God speaks over 20,000 times in Scripture! He speaks through dreams, visions, signs, creation, prophets, the law and even a still small voice to name a few. As the Scripture says, “In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways,  but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son.” Hebrews 1:1-2

The good news for us today is that He still speaks! He speaks through His still small voice, our pastor, spouse, a child, circumstances, strangers, countless ways really. While God can speak to us countless ways He primarily speaks through the Holy Spirit, his Son Jesus and through His Word. The Word of God is living and active (Hebrews 4:12) and it reveals to us what’s on the very mind of God! Today I’d like to touch on 3 primary things that God reveals through Scripture and how these truths can benefits us.

3 Things God Reveals Through Scripture:

1. God reveals who He is through Scripture

It’s in the Scriptures that we come to understand who God really is. Much of scripture points us to Jesus and when we read about Jesus he points us back to the Father! As Jesus shared, “If you, then…know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!” Matthew 7:11 God is a good good father! In fact God does not only love us, He has a patent on love and He himself IS love! It’s through His Word that we come to know promises like Romans 8:28, “And we know that God works all things together for the good of those who love God and have been called according to His purpose.” With promises like these we can’t help but get a glimpse into who this great God is! He has nothing but the best of intentions towards us. And it is through His Word that we can discover more and more of who He is!

   2. God reveals who we are through Scripture

Many of us search our entire lives trying to find who we are. We look for people or things to define us. But the reality is – it’s not until we open God’s Word and call out to Him for ourselves that we discovered who we really are! Our identity is revealed in God’s Word! He calls us forgiven and redeemed! We are the light of the world, a chosen people and His masterpieces! He says we are His inheritance, His children and we’ve been called and chosen by Him. We are loved, pursued and destined with purpose!

    3. God reveals truths about the world we live in

Lastly God reveals truths about the world we live in. We come to understand principles like, “We reap what we sow.” Galatians 6:7 We come to understand that forces of darkness and light are waging war all around us. We come to see the culture of the world around us and recognize the enemy’s influence in it (1 John 5:19). But we also come to see the Father of Lights – the giver of all good gifts – at work and we learn how to walk in the light and follow after Christ’s example. We understand more of our purpose and the call of God on our lives. And as we continue in God’s Word we come to learn the importance of the times and the seasons we live in.

How these Truths can truly benefit us:

If we really want to benefit from these truths we must first commit to actually spending time in God’s Word! Many of us might have great intentions to read God’s Word regularly but simply don’t because well…we slept in, we got busy, we got a phone call, we had to _______ (fill in the black). The reality is most people don’t read the Bible because they don’t know where to start, and/or they don’t have a time set! If we’re serious about wanting to read God’s Word daily we need a time, a place and a plan!

• Set a time each day to read God’s Word (and keep it)!
• Find a place to read God’s Word (and remove distractions from that place).
• Establish a reading plan (whether it’s a Proverb a day or three to five chapters in the New Testament daily).

If you do these things you can count on knowing God for who He is, discovering your true identity and obtaining with a spirit of wisdom. These are vital truths in creating a life you love! So set a time, find a place and establish a plan!

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In my early years of ministry before dad life, even before marriage one of my mentors taught me something that I have not forgotten: Balance! Fast forward to when I first started my family I now had an opportunity to implement this wisdom. I made a commitment to be at home for dinner at least four nights each week. This meant that even if the church had four evening meetings where I was suppose to be present my calendar was already booked! I therefore had to prioritize and determine which meetings I had to be at and which one I could miss. It’s things like these that have helped me lead well at home and work.

I could share a lot of thoughts on leading well like the importance of vision, constant communication, being positive, staying humble, leading by example and many others. However I’d like to focus on these four specific ones today:

1. Think before you _____.

We tell our children to think before they speak and we as leaders need to take heed to this valuable lesson. Not only before we speak but before we act as well! Strategic thinking is probably one of the most lacking things in both our homes and our work! We so easily get lost in the day to day requirements that long term strategic thinking rarely gets done. And it’s easy to see why, we’re so busy wearing countless hats we get lost in the whirlwind of our daily tasks. Don’t make this grave mistake!

Take away – Think strategically on where you’re going and how you’re going to get there!

2. Time outs are essential!

Time outs often help kids to pause, focus, reflect on their actions and adjust their attitude. As leaders I believe we should all take time outs! I’m a better dad when I get a little time to myself, I’m a better pastor and leader when I remove myself for a short time to pause, to focus, to reflect on my actions, my attitude and all that’s happening around me. The best way for me to make time outs a regular practice is by scheduling them in advance. It’s actually part of My Morning Routine!

Take away – Take a moment right now to schedule some time out this week to focus, reflect and adjust accordingly.

3. If it stinks, change it.

This doesn’t just refer to diapers, it refers to everything that’s not working. If something is not working whether it’s our parenting style or one of our processes at work, we need to be willing to make some changes. In a culture that is ever changing some of the ways we do things need to change as well. For example people’s eyes are fixed to small screens whether it’s a laptop or a smartphone. We are literally a screen culture in a digital age and we need to learn to leverage it rather than resist it. Some of our old ways of doing things aren’t working and we need to change!

Take away – Think about what’s currently not working whether it’s at home or work and be willing to make whatever necessary changes may be needed.

