Colossians 1:1

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God and Timothy our brother

(what am I by the will of God? thank God for Tim O., my brother in Christ)

Thoughts from Chapter 3 of How to Win Friends and Influence People

Talk about what others want and show them how to get it

Ask the question “how can I help this person want _________”

Secret of success is to have empathy for others in addition to your own point of view

Arouse in the other person an eager want

They Love Jesus; They Don't Like the Church

by Michael Craven

This appears to be a growing sentiment among many younger Christians in America today.
They love Jesus but they want little to do with His Church. Read the full article
HERE

Chapter 2 of How to Win Friends and Influence People

Some thoughts from Chapter 2 of Dale Carnegie's book How to Win Friends and Influence People:

• The motive of most people is to be great, or at least important
• Typical motivators: health, food, sleep, money and the things it will buy, eternal life, sexual gratification, and well being of family
• Motivate others by appreciating and encouraging them
• Give honest and sincere appreciation

God’s Word, People, and Learning

Some key thoughts from my Scripture reading this week:

• Give to the needy without fanfare (Matthew 6)
• Pray in private, acknowledge God’s holiness, seek His will, ask for daily provision, seek forgiveness, and ask for protection
• Answer the question “Am I serving God or money?”
• Are you searching diligently for wisdom, understanding, and insight? (Proverbs 2)
• Ask, Seek, Knock
• Do unto others as you would have them do unto you (Matthew 7)
• God’s commands, when obeyed, will prolong life and bring prosperity (Proverbs 3)
• Love and faithfulness will win favor and a good name
• A father’s blessing is important (Genesis 27)
• It is not the healthy that need a doctor, it is the sick; Jesus did not come for the righteous, but for the sinners (Matthew 9)
• Honor the Lord with the first fruits of your earnings (Proverbs 3)

I had the privilege of meeting with two different guys this week for some one on one time. One meeting was in a coffee shop to discuss our individual lives relative to the house churches we are a part of. The other was for an hour of racquetball (where I was beaten 2 out of 3 of the games) and some important personal discussion time.

On the exercise front, I was able to get to the gym four days out of the five that had been planned for the week. My routine is usually a 30-minute walking/jogging program on the treadmill.

This week our family began watching the video series “Strategies for Success: Blueprint for Achievement” by Zig Ziglar. The first lesson we watched taught about the steps to a healthy self-image and how to accomplish more during any given day.

Consider the following this week: How’s you relationship with God? Are you spending time with people who are important to you? What have you learned and applied recently?