Author: lamkhanh

By Rick Warren – Source: nhulieuthanhkinh.com

FROM HOW GOD BLESSES GRATEFUL HEARTS — A THANKSGIVING MESSAGE

“Is not the cup of thanksgiving for which we give thanks a participation in the blood of Christ? And is not the bread that we break a participation in the body of Christ?”

1 Corinthians 10:16 (NIV)

When we take Communion, we are reminded of what Jesus did for us on the cross.

It’s not an empty ritual that Christians do just because they have to. Instead, God wants us to practice Communion to help us remember. Why do we need to remember? So we can be grateful. You can only be grateful for those things that you remember.

Communion is also called the Lord’s Supper. It is a habit of gratitude because it helps us remember what Jesus did for us on the cross.

The Bible says in 1 Corinthians 11:23-25, “On the night he was betrayed, the Lord Jesus took bread and spoke a prayer of thanksgiving. He broke the bread and said, ‘This is my body, which is given for you. Do this to remember me.’

“When supper was over, he did the same with the cup. He said, ‘This cup is the new promise made with my blood. Every time you drink from it, do it to remember me’” (GW).

Jesus gave us the bread and the wine as a memory tool. We use this tool to practice gratitude for what it cost Jesus to pay for our salvation.

Another word for Communion is the Eucharist. This is a Greek word that means “thanksgiving.” Communion is meant to be a model of thanksgiving. It’s one of God’s favorite ways that we give thanks to him! We can show thanks to God in many ways—through songs of thanksgiving, through thanksgiving offerings, or through the thanksgiving cup.

“Is not the cup of thanksgiving for which we give thanks a participation in the blood of Christ? And is not the bread that we break a participation in the body of Christ?” (1 Corinthians 10:16 NIV).

When we drink from a Communion cup and eat the bread, we are saying to God, “Father, thank you for sending your Son to live a perfect life and die for our sins so that we can be forgiven.”

As we remind ourselves of the high price Jesus paid to save us, the only reasonable response is gratitude.

By Rick Warren – Source: nhulieuthanhkinh.com

“[God] planned to bring all of history to its goal in Christ. Then Christ would be the head of everything in heaven and on earth.” Ephesians 1:10 (GW)

Goal setting isn’t just a good idea for productivity. It’s a spiritual discipline, like prayer, fasting, giving, and reading your Bible.

In fact, goal setting can be an act of stewardship as you try to make the most of all God has given you.

You can waste your life. Plenty of people do it! To make the most of your life and invest it in a way that outlasts you, you’ll need goals.

Even God sets goals. The Bible says, “[God] planned to bring all of history to its goal in Christ. Then Christ would be the head of everything in heaven and on earth” (Ephesians 1:10 GW). God didn’t sit around and let the history of the world unfold in a way he found appropriate. He planned history. God has goals for the church. God has goals for every facet of the universe.

History is moving to a climax. There will be a judgment day, when every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. History is moving toward that goal—because God planned it that way.

If God plans, then we should too. God wants us to be like him in all facets of our lives, including goal setting. I’ve heard people say, “I’m not going to plan. I’m just going to trust God and go with the flow.”

That’s not spiritual. It’s foolish! You shouldn’t go one more day without making plans for this week, this month, and this year.

The Bible has more than 7,000 promises from God to you — promises of success, confidence, health, prosperity, strength, wisdom, and more. Why does God make these promises?

Because he wants you to learn to trust him.

When you set a goal, don’t focus on the problems; focus on the promises. Find a promise in God’s Word that will take you to your goal.

The size of your God determines the size of your goal. Start making some plans, and trust God to fulfill his promise to bring everything in history—including you—to its goal in Christ.

By Rick Warren – Source: nhulieuthanhkinh.com

“I do not run without a goal. I fight like a boxer who is hitting something—not just the air.” 1 Corinthians 9:26 (NCV)

Without goals, you cannot expect to be any different this year than you were last year. The default in your life will always be more of the same.

Long-term goals keep us moving toward our purpose and keep us from being discouraged by short-term setbacks.

We all have setbacks. You deal with them every day, but those setbacks won’t slow you down if your focus is on something you’re trying to achieve down the road. The Bible says in 1 Corinthians 9:26, “I do not run without a goal. I fight like a boxer who is hitting something—not just the air” (NCV).

You don’t want to spend the next year hitting the air. But just setting goals isn’t the answer. God doesn’t appreciate every goal you set!

These are the kinds of goals that God blesses:

Goals that bring God honor: The Bible says in 1 Corinthians 10:31, “Whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God” (NIV).If you’ve got the right motivation, anything can be done for God’s glory.

Goals that are motivated by love: God is far more interested in why you’re doing something than what you’re actually doing. The Bible says in 1 Corinthians 16:14,“Do everything with love” (NLT).

Goals that fulfill one of God’s purposes for your life: God put you on Earth to do five things: worship him, be a part of his family, become like Christ, serve him, and share your life message. If your goals help you fulfill one of these purposes, then God will bless them.

Goals that are set in faith: Your goals must be big enough that they’ll require God’s help to fulfill. The Bible says, “Without faith it is impossible to please God” (Hebrews 11:6 NIV).

