Margin Comes From Managing Your Time

“Then Jesus said, ‘Let’s get away from the crowds for a while and rest.’ There were so many people coming and going that Jesus and His apostles didn’t even have time to eat”

(Mark 6:31 NLT).

Jesus experienced enormous stress and pressure, yet it didn’t seem to disturb His peace of mind. In spite of opposition, constant demands, and little privacy, His life reflected a calm sense of balance.

What was His secret?

1. Identification: Know who you are (John 8:12). Eighteen times Jesus publicly defined Himself. There was no doubt in His mind as to who He was. If you are unsure of your identity, you’ll allow others to pressure you into their molds. Trying to be someone you’re not causes stress!

2. Dedication: Know who you want to please (John 5:30). You can’t please everyone. Even God can’t! Just about the time you get “Crowd A” happy, “Crowd B” will be upset with you. Jesus never let the fear of rejection manipulate Him. No one can pressure you without your permission.

3. Organization: Set clear goals (John 8:14). Jesus said, “I know where I came from and where I am going.” Preparation prevents pressure but procrastination produces it. You work by either priorities or pressures.

4. Concentration: Focus on one thing at a time (Luke 4:42-44). You can’t chase two rabbits at the same time! Jesus knew how to handle interruptions without being distracted from His primary goal.

5. Delegation: Don’t try to do everything yourself (Mark 3:14). We get tense when we feel it all depends on us. Jesus enlisted twelve disciples. Don’t allow the fear that others may not do as good a job as you, or that they may do a better job than you, to keep you from asking for help.

6. Meditation: Make a habit of prayer (Mark 1:35). No matter how busy Jesus got, He found time to get alone to pray every day. A daily quiet time is a great stress decompression chamber. Use this time to talk to God about your pressures and problems, evaluate your priorities, and discover the rules for successful living by reading the Bible.

7. Relaxation: Take time to enjoy life (Mark 6:30-31). Balance is the key to stress management. Work must be balanced with fun and worship.

Rick Warren

Steps to Un-Stuff Your Schedule and Increase Your Margin

“Reverence for God adds hours to each day”

(Proverbs 10:27 LB).

Do you ever get to the end of your day and think, “Did I accomplish anything?” Where does all the time go?

If you don’t master your schedule, it will master you!

Here are three suggestions from the Bible for reducing the stress of your schedule and increasing the margin:

1. Line up your priorities. Obviously, you don’t have time to do everything, so you must make choices. You must decide what’s really important and what isn’t. Take some time to consider the direction of your life. The Bible says, “An intelligent person aims at wise action, but a fool starts off in many directions” (Proverbs 17:24 GNT); “It is stupid to waste time on useless projects” (Proverbs 12:11, GNT); “We should make plans—counting on God to direct us” (Proverbs 16:9 LB).

2. Lighten up your attitude. Do you really have to do everything on your to-do list? No one is holding a gun to your head; a lot of your stress is self-imposed. The Bible says, “Worry weighs us down…” (Proverbs 12:25 MSG); “A relaxed attitude lengthens a man’s life” (Proverbs 14:30 LB); “Being cheerful keeps you healthy. It is slow death to be gloomy all the time” (Proverbs 17:22 GNT).

3. Look up to God. Stress is always a warning light that you’ve taken your focus off God and are looking at your problems from your limited viewpoint.

I believe the single greatest cause of stress is this: We take ourselves too seriously and we don’t take God seriously enough!

Rick Warren

Three Benefits of Margin

“One handful of peaceful repose is better than two fistfuls of worried work…”

(Ecclesiastes 4:6 MSG).

Margin is the space between your load and your limit. Your load should never be heavier than your limit. But the truth is, most of us are far more overloaded than we can handle; we have no margin for error in our lives.

Dr. Richard Swenson explains, “Marginless is not having time to finish the book you’re reading on stress. Margin is having the time to read it twice. Marginless is our culture. Margin is counterculture, having some space in your life and schedule. Marginless is the disease of our decade and margin is the cure.”

