Word for Today, Tue, 18 Jul 2000: Really Caring

#1 · July 18, 2000, 1:11 am

Quote from Forum Archives on July 18, 2000, 1:11 am
Posted by: masinick <masinick@...>

Dear friends,

There is a Mega-church in California. I believe it is called the
Willow Creek Church. Over 10,000 people regularly attend this church,
if I have the numbers right. Numbers are not that important, except,
perhaps, to indicate that they just might be doing something right at
that church.

Bill Hybels, the pastor and visionary of that church, spoke at an
evangelistic conference in Boston last winter. This past Sunday, I
viewed a videotape of that conference. I got a chance to appreciate,
for the first time, just why that church is so popular. I think they
do a lot of the "right things" from a marketing perspective - they play
contemporary music, they do fun things, but I do not think those are the
qualities that have caused them to flourish. No, I think it is a passion
and love for people, especially those who don't know or understand God,
that makes Willow Creek difrerent and special.

Bill was doing great about 7-10 years ago, but he became stressed out.
He visited a counselor, who suggested that he find a social outlet.
Bill always enjoyed sail racing before becoming a pastor, so he went
back to racing.

As Bill was praying one day, he wrote down some thoughts, and asked God
to do with him as HE would, and reveal to Bill His plan. Bill explained
that he sensed that "still, small, inner voice" saying, make a sail racing
team from men who are not Christians, and just watch what I do.

Bill thought, "No way", but He said, "Yes" to God, and was obedient.
At first, it was a real stressful thing for a well-known pastor like Bill
to hang out with womanizing, boozing, callous sailors, but Bill, over time,
became close friends with all of them.

After SEVEN long years, one of these friends, a man Bill calls "Dave",
came to a Christmas party at Bill's house. Just before leaving at the
end of the party, "Dave" told Bill that he "did the 'thing'". When Bill
asked what that meant, Dave said that he asked Jesus to have a personal
relationship with him, and forgive his sins.

Because of the willingness of Bill to step outside of his comfort zone
and love people like Dave, huge numbers of people have found out about
the amazing love of God.

My friends, this is germane to all of us, but especially to those of us
who are Christians, but have friends who are not Christian, maybe even
a husband or wife. Why is this SO important? Just because someone does
not share our faith, it does not mean that we cannot live in peace.

Jesus first loved us, and we sure weren't deserving of it. I know *I*
wasn't! But Jesus so captivated me by His wonderful kindness and non-
judgemental ways, that I could not resist Him. Those of us who preach
perfectionism, as far as I am concerned, are WAY OFF! Jesus did say,
"Be perfect, as your Father in heaven is perfect". But that does not
mean never making a mistake or never sinning. Jesus knows us all to
well to say or even think that. No, that passage simply means to be
all that you can be for God, and to fit into His plans, and to allow
God to lead us. He will take care of forgiving our sins, and refining
us, so that we stop continually sinning in the same way. Our job is to
seek Him and to love one another. We bumble and complicate this all the
time.

How about if we take a look at what Bill Hybels did with Dave and the
sailors, and do likewise, wherever we are today - home, work, school,
or in or neighborhoods, and on our roads!

