Transforming Thots

Life Is Short and Precious!

2010-10-01T17:22:00.000-07:00

This past week I was once again reminded that our life on this earth is short as I participated in the memorial service for a church member - but most important of all, a very close friend. She will be greatly missed not only by her husband and family but also by many others - e.g. myself, my wife and our small group.

Her death reminded me once again how short life is and that we never know when God will call us home. The Bible tells us that our days on this earth are number - I think we all hope and pray that those "numbered days" are many!

Her death reminded me of the importance of making and taking time for people. As I talked with, sat with, cried with and prayed with the family while they went through all of this God impressed on me the importance of relationships and taking time for people. It's so easy today to be "busy" with life and neglect being there for our family and friends in times of need.

God has created us for relationship. Our most important relationship is that personal relationship with Him through Jesus Christ. Then comes our relationship with our spouse, the our children, and then others.

God impressed on me these past few days that I shouldn't get so caught up with other things in life (work, hobbies, etc.) that I neglect my relationship with people.

What do you think?

The 10 Greatest Struggles of Your Life

2009-07-15T12:30:00.000-07:00

It's been awhile since I've blogged, so, I thought I'd better get back to doing it before I forget how to do it.

I just completed a Bible study, The 10 Greatest Struggles of Your Life written by Colin Smith with a wonderful group of people in our church. The study is centered around the 10 Commandments. Smith gives a twist to the 10 Commandments in that he refers to them as the "10 promises" from God. Now that's something to stop and think about. How many of you think of the 10 Commandments in a "negative way" - a list of don'ts?

In the study it's brought out that when we come into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ we are then empowered by the Holy Spirit to overcome temptation and the power of sin controlling our lives is broken. For example, instead of looking at the 8th commandment as a "don't do this" look at as a promise from God - God has empowered me not to steal.

God wants to impart to each one of us a life that is complete and satisfying (John 10:10). The Christian life is not a list of "do nots" but instead a life of "do this and live"!

How do you see the 10 Commandments in your life?

10 Keys For Unlocking the Bible ...

2009-01-08T07:20:00.000-08:00

Are you looking for a way to "invest" into your spiritual growth for the year 2009?

I would encourage you to sign up for my class on "10 Keys For Unlocking the Bible" which is going to begin on Monday, January 19th. We will meet each Monday evening at 6:30 pm for 10 weeks.

This is a class that will change your life! It is a simple yet profound study. It will give you a complete overview or big picture of the Bible story. Many people think the Bible is two stories (the Old Testament and the New Testament). It is all one story that begins in a garden and ends in a city, and all the way through it points to Jesus Christ.

In this class you will learn "10 Keys" that will help you see and remember the whole story from Genesis to Revelation.

You can register for the class on our website: www.fbc-cs.org

I'll look forward to seeing you on Monday, January 19th at 6:30 pm

- rwsmith

SUCCESS ...

2008-12-30T11:47:00.000-08:00

What is it? How do you define it for your life?

This word comes up often in our thinking and our conversations with others. As a Christ-follower we often struggle when we are confronted with this word in our lives and ministries.

I think a lot of us struggle with how to define "success" in our lives. For Christmas my wife gave me a copy of the book "The Winners Manual" written by Jim Tressel, head football coach of the Ohio State Buckeyes (go Buckeyes!!!). I had read through this book earlier (my wife had secured me a copy from our public library - my wife takes great care of me). It was so good that I decided I would like to have a copy of my own to reread and to mark up. In this book Coach Tressel attempts to answer the question, "What does it really mean to be a winner?" On the book jacket, Coach Tressel, states "We call it the Winners Manual - a personal playbook for success (I added the empahsis here), filled with insights on what it takes to be a winner in the game of life from some of the greatest coaches, athletes, winners, thinkers, and leaders in the world." There is that word "success" again. I don't have what I would consider to be a great definition of what success is but I do know that I want to do all I can to be the person that Jesus wants me to be in living for and in serving Him. So, that's why I'll continue my journey in life and in search of "success" from a biblical point of view.

By the way, I just happened to "catch" part of a message last night by Ed Young, Senior Pastor of Fellowship Church in Dallas, TX. He defined success as "walking and living in the will of God daily." I think that is one of the best definitions of success for a Christ-follower that I've heard. What do you think?

By the way, why don't you purchase a copy of "The Winners Manual" and let me know what you think of it???

-rwsmith

Deal No Deal

2008-01-03T07:43:00.000-08:00

Fellow staff members have been giving me a "hard" time for quite awhile for not blogging. They each have their own "blogs". So, to quiet them and to challenge myself in a new exercise I've "officially" entered the world of blogging.

There's a game show on TV that I have found to be entertaining, challenging and relaxing for me to watch. It's called "DEAL or NO DEAL". My wife even gave me my own personal electronic game of this show so that I can play it interactively on our TV.

In case you haven't seen the show, it is hosted by Howie Mandel (who is an interesting character himself). Twenty-six lovely ladies carrying 26 briefcases enter the stage. Each of the cases has a dollar amount in it ranging from one cent to one million dollars. A contestant selects a briefcase that they believe the million dollars is in. The contestant begins picking other cases - a few at a time - trying to work their way to the million dollars - BUT - after every few cases - there's a banker who offers a certain amount of money to try to buy them out of the game.

The show's host, Howie, then looks at the contestant and asks the question, "DEAL or NO DEAL"? The contestant has to decide whether to take the offer and end the game or keep playing.

In life God has made "deals" available to us as His creatures. He made Adam and Eve a deal, "The Lord God placed the man in the Garden of Eden to tend and care for it. But the Lord God gave him this warning: 'You may freely eat any fruit in the garden except fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. If you eat of its fruit, you will surely die'" (Genesis 2:15-17 NLT).

What was the deal? They could live in the Garden of Eden and have personal fellowship with God - IF - they just stayed away from one particular tree. Great deal - right?

But then Satan came along (in the form of a snake) and offered them another deal (which they took) and we all know what happened as result of that.

On the flip side of this WE make (or at least try to) deals with God. It goes something like this:

God, if you'll do this for me, I've got this great deal for You ...
- I'll begin tithing
- I'll start going to church
- I'll start going to church every Sunday (and possibly a Bible study too)
- I'll read my Bible every day
- I'll be less judgmental
- I'll quit smoking
- I'll quit drinking
- I'll quit swearing
- I'll quit gossiping
- I'll be more patient
- I'll love my wife, husband, or children more and spend more time with them
- I'll stop being unfaithful to my mate

On, and on we go.

What deals have you tried to make with God?

God offers us a deal - eternal life in Jesus Christ (Romans 6:23). It is only through Jesus that we can be forgiven of our sins and have a personal relationship with God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. ""There is salvation in no one else! There is no other name in all of heaven for people to call on to save them" (Acts 4:12 NLT).

What do you think - DEAL or NO DEAL????

- rwsmith