Gravity And Grace
len
Chapter 20 of the book “What’s So Amazing About Grace” talks about gravity and grace, wherein Yancey pointed out that these are the 2 great forces that rule the universe. Whatever makes us feel superior to other people, whatever tempts us to convey a sense of superiority – that is gravity. On the other hand, grace is all about breaking the moral rules. It is making allowances for everyone’s faults, even though your mind thinks otherwise.

It seems unfair on my point of view to give grace. Wouldn’t it just tolerate the offender to do wrong, instead of allowing that person to reap the consequences of his/her action? How could that person learn how to straighten his/her acts if somebody just said “I forgive you” and never do anything other than that?

This gets me into thinking. The reason why there are many bad people out there is because there are good people who tolerate them. By this statement, I meant to say that good people just say, “Ok, you did wrong – I forgive you”. Forgive? That’s it? No other actions against it?

The moral rules tell us to punish the offender. However, Forgiveness breaks the moral rules.

In God’s point of view, it is entirely mind-boggling different. When you have been slapped in the face, Jesus said to give the other half of your cheek. When you are the offended, Jesus tells you to be the first one to make peace. It’s very strange, right?

While reading through the pages of the last chapter, I was struck by several points of Philip Yancey that really made an impact on my thought life. Here are the major things I have lifted from the pages:

• My pride still tempts me to put on the best front, to clean up appearances. (page 273)

On Sundays, people come to church with those smiles and serene aura that can fool anyone. But on weekdays, most churchgoers do not really live as a Christian – and I have seen a lot of that on others and myself.

• Church should be a haven for people who feel terrible about themselves.

But reality bites hard: the church becomes a place of condemnation for people who do not live up to their Christianity. In my case, I have been away from the church for 11 months. Of course I feel so guilty for not being able to attend fellowships and other ministerial activities. I hunger for the presence of my Christian brothers and sisters. But when I got there, I felt that I don’t belong there anymore.

In a split second, all eyes were on me –telling me things like, “Ayan kasi umalis alis ka pa ayan tuloy napala mo”, “Pupunta punta ng Manila pero hindi naman makapagtayo ng ministry”.

I already felt terrible about myself, and I accept it. But all these things said to me really hurt me so much. I went back to be cured, and to hear words of encouragement, and to feel love and acceptance.

I remember myself when I was still active in the ministry: I handled the music team, I preach at the pulpit once a month, I handle small groups, and I train would-be leaders. Back then, when I see someone that is not performing their “church” duties, I would become judgemental and say things like, “You need to put God first. If you put God first, you will never miss out any of your “church duties”. I even think things like, “Maybe that person did not really accepted Jesus Christ in the first place, that is why she could not live up to her Christian life”

I am so prideful and self righteous before, that is maybe the reason why God has allowed me to experience 11 months in the desert. At this point, I now know the feeling of someone who struggles to go back to God and be right back on track: because it also happened to me. And the last thing a struggling person wants to hear is condemnation.

• Once my view of myself changed, I began to see the church in a different light too: as a community of people thirsty for grace.

When I was starting out to know about Jesus, I was so immersed and dumbfounded by the fact that a sinner like me has still a place in God’s kingdom. But when I went deeper and deeper in my new found faith, I totally forgot that people come to church because they want to ease their burdens. I realized that the church must be a spiritual hospital for people, and not a hall of judgement where your sins and wrongdoings are magnified and judged.

• Perfect, sinless Jesus had every right to be repulsed by the behaviour of those around them. Yet he treated notorious sinners with mercy and not judgement.

This statement has really made an impact on me. I knew some people who are capable of doing things such as stealing, lying, and other forms of unclean acts. But instead of ushering them to Jesus, I just stay away from them and being careful not to mingle with them. I thought to myself, If I mingle with them, I might sooner or later join them in their acts so I should just hang out with my Christian friends.