Here are three immediate benefits you’ll receive by building margin into your life:

1. Better health. Unrelenting stress harms our bodies. We all know that, yet we let it continue day after day after day. Many times the only time we get margin in our lives is when the heart attack almost happens (or does happen) or the blood pressure skyrockets. Why do we wait until our health plummets before we make this decision? Why not realize that we need to build some margin into our lives now? The truth is, your body needs downtime in order to heal.

2. Stronger relationships. Lack of margin is one big reason for the collapse of the American family today. When we don’t make relationships a priority and make time for each other, our relationships suffer. The truth is relationships take time, and margin provides that time to sit and talk, to listen and enjoy one another, and to provide the comfort we each need.

3. Usefulness in ministry. When you’re overloaded by activity, you can only think of yourself. You’re in survival mode, just trying to make it through another day. But being available to God for his use makes all the difference in this world.

When you have no margin in your life and God taps you on the shoulder, saying, “I’d like you to do this for Me,” your first response isn’t joy. Your first response is, “Oh, no! Another thing to do! Sorry, God, I’d like to do that, but I'm just too busy.”

We end up resenting the great opportunities God brings into our lives. But when you have margin, you’re available for God to use.

You don’t have to live on overload. You don’t have to live in survival mode. Begin today to build a buffer around your schedule, then enjoy the benefits of margin and see what God does next!

Rick Warren

Building Margin Into Your Life

“I have no peace! I have no quiet! I have no rest! And trouble keeps coming”

(Job 3:26 GWT).

A lot of people are on overload and headed for a crash. Consider these statistics among U.S. citizens:

- People now sleep 2 1/2 fewer hours each night compared to people from one hundred years ago.

- The average work week is longer now than it was in the 1960s.

- The average office worker has 36 hours of work piled up on his or her desk. It takes three hours a week just to sort through it and find what we need.

- We spend eight months of our lives opening junk mail, two years of our lives playing phone tag with people who are too busy to answer, and five years waiting for people who are trying to do too much and are late for meetings.

We’re a piled-on, stretched-to-the limit society; chronically rushed, chronically late, chronically exhausted. Many of us feel like Job did when he said, “I have no peace! I have no quiet! I have no rest! And trouble keeps coming” (Job 3:26 GWT).

Overload comes when we have too much activity in our lives, too much change, too many choices, too much work, too much debt, too much media exposure.

Dr. Richard Swenson says, “The conditions of modern day living devour margin. If you’re homeless we direct you to a shelter. If you’re penniless we offer you food stamps. If you’re breathless we connect you to oxygen. But if you’re marginless we give you one more thing to do. Marginless is being thirty minutes late to the doctor’s office because you were twenty minutes late getting out of the hairdresser because you were ten minutes late dropping the children off at school because the car ran out of gas two blocks from a gas station and you forgot your purse. That’s marginless.”

You need margin in your life. When you’re not hurrying and worrying all the time, you have time to think. Time to relax. Time to enjoy life. Time to be still and know that God is God (Psalm 46:10).

Rick Warren

Every Nation: Don’t Trade Your Life for Temporary Things

“There’s far more here than meets the eye. The things we see now are here today, gone tomorrow. But the things we can’t see now will last forever”

(2 Corinthians 4:18 MSG).

So much of what we waste our energy on will not matter even a year from now, much less for eternity. Don’t trade your life for temporary things. Jesus said, “Anyone who lets himself be distracted from the work I plan for him is not fit for the Kingdom of God” (Luke 9:62 LB). Paul warned, “Deal as sparingly as possible with the things the world thrusts on you. This world as you see it is on its way out” (1 Corinthians 7:31 MSG).

What are you allowing to stand in the way of your mission? Whatever it is, let it go. “Let us strip off anything that slows us down or holds us back…” (Hebrews 12:1 LB).

How can we do this? In one of His most misunderstood statements, Jesus said, “I tell you, use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings” (Luke 16:9 NIV).

Jesus did not mean for you to “buy” friends with money. What He meant was that you should use the money God gives you to bring people to Christ. They will then be friends for eternity who will welcome you when you get to heaven! It’s the best financial investment you’ll ever make.

