Breakfast of Champions: Wednesday 30th September

Good morning Champion

=IT'S A GOOD JOB HE'S SITTING DOWN=

Hebrews 10:11-13 (NIV)
Day after day every priest stands and performs his religious duties; again
and again he offers the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. 12
But when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat
down at the right hand of God. 13 Since that time he waits for his enemies
to be made his footstool,

Our high priest, Jesus is seated today, unlike the Old Testament priests
mentioned in the opening verse who could never sit down for long because
their job was never done or ever completed. They daily stood, offering the
blood of animals as payment for the sins of the people. The blood of animals
could never remove the sin or make such a payment that could fully satisfy
the law. It took the blood of our high priest, Jesus to fulfil the law
completely.

He came as the Lamb who would take away (not cover) the sin of the world,
past, present, and future, including mine and yours. Remember John the
Baptist greeted Him with those exact words because that is what He was,
God's perfect lamb whose blood would fully pay the bill we owed.

It's important to hear these words, "He sat down," because that statement
declares to us that what He came to do, He did, and what He wanted to
achieve by sacrificing His life, He achieved. He sat down because the job
was done, not because He was "taking a break." His own words at the cross
were "It is finished". He had accomplished by His death burial and
resurrection everything He needed to. Remember, He was not achieving
anything for Himself because He needed nothing. Everything He accomplished
was for us; our salvation, our healing, and our freedom.

Don't wait for Him to get up to finish anything. He did it all perfectly
2000 years ago. The next time He gets up will be to come and collect what
belongs to Him, and that's us! Make sure today you are living in the
finished work of Christ and not waiting for Him to finish something He has
already completed. It's because of a job well done (a completed one) that He
is seated today.

A boxer may have to rise from being seated to fight another round, but not
Jesus, it was a knock out. He has beaten the devil and is waiting for him to
be made into a footstool.

Andy

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Breakfast of Champions: Tuesday 29th September

=FAITH ALWAYS TAKES YOU DEEPER=

Luke 5:4-6 (NIV)
When He had finished speaking, He said to Simon, "Put out into deep water,
and let down the nets for a catch."

Notice that Jesus told the fishermen to "put out into the deep water". He
never said to them, "Hang around the edges", but rather, "Go deeper". The
catch of fish they never could have imagined existed in their wildest dreams
lay deeper out in the ocean.

As you walk with God over time He ever calls you out to deeper waters in
your faith; places you have not been before and things you have never
experienced. Why? He wants to grow your faith! Faith will never increase by
the shoreline. It is where we begin but that is not where God leaves us to
fish and that is not where we are destined to end this fishing trip called
life.

God wants you to experience the "big catches" in your life but the reality
is they happen in deeper waters. When you leave the shore you leave what you
have known to be safe and in doing that you focus your trust on God. As you
leave your comfort zone and the still harbour of safety, you sail into the
tide of the supernatural, and it is in the currents of the deeper waters
that God does the things that are beyond what you can imagine (Eph 3:20).

Remember, Peter was in "deeper water" when he stepped out of the boat and
walked on the promises of God (Matt 14:30). Great things happen deeper out!
Hey Champion, don't live by the shore when it comes to God. When you hear
Him bid you to go deeper, cast off your lines and take a breath of faith so
you can sail towards what He has promised. So, do you want to catch cockles
and muscles by the shore, or tuna and swordfish from the deep? As for me and
my house, we are going after the big ones. How about you?

Andy

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Breakfast of Champions: Monday 28th September

Things are different when He turns up

Luke 5:4-6 (NIV)
When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, "Put out into deep water,
and let down the nets for a catch." Simon answered, "Master, we've worked
hard all night and haven't caught anything. But because you say so, I will
let down the nets." When they had done so, they caught such a large number
of fish that their nets began to break.

The fishermen had been busy fishing all night and had caught nothing, and
they were experienced fishermen, not novices. They knew their trade and had
done their best but had caught nothing! They were probably very tired,
looking forward to finishing the net cleaning so they could go on home and
rest. Then, after preaching, Jesus said to them, "Hey boys, have another
go"! Remember, they were not yet His disciples, just hearers and onlookers.
It was what would happen later that would change that. They could have
responded a number of different ways, maybe in anger saying, "Are you having
a laugh?" They could have responded sarcastically, saying, "We heard about
you. You're a carpenter's son. Stick to chairs pal and leave fishing to us".

