It is difficult to believe that we are now finding ourselves in another election cycle. While I am not an expert on elections, this election seems to follow the increased chaos attributed to the year 2020.
As the elections draw near, it is important that Christians pray. To be honest, I am not concerned if you are voting or not. I am more concerned if you are praying.
Put your political beliefs aside for a moment and ask yourself, “Am I praying more or talking about politics more?”
It is a hard, but a valid question we need to consider as the time is drawing near for millions of citizens to head to the voting booths and choose our next elected officials.
Are you praying for the election process?
I would encourage you to head over to the newest effort of the Preacher’s Pen called, “Pray for the Election.” This is not a political website, but a prayerful one. It is not our aim to tell you which political candidate to choose, but to encourage you to pray for all candidates, our nation and its citizens.
This is Lesson #4 in the “You Can Do It” Video Series. This lesson is about “Setting Effective Goals by Incorporating Discipline-Building Elements.”
You may watch below.
Set Effective Goals by Incorporating Discipline-Building Elements
Effective goals to not “just happen.”
When you write your goals, they do not magically become effective or useful. It will take a few extra steps to make sure your goals are effective.
What if I told you that you can set up your goals in such a way that they can be self-sustaining? In other words, they train you to become more disciplined.
The more you achieve these goals, the more disciplined you become, and you can take on more and more goals. Sounds awesome, right? Well, this is not theory. It can happen and people do make it happen. Here’s how you do it.
Prioritize Your Sub-goals
The first thing you need to do is to prioritize the sub-goals or sub-elements of your big goals. Sort them based on their likelihood to lead to big objectives. In other words, if you knock out these sub-goals, they directly take you closer to your big objectives.
Of course, not all sub-goals are the same. Sometimes, sub-goals are necessary, but they lead to an indirect path. If you’re reasonably certain that if you take that indirect path it eventually leads you to your big goals, then that sub-goal is good enough. You want your goals and sub-goals to lead you in the same direction.
Write down all these sub-goals and make it your highest priority to focus on sub-goals most directly connected to your big objectives. In other words, when you act on these sub-goals, it’s like going from Point A to Point B. The shorter and the straighter the line, the better.
Be as Clear About Your Sub-goals as Possible
While prioritizing sub-goals is important, you also need to make sure you conceptualize them correctly. Look at the sub-goals’ parts and make sure you’re clear as to what you need to do, how to do it, when to do it, and where to do it. The most important ingredient, of course, is to be clear as to why you’re doing this sub-goal.
You will find clarity to be an important part of goal and sub-goal creation.
What is its impact on your big objectives?
How does it get you there?
What kind of role does it play in helping you achieve the big things that you’re shooting for in your life?
Build Discipline by Making Your Highest Priority Sub-Goal Your Primary Focus
In every given day, make sure that you are focusing on sub-goals that lead you closer to your big objectives. Make these sub-goals and their activities your primary focus. Everything must lead to it. Keep this top of mind.
Also, make it a point to do the hardest part of these sub-goals first.
Make no mistake about it, regardless of sub-goal or set of activities, there’s always something that you’re going to struggle with. There’s always going to be a part of a project that you have a tough time starting. Maybe it’s technically easy, but you’re just emotionally intimidated by it.
On the other hand, it may be emotionally easy and very straightforward as far as your understanding of its necessity is concerned, but it’s technically challenging for you. Regardless, focus on these hardest parts and choose to do them first.
It won’t be easy. At first, it’s probably going to feel like you’re pulling teeth. It’s not going to happen overnight. However, the more you keep at it, the greater your self-discipline becomes because you’re tackling the hardest thing first. You’re not running away from it, you’re not procrastinating, you’re not trying to work around it, but you’re tackling it head on.
The first battle is probably going to be very brutal, but the more you keep attacking, the more confident you become. At the very least, you’re not intimidated.
Keep this up and this can lead to you taking consistent action that ensures your sub-goals are achieved. The more sub-goals you knock out, of course, the closer you get to your big objectives. This is not exactly rocket science or brain surgery.
