Open up the ultimate nightclub in Goodgame Disco. You can be the DJ and select the music, or be the barkeeper and throw a round of delicious drinks. Party with celebreties, decorate your club, buy heavy base speakers or a new, trendy dance floor and get the crowd to shake it. If you’re successful, your club will soon be the hottest one in town.
The Transforming Power of Prayer (Part 4)'Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors ” (Matt.6:12). Prayer reminds you of God’s daily call to give the same grace to others as God has given to you. Prayer requires you to love others as you have been loved.
Prayer makes no sense if it isn't rooted in recognition that God has placed his love on you even though you could never have earned, achieved, or deserved it. Prayer makes sense only when its rooted in the reality that you’ve been gifted every day with patient forgiveness and empowering grace.
Prayer humbles you as it forces you to acknowledge that the most valuable thing in your existence, the love of God, is the thing that you had no capacity whatsoever to earn. And as prayer calls you to celebrate undeserved love, it requires you to commit yourself to love others in the same way. There is a direct connection between self-righteousness and an inability and unwillingness to love others.It is a contradiction to seek God’s help yet be unwilling to help your neighbor. It is a contradiction to celebrate God’s love yet refuse to love others.
It is a contradiction to be deeply aware of your moment-by-moment need of grace yet unwilling to give grace to the person you live near and say that you love. It is a contradiction to know that your only real hope in life is God’s forgiveness yet refuse to forgive that person who has sinned against you. It is a contradiction to know that God will only listen to your requests because he is patient and kind and then turn and respond to others in irritation and impatience.It makes no sense to participate in an act that, by its very nature, recognizes that you’ve been blessed by divine love and grace, yet to have no practical commitment to love and grace in your relationships. It makes no sense to celebrate God’s forgiveness and then refuse to forgive others in those moments when forgiveness, reconciliation, and restoration are so obviously and practically needed.
As prayer calls you to celebrate vertical forgiveness, it requires you to offer horizontal forgiveness as well.Prayer reminds you of God’s call to love. It reminds you that you’ve been designed to live a lifestyle of willing self-sacrifice for the good of another. Prayer reminds you that successful living is all about loving God above all else and loving your neighbor as yourself. Prayer reminds you that your relationships are always about the daily dynamics of a sinner living near a sinner, and because it is, there is no more important commitment in relationships than the commitment to forgive. Prayer reminds you that there is never a day when you aren’t called to give another grace that hasn’t been deserved or earned.Here is the thing that happens to many of us. Pay attention to the cycle that I am about to describe. As we lose sight of our daily need for forgiveness, we quit being so willing to forgive others.
As we quit forgiving others and putting away their offenses, we begin to keep a record of the others' wrongs. As we keep a daily record of wrongs, we're increasingly aware of how much we’re affected by the weakness and failure of others. As we carry this awareness with us, we become increasingly irritated, impatient, and intolerant with others. So we deal with our disappointment with others by protecting ourselves from them with distance and busyness; living in networks of terminally casual relationships.A mutual commitment to give grace daily is the only hope for a relationship of a sinner to a sinner, which is the only kind of relationship there is. Prayer reminds us of God’s call to love and forgive, and it reminds us that this call is most needed when it is most undeserved. About Me Name:Welcome to the Paul Tripp Ministries blog. What motivates us?
Well, we are convinced that many people live with a big gap in their understanding of what God has done for them. They understand that Jesus died so that their sins can be forgiven and they understand that he died so that they would have a future with him in eternity. But they simply don't understand what Jesus has provided for them so that they can face the harsh realities of life in this broken world with hope and courage. We believe it is not enough to believe in life after death, we believe in real hope of life before death. We believe in real hope of personal growth and change.
We believe in real hope of community and institutional change. Because we believe in the transforming power of Jesus Christ. His grace is able to make broken things new again. This is our mission, to connect the transforming power of Jesus Christ to everyday life.Join us by reading the blog, checking out our website, attending an event, or purchasing a resource.
Reading Time: 19 minutesCafe list last updated: March 4, 2020What if I told you there’s a place where everybody knows your name, your favorite snacks, the type of coffee you drink, and even the board games you love? Then what if I told you that place might be in your town, or perhaps even right around the corner? I’m talking about board game cafes of course; the modern age’s answer to karaoke, lame hookup joints, and sketchy dive bars.Looking for the?Photo credit: Adam Rice – Queen & Rook Game Cafe, Philadelphia, PA, USA What’s a Board Game Cafe?Just what a board game cafe is might be up for debate, but most people would probably agree that it’s a coffee shop, bar, or restaurant with an unexpected and delightful number of board games.
Most board game cafes offer food and drinks of some sort; from simple pastries all the way up to full table service with burgers, sandwiches, pizza, and other tasty offerings. Some board game cafes even serve beer, wine, or mixed drinks; and of course they all serve coffee. Snakes & Lattes in Toronto, CanadaThe defining characteristic of a board game cafe is of course the games. Some cafes might have as few as 50 or 100 popular titles mixed with beloved classics, while other cafes such as Snakes & Lattes in Canada offer massive volume, with over 1,200 board games lining the shelves of their three Toronto locations.Board game cafes typically have a small cover charge for anyone sitting down and playing games. Some cafes will waive the cover charge if you order food and drink, while others may simply count it against your order. This helps manage the upkeep of the games, which require frequent repairs and replacements. One copy of Catan could hit the table over a dozen times a week, much higher than your typical copy at home.
This also accounts for those patrons who sit and play but might not order food and drinks. If the cafe has staff that help you learn a game, the game fee helps pay for their time as well. Remember that while they’re called “board game cafes” they’re primarily a restaurantso if you get good service, consider asking if they accept tips; it will certainly be appreciated. What Can I Do at a Board Game Cafe?Board game cafes are a wonderful place to gather a group of friends for fun times.
Consider if your “table away from home”. That means you can expect lots of great conversation, good food and drinks, and even some friendly competition.Most board game cafes offer an extensive library of games which means they’re perfect places to go if you want to try out that classic 90s board game, or maybe even the newest title fresh from the store. Many cafes even have staff whose job it is to teach patrons how to play games.
At a I talked to a “game guru” who admitted to being able to teach several hundred games from their shelvesamazing.Many cafes will offer a regular schedule of events like Magic the Gathering nights, trivia nights, or other themed events meant to attract a diverse crowd of people. Of course you’re almost always welcome to walk in and grab a table for whatever games your group wants to play.