Monday Memo 1162: Be Useful
I hear people today dismissing age as "only a number," but I respond, "Yes, but my number is pretty big!" None of us are getting out of her alive, but I'm determined not to cooperate with the typical image of old age. If I understand purpose correctly, we're never too old to find and fulfill it, so I invite you to join me on the road named "doing good."
Monday Memo 1161: Serving The Young
David was popular but on more than one occasion his self-centered tendencies caused his subjects many problems. Determine to be a person of purpose right up to the end, not insisting your own needs be met but doing what you can to meet the needs of others.
Monday Memo 1160: Won't You Be My Neighbor?
People of faith also see things. They see the future so clearly, sometimes even the future after they have departed this life, that they welcome those pictures of what is yet to come and work to make them a reality for themselves and for those closest to them.
Monday Memo 1159: Die in Faith
Joseph had heard the stories from Jacob, his father, that God was going to give the people the land according to the promise He made to Abraham. Joseph put his faith in that promise and was confident it would take place, even though Joseph himself had been...
Monday Memo 1158: Words and Worship
This week, we focus on Jacob, the grandson of Abraham and Sarah, who was a hero of faith in his own right by following in his family's footsteps. Since this series is titled "Never Too Old for Purpose," let's go to one verse that described Jacob "when he was dying":
Monday Memo 1157: Good As Dead
The truth is, it's never too late when you're in your purpose. You're only too old for purpose if you accept that thinking and then act it out. Or you can be like Abraham, seeing your best fruit in your later years, because you knew how to draw strength from the Lord as you walk in obedience to His will for your life, for which you are...
Monday Memo 1156: The Mother of Faith
In this series, "Never Too Old for Purpose," we're looking at people in the Bible who were fulfilling their purpose into their later years, which is why we have come to Sarah's story this week. Sarah's faith journey wasn't perfect and yours doesn't have to be either:
Monday Memo 1155: Old-Age Faith
There's an old proverb that says the old die and the young can die. That is the reality of life—and death. Unless the Lord returns, none of us are getting out of here alive. However, there was at least one man who found the secret of a smooth passing and that man's name was Enoch:
Monday Memo 1154: Wisdom Dispensers
As we move on in our 'Never Too Old for Purpose' series, we see another messenger arrive after Simeon was finished speaking to Jesus' family in the Temple: There was also a prophet, Anna, the daughter of Penuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, and...
Monday Memo 1153: Finish Well
You don't have to have a title for God to use you. Simeon wasn't part of the priestly family but was simply identified as a man who was "righteous and devout." The Spirit revealed something to him that He did not reveal to those with an official title or Temple position.
Monday Memo 1152: Run the Race
When people ponder currents events and listen to some of the teaching that's out there, they often ask me, "Do you think the end near?" If you've ever asked me that, then you'll know my standard response is "Yes, for me it's closer than it's ever been." And it's closer for you too. None of us are getting out of here alive and unless...
Monday Memo 1151: Old Thoughts
In some of my purpose coaching sessions, I hear people say they are "old." They think they should be further along in their purpose than they are and thus are fearful they are running out of time. Now that I'm in my 70s, it's funny to hear someone in their 40s or 50s tell me they're old. My usual response to them is...
Monday Memo 1150: Keep on Fighting
Last week we began a new series 'Never Too Old for Purpose,' and our objective is to examine people in the Bible who had purpose in their later years. In our first entry, we looked at Caleb who was 85 years old when he said to Joshua his comrade,
Monday Memo 1149: Never Too Old For Purpose
It's time to start a new series since last week we finished the "Never Too Young for Purpose." series. While at breakfast with a friend a few days ago, he said, "Make sure you write something about us older folks and our need not to retire but to stay focused and on purpose."
Monday Memo 1148: Purpose Wisdom
If God appeared to you and asked you what you wanted Him to give you, what would you ask for? Money? A car? A house? A spouse? That actually happened to a young man as we read in 1 Kings 3:5: "That night the Lord appeared to him [Solomon] in a dream and asked him, “What would you like me to give you?"
Monday Memo 1147: Proverbs
Early in my walk with the Lord, someone shared some advice with me that changed my life: "There are 31 chapters in Proverbs. Read one chapter a day and you will finish the entire book in a month. Then start over again." I did that every month for many years and then I wrote and published two devotionals featuring a verse from Proverbs for every day of the year. Now fifty years later...
Monday Memo 1146: It's a Gift
Throughout this "Never Too Young for Purpose" series, we have looked at people and principles that will help you be a person of purpose, no matter your age. As you get older, however, you will need to make a living so you can earn money and pay your bills. God knows you need money so you can eat and have the other necessities of life, so He promised...
Monday Memo 1445: Get Ready
In this week's entry in our 'Never Too Young for Purpose' series, we look at one more lesson from the life of Esther. After Esther was made the queen, she soon discovered that there were some people who hated the Jews, but what they didn't know was that Esther herself was Jewish. These enemies lied to the king and tricked him into ordering that all the Jews were to be killed.
Monday Memo 1144: The Best You Can Be
Last week we began to look at the story of Esther in our 'Never Too Young for Purpose' series. Esther was a teenage orphan who was quite beautiful, so much so that she was chosen as a candidate to be the next queen. After she and others were selected for consideration, this is what happened:
Monday Memo 1143: A Special Place
This week, let's look at a young lady who played an important role in her people's history to see what you can learn to help you as a young person of purpose. Her name was Esther and here is how we meet her in the Bible:
Monday Memo 1142: Young and Old Alike
We are examining the role young people can and should have in the kingdom of God in this series "Never Too Young for Purpose." This week, let's go back to see a promise God made to a prophet as to what would happen when He poured out His Spirit on the earth:
Monday Memo 1141: Now
In this week's 'Never Too Young for Purpose' lesson, let's look at a young man who saved his uncle, who just happened to be the Apostle Paul. Because Paul was influencing many to follow Christ, many Jews hated him, so much so that he ended up in jail after some of them rioted to protest his very presence.
Monday Memo 1140: The Fire
Let's continue to examine the life of Daniel in our 'Never Too Young for Purpose' series. This week, we will take a look at the well-known story of Daniel's friends being thrown into a blazing furnace because they refused to bow down and worship the king's golden image, telling him...
Monday Memo 1139: Great Faith
We have seen over the last few weeks the progress Daniel made in Babylon to the extent that he was now part of the king's court and was consulted on important matters of the kingdom. Then one day the king had a dream and he asked his wise men to interpret it, with one important condition:
