October 7, 2011
In February 2007 the chairman of Starbucks sent this now-famous memo to the CEO, noting that the proliferation of stores around the world had come at a cost--the loss of that wonderful Starbucks aroma. He wrote, "We achieved fresh roasted bagged coffee, but at what cost? The loss of aroma--perhaps the most powerful non-verbal signal we had in our stores; the loss of our people scooping fresh coffee from the bins and grinding it fresh in front of the customer, and once again stripping the store of tradition and our heritage."
The primary concern for these corporate leaders was the loss of a trademark aroma. As Starbucks stores continued to multiply and spread into different locations across the globe, they were able to reproduce the taste and feel of the original, but something was missing--they didn't smell like the original. So why does it matter so much? Well, as indicated in the memo, that fresh-coffee aroma was the most powerful nonverbal signal they possessed, a way of communicating that couldn't be replaced by flashy ads and marketing promotions. Even more, it represented a loss of tradition and heritage, a loss of identity for the brand, which was now something less than the original Starbucks experience....Keep Reading
Posted in: Weekly Devotionals
September 8, 2011
1) Forgiven
2) Child of God
3) Having access to God
4) Reconciled
...
16) Redeemed - We have been purchased by the shed blood of Christ out of the slave market of sin and now set free to serve the living God. (Galations 5:1, Romans 3:24)
Webster's dictionary defines redemption as "to buy back and receive something in exchange." In both the Old and New Testament we have many beautiful pictures of God's unfailing love that redeems us from ourselves and our lot in life. Think of the book of Hosea, where God shows us how unfailing His love is towards His Bride.
This gift of redemption from God reminds us also of the picture in the Old Testament of a slave that is earmarked for his master. In Exodus 21:5-6 we read: But if the slave plainly says, 'I love my master, my wife and my children; I will not go out as a free man.' Then his master shall bring him to God, then he shall bring him to the door or the doorpost. And his master shall pierce his ear with an awl; and he shall serve him permanently." This is a beautiful picture of our relationship to the Father God who redeemed us from the position of slave to sin and has set us free. Yet, in gratefulness to God we can become God's permanent slave. One day in the future we will have the redemption of our bodies and be given a new glorious eternal body.
"God answers prayer on the ground of Redemption and no other ground. Let us never forget that our prayers are heard, not because we are in earnest, not because we suffer, but because Jesus suffered." ---Oswald Chambers...Keep Reading
Posted in: Weekly Devotionals
August 26, 2011
The Bible describes a process of faith formation, one that integrally involves the Word at every step:
1. Hearing the Word initiates faith.
2. Speaking the Word activates faith.
3. Doing the Word demonstrates faith.
-Hearing the Word Initiates Faith-
Romans 10:17 says, "Faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ."
There's only one place you can acquire faith: you've got to go to the Word of God. And in the pages of the Scriptures, as God's promises become personal to you, your faith potential is ignited. Hopefully that's what's been happening to you as you've been reading. Each biblical example of audacious faith should cause your own spiritual circuit board to light up. The same thing happens every time you go to church and hear a sermon from the Bible.
So to live by audacious faith, you're going to need to become very familiar with your Bible. You're going to need to saturate your mind with the Word of God. If your faith isn't rooted in God's promises, it's not scriptural faith. It's just wishful thinking....Keep Reading
Posted in: Weekly Devotionals
July 14, 2011
I am part of the fellowship of the unashamed,
the die has been cast, I have stepped over the line,
the decision has been made--I'm a disciple of Christ!
I won't look back, let up, slow down, back away, or be still.
My past is redeemed, my present makes sense,
my future is secure! I'm finished and done with low living,
sight walking, smooth knees, colorless dreams, tamed visions,
worldly talk, cheap giving and dwarfed goals.
My face is set, my course is fast, my goal is heaven,
my road is narrow, my way is rough, my companions are few,
my guide is reliable, my mission is clear.
I won't give up, shut up, let up until I have stayed up,
stored up, prayed up for the cause of Jesus Christ.
I must go till he comes, give till I drop, preach till everyone knows,
work till he stops me and when he comes for his own;
He will have no trouble recognizing me because my banner will have been clear.
With this kind of resolve we will, with God's help,
have the strength to survive against our cultural stream,
or perhaps even reverse it.
Of course, we are a minority, but armed with the promises of God we can
have a spiritual impact that is greater than our numbers might suggest.