You’ve probably heard the expression “You can’t take it with you,” but the Bible says you can send it on ahead, by investing it in people who are going there! The Bible says, “By doing this they will be storing up real treasure for themselves in heaven—it is the only safe investment for eternity! And they will be living a fruitful Christian life down here as well” (1 Timothy 6:19 LB).

Rick Warren

Every Nation: Turn Excuses Into Creative Thinking

“The Lord replied, ‘Don’t say, ‘I’m too young,’ for you must go wherever I send you and say whatever I tell you’”

(Jeremiah 1:7 NLT).

Here are some common excuses for not fulfilling your commission:

- “I only speak English.” This is actually an advantage in many countries where millions of people want to learn English and are eager to practice it.
- “I don’t have anything to offer.” Yes, you do! Every ability and experience in your SHAPE can be used somewhere.
- “I’m too old or too young.” Most mission agencies have age-appropriate short-term projects.

Whether it was Sarah claiming she was too old to be used by God or Jeremiah claiming he was too young, God rejected their excuses. “Don’t say that,” the Lord replied, “for you must go wherever I send you and say whatever I tell you. And don’t be afraid of the people, for I will be with you and will protect you” (Jeremiah 1:7-8 NLT).

Maybe you’ve believed that you needed a special “call” from God, and you’ve been waiting for some supernatural feeling or experience, but God has already stated His call repeatedly. God doesn’t want to use just some of His people; He wants to use all of His people. We’re all called to be on-mission for God. He wants His whole church to take the whole gospel to the whole world.

If you want to be like Jesus, you must care about what He cares about most; you must have a heart for the whole world! You can’t be satisfied with just your family and friends coming to Christ. There are over six billion people on earth, and Jesus wants all his lost children found.

The Great Commission is your commission, and doing your part is the secret to living a life of significance. Jesus said, “Only those who throw away their lives for My sake and for the sake of the Good News will ever know what it means to really live” (Mark 8:35 LB).

Rick Warren

One_Minute_Bible_Verse

“ You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden .”

Every Nation: Shift From Local to Global Thinking

“Send us around the world with the news of Your saving power and Your eternal plan for all mankind”

(Psalm 67:2 LB).

God is a global God. He has always cared about the entire world. “God so loved the world…” (John 3:16 NIV). From the beginning He has wanted family members from every nation He created. The Bible says, “From one person God made all nations who live on earth, and He decided when and where every nation would be” (Acts 17:26 CEV).

God has done all this, so that we will look for Him and reach out and find Him.

Much of the world already thinks globally. The largest media and business conglomerates are all multi-national. Our lives are increasingly intertwined with those in other nations as we share fashions, entertainment, music, sports, and even fast foods. Probably most of the clothes you’re wearing and much of what you ate today was produced in another country.

We’re more connected than we realize and God can use that connectedness as a means for us to fulfill His Great Commission. Jesus gave us a pattern for such involvement: “…You will tell everyone about Me in Jerusalem, in all Judea, in Samaria, and everywhere in the world” (Acts 1:8 CEV).

His followers are to reach out to their community (Jerusalem), to their country (Judea), to other cultures (Samaria) and to other nations (everywhere in the world). Note that our commission is simultaneous, not sequential.

We are called to be on mission to all four groups in some way. How would you identify these groups in your community? What nations do you believe God has called you to serve in some form?

Rick Warren

Every Nation: Thinking "Others" Instead of "Self"

“Brothers, stop thinking like children. In regard to evil be infants, but in your thinking be adults”

(1 Corinthians 14:20 NIV).

The Bible says, “My friends, stop thinking like children. Think like mature people…” (1 Corinthians 14:20 CEV). Children only think of themselves; grown-ups think of others.

God commands, “Don’t think only about your own affairs, but be interested in others, too” (Philippians 2:4 NLT).

Of course, this is a difficult mental shift because we’re naturally self-absorbed; almost all advertising encourages us to think of ourselves. The only way we can make this mental switch is through a moment-by-moment dependence on God.

