John Piper - Don't Waste Your Life

Who came up with retirement anyway? Probably some lazy people.

I guess it's not wrong to quit working an American job but our working and contending for the faith should never end!! No matter where you are or what you're doing you should be living as Christ. I hope I'm 80 and preaching somewhere! I would love to go abroad and share the gospel but I'm called to share it here in LA for now and I'll admit I'm not doing it as much as I would like to.

When you put your whole life in perspective of what you're going to give an account for before God it really gets you motivated to go out and truly live.

Not American Dream live but Kingdom live.

Misty Edwards has a song about the "inside, outside, upside down Kingdom where you lose to gain and you die to live" It's against everything of this world but it is the path to satisfaction and to abundant and eternal life.

I pass so many homeless people or people asking for money and I try to give something as much as I can, even if its just a dollar. Then the homeless person says, "God bless you!" which I appreciate and I say, "Yes and God bless you!" But I'm no different from the next girl. I don't give up my time to talk further with them, I don't offer them anything more than the dollar I gave them. I want to be like Peter and John and say, "look, I don't have much money to give you but how 'bout I heal you (and offer you a life-saving relationship)!? Sound good?"

That's what needs to be happening in this town.

I've decided that I'm going to start asking people if they would let me pray for them.

It's not ok with me anymore to just say, "God bless you" or "Jesus loves you" because that has become sadly cliche.

If I can't preach the gospel in my own neighborhood how am I going to do it across the world?

To me missions is selfishly tempting because you go, preach and then come back to a cushy life.

I'm turning in my cushy, comfortable life for Kingdom life.

I'm gunna hug the stinkers and listen to the people who are dying for someone to listen to them.

I'm going to give and pray and spread truth and hope where its lacking.

I don't know who reads these blogs but hold me to it! I'll begin writing my experiences and documenting the work that God is doing through me.

I want to be used by God.

I don't want to waste my life.