Do ya ever think about this fade? Or not so much yet? Perhaps we all should. Yeah, we all need to earnestly pray about it if we love people. So what is the four-generation fade?:
1) Parents don’t make church a high priority for their kids
2) Kids grow up and make it less of a priority for their kids
3) Those kids grow up and make it no priority for their kids
4) Those kids grow up with no concept of God
The average age in American churches today is 51 years old.
Top priorities matter. People matter. Today, this moment matters. Go impact the generation with the Gospel!
Let's love God most and prioritize all our relationships so we can grow strong. I like seein' people succeed in the will of God -- simply succeeding instead of exploiting others in order to feel they are doing that.
1. Be On Time2. Show Up And Do the Work.. even a li'l more3. Give It Your Best4. Be A Realist And Positively Contagious5. Have an Attitude of Gratitude, Mean it, Say It6. Seek Solutions, Seek The Ultimate Solution7. Have Red Hot Passion in relationship with Christ Jesus, Yeah with JOY in Order To Go Share Your Faith From The Overflow of His Spirit. Chilly and Lukewarm Are So Lame and Over-rated.8. Be Coachable, Teachable, Humble in Listening9. Wherever You Go, Do More Than What’s Required10. Believe in Yourself, In The Middle Of His Will For You
Not just up but look and call out to the Lord. His heart and ears still work. Jesus was physically reselected with over 500 eyewitnesses remember!
I wanna be a realist filled with faith. Ask, He’ll help you too.
Why hyper-focus on the circumstances of life instead of on the living Word and lose my peace? The wisdom of man falls short, but not godly-wisdom. Why not just pray about it again. When it’s important, why not bathe it in believing prayer with the right address on that? Go back to God in the name of Jesus for the specifics on how, when, with whom or not.. and where. His mouth still works.
"My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand." John 10:27-28
Worship acceptably not unacceptably (there are only two types of this). Hey, when the Word of God says go for it beloved, then go! No worries. What’s best is good, right, BEST for you and for others too! Lord, I know this from the Bible. You “work in me both to will and to do of your good pleasure” and now Your Spirit is sayin’ do this. Okay, thanks.
"Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path." Psalm 119:105
Be born again spiritually and then grow. Believer, “..continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God who works in you to will and to act on behalf of His good purpose. Do everything without complaining or arguing.” Psalm 37:3-5
“Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness. Delight yourself in the LORD, and He will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD; trust in Him, and He will do it.” Psalm 37:3-5
Here are 6 good principles that are meant to be used together.
Got a decision? Then make it prayerfully based on the whole picture here. It can be dangerous to merely make a decision on one Bible principle or on a feeling.. that you feel strongly about while ignoring the other 5 below.
1) Surrender your attitude and personal desires.
Think through why you would want to make a certain choice. Are your desires in alignment with God’s desires?
As German evangelist George Muller said, “Nine-tenths of the difficulties are overcome when our hearts are ready to do the Lord’s will, whatever it may be. When one is truly in this state, it is usually but a little way to the knowledge of what His will is.”
2) Meditate on God’s Word.
When you make a decision, it should line up with, or at least not contradict, what God has already said through the Bible. There are no hidden answers in the Bible, but guidelines and truths — an explanation of who God is — that can help you make decisions.
3) Spend focused time in prayer.
God tells us “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God” (Philippians 4:6, NIV). As you ask God what to do, write down the sense of direction you get from Him over time.
4) Seek other people’s opinions.
Find mature, dedicated Christians and ask them what they think you should do. The opinions you receive may conflict, but they should give you another perspective to think about.
Remember, you are still responsible for the decision you make. Seeking advice is wise, but you still need to work through the other principles. Do not let someone else make your decision for you.
5) Consider your circumstances.
God can open and close opportunities. God — not circumstances — should guide your decision-making. But God may use events in your life to point you in a certain direction.
6) Think through your decision logically.
God’s Spirit can direct your mind and reasoning. Sometimes Christians can want to follow God’s will so badly, they forget to think the decision through. Create a list with all of your options and write out the benefits and drawbacks to each.
Look At the Big Picture
Try journaling as you work through each of these 6 principles and look for clarity to emerge. If you are still confused, it may be that you need to wait before making a decision and continue to think through these guidelines.
But if all 6 principles are pointing in the same direction, prayerfully move forward, trusting God to guide you as you go.
Remember God is Still in Control
Nothing you decide will surprise God. Proverbs 16:9 says, “In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps.” (Thanks Lord and Cru)