Brother Brian

--- Karen Weber <[email protected]> wrote:
> Date: Mon, 17 Jul 2000 21:44:00 -0700
> To: [email protected]
> From: Karen Weber <[email protected]>
> Subject: Christian Thought for the day
>
>
> ~~~CAREWARE~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> This newsletter is careware. All I ask is that you
> do something kind for someone today. You could start
> by saying a prayer for me and my family as we
> continue to fight breast cancer. I have my third
> chemotherapy treatment today.
>
> ~~~VISIT US~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> We've got lots of postcards in addition to the quote
> cards you'll find at MotivationalQuotes.Com. Check out
> our original watercolors, beautiful desert blooms, and
> fun photographic explorations at:
> www.sperience.net/Post-Office/cardindex.shtml
> ~~~THE THOUGHT~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>
> To hate and to fear is to be psychologically
> ill. It is, in fact, the consuming illness of
> our time.
> H. A. Overstreet
>
> VERSE: You have heard that it was said, You shall
> love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I
> say to you, love your enemies, bless those who
> curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray
> for those who spitefully use you and persecute you,
> that you may be sons of your Father in heaven;
> for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the
> good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.
> Matthew 5:43-45
>
> PRAYER: Dear Lord, give me the strength to love
> those who are difficult. Thank you for giving
> me the wonderful example of your son, Jesus. Amen.
>
> ~~~KEYWORDS~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> hate fear emotions wellness
>
> Want to find more quotes about these keywords?
> motivationalquotes.com/cgi-bin/s/db.cgi
>
> ~~~POSTCARDS~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> Today's Bible verse can be sent as a postcard at:
> prayer-warriors.net/Postcards/loveverses.shtml
>
> Today's quote can be sent as a postcard at:
> www.motivationalquotes.com/quotes.shtml
>
> ~~~AUTHOR AND SOURCE~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>
> H. A. (Harry Allen) Overstreet (1875-1970)
> wrote on psychology, politics, and philosophy.
>
> Today's quote is from You Can't Afford the
> Luxury of a Negative Thought by Peter McWilliams
> http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0931580242/speriencecommaki
> http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0722534140/motivationalquot
>
> ~~~TODAY'S SPONSOR~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> Success Studios GoalPro!!! Two great versions:
>
> Success Studios Corporation has announced the
> launching of their latest success-management system:
> GoalPro. Now you may define, track, maintain, and
> achieve your success with the most effective
> success-management application on the web.
>
> GoalPro(tm) 5.0 for Windows: Download your 30-day
> trial version today and see for yourself why
> literally thousands of individuals look to Success
> Studios to manage their success efforts.
>
> www.goalpro.com/index.cfm?Id=10257
>
> ~~~INVITATION~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> Are you interested in sponsoring this list?
> mailto:[email protected]
>
> ~~~FREE STUFF~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>
> www.freebiestuff.com/free/esf4fx2821.htm
>
> ~~~GREAT LINKS~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> New at trivia.searchking.com/
> Ancestry * Chembytes Infozone * DoHistory Home *
> Entertaidom * India * Monty Python's Flying Circus
> Pablo Ruiz Picasso * The Academy of American
> Poets * Thomas Jefferson
>
>
> ~~~RECOMMENDED READINGS~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>
> Compassion and Self-Hate: An Alternative to Despair
> by Theodore Isaac Rubin
> http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0684841991/speriencecommaki
> http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0684841991/motivationalquot
>
> Healing Without Hate: How To Forgive To Live
> by Wendy R. Gladney
> http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/096777781X/speriencecommaki
>
> Prejudice: Stories About Hate, Ignorance,
> Revelation, and Transformation by Daphne Muse
> http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0786813105/speriencecommaki
> http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0786813105/motivationalquot
>
> Prisoners of Hate: The Cognitive Basis of Anger,
> Hostility, and Violence by Aaron T. Beck
> http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0060193778/speriencecommaki
> http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0060193778/motivationalquot
>
> Anxiety and Panic Attacks: Their Cause and Cure:
> The Five-Point Life-Plus Program for Conquering
> Fear by Robert Handly, Pauline Neff
>
> http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0449213315/speriencecommaki
> http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0449213315/motivationalquot
>

=====
--
Brian Masinick, "The Mas", mailto:[email protected]
Home page: www.geocities.com/masinick/
The Rules Have Changed...Get Paid to Surf the Web!
www.alladvantage.com/home.asp?refid=BKU-690

__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Get Yahoo! Mail Free email you can access from anywhere!
mail.yahoo.com/

Posted by: masinick <masinick@...>

Dear friends,

There is a Mega-church in California. I believe it is called the
Willow Creek Church. Over 10,000 people regularly attend this church,
if I have the numbers right. Numbers are not that important, except,
perhaps, to indicate that they just might be doing something right at
that church.

Bill Hybels, the pastor and visionary of that church, spoke at an
evangelistic conference in Boston last winter. This past Sunday, I
viewed a videotape of that conference. I got a chance to appreciate,
for the first time, just why that church is so popular. I think they
do a lot of the "right things" from a marketing perspective - they play
contemporary music, they do fun things, but I do not think those are the
qualities that have caused them to flourish. No, I think it is a passion
and love for people, especially those who don't know or understand God,
that makes Willow Creek difrerent and special.

Bill was doing great about 7-10 years ago, but he became stressed out.
He visited a counselor, who suggested that he find a social outlet.
Bill always enjoyed sail racing before becoming a pastor, so he went
back to racing.

As Bill was praying one day, he wrote down some thoughts, and asked God
to do with him as HE would, and reveal to Bill His plan. Bill explained
that he sensed that "still, small, inner voice" saying, make a sail racing
team from men who are not Christians, and just watch what I do.

Bill thought, "No way", but He said, "Yes" to God, and was obedient.
At first, it was a real stressful thing for a well-known pastor like Bill
to hang out with womanizing, boozing, callous sailors, but Bill, over time,
became close friends with all of them.

After SEVEN long years, one of these friends, a man Bill calls "Dave",
came to a Christmas party at Bill's house. Just before leaving at the
end of the party, "Dave" told Bill that he "did the 'thing'". When Bill
asked what that meant, Dave said that he asked Jesus to have a personal
relationship with him, and forgive his sins.

Because of the willingness of Bill to step outside of his comfort zone
and love people like Dave, huge numbers of people have found out about
the amazing love of God.

My friends, this is germane to all of us, but especially to those of us
who are Christians, but have friends who are not Christian, maybe even
a husband or wife. Why is this SO important? Just because someone does
not share our faith, it does not mean that we cannot live in peace.

Jesus first loved us, and we sure weren't deserving of it. I know *I*
wasn't! But Jesus so captivated me by His wonderful kindness and non-
judgemental ways, that I could not resist Him. Those of us who preach
perfectionism, as far as I am concerned, are WAY OFF! Jesus did say,
"Be perfect, as your Father in heaven is perfect". But that does not
mean never making a mistake or never sinning. Jesus knows us all to
well to say or even think that. No, that passage simply means to be
all that you can be for God, and to fit into His plans, and to allow
God to lead us. He will take care of forgiving our sins, and refining
us, so that we stop continually sinning in the same way. Our job is to
seek Him and to love one another. We bumble and complicate this all the
time.

