Episode 10 of Thriving Talk is out. The topic is "Good Habits." This is another Dad-Son edition in which Tim, my son, sits with me and asks questions about life, purpose, spirituality, faith, etc.
The links mentioned in this episode are -
Details about Thriving Talk Podcast - https://tinkuthompson.blogspot.com/2022/08/thriving-talk-podcast-links.html
https://gospel-link.com/podcast-thriving-talk/
YouTube Link to the latest episode - https://youtu.be/Jpq4HeJ0sAk
I want to share the sermon I preached last Sunday at my church. I spoke in Malayalam with translation to English.
Main Points from the messages.
Now tell them this: ‘As surely as I live, declares the Lord, I will do to you the very things I heard you say.അവരോടു പറവിൻ: ഞാൻ കേൾക്കെ നിങ്ങൾ പറഞ്ഞതുപോലെ തന്നേ, എന്നാണ, ഞാൻ നിങ്ങളോടു ചെയ്യുമെന്നു യഹോവ അരുളിച്ചെയ്യുന്നു
- What do you say to yourself? - Do you say many negative things against what God has already told you.
- What do you say to others? - Do you spread things that build faith or destroy faith.
- What do you say to God? - Do you tell everything to God?
“Comparison is the thief of joy.” – Theodore Roosevelt
It is claimed that Bible has around one thousand leaders listed. There is more data than just the name of about one hundred leaders. I heard that someone did a study and found that nearly one-third of these finished well while the rest failed. Most of those who failed encountered failure during the last half of their life.
It was a little surprising to me as I thought that the chances of failure are reduced as people mature and grow. I was wrong, and the critical issue I found is “mature and grow.” Do we stop growing after a point as we realize that we have figured out the formula to keep things stable while giving the impression to everyone that we are doing good in all areas of life? Are we growing or just going forward based on experience and our wisdom?
I heard a man of God say that “Strong leaders have strong weaknesses. The key is allowing God to control our weaknesses.” In my view, the life of leaders we find in the Bible and the recent history of leaders validate that statement. We have heard about leaders who were considered giants in faith and service fall. In some cases, it is a severe issue that may take a long to recover, and in other cases, there is little hope of restoration.
It is humbling to see that God takes people with weaknesses and uses them to advance His kingdom. Our imperfections do not automatically disqualify us from God’s service. God is there to strengthen us, but we have to be careful that we follow His steps consistently if we have to finish well. Inconsistency is dangerous as it may be during one of the weak, inconsistent moments that we may end up doing or saying something which may ruin everything.
We cannot afford to stop growing and maturing in Christ as it is another danger zone from where we can quickly fail. Our relationship cannot become static, and our hearts should not be left cold for a long time. Sin will find its way back into our life, and we will encounter failure, which we may have never anticipated would happen to us.
Starting well is good but finishing well is equally important. We have an enemy who will try to distract and plant traps to make us fail. We must trust God, rely on His grace daily, and move forward. Our years of experience do not guarantee that we will not fail. Daily dependence and being truthful with our actual condition of heart and conduct in the presence of God is critical. Having anything fake or secret is a sure path to failure. Being transparent and truthful can guarantee a good finish.
Discipleship is a key term we use and hear all the time in
church and ministry. A few years ago, I was in a meeting where a person accused
all the pastors who served his church that they never spoke or taught about discipleship.
I was shocked to hear that since discipleship is core to Christian faith life.
I just felt like this person was exaggerating, as I cannot comprehend how pastors
can ignore discipleship without ignoring Jesus Christ itself.
The mission statement of the church I pioneered and serve
now is “Making disciples who will make disciples.” There are two aspects: those
who make or train others to be disciples of Jesus and those who are being trained
to be disciples of Jesus Christ. You cannot teach others to be disciples unless
you are a disciple.
I want to share a few things I noticed while going through
some training. If you want to disciple someone, choose someone you know well
enough to discern their weaknesses. Once you decide on someone, remember to
focus on their potential and not their problems.
People who are disciples trying to learn must have some essential qualities to be successful. Some of the key attributes are: -
Making disciples is exciting, but we cannot do it unless we
ourself is committed to a committed disciple of Jesus Christ. To be a good disciple,
we must be faithful, available, initiating, and teachable.
Another episode of Thriving Talk is out. The topic this week is Christians and Missions.
Details about Thriving Talk Podcast -
On Gospel-Link.com website - https://gospel-link.com/podcast-thriving-talk/
Links to different podcast platforms - https://tinkuthompson.blogspot.com/2022/08/thriving-talk-podcast-links.html
YouTube Link to the latest episode - https://youtu.be/7ojY9w8qTMY
Sharing the sermon, I preached this Sunday at my church. It is in English.
