At 5:38 this past Sunday morning. . .I was pondering a question. . .that demands an answer.

Do we want to succeed enough to plan our action and then act on the plan?

It’s one thing to think about what we want to do. . .and that’s good. . .just not good enough.

It’s another thing to talk/speak/confess what we want to do. . .that’s good. . .just not good enough.

It’s something else to plan what we’re thinking about. . .and that’s good. . .just not good enough.

However, what we’re thinking, speaking and planning will never become a reality until we actually act on what we’ve been thinking, speaking and planning.

Here are seven keys to guarantee your plans will succeed.

Recently, I was watching one of my favorite John Wayne movies entitled “Big Jake.”  The Duke as he was known was my favorite movie star during my formative years.  He was always the good guy.  The one who stood for what was right. . .regardless of the consequence.

My three favorite John Wayne quotes are:

# 1       “Life is tough, but it's tougher when you're stupid.”

# 2       “Courage is being scared to death…but saddling up anyway.”

# 3       “Tomorrow is the most important thing in life. Comes into us at midnight very clean. It's perfect when it arrives and it puts itself in our hands. It hopes we've learned something from yesterday.”

John Wayne won his only Oscar in 1969 for the movie “True Grit.”  There’s a point in the movie where 14 year-old Mattie Ross says to Marshal Rooster Cogburn (John Wayne) “They tell me you are a man with true grit.”

Dictionary.com defines true grit as:

Have you had a bad day. . .or maybe even a bad day or two or three this past week?

Do you feel like nothing is going right?

Are things that you thought not manifesting as you had planned them?

Are other people raining on your parade or plans?

Are you taking your lack of success (financial or otherwise) personally?

Does it feel like nobody cares about what’s happening in your life?

If you get nothing else from what we’re going to say in this teaching. . .let this next sentence get deep down in your mind and in your spirit.

A couple of weeks back we taught “7 Threats To Your Success” on one of our Rich Thoughts for Breakfast calls.

The fourth threat in the teaching is:  “Ghosts, gorillas, gremlins and goblins from your past.”

From the moment the words came out of my spirit and onto the Word document. . .I knew it should be a SUNDAY NITE LIVE teaching.

I didn’t try to overanalyze . . . I just wrote down the seven G’s that we have to overcome to walk in victory. . .over our past.

Did you realize the letters which form the word LISTEN also create the word SILENT?

Do think there’s a reason why God gave us two ears and one mouth?  It’s been recommended that perhaps we should listen twice as much as we talk.

It’s rude and disrespectful to interrupt someone when they’re speaking?

There’s a difference between hearing and listening?

Did you know that the scripture gives us “7 Keys To Being An Effective Listener?”

Have you ever wondered what winners think about?

Here are seven things that winners...people just like you...think about it.

1.         Wisdom

One of the favorite scriptures of my wisdom mentor and dear friend Dr. Mike Murdock is Proverbs 4:7 which in the Amplified Bible says:

“The beginning of Wisdom is: get Wisdom (skillful and godly Wisdom)! [For skillful and godly Wisdom is the principal thing.] And with all you have gotten, get understanding (discernment, comprehension, and interpretation).”

If you want to be a winner in life you need an insatiable hunger for wisdom.

“Tomorrow is the only day in the year that appeals to a lazy man.”  Jimmy Lyons

I don’t have a clue which Jimmy Lyons this might be but Google brought up only one and he is a singer by trade.  Regardless, this observation is powerful.

As I re-read his quote I was prompted by the Holy Ghost to see what Proverbs has to say about being lazy.

There are 16 verses in several different translations that speak directly and often forcefully about the consequences of being lazy.

Over the years, I have. . .sadly. . .had a large number of people talk to me. . .with tears in their eyes. . .about how they lost everything they owned because of bad advice from well-meaning friends and family members.

Couples who got in on the ground floor of a ‘can’t miss’. . .explosive money-making opportunity. . .at the urging of a family member or friend. . .only to watch the company go belly up. . .and their money disappear faster than an ice cube on a hot summer’s day.

Dreamers who were robbed of their dreams by the doubts of someone who’s biggest decision is whether to have next Saturday’s breakfast at iHop or Cracker Barrel. 

Listening to the wrong people. . .give unwise advice.

I could go on. . .with other sad stories I’ve heard. . .but let’s move on with seven reasons not to take their word for it.

July 4th is not just another holiday.

It's much more than a trip to the beach, lake or pool.  It's much more than a picnic in the park or backyard.  This holiday is more than oohing and awing at fireworks displays.

July 4th is about freedom and liberty won and maintained through great personal sacrifice, commitment and faith.

Our independence was won by those who were willing to pay the ultimate price to that you and I could enjoy a holiday such as this.

I feel led to share with you 15 interesting, inspiring and sometimes humorous things about July 4th, our Day of Independence.

From time to time. . .sadly, we read about sins of pastors, priests and members of the clergy.  While not minimizing these sins. . .as they are intolerable and indefensible but fortunately not unforgiveable.  The occurrence is infrequent . . .unless you believe everything you read and hear in the news media. . .which I encourage you not to do.

While I would never minimize the emotional toll of such abuse. . .it is. . .in my opinion not the greatest sin in the church today.  There is a great sin. . .that is widespread. . .almost epidemic. . .touching almost every home.

I call it “blessing abuse” or the sin of ingratitude.  When we forget who brought us to the dance. . .when we forget who has delivered us out of trouble. . .time after time. . .who has answered our prayers and blessed us daily. . .who healed our bodies. . .lifted us up when we thought we were sinking.

We have abused the blessings that God has given us by a lack of appreciation, recognition or a forgetful memory.