It may come down to a simple question: "Are we willing to pay the price?"...Keep Reading
Posted in: Weekly Devotionals
June 10, 2011
"Know what's weird? Day by day, nothing seems to change,
But pretty soon, everything's different."
–– Bill Watterson (Author of Calvin and Hobbes cartoon)
Normal infects our faith as well, both what we believe and how we live it out. When we consider how people relate to God, it's normal to either reject God altogether or believe in him while living as if he doesn't exist. In churches, normal is lukewarm Christianity, self-centered spiritual consumerism, and shallow, me-driven faith. God has become a means to an end, a tool in our toolbox to accomplish what we want. The majority of people claim to know God, but by their actions they deny him.
And all this is normal.
But normal isn't working....Keep Reading
May 19, 2011
I was surprised to learn that a group of buzzards waiting around together to feast on leftover carnage is called a committee. Just this one insight is worth the price of the whole book. This explains so much of what's going on in churches--a lot of committees waiting around to live off human carnage.
Groups of flamingos are called flamboyants, which for some reason reminds me of TV evangelists. And groups of the less glamorous owls are known as parliaments. They do seem sort of British.
But my favorite of all is the group designation for rhinos. You see, rhinos can run at thirty miles an hour, which is pretty fast when you consider how much weight they're pulling....Keep Reading
Posted in: Weekly Devotionals
March 24, 2011
The pieces are in place. The curtain rises for the final act. God is about to die.
In spite of such drama, we know the story all too well. Two thousand years ago, salvation came to fallen man through the tragic murder of the Lamb of God. Unfortunately, modern society is so inundated with stories of injustice, this one merely seems like another to add to the heap. A relic of injustice, trapped in history, and buried under the dust.
Yet, no greater scandal could exist than the calculated murder of an innocent human life.
However, in the case of Jesus of Nazareth, we are confronted with much more than a scandal. Two thousand years ago, an uprecedented conspiracy of injustice, cruelty, and religious and political interests sentenced a man guilty of no crimes to the most barbaric method of execution ever devised. Worse still, the victim was no mere man. Jesus was God in the flesh. The Creator of life died. The very thought is nearly inconceivable....Keep Reading
Posted in: Weekly Devotionals
February 16, 2011
The familiar story is found in the fifteenth chapter of the gospel of Luke and is an essential passage in order to get to the heart of the Christian faith. The parable's plot is very simple. There was a father who had two sons. The younger asked for his share of the inheritance, received it, and promptly left for a far country, where he squandered it all on sensual and frivolous pleasure. He returned home penitently and, to his surprise, was received with open arms by his father. This reception alienated and angered the elder brother greatly. The story closes with the father appealing to his firstborn son to join in the welcome and forgiveness of his younger brother.
On the surface of it, the narrative is not all that gripping. I believe, however, that if the teaching of Jesus is likened to a lake, this famous Parable of the Prodigal Son would be one of the clearest spots where we can see all the way to the bottom....Keep Reading
Posted in: Weekly Devotionals
January 5, 2011
Throughout the Old Testament, God instructs kings and military leaders to be courageous and to lead courageously. The Old Testament is full of narratives that illustrate the necessity of courage in the life of the leader. Esther, Joshua, Gideon, Moses.... The list goes on and on. These men and women were given an opportunity to bring about change. And in each case they found that what they needed to leverage their opportunity was courage.
Perhaps the youngest Old Testament figure to distinguish himself through an act of courage was David. David was a next generation leader. He was a young man poised to make a difference.
From all outward appearances, though, he was a rich man's forgotten son whose primary duty in life was to tend sheep. But David was a leader-in-waiting. God had gifted him with the skills necessary to lead a nation....Keep Reading
Posted in: Weekly Devotionals
November 30, 2010
Surely the most widely celebrated holiday around the world each year - generating more attention, more excitement, and more anticipation from people than any other special day - is Christmas. Thanks to the huge amount of advertising and publicity that promotes the holiday with seemingly greater intensity and duration from one season to the next, Christmas has transcended national and cultural barriers.
Most people celebrate Christmas; bus so few men and women understand what and whom it really commemorates. They probably have heard that it marks the birth of a great teacher from centuries ago; that they should emulate Him by promoting peace, good will, and charity during the Christmas season; and that they should strive to make the holiday less materialistic and more family oriented. But so many people, even Christians, never pause to fully consider the One who is at the center of the holiday. And so few ever truly grasp the historical and theological significance of what occurred that first Christmas....Keep Reading
Posted in: Weekly Devotionals