YouTube Link - https://youtu.be/rjtPzHTVX8o
God created humans as relational beings. We are created with emotions; at any given moment, we can experience different emotions and behave and act based on what we feel. We could be feeling angry, anxious, ashamed, hopeless, lonely, concerned, disappointed, hurt, jealous, stressed, annoyed, bored, calm, confused, tired, curious, confident, excited, focused, happy, ambitious, determined, grateful, included, proud, etc.
Many types of emotions are defined, and if we do not learn
to understand and control ourselves, we could make decisions or actions we will regret
later. There is a saying that broken glass can be taped together but will never
be the same as old. You can try to repair the damages you caused due to your childish
attitude or carelessness, but it won't be easy to regain trust. Thinking before
you say or act in a particular way is better. The hurt you create may last your
entire life.
One of the common human reactions to show displeasure or
protest is to withdraw or quit. You try to become passive initially and then try
to get out. When we do it, we often want to be back and do it to get attention.
If I have to put it plainly, I will say we try to threaten others. Then there
are other times when we are serious because we are tired and cannot handle a
situation anymore.
In my life, I remember a few incidents when I wrote a resignation
letter. Two times, my managers were able to make me withdraw it by giving me a raise
in salary. I was serious, but I was taking that step because I felt underpaid.
When the issue was addressed, I was back. On another occasion, I decided to
move on and my manager asked me what my demand was and offered even to double
my salary. At that time, my answer was a plain "NO." The reason was
not salary but my goal for life.
There are other times when you feel like quitting when going
gets tough and you are disappointed with others' behaviors. You approach everything
sincerely, and you have no idea why people react and behave in a particular way.
You will question yourself and get a feeling that you may be the reason for the
problem and that it is better that you go away. You will feel things will get
better if you get out of the picture. It is true in ministry and mainly in pastoral
ministry. I had moments when I decided to stop doing everything and then lead a
peaceful life. Why take all these burdens of ministry and be a source of
discomfort for others? The respect and appreciation you get at your secular
workplace are often missing on the ministry side.
I had my moments like Elijah when I decided to quit. It is
enough, Lord, and I am no better. Then something happens, and God reminds me of
my calling and purpose. I have realized that my current location and
assignments are within the plan and purpose of God. God has placed me and assigned
it to me. The only one who should ask me to move or quit is my master, who appointed
me. The enemy or others cannot decide my moves. I must follow God's
instructions as long as I am in His hands. I do not have an option or opinion when
I see the bigger picture.
The tree with fruit will face stones. The more fruitful you
become, you will be a blessing for many, but also expect stones coming your
way. You do not have to focus on the stones. Focus on the one who called you
and continue to be a blessing. You will be rewarded for sticking around and not
quitting before time.
Episode 8 of Thriving Talk is out. The topic is "Kingdom Vs. Individual View." This is another Dad-Son edition in which Tim, my son, sits with me and asks questions about life, purpose, spirituality, faith, etc.
The links mentioned in this episode are -
Link to blog - https://tinkuthompson.blogspot.com/2018/05/individualistic-view-to-kingdom-view.html
Link to paper - https://www.bethel.edu/seminary/about/initiatives/work-with-purpose/resources/tinku-thompson-colloquy.pdf
Details about Thriving Talk Podcast - https://tinkuthompson.blogspot.com/2022/08/thriving-talk-podcast-links.html
YouTube Link to the latest episode - https://youtu.be/rT7Q0IeDpFs
Sharing the sermon, I preached this Sunday at my church. It is in English.
YouTube Link - https://youtu.be/aLSra4L7yas
Episode 7 of Thriving Talk is out. The topic this time is "Life Management." This is another Dad-Son edition in which Tim, my son, sits with me and asks questions about life, purpose, spirituality, faith, etc.
Details about Thriving Talk Podcast - https://tinkuthompson.blogspot.com/2022/08/thriving-talk-podcast-links.html
“The end or outcome justifies the means” is a statement that
many people use when you point out something that is not quite right or something
fishy. People steal things, give them to the poor or needy, and may feel good. Recently
I heard about someone who does things that are not legal, but he said he is
doing a good thing as he helps others by doing what is illegal.
When it comes to spiritual life, something similar exists.
As long as I am blessed and have no problem, God is happy with everything I do
and is in my favor. In Psalms 73, Asaph shares his concern about a similar matter.
