Ministry in Motion

Remember the children's book, The Little Engine That Could . It’s an illustrated children's book published in the 1930’s about a little train engine. The underlying theme — a stranded train is unable to find an engine willing to take it on a journey over difficult terrain to its final destination. Only the little blue engine is willing to try, while repeating the mantra: "I think I can, I think I can." Encouraged, the little engine that thought it could…did. She completed the mission and saved the day. During the early days of the church the Apostle Paul wrote to the Church at Thessalonica saying: "...So encourage each other and give each other strength..."   Everyone can use a little encouragement from time to time.  Are you an encourager? If you are, then you are the one who urges others become more effective. Encouragers help others take the next step they might not take on their own. They think of others first. They are less likely to take credi

Have you ever muttered, I need to change? Henry David Thoreau wrote: "Things do not change, we do." Most people, if asked, would say they prefer not to change. Seriously, change can difficult! Former president John F. Kennedy said: "Change is the law of life..." It's going to happen. A lot of times we think we're waiting on God to change us. Not necessarily. There's a better chance God is waiting on you to change. He's waiting on you to say, Yes, Lord, I'm willing to make the revisions You think are necessary. Frankly, good Godly change requires a choice - it requires new thinking, like asking God: Are my ways your ways, Lord? If asked in sincerity, and with resolve, the Holy Spirit will show you the modifications that are needed in your life ... and help you make them. He'll help you make changes that are far beyond anything you thought or dreamed possible. Real change, radical Godly change, may not necessarily happen overnight. Be patient,

History says Ben Franklin did it. Mr. Franklin only came to Philadelphia because he ran away from his family in Boston. Harry Houdini was guilty of it too.  Houdini was a  master showman. He pulled his first disappearing act when he ran away from home at the age of 12. And Jonah.   Jonah's story is way more than a fish tail. He too ran away. "...One day the Lord told Jonah... to go to the great city of Nineveh...Instead, Jonah ran from the Lord..."  In a brief four-chapter book sandwiched between Obadiah and Micah, Jonah attempted to escape from God's directions. He was trying to escape the call that God had placed on his life, by doing what he thought was best; fear and pride cause him to run from God. Jonah’s ill-advised attempt to escape from God was doomed to fail, because he soon realized God was with him everywhere he went. The same holds true for you and me. Consider that your purpose is not just about you; it’s about what God wants to do through you. A

From the Book of James: “...Admit your faults to one other..."   While in college I watched the 1970’s TV sitcom series Happy Days. One iconic character was Arthur Fonzarelli, Fonzie. A running gag in the show was Fonzie's inability to admit a mistake. The first two words, "I was," came out fine, but it was that third one, "wrong," that always tripped him up. Try as he might the Fonz simply couldn't admit an error. "I was wrrrr-rrr-rrr" was about the closest he could get. Decades later, I marvel at how many of us are personified by this all-too-human shortcoming. Having the courage to admit we've screwed up is one of the hardest things to do. The writer of Proverbs 28:13 penned this:  “…A man who refuses to admit his mistakes can never be successful. But if he confesses and forsakes them, he gets another chance…”  One of the most helpful things you can do is forgive others who have erred and admit your faults. Giving and