However, I realized (from reading this statement) that I AM TOTALLY WRONG ABOUT MY THINKING AND ACTUATIONS toward those people. Jesus himself hangs out with what society considered as outcasts. But I do the opposite. Instead of judging them, I must show mercy and compassion. A realization just occurred to me that people do bad things as a result of their rebellion. They just act out what people have been judging them.

SUMMARY

We tend to forget that Christianity is all about reaching out to people and show them compassion, love and acceptance. The sad thing is the more we come to know more and more of the God’s Word, we keep ourselves farther and farther away from people. That is the reason why a lot of people are “allergic” to Christians. We must not count the unworthiness of a person, but try to magnify the hidden goodness in a person’s heart.

A lot of people will discourage us, but we must not be tired of giving forgiveness. If Christ has been very generous of His forgiveness and mercy, why can’t we do it? Just like what the book says, “We should hate the sins in others in the same way we hate them in ourselves: being sorry the person has done such things and hoping that somehow, sometime, somewhere, that person will be cured.”

So what’s so amazing about grace? For me, what is so amazing about grace is that this righteous God, who has sworn that He will punish sin and execute justice, has nevertheless seen fit to extend it to a sinner like me.

Final Exam, Module 2: The Making Of A Leader
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“Beyond Reasonable Doubt”
len

“Beyond Reasonable Doubt”
(An Exegesis of Philippians 2:14-15)

Natural Unit: Philippians 2:14-18
Next Larger Unit: Philippians 2
Literary Form: Epistle
Historical and Cultural Context:

A. Written to the believers in Philippi - Philippians 1:1.

B. The City of Philippi

1. Philippi was one of the major cities of Macedonia

2. Philippi received its name from Philip of Macedon, the father of Alexander the Great, who conquered the city in 360 B.C.

3. Philippi became a Roman colony during the reign of Octavius. He and Marc Antony defeated Brutus and Cassius near Philippi.

4. Philippi was situated on the Egnatian highway, a major trade route through Macedonia. This would insure fast travel to and from the city to other parts of the Roman Empire.

5. It was a military and agricultural centre rather than a commercial city. Since it was not a commercial centre not many Jews lived in the city.

C. The Beginning of the Church at Philippi

1. It’s birth - Acts 16:9-15.

a. Paul was on his second missionary journey when he received the vision of the man in Macedonia - Acts 16:9-10.

b. Paul then sailed to Samothracia, journeyed to Neapolis, and then to Philippi - Acts 16:11-12.

c. Philippi had no synagogue because they have a very small Jewish population there. Paul went to the Gangitis River on the Sabbath, a place where Jews would congregate.

d. While at the Gangitis River, Paul met a group of women to whom he preached the gospel. One of them, Lydia, was converted by listening to Paul’s preachings.

e. Lydia’s own conversion led to the conversion of her whole household. The opening of her home to the missionaries provided a base of operation for Paul's work and a place of assembly for the young church.

2. It’s first conflict - Acts 16:16-24.

a. Paul and Silas were followed by a demonized woman - Acts 16:16-17.

b. After some time, Paul, desiring that people did not think that the woman was part of his “team”, cast the spirit out of her - Acts 16:18.

c. This angered her owners who then stirred up trouble and had Paul and Silas cast into prison after being beaten - Acts 16:19-24.

3. It’s first revival - Acts 16:25-34.

a. Paul and Silas, being in prison, sang hymns and praises to God - Acts 16:25.

b. God sent a strong earthquake which opened all of the prison doors and made the jailor think that all of the prisoners had escaped – Acts 16:26-27.

c. Paul reassured the jailor that all the prisoners were there, after which the jailor asked Paul how he could be saved - Acts 16:28-31.

d. The jailor then took Paul to his home, washed up their wounds, and as a result Paul preached to his whole household with the result that all of them believed as well - Acts 16:32-34.

4. It’s establishment - Acts 16:35-40.

a. Paul and Silas , being Roman citizens, made the magistrates of the city personally apologize and release them from prison - Acts 16:35-39.

b. Paul and Silas visited the brethren at Lydia’s house after they came out of the prison. Afterwards, they left for Amphipolis - Acts 16:40.

