25 Sep

Posted at 10:14h in Uncategorized

Have you ever made a New Year’s resolution?  At one time or another most of us have. I know this is September, but there seems to be something wonderful about a new year.  “Things could be different!” “This will be my year!” What is the common denominator with a newborn baby, a sunrise and a new year?  Hope! All these bring hope that things could be better for us! While hope is so important and vital, you can’t have uphill hopes and downhill habits and expect anything to change!  Let’s review…last month we shared with you “8 Habit Helpers”: Hope...

18 Sep

Posted at 17:42h in Uncategorized

Over the past few weeks we have begun sharing from this series. You can have valid and wonderful uphill hopes, but if you have downhill habits you will always be going around the same mountain on a yearly basis! Let's review our first five “Eight Habit Helpers”: Hope is not a strategy (Heb. 6:19).         2. The things we do and the things we should do don’t always line up (Rom. 7:19).       3.  The two greatest gaps in life are “wanting and having” and “knowing and doing”.  If you’ll close the second gap, the first gap will automatically...

11 Sep

Posted at 08:00h in Uncategorized

I could give you story after story of people here in this ministry where things looked absolutely hopeless and yet here they are, with both uphill hopes and uphill habits, and their lives are radically better!   My Multi-Media Director here at Joy Church was an ex-drug addict who gave his life to Jesus here at Joy Church and now is one of the best Christians, husband, father and employee that you’d ever want to meet! We have another woman at the church who was in a mental institution and now she is an ordained minister here at Joy Church and an...

28 Aug

Posted at 18:49h in Uncategorized

Over the past few weeks we have begun sharing from this series. You can have valid and wonderful uphill hopes, but if you have downhill habits you will always be going around the same mountain on a yearly basis! Let's review our first five “Eight Habit Helpers”: Hope is not a strategy (Heb. 6:19).         2. The things we do and the things we should do don’t always line up (Rom. 7:19).       3.  The two greatest gaps in life are “wanting and having” and “knowing and doing”.  If you’ll close the second gap, the first gap will automatically...

14 Aug

Posted at 08:00h in Uncategorized

Things are going to be different!   I’m going to lose that weight! I’m going to get in shape! My marriage is going to get better! We are going to get out of debt! My walk with God is going to grow! All of these are valid and wonderful hopes!   However, you can have valid and wonderful uphill hopes, but if you have downhill habits you will always be going around the same mountain on a yearly basis! Please allow me to share with you “Eight Habit Helpers”: Hope is not a strategy (Heb. 6:19).   Hope is important (see Prov. 13:12, Heb. 11:1) but it’s still not...

07 Aug

Posted at 17:28h in Uncategorized

The first of each month we share First Tuesday's Teaching Tips. These are teaching nuggets from over thirty years in ministry. This month we highlight the area of Attitude: You must take responsibility for your attitude. Speaking what you know will eventually change how you feel. Look at life from your position, not your condition. Only two people will show up to your pity party: you and the devil. ~from Winning with Wisdom volume 2 (available for purchase in the Joy Store at Joy Church, Mt. Juliet, TN)...

24 Jul

Posted at 08:00h in Uncategorized

We have been sharing 10 Keys to Kindling an “I Can” Attitude 1. Reject an “I can’t” attitude (Mark 2:4). 2. Take the bull by the horns (Phil. 3:12). 3. Enter the “No Moan Zone” (Phil. 2:14). 4. Empathize don’t criticize (Ezek. 3:15). 5. Fan the flame of your passion (II Tim. 1:6). 6. Go the second mile…over and over again (Matt. 5:41). 7. Quit stewing and start doing (James 1:22). 8. Respond well to change (Ps. 55:19). This week let's continue with...