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Because I know prayer changes things, we must pray and keep on praying. Here are some posts that will build your faith and inspire you to persist until you breakthrough to victory.

Spiritual Growth

I’ll Grow Again- Strength

Posted on by Pat Holland
I’ll Grow Again

The shortest route and his all too frequent business trips took Normand down the same road, past the same houses, past the same ponds and past the same trees. But one day Normand noticed a strange looking tree. He felt that there was a message in the tree, but he didn’t stop. 

 

After a while of persistent reminders, Normand stopped long enough to take a picture, no doubt it was a strange sight. One that I probably would have never even noticed. Maybe he wouldn’t have either, but God had something to say to Normand.

 

Down But Not Out

If you look closely you’ll see that the tree had experienced a terrible storm. Maybe it was one of the hurricanes that had stomped through that area, leaving a trail of devastation. Maybe it was a really bad thunderstorm or a sudden twister, but regardless of what the storm was called it knocked that massive tree completely down. The tree thundered to the ground, tree limbs crashed and shattered and scattered and withered and died. Most of the roots were uprooted, exposed to dry and die in the hot, southern summer heat.  Only one limb survived the crash, soon it began to show signs of death. First the leaves withered and dropped and then the limb completely died of malnutrition.

 

The massive trunk of the fallen tree was down, but it wasn’t dead. It had roots that went deep into the ground. Those roots were bringing nourishment to that fallen tree and it began to grow new branches. Branches and limbs that turned upward, reaching for the sun! Erect limbs, strong limbs, full and lush like the original tree. When I look at the tree, I don’t hardly even see the trunk that still  lays prostrate on the ground. I see the beauty of a lush tree, sprawling branches that produce a haven for wild animals. A place where cows can escape the glaring sun and ruminated in its shade. It might have been taller if it hadn’t been knocked down by a storm, but the fact that it endured the storm and thrived afterward is a message that surpasses just being tall.

 

As Normand studied the picture, God gave him a precious message. Sometimes trouble comes that absolutely knocks you down to the ground. Sometimes storms so furious hit our lives that they would absolutely destroy us, except for one thing–there are some roots still in the ground. And for a believer those roots are rooted deep in the Word of God and the love of God. Those roots bring life and hope. Those roots bring nourishment and peace. Those roots bring encouragement and strength. And as that life flows into the trunk, the tree begins to grow. It’s so gradual no one, except the tree even notices. It’s even too slow to be captured on one of those time-lapse videos. It’s slow, but that tree is growing and it’s growing toward the sun.

 

I don’t know what has happened in your life. Maybe you’ve been knocked down so hard, that it knocked the breath out of you! Maybe it stripped you of all the beautiful things in life and you feel absolutely worthless. But that tree is a reminder, you may be down, but you’re not out– if you stay rooted in the soil of God’s Word and love! It may not be the same as before, but it can be even better. Normand passed hundreds of trees that day, but he only took a picture of one tree, one tree that not only survived the storm, but thrived after it. And so can you. You may be down, but honey, you’re not out! And you will grow again.

 

Maybe you’re thinking, even my roots where shattered in that storm…I don’t know if I can trust God.I don’t know if I even believe that stuff anymore. My precious friend, as lovingly as I know how to say this, STOP IT! Don’t go down that road. There’s quicksand in the paths of those thought patterns. We don’t understand the why, but I can tell you, never, never for one second has God deserted you. He is with you and He wants to help you in this dark time. If your roots have been shattered, then I want to tell you…grow some more. Get in the Bible. OK, I don’t mean literally try to get in the Bible, what I should have said is get the Bible in you! Read encouraging verses. Skip over the “begats” for awhile and eat some meat from the Scriptures. (I know, I know…even the begats have a purpose, but trust me here, sink your teeth in a promise that builds you.) Declare the truth of those verses over your life, numerous times each day. Declare them and pray them until you believe them. The Scriptures should do more than feed your intellect, they are food for your soul. They should nourish you, but this only takes place when you assimilate them through thinking about them and allowing them to change the way you think.

 

Thank you Normand for stopping, for listening and for taking a picture! And thank you God for using a tree to remind me that I will grow again, even after a terrible storm.

 

Daniel 4:26 nlt But the stump and the roots were left in the ground. This means that you will receive your kingdom back again when you have learned that heaven rules.

 

Isaiah 43:2 nlt When you go through deep waters and great trouble, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown! When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you.

 

 

 Think MISSIONAL. If you know someone that would enjoy this blog, please pass it on!

