Zondervan Blog

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6 Daring Claims about Personal Responsibility [via Andy Stanley] Posted: 07 Mar 2012 10:49 AM PST   These six claims about responsibility go against the grain of our wider culture. But how many of these claims do you agree with? (I've excerpted them from Andy Stanley's small group video study, Taking Responsibility for Your Life.) Irresponsibility... is contagious. That's especially so when we see people getting away with being irresponsible, and even being rewarded for it. When people are taking responsibility seriously, lots of rules aren't needed. [This is true for a group of any size.] Irresponsibility isn't a solo thing; it always impacts whoever's connected to the person who's irresponsible. Irresponsibility is ultimately a community matter, a family matter, a corporate matter. Irresponsibility always creates conflict—not only interpersonal conflict, but conflict within us as we try to hide our guilt. We reap greater—the reaping [of what we sowed] will seem bigger than we could have imagined. For our irresponsibility, the reaping will seem worse than we think is fair. God designed us to be responsible. We know this intuitively. We're happiest when we're being responsible. Learn More Want to see more of pastor Andy Stanley's teaching from Taking Responsbility? Watch Session 1: Let the Blames Begin. - Adam Forrest, Zondervan    (This post does not represent the views of Zondervan or any of its representatives. The writer's personal opinions are shared for information purposes only. To receive new Zondervan Blog posts in your reader or email inbox, subscribe to Zondervan Blog.)

Seeing God During Hard Times [Excerpt by Ann Voskamp] Posted: 07 Mar 2012 06:56 AM PST   Excerpt from Ann Voskamp's Selections from One Thousand Gifts: Finding Joy in What Really Matters.   How do you find God in the mess? St. John whispers it clear: "We [actually] saw his glory... For out of His fullness (abundance) we have all received [all had a share and we were all supplied with] one grace after another and spiritual blessing upon spiritual blessing and even favor upon favor and gift [heaped] upon gift" (John 1:14, 16 AMP).   To see the glory, name the graces. That's the mystery map to the deep seeing! We saw His glory ... because ... we have all received one grace after another. Grace — that is what the full life is full of. To see the glory, name the graces. Retune the impaired senses to sense the Spirit, to see the grace.   Why is it so hard? Practice, practice.   We don't have to change what we see. Only the way we see. The discipline of thanks only comes with practice. When we practice giving thanks, we practice the presence of God, stay present to His presence, and it is always a practice of the eyes. We don't have to change what we see. Only the way we see. -Ann Voskamp   Learn More Learn more about Selections from One Thousand Gifts. Visit Ann Voskamp's blog at www.aholyexperience.com. (Some styling above is web-exclusive. This post does not represent the views of Zondervan or any of its representatives. The writer's personal opinions are shared only for information purposes. To receive new Zondervan Blog posts in your reader or email inbox, subscribe to Zondervan Blog.)

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