Thriving Talk - Anger Management

Episode 14 of Thriving Talk is out. The topic is "Anger Management." 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/8pKrfGgkUtI

Forgiver Traits

I want to share the sermon I preached last Sunday at my church. 

YouTube Link -  https://youtu.be/I6dZZ44ocpw

Main Points from the messages.

Main Verse:-  Philemon 1:7

Your love has given me much joy and comfort, my brother, for your kindness has often refreshed the hearts of God’s people. (NLT)

Introduction

• The letter is written to convince Philemon to forgive his runaway servant Onesimus and to accept him as a brother in the faith.

• Forgiveness is the economy of the heart. Forgiveness saves the expense of anger, the cost of hatred, the waste of spirits. - Hannah More

• In the shadow of my hurt, forgiveness feel like a decision to reward my enemy. But in the shadow of the cross, forgiveness is merely a gift from one undeserving soul to another. – Andy Stanley, It Came from Within!

1. Greetings (1:1-3)
1. Paul was in prison, or he was under house arrest.
2. Timothy was with him
3. He considered Philemon as a co-worker
4. Philemon was a wealthy member of the church in Colosse. He got saved under Paul's ministry.
5. Colossian church met at his house.
6. Churches met at homes. 
2. Thanking God for Philemon(4-5)
1. Faith
2. Love for all of God's people
3. Prayer for action (6)
1. What we have in Christ is understood and experienced.
2. He put into action the generosity
4. Refreshing the hearts (7)
1. Your love has given me much joy and comfort
2. Your kindness has refreshed hearts.
5. Forgiver basic traits
1. Faith
2. Love
3. Understand and experience all the good things they have in Christ 
4. Put into action the same generosity
5. Shows Kindness that refreshes hearts

Conclusion

Forgive, forget. Bear with the faults of others as you would have them bear with yours. Be patient and understanding. Life is too short to be vengeful or malicious. - Phillips Brooks

The man who refuses to forgive destroys the bridge over which he himself must cross. - John Irving

Adoptive Family

Growing up, I often heard this phrase: "Blood is thicker than water." It is a proverb in English, meaning that family bonds will always be more robust than other relationships. Honestly, I did not experience that it is valid in all circumstances. In my own life, others came to my help more often, and I also found some other relationships to be stronger.  

Last year when I was battling with sickness, I did experience it again. I am not saying family members were not there or did not express concern, and I found that others were genuinely concerned about me. When I tried to think about it, I found the real reason. It is possible in my adoptive family.

Few Bible verses-

God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure. (Eph. 1:5)

So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God's Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, "Abba, Father." (Rom. 8:15)

And we believers also groan, even though we have the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory, for we long for our bodies to be released from sin and suffering. We, too, wait with eager hope for the day when God will give us our full rights as his adopted children, including the new bodies he has promised us. (Rom. 8:23)

Bible teaches us that when we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, we become God's children and part of His family. That means we have a large family with God's people. Many times, people do not realize it. If you feel like you do not have anyone or are disowned or neglected by your family, remember that you are part of God's family.

Sometimes I am surprised that people take side with their family members and opposes brothers and sisters who belong to the household of God. They neglect justice and righteousness to stand and support their blood relations. I also see people treating others like they will never want to see them. We cannot mistreat anyone if we hope to spend eternity with others in heaven. We have to wait for the prodigal sons to return and accept them.

What a privilege it is to be part of God's family. It not only gives us comfort but encourages us to lead a humble and balanced life in this world.   

Final Judgement

I want to share the sermon I preached last Sunday at my church. 

YouTube Link - https://youtu.be/enF5VF6LB70

Main Points from the messages.

Main Verse:-  Rev. 20:15

And anyone whose name was not found recorded in the Book of Life was thrown into the lake of fire.