Fortunately He doesn’t leave us to struggle on our own: “God has given us His Spirit. That’s why we don’t think the same way that the people of this world think” (1 Corinthians 2:12 CEV).

Begin asking the Holy Spirit to help you to think of the spiritual needs of unbelievers whenever you talk to them. With practice, you can develop the habit of praying silent “breath prayers” for those you encounter. Say “Father, help me to understand what is keeping this person from knowing You.”

Your goal is to figure out where they are in their spiritual journey and to do whatever will bring them a step closer to knowing Christ. You can learn how to do this by adopting the mindset of Paul who said, “I don’t think about what would be good for me but about what would be good for many people so that they might be saved” (1 Corinthians 10:33 GWT).

Rick Warren

Every Nation: Shift From "Me-First" to "God-First"

“Jesus said to His followers, ‘Go everywhere in the world, and tell the Good News to everyone’”

(Mark 16:15 NCV).

People with “me-first” faith ask, “How can God make my life more comfortable?” They want to use God for their purposes instead of being used for His purposes.

“God-first” believers know they’ve been saved to serve and made for mission. They’re eager to receive a personal assignment and excited about the privilege of being used by God.

Their joy, confidence, and enthusiasm are contagious because they know they’re making a difference. They wake up each morning expecting God to work through them in fresh ways.

Which type of believer do you want to be?

God invites you to participate in the greatest, largest, most diverse, and most significant cause in history—building His kingdom. History is His story; He’s building His family for eternity. Nothing matters more and nothing will last as long.

From the book of Revelation we know God’s global mission will be accomplished, that someday the Great Commission will be the great completion. In heaven, an enormous crowd of people “from every race, tribe, nation, and language” will one day stand before Jesus Christ to worship Him (Revelation 7:9 CEV).

Becoming a “God-first” believer will allow you to experience in advance a little of what heaven will be like.

Rick Warren

Three Benefits of Good News

“For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord”

(Romans 6:23 NLT).

The good news is you’re able to enter into a relationship with God through an attitude of trust in Jesus Christ; not through religion, rules, regulations, or rituals.

When we trust our lives to Jesus Christ we’re given three incredible, fabulous, wonderful benefits. So, when we tell others about the good news, we can let them know: God forgives your past; he gives you purpose in the present; and, he offers you a future.

God forgives your past. None of us are perfect. Everybody has made mistakes. Everyone has skeletons in the closet—things he or she wishes had never happened. God comes along and says, “When you trust Jesus Christ with your life, I take everything you’ve ever done and wipe the slate clean. You get to start over with a brand-new life.”

Now, is that good news?

God gives you purpose in the present. You are not an accident. God created you for a purpose. But you’re never going to know God’s purpose for your life until you first get to know God. When you get to know God, you’re going to know who you are. When you figure out God, you’re going to figure out yourself.

I meet people all the time who say, “I’m just trying to find myself.” You know what—you probably aren’t going to like yourself once you find yourself!

These people say, “There’s something missing in my life.” God’s missing! You weren’t made to live and go through life just on your own power.

God offers you a future. God gives you a future, a home in heaven. Most people hope they’re going to heaven, but they’re not sure. Most people think if you do more good in your life than bad, then maybe God will grade on a curve and say, “Okay, you can come in.”

Wrong! It doesn’t work that way. You won’t get into heaven on your own power because you’re just not good enough.

There’s only one way we can get into heaven—on somebody else’s ticket. Since none of us are perfect, God came to earth in human form as Jesus. Jesus lived a life of perfection. He died on the cross, paid for our sin, and then went back to heaven. Now you get into heaven on His ticket, if you trust Him.

Romans 6:23 (NCV) says, “God gives us a free gift—life forever in Christ Jesus our Lord.” It’s a gift. That means you can’t earn it, you can’t work for it, and you can’t own it in any way.

God says, “If you trust My Son with your life, you get forgiveness for your past, a purpose for living in your present, and a home in heaven in the future.”

Is that good news?

Do you think anybody you know would be interested in that?

The world is hungry for good news.

