Visiting where my grandfather preached for 17 years in Inglewood, California. Loved meeting the man who now fills his shoes, Pastor Rudy Hagood! #sandystoriesnewsletter #sandystoriesblog August 07, 2018 at 09:37PM via Instagram https://ift.tt/2AR6z3G Follow Mike on Instagram and Twitter @mikesandytweets
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What a day for a walk with this one???! I am living in awe of Jesus this morning. He is my rock and redeemer, the Creator and giver of good gifts. Thank you God for this amazing wife, friend, and ministry partner! #sandystoriesblog #hometown #naturehike #thankful @tawni28 May 29, 2018 at 01:03AM via Instagram https://ift.tt/2LxkRb3 Follow Mike on Instagram and Twitter @mikesandytweets So reading the book of James this morning was interesting. Actually, the Bible in general has become more interesting for me. Key word: MORE. You might find the Bible interesting enough, but it will become more interesting for you if you can discover two things (in addition to the whole salvation thing). First of all, you are made in the image of God. That’s in the first chapter of the Bible. It’s the first thing we learn about man. “Who am I?” The place to start is not, “smart, funny, tall, Short...” but I AM MADE IN THE IMAGE OF GOD!... v e r y i m p o r t a n t... be patient and let the Holy Spirit show you every day more and more about how amazing you are, and how amazing the gift of life is... let it sink in. This will make the Bible more interesting because if you don’t have your purpose straight, you won’t read the Bible straight. And the second part is that you were made for this earth. It sounds simple enough, but you might have been duped into thinking that you were made for heaven. These are the monastic types. I am in this camp, for sure. Practicing the presence of God alone in your room. Praying alone in the closet. Dreading the work day but loving your prayer mornings. But you know, Jesus demonstrated a different lifestyle. Jesus healed people on the spot, not just made them think differently and focus on heaven. You can think that Jesus is your savior in an eternal sense, a heavenly sense, but completely miss your place in the picture. And your place is right here, on earth, right now. Heaven can wait, and it must wait, and it will wait patiently. “On earth” is my new rally cry. And this has made the Bible more interesting. And so reading James this morning was unlike any other time I have read James. Same with Matthew 5. Same with Proverbs. It’s all more interesting. And on a deeper level than ever before in my life, I am convinced that the Word of God has the power to transform nations through the simple obedience of radical remnants. The picture above has steps inspired by the book of James. The key point behind point 1 is that James says that the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God... #sandystoriesblog May 03, 2018 at 10:20AM via Instagram https://ift.tt/2FD9HNC Follow Mike on Instagram and Twitter @mikesandytweets This is Nung. He runs a restaurant. He is a gem. He pays attention to details, honors his mom (who is the creator of all their original authentic Thai recipes), and engages with his customers. His restaurant has a unique story and is not mainstream food or mainstream price. But he has found a way to put love into every aspect of his business. His staff always look like they are having fun working there. He carefully watches over each location through a security camera app on his phone. He opens new restaurants in pricy new locations, taking huge risks. He himself drives to the best local markets to buy the freshest seafood before the sun is up. People looking for a special outing are no longer thinking, “Is there a good Italian restaurant somewhere in Bangkok?” They’re not saying, “Man I need a break from Thai food.” They’re saying, “Let’s go celebrate at Nung’s place.” #มาเด้อหล่าภูไทไก่ย่าง1971 #ภูไทไก่ย่าง #sandystoriesblog #birthdaypresent #whereigoonmybirthday #อาหารไทย #อร่อย April 10, 2018 at 10:16AM via Instagram https://ift.tt/2qi6Nbm Follow Mike on Instagram and Twitter @mikesandytweets Having a hard time telling others about how discipleship can change their lives? I highly recommend this read! I’m on chapter 3 and already have had so many “ah ha” moments! In fact, it’s also helping me think through how to better train disciple-makers. Written by a business consultant and coach for small businesses, its lessons are discovery based! (Generally the best way to learn in my opinion). So far I have realized that I can sometimes get into the habit of just expecting people to want the Gospel, discipleship, Lifegroup, etc., because it is so amazing. But actually, it could really help people “connect the dots” by simply highlighting the “urgent and compelling” benefits for people, moreso than what might be considered the “eternal and convicting” truths of why we need Jesus. I mean, a seed is a seed, so both ways are great. But I think the techniques I’m learning in this book help to shew away people’s distractions, break through the hype, and clear some of their worries out of the way, so that the seed falls right in their patch of soft, receptive, and good soil. I’ll keep posting new treasures I find as I read through the rest, and you can join me if you like with #discipleshipsolid //#discipleship #4soils #findingpeopleofpeace #makingdisciples #disciplemaking #sandystoriesblog #missions #businessasmissions April 08, 2018 at 12:26AM via Instagram https://ift.tt/2JuiRz9 Follow Mike on Instagram and Twitter @mikesandytweets If Moses had a Facebook, I wonder what moment he would want as His Profile picture?
My first guess would be the parting of the Red Sea. So epic! Or maybe the time he got to see the Glory of God. Insane! How about when he was a member of the royal family in Egypt? So handsome! Whatever it would be, his first choice probably wouldn't be a picture of him tending his father-in-law's sheep. And yet, that's where he spend a good portion of his adult life. Moses, like many of us, went through many major life transitions. And Moses' transition from Royalty in Egypt to the Ruler of God's people was no small length of time, either. It took decades. All the while, God was there. Moses found a wife and grew close to his father-in-law (whose mentorship, the Bible records, would later help him make better leadership decisions for Israel), all while he learned to work closely with animals... which, of course, would come in handy when he would later write the book of Leviticus! The Biblical portrait of Moses reminds us that God uses each phase of our life to fulfill our purpose, whether we know exactly what that purpose is or not. In fact, I'm guessing most, if not all of us, are like Moses, and have no idea what God has in store for us. The main reason you need to grapple with this message is so that you can find freedom in this season, or the one you are about to transition into. You could be working retail, or installing computers, or selling real estate. Whatever your work is right now, you don't have to wonder if it is keeping you from God's calling on your life. It is, in fact, doing the opposite. by Michael Sandy by Mike Sandy God has been teaching me recently about how important it is to rest and reflect. Resting alone is important, too. But sometimes we need to "redeem the time" and be intentional even in the way we rest. God has been showing be that in the moment I don't always appreciate everything He is doing in my life. For example, a family member may go our of their way to help me feel at home while I am on the road during furlough. It is so easy for me to take this for granted.
Because I was trained to say "Please," and "Thank You," from an early age, it is natural for me to just say thanks for the help I receive. But I have discovered that there is a fountain of joy in my heart when I take a few minutes to rest and reflect on the loving actions of people God has brought into my life. I often just ask myself, "Why would someone be that nice to me?" The answer always has to do with love. Not romantic love, but a simply yet beautiful "love attitude" that exudes from a person who cares about you. My theory is that this "rest and reflect" prescription is not just for me, and it's not just to have a quick experience of joy in my heart. It is something that is intended whenever we "Sabbath," or rest in God's promises. Try it out sometime. See if it works for you. For me, I usually feel closer to the person who I reflect about, feel a dose of joy enter my heart, and become more aware of God's presence in my life (even when I am not thinking about it!). I hope this helps someone out there. It helps me, and I intend to "rest and reflect" often as a way to continually grow in my appreciation for others and move into greater compassion when I pray for them. It even helps me when I reflect on my kids. What amazing kids God has given me. They teach me so much, and they give me strength (even when they drain me). I take them for granted too much. Thank you God for my kids! Thank you God for everyone you bring into my life to help me see your face more clearly. "Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name." - Psalm 100:4 |
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