Man, home group was awesome. Kevin and Mandy and the rest of the adults put me to shame with their focus. They make everything about reaching out to people in the neighborhood. When we read scripture, they always relate it somehow to how we can minister to the needs of the neighborhood, and identify its needs. It's not about them. Instead it's about reaching others and glorifying God.
I look forward to my trip to Hungary, and I see myself inadequate and not ready. But I know that God will give me all I need. He will make me adequate, and prepare me. It seems as if he has already been doing this, because I recognize that my focus was wrong. Instead of praising God, and praying for us to make a difference, I focus on the flight and how long it will be. God help me to see things as they are! The stumbling stone is not as it looks, but it is a stepping-stone. It's my opportunity to maybe sit by a stranger and share what Jesus has done in my life. I should not look to gain anything from this trip, but instead be ready to give. God has given me life to the point where it overflows. I should share it. God help me to glorify you. Show me what true worship is.

Notes and inspirations from my spiritual reading (from A Guide To Prayer For Ministers And Other Servants)

Ministry is about liberty
Spirituality is about coming to God to find who he really is
Ministry's goal is to help others see that we have been liberated. It is done by serving
Spirituality's goal is to become liberated and to intercede for others. This is done by prayer.
We cannot liberate or show people true liberty if we are not liberated ourselves...and stay liberated...ministry's purpose is a reminder to stay focused on God, to stay liberated.
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"with all" - all! What is all? Ahh! This word, this concept so excites me and fills me with great expectation! All... is completeness and total surrender! What can happen when we worship "with all?" What will happen when God's people give everything up? Ahhh! I want this so bad. Lord teach me to give it all up. I'm not there yet. Teach me, show me, rub my face in it. Make me dead as dead can be! If sin is still alive, I cannot live. Put me to death because I cannot stand a life of sin!
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Galatians 1:11-24...
Look at Paul's life.
Sin and grace battle
Hate and love war over the soul
It is torture
It is pain when grace and love come into a life of sin and hate.
One must die
One must leave go flee
It is painful to die
It is as if my heart and soul is regurgitating
My heart sings with overwhelming joy
But a sword has pierced my soul
Hah
It is the word of God that pierces me.
It makes me free! It makes me free!
And when people see what God has done
They will praise the Lord
Just as God changed Paul
So God changes me


ps Love does make man a fool

Never mind about the 3:49 post. blogger can get crazy.
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The post below is really half as long as it looks. That's because I posted it twice
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Phrases that describe Christian Leadership and Ministry...
-"These promises...have to be...made visible...take away the veil that covers its hidden potential"
--- Emphasizing the fact that a leader must make his vision clear. Not to present it, but to manifest it into the minds of his fellow worshipers in order to make it become reality.

Ex. "you will carry my gospel...to all the ends of the earth" (Acts1: 8, my paraphrase) the Holy Spirit would bring the manifestation of this vision.
--- Jesus stated it, but then gave the means to help them understand and make it their own mission.

"Eyes to see the flower breaking through the cracks in the street... hands to feel new life under the cover of death and destruction"

"Ministry...in service of others, new life can be brought about"

"To move away from the safe place and enter [the] unknown"

It's foolish, it's crazy...but it's ministry, and it's our calling.

Though there are Pauls and Peters and Moses' and Elijahs, but I believe that God still calls all of his children to do great things; to effect people in great ways, even in our daily lives.
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Psalm 62:2
"He alone is my rock and my salvation, he is my fortress, I will never be shaken."
-I have only come to the full understanding of this verse when I was under intense trial and when it seemed as if demons force temptation upon everywhere I turned. I once attempted to make sense of such symbolism, even writing a sermon about the same stuff in Ephesians 6. However I could not fully comprehend such dependence until it experienced it. My view is that only God can show us how to hide behind his name that we may be spared from sin or from anxiety. It can only be learned by experience. We can know what the sword of the spirit, the helmet of salvation, etc. are, but we can't understand them unless God teaches us through such a trial.