Goals that are achieved by God’s power: You will not stick to your goals without God’s power. You won’t get healthy on your own. You won’t improve your marriage on your own. The goals that really matter in life can only be achieved with God’s power, not your own.

Take a look at the goals you’ve set for the future. Are they the kind of goals that God blesses?

By Rick Warren – Source: nhulieuthanhkinh.com

“According to your faith let it be done to you.” Matthew 9:29 (NIV)

Godly goals are set through faith. The Bible says, “Without faith it is impossible to please God” (Hebrews 11:6 NIV). If you want the goals you set to be pleasing to God, then you need to set goals that require faith.

In other words, you must set goals that are too big for you to reach on your own. Godly goals stretch and grow your faith.

When you set and trust God for a big goal, God will work in a big way—and you’ll see your faith grow in a big way. On the other hand, if you state a small goal, then you may not get to see God work in the big ways he wants to and has planned to in your life.

Godly goals stretch your faith. They affirm that you trust God, but they are also statements of how much you trust God. The Bible says, “According to your faith let it be done to you” (Matthew 9:29 NIV).

When you don’t set goals, then your goal is basically to stay the same. And, as a result, your faith will stay the same too.

See how this works:

When I ask you, “What’s your goal for your health?” and you say, “I don’t have one,” then your goal is to stay the same.

When I ask you, “What’s your goal in your relationships?” and you say, “I don’t have one,” then your goal is for them not to get any better.

When I ask you, “What’s your goal for getting out of debt?” and you say, “I don’t have one,” then your goal is to stay in debt.

When I ask you, “What’s your goal for your career?” and you say, “I don’t have one,” then your goal is to just drift along.

Goals are a spiritual discipline. They challenge your faith. They develop your character. And they build your hope.

You haven’t believed God until you’ve attempted to do something that can’t be done without his power at work in your life. Godly goals require you to remain dependent on Jesus. And that makes your faith strong!

By Rick Warren – Source: nhulieuthanhkinh.com

“A man who refuses to admit his mistakes can never be successful.” Proverbs 28:13 (TLB)

We usually think of failure as negative. But wise people know how to take advantage of failure. They learn from it. They use it as an education.

One of your purposes in life is to become more like Jesus Christ. And one of the primary tools that God uses in your life to make you what he wants you to be is failure.

How can failure be good?

1. God uses failure to educate us. Mistakes are simply learning experiences. And some lessons can only be learned through failure. The Bible says, “A man who refuses to admit his mistakes can never be successful” (Proverbs 28:13 TLB).

If you’re not making any mistakes, then you’re not learning. If you’re not taking any risks, then you’re not growing. You have to let go of your fear of failure, because it’s keeping you from the kind of spiritual growth God planned for you. The freedom from the fear of failure is the freedom to grow.

2. God uses failure to motivate us. “Sometimes it takes a painful situation to make us change our ways” (Proverbs 20:30 GNT). Often we change when we feel the heat, not when we see the light. If you’re afraid of failure, then you’re going to get stuck! When you fail, God may be trying to get your attention to move you in a new direction.

3. God uses failure to build our character. “We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they are good for us—they help us learn to be patient. And patience develops strength of character” (Romans 5:3-4 TLB).

Failure has a way of softening our hearts. It helps us grow up and be mature. It makes us sensitive to others. It makes us less judgmental and helps us be a little more sympathetic to people around us who are hurting.

Failure doesn’t automatically grow your character. Sometimes it just makes people bitter. Failure only builds your character when you look at it with the right perspective, respond to it correctly, and learn from it.

By Rick Warren – Source: nhulieuthanhkinh.com

“No matter how often honest people fall, they always get up again.” Proverbs 24:16 (GNT)

Never forget this truth: Failure probably won’t kill you.

We vastly exaggerate the effects of failure. We blow the prospects of failing all out of proportion. Failing is not the end of the world. The fear of failure is far more damaging than failure itself.

Proverbs 24:16 says, “No matter how often honest people fall, they always get up again” (GNT). Even “good” people stumble. They make mistakes, mess up, and fail.

Successful people are not people who never fail. They’re people who get up and keep going. Successful people just don’t know how to quit!

Have you ever heard of these famous failures?

George Washington lost two-thirds of all the battles he fought. But he won the Revolutionary War and later became the first U.S. president.

Napoleon graduated 42nd in a class of 43. Then he went out and conquered Europe.

In 21 years, Babe Ruth hit 714 home runs, but he struck out 1,330 times. He struck out nearly twice as often as he hit a home run.

The famous novelist John Creasey received 753 rejection letters before he published 564 books.

Rowland Hussey Macy failed seven times at retailing before starting Macy’s department store.

Great people are simply ordinary people who have an extraordinary amount of determination. They just keep on going. They realize they’re never a failure until they quit.

That’s how you reduce your fear of failure. You redefine it.

You don’t fail by not reaching a specific goal. Instead, failure is not having a goal. Failure is refusing to get back up again once you fall. It’s refusing to try.