4. You need to share!

We’ve all heard this one growing up but how well are we practicing it today? Some of the best leadership principles out there came from Jesus (just like this one)! Think about it, Jesus lived a life of ministry but he also invited his disciples to do the same! He invited the disciples to do what he was doing and we ought to be inviting the people around us to do the same! As much as possible work as a team with the people around you, it will pay dividends in the long run! Work as a team, share responsibility, and delegate where needed. It works both at home and work and as leaders we need to share responsibility and delegate well in order to accomplish all that God has called us to!

Take away – Ask yourself, “Where do I need to share? What things do I need to delegate?”

Lastly, remember to first lead well at home, for this will position you to lead well everywhere else!

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If you’ve ever squandered away a morning or afternoon at work and wondered how time flew by without you accomplishing anything worthwhile you’re not alone! Countless people waste time each day for various reasons. Maybe they don’t know how to manage time well or allow too distractions to keep them from what they actually should be doing. Maybe they’re not focused or clear on their purpose. Over the years I’ve had plenty of days come to an end leaving me unfulfilled and at a loss as to whether my day was productive at all! That was until I learned a few very important things that I’d like to share with you. In this blog I share 3 keys to making sure your day is both productive and fulfilling! Here is my Morning Routine:

Key # 1

Start the Night Before

“It’s incredible to realize that what we do each day has meaning in the big picture of God’s plan.” -Bill Hybels

If you want to assure you’re going to have a meaningful and successful day you have to start the night before. Every night before bed I spend some time in thought and I identify all that I want / need to accomplish the next day! I then write those things down and prioritize them! I ask myself if I were to only get one, two or three of these things done which should I do first? Lastly I make sure to get to sleep at a decent hour so that I’m ready to go early in the morning!

Key # 2

Establish a Morning Routine

“This is the beginning of a new day. God has given me this day to use as I will. I can waste it or use it for good. What I do today is very important because I am exchanging a day of my life for it. When tomorrow comes, this day will be gone forever, leaving something in its place I have traded for it. I want it to be gain, not loss — good, not evil. Success, not failure in order that I shall not forget the price I paid for it.” -Unknown

Mornings are sacred! How you start your day will greatly impact how the rest of your day goes. Most people allow this time to be haphazard at best never realizing the potential it has. But those who accomplish great things in life have discovered the great importance of establishing a morning routine! Here is my morning routine:

Pray – In His presence He makes known the path of life and fills us with great joy (Psalm 16:11) It’s in this time of prayer that I receive direction, I am filled with life and greatly inspired! I also take time to pray for those dear to me, those I’ll encounter throughout the day and those hurting around the world.

Read – First and foremost I read Scripture however I also read devotionals, articles or blogs on faith, family, leadership, success and other subjects that pertain to things that are important to me.

Speak Life – Similar to the quote above, “This is the beginning of a new day…” I’ve created a list of declarations that I make daily. I speak God’s Word over my life, my family, my ministry, etc. This is a greatly affirming and faith building time each morning and it also clarifies my assignment and all that I’m believing God for!

This list isn’t exhaustive but these are some of the most important things. Of course I eat breakfast, get cleaned up for the day, love on my family and work out a few times a week as well! The bottom line is you need to create a morning routine that works for you and then stick to it (at all costs)!

Key # 3

Know You Why

“The two most important days in your life are the day you are born and the day you find out why.” – Mark Twain

When you don’t know why you’re doing what you’re doing you’ll often lose motivation, get easily sidetracked, be less productive and often feel unfulfilled. However, on the other hand something powerful happens when you discover your “why.” Purpose becomes clear, focus and productivity go through the roof and great fulfillment is derived all from knowing your “why.”

John C. Maxwell shares a story of a man who came across three bricklayers hard at work. The man asked the first bricklayer what he was doing. “I’m laying bricks,” he replied. He then asked the second bricklayer the same question. “I’m putting up a wall,” he said. The passerby then asked the question one more time, this time to the third bricklayer. His response was, “I’m building a cathedral.”

It’s clear one was working for a paycheck, one maybe a sense of accomplishment but there was one who knew not just what he was doing but why he was doing it! He had caught the grand vision of people one day gathering from all over to worship, he knew the importance of his work and it was certainly for more than a paycheck!

It’s through my nightly and morning routines that I not only become more clear on my “why” but I also keep it always before me! It’s the power of vision and it’s what has compelled all the greats throughout history!

So, remember if you want to have a productive and fulfilling day start the night before, become clear on your goals, establish your morning routine, pray, read, get inspired and know your “why.”

What’s your morning routine? What are the practices that help you have a fulfilled and productive day? I’d love to hear! Please comment below! And if this has been helpful consider sharing it with friends, colleagues and on social media.

The post My Morning Routine first appeared on John Silkauskas.

This is why I wrote my book! Too many of us live life without any real sense of direction, we are often distracted and our lives look like they are going in every direction.

Sometimes we need to be reminded of our need for vision! Sometimes we need to take very practical steps to create a vision for every area of our life!

This word will challenge you and cause you to take action.  Why wait to see your life become the way you want it?  Take steps today so that you can see your desired results tomorrow.

Here are practical steps to see your dreams come true.  Listen as I define what a goal actually is and be encouraged to dream again and begin to make goal setting a life-style.

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