Skip to main content

What To Do First to Make a Profit

The PF Women Team at our Annual Team Retreat  ~ 2018 Today on Seth Godin's blog, he said: It's tempting to decide to make a profit first, then invest in training, people, facilities, promotion, customer service and most of all, doing important work. In general, though, it goes the other way. Yes, it does. If you are waiting to make a profit before you do these things, in my experience you're  not going to make a profit. So many organizations, ministries and churches are struggling with financial issues. I know your pain. As anyone who follows our story knows, our ministry was in a ton of debt four years ago when I came on as director.  Since that time, we've gotten out of debt and turned a profit every year.  God has done amazing things through out team, for which we give Him the glory! I find that what Seth is saying here is absolutely true, with one disclaimer. For Christian leaders, spiritual disciplines must always be first. Before we started inve
Post a Comment

This is a Matter of Life and Death


I wish it looked like this outside right now where I live.

But it doesn't.

 So at Celebration Church, we try to bring the look of fall inside the building. I love what our people have done to accomplish that.


As I mentioned here on the blog yesterday, I got to spend the morning with our beautiful women at Celebration. We enjoyed a ladies brunch.



I spoke on the Sweet Life of Surrender.  



What does it profit us to reach a dream yet lose our integrity in the process? 

Nothing. 

Mark 8:34-37
33But when Jesus turned and looked at his disciples, he rebuked Peter. “Get behind me, Satan!” he said. “You do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.”
34Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 35For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it. 36What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul? 37Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?

God’s work, done our way, leaves us at a place where, when we arrive at the goal, it becomes meaningless.

God’s work must be done God’s way. He accepts no other way.

God’s work done God’s way, is the only path that brings meaning and fulfillment.
 

So often we pray and sing songs like, “I wanna be more like you, Lord” but what we really mean is, “I wanna be more like what I dream I should be, now that you've changed my life."

And that's not what God's asking for.

One of my mentors from afar, (through reading) is bestselling author Mary DeMuth. I met her on my recent trip to California. I never met her face to face before two weeks ago, but I respect her writing and her integrity.

She says: “If I build a platform, I hope I build it so Jesus can stand on it. It's not my Kingdom, it's His.”   

I have become so committed to this walk, in this way. I have tried to grasp the words to define it. It’s very difficult to do that even for a wordsmith and the only thing I could come up with is that it’s a matter of life and death.

 Not a matter of life and death for my desires to come to pass, but a matter of life and death, for God to be all that matters.

For God to be everything. 

Because that’s what He wants to be, and He will settle for nothing less.


*Thanks to Rachael Rice & Bonnie Stewart for photos
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Some people will never understand this...

And that's okay. Just let us be as we lavish love upon the fur-kids of the world. It doesn't mean we don't care about people. We do care. In fact most of the people I know who are great pet lovers are also the greatest philanthropists. If you're not a dog lover, you might not understand the overwhelming intensity that many of us felt about Tank's reunion this past week. You might think we've lost our marbles. That's okay, we think you've lost your heart. ;)  Before I go on with this post, let me say that we were delighted that CBS 10 posted the video and article about Tank and his Celebration Church reunion yesterday. Click here to watch it. (But then come back!) If you haven't realized it, there is a revolution in America about dogs. Dogs have always been loved and known as the most loyal companions ~ "man's best friend". But things have gone way beyond this. Dogs aren't just dogs or friends anymore. They are family me
3 comments
Read more

Fifty Shades of No Way

This weekend, the Fifty Shades of Grey movie will be released and millions of women are expected to flock to the theat er s.  I will not be one of those women.   As a leader of women , some have asked me about this movie. The following is my thoughtful response. Fifty Shades of Grey has topped best-seller lists around the world. The book series has sold over 100 million copies worldwide, and been translated into 52 languages. It set the record as the fastest-selling paperback of all time.   Is Fifty Shades of Grey just a harmless book or movie? Although n o one seems to be debating this fact, let’s first establish that it’s pornography.  And not just porn, but a genre that is even more dangerous for women. The book glorifies a female character that is controlled and abused by her partner.   Who is excited about this book and mov ie? Hmmmm….you might be surprised. Many women and girls in our churches have read it. Sadly, I am even aware of
Post a Comment
Read more

Relevant Church doing something...

incredibly RELEVANT!

I just heard some news today that really inspired me. A church here in Tampa, Relevant Church is doing a new thing this month called the "30 Days Sex Challenge." (I've never visited the church but Pastor Trinity - our children's pastor - has visited or has met some people from this church and he was very impressed.) Realizing that this is a major element missing from some marriages (the frequency factor) their lead pastor, Paul Wirth, has issued a challenge for all the married couples to have sex for 30 days in a row. At the same time he has issued a challenge for all unmarrieds to completely abstain from sex. Of course we know the Bible says that those who are unmarried should not have sex in the first place but the point is, a lot of unmarried's aren't obeying the Lord's command to abstain and this is just one pastor's way of trying to get them to see that indeed, there is a better way! (God's way!) At the same time, many married couples are not
29 comments
Read more