Instead they dared to be obedient to His word and were certainly not
disappointed. He turned a bad fishing trip into a great one that blessed
many other fishermen as well as them that day.

Ok, think about it - same fishermen, same boats, same nets. Everything was
the same except one thing: Jesus was now with them! It was that one new
additive to the scenario that made all the difference. Jesus with them
caused what they did to prosper abundantly.

We may not be fishermen, but like them, Jesus is now with us in what we do,
and that means that we can expect success where we have experienced failure.
Maybe you have tried things before in business or relationships that just
never worked. Listen, if Jesus tells you to have another go, don't let your
past experience stop you from letting down your nets again.

Like the fishermen, you can think this does not make sense, but do what they
did and have a go anyway, then praise Him and believe in Him when you see a
result that is different. Everything in the situation your facing may look
the same, but Jesus, now in it, and with you, can make having another go
work out really well.

Have a great day,

Andy

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Breakfast of Champions: Friday 25th September

=JOIN THE LOVE TRAIN!=

1 Corinthians 13:13 (NKJV)
And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is
love.

Anybody remember the song love train by the O'Jays its chorus went "people
around the world join hands, join the love train", that is the call of 1
Corinthians 13 to join Gods love train, the whole chapter is worth another
read it teaches us what true love looks and behaves like. In it Paul is
teaching the church to put high importance on what matters to God, Faith,
hope and especially Love.

God's love is a love that's so often not like the love we have known before
it knows no measurement and is not selective, often when we have loved we
measure out who deserves what and when, God's love is poured out unmeasured
upon all. God's love does not choose or select according to who is deserving
or worthy rather it includes and embraces all.

The truth is we all have people we find it easy to love and we all have
people who we struggle loving right? The love that God has given us and
calls us too does not just love those who are easy to love but those who are
hard to even undeserving. Wow what a challenge that is remember in His
teaching Jesus said anyone can love the lovable I have called you to love
those others don't or wont. Anyone can invite the one everyone wants to
dinner how about we invite the one no one wants? This is where rubber hits
the road in our Christianity, will we dare to live out the God love that has
been shed abroad in our hearts through Christ or will we keep it like a
secret to ourselves?

It is not when we love those who we find easy to love that we impress God
but when we courageously chose and make the effort to love the least the
overlooked and the seemingly unlovable (those we struggle with), it is then
that we are truly passengers on His love train.

Matthew 25:37-40
Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and
feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a
stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we
see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?' "The King will reply, 'I
tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers
of mine, you did for me.'

Bless you

Andy

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Breakfast of Champions information

Hi Champions

 

Hope you are enjoying the all new look Breakfast, thank you for the positive feedback many of you have sent. My purpose in writing is to make sure everyone you may have sent it to is getting it ok.

 

Many of you have told me over the last year that you forward it to friends, staff and team, that is awesome to make sure they still get it ok in the future can you.

 

1.       Contact those you normally forward it to and encourage them to subscribe free for themselves.

2.       Send it to other team and friends to give them the chance to be blessed each morning.

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Bless you

 

Andy

 

A devotional by Pastor Andy Elmes to inspire you with a godly thought to start your day well. God’s word is indeed the breakfast of champions.

 

Great Big Life

Empowering People

 

Andy Elmes

Pastor & Leadership Coach

 

UK Office:

PO BOX 240

Southsea

PO2 7YE.

 

+ 44 (0) 2392 342592

andy@greatbiglife.co.uk

www.greatbiglife.co.uk

 

 

Breakfast of Champions: Thursday 24th September

Good morning, Champion.

=THE GREATEST ONE IS LOVE!=

1 Corinthians 13:13 (NKJV)
-And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is
love.-

This week we have been hanging around this verse, daring to use it as a
guide to check that we are spending our lives on that which is essential to
God, not just important to us.

