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Category: Devotional

Gratitude Changes Everything

Gratitude Changes Everything By Pastor Karl Bastian The celebration of Thanksgiving every November is wonderful. Families gather. Tables are full. Traditions are honored. Gratitude gets a full day on the calendar. But the downside is that it can subtly relegate gratitude to something we focus on once in a while—sadly, perhaps annually. We pull out thankfulness like fine china, use it for a day, and then pack it back into storage with the pumpkin decorations. The reality is that an attitude of gratitude is the secret to contentment and happiness every single day of our lives. By our human (sinful) nature, we tend to focus on what we want, need, or are striving for. We fix our eyes on the next goal, the next opportunity, the next improvement. In doing so, we often neglect to realize we are living what we once hoped for. The job we prayed for. The ministry we dreamed about. The family we longed to build. The friendships we once asked God to provide. How quickly we stop appreciating where we are, what we have, and WHO we have. Blessings that once brought us to tears of joy can slowly become background noise. They are taken…

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If Angels Could Sing…

Before you watch this incredible new video from Pentatonix, I’d like you to consider something. A professor of mine in Bible college suggested an interesting theory he had about angels based on a textual study of the Bible’s original languages. An interesting fact, that while we often talk about “angelic choirs” or say someone “sings like an angel,” nowhere in Scripture are angels ever recorded as singing. But often, the saints are and we are commanded to! Keep in mind, this is a theory based on an argument from silence. So while we can’t say the Bible says “angels can’t sing,” – there is no evidence that they can in the original languages of the Bible. As Dr. James used to say, I will also say, “I sure hope they do! I bet they are amazing.” The point is simply that perhaps singing was a gift given uniquely to humans as a means of worship? Note, in Job 38:7, states that on the first day of creation, the angels “shouted for joy.” Consider that the classic Christmas play scene of children dressed as singing angels (as adorable as it is) doesn’t match the biblical text where the angels were “praising…

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The Day the King Unlocked the Gates (free eBook for kids)

Found another hidden treasure! One of the most difficult things to explain to children (or adults for that matter) is the ‘problem of evil.’ It is a philosophical issue that troubles even the most inquiring minds, but doesn’t escape the simple minds of children either. What is ‘free will?’ Why did God give it to us? Why do so many people not believe in God, or even know about Him – if He is truly all knowing and all-powerful? And if He is so loving, why does He allow so much evil in this world? He must be either not all-powerful, not all-knowing, or not all-good for there to be so much in this world that isn’t good! All fair questions. I attempted to answer them years ago with a story I wrote called THE DAY THE KING UNLOCKED THE GATES. I’m no artist – but I even did the illustrations myself and reproduced this book for the kids at my church. I have only a paper master, so I’ve scanned it and created a eBook PDF for your enjoyment. I do hope you will read it to your kids and let me know what you think! It addresses free…

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Leave ‘Em Better

Today, I want to share a thought that I got via e-mail from a friend of mine – a CP in Florida who is an “off the charts” super kids pastor. Not because she is well known, or runs a huge ministry, or for any of the reasons we tend to look for in the “Kidmin Who’s Who’s” – but because she has a HUGE heart for kids and Jesus. I talked about Shelly in the Kidmin Podcast, “It’s All About Jesus!” I love her personal motto, which comes in handy quite a bit in kids ministry. When things don’t always go as planned, you’ll hear Shelly say, “It’s All Good.” She even has it up on the wall of her office as a constant reminder, when God is in control, and you are trusting Him, “It’s All Good!” Shelly writes: Hello Friends! I want to share something that God whispered to me the last two minutes before I walked out the doors of a conference our staff recently attended. I was in the bathroom… the conference was over and I had dashed back in before we hit the road home. As I was washing my hands, I noticed a…

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A Kidmin House of Cards

One of my favorite iPad Apps for passing idle time (like on the airplane right now) is CardTower. I get to build a “real” house of cards with playing cards, and it is amazingly realistic for being on an iPad (plus its free!) I can grab either two cards from the top of the pile to form a triangle or just one to drop a flat one, but the physics are amazing! The best thing is that there are unlimited ‘undos,’ which I really need. I try to be disciplined and only do one redo, but I watch the entire thing collaspe, and then just undo the last card I placed. Or… I go back to a time when it was sturder and build from there. But don’t be fooled, that doesn’t make the game easy. It still took me a while to build this six level tower. One Hint: See my little stack on the lower right side? If you want to make minor adjustments to slipping cards or even nudge in a flat card in the middle, grab a solo card from the top, use it to make adjustments, like you would with your hand in real life,…

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