One Word Checkup

We are now 139 days into 2019 and it’s time for us to take a few minutes and think about our “One Word” for this year. Obviously most of us have thought about our “One Word” multiple times throughout the last 4 1/2 months. Yet with the busyness of life, the busyness of work, and the busyness of family activities we can become consumed by important activities and sometimes forget to pause and think for a few minutes about growth options, such as, our “One Word” campaign. Let me clearly state there is nothing supernatural, spirit-driven or a biblical mandate concerning having a “One Word” outreach as part of our yearly church growth activities. In the near future we will be starting a second Sunday school class for all ages focused on teaching the basics of our Christian faith and the core teachings of our fellowship which is part of the Assemblies of God. Within our fellowship we have a document called the 16 Statements of Fundamental Truths, the same type of inference is given at the beginning of that document just like I mentioned above, which states these are not spirit-inspired statements, yet they do completely line up with the Word of God. Going back to our “One Word” outreach I believe the Bible speaks to setting our mind on this kind of thinking. We are instructed in the Word to be dwelling on things which are lovely and of good report. Many of us have this scripture memorized; I am going to use a version which states the verse with new phrasing, yet the same meaning. Philippians 4:8 “And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.” By the way, this would not be applicable in our longing, dreaming and hoping for our favorite football team to somehow make it to the Super Bowl! All kidding aside, we do need to protect our thoughts, we need to protect our relationships, we need to protect whatever we see, and we need to protect what our ears hear. We need to Pay Attention! Scripture tells us to be on guard because the devil is out there like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. Our “One Word” outreach for 2019 is just one of the many tools we need to have in our spiritual tool belt. Hopefully every one of us is participating in the daily S.O.A.P reading which is another great resource. Whether you read for five minutes or 25 minutes, every bit of effort will, in the long run, help you become more Christlike. One of the simple things which I did, months ago, was to put my “One Word” in conspicuous places. For me the most conspicuous place is right on my laptop. Here are a couple other good places to consider – your smart phone, the dash of your vehicle, your bathroom mirror, the front of your fridge – anywhere you will see it on a daily basis. Even as I’m writing this article I’ve looked down at my laptop (at least a dozen times) and my “One Word” looks right back at me. Now more than ever we really do need reminders; most of you who are reading this article don’t even know your children’s cell phone numbers by heart. I would even guess some of you don’t know your own Social Security number. I used to pride myself on knowing all these things, sadly I couldn’t call my daughter if I didn’t have my cell phone. There are only 226 days left in 2019 so let’s make each day count and one way is to consider how your “One Word” will be incorporated in each of those remaining days God has given us. Some of you should use your social media platforms and let your friends know what your “One Word” is for 2019. A brief paragraph on the background, why it’s important to you and some steps you’re taking to live out your word. We only get about 80 journeys around the sun to accomplish great things for the kingdom of God. Our “One Word” campaign is just part of the solution; your commitment could make the change you’ve been wanting to see in this area of your life.