We have looked at two of the three – faith and hope – so let's now consider
the third one, which Paul underlines as the greatest of the three: this is
of course, love. Agape is the original Greek word used here for love and it
means the "God kind of love". We need to understand that the love that is
spoken of in this passage is exactly that, "the God kind of love" and not
the limited fickle stuff the world commonly uses. Lets rewind a bit in 1
Corinthians 13 to remind ourselves what "God kind of love" looks and feels
like.

1 Corinthians 13:5-7
-Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is
not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered,
it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices
with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always
perseveres.-

The love we see defined here is so different to the love that is often
offered and marketed so freely in this world we live. The love we have
experienced in this world often does not protect, hope, or care for the
other persons needs, but rather it takes, demands and is all about
self-satisfaction and self-preservation. It is only when God's Agape love
touches our hearts that we are changed forever and it is when we live to
release this "God kind of love" that other people's worlds are impacted.
God's love, unleashed, can change the world! Let His Agape love both touch
you and flow from you again today.

_Love defines us_
A hard truth is that we can be so busy doing seemingly good things, but if
faith, hope, and especially love, is not the motivation what we do does not
mean that much to God. Truth to tell, He counts deeds done without love to
be equivalent to nothing. It is that which we do that flows from love for
God and love for people that abides (remains) and actually defines us.

1 Corinthians 13:2-3
And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all
knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains,
_but have not love, I am nothing_. And though I bestow all my goods to feed
the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it
profits me nothing.

Let's consider essential what God does.

Have a great day, love God, and love people.

Andy

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Breakfast of Champions: Wednesday 23rd September

Good morning. Breakfast is served.

=SPENDING OUR LIVES ON WHAT IS ESSENTIAL, NOT JUST IMPORTANT=

1 Corinthians 13:13 (NKJV)
-"And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is
love."-

Yesterday we looked at the first of the three things that is essential in
our Christian walk, faith. Paul said that it is these three things that
"will remain" when all else is gone. When we one day stand in Heaven it is
what we have produced with these three ingredients that will remain with us,
and when we stop and think about this it should cause us to lay aside other
things that are just merely important, to embrace that which is essential.

The second ingredient that we are to embrace as we live lives that please
God and dare to build incredible things is hope. Hope is a very powerful
thing. When we became believers we received hope, hope that changed us, hope
that keeps us marching on through the toughest of times with heads held
high. Hope gives us a reason to live passionately and with purpose, and
causes us not to quit. It is hope that causes us not to fear death and the
grave. Christ is that infallible hope.

Hebrews 6:19 (NKJV)
-"This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and
which enters the Presence behind the veil."-

Our lives should release Hope to others, not despair. When people encounter
the atmosphere of your life today they should leave feeling hopeful, not
hopeless. Why? Because of Christ in you, the hope of Glory! What is in you
should come through you. We are living in times where the media daily
dispenses large portions of despair and hopelessness into the hearts of
multitudes, but we are the antidote to their hopelessness and despair when
we speak of our God and His promises. It is then that hope should rise in
people's hearts as it has in ours and hopelessness should be dissolved.

Speak words that give hope today, Champion, to yourself and to those around
you.

Have a great day,

Andy

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Breakfast of Champions: Monday 21st September