 

 

 

 
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Spiritual Growth

Wake Up Ear- Listen

Posted on by Pat Holland
Wake Up Ear

Wayne was driving down a long monotonous road. It had gone on and on without hardly any change or without much to see. While he is always a very alert driver, he sorta zoned out. Then he felt the Lord caution him, “Pay attention.”

 

Wayne sat up in his seat, put both hands on the steering wheel fully engaged and alert. Almost as if on cue, a huge, heavy equipment tire, like you would see on a large piece of excavation equipment, came rolling down the highway–right down our lane. It was rolling and bumping pretty fast, but because Wayne was alert, he moved out of the lane he was in and into the far lane. Wayne is convinced that the call to alertness kept us from a terrible accident. 

 

And that’s what God’s Word can do in our personal lives as well. We are bombarded with noise and distractions from all directions. Sometimes our Bible study can get put on a back burner while the responsibilities of life keep us too busy to pursue it. Or Bible study can become routine so that although we are actually reading the Bible daily, we don’t hear what he has to say to  us.  Isaiah 50:4 nlt “The Sovereign LORD has given me his words of wisdom, so that I know what to say to all these weary ones. Morning by morning he wakens me and opens my understanding to his will.” The KJV says “he wakeneth mine ear to hear as the learned.”

 

wake_up_call_phone_lg_clrI love that picture. It takes me back to when my children were little and I would wake them up for school. Quietly, at first. Then louder, until finally shaking them until I saw at least one eye open. Wake up, I would repeat again and again. Sometimes God does that to me. Wake up, ear! What a graphic picture. I wish I could draw the picture I see. Listen up! This verse is important. I want to tell us something.

 

I remember specifically, for about a week every time I opened my Bible, I would open it to Jonah. I would quickly turn somewhere else and read my devotion. Then finally, I prayed, “God is there something you wanna say to me here? Am I in rebellion like Jonah was?” God spoke to me with words that I would understand very clearly… and I remember it was sorta like…duhhh, Pat. He had my attention. Where was the rebellion? What needed to change in my life?

 

God didn’t speak to Moses until he turned aside…until he paid attention. It is so important that we deliberately pay attention to the Scripture. 

 

Let’s look at some ways to get more good stuff from what you read.

     1. Pray before you read. Ask God to help you understand and speak to you through His Word.

     2. If you have problem focusing-read it aloud.

     3. Read the verses in the context of what is being said. If a story is being told, read the whole story.

     4. Think about the verse or verses you read.

     5. Think about who; what, when of the verses or the illustration you are reading in Scripture.

     6. You may need to continue that study by searching out other Scriptures that will help you understand more clearly.

     7. What can you take away from the Scripture? How does it apply to you? Ask God to help you apply it in your life.

     8. As you are going through the day,continue to think about the Scripture you read.

 

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Spiritual Growth

You Know About Darkness, If…His Light

Posted on by Pat Holland
You Know About Darkness, If

lamp 003

You know about darkness, if you’ve ever been on a camping trip in the middle of a thick patch of trees on a moonless night.

 

You know about darkness, if you’ve ever been deep in a cave and the guide turned off the lights.

 

You know about darkness, if you’ve ever been through a hurricane that left your part of town without power.

 

You know about darkness, if you’ve ever been in the middle of a large group of people at a ball game, a parade or the county fair–spiritual darkness. You see it on their faces. You recognize it in their celebrations. You hear it in their conversations.

 

If you’ve ever, even once seen the news, you’ve seen the results of individuals and families crushed and robbed by the effects of darkness. You’ve seen lives destroyed because people tried to cruise through life without a light. The darkness may be normal for some folks, but the resulting carnage and devastation is heart-breaking. Isaiah 60:2 “For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people…” That darkness, that gross darkness is stripping our children of their innocence and families of their fathers. It leaves people twisting and perverting love and sex and destroying our morals and culture in the process.

 

But I stopped too soon when I copied that verse, there’s more. The remainder of that verse says, “but the LORD shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee.” God has a cure. He sent the light-Jesus into the world and He sent you to be a jar of clay or a lamp for that light to shine through.

 

Verse 1 says “Arise , shine ;lamp 007

 

I am a simple person and I always try to be very simple in my approach, but I can’t tell you what it means for you to shine. I can only send you to Jesus. Will you go running to Him…yes, running. Don’t you think it’s dark enough to get passionate about illuminating the darkness? Ask Him to show you how to be a light. Commit to pursue Him with all your heart until you become a bright and shining light that reflects His glory!

