BERNARD SHUFORD

The only correction, in our case, would be to search for “Raising MANY Chickens for DUMMIES”. 

Oh, the adventures the Shufords encounter.

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Regardless of the type of ministry we do, a crucial part of successful ministry is loving the people we are ministering to.

Not just tolerating them, or, even worse, being at odds with them. 

Musicians have to connect with their fans.  Pastors and preachers have to connect with their congregation. 

If you don’t possess a genuine love and affection for the folks you are ministering to, I daresay you won’t accomplish much at all. 

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“God’s got great things for you to do.”

Maybe I’m cynical in my old age, but this kind of statement grates on me.  In one respect, I don’t know why.  But, in another respect, I do know why.

God DOES have great things for “you” to do.

Just like He’s “got” for anybody that will come to Him through Jesus Christ. 

I’m more than a little concerned that the Christian world considers Piper, Furtick, Noble, Batterson, MacArthur, and even Billy Graham, to be doing great things, all the while millions of “normal people” Christians go to work every day, try their cursedest to live like a Christian while surrounded by tons of temptation to do otherwise, love their wives, raise their kids, and give to their churches faithfully, but nobody gives them a standing ovation when they enter the building.  Nobody writes them fan mail.  Nobody shakes their hand every time they get on an elevator in a motel. 

There is none good, no, not one. 

If you’re following Christ, you are doing a great thing.  Whether or not you ever lead a crowd of 10,000 in worship, or preach the Gospel on TV, or create a viral video that convinces the world of their need for Jesus.  None of us is greater than the other. 

We don’t deserve, or even need, our five minutes of fame. 

Let’s be made small so that He can be made big.

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Every now and then, I think it does every Christian husband good to listen to a little country music.  We need to be reminded of young love, of fun in the sun, and of how blessed we are.  To be reminded that love is a fragile thing that sometimes takes a lot of work, and to be reminded that it is worth it. 

So crank up some Conway Twitty, or some Brad Paisley, or some Allison Krauss, and then run home at the first opportunity and hug your darling. 

Just don’t listen to it for too long, or you’ll cry for days. 

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My concern for worship all too many times in the past has been to be in an atmosphere where I could worship God properly.  There was much emphasis on “me”.  Was I excited by the music?  Was I being led into the presence of God?  Was the worship “sweet”?  Was I getting anything from it?  Was I being encouraged?  Would I leave charged up? 

I wanted a heavenly gas pump. 

Pull in, fill ‘er up.  Charge hell with a water pistol.  Feel great about myself. 

God?  Who’s he?  WORSHIP him?  Oh, wait, I just want to enjoy his presence.  I want to be happy.  I want to feel cool.  You mean, submit to HIM? 

Whoa.

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