Help wanted: Disciples, no experience necessary.

Joyce Meyer was saying how important it is to be self-accepting. Give yourself some grace. Try to like yourself. You can’t have good relationships if you hate yourself. She talked about how she was abused as a child and how it had a negative effect on her. She hated herself. She couldn’t relate to people around her in a positive way until God helped her overcome her self-loathing. Even with her past, God is using her in an incredible way. You or I may be the next to be used in a big way. Don’t compare yourself to perfection. Perfection can be misleading. Joyce used the following letter to illustrate how God always uses imperfect people in a big way:

Letter to Jesus

Topic:
To: Jesus, Son of Joseph
Woodcrafter’s Carpenter Shop
Nazareth 25922

From: Jordan Management Consultants

Dear Sir:

Thank you for submitting the resumes of the twelve men you have picked for managerial positions in your new organization. All of them have now taken our battery of tests; and we have not only run the results through our computer, but also arranged personal interviews for each of them with our psychologist and vocational aptitude consultant.

The profiles of all tests are included, and you will want to study each of them carefully.
As part of our service, we make some general comments for your guidance, much as an auditor will include some general statements. This is given as a result of staff consultation, and comes without any additional fee.

It is the staff opinion that most of your nominees are lacking in background, education and vocational aptitude for the type of enterprise you are undertaking. They do not have the team concept. We would recommend that you continue your search for persons of experience in managerial ability and proven capability.

Simon Peter is emotionally unstable and given to fits of temper. Andrew has absolutely no qualities of leadership. The two brothers, James and John, the sons of Zebedee, place personal interest above company loyalty. Thomas demonstrates a questioning attitude that would tend to undermine morale. We feel that it is our duty to tell you that Matthew had been blacklisted by the Greater Jerusalem Better Business Bureau; James, the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus definitely have radical leanings, and they both registered a high score on the manic-depressive scale.

One of the candidates, however, shows great potential. He is a man of ability and resourcefulness, meets people well, has a keen business mind, and has contacts in high places. He is highly motivated, ambitious, and responsible. We recommend Judas Iscariot as your controller and right-hand man. All of the other profiles are self-explanatory.
We wish you every success in your new venture.

Sincerely,
Jordan Management Consultants


Eating Problems for Breakfast by Tim Hansel, Word Publishing, 1988, pp. 194-195 used with permission from http://www.bible.org/.,

If you’re not perfect, don’t be dismayed. Prepare for something big!

Rock on......

Dave, Kevin and I recently attended a training session at church that involves the creative side of New Pointe. I'm glad they’ve really been hammering the “why we do what we do” topic lately. When they first introduced rock and roll on stage at the church in Sugarcreek, I thought to myself, “I wonder what the older folks think?”

I just turned 50. I got my invitation to join AARP. So now I can answer that question. What do I think about that music they’re playing? I think it’s pretty cool. According to Bob Smithhouser of Breakaway (Kevin’s teen magazine) Magazine: “The Bible never specifies that God favors one musical style over another. Any sincere song of praise is a multi-platinum chart topper to God.” Unlike seniors of the distant past, most of us have been spoon-fed rock and roll. It’s not just for teenagers. As a matter of fact, when they played “Rockin Drummer Boy” at Christmas, I could hardly contain my enthusiasm. Okay! Okay! So my boy was on the stage when they played it. Can I get some grace here?

News flash from Dave: 95.9 radio said it is illegal in Oklahoma to burp in church.

Back to what I was saying, the key is the word “most”. What will most people like? There’s always going to be something about the service that doesn’t appeal to everyone. Everyone has a preference. That’s just the nature of the beast. So in order to reach the most unsaved, we should aim at the bigger target and do what is relevant to most. So, thanks New Pointe for doing what you do the way you do it.