Culture:

Since Philippi was not a commercial center, not many Jews lived in the city. In fact there were not even enough to form a synagogue. The small number of Jews who lived there gathers at Gangitis River.

Textual Issues: none

Before and After:

Before: Imitating Christ’s Humility – Phiippians 2:5-13
After: Sending of Timothy and Epaphroditus - Philippians 2:19-30


Determining the Central Idea of the Text:

Words in the Text:

· Do everything without complaining and arguing

· Shine like stars

· Be blameless and pure

· Without fault

Connecting words: So that

CIT:

We should not fight among ourselves because it jeopardizes our testimony as Christians. We are the bearers of light, so the whole world must see Christ through our actions and dealings with each other. As children of God, the whole world must see unity and humility in us.

Application:

Knowledge: If we consider ourselves as children of God, we must show it to the whole world through our actions – by displaying unity with the brethren.

Grace: God wants us to be a light to this crooked and deprived world.

Relationships:

· With God – imitate the attitude of Christ – humble and obedient

· With Believers – conflicts may arise, but we must be able to resolve our differences and restore harmony.

· With Unbelievers – they should see us as role models of unity and camaraderie.

Guidance:

· Am I sowing discord, or unity in the church?

· Whenever there are conflicts in the church, do I add fuel to the fire, or do I stop it?

· Do other people’s views of me as a Christian make them doubt of my professed faith?

· Will my relationship with others be evidence for, or against me as a Christian?


Character and Conduct: Command to obey: “Do everything without complaining or arguing” (Phil 2:14)

Ministry to Others:

The people around us (unbelievers) are watching. Therefore, we, as children of God must live in unity, harmony, and love. When they see genuine love in us, they will be encouraged to receive the Gospel because they see Christ in our attitude and dealings with our fellow Christians.

Application Questions:
 1. What difference would it make if right now I responded in faith and obedience to what God is saying to me?

If I responded to what the command says, I will be a living testimony of God’s love. As a result, I will be sowing unity instead of discord among my fellow believers in the faith. Unbelievers will also see that my faith is genuine and not only a façade because they will see through my actions that I am really a child of God. They will say that I am a Christian beyond reasonable doubt.

2. What should I do and when will I do it?

Having unity in the church is not a one time event – it’s a continuous process. Conflicts will still arise, but I should be able to forgive easily and bear with the faults of others. I should see to it that I will not be adding fuel to the fire, but instead be an instrument of resolving conflicts.

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Good Morning
len
When I say good morning I mean to say:

G-od
O-ffers us His
O-utstanding
D-evotion to

M-ake us
O-bedient &
R-eady for a
N-ew day with Him.
I-nspire others please, and
N-ever forget
G-od loves you!
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My Musical Passion
len



I have always loved listening to piano pieces when I was a kid...but my parents cannot afford to buy me an instrument. When I was in grade 6, my grandfather brought me a Yamaha keyboard from straight from the province. This keyboard was owned by a priest who sold the keyboard to my grandfather. I was so happy at that time, but I do not know how to play the instrument the way pianists are doing.


There was a keyboard tutorial at Diliman Preparatory School (this is where I spent my elementary years) every afternoon. I would always go there and watch a group of elementary and highschool students being taught how to play their keyboard. I got home and told my mom that I would like to enroll in a keyboard tutorial class. However, my mother told me that she cannot afford to enroll me in that class.


I really want to learn how to play the keyboard, but our family income cannot sustain my keyboard lessons. What I did is I listened and listened to songs on the radio and tried to imitate what I heard. I'd spend many hours listening and imitating the songs on the radio..but it did not matter to me. I LOVE WHAT I'M DOING. I was so eager to learn how to play the keyboard that I lose track of time when my fingers start hitting the percussion instrument. By the way, I played with the right finger only at that time hehe..because I do not know how to play with my left hand.. All I did was listen to songs and then play the melody of the song using my right hand.