On the first day of kindergarten, I got in the wrong line and then into the wrong classroom. Can you imagine me going home to my mom and dad and saying, “I’m a failure at education! This school thing just doesn’t work”? Of course not. Even as a young child, I learned from my mistake and did better the next day.

When you fail, keep going. If at first you don’t succeed, it’s no big deal. You’re never a failure when you don’t give up.

By Rick Warren – Source: nhulieuthanhkinh.com

“He did rescue us from mortal danger, and he will rescue us again. We have placed our confidence in him, and he will continue to rescue us.” 2 Corinthians 1:10 (NLT)

Sometimes the fears in your life can be loud, demanding your attention. But you can trust that God is with you and for you and is more powerful than whatever you’re afraid of.

When the apostle Paul was in a frightening situation, he chose to trust God instead of giving in to his fear. When he did, here’s what he found to be true about God: “He did rescue us from mortal danger, and he will rescue us again. We have placed our confidence in him, and he will continue to rescue us” (2 Corinthians 1:10 NLT).

You have a choice just like Paul did. Choose to believe God is watching over you. Choose to trust him. And choose not to give in to your fears.

God promises believers that, no matter what happens to us, he is working for our good—if we love him and follow him: “Now we know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28 TLV). If you’re a believer, God promises all things are working together for good—not that all things are good but that they are working together for good.

That means you can stop listening to your fears because there is no difficulty, dilemma, defeat, or disaster in the life of a believer that God can’t ultimately get some good out of. There is no need to fear the future.

Your fears reveal where you do not trust God. So, today, make a list of your fears and ask God to help you identify the reason you have them. Then ask him to help you replace your fears with trust.

Now, this is important: Expect God to start helping you learn to trust him with each fear. Then, watch to see how he does help you.

By Rick Warren – Source: nhulieuthanhkinh.com

“God knows what we are made of; he remembers that we are dust” (Psalm 103:14 GNT).

Your failures don’t surprise God. He expects them. He knows what we’re made of—because he created us.

The Bible says, “God knows what we are made of; he remembers that we are dust” (Psalm 103:14 GNT).

God won’t stop loving us when we mess up. The central message of the Bible is this: God doesn’t love you because of who you are or what you’ve done but because of who he is and what he has done. God made you. He loves you. It’s settled! You can’t make God love you more. You can’t make him love you less. He loves you just as much on your bad days as he does on your good days. His love is not performance based.

The Bible has a word for this. It’s called grace—and it’s absolutely amazing. God looks down and says, “I choose to love you. And you can’t make me stop loving you.” Even when we’re ridiculously bad, God won’t stop loving us. It truly is amazing grace. When you understand his grace, you can relax about your failures and have the confidence to take more risks.

You may have come to God multiple times for forgiveness on the same issue. Maybe you’re not sure you deserve his love and grace. And you’re sure that God has grown tired of your constant efforts at change.

But you can relax. God never tires of a conversation with you. He’s never too busy. No matter how many times you come to him for forgiveness, he’ll be waiting with open arms.

You may have grown up in a home where conditional love was the norm. Your parents’ affections may have been based on your academic, athletic, or social successes. When you failed in one of those areas, you felt the loss of your family’s love.

Relax. That’s not how God deals with you.

The Bible says, “[God] canceled the debt, which listed all the rules we failed to follow. He took away that record with its rules and nailed it to the cross” (Colossians 2:14 NCV).

The Christian life isn’t a mistake-free life, but it can be a guilt-free life. God understands your failures, and he loves you anyway.

That’s amazing grace!

By Rick Warren – Source: nhulieuthanhkinh.com

“[God] canceled the debt, which listed all the rules we failed to follow. He took away that record with its rules and nailed it to the cross.”

Colossians 2:14 (NCV)

We all mess up from time to time. We all make mistakes! We don’t have to live with guilt, because the Bible says, “There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1 NIV). But we do have to live with our mistakes.

The Bible never hides this truth. It is painfully honest about the failures of its heroes. God saved the world from flood through a man named Noah—who then got drunk and naked and ruined it all. Moses led the children of Israel through the Red Sea and into freedom—yet his anger kept him out of the Promised Land. King David was a man after God’s heart—but he also had an affair and murdered the woman’s husband so he wouldn’t be discovered.

God realizes our frailty. If he only used perfect people, the Bible would be a pretty short book! But God does not leave us alone in our sin. He has a solution for our failures: grace.

The Bible says, “[God] canceled the debt, which listed all the rules we failed to follow. He took away that record with its rules and nailed it to the cross” (Colossians 2:14 NCV).

In fact, when you look at all those failures in the Bible, you get a clear picture. We can be amazed at how God used those people to accomplish his purposes in big ways. But what is most encouraging is that he used them in spite of their failures and mistakes.

Just like those heroes of the Bible, you and I are trophies of God’s grace.

Your primary witness to the world around you is not all the great things you do for God. Your most important witness will be how you handle mistakes you’ve made. Do you mope about your failures, or do you revel in the grace of God?

People want to meet a God who turns failures into triumphs. They want to know a God who can transform the lives of broken people.

The amazing part of God’s grace isn’t just his power to forgive. It’s also the strength and renewal he gives us when we choose to start over and trust in him to help us keep going.