Easter: The Verdict

“‘What shall I do, then, with the One you call the King of the Jews?’ Pilate asked them”

(Mark 15:12 NIV).

Two thousand years ago, in the Middle East, an event occurred that permanently changed the world. Because of that event, history was split. Every time you write a date, you’re using the resurrection of Jesus Christ as the focal point.

What does this mean to us today? In one sense, Jesus Christ is still on trial. He’s on trial in the heart and mind of every person who has not yet acknowledged Him as the Son of God, the Savior of the world.

Was Jesus a liar, a lunatic, or Lord?

Rick Warren


Jesus claimed to be the Savior of the world. In John 12:47, He is recorded as saying: “I didn’t come to judge the world. I came to save it.” Some people say, “I believe Jesus was a good teacher.” But, He couldn’t be just a good teacher because a good teacher would not say, “I’m God, and I’m the only way to heaven.” A good person would not say that unless it was the truth.

What’s your verdict?

- Is Jesus who He says He is? Is He God? Or is He a lunatic or a liar?

- If He is who He says He is, when will you start following what He says to do with your life?

Today, you sit in judgment of Jesus Christ. Just as Pilate asked, “What shall I do then with Jesus who is called the Christ?” you also must decide whether He was who He said He was or not.

Picture of Christ

Easter: Jesus' Trial

“But Jesus remained silent and gave no answer. Again the high priest asked Him, “Are You the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?”

(Mark 14:61 NIV)

What’s so important about Easter? It’s important because it proved that Jesus was who He claimed to be. He was God in the flesh, and He came to earth to save us.

Three events occurred in dramatic succession on that Easter weekend: the trial of Jesus, then the death of Jesus, and finally the resurrection of Jesus.

Jesus actually went through six trials. In that one night, He was brought before Annas (the father-in-law of Caiaphas), Caiaphas (the high priest), the Sanhedrin (the religious Supreme Court), Pilate (the governor of Jerusalem), Herod (the governor of Galilee), and then back to Pilate.

At the end of those six trials, what did they find to accuse Him of? Nothing. He had done nothing wrong. They brought in people to make up phony charges, but those didn’t stick. Finally they convicted Him on one count: claiming to be the Son of God. That’s the sole reason Jesus went to the cross.

Everyone who has ever been presented with Jesus has already made some kind of decision about who He is. You either believe He’s a liar, or you believe He’s a lunatic, or you believe He’s the Lord. It can’t just be, “I believe He was a good teacher.” He couldn’t be just a good teacher, because a good teacher would not say, “I’m God, and I’m the only way to heaven.” A good person would not say that unless it was the truth.

Jesus claimed to be the Savior of the world. In John 12:47, He is recorded as saying: “I did not come to judge the world, but to save it” (NIV). He allowed Himself to be put on trial so there would be no doubt about who He was. He could have stopped the trial at any moment; He knew He would be proven guilty and put on the cross—but He allowed it to happen. It was all part of the plan.

Rick Warren

Easter Shows Us God's Amazing Love

“God showed His great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners”

(Romans 5:8 NLT).

Everything that Jesus did for you He did out of love. The Bible says that God made you to love you. The only reason you’re alive is because you were made to be loved by God.

If God didn’t want you alive, your heart would stop instantly; you wouldn’t even be breathing right now. God made you and wants you alive so He can love you and so you can love Him back.

God didn’t just say He loved you, He showed it. The Bible says, “God showed His great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners” (Romans 5:8 NLT). It says while we were still sinners. Before I even knew God, before I even knew I needed God in my life, Jesus died for me.

There’s a myth that says I’ve got to clean up my act before I can come to God. “I’ve got to get it all together. There are a few things I’ve got to get right in my life first, and then I’ll come to God.” No! You come to God with your problems—the good, the bad, and the ugly.

Why do we do this? It’s like when we brush our teeth before we go to the dentist to have a teeth cleaning; or when we wash the dishes before we put them in the dishwasher; or when we pick up the house before the maid gets there! Why do we do this?

God says, “No, no! You don’t have to clean up your act. Just bring it all to Me. Bring Me all your problems. I have the answer. I have all the answers.” You don’t wait. Jesus says, “Come as you are.”

