Memo 1094: Delight
I've been to Israel many times and will be sponsoring a pilgrimage again from March 12-20, 2024. I invite you to be a part of that journey, which I promise will change your life and the way you read the Bible. One of the things that impressed me in my initial visits to Israel is the fact that people walked for days, then sat for days, then had to...
Memo 1093: Earth-Shaking Prayers
We've been examining David's career to see what we can learn to help us live the abundant life. The theme of this series is PowerPoints for Living and this week, we stay in the New Testament to look at what the disciples did after they had been threatened not to publicly speak about Jesus again:
Memo 1092: No More Playing Small
The Bible is a magnificent book. It's timeless and accessible to all, and by that I mean it can be read or heard by the simplest of souls and they will find consolation in their pain and direction for their lives. Yet the Bible is also a complex book written over a few thousand years with many themes and concepts that only yield their light to those who devote time and effort to its study.
Memo 1091: The Main Thing
We are in a series, the third from the life of David, to help you understand how to thrive in your God-given purpose. This series is titled PowerPoints for Living and is designed to extract principles from David's example to help you live an abundant life.
Memo 1090: Mighty in Battle
Hebrews 11 is the familiar chapter that contains many insights into faith and then provides abundant examples of those who exemplified the faith that God loves and honors. As you would imagine, David's name is included among those who are commended for their faith:
Memo 1089: Partners and Friends
Last week, we began our third series examining the life of David to search for lessons to help us occupy and maintain the place God has assigned us. This new series is titled PowerPoints For Life and seeks to identify the paths you can walk that lead to...
Memo 1988: Part Three
Last week, we finished what will become the second volume in my trilogy of books on the life lessons from David's life. The first was titled Training for Reigning, the second Occupying Your Throne, and now this third will be PowerPoints for Living. For the next 26 weeks...
Memo 1087: Stop Running
When people ask me how I do what I do, I tell them that I stopped doing what I can't do to focus as often as possible on what I do best. I then qualify that by saying, "The problem is...
Memo 1086: No Freebies
As we wrap up this series, I have settled on a tile for the book from these entries — Living On Purpose: How To Occupy The Throne God Gives You. All these studies have been designed to help you understand what you must do once you know your purpose and begin fulfilling it.
Memo 1085: A Gift of Water
Have you encountered leaders who were full of themselves, impressed with their own abilities and position? How did they make you feel? Did you want to be around them? Serve them? Honor them? You probably worked for or with them because...
Memo 1084: One Day It Will End
As we near the end of this series, we are also nearing the end of David's reign and life. David was still fit enough to go into battle but as we read this week, he was not strong enough to finish the battle:
Memo 1083: The King and His Court
In Study 1072, we saw David's need to organize his kingdom in 2 Samuel 8 and related it to your need to organize your own world of purpose, creativity, life, ministry, and work as is grew and expanded. Now 11 studies later, we see in 2 Samuel 20 that the writer shared with us a revised structure and new personnel of David's kingdom:
Memo 1082: Dealing with Opponents
We saw in study 1080 how a man named Shimei met David during his retreat from Jerusalem to insult and dishonor the king. After God preserved David during the revolt of his evil son Absalom, David returned to Jerusalem, only to have Shimei be the first one to greet him as he returned:
Memo 1081: Preparation
Have you ever wondered why you have to go through so much preparation to come into the fullness of what God has for you? Does it seem like your time of training and discipline is never going to end? If so, there are some helpful explanations...
Memo 1080: Piling On
In American football, it's not permitted to have contact with a player after he is down and the referee has blown the whistle. It used to be called 'piling on,' but today it's simply referred to as a late hit or personal foul. The purpose of this study is to help you understand what it will take for you to sit on the throne God gives you, and...
Memo 1079: Intense Times
Have you ever felt overwhelmed, wishing that things would stop coming at you so quickly and with such intensity? It's a common experience for us all, for when God gives you a throne—a place of authority and fruitfulness based on your purpose and gifts—it doesn't happen in isolation or a vacuum.
Memo 1078: Accessible
We have been looking at what it will take for you to thrive on the throne God gives you as we study David's life as king. By way of reminder, your throne is whatever your life purpose leads you to do. As it leads you, you will then lead others because there's no one who can do what you do like you do and it will eventually attract people who recognize your abilities.
Memo 1077: Remarkable Grace
Have you ever wondered about God's grace? Ever done anything that you knew did not deserve God's grace, yet you received it nonetheless? In this week's study, we look at an expression of God's grace that is marvelous, breathtaking and inexplicable, reminding us all that God's ways are not our ways.
Memo 1076: God Is Watching
Unfortunately, we are not finished looking at the ramifications of the sad story of David and Bathsheba. David had Uriah the Hittite, Bathsheba's husband, murdered, he took Bathsheba as his wife, and she gave birth to their son.
Memo 1075: It's Good To Be The King
Have you ever been around leaders who are impressed with themselves? Who have the attitude “I’m in charge and the rules don’t apply to me. I can do what I want, when I want”? Leadership power is one of the most intoxicating forces on earth, and David, even though he was a man after God’s heart, was not immune from its effects.
Memo 1074: A Way Of Life
Have you ever done good but it wasn't received and perhaps even misunderstood? Have you yearned for peace but find yourself in constant warfare? If you answered yes to either question, then once again you can learn from David's life in this week's lesson of how to sit on the throne God has for you. Let's get started.
Memo 1073: Lesson Learned
Have you ever been put into a difficult situation for what seems to be no reason? Have you ever suffered at the hands of a poor or ill-equipped leader? Before David became king, he would have answered yes to both questions, but this week let's look at the reason God put David in those situations. He put him there to teach him how not to lead.
Memo 1072: More Big
God has put the drive for 'more' in all of creation. We see it described in the life and reign of David. David set out to expand his kingdom and God honored his efforts with success and fame.
Memo 1071: Divine Energy
Have you ever gotten a burst of energy and enthusiasm and it spurred you into action? Maybe it was just to clean the house or write some poetry or read a book that you've wanted to read for a while. What if you could...