Introduction

• There is good news and bad news.
• Some things are certain, and some things can be debated.
• THE FINAL JUDGEMENT from the Church website: There will be a final Judgment in which the wicked dead will be judged according to their works. Whosoever is not in found in the Book of Life, together with the devil and his angels, the beast, and the false prophet will be consigned to everlasting punishment in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone, which is the second death (Mt.25:46; Mark 9:42-48; Rev. 19:20; 20:11-15; 21:8).
• One certain thing is that one day we will stand in judgment.
• For Christians, the final judgment will be a time to receive the Goal of our Faith. - J. S. Gyimah

1. Death and then Judgment (Heb.9:27)
1. And just as it is appointed for people to die once—and after this, judgment.
2. We have an appointment with our creator.
2. God is a righteous Judge (Math. 5:48)
3. God cannot be deceived (Gal. 6:7-9)
4. God has fixed a day to judge (Acts 17:30-31)
5. Final Judgement White Throne Judgment
1. Lake of Fire is the final destiny for those whose name is not in the Book of Life.

Conclusion

• God is a good God. We hear so much about Him being a good God, and I believe He is a good God. That’s right. He is a good God. But if He’s a good God, He’s got to be a just God. He can’t give us a commandment to do something another, and we disobey it and expect to escape the Judgment. He’s also a God of wrath, a God of judgment. That’s what makes Him a good God, because He keeps His Word. He watches over It. - William Marrion Branham

Thriving Talk - Time Management

Episode 13 of Thriving Talk is out. The topic is "Time Management." 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/Ut6-Mzm0AkE

Shameless Boldness

I want to share the sermon I preached last Sunday at my church. 

YouTube Link - https://youtu.be/Xq1VGq9Xrls

Main Points from the messages.

Main Verse:- Luke 11:8

I tell you, even though he won’t get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his friend’s shameless boldness, he will get up and give him as much as he needs. (CSB)

Introduction

• When compared to the time you spend on things of this world, how much time was spent in prayer?
• Talking to men for God is a great thing, but talking to God for men is greater still. He will never talk well and with real success to men for God who has not learned well how to talk to God for men.- E.M. Bounds

1. Jesus was asked a question- "Teach us to pray" (Lk. 1:1)
2. Lord's or Model Prayer (Lk 11:2-4)
1. The Lord’s Prayer is commonly divided into two parts:
1. A prayer directed toward God (Matt 6:9–10; Luke 11:2)
2. A prayer for daily needs (Matt 6:11–13; Luke 11:3–4).
1. Give us each day our daily bread - Give us each day the food we need
2. Forgive us our sins
3. Do not bring us into temptation- don’t let us yield to temptation
3. Shameless boldness to ask difficult things (Lk 11:5-8)
4. Ask, Seek and Knock (Lk 11:9-13)
5. Ask for Holy Spirit (Lk 11:13)

Conclusion

• Have felt led to pray for others this winter as never before. I never before knew what it was to work all day and then pray all night before God for another… In college or at parties at home, I used to keep such hours for myself, or pleasure, and can I not do as much for God and souls? - John Hyde
• In prayer, do you approach Father with shameless boldness?

Benefits of Delegation

We all encounter the challenge of lack of time. We are busy and have more tasks to do than we can. We compromise on the time we should take out to relax and rest. Most of the time, we are catching up. This can lead to an experience in which our private life is not in order.

I had been in a similar situation some time ago, and then I changed a few things, and it got better, but still, there was this hurry and busyness. When I got sick last year and spent most of my time in the hospital bed and recovery, everything I was doing came to a standstill. I was left with nothing much to do—no more preaching or taking the pressure of conducting meetings. No work, no more involvement in ministry and was free most of the time.

It gave me time to reflect and think a lot. This led me to make many changes in my life, giving me many benefits. One significant advantage is that I am no more in a hurry or busy. People may not get it, but I am more organized and purposeful now. I am not worrying about what I cannot do. More focused on doing faithfully what I can do today to the best of my ability.    

I have learned that consistency is the key to success in many areas of our life. Along with everything, one thing I am intentional about now is delegating, and it has helped me immensely since I am reaping the benefit in many ways. 

One incident we see in the Bible, which teaches us about delegation, is in Exodus 18. The advice is given to Moses by his father-in-law Jethro.

