Spiritual Journey Insights

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/ https://anchor.fm/gospel-link 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. Main Verse:- Numbers 14:28 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 YouTube Link -  https://youtu.be/lIzdSxjvSKE

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 vali...

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 the...

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 Summary of the message Main Verse:- Luke 9:23 23 Then he said to the crowd, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross daily, and follow me.  Introduction The call of Jesus is one of daily commitment. If you do not plan to live the Christian life totally committed to knowing your God and to walking in obedience to Him, then don't begin, for this is what Christianity is all about. It is a change of citizenship, a change of governments, a change of allegiance. If you have no intention of letting Christ rule your life, then forget Christianity; it is not for you. - Kay Arthur 1. Following is optional. Lk 9:23 - If any of you wants to be my follower There is no forced conversion, and it is unbiblical. We preach or share the message with an invitation, and people can accept it freely.  There i...

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 q...

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 Summary of the message Main Verse:- Luke 6:45 A good person produces good out of the good stored up in his heart. An evil person produces evil out of the evil stored up in his heart, for his mouth speaks from the overflow of the heart. (CSB) Introduction • Keeping our hearts in check is very important. • How far we go in conversations, and talk determines our standard.  Purity and simplicity are the two wings with which man soars above the earth and all temporary nature. Simplicity is in the intention, purity in the affection; simplicity turns to God; purity unites with and enjoys him. - Thomas A Kempis 1. Do not judge others (Lk. 6:37) 2. Forgive others to be forgiven 3. Trying to correct others while ignoring our own needs (Lk. 6:41-42) 4. Tree and Fruits (Lk 6:43-44) 5. Overflow of Heart (Lk 6:45) Desires of our heart placeme...

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 YouTube Link to the latest episode - https://youtu.be/ZbAvrNG9EEs

“ 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 hear...

Sharing the  sermon I preached this Sunday at my church. It is in English.    YouTube Link -  https://youtu.be/Tq5A7Q5XtF8 Summary of the message Main  Verse:- Daniel 1:15 At the end of the ten days, Daniel and his three friends looked healthier and better nourished than the young men who had been eating the food assigned by the king. (NLT) Introduction Faithfulness is a key principle in the Bible. To be faithful is to be reliable, steadfast, and unwavering. Faithfulness:  an attribute of God,  a positive characteristic of some people,  a characteristic that many people lack,  fruit of the Holy Spirit. Daniel and friends - Changes experienced  Geography/Location change - Jerusalem to Babylon Freedom - Now follow the instructions. Name change (1:7) New Learning - Language and Literature of Chaldeans (1:4) Circumstances change- 3 years of training Food change- Royal Food and Wine from King's provision (1:5) Daniel's Decision - Negotia...

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 Main Verse:-  Deut. 3:23-27 അക്കാലത്തു ഞാൻ യഹോവയോടു അപേക്ഷിച്ചു:  24 കർത്താവായ യഹോവേ, നിന്റെ മഹത്വവും നിന്റെ ഭുജവിര്യവും അടിയനെ കാണിച്ചുതുടങ്ങിയല്ലോ; നിന്റെ ക്രിയകൾപോലെയും നിന്റെ വീര്യപ്രവൃത്തികൾപോലെയും ചെയ്‍വാൻ കഴിയുന്ന ദൈവം സ്വർഗ്ഗത്തിലാകട്ടെ ഭൂമിയിലാകട്ടെ ആരുള്ളു? 2 5 ഞാൻ കടന്നുചെന്നു യോർദ്ദാന്നക്കരെയുള്ള നല്ല ദേശവും മനോഹരമായ പർവ്വതവും ലെബാനോനും ഒന്നു കണ്ടുകൊള്ളട്ടെ എന്നു പറഞ്ഞു.  26 എന്നാൽ യഹോവ നിങ്ങളുടെ നിമിത്തം എന്നോടു കോപിച്ചിരുന്നു; എന്റെ അപേക്ഷ കേട്ടതുമില്ല. യഹോവ എന്നോടു: മതി; ഈ കാര്യത്തെക്കുറിച്ചു ഇനി എന്നോടു സംസാരിക്കരുതു; 27 പിസ്ഗയുടെ മുകളിൽ കയറി തല പൊക്കി പടിഞ്ഞാറോട്ടും വടക്കോട്ടും തെക്കോട്ടും കിഴക്കോട്ടും നോക്കിക്കാൺക; 23 “At that time I pleaded with the Lord and said, 24 ‘O Sovereign Lord, you have only begun to show your greatness and the strength of your hand t...

Busy, Busy, Busy. Most people are busy and have no time. I was like that for a long time. I had a lot of things going on and was on the move. Then I came across a few things which made me slow down. First, I had a class on Spiritual Formation in my college. Then I read some books on Spiritual disciplines and ordering private life. It all gave me the encouragement to evaluate my lifestyle. 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.  Too many options with no boundaries One of our significant challenges is that we have too many options. We ...