Email not displaying correctly? View it in your browser. Brand new audio set Journey of Life audio set In this CD set Andy Elmes will inspire you to enjoy the journey and to do it well. This is a great set for those with a pioneer spirit. Includes a bonus CD recorded at the 2009 Faith Works Bible College Encounter Night. Contains: 4+1 CDs Price: £15 Find Andy on facebook, follow him on Twitter, and forward this e-mail to a friend Good Morning Champion Let's spend our lives on what is essential, not just important. 1 Corinthians 13:13 (NKJV) And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love. Here is a very short yet very profound little statement, and over the last few weeks this verse has really gotten into my heart and my life and turned it upside down in a positive way. My prayer is that it will do the same to you. So often we can all be involved in so many things that seem so important, but we need to make sure we are busy with the things that are essential. What makes something essential and not just important is this: "does it matter to God"? We hear in this verse the Apostle Paul underline for the Church what is essential from the viewpoint of God concerning our lives and what we spend it doing. Look at how he introduces these three essential life coordinates, "And now abide." He does not mention law because that had now been dealt with by the perfect work of Jesus. Neither does he mention a whole bunch of other church "stuff" that we often may deem important. No, just these three things: Faith, Hope and Love. I like the way it is put in the following translation: 1 Corinthians 13:13 (New Century Version) So these three things continue forever: faith, hope, and love. And the greatest of these is love. I don't know about you, but I want to spend the currency of my days on things that will continue forever and not just last a moment, and by forever that does not just mean this life we know now, but all of eternity. You see the things we do that involve or are the product of faith, hope, and love will remain while other things that seemed important at the time will, like straw, be burnt away and never mentioned in eternity. I don't want to stand in Heaven one day and watch as a whole bunch of stuff I spent my life building disappears in a moment because they were actually just important but not essential. I hope this thought stirs you Champion like it is stirring me. It causes me to look at what I am doing and ask myself this, "Am I busying myself with things involving faith, hope, and love"? If not, it's time to get busy with them again because without them I am not giving God anything to be excited about. Hey, let's talk some more tomorrow. Bless you, Andy Subscribe to Breakfast of Champions today! If you've been sent this e-mail by a friend, and enjoyed having a fresh, inspiring thought delivered to your Inbox, then we'd love for you to subscribe to Breakfast of Champions so that you can receive it every morning. Click here to subscribe. Our mailing address is: Great Big Life (UK office) PO Box 240, Southsea, Hampshire PO2 7YE Tel/Fax: 023 9234 2592 Copyright (C)2009 Great Big Life :: All rights reserved. All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the New King James Version ®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

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Breakfast of Champions: Friday 18th September

Email not displaying correctly? View it in your browser. Brand new audio set Journey of Life audio set In this CD set Andy Elmes will inspire you to enjoy the journey and to do it well. This is a great set for those with a pioneer spirit. Includes a bonus CD recorded at the 2009 Faith Works Bible College Encounter Night. Contains: 4+1 CDs Price: £15 Find Andy on facebook, follow him on Twitter, and forward this e-mail to a friend Good morning, Champions. A special welcome to those joining us for the first time! Walking on what He has promised Luke 17:12–14 (NKJV) "Then as He entered a certain village, there met Him ten men who were lepers, who stood afar off. 13 And they lifted up their voices and said, 'Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!' 14 So when He saw them, He said to them, 'Go, show yourselves to the priests.' And so it was that as they went, they were cleansed." We live in a world that teaches us from an early age that seeing is believing, but then when we are born again into a kingdom that teaches us that actually it is our believing which causes us to see and experience things. Remember, you being completely saved and made perfectly fit for Heaven is the result of you believing before you see. Here we see ten needy lepers approach Jesus and ask for a miracle. As always, Jesus was delighted to help them, but notice he did not do it for them then and there, but rather told them to go and show themselves to the priests (this was requirement of the law of Moses for them to be allowed back into society). The Bible says as they went they were cleansed. They had no evidence, they had not seen their skin change, yet all ten of them choose to live beyond what could be seen. They chose to trust the words that had been spoken by Jesus. What if they would have argued with Him, “Oy, before we go anywhere we want to see some evidence!?” Nothing would have happened. It was these men daring to walk away without seeing anything that activated what had been promised. They walked away standing on the promise of Jesus and that was all they had. My friend, we need to understand that the promises of Jesus, those words He speaks today to us, are all we need to walk away from our prayer times with confidence, even when naturally nothing looks different. First we believe, and then we see. What are you believing for today? Walk confident as the lepers did. Get a promise for your situation and walk away holding it. Mix faith with that promise and anything can happen at any moment. Bless you Andy Subscribe to Breakfast of Champions today! If you've been sent this e-mail by a friend, and enjoyed having a fresh, inspiring thought delivered to your Inbox, then we'd love for you to subscribe to Breakfast of Champions so that you can receive it every morning. Click here to subscribe. Our mailing address is: Great Big Life (UK office) PO Box 240, Southsea, Hampshire PO2 7YE Tel/Fax: 023 9234 2592 Copyright (C)2009 Great Big Life :: All rights reserved. All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the New King James Version ®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

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Breakfast of Champions - IMPORTANT NEWS

IMPORTANT MESSAGE

 

COMING SOON (hopefully tomorrow), THE ALL NEW BREAKFAST OF CHAMPIONS. 