The Bible says, “He will send down help from heaven to save me because of His love” (Psalm 57:3 LB). That’s what Jesus did on Easter. He sent down Himself from heaven to save us because of His love. So you bring your problems to God because He has the answer.

If you don’t act on this news then the death of Jesus Christ and His resurrection is wasted for you personally. It makes no difference in your life. You may recognize the gift, but you still have to receive it.

The Bible says, “You will be saved, if you honestly say, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and if you believe with all your heart that God raised Him from death. God will accept you and save you, if you truly believe this and tell it to others” (Romans 10:9-10 CEV).

God is not asking you to make a promise you cannot keep. God is asking you to believe a promise that only He can keep.

Rick Warren

Easter Offers Us a Fresh Start

“Because Jesus was raised from the dead, we’ve been given a brand-new life, and have everything to live for, including a future in heaven”

(1 Peter 1:3-4 MSG).

Evidently, a lot of people would like to have a fresh start in life. Yesterday I typed the phrase “fresh start” into Google on the Internet. It brought up 485,000 links! A lot of people would like a fresh start. They think, “I’ve blown it, I’ve messed up, I’ve really made a mess of things in my life. I’d like a fresh start.”

Jesus is in the business of giving people a fresh start. The apostle Peter says, “Because Jesus was raised from the dead, we’ve been given a brand-new life, and have everything to live for, including a future in heaven” (1 Peter 1:3-4 MSG).

Several things happen once you give your life to Christ:

1. You open up your life to God and get to know Him.
2. You’re given a brand-new life, which gives you everything to live for.
3. You get a future in heaven.

The way I say it is this: You get your past forgiven, you get a purpose for livin’, and you get a home in heaven. What a deal! Your past, present, and future are taken care of as you put your trust in Jesus. A fresh start!

“Everything that we have—right thinking and right living, a clean slate and a fresh start—comes from God by way of Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 1:30 MSG).

Rick Warren

Easter Means We're Released From Judgment

“Those who…believe in Him…will not be judged”

(John 5:24 GNT).

Jesus’ death and resurrection releases us from judgment.

You may imagine a day of judgment where you’re standing outside the gates of heaven in a really, really long line, and you’re slowly moving forward, one step at a time. As you get closer, you start to sweat and wonder, “Am I going to get in? Am I going to make it? Is God going to use a giant TV screen to show every dumb or evil thing I’ve ever done? Will my every sin is be exposed?”

I have good news for you; it’s a promise of Jesus Christ. The Bible says that those who believe in Jesus—His death and resurrection—will not be judged (John 3:18).

So, here’s the real picture: You’re standing in line waiting for the judgment. Jesus sees you and He says, “I know you. We’ve been friends for years. You put your trust in Me back at Easter 2009. Come with Me. You come get in the express lane. You get the fast track. You get to bypass the judgment.” Is that good news? Oh, yeah!

I’ve got a friend named Buddy who says, when he was a little kid, his Sunday school teacher taught him that God was sitting in heaven writing down every bad thing that Buddy ever did. Writing it down! She actually made the class sing a song every week that went: “My Lord is writing all the time. Writing, writing, writing all the time.” Buddy says, “It scared me. I just thought, ‘I’m never going to make it to heaven. My list is getting longer and longer.’”

Is that the way God treats us when we come and put our faith in Christ? No! In fact, God is erasing, erasing, erasing all the time. Forgiving, forgiving, forgiving all the time. He’s sitting in heaven hitting the delete button.

Why? Because the Bible says, “God is love” (1 John 4:8); and “Love…keeps no record of wrongs” (1 Corinthians 13:5 NIV). If you put your trust in the love of Jesus Christ it’s wiped out, “There is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ” (Romans 8:1 NLT).

Rick Warren

Easter Means We're Acceptable to God

“God gave Jesus to die for our sins, and He raised Him to life, so that we would be made acceptable to God” (Romans 4:25 CEV).

Jesus’ death and resurrection make us acceptable to God.