When I was in third year highschool, my sister brought a chord chart. That was when I learned how to play the chords using my left hand. My eagerness went overdrive as I leared how to play using my 2 hands.. the left hand for the chords and the right hand for the melody. After weeks of practice, I could already play any song in song books that my sister brought home.


Fast forward to 3rd year college. I read this book entitled "The Purpose Driven Life". For 4o days, I have religiously read Rick Warren's book every night before I go to sleep and try to apply what I have read the day after. What struck me the most is "our gifts, talents, and abilities are not given to us by God for our personal fulfillment...He gave us that so that we can use it for His purpose".


And then it hit me. All these years, I have been wanting to play the keyboard for my self satisfaction. But God has given me this gift to use it for his purpose and that is what I should do. With a quick turn around of events, I met this person who have showed me how to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Weeks have passed and then I suddenly found myself playing the keyboard during bible studies, and then months later, at our church.


4 years have passed and I still love playing the keyboard. But now, I am not playing just because I like it too..but because I want to play for God who have blessed me with this gift. I use this to worship and praise Him and to show him my gratitude for saving me from the pitfalls of darkness..
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The Battle Of The Mind
len
I have been reading a book lately about the battle of the mind. I am actually on the 15th chapter at this time, which talks about the renewing of the mind. True to waht it says, our actions are a result of our inner thoughts. Nobody can say that he did a certain thing without thinking about it, right? There is always a corresponding thought to everything that we do - because our minds all always busy. If all you ever think about is negativism, then there's no doubt that your life would be a mess.


Who would want a messed up life? We want our life to change for the better..but if we do not change our way of thinking, then everything else will fail - right before our very eye. Start by thinking positve thoughts, and your life lighten up little by little. Instead of brooding over things, act differently. Share one little act of kindness to every person that you meet. Who knows, the next person that you stumble upon may be the one that will save you from your misery ;)
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The Potter vs. The Clay Pot: A Metaphor
len

Note: I used the pot and potter as metaphors to show the relationship between God (potter) and man (pot)



See this beautiful clay pot? Before it came into this, it started as a lump of clay—a lump of clay that is formless, without any specific purpose...it’s nothing but a lump of clay.



"And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul." Genesis 2:7, KJV


Without a purpose, it will just be a lump of clay that can be thrown out anywhere...anytime. It’s just a piece of dirt.







However, the potter sees otherwise. He sees not just a lump of clay. He sees a work of art...He envisions something out of that lump of dirt that can be useful for his purpose. And so he makes a plan and puts it into action.



"But now, O LORD, thou art our father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand." Isaiah 64:8, KJV



The potter works on the clay to form the design he wants to. It starts of as a lump of clay...He puts the lump of clay into the machine and then slowly forms something out of it. Slowly but surely, a magnificent work of art is formed after a significant amount of time of molding and shaping the clay.



"I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well" Psalm 139:14


After he creates the design of the clay, he puts it out of the sun to be dried so that it will harden. And when it has hardened, it will now be ready to be used for its purpose.

“…even though our outer person is being destroyed, our inner person is being renewed day by day. For our momentary light affliction is producing for us an absolutely incomparable eternal weight of glory.” 2nd Corinthians 4:16-17












The clay is also vulnerable to breakage. If it is not carefully stored or used it might get broken and shatter into pieces. How can you use it for the purpose it is intended to be if it’s broken? It’s simply not worth using anymore.






"For all have sinned and fall shortof the glory of God" Romans 3:23


The clay pot may be shattered...but the potter can still make the clay pot whole again. He will collect the broken pieces and form it again into a lump of clay...




...and then mold and form it into the purpose he originally intended it to be...dries it out in the sun and then when it is hardened enough the clay pot will now be used for the purpose it was created.