 

DUE TO THE AMAZING SUCCESS OF BREAKFAST OF CHAMPIONS WE HAVE NOW RE-MODELLED IT TO ENABLE IT TO GROW AND REACH MORE PEOPLE.  WE HAVE DEVELOPED IT INTO A SUBSCRIPTION TYPE PAGE SO THAT ALL THOSE WHO ARE SENDING IT TO FRIENDS CAN NOW GIVE THEM THE OPPORTUNITY TO SUBCRIBE FOR THEMSELVES (subscription remains as always free of any charge). 

 

1.       If you have always received this email directly from us then you do not need to subscribe as we have registered your name already.  

2.       If you send it to others please let them know that there will be a section to enable them to get it direct to their email mailbox in the next few days, they will simply need to press subscribe.

3.       THE PAGE WILL HAVE A BRAND NEW LOOK ENABLING YOU TO DO SO MUCH MORE, WE HOPE YOU ENJOY.

4.       Feel free to pass it on to anyone you think will enjoy it, the system we have gone over to can accommodate any amount of growth we experience.

From Andy and the great big life team.

 

 

A devotional by Pastor Andy Elmes to inspire you with a godly thought to start your day well. God’s word is indeed the breakfast of champions.

 

Great Big Life

Empowering People

 

Andy Elmes

Pastor & Leadership Coach

 

UK Office:

PO BOX 240

Southsea

PO2 7YE.

 

+ 44 (0) 2392 342592

andy@greatbiglife.co.uk

www.greatbiglife.co.uk

 

 

Breakfast of Champions - 17th September

 

Morning Champ.

 

Breakfast is served

 

What are you willing to lose to gain what you say you want? (even more Cont’d)

Let us continue with this thought as I sense God really wanting to underline it in our lives. What are you willing to lose to gain what you are saying you really want?

 

Mark 9: 35(NIV)

Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, "If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all."

 

This wisdom of Jesus does not make too much sense if you try to understand it according to the taught wisdom of an un-saved, ungodly, world but it makes perfect sense in the Kingdom of God. Remember we are now citizens of God’s Kingdom. If we want to function correctly and prosper in God’s Kingdom as we are promised we can, we need to dare to live by Kingdom wisdom not just earthly sense. The Kingdom of God says to receive, you must give. To become great you become least, to increase who you are you must decrease who you are.  This principle introduces us to the very workings and mechanics of what faith is.

There are many examples of people who said they wanted something only to find they needed to apparently lose something important to them to gain it.

 

Naaman the Syrian general in 2 Kings 5 – He said he really wanted a miracle to be healed of leprosy and God complied with this by giving Naaman an easy set of instructions to follow to receive fresh, new skin.  Naaman had to lose his pride to gain what he had said he wanted. He nearly did not pay the price but eventually did and received what he so desired.

 

The rich young ruler in Matthew 19 - Said he wanted to be a follower of Jesus and to be perfect. Jesus never discouraged Him but simply told Him what he would have to lose to gain what he claimed he wanted. The loss would involve what he had always attached his security to and in this case it was his wealth. He felt this was too high a price to gain what he thought he so earnestly desired. Obviously he did not want what he was asking for as badly as he thought he did. Maybe he should have thought about the cost before asking?

 

The widows in 1 Kings:17 and 2 Kings: 4 – Both had to lose what looked like all they had left  in order to gain everything they could ever need. Both women stepped out on the promises of God the prophets had given and saw their miracles happen. Read the accounts of these miracles which were not obtained cheaply.

 

The Bible is full of people willing to give up whatever necessary to gain what their heart desired. Sometimes before telling God what we want we should take a moment to see if we are ready to lose something to gain it? Give that some thought and then get out of the boat!

