As Christians we live with the continual hope that Christ may return today, but part of today’s plan involves preparing for tomorrow. One of the primary leadership traits we find in God’s Word is the capacity for vision. Godly people are people with vision. They see as God sees. Their capacity doesn’t begin within themselves; it begins with God. It is He who opens their eyes. It is He who helps them see what others don’t see.
Godly vision helps us see many things, but among the greatest of these are God’s glory and purposes.
“Where there is no vision, the people perish” Proverbs 29:18
This verse literally tells us that when we do not hear from God, bad things happen. We can’t hope to lead God’s way if we can’t see God’s way.
The vision we’re talking about is not something we can measure with an eye chart at the doctor’s office. It’s vision from God, about God, in the service of God’s purposes.
One of the main reasons why people fail is because of Broken Focus.
You and I must realize that broken focus will destroy your dreams. In fact distraction from your assignment from God’s plan for your life will create an unending parade of tragedies and disappointments, even disaster in your life.
So stop looking at where you have been and start looking at where you can be.
This will not be easy; When you discover your assignment, you will discover your enemy. But Christ is with you!
Stay Focused. Stay Cool.
Deb & I are praying for you
See You IN CHURCH!
Got 6 minutes check out the attached Study: “Focused Vision”
Got 3 minutes check out this Video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OihvG607W-c
Listen, if we haven’t told you lately
It’s Great to have you as a part of our New Life Family!
Lots of new people coming to church….
Could we impose on you and ask you to leave your busy, tired, worn-out, grumpy, life has ripped me off, I’m only just making it myself, nobody cares about me, eeyore, attitude at home. Bring your Happy face mask and Connect with someone who just might need you to make them Somebody!
See You Sunday 9:30am or at our New Power packed Sunday night service “6:04” @ 6pm
At our first 6:04 service we had 350 in attendance! Wow…. See you this week.
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15 comments:
Great blog PM.....that is a great song. As I ride the subways of the city I have this song on my ipod....it's in my head...on my mind.
Proverbs 5:21 (English Standard Version)
21For(A) a man’s ways are(B) before the eyes of the LORD,and he(C) ponders[a] all his paths.
I pray God gives me His eyes more and more to help me know what to do and say to anyone who would cross my path that He can have me share as someone shared with me. Thank God for Lynn Schrader and Elder Jim Landers for chasing me and not giving up on me until I sat and listened to the Gospel years ago.
Praise Him \O/
I am so thankful that our Father is the God of the "Broken Focus". My prayer is that He gives us the gift to see through His eyes and and that our heartbeat is in tune with His
so we can see and feel with love and compassion all those who need His touch. Oh what a privilege it is for us to be used for the futherance of His blessed kingdom. Thanks again, Pastor Mark, for your guidance and your teaching. And thanks to you, Deb, for being the Godly woman and one of our mentors behind the scenes!
Hey Pastor Mark!
I love the new look of the blog, very nice! This week's blog is something I will definitely be focused on from now on. It's so easy to get distracted by life, especially when you have a to-do list that never seems to go away. My prayer is that I start putting God at the top of that to do list more than I ever have before. 604 last week was amazing! It was the first time I got to pray for someone, and for once all my worries just disappeared as I thought about the woman I prayed for and put my focus on her rather than myself. I thank God for that experience...I want to see his plan and vision, not my own. Our church is awesome...I'm so blessed to be a part of it! Hope you and Debbie have a great 4th of July! See you on Sunday :)
Whew... what else can I say! That's a powerful video with a great message. May it be so in my life, Lord! \o/
Pastor Mark, THANK YOU for taking some time to talk with me this evening after Service. It means so much more than words could express!
I also thank you for everything you share from the pulpit!!
I appreciate your willingness to share your wisdom! I come to you because I know I will get a straight answer, and a kick in the trousers when I need one!
These blogs... the recent Bible studies... so many things have been DIRECTLY and distinctly speaking to my heart for months, now! That's why I knew I needed to get at least a couple minutes with you. I have been praying sincerely,
"LORD, what am I missing? How am I not hitting YOUR mark for my life? Lead me, Lord, and I WILL follow! I WANT to do YOUR Will!"
Kim and I did talk in the car. We are both blessed and amazed with the Gift of Wisdom that God has given you! The ability to not even miss a "small, but important thing" and point it out. Kim mentioned that. :)
She said she wants to send you an e-mail, so I told her to just REPLY to one of the Selah's. :)
Anyway, my heart is open to anywhere and anything the LORD wants to do in and through me. I am soaking up these studies, with a very hungry spirit! I very much DO want MORE and MORE of Him!
I keep the Christ-centered music playing 24/7. I bring the ipod in the car, and to work. My boss loves this music, too, and we often play it in the shop. It frequently re-focuses my heart, mind, and spirit upon Him! Like the passage of Scripture in this week's blog study, reminding me that He truly is THE center of EVERYTHING, and I LOVE THAT!!! \o/
You're right, Pastor Mark... I'm a quirky person. Always have been. I just want those quirks to be molded into something HE can use, that brings HIM Glory! In Jesus' Name! \o/
oops! Again, I forgot to click the E-mail link! :P it's done now!
Wow! Awesome blog! That has trully been my prayer, that God will not only help me to prioritize that which is important, But to also focus on Him and not get distracted by all the silly things that take up my time and energy. God is so GOOD! I have been so blessed by the Selah's and Blogs. Thank you for all your encouragement and teaching!604 was an Awesome service last week, God really spoke to us (to me especially :)) Can't wait until this Sunday!
