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Sermon Thought:
“Revival
Thinking”
We are the sum of all the thoughts that we have ever had. All of the actions, good or bad, that have come against us have affected our thinking. And as a man thinks in his heart, so is he. (Proverbs 23:7) A person receives the supernatural by faith, but it first begins with thinking. To get faith started, begin with thinking. Our thinking creates limitations on God. We create the arena where God works and He will do no more than what we think He will.
If you look at the blessed, you’ll find that often it is not their giving, holiness or worship that makes the difference, but their thinking. The blessed think that God can really do what He says He will do. They think differently. A person may or may not act on what he knows, but he will always act on what he believes. And his beliefs are based upon what he thinks. The right kind of thinking is 90% of faith’s victory. Often, a person has allowed Satan, life or people to determine his thinking and it is little thinking. For instance, one of the first places Jesus went to do miracles was His hometown. But to His home folks, Jesus was just “Joseph’s boy.” Not the mighty God. Consequently, Jesus did very few miracles. But He goes to Capernaum, the people believe, and He does many miracles.
In II Kings 4:1-7, the size of the miracle was determined by the size of their thinking. Why? The sons gathered vessels until they thought “this is enough.” And when they thought that, they set the size of the miracle. In I Samuel 14:1, Jonathan thought differently than the rest of the Israelites. While Israel was hiding in caves, Jonathan thought that if God is on your side, you don’t even need an army! Consequently, Jonathan marched toward the Philistines and God destroyed them. God honored big thinking!
We must take off the blinders. Start thinking big! Start speaking faith! Raise your thinking. Your church can double! You can have property! Doors can open! Build God a big arena for Him to work in. Get revival thinking.
1. Get
Rid of Stuff - Paper, publications and possessions require maintenance;
maintenance costs time, energy, space and money. Dispose of seldom or never-used items. Ask yourself, “What will happen if I let this go?” If the answer
is “nothing,” get rid of it.
2. Limit
Your Reading Material – Realize that you can’t read, know, or retain all
the information you receive. Set up a
reading folder for holding unread information.
Pitch the oldest material (read or not) when that space is full.
3. Touch
it Once – Be decisive: Handle mail
only once and move on. Don’t shuffle
papers with the vague “I don’t know what to do with this so I’ll put it here
for now” Syndrome. Use a simple DRAFT
technique – Delegate, Read, Act, File or Toss – the first time you touch it.
4. Think
Before Acquiring More – Evaluate before accepting new items. Get off mailing/routing lists that serve no
purpose. Ask yourself if you really
NEED this item.
5. Organize
Before Increasing Space – The more space you have, the more inclined you
are to be a saver. Keep things as
simple as possible by retaining as few items as you absolutely need.
6. Don’t
Leave Things Out As Reminders – Leaving items out is a common mistake.
7. Keep
Frequently-Used Items Handy – Keep within easy reach your current working
papers and items you’ll need when you answer the phone.
8. Don’t
Crowd – Individual file folders over ¾ of an inch thick need to be first
purged, then divided if necessary.
9. Do
the Best Task At the Best Time – Do tasks physically or mentally difficult
for you at your own peak energy times; this includes making tough decisions.
10. Be Prepared –
Like the Boy Scouts, plan ahead for everything you’ll need.
11. Don’t Leave Until
You’re Finished – If you find items to be delivered elsewhere, put them in
a specific place and deliver them there only when you’re finished with your
present task.
12. Do Only What You Set
Out To Do – Focus on your specified project. Resist the urge to be distracted by what you see. Instead, like a boomerang, let your brain
keep guiding you back to achieving your immediate goal.
13. Break Your Work Into
Units – If a project seems overwhelming, “divide and conquer.” Break it down into manageable units and
schedule the steps to execute it.
14. Empower Yourself
Through Delegation – Many people are reluctant to delegate. They find it hard to let go – to make
decisions, to give up a task – or are embarrassed to have others see their
disarray. Take heart! Empower yourself with these strategies to
most effectively use your support team – peers, supervisor, assistant, etc.
15. Take Time For
Training – Just having the right planner, filing system or computer
software program doesn’t assure your success; knowing how to use them
effectively is the key to being well organized. “I don’t have time for training” is shortsighted.
Simple Strategies to
Motivate Others
Motivating
yourself to get going and gain momentum is one thing, but inspiring others is
another. It starts with your own
motivation and continues with strategies that speak to your people. Use the following ideas to give those around
you an extra boost of motivation:
Ø
Communicate with Clarity. Before you try to motivate
others to act, be sure you know exactly what to ask for. Then communicate it as simply and clearly as
you can. After all, people cannot do
what they do not understand.
Ø Be Committed to a Purpose. The one common denominator of all great people in history is that they believed in what they were doing. They were dedicated and committed to their vision and purpose. People will always be persuaded more by the depth of your convictions than by the height of your logic. So, to motivate others, always show them your commitment.
Ø Give People Recognition. Few things motivate us better than praise. When you tell others that they are doing a great job, it makes them want to work even harder to continue earning your praise. We all have a desire to feel needed and important. For that reason, recognition can be the most dynamic of all motivating factors.
Ø Believe in Them. How you see people determines at what level they will perform. If you see them as problems, that’s what they become. If you see them as successes, they’ll be successful. Successful leaders are able to fulfill their vision not only through the contribution of others – because they understand people and know how to motivate them.
What are people, especially younger generations,
looking for?
Authenticity, Not Hype – In all things, the church should strive to be genuine – to be real.
Balance, Not Burnout – For a world running on empty,
where teenagers use Day-Timers, the church should be a place of balance.
Connections & Community – A place to belong.
Disciples, Not Decisions – Recognize the different stages of faith development. (Making a one-time decision for Christ is
not enough. Christianity is a lifetime
walk not a one-time decision. Once the
decision has been made, training for growth must begin. How many “saved” are still in the church
growing six months or more down the road?)
Growth & Groups –
Personal growth happens best in small groups.
Ministry Before Membership – People want to invest their time and talent before making a
commitment.
Relationship, not Religion – People want a relationship with Christ, not the trappings of
religion.
Soul Care & Spirituality – What is happening below the surface “where they
live?”
Times of Transition –
More than ever, the times are a’changin’.
People are looking for information to help them cope with change in
their lives.