Sept. 23 - Time Bandits

In dealing with the "time crunch" we must always be aware of "time bandits" - these are things or situations that rob us of valuable time and cause us to function less than our best. You will be aware of particular time bandits that are unique for you.

Three big time bandits tend to affect many people these days. They may be different than the time bandits of Bible times, but the biblical principles can assist us in facing them head on!

PROVERBS 14:12. There is a path before each person that seems right, but it ends in death.

This verse reminds us that things that may appear safe and healthy, may not necessarily be so. We need God's wisdom to see correctly - so that we may be faithful in obeying Ephesians 5:15 - "Pay close attention to how you live."

For this message, I want to lift up three time bandits:


1 - GADGETS. This refers to all the wonderful inventions that are supposed to make life easier and save us time....cell phones, PDAs, notebook computers, email, Internet access, Blackberries. All these things are fine - they are not bad in and of themselves - but they can become addicting, and we can become enslaved to them!

A good principle is that found in Ecclesiastes 3:1 - "To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven." There is a time to use a cell phone, and a time to turn it off!


2 - UPSCALE LIFESTYLE - More specifically, the time bandit is a desire (or lust) for an upscale lifestyle. This causes us to make poor decisions. Frequently it causes us to cheat those we love of valuable time and attention (all because we think we are doing the best for them in providing them a way up the lifestyle ladder).

Wealth, in and of itself, is not a bad thing. But it can be a dangerous thing. Look at what the Bible says:

ECCLESIASTES 5:10. Those who love money will never have enough. How meaningless to think that wealth brings true happiness.


3 - THE LIGHT BULB. This last "time bandit" will be a huge surprise! But the invention of the light bulb - and all of the accompanying electrical devices that went along with it - has effectively lengthened our day of activity from 12 hours to around 16-18 (or more hours).

God so wired our universe to give us "down time" that coincided with the setting of the sun. (Read Genesis 1:14-18.) We trick ourselves into thinking that we can accomplish more by skimping on sleep and rest.

For thousands of years the human race lived with an activity cycle bound by the sun, moon and stars. Only in relatively recent human history have we broken free from this cycle. No one should be so naive as to think we will unplug everything when the sun goes down. But paying attention to the cycle of light and dark - and making sure that we get the adequate amount of sleep for which God created our bodies - we may find unexpected benefits.

Sleep researchers suggest that job performance, athletic performance, and academic performance can be enhanced by adequate sleep. A night's rest may help you more on a test than an all-nighter of "cramming!"

The goal for the Christian is not simply to squeeze more obligations into an already crowded day.

Instead we are called to "number our days that we may gain a heart of wisdom" (Psalm 90:12).


What do you think?


MORE RESOURCES:

A recent Time magazine article addresses the connection between cell phone use and lack of sleep among teens.

An amusing video clip from a church - did this really happen or was this staged??

Read what David Crabtree has to say about "The Obstacle of Affluence."

If you are snowed under by monetary obligations, Dave Ramsey's resources may be helpful for you.

Read what Dr. James Maas has to say about the importance of adequate sleep.

A photo of Sarah Hughes, 2002 Olympic Gold Medal winner for figure skating, appearing with sleep researcher Dr. James Maas. Maas advised her that maximizing sleep would be more helpful to her Olympic preparation than rising early for additional skating practice.

Sept. 16 - The Time Crunch

KEY VERSE for this message series:

PSALM 90:12. So teach us to number our days that we may gain a heart of wisdom.

What does it mean to "number our days?" It is more than just adding up the number.

It can mean always remembering that our days are numbered.

Even more important, it means seeing the number of our days through the insights of God's Word, or as one translation puts it: "numbering our days aright."


TODAY'S focus is dealing with the "Time Crunch." Almost all of us know about this - thinking that we just don't have enough time to accomplish what we desire to accomplish.

Much about the Time Crunch can be understood by looking at The Book of Genesis.

In Genesis 3, we see that part of living in a sinful, fallen world is that life comes as a struggle. These are the words spoken to Adam by the Lord:

GENESIS 3:17b-19. The ground is cursed because of you. All your life you will struggle to scratch a living from it. It will grow thorns and thistles for you, though you will eat of its grains. By the sweat of your brow will you have food to eat until you return to the ground from which you were made. For you were made from dust, and to dust you will return.