 

 

In my pursuit of Him, this is how I pray:

Illuminate my darkness.

Let your light rest on me- my conversations, my actions, my home.

Help me to see and seize opportunity.

Give me the boldness to do what you tell me to do and say what you tell me to say.

 

 

Think MISSIONAL. If you know someone that would enjoy this blog, please pass it on!

 

 

 
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Spiritual Growth

Stone Stackers or Water Carriers- His Presence

Posted on by Pat Holland
Stone Stackers or Water Carriers

gravel The river rocks that I stopped to gather were smooth in my hand. I’m sure they started out jagged and rough. But the swift current of the cool mountain stream changed that. The strong current, relentlessly shoved the rocks downstream, pushing and tumbling them up and down, around and around, bumping and scraping them against each other until their rough edges were ground smooth. The stones that lay all around my feet had experienced the power of the water, had been shaped and honed by its prodding, pushing and shoving. Now–the water was gone. All that remained of the stream that had once coursed through this valley was a dry river bed of smooth, dry rocks and gravel. The stream was gone. And so were the raccoons, and the deer.. the bears and …the skunks and the coyotes. They were all gone. Oh, they all came when there was water, but when the water dried up, they quit coming.

 

And so did the human visitors. A few like Wayne and I, all non-residents, that didn’t know the stream was gone, came looking for water.  Only an occasional visitor crunched down the path on the way to somewhere else. We and a few birds, flittering from tree to tree, were the only visitors that day.

 

When the water was depleted everyone left, everyone except the stone stackers, they stayed. They had memories of way back when, of when there was water. It’s both surprising and amazing how quickly you get used to things. They missed the water at first, but then there were so many stones to stack. And the stacked stones were beautiful. All the colors, and sizes and shapes. Beautiful stones, not that they were valuable, but they were fascinating. Stacking stones is captivating you know. I had to stop and stack a few myself. Amused and interested, I found just the right color and size to stack one on top of the other until it was sufficiently tall to stand impressive without tottering and tumbling to the ground.

 

stone-stackers The stone stackers, didn’t start out as stone stackers. They came for the water. They came thirsty. They started out as water drinkers, but when the river dried up they stayed. At first they longed for the water, they even prayed for rain, but after a while they got so busy stacking stones, they hardly missed the water at all. The stone stackers didn’t nourish life, they only left one more stack of stones. The stone stackers didn’t give water. They didn’t nourish life, they just left stacks of stones that  dotted the dry river bed.

 

How like stone stackers the traditional Christian has become. They’ve allowed the stream to dry up in their lives because of sin, rebellion, disobedience and unbelief.  It’s not that the stream was never there, it flows from the well of salvation, but neglect has damned the flow of relationship with Him into their lives. I don’t want you to miss this,  indifference, neglect and sin stops the flow of the waters of relationship with God into our lives.

 

It’s a gradual thing. At first, the change is hardly noticeable. It happens when a believer ignores the still, small voice calling them to surrender their will to His. They hardly notice that the sin that once grieved their hearts, doesn’t really bother them anymore. Modern Christian culture has bought into the lie that conviction makes me “feel” bad, so I will ignore it. They turn up the volume knob on their entertainments. They ignore the warnings and invitations of their loving Father to spend time with Him, to read the Bible, and to obey what it says, with excuses and complaints. The water level gets lower, but they don’t notice cause they are so busy. They are doing beautiful things, churchy things, stacking stones is spiritual you know. Meanwhile, the water of God’s presence in their lives dries up—and they continue to stay where they are spiritually. At first they missed the refreshing, cleansing life-giving waters. But, they got so busy building a church and doing good stuff–stacking stones, that they forgot all about the water. They forget they were called to be water drinkers and water carries– and become satisfied just stacking stones.

 

Stacking stones is exhausting.

 

Oh, but there’s hope for dry riverbeds and stone stackers.

 

Elijah was a stone stacker in a time of terrible physical and spiritual drought. There’s a place for stone stackers. But the important issue here is, he didn’t stop with stacking stones. His stone stacking was an altar, a place of repentance…a place of surrender to God. A place where God responded to Elijah’s obedience with fire. It’s important that we notice Elijah didn’t stop when the fire came. He persisted until God sent the rain. Elijah was a stone stacker and a water drinker. He drank from God’s supply. Because he drank from God’s supply, because he wasn’t content to stop with stacking stones, he became a water carrier. His obedience and prayers brought water to a nation. You can read the story in 1 Kings 17.

