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Deep Thinkin’ from Rick

Below is an interview Rick Warren recently did that I thought was FANTASTIC and very encouraging and insightful, and I know you’ll agree. So here it is, right from the e-mail a relative forwarded to me: You will enjoy the new insights that Rick Warren has, with his wife now having cancer and him having “wealth” from the book sales. This is an absolutely incredible short interview with Rick Warren,  “Purpose Driven Life” author and pastor of Saddleback Church in California. In the interview by Paul Bradshaw with Rick Warren, Rick said:  People ask me, “What is the purpose of life?” And I respond: In a nutshell, life is preparation for eternity. We were made to last forever, and God wants us to be with Him in Heaven. One day my heart is going to stop, and that will be the end of my body– but not the end of me.  I may live 60 to 100 years on earth, but I am going to spend trillions of years in eternity. This is the warm-up act – the dress rehearsal. God wants us to practice on earth what we will do forever in eternity.  We were made by God and…

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What’s the Difference?

At dinner last night with friends who had gathered in Vista, CA for a meeting, we were discussing a wide variety of things, but one statement stood out for me. It was a quote from a person quoting someone else, so I don’t know who to attribute it to, but one of the guys was saying that in a job interview the candidate asked: What is the difference between an average person and a person of excellence? The answer was FOCUS. The excellent person is just an average person, but with focus. There are many good things that can consume our days and we can be busy about a great many things, but the key is asking what is God asking me to focus on today? Your walk with Him? Your family – spouse or a specific child? Another relationship – perhaps a relative or friend? Or a specific project? Every morning make it a habit to jot down 2-3 things that will be your FOCUS for the day. Put them first and allow them to DRIVE YOUR DAY and let the rest of the “stuff” that enters your day to come second, if you even get to them. Excellence…

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CPC: The Best Place Still to Network

My bags are packed, I’m ready to go. I’m sitting here just blew my nose. I hate to face it, but I must admit it’s true. I’m leaving on a jet plane, Don’t know when I’ll be back again, CPC is over and I don’t know what to do. Yes, it’s true. I’ve got the post-CPC blues. Its that feeling you get when all your friends have said good-bye and you’ve just finished stuffing all your collected ministry propaganda and Mickey souvenirs into your luggage and are waiting to head home. (but going home IS a good thing!) While there are now many children’s ministry conferences, CPC is still the #1 place to network with other children’s ministry professionals. People like: Rob Biagi, the coolest worship dude for kids in America! I hear his music in churches everywhere I go. If you don’t have Rob’s music you should hide under a table for what your kids are missing out on. But instead, get out from under the table and get your hands on Rob’s V.I.P. to GOD Worship Leaders Kit or his latest CD Get Out There. Kal Gilchrist, a frequent Kid U presenter (who was helpin’ in the Laflins…

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FREE Reproducible Art Collection from CMUO

As a loyal reader of my blog, I wanted you to be among the first to learn about some free reproducible children’s ministry art that Dick Gruber created, compiled, and is making available as a FREE download! That’s right…this resource that includes years worth of his cartoon-style drawings is available for FREE! Dick Gruber’s Evangel Art: Reproducible Art for Children’s Ministries is offered for FREE and includes: over 40 evangel pages 385 picture words 124 scripture pictures All artwork is provided in .jpg format and can be easily incorporated into any word processing, desktop publishing, or presentation software. To request a free download of Evangel Art, simply complete the download request and brief survey at www.cmuo.com/resources/evangelart. You will then receive an email with more details for downloading your free copy.

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How Can We Motivate Our Kids?

Here is an excellent post from the DiscipleLand newsletter: Many kids have lost interest in spiritual matters. They are discouraged about trying to please God. From their perspective, it is not “cool” to be godly. So they focus on their own desires and let the world guide them. The number one challenge in churches today is to overcome mediocrity. Christian kids are satisfied with lukewarm-ness. To counteract this trend, some churches have replaced content-rich children’s ministries with high-energy programs. This may keep kids from being bored and it may eliminate the need to recruit volunteers, but it also severs teacher-learner relationships that foster discipleship. If we routinely motivate kids with flashy events, we are doomed to the “bigger and better” cycle. Each new program must offer more energy, excitement, and “wow” than the previous one. Instead, we must move kids from extrinsic to intrinsic motivation. Throughout the Bible, God uses a variety of cause-effect techniques to motivate His people. Some are positive and some are punitive; some are earthly and some are eternal. Some are fascinating and some are frightening. Remind children that every human being will someday meet the Creator face-to-face-and give an account to Him. Every child can…

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