by Aarron Pina | Jan 7, 2016 | Uncategorized
My Confession:
I hate to brag, but I have a really big mouth… Years back, I told a few guys I was going to read through the bible that year – cover to cover. I was full of it. Trying to impress. Selfish motive, meet big mouth. Ever been there?
There are two paths you can go with that: either repent & resolve to do it year after year, failing until you quit trying, or get so sick and tired of not doing it that you finally get it done. I want this to be the last year you try and fail. Is that OK? An END to the lightning starts in Genesis, followed by stop and go traffic in Leviticus, and stalling out in the genealogies of Numbers somewhere around February 2nd… (Yes, I’ve had camera drones flying over your house for years now… Can we get back to the point?)
Every year, we make resolutions because something inside us yearns for “better”. Whether light years better or just a few inches better, we want… better. But, striving for better will only wear us out. (Been there, done that. I give it zero stars.) Christ promises us if we “walk by the Spirit” we’ll bear some killer fruit (see Gal. 5:16); one of them is perseverance.
The Most Important “Strategy” Question
Most failures begin with a great strategy. ( –Yours, Truly). But, as Michael Hyatt taught me:
Popular wisdom says the crucial strategy for completing any challenging, long term task is “accountability“. While that is important, it’s not most important. Strategy apart from vision leads to frustration, false starts, and failure regardless of accountability. Accountability doesn’t do the work. The work gets done where the rubber of strategy meets the road of discipline, fueled by vision. The most important strategy question starts by first answering the vision question: “why do I want to read the Bible start to finish?” The Lord weighs the heart. We should, too. If you’re reading to get a bible merit badge, regroup, repent, restart… now. We have the word of God so that we may know the God of the word. Let’s use it that way, mkay?
Then… write that answer down. I’ll tell you why in a minute.
(more…)
by Aarron Pina | Dec 16, 2015 | Uncategorized
I’ve known of Michael Todd Wilson for many years, but we only finally met a few months ago. Since then, I’ve been greatly blessed by his Christ centered perspective on the broken, fallen world we live in and the many obstacles that sets up on the path of walking with Jesus.
Today, he put this article in my inbox and I’d be remiss if I kept the blessing rather than sharing it with you.
Can you read this and take 5 seconds to find Jesus?
Looking for Jesus
Gut check. Grateful God is always so near.
by Aarron Pina | Nov 5, 2015 | Uncategorized
You Made Me Do It!
At work, I meet with men and my wife and I meet with couples for “faith checkups”. We talk about their engagement with scripture, the God’s apparent working in their lives, and personal struggles. Sometimes, that involves encouragement. Sometimes, it calls for rebuke or correction. In the latter case, maybe a guy has said something to his wife, his kids, or someone else he shouldn’t have said, maybe at a volume level he shouldn’t have used. Jesus would call that “sin”.
In those conversations, I try to separate “reasons” from “excuses”. All our “dones” are done for a reason. However, no reason excuses us from our actions. One day, we’ll all stand before Jesus to account for what we’ve done and said (the “bema” seat judgment [see 2 Cor. 5:10]), and in receiving eternal rewards for the things we did and said, we cannot effectively invoke anyone else’s name to our defense but our own:
- “You made me mad!”
- “He stole my idea! It’s not fair!”
- “She cracked my screen; of course I’m going to get angry!“
None of these reasons will excuse us from losing a reward for that specific action. (Note: this is not a matter of salvation, which comes by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone; rather eternal rewards – such as crowns, treasures, honors, etc. – which come by works that flow from a grace based salvation.) (more…)
by Aarron Pina | Oct 30, 2015 | Uncategorized
It’s just a fact: a man’s calendar and bank account paints the most accurate picture of his true affections. (See Luke 12:34)
Today, I found myself looking in a mirror: my check register; in it, I asked God, “am I obsessed with my own comfort?” You decide what He had to say…
- Oil change – Cost: $24.95.
Reason – not “because it was overdue”, but because I was uncomfortable with how my wife looks at the “next oil change” sticker on the windshield. (Avoid discomfort.)
- Box of 72 Pizza Bagel Bites – Cost: $7.49.
Reason – not “because it was a killer deal after my coupon”, but because I wanted something quick and easy that they wouldn’t complain about. (Avoid discomfort.)
- Pair of fluffy, winter socks for my wife – Cost: $6.99.
Reason – she loves them and it makes me feel comfortable when her love tank is full and discomfort when it’s not. (Comfort/Avoid Discomfort.)
“So what?” you say, right? “Regardless of your selfish, comfort laden motives, things that needed to get done got done, Aarron. Quit being so picky.” But, was God’s agenda accomplished or merely mine? Or, did I spend money and time trying to walk around my discomfort rather than through it?
What if the point of those tasks wasn’t my comfort (or avoidance of discomfort)? What if God was out to forge and strengthen my character via discomfort? What if my sanctification – growth into Christ-likeness – was what God was after, rather than mere stewardship of van, household food shopping, and husbanding my wife?
Paul David Tripp took a quick look under the hood of our hearts in his excellent (short read) article with a brief (5-6 min) video clip. I hope it challenges you to walk through, not around, the divine discomfort. >>> Uncomfortable Grace
by Aarron Pina | Oct 23, 2015 | Uncategorized
Every Year
This time every year, our church, (NPCC) runs a massive giving campaign, raising millions to benefit really worthy causes. And, I love to see what happens to the charities they support; unfortunately, we’re just not one of them.* Not a complaint. Just an observation… and a challenge.
The Consequences…
Every year after it happens one or two people tell me – “I wish I could have given Seasons of Life more, but I just gave North Point a bizillion dollars…”? Um… yeah, we only needed a few thousand…
My reply to them has to be “It’s not your fault North Point asks before I do!” My bad. I need to plan further ahead. Again.
So here’s me, asking you: before you consider the big guys (who actually do take care of a lot of really important little guys), would you set something aside for the cause of discipleship?
Would you consider Seasons of Life Ministries, the men, women, and couples we’re caring for, marriages we’re partnering to restore, the Clean Slate and That Day projects we’re nurturing to maturity, and our very family in your year end or even monthly giving? We don’t need millions of dollars to finish the year. Maybe only a few thousand.
In 2016, Seasons of Life may look very different – already scaling back, it may:
- Scale back even further to very part time while I seek a traditional job to keep the lights on. No problem. Whatever God wants.
Or,
- That Day and Clean Slate may transform into an engine that funds the non-profit side of people-care and biblical counseling.
But, those outcomes are in God’s hands, your knees, and your response to this appeal. My job is just to get the information out in a timely manner. So, here we are… Before you write a huge check to any huge church, would you cut a small one to Seasons of Life Ministries?
Our current giving need is always listed on the website, (just look for the menu tab in the top right corner under “Give Online”) or, you can give by clicking here. We hope to have your prayers and support however God chooses to move us forward. Thanks!
AP
* We are registered with the program for the first time ever this year, but have no way of knowing if we’ll “make the cut”. If we do – we’ll not only make a big, public deal of it, we’ll even refund everything we raised in affiliation with this post!
By the way, we have a friend who works for another ministry that is very bible based counseling, too. She’s undergoing chemotherapy right now and can’t work as much as she used to. If not Seasons of Life Ministries, would you consider supporting Anne’s work at www.woundedheartministry.org?
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