18 “You’re going to wear yourself out—and the people, too. This job is too heavy a burden for you to handle all by yourself. 19 Now listen to me, and let me give you a word of advice, and may God be with you. You should continue to be the people’s representative before God, bringing their disputes to him. 20 Teach them God’s decrees, and give them his instructions. Show them how to conduct their lives. 21 But select from all the people some capable, honest men who fear God and hate bribes. Appoint them as leaders over groups of one thousand, one hundred, fifty, and ten. 22 They should always be available to solve the people’s common disputes, but have them bring the major cases to you. Let the leaders decide the smaller matters themselves. They will help you carry the load, making the task easier for you. 23 If you follow this advice, and if God commands you to do so, then you will be able to endure the pressures, and all these people will go home in peace.” (NLT)

 

Jethro’s Advice on Delegation

• Don’t try to resolve all the problems by yourself. You will wear yourself out.
• Doing everything on your own is a heavy burden.
• Teach people the laws and principles they should apply to be successful.
• Let them handle the common issues, but significant cases can still come to you.
• They can make their own decisions and not become dependent on you.
• Delegate the decision-making process to able people, with assigned responsibilities according to their abilities, and supervise their activities.
• This will free them and you.
• You will be able to handle the pressures better.
• It will save time.

The Selection Criteria for Delegation

• Capable
• Honest
• Men who fear God and
• Hate bribes

One big challenge with delegation is that it is sometimes easier to delegate tasks but not authority.

“Don’t just delegate tasks to the next generation. If you delegate tasks, you create followers. Instead, delegate authority to create leaders.” – Craig Groeschel.

If we want to develop leaders, we must delegate authority. At times this cannot be done all of a sudden. This may require time and training. It will be worth the effort in the end. The goal of delegation should be to make leaders who can also function effectively in your absence. The temptation is always there is have a tight grip on everything. Then how long can we hold on? One day we will have to let everything go. Will there be people ready at that time? Sometimes people may motivate and encourage you to hold on to everything since they feel you do things better and want you to do them. Again, we cannot yield to those suggestions when we look at the bigger picture.  

We have to start doing delegation as it will help us and will benefit us in the long run.

Thriving Talk - Tragedy and Hope

Episode 12 of Thriving Talk is out. The topic is "Tragedy and Hope."  In this episode, I interview Pastor Sunil Korade from Odisha, India. He has experienced some personal loss in the family recently. In this interview, he shares his hope and the outcome of the difficult situation.   

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/ExOr8L040Rg

Change Style with Role

 

We all grow in many areas of life with time. Our roles and responsibilities also change. We hear about people who started at the bottom of an organization and grew up to become top-level executives. In some cases, the changes are based on people’s desires, and circumstances and situations sometimes force them to transition to a different role.

We have different seasons in spiritual life and ministry, and we may not always be given the same assignment. There will be changes and movements, and our role may change. I taught Sunday School for many years in different churches, and it is now more than ten years since I have taken a Sunday School class regularly. My first job was as a teacher. In a few years, I moved on to programming and, after some time, moved to another role.

One area we see the change of role is leadership. Many people do not spend time training or equipping themselves as they transition to a new position and struggle, and they do not change their approach and style when moving to a different role. When I say style, I mean “a manner of doing something.”

In the Bible, we see many people transitioning to different roles with time and based on need. Nehemiah served the king in the palace, but he picked up the burden of rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem when he was made aware of the situation. He becomes a builder and then governor. In every situation, he functioned as needed. He identified a need and then came up with a solution. He also delegated the responsibility. He not only motivated people but also worked with people.

Nehemiah was a leader who combined prayer and planning. He operated as the situation demanded, but one thing consistent was his prayer life. He encountered his burden and challenges with prayer. As God gives us different assignments or responsibilities, we need to adapt to the situation, but one thing which needs to be consistent to see success is prayer.  

Yes, we may have to change our style of operation based on the situation and the role we are assigned, but we need to remember that to be successful as Christian leaders, we need to be prayerful. One style that should not change or get impacted as our responsibilities change is our prayer style. It should improve or increase but not go down as we progress in life. 

