Thriving Talk - Prayer Life

God wants us to thrive spiritually. A few years ago, I was able to initiate and work on a project called Thrive to create a curriculum to teach school kids about the teaching of Jesus Christ. That program has been successfully started in a few countries and used in different places. We saw lives changed and kids transformed. That project is run under ICPF International Inc. I give leadership in this ministry.

Now I want to introduce a new series called "Thriving Talk." After adding a few talks from a project I did some time ago, the focus will be on topics that will help a person to grow, and I will also share my personal experiences, including my battle with Leukemia.

The first video is on Prayer Life - https://youtu.be/Ysxqji_xXME.

  

Plan of God

I believe that God has a definite plan for history and it is supported both in the Old and New Testaments. The plan of God is His eternal decision rendering certain things that will come to pass.

God’s plan is from all eternity and it does not have any chronological sequence. It is His will or pleasure and it is free on God’s part.[1] I believe that ultimately the purpose of God’s plan is His glory. It is all inclusive and efficacious which means that what He purposed from eternity will surely come to pass. 

I also believe that God’s plan relates to His actions rather than His nature and His decisions regarding what He shall do and not His personal attributes. God’s plan primarily relates to what God himself did creating, preserving, directing and redeeming. 

I believe that the plan of God is unconditional rather than conditional on human choice. I believe that God allows people to exercise their human freedom even though God makes situations and circumstances favorable for His will to be done through a person’s life. 

I believe that a person can align himself to the plan of God or he can become rebellious and destroy it for his life. God knows everything and I believe it has to do with His foreknowledge more than Him enforcing or deciding the destiny of an individual person. I believe in the sovereignty of God but at the same time do not think that God is directly or indirectly responsible for all the wrong choices and decisions which a person makes in his life which may include rejecting Jesus Christ as their Savior.

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[1] Erickson, Christian Theology, 371.

Appointed by God

Last Sunday, I preached a message on "Appointed by God."  It comes from scriptures and what I have experienced in my life all these years. 

The key points from the message are- 

1. We are part of a great project.
2. God appoints people for his purpose.
3. Our assignments come from God.
4. No one can stop us, and we cannot do anything on our own.
5. Call comes with a price. Are you ready for that, or will you crack under pressure?

YouTube Link - https://youtu.be/YOcluP7reZg

Church Consumer Instead of a Committed Church Member

Recently I came across this blog post from Thom S. Rainer on Churchanswers.com. It really made me reflect and think. I wanted to share the link: Eleven Signs You Are Becoming a Church Consumer Instead of a Committed Church Member.

Let me share the Key Points here-

• Your worship attendance becomes optional.
• You replace in-person attendance with digital attendance (though I fully understand that some people are unable to attend in-person).
• Your attendance to a small group is declining, or you stop attending completely.
• Your attitude toward your church is more critical.
• Your giving declines or stops.
• You critique sermons instead of listening prayerfully.
• You see church as a place to meet your needs instead of your meeting the needs of others.
• You move readily to another church when your needs are not met.
• You get frustrated at what other church members aren’t doing.
• You don’t pray for your church regularly.
• You don’t share the gospel.