Got Potential?

“In your unfailing love you will lead the people you have redeemed.” (Exodus 15:13)
I once heard a story about two young men who made a goal of riding through the Sahara Desert on motorcycles. There aren’t a lot of street signs in the Sahara and this was long before the days of GPS devices. They [...]

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“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cummin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former. You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow [...]

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“‘Would you discredit my justice?  Would you condemn me to justify yourself.’” (Job 40:8)
I received a sad comment this weekend. It was a response to a Purpose Weekly letter “Has God Forsaken You?” You can read the letter and the comment (feel free to comment yourself) at: http://www.gotpotential.org/gods-purpose/has-god-forsaken-you.
Here’s the comment from John:
Bull____. In one sentence [...]

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“Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God.” (Psalm 90:2)
I took advantage of the relative quiet over the last two weeks of holiday to finish pre-press edits for the North American edition of Unlocking the Bible by David Pawson. It’s a massive [...]

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Saturday morning came and Cora Lee’s chickens never entered my mind.  Christmas was just three days away and I had a hundred last minute chores still undone.  Sunday morning Ray asked the congregation to remember Cora Lee in prayer. She had slipped into a coma on Wednesday night.
When Ray mentioned Cora’s name Elaine and I [...]

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“And He looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the treasury, and He saw also a certain  poor widow putting in two mites. So He said, ‘Truly I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all …’” (Luke 21: 1-3)
Terry Creek church is perched on a [...]

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“Show me your ways, O Lord, teach me your paths;” (Psalm 25:4)
One of my favorite movie scenes comes from “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.” It’s where Indy discovers the cave where the Holy Grail is supposed to be, but he’s separated from the chamber holding the Grail by impassable abyss. His guide book pictures [...]

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“For the foolishness of God is wiser than man’s wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man’s strength.” (I Corinthians 1:25)
Purpose Weekly is a success newsletter. I know it doesn’t always appear that way. Sometimes it’s kind of preachy - talking about spiritual stuff more than practical success.
Yeah, I know that sometimes it [...]

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“Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing.” (I Peter 3:9)
Last week I introduced you to a modern day ‘rich young ruler’; Reuel McFarland. Unlike his biblical counterpart, Reuel said yes when Jesus told him, [...]

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“And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them?” (Luke 18:7)
I visited a place called International House of Prayer in Kansas City last week. IHOP for short … yeah, like the pancake house, everybody gets the joke.
Here’s the interesting thing about IHOP [...]

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“If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I [...]

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“Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ.” (Ephesians 4:15)
Throwing the Baby out with the Bathwater
Purpose Weekly, August 21, 2008
Vol. 2, Issue 30
For the last few weeks we’ve been talking about trusting God when the circumstances seem to warrant that you [...]

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“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart …” (Jeremiah 1:5)
Purpose Weekly, August 5, 2008
When the Questions are Too Big
Vol. 2, Issue 28
I received a response to last week’s Purpose Weekly, “The Heavens Declare the Glory of God.” Last week’s letter was sent out at [...]

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“Jesus replied, ‘Blessed are you Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven. And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.” (Matthew 16:17-18)
Purpose Weekly

Vol. 2, Issue [...]

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Purpose

Vol. 2 Issue 22

June 3, 2008

The Weekly Newsletter of True Potential Publishing
Is “Church” a Dirty Word? Part III

I may have opened a can of worms by bringing up the definition of “church.” At this point in Christian history we’ve been so ingrained with our concept of what “church” is, it can be a real [...]

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Purpose

Vol. 2 Issue 21

May 27, 2008

The Weekly Newsletter of True Potential Publishing

“And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.”(Matthew 16:18)
Is “Church” a Dirty Word? Part II
Last week we started talking about “church.” We brought out our trusty [...]

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Purpose

Vol. 2 Issue 20
May 19, 2008
The Weekly Newsletter of True Potential Publishing

“Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another - and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” (Hebrews 10:25)
Is “Church” a Dirty Word?
I’ve always felt a little [...]

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Purpose
May 12, 2008
The Weekly Newsletter of True Potential Publishing

“If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters—yes, even his own life—he cannot be my disciple.” (Luke 14:27)
The Road Not Taken
Hate my father and mother? Brothers and sisters? Sounds a bit harsh doesn’t it? [...]

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“Let me die with the Philistines!” (Judges16:30)
Purpose
Vol. 2 Issue 17
The Weekly Newsletter of True Potential Publishing
Courage Part II
What Makes a Hero?
Remember last week? Gideon fought the bad guys, the Midianites, and won. He was a Judge, remember? There was another Judge in old Israel, a few Judges down from Gideon; his name was Samson.
In the [...]

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Purpose
Vol. 2 Issue 10March 7, 2008
The weekly newsletter of True Potential Publishing
Self-Control
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.” (Galatians 5:22-23)
It’s probably fitting that “self-control” is the last fruit of the Spirit in our nine week study. It [...]

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