 

I’m committed to be a water drinker and a water carrier that stacks a few stones when necessary! How about you? I’d love to hear from you.

 

  Think MISSIONAL. If you know someone that would enjoy this blog, please pass it on!

 

 Additional Link: Experiencing the Glory

 

 

 

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Spiritual Growth

Free Download: Developing a Great Team

Posted on by Pat Holland

I wanted to share this workshop with you. Whether you are in children’s ministry or another area of ministry, this workshop is for you. If you’re not in children’s ministry some of the illustrations will not apply, but overall, the information adapts to most ministries. Even a family should operate as a team or crew. As believers, we are all part of a team, the Bible compares it to a body. Each part of the body has it’s unique function and place that is vital to the rest of the body. In this 35 minute workshop set in the context of sailing, I share information that every member of the crew needs so they can be a strong link on the team.

 

Often my workshops teach skills, but the workshop that I am giving you today is about the heart of ministry. To fit the overall theme I called it “The Crew”.  I shared some things that must be cut, called “Crew Cuts” and things that are crew-cial (crucial) components for an effective crew. We had so much fun! I packed tons of information in this brief session. It is a mind set that lives out the principles of the classic story, “Stone Soup.” If you remember this story, the town discovers the power of everyone giving what they have to give and that when they do, the outcome is delicious!

 

As I mentioned in a my blog “Why I Still Attend Conferences” even though I have been in children’s ministry for many years I still attend conferences. I am strategic and purposeful in my search for knowledge and wisdom. I’m sure you are too. So I wanted to share this with you. Hope you enjoy it! After you listen to it. I hope you’ll come back and share your thoughts. Crucial things you’ve discovered for your team’s success.

 

I’ll quit jabbering and let you download the file. To help me determine your interest in this subject I’ve added a link button for the download. As always your information is safe with me. We never share, sell or abuse your contact information.

 

 

Teacher Training Conference

 

Contact us to host a conference in your church. We still have some dates open for the fall.

If you like “The Crew” Check out Belonging to a Dream Team Download

 

Don’t forget…share your ideas with us.

Think MISSIONAL. If you know someone that would enjoy this blog, please pass it on!

 

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Spiritual Growth

Are You a Note Taker

Posted on by Pat Holland
Are You a Note Taker

Church is important to me for so many reasons. I have friends at church that I look forward to seeing. There are people there that inspire me like Tommy McKnight, I want to tell you about him one day. He’s one of my heroes. There are people there that allow me to speak into their lives and pray and love on them. Then, there’s my pastor.  I love Pastor Jimmy Wilder and his family. He is a true shepherd with a heart that loves and cares for his sheep.  I  love, love that about him. He communicates his love in a way that is so uplifting. He has a powerful anointing his life and besides that, he is a great speaker. I want to learn as much as I can from him so I take notes.

 

tim_making_study_notes_hg_clr_st“The shortest pencil is longer than the longest memory,” is an old, but true adage. I’ve asked way too many people, what did your pastor preach on last week, or yesterday and hear them give me a reply that was always very similar. “Ahhh. Ohhh? Ahhh. I forget, but it was good.” I am a very busy person. I have so much that I want to accomplish and if I don’t make the most of every opportunity, then I am wasting my time and for that matter, my pastor’s time as well. So I take notes.

 

I know there is a downside to taking notes. You gotta have paper and you gotta have something to write with. So you grab a gum wrapper. Tell me I’m not the only person that has taken notes on a gum wrapper. And I’ve taken notes on a tissue before too. What’s really bad is when you have to use the tissue and you get the blue ink from your notes all over your nose. Poor Wayne. He has to put up with me!

 

Of course many churches provides a church bulletin with a space for note taking. Some even provide an outline. While I love to take notes, I hate all the clutter that comes with note taking. Before I got serious about taking notes I  had all these odd  sized and colors of paper stuffed in my Bible. Sometimes my Bible got full  of stuff. Wayne’s is worse than mine. He can’t stand to throw a single bulletin away, he still has the bulletin from the Sunday after the Titanic Sunk in his Bible. OK. So he doesn’t have that one, but he’s got a lot of bulletins in his Bible. My point is, sometimes I have so much stuff in my Bible I can’t find the verses I want to  read. I hate that clutter. It distracts me. No, I didn’t stop taking notes, but I did get more strategic about note taking.

 

 

My Strategy

I got a notebook.

I labeled my notebook and date it.

I put it with my Bible.

