Welcome to Nolan's World

100 Words: Why I Love Running

WHY I LOVE RUNNING

Running has become personally symbolic for the things I shouldn't be able to do, yet somehow I have been able to do.  

A year ago, running was one of the furthest thoughts from me, yet here I find myself on the verge of running my second half-marathon.  

The freedom I have found through getting off the couch and moving down the road is difficult to describe.  Pushing myself to overcome obstacles I never dream of defeating is one of the most empowering feats I have ever accomplished.  

Go chase your "impossible dream" and find a way to make it happen!

100 Words: Filled With Awe

FILLED WITH AWE

There are moments when I am just blown away by the fact that GOD LOVES ME!  There is nothing I can do to earn more of His love because He has already extendedHis entire Heart to me.  

How is it that the Lord values and cherishes me?  I am His and He claimed me as His own before the moment I came into existence.  

There are times that shame me because of how lightly I have taken this amazing love and then are moments like now when I am simply in awe of His relentless pursuit to love me.

100 Words: Five Year Plans

FIVE YEAR PLANS

Five year plans used to be a source for me to structure my dreams and goals; now, they only serve as something that makes me laugh.  

While some people are accomplishing their plans so easily, my plans haven't worked out as well as well as I had scripted.  

What do you do when the life you always dreamed of looks like it will never arrive?  Embrace and relish the life that you were given.  

Those are hard words to type but I believe them.  God has a reason for you to walk the path you are currently encountering.  

Cherish TODAY!

100 Words: Hard Work

HARD WORK

Being good at anything takes a tremendous amount of hard work.  Being extraordinary takes even more hours.  

Perhaps that's why we see so many people who are content to coast through life and just be happy with "normal."  

I believe God has buried a spark of unimaginable greatness within the heart of every human.  It is our job to discover it, fan its flames, and reveal it to the world.  

Sadly, there will be many who will never celebrate their uniqueness because they have never been willing to do the hard work to find that hidden talent and maximize it.  

100 Words: A Generation Away

A GENERATION AWAY

One hundred years ago, Europe was the epicenter of Christianity.  At that time, 70 percent of the world's Christians lived there.  Today, less than a one-half of a percent of Europeans call Christ Lord.  

Christian Americans, are you listening???

We can either repeat a history that has already played out in front of us where God's movement is marked by empty monuments, or we can take seriously our amazing opportunity to lift high Christ's cross and see revival invade the hearts of those in our country.  

We are one generation away from complete extinction or experiencing the next Great Awakening.

100 Words: Crisis

CRISIS

Your world will come crashing down, often when you least expect it.  Never waste a crisis. 

Although painful, when you find yourself at your lowest point, God can capitalize on this opportunity to grow you, refine you, and give you an inner strength you never dreamed possible.  

Even though it's difficult to imagine when you are going through a time of crisis, you may actually look back on those trials with fondness.  

When you find yourself in the valley of pain, doubt, and struggle, your character is being shaped and your resolve is being tested.  

Grow deeply through your crisis!

100 Words: The Church's Mission

THE CHURCH'S MISSION

Can we agree that the church's mission is bringing people face to face with the Cross?  Loving them, rescuing them, training them, and sending them!  

Don't spend too much time looking at other churches--choose rather to look at Christ.  Jesus is concerned that we look more like Him, not the church in front of us or down the road from us.  

Embrace the heartbeat of His vision to reach your community with His amazing love in your unique way.  If that means that your church is always the weirdest church in your city, that's okay...just learn to embrace weirdness. 

100 Words: Obedience

OBEDIENCE

There is nothing better than doing the right thing.  Obedience for the Christian is a concept that is relatively simple to understand yet apparently is difficult to practice.  It seems that we are better at attempting to tell God what He should do rather than listening to and doing what He tells us.  Obedience should not be viewed as a boundary to keep us from having fun, but as a gateway to freedom.  When God tells us we should do or not do something, we should immediately obey.  He desires that we live fruitful lives which only come through obedience.

100 Words: Weary

WEARY

I went to bed really early last night, and slept really late...How is it that I feel more tired than when I went to bed?  

I am definitely whipped from work.  I am also physically drained from an 8 mile run/walk yesterday.  I sense there is more to this than those factors.  

I have been in the midst of spiritual battle this week.  As I have prepared my heart to deliver God's message tomorrow, its been obvious that the Lord wants me to share sermon that Satan does not...

...praying for supernatural strength and grace, open ears and willing hearts!

100 Words: Compassion

COMPASSION

Emotion moves you to tears; compassion moves you to action.  A heart of compassion will drop you knee-deep into the mess that surrounds the hurting: you will do everything that you can to eliminate their pain and bring relief to their wounds.  

The hurting world doesn't need anyone else to feel sorry for them; it needs people of compassion who will allow "holy interruptions" to become high priorities in their daily journeys.  When was the last time you saw someone who was in pain and took the time to try to help them?  

Action is the first step toward compassion!