TPMC News, and Inspiration

Come join us as we host our “Praisefest 2009″ Saturday, December 12th and Sunday, December 13, 2009 at 6:00 p.m. at Turning Point Mission Center located at 1814 Shady Lane Drive, Jackson, MS.

We are honoring God through our talents and gifts while appreciating the Musicians and Video Ministry Staff at Turning Point.  Our guest speaker for Sunday will be our very own Senior Pastor Michael F. Owen.

Poets, Musicians, Dance and Mime teams, Choirs, and soloists are invited to help make this event a success.  Thanking you in advance for helping us to make this event a success!  We look forward to seeing you there.

Sometimes, even the most devout Christians can become discouraged.  Discouragement, however, is not God’s way; He is a God of possibility not negativity.  We Christians have many reasons to be confident.  God is in His heaven; Christ has risen, and we are the sheep of His flock.

Are you a confident Christian?  You should be.  God’s grace is eternal and His promises are unambiguous.  So count your blessings, not your hardships.  And live courageously.  God is the Giver of all things good, and He watches over you today and forever.

God’s omniscience can instill you with a supernatural confidence that can transform your life.

When you invite Christ to rule over your heart, you avail yourself of His power.  And make no mistake about it: You and Christ, working together, can do miraculous things.  In fact, miraculous things are exactly what Christ intends for you to do, but He won’t force you to do great things on His behalf.  The decision to become a full-fledged participant in His power is a decision that you must make for yourself.

The words of John 14:12 make this promise when you put absolute faith in Christ, you can share in His power.  Today, trust the Savior’s promise and expect a miracle in His name.

Jesus waited in the garden.  His disciples had dozed off and He was alone to speak with God. He prayed hard and long, and when He finished, He looked up to see the approaching torches of soldiers and magistrates.  He awakened His disciples, and to their amazement, one of their own was leading the aggressors. Judas looked upon Christ, and he felt icy.  He moved forward to embrace the Lord, then kissed Him on the cheek, as if to say good-bye and that he was sorry.  Jesus pulled back and said through pain and anguish, “A kiss? You come and betray me with a kiss?”

Have you ever thought how painful that action was to Christ? An act usually associated with love was used to signal destruction.  Someone that Christ had trusted and befriended paid Him back by turning Him over to the authorities, and he did it with a kiss.

There are times when a friend will strike us in order to wake us up to danger or to bring us back to reality.  Those blows are a blessing. But when someone hurts us under the pretense of love, that is the worst kind of pain.  God wants us to deal with each other honestly.  We cannot have things both ways.  If we are not for God, we are against Him, and we should never compound our crime with hypocrisy.

There was an old apple tree that had stood in the corner of an orchard for years. Its trunk was yards wide, and its branches stretched high into the sky.  It had weathered many storms, even surviving being struck by lightning twice.  It had long since retired from bearing fruit, but it cast shade over the yard and roof of the old farmhouse.  Its roots dug deep into the soil, and nothing could move it from its place.  The winds of time had long given up hopes of blowing it down, and the leaves thundered in defiance whenever a breeze kicked up.

As we dwell in Christ over the years, we lay roots which form a foundation which makes it impossible for us to be moved.  Nothing can sway us if we plant ourselves completely in His love.  If our roots are not in the Lord, we are shaken by the slightest thing, and we have no anchor to hold us in place.  Christ invites us to take root there, we are there eternally, and nothing can affect us.  We are nurtured and strengthened by the grace of God, and we can depend on growing strong and secure in His care.

As much as the fear of failure can hinder us, the fear of success can hold us back, too. This is a difficult fear to overcome because the end results are unknown.  You know what’s expected in your current position, and the thought of leaving it leaves you scared and nervous. 

The only way to rid yourself of any fear is with the Word of God.  By studying the Word of God and discovering what God says about you, your faith in Him will increase.  You’ll begin to view the obstacles in your career as small in comparison to Him.

So if you’re struggling with the fear of success, take time to read and meditate on God’s Word.  Find the Scriptures with which you can relate, copy them down, and put them in a place where you can see them everyday-your bible, your desk drawer etc…  Don’t just read them like you’re reading your grocery list; read them as though they are personal words from your heavenly Father.  Continue to pray, and surround yourself with positive Christian friends who will encourage you.  With all this, you’re sure to succeed.

From the time we are children, we are taught that honesty is the best policy, but sometimes, being honest is hard.  So, we convince ourselves that it’s alright to tell “little white lies.” But there’s a problem: Little white lies tend to grow up, and when they do, they cause havoc and pain in our lives.

For Christians, the issue of honesty is not a topic for debate.  Honesty is not just the best policy, it is God’s policy, pure and simple.  And if we are to be servants worthy of our Saviour, Jesus Christ, we must avoid all lies, white or otherwise.  So, if you’re tempted to sow the seeds of deception (perhaps in the form of a “harmless” white lie), resist that temptation.  Truth is God’s way, and a lie-of whatever color- is not.

God doesn’t expect you to be perfect, but he does insist on complete honesty!

