The Lent Buzz

“Lent is the span of time in the church calendar that starts with Ash Wednesday and ends with Easter Sunday. Ash Wednesday commemorates the beginning of Jesus’ 40-day fasting and temptation in the desert, and Easter Sunday commemorates Jesus’ resurrection from the grave after his crucifixion." Andy Rau, Senior Manager of Content, Biblegateway.org.

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Cutting Christmas Chaos: 5 Tips for a PEACE Full Holiday

Ever been tempted to run away at Christmas-time? It would be nice take a two week trip, maybe to a deserted island and just be alone with your family? Guess what. Christmas comes around the same date every year, and it’s wonderful to know, even in the midst of the flurry, we will have another opportunity next year, to start over and ask God to help us make Christ the center of Christmas. To make it easy to remember, let’s use the letters in the word PEACE for a five-step acrostic:

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How to Tame the Bucking Bronco of Rebellion

Spiritually, you and I may inadvertently bind ourselves up with a rebellious attitude, which is contrary to Scripture but culturally acceptable. It’s important to see what God says about how rebellion is a subtle way the enemy can warp us into thinking we don’t need to obey leaders in our civil government, in our churches, in our families (husband or wife), or God. Proverbs 12:8 reminds us, “A man is praised according to his wisdom, but men with warped minds are despised.”

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Little Things Can Become a Big Deal

Little things can become a big deal. Instead of limping along with a wounded heart, we can be healed and whole. We can learn lessons from the little things, as we listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit and apply truth from God’s Word. We can learn how to pay attention as we choose to trust God for His timing. 

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Make the Most of Your Time

TIME MANAGEMENT is actually a misnomer because no one can manage time. What we really manage is ourselves in order to accomplish our goals in the time available. Time must be redeemed; it has to be bought. Time is basic, unless it is managed, nothing else can be managed. “Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of your time for the days are evil.”   Ephesians 5:16, 15  I wish I could stand on a busy street corner and beg people to give me all their wasted hours. Most people waste at least two hours everyday, although few realize it. Today we’re discussing how to improve Life Management skills:

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Plan to Succeed

You’ve failed. Again. It’s time to reorganize. Start over. Begin again. Use a fresh approach, a new strategy. When you are discouraged, it’s probably not that you are doing the wrong thing, but you might be doing it in the wrong way. Our natural temptation is to give up on our dream. We think, “Maybe God didn’t give me this dream in the first place.” No, it’s probably just the opposite. However, it might be time to expand your vision and ask God to give you new ways of thinking.

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People Not Platforms

"How can we acquire, train and retain talent?" It's worth considering. We must view our team members as co-laborers brought to us by God. He has given them to us to steward, and allows us to nurture and encourage them along the way. So, let's grapple with the opportunity of how best to engage our team members to connect with God. As leaders, we can lead them closer to God only if we have gone there first. We must answer these two important questions: (Lead Like Jesus Revisited, pages25-27)

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