“Now we have this treasure in clay jars, so that this extraordinary power may be from God and not from us.” 2 Corinthians 4:7

"He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet on a rock, and established my goings" Psalm 40:2

“Now in a large house there are not only gold and silver bowls, but also those of wood and earthenware, some for special use, some for ordinary. So if anyone purifies himself from these things, he will be a special instrument, set apart, useful to the Master, prepared for every good work.” 2 Timothy 2:20-21
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Are You Stressed?
len


Mental Stress
  • Causes the mind to be heaped. When this happens, our mind cannot deliver properly.
  • Causes of many nervous breakdowns

Look At This: THE STRESS EQUATION



Life's pressures and burdens


PLUS


accumulated difficulties

EQUALS

TENSION

What happens when we are tensioned?



  • We become nervous, anxious, and worried



  • We become discouraged

TENSION Happens because...

  • We rely on our own strength, rather than upon God and His Word.
  • We forget that God can handle any problem.
  • We think that we can do a better job handling the situation ourselves.

If You are TENSIONED...DIAL-A-BOOK!




"Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light." Matthew 11:28-30


  • Read the Bible.

  • The more we meditate on God's Word, the less we need to worry.

  • When you think about a problem over and over...that's called worry
  • When you think about God's Word over and over...that's called meditation

You know how to worry...so you obviously know how to meditate! Just focus on God's Word instead of the problem...









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My Life Is In You Lord
len
My life is in You, Lord
My strength is in You, Lord
My hope is in You, Lord
In You, it's in You
My life is in You, Lord
My strength is in You, Lord
My hope is in You, Lord
In You, it's in You

I will praise You with all of my life
I will praise You with all of my strength
With all of my life
With all of my strength
All of my hope is in You

My life is in You, Lord
My strength is in You, Lord
My hope is in You, Lord
In You, it's in You

My life is in You, Lord
My strength is in You, Lord
My hope is in You, Lord
In You, it's in You
In You, it is in You!

-----

3 words have stuck in my mind while listening to this song: LIFE, STRENGTH, and HOPE. Here are the nuggets of truth that God has revealed to me through this song:

LIFE


God wants all of us and that includes:

  • mind
  • heart
  • body

    "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, [which is] your reasonable service." Romans 12:1

STRENGTH

  • God shows his power through our weakness.
  • "all of our strength" - not just when we are physicall healthy, but up to the remaining strength inside our bodies.

    "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me." Philippians 4:13

HOPE

  • Anticipation "OUR FAITH"
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5 KEYS TO PEACE: R.E.L.A.X
len
John 14:27 "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid"

2 FACTS ABOUT PEACE:

1. Peace is a gift - you do not earn it
          - there is a huge difference between human peace and God's peace. Why? Becasue human peace is based on circumstances.

2. Peace is an internal thing

5 KEYS TO PEACE: R.E.L.A.X

1. R-est in God's forgiveness 
Romans 5:1 "Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ"

- When we are out of harmony with God, it causes stress - #1 cause of stress is GUILT
- There's no peace of mind without a clean conscience

2. E-ver present God
God is always with us (Psalm 139, Matthew 10:9, Genesis 1:27, Jeremiah 14:5)

- Sress comes when you feel you are facing everything by yourself.
- Hurry aggregates worry. The more hurried you are, the more worried you get.
- Peace is a mindset. It's what you focus on.

How would you know God is with you? BE STILL AND KNOW GOD (Psalm 46:1-10)

        BUT...There's a huge difference between KNOWING ABOUT GOD and KNOWING GOD

Knowing About God - merely facts about God, what you read, what you hear from preaching
Knowing God- based on your personal experience, persoanl interaction and relationship with God.

3. L-earn to obey God's principles 

     - Read the bible

"What matters is not WHO WE ARE,  BUT WHOSE WE ARE"

     - Peace comes from obedience. When we ignore God, we become stressed.

4. A-lways trust God's plan Proverbs 3:5-6

- Trust the Lord with all my heart (Prov 3:5) - means total dependence amidst all things.
- Don't lean on our own understanding (Prov 3:5) - don't try to figure out everything

 Acknowledging God + Trusting God + Depending on God = God will direct our paths = PEACE

5. X-pressing all my cares to God 

Psalm 4:6 "Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God"

When you're not praying, you're worrying

Jesus Christ is the PRINCE OF PEACE, Invite Him to come into your life. 
 
