“For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline” (2 Timothy 1:7).
Hi friend,
What are you thinking about? Got a few great ideas? Whatever it is, pay attention to it because what we think about affects our actions. Thinking, while important, is just well, thinking, unless those good thoughts are put into positive action.
Our Time, Energy, and Attention represent what we believe. (For more on TEA, read my post about Charlie Brown, here.) Our attention is not only influenced by our faith in Jesus, but our thinking including our experiences, biases, fears, hopes, and dreams, also influence our thinking!
Psychologists, pastors, and educators all know that our thinking is influenced by our actions and attitudes. Visualization coaches and trainers recognize that realizing high achievement requires mastery over our thoughts. Take a minute and consider your thinking habits.
Getting control over our thinking begins by changing unhelpful thinking habits into more productive ones. Once you can identify your unhelpful thinking styles, you may become aware they often occur just before and during distressing situations. If this is your experience, you can try different techniques to refocus your mental frame of reference and choose alternate thoughts empowering yourself to see the situation in a different and more helpful way.
The Mental Filter- Some thought habits can function like filters allowing us to notice only what the filter allows or wants us to notice, and we dismiss anything that doesn’t. Like looking through dark lenses or paying attention to only the negative stuff, anything more positive or realistic is dismissed. Ask yourself, Do I only notice the bad stuff? Am I filtering out the positives? Am I wearing those dark glasses that cloud my thinking? What would be more productive and realistic?
“Summing it all up, friends, I’d say you’ll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse” Philippians 4:8 (MSG).
What thoughts help you grow and change? Remember, “…the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.” Let’s make July a month of great thoughts that are transformed into action by God’s Spirit. Thank you for all you think about… and then do! Great Ideas + Spirit Led Action = Transforming Change!
Let’s keep creating A Thriving, Growing Church. Great Ideas + Thoughtful Action = Transformational Change!
All the best,
Pastor Kevin
The Rubicon river in Italy is not large, but it holds a huge place in history. You have heard the phrase, “Crossing the Rubicon,” which means to pass a point of no return. It refers to Julius Caesar’s armies crossing of the river in 49 BC which was a dangerous, revolutionary act! There was no going back for Caesar once he was on the other side.
When we cross the Rubicon, a revolution is begun and our perspective changes. We see things from a changed vantage point. We stand in a new place, and step off in a new direction. Jesus was constantly inviting his followers to embrace paradigm shifts. Sure, its uncomfortable. Scary at times. Uncertainty, fear, and dread (and it can sometimes feel this way!) are never fun! But we demonstrate our trust and love of God when we decide to follow Jesus with opened eyes, in a spiritually open and intellectually honest way, and embrace God’s emerging future. The future is now. Today. Tomorrow. And beyond. If following Jesus doesn’t feel like an adventure to you, maybe your feet are still in the river?
This week we celebrate the 4th of July. Do you know why? Because somebody started a revolution! A group of women and men got together not far from here in Philadelphia and made a decision to change who the nation followed. Instead of England, and King George, they decided to follow God’s
Everyone loves a great story. But did you know you ARE a story? Each of us represent a story being written every day as we experience life and enjoy our relationship with God through Christ. In Luke 8, find out what happened on the beach one day when new connections were made. When we connect with Jesus, we experience God’s love in a very personal and transforming way. Jesus heals us, transforms us. We are restored to the world. Our story unfolds in God’s emerging future of hope! That’s great news for Cape May! It’s awesome news for the entire << Test Last Name >> family, too!
Who is your favorite superhero? Lots to choose from! Walking down our aisle right now is super-model, our own, Mr. Chuck McPherson (not really a model!). He is wearing on of my favorite T’s featuring Jesus sitting on a steel beam with an assortment of superhero’s. Spider-Man hangs there. There’s Superman, Captain America, Batman, and many more. If you could be the hero of your own story, what powers would you want? Here’s the good news, while those particular powers may not be granted, Jesus makes you the hero of your own story. You’re created to know the Super Savior, Jesus, who is quite different than the other cool superheroes.
It’s Father’s Day, and we honor everything that is awesome and amazing about dads. Often we recognize how our experience with our parents can inform our understanding of God, too, for good or bad. Father’s Day is a great time to reconnect with the best of Dad-ness, whether our own dad, our experience as a dad, or the role of dad that someone had in our life. It’s also Trinity Sunday when we celebrate the collaborative nature of God expressed as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. When Jesus introduced the idea of a trinity- three in one- it not only startled his listeners; this idea angered most. Find out why during worship on Sunday!
What kinds of things in your home needs a code or keys to open? Right! The house. Car. Your iPhone. Logging into websites. Well, there’s one thing in your home a very special key is needs to open… you! You were created with amazing potential, and to unlock that potential, a very special key, custom made for you, is needed, and Jesus is that Key to unlocking your life’s potential. Pray. Listen to God as you read the Bible. Meet with others who inspire you, maybe like your dad! Or other care giver. Be open to the possibilities as you follow Jesus here at Cold Spring Church. You’re amazing and God will unlock that potential more and more every day!