 

Bless You

Andy

 

IMPORTANT MESSAGE

 

COMING SOON, THE ALL NEW BREAKFAST OF CHAMPIONS. 

 

DUE TO THE AMAZING SUCCESS OF BREAKFAST OF CHAMPIONS WE HAVE NOW RE-MODELLED IT TO ENABLE IT TO GROW AND REACH MORE PEOPLE.  WE HAVE DEVELOPED IT INTO A SUBSCRIPTION TYPE PAGE SO THAT ALL THOSE WHO ARE SENDING IT TO FRIENDS CAN NOW GIVE THEM THE OPPORTUNITY TO SUBCRIBE FOR THEMSELVES (subscription remains as always free of any charge). 

 

If you have always received this email directly from us then you do not need to subscribe as we have registered your name already.  If you send it to others please let them know that there will be a section to enable them to get it direct to their mailbox in the next few days. THE PAGE WILL HAVE A BRAND NEW LOOK TO IT THAT WE HOPE YOU ENJOY.

 

Feel free to pass it on to anyone you think will enjoy it.

From Andy and the great big life team.

 

 

A devotional by Pastor Andy Elmes to inspire you with a godly thought to start your day well. God’s word is indeed the breakfast of champions.

 

Great Big Life

Empowering People

 

Andy Elmes

Pastor & Leadership Coach

 

UK Office:

PO BOX 240

Southsea

PO2 7YE.

 

+ 44 (0) 2392 342592

andy@greatbiglife.co.uk

www.greatbiglife.co.uk

 

 

Breakfast of Champions - 16th September

Good morning Champion

 

What are you willing to lose to gain what you say you want? (Cont’d)

 

1 Kings 17: 11-14 (NKJV)

And as she was going to get it, he called to her and said, “Please bring me a morsel of bread in your hand.” 12 So she said, “As the LORD your God lives, I do not have bread, only a handful of flour in a bin, and a little oil in a jar; and see, I am gathering a couple of sticks that I may go in and prepare it for myself and my son, that we may eat it, and die.” 13 And Elijah said to her, “Do not fear; go and do as you have said, but make me a small cake from it first, and bring it to me; and afterward make some for yourself and your son. 14 For thus says the LORD God of Israel: ‘The bin of flour shall not be used up, nor shall the jar of oil run dry, until the day the LORD sends rain on the earth.’”

 

Here we read of the account of when Elijah the prophet went to a widow that the Lord sent him to. The Lord had told Elijah that the widow would feed him, for he had been fed supernaturally by ravens till this point. He turned up and asked the woman for water and food and she responded by informing him about the severity of the life-threatening recession she was currently in. Did that stop the prophet asking for food? No, he wasn’t greedy, but he knew in his heart that God had a recession busting plan for this poor woman, and as with everything about God, it would involve faith!

 

Did she want to see that recession broken?  Did she want her and her son to live on past that last meal? How much did she want that? Enough to lose something that seemed the only thing she had left?

This seems to portray God in a harsh light. Was God being cruel? No, the prophet told her what would happen if she would trust God, and just as with Peter getting out of the boat, a promise from God was given but the choice was still hers.

 

We too always have a choice to step out on the promises of God or stay in that which we reason to be safer. Maybe it was the desperation of the moment she was in that pushed her to go for it. Maybe it was the hungry look in the eyes of her son?  But she did it. She dared to lose something that seemed to be what she needed, to gain what she really wanted. Read on because God came through as promised and she had provision for her and her child until the rains came or put another way, till the recession ended.

What God asks us to do sometimes may be perceived as Him being mean, but it is more likely it is Him giving us an invitation to a better moment. As with the widow, we all have to look at what we have, then look at what He is promising and then make a choice. Will we lose something by faith to gain something that is promised?

 

Bless you

Andy

 

IMPORTANT MESSAGE

 

COMING SOON, THE ALL NEW BREAKFAST OF CHAMPIONS. 