Hey guys, I know these long blogs seem like "epistles" (I don't mean it to), but it's just talking or sharing something that encouraged me during the old secret place time.....so forgive me, but I know you'll love the message.
I am reading the book "He Loves Me" by Wayne Jacobsen (get it thru amazon via our website...it's great) and there's a chapter entitled "The Hen and Her Chicks".....it speaks to what PM had mentioned about encouraging one another and I have been so taken by the message in this chapter I want to share it with you to encourage you as it does me.
The author lives in CA so he tells the story of some findings in a brush fire.....A group of firefighters were checking up on hot spots from the aftermath of a recent forest fire. As one fireman was walking down this trail looking at the blackened landscape and the wisps of smoke rising from the embers and he saw in the distance what appeared to be a large lump on the trail. As he approached it he saw it was the remains of a large bird. Puzzled, he thought to himself, was the bird sick or unable to fly that it would just lie down here and die in the fire...as he was about to move it aside with his boot, he was startled by what he saw. All of a sudden around his feet were a small group of chicks that had scrambled out from under the charred body of the large bird and scurried down the hillside. The bulk of the mother's body had covered and protected the chicks from the searing flames. Though the heat was enough to consume the mother, her babies were allowed to find safety underneath. In the face of the rising flames she had stayed with her young. She was the only hope for safety and she was willing to risk her own life by pure instinct to save the lives of her little ones, gathering them together and covering them with her own body (I know you're getting the picture). Even when the flames began to scorch her feathers and sear her neck, rather than fly away and start another family another day under better circumstances, she stayed with them and protected them....she gave her life for them. How on earth she did it, was told by her dead carcass covering those chicks....she made the ultimate sacrifice to save her young.
This illustrates the greater reality Jesus tried to express in
Matthew 23:37 (New Living Translation)
37 “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones God’s messengers! How often I have wanted to gather your children together as a hen protects her chicks beneath her wings, but you wouldn’t let me.
The creator of heaven and earth did the same exact thing to rescue his children from their own destruction. Despite the fact that we may fail him every day and for some even outright reject Him, His response is ALWAYS the same....HE LOVES US....ALWAYS DOES....ALWAYS WILL !!!! SELAH SELAH !!
I pray you can be encouraged by this simple story with such a profound message.
Philippians 2
1So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from(A) love, any(B) participation in the Spirit, any(C) affection and sympathy, 2(D) complete my joy by being(E) of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind.
Praise Him \O/ see u in church
Hey PM I just watched the Prayer video on our website with Jim Cymbala....it was great...he is so right....we are nothing and can do nothing without prayer.
Hebrews 4:15-16 (Amplified Bible)
15For we do not have a High Priest Who is unable to understand and sympathize and have a shared feeling with our weaknesses and infirmities and liability to the assaults of temptation, but One Who has been tempted in every respect as we are, yet without sinning.
16Let us then fearlessly and confidently and boldly draw near to the throne of grace (the throne of God's unmerited favor to us sinners), that we may receive mercy [for our failures] and find grace to help in good time for every need [appropriate help and well-timed help, coming just when we need it].
Praise Him in Song and Prayer \O/
Wow! What a time we had at 6.04 tonight. “ Holy communion” Holy Worship. Holy fellowship.
Do not miss 6.04 on Sunday nights. AWESOME !!!!
Commenting on that last comment... about "604". WOW! \o/ Both Kim and I absolutely LOVE it!
We have been regular 6PM attendees for YEARS, so we would have been there anyway... but we really like the new format! Somehow, the dim lights make the worship much more intimate! \o/
Four thumbs-up over here!!
\o/ \o/
Hey Pastor Mark, I visited you tube and was blessed by this young man and his heart's desire to have God's eyes. It's now my own prayer. God, help me see the hurting, the desperate, the lonely, the fogotten. Once you show them to me, use me to make a difference in their lives.
It was my first 604 last night - I can miss 6 pm service during the summer months (as our summers are SO short in Connecticut and I need to walk the beach and spend time out in the weather when I can), but I won't miss a night of Communion and the special worship. Was not God's presence practically tangible? Wow! I loved the dimmed lights, loved the intimacy of the atmosphere. Jason is such a blessing...what a great church we have!
God bless you & Deb and the whole New Life Family.
The new look of the blog is nice, but I miss the scruffy smiling face!
man tonite's service was truly awesome... these 604 services are turning out to be personal favorites... If you're not coming, YOU"RE REALLY MISSING OUT ON SOMETHING SPECIAL... Hopefully we can get as many people there on sunday mornings to go back at night... GOD"S DOING SPECIAL THINGS @ NEW LIFE... dont miss out
I read this article at the bank today and couldnt believe my eyes... THE RAPTURE IS RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER... what would we be doing if we knew it could happen today?
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/currency/5796892/Russian-President-Dmitry-Medvedev-pulls-new-world-currency-from-his-pocket.html
Hi Pastor,
Once again...awesome blog and study. Great tools to help keep us on the right road through this journey called "life". Fantastic 604 last night...again! What a service. Incredible to say the least. If you're not here on Sunday nights....you're missing out big time.
I love you man.....Shane
Great study!! Great new look to the website. Looks fresh!
This verse of scripture reminds me of the bible study PM did last year on leadership vision. What cought my attention about thy study was when PM said "when something is stated in scripture, it can most often be said the the opposite is true". (coincidently, I listened to that study today on my way down to TX)
So, it's good to remember that where there IS vision, there is life/ the people flourish!
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