the cat to one of the bedposts while he spent his time reading and praying.
The man's son witnessed the behavior of his father. He grew up admiring his father's devotion and as he became an adult and moved out on his own, he sought to copy his father's discipline. He bought a cat and tied it to the bedpost just as his father had done, and then spent a little time reading his Bible and praying-unless, of course, he was running late. On most days, he spent only a few minutes in his devotional time, but he never failed to leash the cat to the bedpost.
That man, in turn, had a son who also admired his father and sought to be just like him. When he became an adult, he purchased a cat and faithfully leashed it to the bedpost each morning as he was getting dressed and ready for the day. When his little boy asked him why he was doing that, he replied, 'I'm not quite sure, but my father always leashed his cat to the bedpost and he was a good man who loved God. I think maybe tying the cat to the bedpost was a part of his faith ritual. So I tie the cat to the bedpost, too.' Is there something in your life that has no real spiritual meaning, but which you regularly do?"
"The story is told of a godly man who sought to read his Bible and pray every morning for an hour before he went about his other chores and responsibilities. He generally spent this time with the Lord in the privacy of his own bedroom before joining others in his family for breakfast. The man was faithful in his discipline, but sometimes found that he became sidetracked when his cat wandered into his room and began to purr loudly as it rubbed against his pant leg. The solution to this problem? He leashed the cat to one of the bedposts while he spent his time reading and praying.
The man's son witnessed the behavior of his father. He grew up admiring his father's devotion and as he became an adult and moved out on his own, he sought to copy his father's discipline. He bought a cat and tied it to the bedpost just as his father had done, and then spent a little time reading his Bible and praying-unless, of course, he was running late. On most days, he spent only a few minutes in his devotional time, but he never failed to leash the cat to the bedpost.
That man, in turn, had a son who also admired his father and sought to be just like him. When he became an adult, he purchased a cat and faithfully leashed it to the bedpost each morning as he was getting dressed and ready for the day. When his little boy asked him why he was doing that, he replied, 'I'm not quite sure, but my father always leashed his cat to the bedpost and he was a good man who loved God. I think maybe tying the cat to the bedpost was a part of his faith ritual. So I tie the cat to the bedpost, too.' Is there something in your life that has no real spiritual meaning, but which you regularly do?"
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
Learning To Listen!
Listening to a sermon can be a daunting task. There can be major distractions, everything from screaming babies to snoring neighbors (don't laugh-this really happened to me). Granted, there are many things that occur during a sermon that we simply can't control, including the preacher himself. But there are many things that we can control, at least to a point. This is the first in a series of posts concerning how to listen effectively to a sermon. For a more complete reading on the subject, find a copy of Christopher Ash's booklet Listen Up! He has some great ideas and thoughts, some of which I will cover in the coming posts. I hope these are a help to you. Enjoy.
L2L (Learning To Listen) Point #1:
PRAY. PRAY. PRAY. This one is so simple, yet probably the most overlooked aspect of listening to a sermon. And it might be the most important. Honestly, how often do you ask God to allow you to hear the things you need to hear? And after you hear them, how often do you ask God to let those things be received into your life and applied in tangible ways? How do you deal with those things that are shared with which you initially disagree? How about those things that are particularly tedious/challenging/convicting? I cannot effectively listen apart from communicating with God. The quality of my listening, and the results that should follow, are contingent upon prayer. So...start praying now for Sunday's message, lifting up both speaker and listener to the Lord. Praying people make better listeners.
L2L (Learning To Listen) Point #1:
PRAY. PRAY. PRAY. This one is so simple, yet probably the most overlooked aspect of listening to a sermon. And it might be the most important. Honestly, how often do you ask God to allow you to hear the things you need to hear? And after you hear them, how often do you ask God to let those things be received into your life and applied in tangible ways? How do you deal with those things that are shared with which you initially disagree? How about those things that are particularly tedious/challenging/convicting? I cannot effectively listen apart from communicating with God. The quality of my listening, and the results that should follow, are contingent upon prayer. So...start praying now for Sunday's message, lifting up both speaker and listener to the Lord. Praying people make better listeners.
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
An Upside-Down World!
Tomorrow I am going to begin a short posting series that centers on the topic of learning to listen effectively to your pastor's sermon. For today, here is another excerpt from the book Die Young: Burying Yourself In Christ. In the upside-down world of Christianity, everything is different. Less is more. Death is life. And weak becomes the new strong. Consider:
"In the Christian life, unlike the world around us, weakness, not strength, is a valuable commodity. We have access to the throne of God, not because of our brute strength or steady determination to obey every minute detail of the law, but because of the confession of our inability to do any of it on our own. It is through weakness that we first utter the words, 'Dear God, save me.'"
"In the Christian life, unlike the world around us, weakness, not strength, is a valuable commodity. We have access to the throne of God, not because of our brute strength or steady determination to obey every minute detail of the law, but because of the confession of our inability to do any of it on our own. It is through weakness that we first utter the words, 'Dear God, save me.'"
Friday, May 4, 2012
Not Intimidated!
I recently completed a seven-week sermon series taken from Paul's letter to Titus. From our inferences from Paul's writing, coupled with historical accounts, we can safely say that the people of Crete were quite the challenge to disciple. But Paul reminds us that the gospel is truly sufficient for all things...and for all people! We may have tendencies to be become intimidated by others, particularly by those that we view as, well, intimidating. The gospel, however, is "God's power for salvation to everyone who believes." And Paul instructed Titus in relation to the gospel. The Cretans, as hardened as they were, needed the message of Jesus. Paul was confident that this message was sufficient enough to do all that needed to be done among the Cretans: establish and care for local churches, ensure sound teaching, correct wrong doctrine and behavior, lead people into good works, keep a godly focus, and support the cause of the gospel elsewhere. So what do we learn from this? If the Good News was all that was needed for the people of Crete, that is all that is needed for the people of today. Whether they be the people of our own churches, the people that live across town, or the people a thousand miles away, the gospel is all-sufficient in saving them and supplying their needs. Unleash it and let it do its work.
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
Desiring Less to Have More
"Part of the death that leads to righteousness (Romans 6:16) as you die young is learning to die to your desire for stuff-the definition of stuff being anything other than God. And while stuff isn't inherently evil, the position we give it in our hearts can be. Face it-less isn't something most of us are excited about getting, unless it's less of something bad. 'Dear God, give me less good stuff' has probably never been your prayer."
Hayley & Micheal Dimarco, Die Young: Burying Yourself In Christ
Prayer Challenge: Ask God to reveal something that exists in abundance in your life. It may be clothes, shoes, tools, money, toys, furniture, books, etc...Anything, really. Then ask God what He would have you do with those things that you could be a blessing to someone else. Remember: Having less is actually more! Learn to let go of "stuff".
Hayley & Micheal Dimarco, Die Young: Burying Yourself In Christ
Prayer Challenge: Ask God to reveal something that exists in abundance in your life. It may be clothes, shoes, tools, money, toys, furniture, books, etc...Anything, really. Then ask God what He would have you do with those things that you could be a blessing to someone else. Remember: Having less is actually more! Learn to let go of "stuff".
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