Today, let's look at one more way to refuel ... 5. Invest Time in Reflection and Contemplation. The Sabbath was not only a time for rest and recreation. It was a time for stillness, reflection and contemplation about life, its meaning, its direction, and God’s activity within it. It was a time for spiritual renewal … Continue reading Refuel (Pt.7)
Refuel (Pt.6)
Let's look at another way to refuel ... 4. Plan Regular Time for Rest and Recreation. God didn’t design us to work constantly without rest. God worked for six days and then rested on the seventh. Not because he was tired or because he needed time off, but because rest (not working) is good. The … Continue reading Refuel (Pt.6)
Refuel (P.5)
Last week we looked at two practical things that help us to refuel, especially spiritually – (1) spending time alone with God every day and (2) participating in church gatherings every week. These practices are part of how God refuels us for our journey. God works through BOTH our personal relationship with him and our … Continue reading Refuel (P.5)
Refuel (Pt.4)
Before we move on, let's pause and reflect on what we've covered so far. Here are a few questions you might want to think about today: Do you think life is becoming more stressful? If so, what are some of the indicators? Describe a time when you felt like you were ‘running on empty’. What … Continue reading Refuel (Pt.4)
Refuel (Pt.3)
How else can we refuel? 2. Participate in Church Gatherings Every Week. In addition to spending time along with him, God also wants us as his people to gather together on a regular basis. He has designed these gatherings to be part of his process for refuelling us for our journey. We live in a … Continue reading Refuel (Pt.3)
Refuel (Pt.2)
Let’s look at a few practical things we can do to refuel. First we’ll focus on some activities for refuelling our spiritual life. Then next week we’ll look at things related more to our relational and emotional health. 1. Spend Time Alone with God Every Day. As followers of Christ, God is the source of our … Continue reading Refuel (Pt.2)
Refuel (Pt.1)
Refuelling is not an optional extra for the Christian life. It is an essential practice and something that must be done on a regular basis. It is not just for the faint of heart or the weak. Even the strong tire and become weary. Even the young run out of energy. Listen to what the … Continue reading Refuel (Pt.1)
Stress
We live in a world of exponential change that often results in stress in our lives. Stress can come from the high pace of change, from increasing mobility, from time pressures, from work, from feeling like things are out of our control, from fear, from strained relationships, from competition, and from emotions such as frustration … Continue reading Stress
The Impact of Exponential Change
Our world has experienced an incredible amount of progress in the last 100 years. Progress has been upward and onward, resulting in a rapid acceleration of change. Just think of: the speed of travel (our family took 23 days to travel to the USA via boat back in 1972!), the power of computers (the internet wasn’t … Continue reading The Impact of Exponential Change
Energy
To be highly effective in our work and to also enjoy life to the fullest we need to manage our energy, not just our time. Research reveals that energy, not time, is the most important component of personal effectiveness. Let me give you an example: If you’re scheduled to have open heart surgery, obviously you’d … Continue reading Energy
Internal Stress
Recent research tells us that a lot of Australians are experiencing a great deal of stress in their life. Life is getting more complex, the pressures are increasing, the pace is getting faster, and a lot of people are struggling to cope. One of the keys to good stress management is learning to keep our … Continue reading Internal Stress
Attitude
Developing and maintaining a good attitude in life is vital. However it’s not always easy! One huge misconception about attitudes is that if you have a good attitude you will never feel bad or get upset. How untrue! People with great attitudes experience all the same sorts of negative emotions that other people do, … Continue reading Attitude
Smile!
When I was much younger I had a significant leader give me some feedback. He started out by encouraging me about my potential and my future. Then he said, “Mark, there’s a few things you need to work on. Firstly, you need to smile more. You’ve very tall and that can be quite intimidating for … Continue reading Smile!
Global Issues
Today we are living in a global village. Yes, it’s a big world but we’re all connected in so many ways like at no other time in our history. Here is Australia we have our own challenges but we really are still a ‘lucky country’. We’ve been blessed in so many ways and it’s easy … Continue reading Global Issues
A Personal Check Up (Pt. 6)
Our final question is: 5. How is your love? Love is the most important thing in our life (see 1 Corinthians 13). As someone once said, "People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care!" Christian love is a choice to do good to others. Love forgives and seeks reconciliation. Have … Continue reading A Personal Check Up (Pt. 6)