Would you be surprised to know that most people do not accept themselves? I’ve been a pastor now for over 30 years and I’ve talked to tens of thousands of people, and I’ve found that most people really don’t like themselves inside. They wish they were different. They wish they looked different. They wish they acted different.

We don’t accept ourselves and so we spend our lives trying to find acceptance among other people; but even more important than being accepted by other people is being accepted by God. That’s a problem. Why? Because God is perfect and you’re not. And neither am I.

God lives in a perfect place called heaven, so God has a problem. How does He get imperfect people into a perfect place where He is perfect? (Because, obviously, if He allowed imperfect people in a perfect place it wouldn’t be perfect anymore.) God has to come up with a plan for imperfect people to be able to live in a perfect place.

God’s plan is what I call “The Great Exchange.”

The Bible says, “God took the sinless Christ and poured into Him our sins. Then, in exchange, He poured God's goodness into us!” (2 Corinthians 5:21 LB)

I don’t know how to make it any clearer than to say it like this: You’re never going to be good enough to get into heaven because it’s perfect and you stopped being perfect a long time ago. It is Christ’s goodness in you that makes you acceptable. You’re not perfect, but He is. So God says, “We’ll do a little switcheroo here. Jesus will take your sins and you get My goodness in your life.” That’s quite a deal!

A lot of people feel trapped by their past. They say, “If you knew what I’ve done, you’d know I’d never be acceptable to God.” I don’t know what you’ve done, but God does and He still accepts you: “God says He will accept us and acquit us—declare us ‘not guilty’—if we trust Jesus Christ to take away our sins. And we all can be saved in this same way, by coming to Christ, no matter who we are or what we have been like” (Romans 3:22 LB).

Rick Warren

Just 3 Words

“ Faith is the affirmation and the act that bids eternal truth be present fact ”

Just 3 Words !!!


Three things in life that, once gone , never come back -

1. Time
2. Words
3. Opportunity

Three things in life that can destroy a person -

1. Anger
2. Pride
3. Unforgiveness

Three things in life that you should never lose -

1. Hope
2. Peace
3. Honesty

Three things in life that are most valuable -

1. Love
2. Family & Friends
3. Kindness

Three things in life that are never certain -

1. Fortune
2. Success
3. Dreams

Three things that make a person -

1. Commitment
2. Sincerity
3. Hard Work

No one falls in love by choice , it is by Chance
No one stays in love by chance , it is by Work
And no one falls out of love by chance , it is by Choice

Jesus Asked !!!

One Day, Jesus and Satan had a conversation and Jesus ask Satan what was he doing with the people here in the World...

Satan Responded :
They are entertaining me : Teaching them how to do bombs and to kill; to use weapons; to hate one another; to abuse the infancy; showing the youth to use drugs; to drink, to lie and to do everything prohibited...


I am amusing myself very much!!!!

Jesus asked:
And after, what are you going to do with them?

After ...I am going to finish them all!!

Jesus asked:
How much do you want for them?

Satan Replied:

Why are you going to love these people? They are treacherous, lying, false, egoistic, and covetous!

They will never love you really, they are going to blaspheme and spit in your face, they are going to despise you and they will not have you consideration any!

How much do you want for them Satan?
I want all your tears and your blood!


Ok done deal!
and...Jesus paid the price of our liberty!

How do we forget Jesus!
We believe everything they show us, but we question everything that comes from him...

People send jokes thruogh e-mail sending themto each other at a fast speed!
But when the e-mail is about GOD, they people think about it twice sending it to others.

Everyone says they want to be with GOD one day

A lot of us say: I believe in GOD, but what do we do for HIM!

To speak of Jesus is not a matter that the people want to hear...
They only come to Jesus when they are in big trouble.

When you finish reading this message.
Will you send it to somebody?

Who will send this message?

Who will you send this too?

Just the same, don’t be afraid , my child, I will always be with you.
Even when you feel alone ...

Peace be with you ...

Amen

Servants Finish Their Tasks

“Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let’s celebrate together!”

(Matthew 25:23 NLT).