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Christian Integrity: Who Are You When No One Is Looking?
len
What is integrity? 

Integrity is when the inward and outward attitudes are equal. 

Inner Character 
 
  • Foundation of effective ministry
  • Can be revetted by hostile words that spent forth in a moment of pressure or frustration
Power Of Speech: James 3

  • control of the tongue
  • our langauge is a reflection of that which fills the heart (Mt. 12:34-36)
Challenge in James: BE SLOW TO SPEAK

4-WAY TEST:

  1. Is it the truth?
  2. Is it fair to all concerned?
  3. Will it build goodwill and better friendship?
  4. Will it be beneficial to all concerned?
Things To Ponder On:

Psalm 39:1 - I will guard my mouth as with a muzzle
Ephesians 4:29 - Do not let unwholesome speech come out of your mouth...that it may benefit those who listen
 
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The Heart of Worship
len

Whenever you hear the word worship, what comes first in your mind? Is it singing church songs, saying “hallelujah!”, or going to church? You are right about these things—but worship is far more than singing or doing church activities. It’s more than being piously attending church every Sundays, fasting, or giving tithes. WORSHIP IS A LIFESTYLE.

True worship sets your heart right before God. That is, whatever you do—whether you are eating, walking, reading, cooking, writing, or playing some sports—you offer it all to God. The bible admonishes us to offer ourselves as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God. Yes you have heard it right: We must offer our bodies as a living sacrifice. That means we must submit our mind, heart and body to God—not 89% or 99.5% but 100%!


Being a living sacrifice is not easy—because we can easily crawl off the altar anytime we want! So how do we guard ourselves from being drawn away by the world’s lust and continually walk with God?

We cannot do it—of course, because we are only humans. But with God’s help, we can. We may be weak, but God can make us strong. We may be tempted, but God can keep us from sinning. If you are in a tempting situation, you can be sure that you can get out of it. The bible says so:

-No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.- (1 Corinthians 10:13)

-I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me-(Philippians 4:13)


See? There’s always a way out…:)

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Are you Living or Existing?
len

Life is like a grass—one moment it’s there, and one moment it’s gone. Do you know how long are you going to stay breathing? The average lifespan of a person is 70; that is, if you live a healthy lifestyle. But there are uncontrollable circumstances that may shorten your brief stay on earth like accidents and sickness.

We tend to enjoy life: going to parties, drinking lots and lots of liquor till we puke, laughing out loud, having “moments” with our special someone and so much more. But what if your time on earth is up? Are you ready? Do you know where you are going when you die? Heaven? Or Hell?

We only get to spend at most 7 decades here on earth, and the rest will be spent on eternity. But why do we spend the rest of our lives wasting these years? We are fond of investing on the latest gadgets, dating, partying, working endlessly..the list can go on and on. If you think about it, the normal life cycle of a human being is this: being born, study and graduate from school, work a living, get married, have kids, retire, get old, and DIE…That’s it.

If you think that your life is all there is, then YOU ARE NOT LIVING AT ALL—You are just EXISTING. Living means you get to live a life at its fullest. Meaning, you get to know why you are placed here on earth, know your purpose, and carry out that purpose.

The question is—do you know your purpose in life? Have you done anything to find that purpose?

Think again. Are you LIVING? Or just EXISTING?


Life Without Purpose
-Author Unknown-

Life without purpose is barren indeed

There can't be a harvest unless you plant seed

There can't be attainment unless there's a goal

And man's but a robot unless there's a soul.

If we send no ships out, no ships will come in,

And unless there's a contest, nobody can win.

For games can't be won unless they are played,

And prayers can't be answered unless they are prayed.

So whatever is wrong with your life today

You'll find a solution if you kneel down and pray.

Not just for pleasure, enjoyment and health,

Not just for honors and prestige and wealth.

But pray for a purpose to make life worth living

And pray for the joy of unselfish giving.

For great is your gladness and rich your reward,

When you make your life's purpose the choice of the Lord.

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