 

DUE TO THE AMAZING SUCCESS OF BREAKFAST OF CHAMPIONS WE HAVE NOW RE-MODELLED IT TO ENABLE IT TO GROW AND REACH MORE PEOPLE.  WE HAVE DEVELOPED IT INTO A SUBSCRIPTION TYPE PAGE SO THAT ALL THOSE WHO ARE SENDING IT TO FRIENDS CAN NOW GIVE THEM THE OPPORTUNITY TO SUBCRIBE FOR THEMSELVES (subscription remains as always free of any charge). 

 

If you have always received this email directly from us then you do not need to subscribe as we have registered your name already.  If you send it to others please let them know that there will be a section to enable them to get it direct to their mailbox in the next few days. THE PAGE WILL HAVE A BRAND NEW LOOK TO IT THAT WE HOPE YOU ENJOY.

 

From Andy and the great big life team.

 

 

A devotional by Pastor Andy Elmes to inspire you with a godly thought to start your day well. God’s word is indeed the breakfast of champions.

 

Great Big Life

Empowering People

 

Andy Elmes

Pastor & Leadership Coach

 

UK Office:

PO BOX 240

Southsea

PO2 7YE.

 

+ 44 (0) 2392 342592

andy@greatbiglife.co.uk

www.greatbiglife.co.uk

 

 

Breakfast of Champions - 15th September

Good morning Champion

 

What are You Willing to Lose to Gain What You Say You Want?

 

Matthew 14:25-31 (NIV)

During the fourth watch of the night Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. ²⁶When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. "It's a ghost," they said, and cried out in fear. ²⁷ But Jesus immediately said to them: "Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid." ²⁸"Lord, if it's you," Peter replied, "tell me to come to you on the water." ²⁹"Come," he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus.

 

Here we read the great account of Peter asking to do something that he really wanted to do, and notice that Jesus did not put Him off, but rather simply told him to come.  The next move was now down to Peter because he had to decide how much he really wanted what he had asked for. For Him to get what he said He wanted he would have to lose some things. That is faith.

 

1.       He would have to lose his mind. This was completely illogical and so foreign to everything he had ever been taught. Imagine his mind screaming out, “People don’t walk on water! Do they?” He had to lose what he believed or reasoned to be true to get what he said he wanted – That’s faith!

2.       He had to lose his security. The boat was a secure place and the ocean was not. He needed to learn that the most secure place you can have is the one that God has called you to. Still he had to leave what made Him feel secure to take hold of what he said he wanted – That’s faith!

3.       He had to lose his fears. Notice the first thing Jesus said to the disciples when He approached them dealt with fear. For Peter to get what he said he wanted, he had to lose, or step out of His very real and well-established fears – That’s faith!

Remember, He had asked Jesus if he could walk on the water with Him. It was him that really wanted to do what he did and Jesus just invited him to go ahead and stand on His Word and see the impossible become possible. We see him actually get out of the boat and that says to me that his request to walk on water was not a bunch of idle words but that he really wanted what he had asked for. He wanted this so badly that he was willing to lose some things to get it.

 

How about you Champ? How much do you want what you are asking God for?  Are you ready to lose some things to gain it?

Bless you

Andy.

 

 

A devotional by Pastor Andy Elmes to inspire you with a godly thought to start your day well. God’s word is indeed the breakfast of champions.

 

Great Big Life

Empowering People

 

Andy Elmes

Pastor & Leadership Coach

 

UK Office:

PO BOX 240

Southsea

PO2 7YE.

 

+ 44 (0) 2392 342592

andy@greatbiglife.co.uk

www.greatbiglife.co.uk

 

 

Breakfast of Champions - September 14th

Morning Champion

 

He is the Potter We are the Clay!

 

Jeremiah 18: 1-6 (NIV)

This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD : ² "Go down to the potter's house, and there I will give you my message." ³ So I went down to the potter's house, and I saw him working at the wheel. ⁴ But the pot he was shaping from the clay was marred in his hands; so the potter formed it into another pot, shaping it as seemed best to him.  ⁵ Then the word of the LORD came to me: ⁶ "O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter does?" declares the LORD. "Like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand, O house of Israel?

