Spiritual Burnout
Probably the worst enemy of enthusiasm is time. Human beings have a remarkable and sad capacity for getting tired of wonderful things. Almost every one of you can think of something you were enthusiastic about recently, but now the joy is faded. Your first day of vacation
Genuine conversion to Christ is not a mere human act of calling Christ our Savior. (“Many will say to me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord’ … but I will say, ‘Depart from me. I never knew you!’ ”) Genuine conversion is a divine act by which a Spirit of sonship is made to dwell in our heart (Romans 8:15; Galatians 4:6), giving us a hatred for sin and a love for righteousness (Ezekiel 36:27) and a confidence in the grace of Christ. We are converted when we hear the gospel and are moved to forsake our sin and put our faith in Christ for forgiveness and begin to walk by faith in his promise and power.
Most Americans Think They Are Above Average
Proverbs 11:2; 16:5, 18; 26:12; 27:2; 29:23; Jeremiah 9:23–24; Romans 12:3, 16; Galatians 6:3; Philippians 2:3
Preaching Themes: Assurance, Humility, Pride
A May 2014 poll conducted by YouGov found that only 4 percent of Americans think they are less intelligent than the average person. Most (55 percent) think that they are smarter than average. The poll also found that wealthier respondents were more likely to think that Americans in general are unintelligent.
Since 49 percent of Americans are actually less intelligent than the average, this would indicate that many people are guilty of ignoring Paul’s admonition to not think more highly of ourselves than we really are. These results seem to show that humility may be a missing ingredient in modern American life.
—Jim L. Wilson and Rodger Russell
James Livingston keeps his promises. Some of them just take a long time. In 1942 his parents allowed him to enlist in the army to fight in World War II, but he had to promise to get his high-school diploma when he returned. “Through the years,” James says, “I have thought to myself, ‘You promised your momma you would get your diploma,’ but I hadn’t. I’ve got to do it before I pass away.” At age 86 James Livingston graduated with the Screven County High School Class of 2010.
The FAA revoked the licenses of two Northwest Airlines pilots after their airplane flew for 91 minutes out of contact with the ground and overshot their destination city by 150 miles. The revocation took place because of recklessness caused by “inattention.”
Airline pilots must direct their aircraft safely from Point A to Point B. However, these pilots had their personal laptops on in the cockpit and were researching job conditions and scheduling rules brought about by Northwest’s recent purchase by Delta Airlines. They wanted to know how their job situations were changing. While that is understandable, that was not their assigned task. They took their eye off their primary responsibility and gave their attention to something of lesser importance.
Keeping the most important thing a priority is important for everyone, not just airline pilots.