If you are called to teach the good news to others, can you imagine how 30 minutes a day of focused effort could make a difference in your ability to communicate? What if, every day for the next 180 days, you devoted a half-hour to working on your craft? Can you imagine how the difference would be played out in the results you see?
July 6, 2025
The next 180 days will come and go, along with this 90-hour block of time. How will you invest it? Some will spend 90 more hours staring at their phone. Some will catch an additional 90 hours of zzzzs. Some will do whatever they feel like doing at the moment. And you? If you’re willing to take the road less traveled — you can use these moments each day to move forward in the calling God has placed on your life. Remember Solomon’s words: “The hands of the diligent will rule.” ~ Proverbs 12:24 (ESV) ~ Earl Nightingale also said: “People with goals succeed because they know where they’re going.” If you haven’t in a while — take some time this week to think about your personal goals. It could make all the difference in the world for your next six months because ultimately, you become what you think about.
“The hand of the diligent will rule...” ~ Proverbs 12:24 (ESV) ~ THIRTY MINUTES
As I am writing this, we’re at mid-June. That means that we are just about to reach the mid-way point in 2025. Part two will have just begun as you read this — with a half-year behind us, and a half-year to go. Have you thought about what the remaining months of this year can be? Earl Nightingale — an American radio speaker and author, dealing mostly with the subjects of human character development, motivation, and meaningful existence, and the early voice of Sky King in the 1950’s — noted that if you will spend one hour a day on the same subject for five years, you can become expert on that subject.
On a different note for just a moment, this week finds us celebrating Independence Day. As with almost everything else since 2020, this time of celebration may look and feel very different across the board. Our country and our world are in a time of great fear and apprehension. We are in a time of turmoil and unrest. Between wars, protesting and riots — many people are afraid to even venture outside of their front door. We need to remember that God has greatly blessed our nation over the years, and that He is still in control. We must focus on the words of the psalmist who said: “Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord…” ~ Psalm 33:12 (NIV) ~
True, no doubt. But for now, forget about five years and an hour a day. Think instead about the next six months, thirty minutes a day. That is a 90-hour block of time. Think about the potential that exists. What kind of headway could you make in one area of your life? Maybe attaining expert status is not realistic — but serious progress is.
We need to praise God for what is good, confess and ask forgiveness for what is not — and call our community, state, and nation to repentance. Let’s make known God’s mercy and goodness to our friends and neighbors who don’t yet recognize who God truly is and what He alone can and will do to heal our land.
• You could become conversationally proficient in a second language.
• You could get in great physical shape.
I am so looking forward to being with you all in worship this coming Sunday. It is our annual RED, WHITE AND BLUE (JEANS) SUNDAY. As we say, “It’s American as Hot Dogs, Apple Pie and Chevrolet” — and we will be giving those all away on that day. With a great time of worship and patriotism followed by load of good food and fun to follow — how could you go wrong by showing up? I will begin my new sermon series: STRAIGHT AHEAD on that day with a sermon I have named HI-RES LIVING. Meanwhile, join me in the journey — dreaming of what our lives might look like six months from now if we redeem just thirty minutes every day.
• You could do a masters-level study of your favorite subject, such as church history.
Blessings,
• You could learn to play the guitar. In six months, you can reach the level of “decent.” • You could walk 300+ miles.
• You could dig in-depth into one of the gospels or one of Paul’s letters, until you own it. continued
Pastor Terrell