 

Jeremiah had been instructed to go and watch a potter to hear God’s message to him visually portrayed before him. God knew for the prophet to catch the fullness of the message in his heart it had to be communicated in more than words  so be ready for God to do the same for you.

 

As He watched the old potter taking clay and forming it into what he had first imagined in his mind, when he saw him shaping and reshaping and removing bits that marred the clay, suddenly the penny dropped and the realization that ‘he is the potter and I am the clay’ set in. The Word of the Lord to Jeremiah that day was this--If the potter can make and mould as he sees best then the Divine Potter should be allowed to make and mould with my life as He see’s best.

 

Guess what, I believe that message is still relevant to us today. Sometimes we can all be like clay that thinks it knows better than the potter and sometimes we all need a bit of remoulding to have the bits that mar taken out. The potter removes those bits otherwise when it is in the kiln the pot will split. God wants to get the bits out of us because then when the kiln of life burns hot we will not crack but remain intact. We all need that reminder sometimes just as Jeremiah did. He is the potter and we are the clay and as the clay is in the hands of a potter, so are we.

 

Good news. You can trust the potter’s hands. You may not understand why He is remoulding a part of your life but, champion, you can trust Him because He has no intention of harm only thoughts to perfect. He is not out to make something embarrassing or to cause pain but rather something beautiful and something that will be yet another trophy of Grace – Let the Potter get His hands all over you again today.

 

Bless you

 

Andy

 

 

A devotional by Pastor Andy Elmes to inspire you with a godly thought to start your day well. God’s word is indeed the breakfast of champions.

 

Great Big Life

Empowering People

 

Andy Elmes

Pastor & Leadership Coach

 

UK Office:

PO BOX 240

Southsea

PO2 7YE.

 

+ 44 (0) 2392 342592

andy@greatbiglife.co.uk

www.greatbiglife.co.uk

 

 

Breakfast of Champions - September 11th

Hear God Speak Through Everyday Life (cont’d)

 

Jeremiah 18 (The Message)

God told Jeremiah, "Up on your feet! Go to the potter's house. When you get there, I'll tell you what I have to say." 3-4So I went to the potter's house, and sure enough, the potter was there, working away at his wheel. Whenever the pot the potter was working on turned out badly, as sometimes happens when you are working with clay, the potter would simply start over and use the same clay to make another pot. 5-10 Then God's Message came to me: "Can't I do just as this potter does, people of Israel?" God's Decree! "Watch this potter.

 

Let us think again concerning God speaking to us through everyday happenings. I have heard so many Christians say things like, “God does not speak to me”, and again I want to underline that when we have communication problems with God it is normally more to do with us not listening. Maybe He is speaking through an everyday situation.

 

God has taught me leadership lessons even when I have been walking my dog. He has taught me how to structure my church leadership while sitting at a harbor watching ships of different types go by, and He has taught me concerning a person yielding their whole life to Him when I was cutting a pizza. He has taught me lessons on spiritual fitness while I was on the cross trainer at the gym, believe me the list goes on.

 

I really want to encourage you today to keep reading the Word, keep praying like you do, but to dare to hear God speaking outside of those established routines because maybe you need to hear God for a situation you are in. Go out for a walk, get off of the couch and let God take you to a potter’s house where He can show you something.

 

Remember in John 15 Jesus took his disciples next to a vine to help them understand the deep truths of their union with Him. He stood there, pointed at the visual lesson and then said, “Me vine, you branch, and my Father is the vinedresser”,   and they understood everything about connecting with God in just a couple of moments. God still wants to teach us that way too.

 

I find it truly amazing the way that God can use anything to teach you something  and the only thing we need to do is hunger to learn and  have ears to hear!

 

Bless you.

 

Andy

 

 

 

A devotional by Pastor Andy Elmes to inspire you with a godly thought to start your day well. God’s word is indeed the breakfast of champions.

 

Great Big Life

Empowering People

 

Andy Elmes

Pastor & Leadership Coach

 

UK Office:

PO BOX 240

Southsea

PO2 7YE.

 

+ 44 (0) 2392 342592

andy@greatbiglife.co.uk

www.greatbiglife.co.uk