How about if we take a look at what Bill Hybels did with Dave and the
sailors, and do likewise, wherever we are today - home, work, school,
or in or neighborhoods, and on our roads!

Brother Brian

--- Karen Weber <[email protected]> wrote:
> Date: Mon, 17 Jul 2000 21:44:00 -0700
> To: [email protected]
> From: Karen Weber <[email protected]>
> Subject: Christian Thought for the day
>
>
> ~~~CAREWARE~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> This newsletter is careware. All I ask is that you
> do something kind for someone today. You could start
> by saying a prayer for me and my family as we
> continue to fight breast cancer. I have my third
> chemotherapy treatment today.
>
> ~~~VISIT US~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> We've got lots of postcards in addition to the quote
> cards you'll find at MotivationalQuotes.Com. Check out
> our original watercolors, beautiful desert blooms, and
> fun photographic explorations at:
> http://www.sperience.net/Post-Office/cardindex.shtml
> ~~~THE THOUGHT~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>
> To hate and to fear is to be psychologically
> ill. It is, in fact, the consuming illness of
> our time.
> H. A. Overstreet
>
> VERSE: You have heard that it was said, You shall
> love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I
> say to you, love your enemies, bless those who
> curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray
> for those who spitefully use you and persecute you,
> that you may be sons of your Father in heaven;
> for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the
> good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.
> Matthew 5:43-45
>
> PRAYER: Dear Lord, give me the strength to love
> those who are difficult. Thank you for giving
> me the wonderful example of your son, Jesus. Amen.
>
> ~~~KEYWORDS~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> hate fear emotions wellness
>
> Want to find more quotes about these keywords?
> motivationalquotes.com/cgi-bin/s/db.cgi
>
> ~~~POSTCARDS~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> Today's Bible verse can be sent as a postcard at:
> prayer-warriors.net/Postcards/loveverses.shtml
>
> Today's quote can be sent as a postcard at:
> http://www.motivationalquotes.com/quotes.shtml
>
> ~~~AUTHOR AND SOURCE~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>
> H. A. (Harry Allen) Overstreet (1875-1970)
> wrote on psychology, politics, and philosophy.
>
> Today's quote is from You Can't Afford the
> Luxury of a Negative Thought by Peter McWilliams
> http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0931580242/speriencecommaki
> http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0722534140/motivationalquot
>
> ~~~TODAY'S SPONSOR~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> Success Studios GoalPro!!! Two great versions:
>
> Success Studios Corporation has announced the
> launching of their latest success-management system:
> GoalPro. Now you may define, track, maintain, and
> achieve your success with the most effective
> success-management application on the web.
>
> GoalPro(tm) 5.0 for Windows: Download your 30-day
> trial version today and see for yourself why
> literally thousands of individuals look to Success
> Studios to manage their success efforts.
>
> http://www.goalpro.com/index.cfm?Id=10257
>
> ~~~INVITATION~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> Are you interested in sponsoring this list?
> mailto:[email protected]
>
> ~~~FREE STUFF~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>
> http://www.freebiestuff.com/free/esf4fx2821.htm
>
> ~~~GREAT LINKS~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> New at trivia.searchking.com/
> Ancestry * Chembytes Infozone * DoHistory Home *
> Entertaidom * India * Monty Python's Flying Circus
> Pablo Ruiz Picasso * The Academy of American
> Poets * Thomas Jefferson
>
>
> ~~~RECOMMENDED READINGS~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>
> Compassion and Self-Hate: An Alternative to Despair
> by Theodore Isaac Rubin
> http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0684841991/speriencecommaki
> http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0684841991/motivationalquot
>
> Healing Without Hate: How To Forgive To Live
> by Wendy R. Gladney
> http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/096777781X/speriencecommaki
>
> Prejudice: Stories About Hate, Ignorance,
> Revelation, and Transformation by Daphne Muse
> http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0786813105/speriencecommaki
> http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0786813105/motivationalquot
>
> Prisoners of Hate: The Cognitive Basis of Anger,
> Hostility, and Violence by Aaron T. Beck
> http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0060193778/speriencecommaki
> http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0060193778/motivationalquot
>
> Anxiety and Panic Attacks: Their Cause and Cure:
> The Five-Point Life-Plus Program for Conquering
> Fear by Robert Handly, Pauline Neff
>
> http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0449213315/speriencecommaki
> http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0449213315/motivationalquot
>

=====
--
Brian Masinick, "The Mas", mailto:[email protected]
Home page: http://www.geocities.com/masinick/
The Rules Have Changed...Get Paid to Surf the Web!
http://www.alladvantage.com/home.asp?refid=BKU-690

__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Get Yahoo! Mail Free email you can access from anywhere!
mail.yahoo.com/