It is interesting how some people can find the answers they are seeking in churches, while others seem unaffected.  Partially, it has to do with the attitude we come with.  If we are open to God and are willing to give Him a chance to disclose Himself, we will find Him.  But if we come skeptically and we scorn His power to change lives, then we block His effectiveness.  For every attempt He makes to reach us, we come up with some excuse to explain it away, and we come away as empty as when we arrived.  If we come before God unwilling to listen to His Word, then we will never find wisdom, but when we are open-minded and willing to hear, God will grant us the knowledge we so desire.

“A scorner seeketh wisdom, and findeth it not: but knowledge is easy unto him that understandeth.” Proverbs 14:6

Stress is what you feel when the demands on your life exceed your ability to meet those demands. Eliminating stress in your life is a proactive approach to dealing with stress. Create a lifestyle that doesn’t feed on stress, but is resilent to it. To eliminate stress a two part approach is needed: 1.) Decrease the demands on your life and 2.) Strengthen your self-care.

Matthew 11:28-30  Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy ladden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

1. Learn to say “no”.

Learning to say “no” to opportunities and requests so you don’t create unrealistic demands on yourself. What can you start saying, “no” to in your life. Saying “no” is a skill that can be developed. You have the power to choose so start taking a proactive approach to your life.

2. Exercise.

Regular exercise decreases the production of adrenaline and will counteract the stress response. People who are physically fit can handle stress better. Make exercise or movement part of your daily routine.

3. Create more time in your life.

Simplify your life so you are not over committed and rushed. What can you eliminate? Stop rushing. Make it a practice to be 10 minutes early for all of your appointments. This is one way to give yourself a reserve of time. Don’t fill it with last minute “to do’s” — keep your reserve. It is a huge gift to yourself. When you have more time you can relax, connect and notice the beauty of your world.

4. Eliminate energy drains and create healthy sources of energy.

Figure out what is draining you? What do you put up with, tolerate or procrastinate? What is undone or imcomplete? These are things that are taking your energy. Find healthy sources of energy in your life that fuel you. Look at the areas of health, environment, relationships, spirit work and finances. Eliminate the energy drains and create positive sources of energy in your life.

5. Stop gossip.

Gossip is an ugly form of conversation that is good for no one. Some people feed on gossip as a source of energy and this is not healthy. Gossip impacts your relationships and your integrity. Create a no gossip policy in your life.

6. Eat healthy.

Eat foods that nourish your body and give you energy. Include fresh fruits and vegetables in your diet and listen to your body. What makes your feel good? Give yourself lots of choices and fuel your body with high energy food.

7. Learn the art of relaxation.

Creating relaxing rituals in your life is very important to part of eliminating stress. Put a relaxation routine in place so when something unexpected comes up you are more able to deal with it without being stressed. Try meditation, massage, hot baths or relaxation tapes. Try Psalm 63:1 O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is. Before you start your day, seek God first.

8. Change your thoughts.

Your have the power to think anything you want. Make the choice to think thoughts that build you up and eliminate stress in your life. What thoughts are getting in your way? What thoughts will give you abundance, prosperity, improve your self-esteem and make you rich? Think those thoughts.

9. Create a community that supports you.

Reach out or deepen those realtionships that nourish you and allow you to grow. Raise your standards and let go of those relationships that drain you or harm you. Surround yourself with people that nourish you in mind and spirit.

10. Make your environment beautiful.

What can you do to make your surroundings beautiful? Start noticing the beauty around you. This small act can be very meaningful in regard to the quality of your life.

Taken From: topten.org, Jamie McGarvey

As Americans, we don’t readily accept the concept of delayed gratification.  Our culture teaches us that if something is good we should seek to enjoy it immediately.  So we microwave our food, e-mail our letters, and express mail our packages.  We do our best to escape the confines of time by accelerating our schedules, speeding up our pace, and doing whatever it takes to beat the clock. You probably know exactly what I mean. How did you respond the last time you had to wait in line for something?  Did you patiently wait your turn, or did you tap your toe and try to rush the experience.

     Our “do it all now” mentality has tremendously affected the timing of today’s dating relationships.  Kids involve themselves in dating and even sexual relationships at an increasingly young age.  As young people rush prematurely into these adult activities, most of their elders do little to correct them.  After all, what can adults say when they live by the same “grab it all now” attitude?

     Why do we insist on living this way?  In my opinion, we adopt the immediate gratification mentality because we’ve lost sight of biblical principle of seasons (see Ecclesiastes 3:1-8).  Just as spring role is different from that of fall, so each of the seasons of our lives has a different emphasis, focus, and beauty.  One is not better than another; each season yields it own unique treasures.  We cannot skip ahead to experience the riches of another life season any more than a farmer can rush the spring.  Each season builds on the one before it.

     God has many wonderful experiences He wants to give to us, but He also assigns these experiences to particular seasons of our lives.  In our humanness, we often make the mistake of taking a good thing out of its appropriate season to enjoy it when we want it.  Premarital sex is a prime example of this principle.  God intended sex to be for married couples and man and a woman, if we indulge in it outside of God’s plan, we sin.  Like a fruit picked green or a flower plucked before it blossoms, our attempts to rush God’s timing can spoil the beauty of His plan for our lives.

     Just because something is good doesn’t mean we should pursue it right now.  We have to remember that the right thing at the wrong time is the wrong thing. 

“I Kissed Dating Goodbye”