Hope is Hard

If there was ever anyone in scripture that suffered through some tough times it was definitely Paul.

Constant scourging, ridicule, persecution and Roman prisons were the norm for Paul, yet when you read his letters you see that he had great joy and hope constantly through it all.

So how did he find this? I think that for most us, when we think about HOPE we think it comes quickly, or is right around the corner and we just need to do one thing and then BAM we have hope! However, in Romans 5:3-5 we see that HOPE is not and instantaneous response to us when we need it, in fact Paul lays out what it takes to see HOPE realized: "tribulation brings perseverance, perseverance brings proven character, proven character brings HOPE."

You see, God is in the business of making you the person He wants you to be, and often times that process is not easy. In fact in can be quite horrible in the moment but He promises that through it all He will give you a HOPE that will not disappoint(vs5)!

Integrity First

I have been thinking a lot about this topic recently, given the current climate of our culture and the fact that it appears to be missing in almost all aspects of life.

Im talking about INTEGRITY.

It seems like most of us recognize real integrity when we see it, in fact I would venture to say all of us really appreciate and value integrity no matter how big or small. Think about this; when a store is willing to honor its products and stand by its guarantee, most of us are probably shocked.

However, we arent the least bit surprised when its the other way around. So what has happened?

Proverbs 28:6 says "Better is a poor man who walks in his integrity than he who is crooked though he be rich." I have this lurking suspicion that our culture has traded integrity for riches, or fanciful ideas about what will better our personal status or agenda, all the while relinquishing integrity at the highest cost!

Are you seeing this in your areas of operation? Lets choose INTEGRITY at any cost, even when its painful for us or of no initial benefit to us.

Here we go again

Ok, so I took the last few weeks to decide whether or not my blog was actually worth writing considering the following factors: Followship and Influence vs. Time to write.

My conclusion is, that if anything it will teach me to disciplined and also help me to become a better story teller so for that I'll continue to write.

I do want to say thanks to everyone who has followed or read my blog, taking the time to read my random thoughts and be a part of God's story that He is writing in my life.

Excited for whats next!

Replica

Here is the comp for the next series...

Excited to dig in and find truth. Join us at 630 pm Monday nights.