Ps. 73:3-8 (NLT)
3 For I envied the proud when I saw them prosper despite their wickedness.
4 They seem to live such painless lives; their bodies are so healthy and strong.
5 They don’t have troubles like other people; they’re not plagued with problems like everyone else.
6 They wear pride like a jeweled necklace and clothe themselves with cruelty.
7 These fat cats have everything their hearts could ever wish for!
8 They scoff and speak only evil; in their pride they seek to crush others.
Asaph shares his concerns and finds an answer towards the end.
Ps. 73:17 (NLT)
Then I went into your sanctuary, O God, and I finally understood the destiny of the wicked.
Asaph saw wicked prospering, and he thought his integrity was
in vain. He finally understood the reality. The main issue is not with people
who do not know God but with those who claim to follow Jesus. They do not seem
to care to follow the basics of the Bible and still think that since outcomes
are satisfactory, it is all good. One example I want to bring up here is how
Moses lost his chance to enter the land of Canaan. The issue was simple. He hit
the rock when God commanded him to speak for water to come (Num. 20:12). Water
did come irrespective of disobedience, but God was not happy and gave the
verdict.
Are we happy with the water coming out? If we are, then we
are only focused on the outcome. In the Bible, we learn that obedience matters
to God. Bible teaches us that obedience is better than sacrifice (1 Sam. 15:22).
The process of how we achieve something is critical. The outcome may look good,
but how we got it matters to God.
We should not deceive ourselves by the outcome and should pay
careful attention to the process of achieving it. Obedience to God’s word and commands
should be fundamental, even if the result is not what we expected. Obedience
will pay off in the long run. Good outcomes with a shady process will not last
long and fall apart, and it will be like a house built on sand. Let us build on
rock and ensure we do not ignore the process.
Sharing the sermon I preached this Sunday at my church. It is in English.
YouTube Link - https://youtu.be/Tq5A7Q5XtF8
Sharing the notes of a sermon I shared last Saturday at church. After a long time, I spoke fully in Malayalam. This is in Malayalam and has no translation.
Main Points from the messages
Last year I experienced something different. As I was battling through my sickness, everything came to a standstill. All of a sudden, I had nothing to do except undergoing treatment. Not going to work, no emails to respond to, no deadlines to meet, no messages to preach, no ministry assignments, and no shopping or other tasks. It allowed me to evaluate and learn to enjoy being free and not busy.
There are many things to be said about this subject. Let me share a few essential issues.
One of our significant challenges is that we have too many options. We have access to shopping 24/7. Nowadays, we can do most things online anytime. This has created a scenario where we have no boundaries and fail to manage time. We also struggle to focus and can get distracted easily. Social media can keep us engaged for hours without realizing the time lost. Our phones are also active 24/7 with no downtime. We wake with many messages waiting for our attention. Most of them have no significance, but we still go through all of them to ensure we are not missing out on something.
Nowadays, even little children have a full schedule planned. They are enrolled in every activity and sport possible and are taught busyness from a young age. Too much focus is on managing time without asking if all those activities are valuable and need to be managed. Technology advancements also made us do many things that others did in the past. To save twenty-five dollars, we may spend five hours searching many websites. We fail to realize that time is a precious resource that cannot be purchased by money.
People also work long hours while productivity has decreased. Some people do not shut down their work laptops and are always available. They do not follow strict work hours because they want to enjoy flexibility. In most cases, the flexibility they desire comes with a hidden cost.
Another area where people can fall into a trap is when they get busy with activities that are spiritual in nature while they ignore the care for the soul. The classic question is - "Are you so busy for God that you do not have time for God?" Are you so busy with church, ministry, caring for others, evangelism, etc., that your heart is empty and anxious? Your devotional life is not in order, and you are restless deep inside you. This is a dangerous zone as it can make you crash anytime.
I have heard many people criticize Martha, and I have felt bad for her since she was also doing things to serve others. It was not like she was cooking and eating herself. She had a houseful of people and had to ensure everything was taken care of. We read about it in Luke 10:38-42. One thing I noticed is that the core issue was her distraction (Luke 10:40). When she complained that she was doing all the work and her sister Mary was not helping, Jesus gave her a response.
But the Lord said to her, “My dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all these details! 42 There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her.” (Luke 10:41-42, NLT)
There is no need to be worried about all details when there is only one thing worth being concerned about. Sitting at the feet of Jesus is more important than all the distractions and other details. I do not think Jesus asked Martha to ignore all work, but it should not be at the cost of missing out on something more substantial.
All our busyness and distractions will prevent us from discovering what is most important. We should not ignore our relationship with God to accomplish or achieve something in this world. It is not worth it. Let us evaluate what is keeping us busy. Are we wasting our time on unwanted things? In general, is your life in order, or are you dealing with distractions and busyness?
