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Mailbox of john_christian@rediffmail.com From: Moody Publishers To: john dendukuri Subject: Post-Sunday: Creative God Date: Mon, 08 Sep 2014 15:36:49 IST Post-Sunday: Creative God Post-Sunday Encouragement for Church Leaders Jonathan Malm At Moody Publishers, our goal is to serve you, the Church Leader, which is why we’ve asked our author, Jonathan Malm, to write 350 words on thinking creatively. May you be encouraged this post-Sunday morning. We know the story: Gideon’s army is outnumbered. Things seem hopeless and there is no one else to rescue the Israelites from the Midianite invaders. Then, God shrinks Gideon’s tiny army down to an even tinier troop of just 300 people. Gideon’s troop surrounds the Midianite army in the middle of the night and scares the wits out of them. The Midianites flee and turn on each other out of fear. End of story. Have you ever noticed that this plan actually makes sense? Many miracles in the Bible seem like long shots. But this seems like it could be straight from a movie script. It seems natural. But what makes this solution a miracle is that it comes directly from the mind of God. It is an incredibly creative solution. God could use the full army at Gideon’s disposal. He could tell Gideon to do something else. But this idea is the best. The idea is so creative that it keeps the Israelites from losing a single man. This is an outside-the-box solution to a problem, and God offers the plan when Gideon asks for it. It is wisdom and creativity from the mind of God. There are times in our lives when circumstances seem impossible. You may be under financial pressure. Or in the midst of relational struggles. Perhaps there’s a deacon at your church who’s making your life impossible. You might think it takes a miracle to solve the problem. But I say it only takes creativity. God loves to give His wisdom and creativity to those who ask. If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. (James 1:5 NLT) Seek God’s wisdom. Seek His creativity in your situation. His plan will work, and there will be zero casualties. Creative challenge: Choose one project you’re working on and cut your resources for that project in half. Now think creatively. What are some unique ways that you can still accomplish your goal? Jonathan Malm is an author, speaker, and creative entrepreneur who consults with churches and creative directors to make their ministries more successful. For more creative challenges, read Jonathan’s first book, Created for More. Find out more about Jonathan at jonathanmalm.com or read his magazine for Sunday workers at SundayMag.tv. Created for More ShopMoodyPublishers.com Moody Publishers FacebookTwitter Click Here to safely unsubscribe from this newsletter. Please feel free to forward this email on to any other church leader who may need encouragement today. Copyright © 2014 Moody Publishers Our address is 820 North LaSalle Drive, Chicago, IL 60610, United States If you do not wish to receive future email, click here. (You can also send your request to Customer Care at the street address above.)