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If you have grown up in any religious group, you have heard about the Pharisees.
In fact, I bet whenever you read the Bible and you see the word Pharisee you take a deep breathe.
The Pharisees were a very strict group of law holders who followed Jesus to test, trap and maybe learn from Him. The first two seem to task priority over the learning, but they still followed Him at various times in Jesus’ ministry.
Sunday morning, the lesson discussed a common passage familiar too many. The Pharisees encounter Jesus after he performs some healings. The Pharisees and scribes make an issue of The disciples not washing their hands to the tradition of teh elders.
The Pharisees were known to elevate the teachings of their traditions over the commands of God. As Jesus answers their question, He adds to the discussion and questions their teachings.
Today, Christians need to consider this encounter Jesus has with the Pharisees and look at our beliefs.
Have Christians elevated their traditions over the commands of God?
Have Christians today used their traditions as a basis to forget the teachings of Jesus?
It is definitely something to consider today.
Here is Sunday Morning’s Lesson powerpoint:
You may download a copy to use for your studies and lesson presentation. No attribution is necessary.
To download you can click on the small “paper looking” icon on the bottom right corner of the PowerPoint screen and choose “Download a Copy.”
Since 2011, I have been sending out a Scripture Text 6 days a week. Some days have been right on track and others have missed by a day or two. During this time, the list has grown. There have been many people added and others have dropped off.
When the list started, I did it on my personal cell phone. As you can imagine, it was difficult to keep up with subscribers and messages of normal life.
Two years into the list, I decided to utilize the Remind Text Message service that school and other organizations were using. This free service was typically available just for schools, but I contacted them and got the “ok” to use it for our service.
Using the Remind Text messages service has run well until a few months ago. Because of changes in the Terms and Conditions of the Remind service, the Scripture Text message service is limited to a certain number of subscribers.
This limitation has affected the list and the amount of people available on the list. This has left me in a search for a new service, but each one is extremely costly.
It would be good to keep in mind that I am using Remind for a few other lists: a Motivational Text list and text message list for our congregation; each of these lists have grown.
Currently, I am searching for a new option for the Scripture Text Message list, and the others, but I cannot find on that works best without a large monthly payment.
If anyone knows of any sites or services that may be of use, please let me know. You can send me a text message on the Remind App or just reply to a Daily Text.
Without finding a new service, the list will stop growing and it will limit our encouragement reach.
Pray for this effort that another option may be found.
Below are the options I am considering. Let me know if you prefer one or none.
Option #1 – Ask for a minimum donation of $15/year per user to keep the text going on another service.
Option #2 – Keep using the Remind Service, but only have a limited number of users. (We are at this point now)
Option #3 – Move the list back to a personal contact list.
Option #4 – Stop the list.
As I mentioned, these are the current options, but one of these looks to be the way to go.
The God ordained institution of marriage can best be understood in the relationship of Christ and the church.
As the apostle Paul writes to the growing church in Ephesus, he show them that the marriage relationship in similar to the relationship of Christ and His church. Within this relationship, there is live, submission, respect and sacrifice. When a Christian understands the relation of Christ and the church, he is able to put the same pattern into his marriage.
There is a higher purpose to marriage beyond what this world tends to consider.
Below is a PowerPoint slideshow of the lesson. Through clicking the link, you are able to print a PDF copy of the lesson or download a copy.
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The Sermon on the Mount is definitely one of the greatest messages ever known to mankind. The words of Jesus have a transforming power when practiced. His words were living, active and life changing to the audience of His day and they can be the same for our generations as well.
This study guide is provided for you to use a resources in your study of the Sermon on the Mount. It is not a perfect study guide because it is just that a study guide. A study guide will ask questions and point out significant cultural and textual points to interest you in digging deeper into the text.
Stay tuned for more resources from the Preacher’s Pen. The old resources are being revised and more are on their way. Stay up to date by joining the Preacher’s Pen Facebook page, following the Preacher’s Pen on Twitter and signing-up for our free weekly newsletter.