Thriving Talk - Christians and Sports

Episode 11 of Thriving Talk is out. The topic is "Christians and Sports." 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/s-GpaJzdW68

Response to Crisis

I want to share the sermon I preached last Sunday at my church. 

Main Points from the messages.

Main Verse:- Daniel 2:17-18

17 Then Daniel went home and told his friends Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah what had happened. 18 He urged them to ask the God of heaven to show them his mercy by telling them the secret, so they would not be executed along with the other wise men of Babylon.

Introduction

• We all face crisis situations in life, and it is inevitable. 
• Crisis- a time of intense difficulty, trouble, or danger.
• Question- what do we do, or what is our first response?
• Most Christians long to see miracles, but they don’t want to be put in a position where they will need one. - Rick Joyner
• Bible teaches us that one of the best responses is to go into corporate prayer.

Some incidents from the Bible.

1. Going to be killed - Daniel and friends
• Dan. 2:  17 Then Daniel went home and told his friends Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah what had happened. 18 He urged them to ask the God of heaven to show them his mercy by telling them the secret, so they would not be executed along with the other wise men of Babylon. 19 That night the secret was revealed to Daniel in a vision. Then Daniel praised the God of heaven.
2. War declared - Jehoshaphat
• 2 Chro. 20:  After this, the armies of the Moabites, Ammonites, and some of the Meunites declared war on Jehoshaphat. 2 Messengers came and told Jehoshaphat, “A vast army from Edom is marching against you from beyond the Dead Sea. They are already at Hazazon-tamar.” (This was another name for En-gedi.) 3 Jehoshaphat was terrified by this news and begged the Lord for guidance. He also ordered everyone in Judah to begin fasting. 4 So people from all the towns of Judah came to Jerusalem to seek the Lord’s help.
3. Responding to a prophecy - Jonah in Nineveh
• Jonah 3: 3 This time Jonah obeyed the Lord’s command and went to Nineveh, a city so large that it took three days to see it all.[a] 4 On the day Jonah entered the city, he shouted to the crowds: “Forty days from now Nineveh will be destroyed!” 5 The people of Nineveh believed God’s message, and from the greatest to the least, they declared a fast and put on burlap to show their sorrow. 6 When the king of Nineveh heard what Jonah was saying, he stepped down from his throne and took off his royal robes. He dressed himself in burlap and sat on a heap of ashes. 7 Then the king and his nobles sent this decree throughout the city: “No one, not even the animals from your herds and flocks, may eat or drink anything at all. 8 People and animals alike must wear garments of mourning, and everyone must pray earnestly to God. They must turn from their evil ways and stop all their violence. 9 Who can tell? Perhaps even yet God will change his mind and hold back his fierce anger from destroying us.” 10 When God saw what they had done and how they had put a stop to their evil ways, he changed his mind and did not carry out the destruction he had threatened. 
4. Asked to stop the mission - 1st-century church
• Acts 4:18 So they called the apostles back in and commanded them never again to speak or teach in the name of Jesus.
• 23 As soon as they were freed, Peter and John returned to the other believers and told them what the leading priests and elders had said. 24 When they heard the report, all the believers lifted their voices together in prayer to God: “O Sovereign Lord, Creator of heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them
• 31 After this prayer, the meeting place shook, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit. Then they preached the word of God with boldness.
5. Leader to be executed - Peter in jail
• Acts 12:1 About that time King Herod Agrippa[a] began to persecute some believers in the church. 2 He had the apostle James (John’s brother) killed with a sword. 3 When Herod saw how much this pleased the Jewish people, he also arrested Peter. (This took place during the Passover celebration.[b]) 4 Then he imprisoned him, placing him under the guard of four squads of four soldiers each. Herod intended to bring Peter out for public trial after the Passover. 5 But while Peter was in prison, the church prayed very earnestly for him.
• 24 Meanwhile, the word of God continued to spread, and there were many new believers.

YouTube Link - https://youtu.be/LEfEoh0XOig