I label the sermon. I date the sermon and who is preaching.

When writing a Bible reference he gives. I always put the chapter and verse in the left hand margin leaving room to come back and write the name of the book. I remember the book easier than I do the numbers, so I write the numbers while they are fresh in my mind.

I read my notes when I get home. I must admit this is one that I forget to do sometimes, but it is an important part in the process of acquiring knowledge, not just information. There is a drastic difference in the two.

 

Why is note taking  important?

1. It keeps me focused. My mind is too little to let it wander off alone.

2. Writing is one more way to undergird the learning process.

3. I have something to review and reflect on when I get home.

4. The shortest pencil really is longer than the longest memory!

5. Because my pastor is an anointed servant of God,  that anointing on him, jump starts the anointed creativity in my mind. I get awesome ideas that aren’t even related to the sermon, so I jot them down as well.

 

So happy note taking!

 

Do  you have any ideas that you use for better note taking that you would like to share with us?

 

 

Think Missional! Pass this on to someone you think may enjoy it or need it.

 

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Prayer, Strong

In God We Trust

Posted on by Pat Holland
In God We Trust

Do you know America has a national Moto, just like major companies and organizations have a motto that establishes brand? It’s much more than a popular saying. It was officially approved by Congress as our national motto. “A law passed by the 84th Congress (P.L. 84-140) and approved by the President on July 30, 1956, […]

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Spiritual Growth

Sucked into the Vortex- Unbelief

Posted on by Pat Holland
Sucked into the Vortex

There have been many times that I’ve  opened the drain in the bottom of the bathtub,then instructed one of my children to get out of the tub. Often I gathered them in my arms, wrapping them in a soft towel, while rubbing them dry and hugging them all at the same time. Sometimes they would lean over the tub and watch a red and yellow boat swirl in the harmless vortex that was created as the water drained from the tub. And sometimes, I’ve watched with them as one of their little toys, made it’s way down the drain before I could grab it. Sorry, Wayne I know that’s how drains get stopped up. There must be something fun about watching things whirl and swirl down the drain, because so many kids do it, including my grandkids. Sometimes they’ve flushed big things, but that’s another story for another day.

 

Whirlpool

But there’s nothing fun about listening to the gurgle or watching people whirl in the vortex of fear and stress from life’s problems. As I listen to people and look around me, I realize that our culture and our country are facing serious problems. I realize that the reality of an avalanche of  serious problems piling in on top of us can create a vortex that sucks us into the whirlpool of disaster. I understand how  and why that happens. My heart breaks to see people spinning, and whirling, as they plunge deeper and deeper in a seemingly endless vortex. But be encouraged, God has made a way of escape. 1 Corinthians 10:13b  NLT “…And God is faithful. He will keep the temptation from becoming so strong that you can’t stand up against it. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you will not give in to it.”

 

Because that verse is a fact and not a fluffy fantasy, we don’t have to  allow problems to suck us into a downward spiral of panic or fear. Realize that allowing yourself to be sucked into the vortex of the problem or situation only compounds the problem instead of solving it. If you let your emotions get away from you, you can get sucked in very quickly!

Calm your emotions. Psalm 131:2 NLT “But I have stilled and quieted myself, just as a small child is quiet with its mother. Yes, like a small child is my soul within me.” Quiet your spirit with worship music, taking a shower or taking a walk. Read a verse and ponder or write down what the verse means. Refuse to allow fear to penetrate your peace. Think about how much God loves you. Think about how His love doesn’t have to be earned. Think about the endlessness of His love. It’s bigness. It’s grandeur. Line up your thinking with scripture verses. Again, refuse to allow thoughts that contradict God’s Word to penetrate your quiet time. You may need more than just a quick few minutes to calm your emotions, if you’re in the middle of a storm. Ask God to quiet your spirit and give you peace.

Worship God. Psalm 43:5 KJV”Why art thou cast down , O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God.” I love to worship with the Psalms.

Call out to God.  Psalms 34:17 NLT “17 The LORD hears his people when they call to him for help. He rescues them from all their troubles.”

Lift your eyes to Him and His promises. Fill your mind with scriptures that fit the situation. Focus on the promise and not the problem. Don’t allow the problem to drain your thoughts or resourcefulness.

Rehearse your victories and those of people that have won in similar circumstances. Read and reread the stories of people like David and Goliath; Daniel in the Lion’s Den and the three Hebrew men in the fiery furnace.

 

Think Missional! Pass this on to someone you think may enjoy it or need it.

 

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