Shepherding

Shepherding is about being with your sheep when they need to feed and drink upon the word of God. Shepherding is less about being in meetings deciding church business and more about being with the flock. As Lynn Anderson titles his books, shepherds should smell like the sheep. Shepherding is less about being decision makers and more about encouraging, guiding, lifting up, and teaching.

"Shepherding the Flock"

Elders must shepherd as the Good Shepherd--with a love for the sheep to help bring them through this journey and into life with the Father. Elders must avoid managing. Don't treat the Lord's church as you treat your employees. Employees seem to be expendable, sheep are not.

Dealing With Difficult People

My sermon this Sunday, March 28th is entitled, Dealing With Difficult People. I have more material than I can possibly present in a sermon on one Sunday. So I'm giving some of the message here rather than in my sermon.
Here are some facts about the difficult people that we come across in our lives.
9 Types of Difficult People
1. The serman tank will run right over you.
2. The star performer is entitled to your preferential treatment,
3. The megaphone will talk your ear off.
4. The bubble buster deflates everyone's enthusiasm
5. The volcano has a temper like Mt. Saint Helens.
6. The cry baby is a chronic complainer
7. The nit picker is an unpleasant perfectionist.
8. The backbiter is a master of calculated rumor.
9. The space cadet is on a different wave length.
by Brook Faulkner

8 Truths About Difficutl People
1. Everybody has one
2. Everybody becomes one to somone
3. We cannot change them but we can learn to relate to them.
4. We will not get along equally with everyone (some may not like us).
5. We should not expect everyone to agree with, like, or love us all the time.
6. We must manage our expectation of others and ourselves.
7. We give up to soon on some relationships.
8. We get a long best when we mature spiritual and emotionally.
by Bob Sheffield

The sermon is entiitled Dealing With Difficult People. The scope of the sermon is to discuss 7 practical biblical ways in which we are taught in dealing with difficult people. The message is for everyone because everybody has at least one difficult person in their lives.

My Current Top Ten Favorite Places To Eat

1. Antonio's in Burleson - they have the best fajitas.
2. Pei Wei - they have three dishes that I choose from.
3. Chan's in Mesquite - Hunan Chicken and they have the best egg rolls.
4. Firehouse Subs - The Hook n' Ladder Sandwich.
5. Genghis Grill - A new one opened right by the church building in Mansfield.
6. Soup & Salad in Arlington - It's clean, neat, and not very expensive.
7. Carino's - I always order the Skillet Spaghetti.
8. Cotton Patch - they have a good hamburger.
9. Rice Xpress in Mansfield/Arlington - They have a meal called Happy Family that is great.
10. Chipotle's - Debby doesn't like it so I go at lunch. A new one opened on South Cooper.

And with a diet coming up I will only be able to dream about these places.

Gotta Love Family

Family is great. Here are ten things I love about family:
1. A beautiful wife who was and still is an excellent mother to the kids.
2. Three awesome daughters who love being with mom and dad.
3. Four wonderful grandkids: Amaya, Caden, Jordan and Sadie.
4. Two good son-in-laws who are good dads.
5. Loving great grandparents: Pat (Grandma), Tex (Poppie), Mary Jane (Meme or Grommy), Doug (Papa), Sandy (Nawna)
6. Brothers, sisters, nieces, nephews, aunts, and uncles.
7. Family gatherings especially, Thanksgiving and Christmas.
8. Birthdays celebrated with family.
9. Going on vacation with family.
10. Always having someone to talk to and knowing they love you for who you are.

What about you? What do you love about family?

Difficult People

I've been reviewing some of the Psalms that have been part of my reading from the One Year Bible. I've noticed something about David...the poor guy spent a lot of time on the run and being chased by enemies. Paul felt this way at times, especially, due to the harassment from the Judizers. David was on the run and surrounded by enemies through much of his life. No wonder he turned to prayer, song, and poetry--it was therapeutic and it kept him from feeling so isolated. It lifted his spirit to see the blessings he had in God. Look at these examples of how he felt:
Psa. 54:1-3, Save, O God, by your name; vindicate me by your might. Hear my prayer, O God; listen to the words of my mouth. Strangers are attacking me; ruthless men seek my life--men without regard for God.
Psa. 55:1-3, Listen to my prayer, O God, do not ignore my plea; hear me and answer me. My thoughts trouble me and I am distraught at the voice of the enemy, at the stares of the wicked; for they bring down suffering upon me and revile me in their anger.
Psa. 56:1-2, Be merciful to me, O God, for men hotly pursue me; all day long they press their attack. My slanderers purse me all day long; many are attacking me in their pride.
Psa. 57:1, Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me, for in you my soul takes refuge. I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings until disaster has passed.
Psa. 59:1-2, Deliver me from my enemies, O God; protect me from those who rise up against me. Deliver me from evildoers and save me from bloodthirsty men.
Psa. 64:3, They sharpen their tongues like swords and aim their words like deadly arrows.

These passages show how David put his faith in God and that is what carried him through these hard times in his life. Psa. 55:16, But I call to God, and the LORD saves me. Evening, morning and noon I cry out in distress and he hears my voice. He ransoms me unharmed from the battle waged against me, even though many oppose me. and also, Psa. 56:10-11, In God, whose word I praise, in the LORD, whose word I praise--in God I trust; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?
WoW! Great comfort!!!

The Questions of Giving...#3

Now we want to look at the last of the questions of giving that we will discuss in this short sermon series. There are probably many more questions we could ask and answer, but will let these last two suffice for the time being.

An important factor we must understand in regard to our giving is that our attitude has everything to do with our giving and its acceptance by God. The attitude of the heart is so important to our offering being accepted by God. Our attitude is to be one of love for God. God loved us so much and gave us a priceless gift in the offering of his one and only son. He loved us so much by giving us a beautiful world to live in. God’s love for us is seen in immeasurable and numerous ways. How can we not love him back? We have missed the boat of all that is right and good when we fail to love God back. One way we express our love to him is in our giving. We give because we love God. God accepts our offering when it is given in love. When we fail to give in love our giving really amounts to nothing. Paul said in 1 Cor. 13:3, If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.

Our attitude should also be one of sheer delight we give, such joy when we give that it takes all the begrudging and lack of reluctance out of our heart. Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver, 2 Cor. 9:8.

The last question we want to answer in our giving is “what will happen when I give?” When I give with the right attitude and with the right offering of my life what will happen to me? Prov. 3:9-10 is one of many passages that describe what comes back to me when I give as God directs me to give, Honor the LORD with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops; then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine. The idea of being blessed by God when we offer him all that we have and especially when we honor him with our money is Paul’s discussion and motivation to give in 2 Cor. 9. Verses 10 – 11 say,” Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.” Open your Bible to Mal. 3:10 and see that God says, “Test me in this.” Test God in what way?