Blog Posts

Live Well Now

Would you live differently today if you knew when you were going to die?

In Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, bitter old Ebenezer Scrooge needed a glimpse of his death before he changed his miserly ways. After he is visited by the three ghosts of Christmas—past, present, and future—Scrooge is transformed from a miserly and self-centered businessman into a generous and joyful person.

Scrooge’s change in attitude is evident in his behavior:

  • He becomes more humble and willing to learn
  • He becomes a better employer to Bob Cratchit by giving him enough coal to keep his office warm and a large turkey for Christmas dinner
  • He gives money to a man in need
  • He places more importance on family and less on money

Like Scrooge, we all know we are going to die, so we must ask: will that fact change the way we live today?  How will we move towards living well now rather than later?

The truth is, later never lasts as long as we think it will.

What will it take before we start living the life God intended?

Click here for more from Pastor Tommy Nelson on living well now from Ecclesiastes 9

Do the Right Thing

Joost J. Bakker, CC BY 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

One man aptly noted, “Sow a thought, reap a deed; sow a deed, reap a habit; sow a habit, reap a lifestyle; sow a lifestyle, reap a destiny.”

Little choices will define our long-term legacy for good.  C.S. Lewis stated “With every choice you are either becoming more of a heaven-like or hell-like creature.”  Consider the great coach Vince Lombardi’s challenge, “The quality of a man’s life is in direct proportion to excellence, i.e., excellent choices.”

So, it begs the question, who are we when no one is looking?  What destiny are we building?

Solomon shows us that one key to a life well lived is simply doing the right thing over a long period of time.

Click here for more from Pastor Tommy Nelson on Ecclesiastes 8