Real servants are faithful to their ministry. Servants finish their tasks, fulfill their responsibilities, keep their promises, and complete their commitments. They don’t leave a job half undone, and they don’t quit when they get discouraged. They are trustworthy and dependable.

Faithfulness has always been a rare quality (Psalm 12:1; Proverbs 20:6; Philippians 2:19-22).

Most people don’t know the meaning of commitment. They make commitments casually, then break them for the slightest reason without any hesitation, remorse, or regret. Every week, churches and other organizations must improvise because volunteers didn’t prepare, didn’t show up, or didn’t even call to say they weren’t coming.

Can you be counted on by others? Are there promises you need to keep, vows you need to fulfill, or commitments you need to honor?

This is a test. God is testing your faithfulness. If you pass the test, you’re in good company: Abraham, Moses, Samuel, David, Daniel, Timothy, and Paul were all called faithful servants of God.

Even better, God has promised to reward your faithfulness in eternity. Imagine what it will feel like one day to have God say to you, “Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let’s celebrate together!” (Matthew 25:23 NLT).

By the way, faithful servants never retire. They serve faithfully as long as they’re alive. You can retire from your career, but you will never retire from serving God.

Rick Warren

Servants Do Every Task With Equal Dedication

“Unless you are faithful in small matters, you won’t be faithful in large ones. If you cheat even a little, you won’t be honest with greater responsibilities”

(Luke 16:10 NLT).

Servants do every task with equal dedication. Whatever they do, servants “do it with all their heart” (Colossians 3:23 NIV).

The size of the task is irrelevant. The only issue is, does it need to be done?

You will never arrive at the state in life where you’re too important to help with menial tasks. God will never exempt you from the mundane. It’s a vital part of your character curriculum. The Bible says, “If you think you are too important to help someone in need, you are only fooling yourself. You are really a nobody” (Galatians 6:3 NLT).

It is in these small services that we grow like Christ.

Jesus specialized in menial tasks that everyone else tried to avoid: washing feet, helping children, fixing breakfast, and serving lepers. Nothing was beneath Him, because He came to serve. It wasn’t in spite of His greatness that He did these things, but because of it, and He expects us to follow his example (John 13:15).

Small tasks often show a big heart. Your servant’s heart is revealed in little acts that others don’t think of doing, as when Paul gathered brushwood for a fire to warm everyone after a shipwreck (Acts 28:3).

He was just as exhausted as everyone else, but he did what everyone needed. No task is beneath you when you have a servant’s heart.

Great opportunities often disguise themselves in small tasks. The little things in life determine the big things. Don’t look for great tasks to do for God. Just do the not-so-great stuff, and God will assign you whatever He wants you to do.

There will always be more people willing to do “great” things for God than there are people willing to do the little things. The race to be a leader is crowded, but the field is wide open for those willing to be servants.

Sometimes you serve upward to those in authority, and sometimes you serve downward to those in need. Either way, you develop a servant’s heart when you’re willing to do anything needed.

Rick Warren

Servants Serve With What They Have

“If you wait for perfect conditions, you will never get anything done”

(Ecclesiastes 11:4 NLT).

Real servants do their best with what they have. Servants don’t make excuses, procrastinate, or wait for better circumstances. Servants never say, “One of these days” or “When the time is right.” They just do what needs to be done.

The Bible says, “If you wait for perfect conditions, you will never get anything done” (Ecclesiastes 11:4 NLT).

God expects you to do what you can, with what you have, wherever you are. Less-than-perfect service is always better than the best intention.

One reason many people never serve is that they fear they are not good enough to serve. They have believed the lie that serving God is only for superstars. Some churches have fostered this myth by making excellence an idol, which makes people of average talent hesitant to get involved.

You may have heard it said, “If it can’t be done with excellence, don’t do it.” Well, Jesus never said that! The truth is, almost everything we do is done poorly when we first start doing it—that’s how we learn.

At Saddleback Church, we practice the “good enough” principle: It doesn’t have to be perfect for God to use and bless it. We would rather involve thousands of regular folks in ministry than have a perfect church run by a few elites.

Rick Warren