The creation story in the first part of Genesis explains the creation of the 24-hour day. God separated the light from the darkness. God called the light "day" and the darkness he called "night." The rhythm of 24 is not a manmade rhythm - it is part of the essence of creation.

The same is true of the 7-day week. It was not an invention of the Harvard Business School. The seven day week - with a day of rest - was part of God's ordering of creation. A rhythm of work and rest is part of God's design for creation and his design for your life!

Look also at Ephesians 5:15-17 - for it offers great insights into how to make the most of each day. Here we are told these things:

Be careful how you live. Don't be random. Don't just float through life. Live carefully.

Make the most of every opportunity. Because these are evil times, there will be much struggle in life. When an opportunity comes, do not waste it.

Don't act thoughtlessly. Here "thoughtless" does not refer to being rude. Rather it is a reminder not to act without thinking. Do not act without paying attention to God's guidance!


On Sunday we shared the story of the rocks. Read it by clicking here.


An article by Rick Warren - "Time: How Do I Balance It All?" - goes in to more detail on the passage from Ephesians 5.


DON'T MISS the message on Sunday, September 23 - "Time Bandits." You'll be surprised to learn what the number one Time Bandit is in our culture.

Sept. 9 - To 2008 and Beyond!

Churches so often focus on the "Three B's" -

• Buildings
• Budgets
• Bodies

We have seen good things happen in all of these areas. But there is much more to the biblical picture of the church than these three B's...

As we think about 2008 and beyond, let me challenge you to consider three very important ingredients to helping a church move beyond the three B's and toward making a powerful impact for the Lord:

• INCREDIBLE MINISTRY WITH CHILDREN

To be honest, the Bible doesn't tell us a whole lot about children's ministries in the 21st century. But we are called to look carefully at the culture in which we live, and also at successful, thriving churches in our day and time.

If you go to almost any large community, and ask around - "What church is doing a great job with young families?" - you will almost always find a church that does a knockout job in its children's ministries. Just go peek at the children's facilities in such a church. You will be amazed. Is this really important? YES! Because...

• We live in a society where you cannot reach parents well if the children are overlooked.

• We live in a society where a large number of people come to faith during their childhood years.

• We live in a society where adults will actually leave a church they enjoy if the ministries with children are inadequate or mediocre.

Investing in excellent ministries with children is a way for you to be a person of influence even after your earthly life is over!! Think about that. The world may be a different place, even after your life is over, because you touched the life of a child!

Take a look at what one church in Atlanta has done to reach for excellence in ministries with children.

Or a little closer to home, check out what this UM church in the Clear Lake area is up to!

What might incredible ministry with children look like?

• A CLEAR PROCESS FOR ADULT FAITH DEVELOPMENT

Too often we just throw together an assortment of activities, events and classes for adults and assume that we are growing Christians in the process.

Even one of the USA's largest churches became concerned that spiritual growth was not happening as it should for those who were a part of its ministries.

Check out these video clips that are well worth a watch!

• Bill Hybels and Greg Hawkins talk about "Reveal"

What was your reaction?

• POURING LOVE INTO A HURTING WORLD

We should be good at this. That's part of who we are as Methodists. At times we do this very well. But churches always must beware of focusing too much upon ourselves.

Don't let that happen! November 17 is a start - participating in B.A.R.K. - Bellville Acts of Random Kindness. Don't miss it!

Bishop Janice Huie calls this "risk-taking mission and service." Read her challenging words below:

Jesus is quite clear about what his disciples are to do. He told them to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, provide water for the thirsty, welcome the stranger, visit those in prison and care for the least of these. He asked them to love their enemies, and to be doers of the Word and not hearers only. He commanded them to love their neighbors as themselves. He invited them to be good Samaritans. He called them to deny themselves, take up their cross and follow Jesus. In a word, disciples pray for and then build God’s kingdom.

There is a purpose behind making disciples of Jesus Christ. It’s God’s purpose. We are called to build God’s kingdom on earth as it is in heaven. We stand in opposition to evil, injustice and oppression in whatever forms they present themselves. We care for children. We care for the poor. We care for God’s good earth. We work for peace, for economic empowerment and for justice for all God’s people. In other words, we make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.


What do you think?

Do some clicking and browse through this site that provides "ideas to help change the world!" Do you read anything that sounds like something that you (and a few friends) could pull off?