Paolo Punzalan.com

CROPPING GOD

Paolo Punzalan — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 00:59:36 +0000

Everyone knows how to cut, paste and crop these days – my kids included. I was cropping our family picture one morning for a Power Point presentation in time for a seminar I was going to teach in.

Coming back to the office, I thought about how people try to ‘crop God’. Cropping God?

People try to reduce God into ‘managable sizes’ so they can pull Him out of their pockets whenever they need Him.

But He is above and beyond that. In fact, we wouldn’t want a God we can manage. When circumstances overtake us, we want Someone who is much bigger than our situation.

Remember, our God is ALL-MIGHTY…

Question: How big is your God?

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways,”
declares the LORD. Isaiah 55:8
“As the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts. Isaiah 55:9

WHOSE ARE THEY?

Paolo Punzalan — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 13:16:45 +0000

Every so often, I would hear people talk about their small group (Bible study/prayer group). I love it that many are so involved with making disciples. At Victory, we are really just about 2 things: Honoring God and making disciples.

However, there are times when I cringe. I’m sure people don’t mean it the way I’m hearing it but it really just doesn’t sound right.

I’m talking about the phrase “my disciples.”

They’d talk about having a meeting with “my disciples” or fellowship time with “my disciples.”
Worse, they refer to the people in their group as “under me”.

Whose disciples are they really?

When we look at the Scriptures, when “my disciples” show up, it is Jesus speaking. Whose disciples are they? Not mine, not yours, but HIS.

John 8:31. To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples.
John 13:35. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
John 15:8. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.

Minor adjustment in terms but a HUGE change in mindset.

“You are Christ’s…” (1 Cor. 3:23)

WHAT IS THE BIBLE ALL ABOUT?

Paolo Punzalan — Sun, 29 Aug 2010 02:17:42 +0000

Sitting in Paul Barker’s “Christ Centered Preaching” seminar really stirred me.

What is the Bible all about?

Then the answer to this would greatly affect the way we teach, preach and share.